UK Music Chart: October 10, 1970

Number 16: The Temptations: Ball of Confusion

Freda Payne continued to reign supreme over the UK Singles Chart in October 1970, as she began a fourth week as the nation's Number 1 with Band of Gold. Elsewhere, an eclectic mix of musical genres was climbing the chart, but this week's two new entries to the Top 20 shared a common theme.

• 01 (01) Freda Payne - Band Of Gold 
• 02 (02) Desmond Dekker - You Can Get It If You Really Want 
• 03 (05) Deep Purple - Black Night 
• 04 (08) Black Sabbath - Paranoid 
• 05 (03) Bobby Bloom - Montego Bay 
• 06 (14) The Carpenters - (They Long To Be) Close To You 
• 07 (13) Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough 
• 08 (15) The Tremeloes - Me And My Life 
• 09 (06) Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time 
• 10 (07) Poppy Family Ft. Susan Jacks - Which Way You Goin' Billy? 
• 11 (09) Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You 
• 12 (04) Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown 
• 13 (18) Aretha Franklin - Don't Play That Song 
• 14 (20) Horace Faith - Black Pearl 
• 15 (11) Family - Strange Band 
• 16 (26) The Temptations - Ball Of Confusion 
• 17 (10) Hot Chocolate - Love Is Life 
• 18 (12) Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me (Not To Come) 
• 19 (24) Blue Mink - Our World 
• 20 (16) Bread - Make It With You

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
 Image: The Temptations: Psychedelic Soul

The Temptations were now in their "psychedelic period", having teamed up with Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as their songwriters. Ball of Confusion was the follow-up to the equally pacy Psychedelic Shack, but with lyrics which reflected the major political concerns of the time. The track was a world away from the content that we had come to expect from The Temptations, causing some concern that conservative America may not accept this kind of material from the group. There was no need to worry, though, as the single raced to Number 3 in the US and Number 7 in the UK.

Meanwhile, Blue Mink followed up its previous Top 10 hit, Good Morning Freedom, with a British take on the "Ball of Confusion". Much less psychedelic and hard-hitting than their American counterparts, the band's "green" message was nevertheless equally as important - even if it sounded as if it was a hangover from the "Summer of Love". Not one of the group's most successful singles, Our World would peak at Number 17 but became the song that would give Blue Mink its only appearance in the US charts.

Until next time...