UK Music Chart: February 21, 1970

Number 7 : John Lennon : Instant Karma!

• 01 (01) Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
• 02 (03) Canned Heat - Let's Work Together
• 03 (02) Peter, Paul And Mary - Leavin' On A Jet Plane
• 04 (12) Jackson Five - I Want You Back
• 05 (18) Lee Marvin - Wand'rin' Star
• 06 (08) Mary Hopkin - Temma Harbour
• 07 (---) John Lennon/Yoko Ono/The Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma!
• 08 (04) Jethro Tull - The Witch's Promise / Teacher
• 09 (10) Shocking Blue - Venus
• 10 (07) Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys
• 11 (22) White Plains - My Baby Loves Lovin'
• 12 (24) Herman's Hermits - Years May Come And Years May Go
• 13 (05) Badfinger - Come And Get It
• 14 (09) Chicago - I'm A Man
• 15 (06) Marmalade - Reflections of My Life
• 16 (20) Vanity Fare - Hitchin' A Ride
• 17 (14) Temptations - I Can't Get Next To You
• 18 (13) Kenny Rogers/First Edition - Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
• 19 (40) Brotherhood Of Man - United We Stand
• 20 (23) Judy Collins - Both Sides Now

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red.
Image: John Lennon "Instant Karma" Framed Silver Record

Edison Lighthouse was enjoying its fourth week at Number 1, but below them there was a lot of movement, including five new entries. The first of them is what has now become a classic rock tune from the late John Lennon: Instant Karma!

The single was the third to be released by the ex-Beatle, following the Top 20 hits Give Peace A Chance and Cold Turkey. Cited as being one of the fastest released tracks in pop music history, the song was recorded on the same day that it was written. It was in shops ten days later. Produced by Phil Spector, others featured on the recording include Billy Preston and George Harrison:

Next up is some pure pop from White Plains. Formed out of the ashes of The Flowerpot Men, the group mainly recorded songs by prolific songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. Their first hit was one such song which also managed to break the Top 20 in the US. First of five Top 30 hits in the UK, here's My Baby Loves Lovin':

In a chart career that began in 1964 with the Number 1 I'm Into Something Good, 1970 would witness the last Top 10 single by Herman's Hermits: Years May Come, Years May Go. By the end of this year, the group's hit making days were over:

The first chart appearance by the pre-Eurovision line-up of The Brotherhood of Man occurred this week in 1970. Having failed to set the charts alight with their previous single, Love One Another, a similarly themed song broke the group into the Top 20 - not only in the UK, but also across the pond in the US. United We Stand would become very familiar over the years, following its use for various causes. Here it is performed on a rare promo film:

 

The week's final new entry crept into the Number 20 placing and was the first of only three chart entries for the American singer/songwriter, Judy Collins. Never one to settle on a single style of music, she is probably best linked to the folk/pop movement of the Sixties. One of the recordings in that style was her cover of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now. It had already been a substantial hit in the US three years earlier, also earning her a Grammy for Best Folk Performance in 1968. Here's Pan's People with their dance interpretation of the song:

Extra: One voice graced three of the songs in this week's Top 20 - that of Tony Burrows. At the time, he was a highly sought after session singer and would be one of the voices on The Pipkins' hit Gimme Dat Ding later in 1970. However, this week, he can be heard on the tracks by Edison Lighthouse, White Plains and The Brotherhood of Man. Here he is talking about that feat:

Until next time...