The U.K. 70s Singles & Albums Chart General Discussion Thread.

It should be, let me tell you.

I'll give you an example: In 1973, U.S. Columbia put out a 2-record compilation, 20 Years Of #1 Hits. This was before the total "Whitburnization" of chart compilations, as the compilers also drew from what'd made #1 on the Cash Box and Record World charts. But even with Billboard, they fudged a bit: Johnny Mathis' "Chances Are" was only #1 in the "Most Played By Jockeys" chart (which we would now refer to as "Airplay"); it'd made #4 on the oft-cited "Best Sellers" list. Meanwhile, some of their #1's in the 1952-72 period were totally missing, a combination of them losing the rights to key artists' masters (which was why two #1's, "You Belong To Me" by Jo Stafford from 1952 and "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence from 1963, were missing; but then, so was Mitch Miller's "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" from '55, even though they - and today's successor Sony - still own that master) and certain artists then with the label having veto power (between 1966 and 1970, the only #1's Columbia had on the Billboard Hot 100 were by Simon & Garfunkel - three in all, "The Sounds Of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - no doubt Paul Simon said "no" to any of them being in this set). In place of the missing ones, besides Mathis, you had:
- "Cry" by Johnnie Ray (#1 for 11 weeks; but its run began at the end of '51 and was on its OKeh subsidiary, so that was stretching it; though its massive success did lead to Mr. Ray's being transferred to Columbia for the rest of his run with the company)
- A couple of "other" #1's that missed the grade in Billboard but topped "other" charts: "Young Girl" by The Union Gap Featuring Gary Puckett (#1 CB & RW / #2 BB), "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash (#1 RW / #2 BB & CB), "And When I Die" by Blood, Sweat And Tears (#1 CB / #2 BB & RW) and "Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson (#1 CB & RW / #3 BB).

So yes, I'd say for a Showaddywaddy compilation, figure in the NME and MM #1's as well. "Three Steps To Heaven," B.T.W., was an NME-only #1. If all charts were factored in, Showaddywaddy had four toppers behind their belts, not just the one "official" "Under The Moon Of Love."

 

If, and should don't matter though.
This thread along with the other decade / yearly threads uses the Official Charts as the facto #1.
Just like Eric Generic and possibly a few others on this site, I too had 'my' singles Charts when I was a schoolboy, but bottom line there was only one chart that mattered.
BTW
All of Sweet's singles got to #1 on my charts. All of them!!! Not just Blockbuster!!!!
Just saying!!!!

 

There will always be winner and losers if you take on every list, BUT, I just don't see any comparison to what happened in the U.S., where others magazines had vast sales, unlike Melody Maker etc.

How many disclaimers would be required on Showaddywaddy Gold, if the front cover read, "contains four UK number one singles"?

 

I thought you were a fellow Midlander, not German!!

 

Interview with Ian Hunter from Record Mirror this week in 1979.

 

More Ian:

 

Elton’s book should have been released in volumes, as seems to be the fashion these days, or at least as you say in a massive 900+ page hefty book.
Barbara apparently wanted her book to be released in two volumes but the publisher insisted on one.
Remember Sting released his ‘early years’ memoir many years ago, and still no follow up.

Of course Elton has lived an incredibly, erm… colourful life, so we were never going to get a full nuts and bolts affair. Always look at the best, spiciest, and most outrageous bits of a book, and then just imagine what they left out…

 

Elton has claimed he’s suffered a great deal of memory loss due to his 70s & 80s exploits. I can well believe it.

 

Live reviews from Record Mirror. 28/4/79.

 

In some of Hunter's pics, he reminds me of Michel Polnareff... another giant of 70s music in some parts of the world

 

Maybe Elton has chosen to forget a great deal, because of his 70s & 80s exploits?

 

Could be a combination of both - memory loss from drug use plus wanting to forget?

 

I've done quite well here...

My picks would be Bridge, Bleed, Willy and Hotel... followed by Abbey and Moondance, maybe Leonard in the right mood... I agree Cash's Quentin is not as good as Folsom, despite having "A Boy Named Sue" on it... Willy is 'maybe' my second favourite CCR album, after Cosmo's Factory... Despite the absence of any real hits, Morrision Hotel is a fine listen, and more cohesive and complete than some of their earlier albums... For reasons unknown, I don't really listen to Led Zeppelin much anymore... And yes, I really do have the Andy Williams album but in my defence I inherited it...

 

No, he said a lot of it’s a blur. He had huge blackouts apparently.

 

Kate & Iggy, yes. Mike Oldfield, definitely not.

Kate's current single in April '79 was the fabulous Wow; from the less than fabulous Lionheart album:


Meanwhile, Iggy was promoting I'm Bored from his forthcoming New Values LP. The 45s great; the album's a tad patchy.

 

Well now.... Looking at what I bought not in real time I think I've a pretty good haul. Some proper classics and so many I still play.
At the time I've zero embarrassment saying that my favourite of the bunch in 1970 was actually Herb Alpert's 'Going Places'. A nod to the heavens and "Thanks ma!"

1. Simon And Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water
3. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II
5. Original Soundtrack Easy Rider
6. The Beatles Abbey Road
12 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath
13 The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed
15 Simon And Garfunkel Bookends
22 Simon And Garfunkel Sounds Of Silence
30 The Rolling Stones Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol.2)
37 Fairport Convention Liege And Lief
41 Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass Going Places
43 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin
48 Simon And Garfunkel The Graduate
51 Tyrannosaurus Rex A Beard Of Stars
57 The Rolling Stones Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass)

 

Yes of course, but some of that will be selective memory loss...

 

It's just so odd reading that outstanding review, as they all were, of Kate's brilliant live show, that she waited 35 years to tour again.

 

Wow is maybe my favourite Kate Bush single.
I loved how she became so huge so quickly, that within a year she was on that Abba special in Switzerland with Olivia and others.

 

This is the gothic version video of Wuthering Heights. I think it's only become more available these past few years.
I love it...

 

So there's three official music videos not two?

 

I have this, my only HA&TB... wrong decade but zero embarrassment on my part either to say I love it...

 

Sounds like a lot of '60's leftovers were on that albums chart in '70, for sure.

 

Interesting... After the hallowed two, this is my next favourite solo album by him... I remember reading something along the lines of Arista only agreeing to invest in the follow up (the somewhat disjointed Soldier) after seeing the positive reviews and decent sales New Values generated in the UK, I can't remember the source of that though... The singles are good but the standout track for me is "Don't Look Down", covered (not very well, in my opinion) by Bowie on Tonight, which was a real shame as his voice suited the vocal pefectly...

 

This video was filmed in a haunted castle at a themed park on the Netherlands, she also filmed ' oh to be in love'.
I think it was a TV special of some kind.