Here I stand again... with another old chart from 1977

[Chris Brown]

I picked this out because I wanted to represent acknowledge the death of
Little Richard and I didn't think a 50s chart would go down so well. It
happens that this week also marks the debut of some classic singles, one
of which is sometimes described as the most important of the decade...
spoiler alert, it's not the Brotherhood Of Man.

Playlists are here. the 70s aren't as much of a ghost town on streaming
as they used to be.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rw2RjyMoegfrmFw4q8vxV
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNqZsDYQ5Tcop3dKTI-oAN1x

Chart dated: 9th July 1977

1. (1) Hot Chocolate - So You Win Again
2. (2) The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go
3. (3) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man
4. (5) Gladys Night & The Pips - Baby Don't Change Your Mind
5. (14) Boney M - Ma Baker
6. (9) Olivia Newton John - Sam
7. (4) Kenny Rogers - Lucille
8. (10) The Stranglers - Peaches/Go Buddy Go
9. (6) Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today
10. (7) Barbra Streisand - A Star Is Born (Evergreen)
11. (21) T-Connection - Do What You Wanna Do
12. (16) Bo Kirkland And Ruth Davis - You're Gonna Get Next To Me
13. (8) ELO - Telephone Line
14. (20) Alessi - Oh, Lori
15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love
16. (11) The Muppets - Halfway Down The Stairs
17. (18) Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This
18. (24) John Miles - Slow Down
19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
20. (22) Detroit Emeralds - Feel The Need
21. (25) Tony Etoria - I Can Prove It
22. (40) Tavares - One Step Away
23. (26) Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus
24. (17) Queen - Queen's First EP
25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo
26. (44) Andy Gibb - I Just Wanna Be Your Everything
27. (13) Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It/First Cut Is The
Deepest
28. (43) The Commodores - Easy
29. (37) Supertramp - Give A Little Bit
30. (38) Rita Coolidge - We're All Alone
31. (41) Fat Larry's Band - Center City
32. (39) The Wurzels - Farmer Bill's Cowman
33. (46) Dave Edmunds - I Knew The Bride
34. (28) George Benson - Nature Boy
35. (15) Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle
36. (29) Jesse Green - Come With Me
37. (47) Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly/Rip It Up
38. (31) Frankie Miller - Be Good To Yourself
39. (27) Van McCoy - The Shuffle
40. (23) Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up

41. (36) Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Anything That's Rock N' Roll
42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23
43. (50) Alan O'Day - Undercover Angel
44. (49) Cat Stevens - Remember The Days Of The Old Schoolyard
45. (NE) The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
47. (19) Genesis - Spot The Pigeon (EP)
48. (NE) Barry Biggs - Three Ring Circus
49. (NE) The Rah Band - The Crunch
50. (NE) Paul Nicholas - Heaven On the 7th Floor

Chris

[Robbie]

On 05/07/2020 16:54, Chris Brown wrote:

> Chart dated: 9th July 1977

The chart from the previous week was featured on Pick Of The Pops last
Saturday. A mixture of some good songs and some bad songs.

>
> 1.   (1) Hot Chocolate - So You Win Again

One of my favourite Hot Chocolate singles.

> 2.   (2) The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go

I always thought this one was a bit bland.

> 3.   (3) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man

I bought this one at the time. Good song though the longer version on
YouTube goes on a bit.

> 4.   (5) Gladys Night & The Pips - Baby Don't Change Your Mind

Her fourth and last top 10 hit with The Pips. I'm not sure when this is
from but it sounded dated even then.

> 5.  (14) Boney M - Ma Baker

I'd bought their previous single ('Sunny') but this one was awful.

> 6.   (9) Olivia Newton John - Sam

And ONJ was charting with an absolute dirge.

> 7.   (4) Kenny Rogers - Lucille

Poor number 1.

> 8.  (10) The Stranglers - Peaches/Go Buddy Go

POTP played the radio version of 'Peaches' which cuts out the rude bits
but while that version was available back then radio largely preferred
to play the AA side.

> 9.   (6) Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today

I suppose it's a bit quirky.

> 10.  (7) Barbra Streisand - A Star Is Born (Evergreen)

A long running hit by the standards of the time. I actually didn't mind
this one.

> 11. (21) T-Connection - Do What You Wanna Do

And I loved this one. I was really getting into disco music by now.

> 12. (16) Bo Kirkland And Ruth Davis - You're Gonna Get Next To Me

The 7" is long enough but the 12" ("released by popular demand"
according to James Hamilton of Record Mirror) was over 7 minutes long.

> 13.  (8) ELO - Telephone Line

This one was all over radio at the time. I quite liked it. This was when
they were reaching their peak years for success.

> 14. (20) Alessi - Oh, Lori

Very sappy.

> 15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love

Rush-released to meet popular demand (and to beat off imports) I
actually didn't like this record at the time. I think it took until much
later in 1977 before I began to like it.

> 16. (11) The Muppets - Halfway Down The Stairs

Silly song "sung" by Kermit's nephew, Robin.

> 17. (18) Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This

The AA side seemed to get no plays on radio. The A side was good.

> 18. (24) John Miles - Slow Down

This was massive in US discos. And UK ones too. OK song but perhaps a
bit too frenetic.

> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen

The number 1 that never was. Though it was estimated to be about 20,000
sales behind Rod at number 1 the week it climbed to number 2.

> 20. (22) Detroit Emeralds - Feel The Need

The song has been a hit for the group in 1973 but I think this may have
been a re-recording.

> 25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo

Someone at DigitalSpy, in the Top Of The Pops 1977 thread, described
them as being Primark Abba. They weren't even that good. This was too
blatant a copy of Abba.

> 26. (44) Andy Gibb - I Just Wanna Be Your Everything

RSO struggled to break Andy Gibb in the UK. Whereas in the US he was a
massive success in 1977 and 1978.

> 28. (43) The Commodores - Easy

Would be a hit once again in 1988 after being used in a Halifax Cradcash
advert.

> 42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23

A great song that doesn't actually mention letter number 23 if I recall.

> 43. (50) Alan O'Day - Undercover Angel

A US number 1 which is largely forgotten in the UK.

> 45. (NE) The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant

Charting on sales of just a few hours I believe. It would jump to number
7 the following week.

> 46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

One of the best songs on 'Rumours'. It was also the only track from the
album to make the then important top 30. It has sold 945,000 in the
digital (post 2004) age.

> 50. (NE) Paul Nicholas - Heaven On the 7th Floor

Surprisingly a massive hit in the US where it peaked at number 6.

STAR BREAKERS
b01 (b08) SOUTHERN COMFORT - Berni Flint
b02 (NEW) MUPPET SHOW THEME - Muppets (Pye 7N 45705)
b03 (NEW) A LITTLE BOOGIE WOOGIE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND - Gary Glitter
(Chart Entry 16-Jul-1977 at No. 50)
b04 (b05) I'M IN YOU - Peter Frampton
b05 (NEW) WHEN TWO WORLD'S DRIFT APART - Cliff Richard (Chart Entry
16-Jul-1977 at No. 47)
b06 (NEW) IT`S YOUR LIFE - Smokie (Chart Entry 16-Jul-1977 at No. 44)
b07 (NEW) YOUR SONG - Billy Paul (Chart Entry 16-Jul-1977 at No. 43)
b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co
b09 (b07) BE MY WIFE - David Bowie
b10 (b10) ME & THE ELEPHANT - Gene Cotton

A mixture of horror songs as well as a Bowie flop.

>
>     Chris

[Vidcapper]

On 05/07/2020 16:54, Chris Brown wrote:
>

> Chart dated: 9th July 1977
>
> 1. (1) Hot Chocolate - So You Win Again
>

> 3. (3) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man
> 4. (5) Gladys Night & The Pips - Baby Don't Change Your Mind
> 5. (14) Boney M - Ma Baker

> 7. (4) Kenny Rogers - Lucille

It took a long time to realise he was singing 'four Hungry children'
rather than 'four hundred children'. :p

> 15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love

> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen

> 25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo

I might have expected to know more from a 1977 chart.


--

Paul Hyett, Cheltenham

[James Heaton]

"Robbie" <ngrob...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:rdt0o9$crl$1...@dont-email.me...

> On 05/07/2020 16:54, Chris Brown wrote:
>
>> Chart dated: 9th July 1977

>> 42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23
>
> A great song that doesn't actually mention letter number 23 if I recall.

You're right. I think the idea is the protagonist is replying to her last
which was 22, which is why that number of mentioned in the lyrics.

James

[James Heaton]

"Chris Brown" <extrem...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:rdst4k$ldm$1...@dont-email.me...

> I picked this out because I wanted to represent acknowledge the death of
> Little Richard and I didn't think a 50s chart would go down so well. It
> happens that this week also marks the debut of some classic singles, one
> of which is sometimes described as the most important of the decade...
> spoiler alert, it's not the Brotherhood Of Man.
>
> Playlists are here. the 70s aren't as much of a ghost town on streaming as
> they used to be.
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rw2RjyMoegfrmFw4q8vxV
> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNqZsDYQ5Tcop3dKTI-oAN1x
>
> Chart dated: 9th July 1977
>

> 9. (6) Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today

Lyrically very clever

> 25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo

I just remember this being on the radio constantly as a kid, must have been
early 80s.

I could never work out why we never found her name out...

> 33. (46) Dave Edmunds - I Knew The Bride

He's come down a long way since his glory days Love Scuplture. Dreary pub
rock.

> 40. (23) Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up

Probably one of his most profitable songs of the last decade...

> 42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23

Absolutely love this track, just blissful, and the vocal really suits a
brother duo harmonies.

> 46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

Talking of nice harmonies...

James

[Chris Brown]

I was going to point out that "22" rhymes with "you" but of course 23
rhymes with "me".

Chris

[Chris Brown]

On 05/07/2020 22:00, James Heaton wrote:
>
> "Chris Brown" <extrem...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:rdst4k$ldm$1...@dont-email.me...
>> I picked this out because I wanted to represent acknowledge the death
>> of Little Richard and I didn't think a 50s chart would go down so
>> well. It happens that this week also marks the debut of some classic
>> singles, one of which is sometimes described as the most important of
>> the decade... spoiler alert, it's not the Brotherhood Of Man.
>>
>> Playlists are here. the 70s aren't as much of a ghost town on
>> streaming as they used to be.
>> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rw2RjyMoegfrmFw4q8vxV
>> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdiUvgvgpgNqZsDYQ5Tcop3dKTI-oAN1x
>>
>> Chart dated: 9th July 1977
>>
>> 9.   (6) Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today
>
> Lyrically very clever

Co-written by Bette Midler.

>> 25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo
>
> I just remember this being on the radio constantly as a kid, must have
> been early 80s.

Strangely, I have no recollection of hearing any Brotherhood of Man song
other than the obvious one until a few years ago.

>> 33. (46) Dave Edmunds - I Knew The Bride
>
> He's come down a long way since his glory days Love Scuplture.  Dreary
> pub rock.

Thought a bit too overproduced to sound like the actual pub-rock of the
time.

>> 40. (23) Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up
>
> Probably one of his most profitable songs of the last decade...

Oh yes. Probably a mistake in retrospect for Thicke to try and sue the
Gaye estate.

>> 42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23
>
> Absolutely love this track, just blissful, and the vocal really suits a
> brother duo harmonies.

Yes, for all that they don't add a vast amount to the original they do
sing it well.

>> 46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
>
> Talking of nice harmonies...

I think I like the backing vocals more than the lead.

Chris

[Chris Brown]

On 06/07/2020 06:51, Vidcapper wrote:

> On 05/07/2020 16:54, Chris Brown wrote:
>>
>> Chart dated: 9th July 1977
>>
>> 1. (1) Hot Chocolate - So You Win Again
>>
>> 3. (3) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man
>> 4. (5) Gladys Night & The Pips - Baby Don't Change Your Mind
>> 5. (14) Boney M - Ma Baker
>
>> 7. (4) Kenny Rogers - Lucille
>
> It took a long time to realise he was singing 'four Hungry children'
> rather than 'four hundred children'. :p

And they're not really having a crap in the field.

>> 15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love
>
>> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
>
>> 25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo
>
> I might have expected to know more from a 1977 chart.

Well, anyway...

Some that are covers:

3. (3) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man

27. (13) Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It/First Cut Is The
Deepest

30. (38) Rita Coolidge - We're All Alone

32. (39) The Wurzels - Farmer Bill's Cowman

34. (28) George Benson - Nature Boy

Some that have themselves been covered and become hits:

2. (2) The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go

15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love

20. (22) Detroit Emeralds - Feel The Need

27. (13) Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It/First Cut Is The
Deepest
28. (43) The Commodores - Easy

37. (47) Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly/Rip It Up

46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

...Or sampled

15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love

42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23

And as it's a Seventies chart, there are songs that were parodied by the
Barron Knights:

13. (8) ELO - Telephone Line

25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo

And of course the song that was ruled in court to have been plagiarised
on one of the biggest hits of recent years.

40. (23) Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up

Chris

[Vidcapper]

On 06/07/2020 19:45, Chris Brown wrote:

> >> 7. (4) Kenny Rogers - Lucille
> >
> > It took a long time to realise he was singing 'four Hungry children'
> > rather than 'four hundred children'. :p

> And they're not really having a crap in the field.
>

I didn't get that part. :)


--

Paul Hyett, Cheltenham

[Chris Brown]

On 05/07/2020 17:56, Robbie wrote:
> On 05/07/2020 16:54, Chris Brown wrote:
>
>> Chart dated: 9th July 1977
>
> The chart from the previous week was featured on Pick Of The Pops last
> Saturday.

Yes, obviously I planned before that, but I did see some of the Twitter
discussion. In fact I don't really listen to the show these days, they
always seem to play the dullest possible tracks.

> A mixture of some good songs and some bad songs.

Strongly agree.

>> 1.   (1) Hot Chocolate - So You Win Again
>
> One of my favourite Hot Chocolate singles.
>
>> 2.   (2) The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go
>
> I always thought this one was a bit bland.

Two cases of an act having their only UK chart-topper with a song that
is not their best-known (probably even more so in the case of the Jacksons).

>> 3.   (3) Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man
>
> I bought this one at the time. Good song though the longer version on
> YouTube goes on a bit.

I picked that as it's an official video but TBH I just listened to the
7" edit on Spotify.

>> 4.   (5) Gladys Night & The Pips - Baby Don't Change Your Mind
>
> Her fourth and last top 10 hit with The Pips. I'm not sure when this is
> from but it sounded dated even then.

Seemingly a new track but maybe Gladys got the songs that were too dated
for other acts.

>> 5.  (14) Boney M - Ma Baker
>
> I'd bought their previous single ('Sunny') but this one was awful.

At least it's committed to being silly, I suppose.

>> 6.   (9) Olivia Newton John - Sam
>
> And ONJ was charting with an absolute dirge.

I don't even remember this.

>> 7.   (4) Kenny Rogers - Lucille
>
> Poor number 1.

Not his worst one.

>> 8.  (10) The Stranglers - Peaches/Go Buddy Go
>
> POTP played the radio version of 'Peaches' which cuts out the rude bits
> but while that version was available back then radio largely preferred
> to play the AA side.

Yeah, some of my Twitter friends were discussing this. I always had the
impression it only got to be an AA side so the radio stations had
something to play.

>> 9.   (6) Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today
>
> I suppose it's a bit quirky.

It is. But we still don't know what that guy does with bread.

>> 10.  (7) Barbra Streisand - A Star Is Born (Evergreen)
>
> A long running hit by the standards of the time. I actually didn't mind
> this one.

It's not my thing but it's well done.

>> 12. (16) Bo Kirkland And Ruth Davis - You're Gonna Get Next To Me
>
> The 7" is long enough but the 12" ("released by popular demand"
> according to James Hamilton of Record Mirror) was over 7 minutes long.

Yeah, sadly the only version on streaming now.

>> 13.  (8) ELO - Telephone Line
>
> This one was all over radio at the time. I quite liked it. This was when
> they were reaching their peak years for success.

Possibly their best non-disco song IMO.

>> 14. (20) Alessi - Oh, Lori
>
> Very sappy.

Now a staple of Guilty Pleasures compilations.

>> 15. (NE) Donna Summer - I Feel Love
>
> Rush-released to meet popular demand (and to beat off imports) I
> actually didn't like this record at the time. I think it took until much
> later in 1977 before I began to like it.

It was famously so different from everything else.

>> 16. (11) The Muppets - Halfway Down The Stairs
>
> Silly song "sung" by Kermit's nephew, Robin.

The Muppets were great though.

>> 17. (18) Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This
>
> The AA side seemed to get no plays on radio. The A side was good.

I presume the AA side was listed in this case because it was a club hit
or something? It's not on Spotify.

>> 18. (24) John Miles - Slow Down
>
> This was massive in US discos. And UK ones too. OK song but perhaps a
> bit too frenetic.

Better than the other John Miles songs I know.

>> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
>
> The number 1 that never was. Though it was estimated to be about 20,000
> sales behind Rod at number 1 the week it climbed to number 2.

Yeah, the story was a good story but just that.

>> 20. (22) Detroit Emeralds - Feel The Need
>
> The song has been a hit for the group in 1973 but I think this may have
> been a re-recording.

Yes, I believe the title is different on this version.

>> 25. (NE) Brotherhood of Man - Angelo
>
> Someone at DigitalSpy, in the Top Of The Pops 1977 thread, described
> them as being Primark Abba. They weren't even that good. This was too
> blatant a copy of Abba.

And shows how much skill it took to be Abba.

>> 26. (44) Andy Gibb - I Just Wanna Be Your Everything
>
> RSO struggled to break Andy Gibb in the UK. Whereas in the US he was a
> massive success in 1977 and 1978.

I'm not the biggest fan but it's odd that he wouldn't take off here when
the Bee Gees were so big.

>> 28. (43) The Commodores - Easy
>
> Would be a hit once again in 1988 after being used in a Halifax Cradcash
> advert.

The one where the guy puts the empty milk bottle back in the fridge. I
think it was the Mary Whitehouse Experience who suggested it was "in
case he fancied a black coffee".

>> 42. (NE) The Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23
>
> A great song that doesn't actually mention letter number 23 if I recall.

Correct!

>> 43. (50) Alan O'Day - Undercover Angel
>
> A US number 1 which is largely forgotten in the UK.

I'm not surprised, it's pretty dull.

>> 45. (NE) The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
>
> Charting on sales of just a few hours I believe. It would jump to number
> 7 the following week.

Probably the best actual record they made.

>> 46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
>
> One of the best songs on 'Rumours'.

Even though I know Rumours is a good album, I feel like the singles are
so deeply irretrievably overplayed I don't think I'd be that bothered if
I never heard them again and I would rarely listen to them out of
context. Although oddly the same doesn't apply to The Chain.

>It was also the only track from the
> album to make the then important top 30. It has sold 945,000 in the
> digital (post 2004) age.

Presumably that includes a lot of streams.

>> 50. (NE) Paul Nicholas - Heaven On the 7th Floor
>
> Surprisingly a massive hit in the US where it peaked at number 6.

Of course if he wants to go to the seventh floor now noboy else can go
in the same lift.

> STAR BREAKERS
> b01 (b08) SOUTHERN COMFORT - Berni Flint

He got to do this on TotP for all the good it di him.

> b02 (NEW) MUPPET SHOW THEME - Muppets (Pye 7N 45705)

I don't I'd ever heard the 7" version before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSzZR08d6t0
(Evidently ripped from a French copy as the sleeve mentions "Kermit la
grenouille")

> b03 (NEW) A LITTLE BOOGIE WOOGIE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND - Gary Glitter
> (Chart Entry 16-Jul-1977 at No. 50)

Almost exactly ten years before the Shaky version.

> b04 (b05) I'M IN YOU - Peter Frampton

Excuse me, Mr Frampton?

> b05 (NEW) WHEN TWO WORLD'S DRIFT APART - Cliff Richard (Chart Entry
> 16-Jul-1977 at No. 47)

I guess you could say he's playing to his strengths there.

> b07 (NEW) YOUR SONG - Billy Paul (Chart Entry 16-Jul-1977 at No. 43)

Not a bad version. He changed the words to remove the "moss"/"quite
cross" rhyme.

> b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co

I didn't get where I am today without liking disco, etc.

> b09 (b07) BE MY WIFE - David Bowie
> b10 (b10) ME & THE ELEPHANT - Gene Cotton

Big Wogan favourite this.

> A mixture of horror songs as well as a Bowie flop.

Aside from reissues by former labels, I believe this was his first
single in more than five years to miss the Top 50. Even though he made a
video, which he didn't do for 'Sound And Vision'.

Chris

[Robbie]

On 07/07/2020 23:18, Chris Brown wrote:
> On 05/07/2020 17:56, Robbie wrote:

>>> 17. (18) Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This
>>
>> The AA side seemed to get no plays on radio. The A side was good.
>
> I presume the AA side was listed in this case because it was a club hit
> or something? It's not on Spotify.

I don't think I've ever heard it. And from memory Record Mirror only
charted 'Too Hot To Handle' in it's Disco chart which admittedly was
only a top 20 then (and which contained some records that were pop
rather than disco - Showaddywaddy were know to make the odd appearance
on it in 1977!)

>>> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
>>
>> The number 1 that never was. Though it was estimated to be about
>> 20,000 sales behind Rod at number 1 the week it climbed to number 2.
>
> Yeah, the story was a good story but just that.

When Richard Branson got to see the chart sales report back then even he
conceded that the Pistols were well and truly beaten into second place.

>>> 26. (44) Andy Gibb - I Just Wanna Be Your Everything
>>
>> RSO struggled to break Andy Gibb in the UK. Whereas in the US he was a
>> massive success in 1977 and 1978.
>
> I'm not the biggest fan but it's odd that he wouldn't take off here when
> the Bee Gees were so big.

The one single I'm still puzzled over not becoming a massive hit in the
UK was 'Shadow Dancing' in May / June 1978. It was at the height of the
Bee Gees disco popularity, the record was massive on the radio and the
record had a massive push by RSO yet it stopped at number 42.

>>> 43. (50) Alan O'Day - Undercover Angel
>>
>> A US number 1 which is largely forgotten in the UK.
>
> I'm not surprised, it's pretty dull.

I forgot to mention he wrote the Helen Reddy hit 'Angie Baby' which I
quite liked. Wikipedia says he wrote over 100 songs for the Muppet
Babies animated series which aired in the 1980s. Another person no
longer with us, he died in May 2013.

>
>>> 45. (NE) The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
>>
>> Charting on sales of just a few hours I believe. It would jump to
>> number 7 the following week.
>
> Probably the best actual record they made.

Musically it's the most coherent.

>
>>> 46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
>>
>> One of the best songs on 'Rumours'.
>
> Even though I know Rumours is a good album, I feel like the singles are
> so deeply irretrievably overplayed I don't think I'd be that bothered if
> I never heard them again and I would rarely listen to them out of
> context. Although oddly the same doesn't apply to The Chain.
>
>> It was also the only track from the album to make the then important
>> top 30. It has sold 945,000 in the digital (post 2004) age.
>
> Presumably that includes a lot of streams.

Mostly streams I'd imagine. The track wasn't certified Silver (200,000
sales) until March 2016, after streaming data began to be included in
the Singles chart. The 745,000 sales since are probably largely streams.

>> b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co
>
> I didn't get where I am today without liking disco, etc.

One of the biggest selling singles in the US in 1977 despite the fact it
peaked at something like number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. A million
seller in fact. It largely sold in shops that didn't provide sales data
to the Hot 100 (those Hot 100 stores had to be more pop oriented so this
record lost out). In addition this was a massive seller on 12" in the
US, a format that didn't count for the Hot 100 until 1986.

>     Chris

[Chris Brown]

On 08/07/2020 00:21, Robbie wrote:
> On 07/07/2020 23:18, Chris Brown wrote:
>> On 05/07/2020 17:56, Robbie wrote:
>
>>>> 17. (18) Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This
>>>
>>> The AA side seemed to get no plays on radio. The A side was good.
>>
>> I presume the AA side was listed in this case because it was a club
>> hit or something? It's not on Spotify.
>
> I don't think I've ever heard it. And from memory Record Mirror only
> charted 'Too Hot To Handle' in it's Disco chart which admittedly was
> only a top 20 then



>(and which contained some records that were pop
> rather than disco - Showaddywaddy were know to make the odd appearance
> on it in 1977!)

Maybe it's just one of those "phantom" AA-sides like 'Don't Lose Your
Temper' by XTC.

>>>> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
>>>
>>> The number 1 that never was. Though it was estimated to be about
>>> 20,000 sales behind Rod at number 1 the week it climbed to number 2.
>>
>> Yeah, the story was a good story but just that.
>
> When Richard Branson got to see the chart sales report back then even he
> conceded that the Pistols were well and truly beaten into second place.

But in the long run it probably suited their narrative better to claim
they'd been conspired against than if they'd actually had a week at the
top.

>>>> 26. (44) Andy Gibb - I Just Wanna Be Your Everything
>>>
>>> RSO struggled to break Andy Gibb in the UK. Whereas in the US he was
>>> a massive success in 1977 and 1978.
>>
>> I'm not the biggest fan but it's odd that he wouldn't take off here
>> when the Bee Gees were so big.
>
> The one single I'm still puzzled over not becoming a massive hit in the
> UK was 'Shadow Dancing' in May / June 1978. It was at the height of the
> Bee Gees disco popularity, the record was massive on the radio and the
> record had a massive push by RSO yet it stopped at number 42.

Maybe everyone was looking under "B" because they thought it was a Bee
Gees record.

>>>> 43. (50) Alan O'Day - Undercover Angel
>>>
>>> A US number 1 which is largely forgotten in the UK.
>>
>> I'm not surprised, it's pretty dull.
>
> I forgot to mention he wrote the Helen Reddy hit 'Angie Baby' which I
> quite liked. Wikipedia says he wrote over 100 songs for the Muppet
> Babies animated series which aired in the 1980s.

I have to admit I don't really remember the songs but it was a good
cartoon.

> Another person no
> longer with us, he died in May 2013.

That's a pity.

>>>> 45. (NE) The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
>>>
>>> Charting on sales of just a few hours I believe. It would jump to
>>> number 7 the following week.
>>
>> Probably the best actual record they made.
>
> Musically it's the most coherent.

I can understand that in some ways 'Anarchy In The UK' and 'God Save The
Queen' had more rhetorical impact.

>>>> 46. (NE) Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
>>>
>>> One of the best songs on 'Rumours'.
>>

>>> It was also the only track from the album to make the then important
>>> top 30. It has sold 945,000 in the digital (post 2004) age.
>>
>> Presumably that includes a lot of streams.
>
> Mostly streams I'd imagine. The track wasn't certified Silver (200,000
> sales) until March 2016, after streaming data began to be included in
> the Singles chart. The 745,000 sales since are probably largely streams.

That makes sense, between Rumours, the best of albums and all the
playlists it's on.

>>> b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co
>>
>> I didn't get where I am today without liking disco, etc.
>
> One of the biggest selling singles in the US in 1977 despite the fact it
> peaked at something like number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. A million
> seller in fact. It largely sold in shops that didn't provide sales data
> to the Hot 100 (those Hot 100 stores had to be more pop oriented so this
> record lost out). In addition this was a massive seller on 12" in the
> US, a format that didn't count for the Hot 100 until 1986.

That seems very late.

Chris

[Robbie]

On 11/07/2020 00:08, Chris Brown wrote:
> On 08/07/2020 00:21, Robbie wrote:

>>>>> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
>>>>
>>>> The number 1 that never was. Though it was estimated to be about
>>>> 20,000 sales behind Rod at number 1 the week it climbed to number 2.
>>>
>>> Yeah, the story was a good story but just that.
>>
>> When Richard Branson got to see the chart sales report back then even
>> he conceded that the Pistols were well and truly beaten into second
>> place.
>
> But in the long run it probably suited their narrative better to claim
> they'd been conspired against than if they'd actually had a week at the
> top.

It certainly helped perpetuate the myth, especilly as the single went to
number 1 on the NME singles chart. The one thing that was never
mentioned though was that the album was a number 1 on the BMRB chart but
failed to top the NME chart.

>>>> b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co
>>>
>>> I didn't get where I am today without liking disco, etc.
>>
>> One of the biggest selling singles in the US in 1977 despite the fact
>> it peaked at something like number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. A
>> million seller in fact. It largely sold in shops that didn't provide
>> sales data to the Hot 100 (those Hot 100 stores had to be more pop
>> oriented so this record lost out). In addition this was a massive
>> seller on 12" in the US, a format that didn't count for the Hot 100
>> until 1986.
>
> That seems very late.

Indeed. I think the rules may have changed after 'Into The Groove' by
Madonna lost out on a chart place back in 1985 because of it. Her label
in the US didn't want to release 'Into The Groove' as a 7" single as she
already had two big hits on the Billboard Hot 100 ('Crazy For You' and
'Angel') and the label felt that two competing songs (which if I recall
were on different labels) by the same artist was enough. So 'Into The
Groove' was instead added to the 12" version of 'Angel'. A pointless
exercise in a way as it couldn't help 'Angel' climb any further up the
charts ('Angel' peaked at number 5 on 7" only) but it meant her fans
could own the track. However had the 12" been chart eligible the record
would have been able to chart as a double A side. More importantly the
record would have been a number 1 - the 12" version of 'Angel / Into The
Groove' was the best selling 12" single of the year (it was a million
seller) and accounted for three quarters of sales of 'Angel' on both
formats. Billboard possibly thought that a very popular record had lost
out on a chart placing due to chart rules but whatever the reason the
rules on 12" singles changed a few months later and their sales began to
count for the Hot 100.

>
>     Chris

[Chris Brown]

On 11/07/2020 00:56, Robbie wrote:
> On 11/07/2020 00:08, Chris Brown wrote:
>> On 08/07/2020 00:21, Robbie wrote:
>
>>>>>> 19. (12) The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
>>>>>
>>>>> The number 1 that never was. Though it was estimated to be about
>>>>> 20,000 sales behind Rod at number 1 the week it climbed to number 2.
>>>>
>>>> Yeah, the story was a good story but just that.
>>>
>>> When Richard Branson got to see the chart sales report back then even
>>> he conceded that the Pistols were well and truly beaten into second
>>> place.
>>
>> But in the long run it probably suited their narrative better to claim
>> they'd been conspired against than if they'd actually had a week at
>> the top.
>
> It certainly helped perpetuate the myth, especilly as the single went to
> number 1 on the NME singles chart. The one thing that was never
> mentioned though was that the album was a number 1 on the BMRB chart but
> failed to top the NME chart.

I think there's even a myth within the myth because I've seen at least
one book claim that the NME had disbelieved the Number 2 position and
"corrected" it to Number 1, whereas it was clearly the result of their
different chart panel.

>>>>> b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co
>>>>
>>>> I didn't get where I am today without liking disco, etc.
>>>
>>> One of the biggest selling singles in the US in 1977 despite the fact
>>> it peaked at something like number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. A
>>> million seller in fact. It largely sold in shops that didn't provide
>>> sales data to the Hot 100 (those Hot 100 stores had to be more pop
>>> oriented so this record lost out). In addition this was a massive
>>> seller on 12" in the US, a format that didn't count for the Hot 100
>>> until 1986.
>>
>> That seems very late.
>
> Indeed. I think the rules may have changed after 'Into The Groove' by
> Madonna lost out on a chart place back in 1985 because of it. Her label
> in the US didn't want to release 'Into The Groove' as a 7" single as she
> already had two big hits on the Billboard Hot 100 ('Crazy For You' and
> 'Angel') and the label felt that two competing songs (which if I recall
> were on different labels) by the same artist was enough. So 'Into The
> Groove' was instead added to the 12" version of 'Angel'. A pointless
> exercise in a way as it couldn't help 'Angel' climb any further up the
> charts ('Angel' peaked at number 5 on 7" only) but it meant her fans
> could own the track.

Did it get added to the album over there?

>However had the 12" been chart eligible the record
> would have been able to chart as a double A side. More importantly the
> record would have been a number 1 - the 12" version of 'Angel / Into The
> Groove' was the best selling 12" single of the year (it was a million
> seller) and accounted for three quarters of sales of 'Angel' on both
> formats. Billboard possibly thought that a very popular record had lost
> out on a chart placing due to chart rules but whatever the reason the
> rules on 12" singles changed a few months later and their sales began to
> count for the Hot 100.

I presume this discouraged labels from releasing potential hits on 12"
before that.

Chris

[Robbie]

On 11/07/2020 23:35, Chris Brown wrote:
> On 11/07/2020 00:56, Robbie wrote:

>>>>>> b08 (b09) DEVIL'S GUN - CJ & Co
>>>>>
>>>>> I didn't get where I am today without liking disco, etc.
>>>>
>>>> One of the biggest selling singles in the US in 1977 despite the
>>>> fact it peaked at something like number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
>>>> A million seller in fact. It largely sold in shops that didn't
>>>> provide sales data to the Hot 100 (those Hot 100 stores had to be
>>>> more pop oriented so this record lost out). In addition this was a
>>>> massive seller on 12" in the US, a format that didn't count for the
>>>> Hot 100 until 1986.
>>>
>>> That seems very late.
>>
>> Indeed. I think the rules may have changed after 'Into The Groove' by
>> Madonna lost out on a chart place back in 1985 because of it. Her
>> label in the US didn't want to release 'Into The Groove' as a 7"
>> single as she already had two big hits on the Billboard Hot 100
>> ('Crazy For You' and 'Angel') and the label felt that two competing
>> songs (which if I recall were on different labels) by the same artist
>> was enough. So 'Into The Groove' was instead added to the 12" version
>> of 'Angel'. A pointless exercise in a way as it couldn't help 'Angel'
>> climb any further up the charts ('Angel' peaked at number 5 on 7"
>> only) but it meant her fans could own the track.
>
> Did it get added to the album over there?

Apparently not. According to wikipedia the track was only included on
the European re-issue of the 'Like A Virgin' album. And the song is
absent from the soundtrack album which means that the only way to have
bought the track in the US on a domestic release was on the 12" maxi-single.

>
>> However had the 12" been chart eligible the record would have been
>> able to chart as a double A side. More importantly the record would
>> have been a number 1 - the 12" version of 'Angel / Into The Groove'
>> was the best selling 12" single of the year (it was a million seller)
>> and accounted for three quarters of sales of 'Angel' on both formats.
>> Billboard possibly thought that a very popular record had lost out on
>> a chart placing due to chart rules but whatever the reason the rules
>> on 12" singles changed a few months later and their sales began to
>> count for the Hot 100.
>
> I presume this discouraged labels from releasing potential hits on 12"
> before that.

It seems so. The last 12" prior to 'Like A Virgin' to sell a million was
back in 1981. I assume the format never really took off for anything
other than rap / dance tracks which wouldn't have appealed to a wider
pop audience and so wouldn't have been releases aimed at the mainstream
Hot 100 chart. Had there been a wider audience for 12" singles for more
pop leaning songs I assume record companies would have pushed Billboard
to change the rules a lot sooner.

When the format did become chart eligible it came at a time when singles
sales were in freefall and even 7" singles were selling in much lower
quantities. The only 12" singles that I can think of that sold over a
million after 1986 were 'Push It', 'Pump Up The Volume' and 'Vogue'.
There were probably more but only those three come to mind. In 1988
cassette singles began to replace 7" singles as the format of choice for
pop fans and the CD maxi single seems to have been the direct
replacement for the 12" equivalent.
>
>     Chris