My Sweet Lord by George Harrison was enjoying its fifth and final week as the UK Number 1 song, while its successor had just taken a seven place move into the Top 10 at Number 7.
Further down the listing, some of the older tracks were starting to disappear as five songs made their first appearances within the Top 20.
The Chart:
11: Neil Diamond: Sweet Caroline
One of the first 45s I remember buying was Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. This week in 1971, it climbed nineteen places to land in the Top 20 at Number 11. I often flipped this one over too, as in the UK it was backed with Brother Loves Travelling Salvation Show. Both tracks had already been significant hits during 1969 in the US: Sweet Caroline peaking at Number 4 while Brother... stalled at Number 22.
15: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas: Forget Me Not
Spurred on by the popularity of the Northern Soul scene, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas returned to the UK Top 20 with a re-release of a song from 1967. Never a hit then, Forget Me Not was the vocal group's first significant British success since the re-release of Dancing in the Street in 1969. However, it would be their last UK Top 20 hit before the break-up of the trio. Only Bless You was left to crack the Top 40 in early 1972.
Hot on the heels of its success in the US, where it hit Number 1 for three weeks, I Think I Love You was regarded as a shoe-in to repeat the feat in the UK. However, even though The Partridge Family included the next big heartthrob in the shape of David Cassidy, the song could only peak at this week's Number 18. While the TV show that featured the group was huge Stateside, its popularity was slower to catch on in the UK. Nevertheless, David Cassidy and his Partridge Family buddies would be around for a few years yet.
Number 19: The Byrds: Chestnut Mare
The last time The Byrds had seen a significant hit in the UK was back in 1965 when All I Really Want to Do hit Number 4. In between times there had been several minor breakthroughs, but Chestnut Mare was significant in that it was the last time the American outfit achieved a UK Top 20 placing. Taken from the band's (untitled) album, the track was intended for use in a stage production called Gene Tryp, but it never appeared. As a single it peaked at this week's Number 19 in the UK and could only manage Number 121 in the States.
Number 20: Chairmen of the Board: Everything's Tuesday
For the third time in the matter of six months, Chairmen of the Board were back in the UK Top 20, this time with another Holland-Dozier-Holland composition, Everything's Tuesday. Featuring the wonderful vocals of the now late lamented General Johnson, the song would peak at Number 12 in the UK and only just scrape into the the Billboard Top 40. It was also backed with the much more soulful and original version of Patches, a hit for Clarence Carter.
The American Top 10 (W/E February 27, 1971)
The Number 1 album this week:
- 01 (01) George Harrison - My Sweet Lord
- 02 (02) The Mixtures - Pushbike Song
- 03 (03) Ashton, Gardner And Dyke - Resurrection Shuffle
- 04 (07) Perry Como - It's Impossible
- 05 (04) The Supremes - Stoned Love
- 06 (05) Judy Collins - Amazing Grace
- 07 (14) Mungo Jerry - Baby Jump
- 08 (08) Elton John - Your Song
- 09 (10) Dawn - Candida
- 10 (06) Badfinger - No Matter What
- 11 (30) Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
- 12 (09) Clive Dunn - Grandad
- 13 (17) Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - (Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need
- 14 (16) Jackie Lee - Rupert
- 15 (22) Martha Reeves And The Vandellas - Forget Me Not
- 16 (13) Tom Jones - She's A Lady
- 17 (11) The Kinks - Apeman
- 18 (35) The Partridge Family - I Think I Love You
- 19 (38) The Byrds - Chestnut Mare
- 20 (26) Chairmen Of The Board - Everything's Tuesday
11: Neil Diamond: Sweet Caroline
One of the first 45s I remember buying was Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline. This week in 1971, it climbed nineteen places to land in the Top 20 at Number 11. I often flipped this one over too, as in the UK it was backed with Brother Loves Travelling Salvation Show. Both tracks had already been significant hits during 1969 in the US: Sweet Caroline peaking at Number 4 while Brother... stalled at Number 22.
15: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas: Forget Me Not
Spurred on by the popularity of the Northern Soul scene, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas returned to the UK Top 20 with a re-release of a song from 1967. Never a hit then, Forget Me Not was the vocal group's first significant British success since the re-release of Dancing in the Street in 1969. However, it would be their last UK Top 20 hit before the break-up of the trio. Only Bless You was left to crack the Top 40 in early 1972.
18: The Partridge Family: I Think I Love You
Hot on the heels of its success in the US, where it hit Number 1 for three weeks, I Think I Love You was regarded as a shoe-in to repeat the feat in the UK. However, even though The Partridge Family included the next big heartthrob in the shape of David Cassidy, the song could only peak at this week's Number 18. While the TV show that featured the group was huge Stateside, its popularity was slower to catch on in the UK. Nevertheless, David Cassidy and his Partridge Family buddies would be around for a few years yet.
Number 19: The Byrds: Chestnut Mare
The last time The Byrds had seen a significant hit in the UK was back in 1965 when All I Really Want to Do hit Number 4. In between times there had been several minor breakthroughs, but Chestnut Mare was significant in that it was the last time the American outfit achieved a UK Top 20 placing. Taken from the band's (untitled) album, the track was intended for use in a stage production called Gene Tryp, but it never appeared. As a single it peaked at this week's Number 19 in the UK and could only manage Number 121 in the States.
Number 20: Chairmen of the Board: Everything's Tuesday
For the third time in the matter of six months, Chairmen of the Board were back in the UK Top 20, this time with another Holland-Dozier-Holland composition, Everything's Tuesday. Featuring the wonderful vocals of the now late lamented General Johnson, the song would peak at Number 12 in the UK and only just scrape into the the Billboard Top 40. It was also backed with the much more soulful and original version of Patches, a hit for Clarence Carter.
The American Top 10 (W/E February 27, 1971)
- 01 (01) One Bad Apple - The Osmonds
- 02 (06) Mama's Pearl - The Jackson Five
- 03 (02) Knock Three Times - Dawn
- 04 (03) Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
- 05 (05) If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot
- 06 (04) I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edmunds
- 07 (08) Sweet Mary - Wadsworth Mansion
- 08 (12) Amos Moses - Jerry Reed
- 09 (09) Mr. Bojangles - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- 10 (25) Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
The Number 1 album this week:
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
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