Following the death of the legendary Jimi Hendrix, his track Voodoo Chile raced to the top of the British charts on this date in 1970. (Listen below).
Meanwhile, four new entries steamrollered their way into the Top 20, each of them becoming classic hits and all of them possible contenders for the Number 1 spot in the weeks to come.
The Chart:
- 01 (05) Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Chile
- 02 (01) Matthews' Southern Comfort - Woodstock
- 03 (04) Don Fardon - Indian Reservation
- 04 (02) Clarence Carter - Patches
- 05 (03) Edwin Starr - War
- 06 (12) Jimmy Ruffin - It's Wonderful (To Be Loved By You)
- 07 (07) Christie - San Bernadino
- 08 (08) The Rattles - The Witch
- 09 (09) Melanie - Ruby Tuesday
- 10 (29) Neil Diamond - Cracklin' Rosie
- 11 (11) Deep Purple - Black Night
- 12 (06) The Tremeloes - Me And My Life
- 13 (16) White Plains - Julie, Do Ya Love Me?
- 14 (14) The Temptations - Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)
- 15 (30) T. Rex - Ride A White Swan
- 16 (--) Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking
- 17 (10) Freda Payne - Band Of Gold
- 18 (15) The Four Tops - Still Water (Love)
- 19 (40) Chairmen Of The Board - (You've Got Me) Dangling On A String
- 20 (18) CCS - Whole Lotta Love
10: Neil Diamond: Cracklin' Rosie
Having just spent a week on top of the American charts, Neil Diamond's Cracklin' Rosie was the song that would break the singer in the UK. He had already figured on the British charts as a songwriter, penning hits for the likes of The Monkees and Lulu, but this week in 1970 Cracklin' Rosie truly brought Diamond to the UK public's attention as the song leapt 19 places to Number 10.
15: T.Rex: Ride A White Swan
A new abbreviated name for Marc Bolan's band T.Rex combined with a new electric sound ushered in a change in his commercial fortunes. Gone were the acoustic, folksy rhythms and instead Bolan began to embrace his own rock concept. Although Ride A White Swan was not the song that would come to initiate the glam rock movement in the UK (that would come next year), it was certainly a forerunner to this genre synonymous with Marc Bolan - one which would dominate the charts for the next five to six years.
16: Dave Edmunds: I Hear You Knocking
Hot on the heels of the split of his band Love Sculpture (Sabre Dance #5, 1968), Dave Edmunds' solo career started off with a bang as his interpretation of I Hear You Knocking crashed in at Number 16. Originally recorded by Smiley Lewis in the mid-1950s, Edmunds turned it from an R&B number into a rock tune, reputedly playing all the instruments on the recording. Quite possibly his most successful single, it would climb to Number 1 the following week and remain there for six weeks, becoming the Christmas Number 1 of 1970.
19: Chairmen of the Board: (You've Got Me) Dangling On A String
For the second time in three months, American soul outfit Chairmen of the Board was back in the UK Top 20, this time with (You've Got Me) Dangling On A String. Written by the legendary Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, lead singer General Johnson's soulful vocals dominate the song and elevated it to a peak of Number 5 in the UK charts.
Until next time...
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