UK Music Chart: August 28, 1971 Featuring Curtis Mayfield

This week in August 1971, Tamla Motown's Diana Ross completed her second week at the top of the UK Singles Chart with the ballad I'm Still Waiting, continuing to outsell The New Seekers who remained at Number 2 for a fourth straight week with their cover of Delaney and Bonnie's Never Ending Song of Love.

Further down the chart, three legendary singer/songwriters of the era entered the Top 20, as hits by Curtis Mayfield, Carole King and Gilbert O'Sullivan maintained their progress up the listing.





Diana Ross at Number 1


The Chart: 
  • 01 (01) Diana Ross - I'm Still Waiting 
  • 02 (02) The New Seekers - Never Ending Song of Love 
  • 03 (06) Dawn - What Are You Doing Sunday? 
  • 04 (03) T. Rex - Get It On 
  • 05 (05) Family - In My Own Time 
  • 06 (17) The Pioneers - Let Your Yeah Be Yeah 
  • 07 (04) Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer 
  • 08 (11) Buffy Sainte-Marie - Soldier Blue 
  • 09 (19) The Tams - Hey Girl, Don't Bother Me 
  • 10 (15) George Harrison - Bangla Desh 
  • 11 (07) New World - Tom-Tom Turnaround 
  • 12 (22) Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up 
  • 13 (08) Middle of the Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep 
  • 14 (09) The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again 
  • 15 (24) Carole King - It's Too Late 
  • 16 (12) St. Cecilia - Leap Up and Down (Wave Your Knickers in the Air) 
  • 17 (10) Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel / Hound Dog 
  • 18 (16) Slade - Get Down and Get With It 
  • 19 (13) Lobo - Me and You and a Dog Named Boo 
  • 20 (23) Gilbert O'Sullivan - We Will 
*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold  

12: Curtis Mayfield: Move On Up

In 1970, Curtis Mayfield decided to quit his previous group, The Impressions, in favour of pursuing a solo career.

Already having enjoyed a string of gospel-tinged soul hits with the band in the US, Mayfield strengthened his emphasis on social commentary in his music with the release of his debut eponymous album.

Much of his output concerned the struggles among certain sections of the black population, wherein poverty, drug abuse and political activism were rife.

Move On Up was one the tracks included on this first album and demonstrated Mayfield's progression into a more rhythmic funk music, rather than the smoother soul with which he had previously been associated. It proved successful in the UK where it peaked at this week's Number 12, but failed to chart upon its release in the US.

15: Carole King: It's Too Late

It had been nine years since Carole King had cracked the British Top 20 with It Might As Well Rain Until September, but she returned with a bang when she followed up her immense American success with It's Too Late in the UK.

The track was taken from King's sophomore album Tapestry, which has since sold approximately twenty-five million copies around the world, making it one of the best-selling long players of all time.

Both the album and It's Too Late hit the top of their respective US charts in mid-June 1971, with the single remaining there for five weeks. In the UK, the latter peaked at Number 6 and marked the last time (to date) that a Carole King vocal featured in the British Singles Chart.

20: Gilbert O'Sullivan: We Will

After the success of Nothing Rhymed, Gilbert O'Sullivan's follow-up, Underneath the Blanket Go, failed to impress many British record buyers. Although it reached Number 1 in the Netherlands, it could only struggle to Number 40 in the UK.

It was his third single, another self-penned ode called We Will, which brought him back into the Top Twenty, although not charting as highly as his subsequent releases would prove to do. It would eventually peak at Number 16.

We Will was among the few early hits that O'Sullivan promoted during his 'street urchin' era, when he was clad in a flat cap, short trousers and sporting a pudding-basin haircut. His biggest triumphs - and a change of image - were yet to come.



The American Top 10 (w/e August 28, 1971)

*Press play > to listen to each track

  • 01 (01) How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? - The Bee Gees 
  • 02 (03) Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
  • 03 (08) Signs - Five Man Electrical Band
  • 04 (04) Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye
  • 05 (02) Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
  • 06 (06) Sweet Hitchhiker - Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • 07 (10) Liar - Three Dog Night
  • 08 (12) Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth
  • 09 (14) Spanish Harlem - Aretha Franklin
  • 10 (24) Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond

The UK Number 1 album this week:


  • Top of the Pops Vol.18 - Anonymous Various Artists


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