Mungo Jerry's run at the top of the British charts continued into July 1970, holding off all comers including the classic rock track from Free: All Right Now. This week would see three new entries to the Top 20, a combination that you would only see together on the UK singles chart.
Image: Nicky Thomas - Love of the Common People (Reggae Classic)
Pop reggae, as it became known, was at its peak during the early 1970s and here was one of the tracks that almost defined the genre and saw Trojan Records gather another foothold in the UK Top 10. Jamaican Nicky Thomas had been recording for several years, with most of his success coming in his homeland. This week's chart was witness to his one and only time reaching the British listing with a magnificent cover version of Love of the Common People. The song would reappear in the Eighties, when Paul Young took it to Number 2. Unfortunately, Nicky Thomas committed suicide in 1990 at the age of 41, but we are still able to enjoy past performances from him such as this one.
- 01 (01) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
- 02 (03) Free - All Right Now
- 03 (02) Mr Bloe - Groovin' With Mr Bloe
- 04 (05) Gerry Monroe - Sally
- 05 (06) The Beach Boys - Cottonfields
- 06 (07) Cliff Richard - Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha
- 07 (04) Christie - Yellow River
- 08 (13) The Four Tops - It's All In The Game
- 09 (18) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend
- 10 (10) Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown)
- 11 (08) Glen Campbell - Honey Come Back
- 12 (14) Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe
- 13 (09) Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin And John
- 14 (11) Ray Stevens - Everything Is Beautiful
- 15 (21) Nicky Thomas - Love Of The Common People
- 16 (32) Shirley Bassey - Something
- 17 (16) Arrival - I Will Survive
- 18 (12) The Supremes - Up The Ladder To The Roof
- 19 (26) Guess Who - American Woman
- 20 (17) The Moody Blues - Question
Image: Nicky Thomas - Love of the Common People (Reggae Classic)
Pop reggae, as it became known, was at its peak during the early 1970s and here was one of the tracks that almost defined the genre and saw Trojan Records gather another foothold in the UK Top 10. Jamaican Nicky Thomas had been recording for several years, with most of his success coming in his homeland. This week's chart was witness to his one and only time reaching the British listing with a magnificent cover version of Love of the Common People. The song would reappear in the Eighties, when Paul Young took it to Number 2. Unfortunately, Nicky Thomas committed suicide in 1990 at the age of 41, but we are still able to enjoy past performances from him such as this one.
It had been seven years since Shirley Bassey's last UK Top 20 hit, but she made a memorable return this week in 1970 with her dramatic cover of The Beatles' song, Something. Written by George Harrison and included on the band's Abbey Road album, it was released as a double A-side (with Come Together) and peaked at Number 4. This Shirley Bassey version would emulate that peak position, staying on the chart for 22 weeks and becoming the fifth biggest selling single of the year.
An American and Canadian Number 1 a couple of months earlier, The Guess Who made their debut in the UK Top 20 this week in 1970. Backed with No Sugar Tonight, American Woman would prove to be the Canadian band's only British hit and this week's Number 19 would be its peak position. At the time, Randy Bachman had just left The Guess Who, but he would return to the UK chart a little later in the decade as a founder member of Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
