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| Number 15: Sweet Inspiration: Johnny Johnson/Bandwagon |
Both Elvis Presley and Hotlegs stayed solid at the top of the UK charts of late August 1970, but lower down the listing this week saw debuts in the British Top 20 from both Three Dog Night and the wildly successful soul and funk band, Hot Chocolate. Look out too for some Northern Soul from American outfit, Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon.
Mama Told Me (Not to Come) had been the US Number 1 song in July 1970 and with five previous Top 40 hits, Three Dog Night was well established in its home country. It took the group a little longer to catch on in the UK, but this was the track that brought it into the UK Top 20. Written by Randy Newman, it had already been recorded by Eric Burdon & the Animals, as well as Newman himself. Neither of them issued the song as a single so Three Dog Night released its funkier version and, as well as topping the American charts, it peaked at Number 3 in the UK.
While Three Dog Night had only a short term UK chart career (just a Number 24 hit followed), Errol Brown and the guys from Hot Chocolate were about to begin an impressive chart reign that would last well into the 1980s. In fact this debut into the Top 20, Love Is Life, became the first of many songs to give the band at least one hit in every year of the 1970s. The run would eventually peter out in 1984. However, this particular week, the group made a magnificent 23 place jump to Number 20, ultimately peaking at Number 8.
- 01 (01) Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You
- 02 (02) Hotlegs - Neanderthal Man
- 03 (07) The Marmalade - Rainbow
- 04 (03) The Kinks - Lola
- 05 (11) Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown
- 06 (04) Shirley Bassey - Something
- 07 (17) The Jackson Five - The Love You Save
- 08 (06) Fair Weather - Natural Sinner
- 09 (08) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
- 10 (09) Jimmy Ruffin - I'll Say Forever My Love
- 11 (13) Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
- 12 (05) Free - All Right Now
- 13 (10) Ten Years After - Love Like A Man
- 14 (16) Chicago - 25 Or 6 To 4
- 15 (23) Johnny Johnson And The Bandwagon - Sweet Inspiration
- 16 (15) Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
- 17 (12) Cat Stevens - Lady D'arbanville
- 18 (21) Miguel Rios - Song Of Joy (re-entry)
- 19 (30) Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me Not To Come
- 20 (43) Hot Chocolate - Love Is Life
*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
Image: Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache: Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon: 1968-1975
Charting for the fourth time in the UK and moving up into the Top 20 this week was vocal soul group, Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon. Sweet Inspiration was to be Johnson's second Top 10 hit, following 1968's Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache. Much more successful in the UK than in his homeland, Johnson's output allied itself to the Northern Soul sound that was prevalent in the clubs at this time. He held on for a further UK chart appearance later in the year, but after that, the hits dried up.
Charting for the fourth time in the UK and moving up into the Top 20 this week was vocal soul group, Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon. Sweet Inspiration was to be Johnson's second Top 10 hit, following 1968's Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache. Much more successful in the UK than in his homeland, Johnson's output allied itself to the Northern Soul sound that was prevalent in the clubs at this time. He held on for a further UK chart appearance later in the year, but after that, the hits dried up.
Mama Told Me (Not to Come) had been the US Number 1 song in July 1970 and with five previous Top 40 hits, Three Dog Night was well established in its home country. It took the group a little longer to catch on in the UK, but this was the track that brought it into the UK Top 20. Written by Randy Newman, it had already been recorded by Eric Burdon & the Animals, as well as Newman himself. Neither of them issued the song as a single so Three Dog Night released its funkier version and, as well as topping the American charts, it peaked at Number 3 in the UK.
While Three Dog Night had only a short term UK chart career (just a Number 24 hit followed), Errol Brown and the guys from Hot Chocolate were about to begin an impressive chart reign that would last well into the 1980s. In fact this debut into the Top 20, Love Is Life, became the first of many songs to give the band at least one hit in every year of the 1970s. The run would eventually peter out in 1984. However, this particular week, the group made a magnificent 23 place jump to Number 20, ultimately peaking at Number 8.
Until next time...
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