UK Music Chart: May 8, 1971

Number 15: East of Eden

Double Barrel by Dave and Ansel Collins remained at the top of the British charts this week in May, 1971.

  

The biggest mover of the week within the Top 20, however, was R. Dean Taylor's Indiana Wants Me at Number 12, but all in all, this week's Top 20 was relatively static. 

Three new songs entered the listing, although none of them were particularly inspiring. British rock band East of Eden made the biggest impression, though, with their frenetic instrumental, Jig-A-Jig.

The Chart:

• 01 (01) Dave and Ansel Collins - Double Barrel 
• 02 (03) Dawn - Knock Three Times 
• 03 (04) The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar 
• 04 (07) Ringo Starr - It Don't Come Easy 
• 05 (05) Waldo De Los Rios - Mozart Symphony No. 40 
• 06 (02) T. Rex - Hot Love 
• 07 (09) Diana Ross - Remember Me 
• 08 (08) Andy Williams - (Where Do I Begin?) Love Story 
• 09 (16) The Fantastics - Something Old, Something New 
• 10 (06) Ray Stevens - Bridget the Midget 
• 11 (15) Georgie Fame and Alan Price - Rosetta 
• 12 (20) R. Dean Taylor - Indiana Wants Me 
• 13 (14) The Sweet - Funny Funny 
• 14 (11) Olivia Newton-John - If Not For You 
• 15 (22) East of Eden - Jig-A-Jig 
• 16 (10) CCS - Walkin' 
• 17 (12) Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden 
• 18 (25) Gerry Monroe - It's A Sin to Tell A Lie 
• 19 (26) Sakkarin - Sugar Sugar 
• 20 (18) Marmalade - My Little One

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold

15: East of Eden: Jig-A-Jig

East of Eden formed in 1967 and were stalwarts of the rock circuit in both the UK and Europe. The band's unique sound was a combination of jazz and blues, but it has often been classified (probably wrongly) as progressive rock. Jig-A-Jig was not a part of the group's usual output, but the violin-led rock instrumental caught on in a big way, progressing to a peak position of Number 7. Although East of Eden enjoyed some brief commercial success on the UK Album Chart and in France, this would be their only appearance in the Singles listing before the members went their separate ways in 1978.

 

18: Gerry Monroe: It's A Sin to Tell A Lie

Gerry Monroe's fourth chart single and third Top 20 hit was his rendition of a song that first became popular in the mid-1930s. His own popularity had been spurred on by his appearances on the TV talent show, Opportunity Knocks and It's A Sin to Tell A Lie was typical of his MOR output. This track was also his last to enter the British Top 20.

19: Sakkarin: Sugar, Sugar

Jonathan King was back in the Top 20, this time under the pseudonym Sakkarin. As became usual throughout the 1970s, King recorded and released singles in various different guises and this was the second of them to chart, following his hit as The Weathermen. Sugar, Sugar was his rock interpretation of the 1969 best seller by The Archies and eventually peaked at Number 12.

 

The American Top 10 (W/E May 8, 1971)

• 01 (01) Joy to the World - Three Dog Night 
• 02 (03) Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson Five 
• 03 (02) Put Your Hand in the Hand - Ocean 
• 04 (05) I Am...I Said - Neil Diamond 
• 05 (06) If - Bread 
• 06 (04) What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye 
• 07 (07) Stay Awhile - The Bells 
• 08 (12) Bridge Over Troubled Water - Aretha Franklin 
• 09 (10) Chick-A-Boom - Daddy Dewdrop 
• 10 (16) Me and You and a Dog Named Boo - Lobo

The Number 1 album this week:
Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones