UK Music Chart: July 24, 1971

Number 15: The New Seekers

Image by Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 - negatiefstroken zwart/wit, nummer toegang 2.24.01.05, bestanddeelnummer 925-4081 (Nationaal Archief) [CC-BY-SA-3.0-nl], via Wikimedia Commons

Just shy of three months since T. Rex were at Number 1 in the UK with Hot Love, the band was back there with its latest release, Get It On. It also became the only single by the group to dent the US Top 20 when it peaked at Number 10 in early 1972, under the title Bang A Gong.

Elsewhere, a couple of new songs appeared in this week's chart, with the arrival of the first UK Top 20 hit for The New Seekers and the second and final appearance of prog rockers, Atomic Rooster.  

The Chart: 

• 01 (04) T. Rex - Get It On 
• 02 (01) Middle of the Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep 
• 03 (02) The Sweet - Co-Co 
• 04 (05) Lobo - Me and You and a Dog Named Boo 
• 05 (03) Hurricane Smith - Don't Let It Die 
• 06 (06) Greyhound - Black and White 
• 07 (07) Dave and Ansel Collins - Monkey Spanner 
• 08 (12) New World - Tom-Tom Turnaround 
• 09 (08) Blue Mink - Banner Man 
• 10 (11) The Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) 
• 11 (16) The Supremes and The Four Tops - River Deep, Mountain High 
• 12 (19) The Move - Tonight 
• 13 (09) John Kongos - He's Gonna Step on You Again 
• 14 (10) Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You 
• 15 (26) The New Seekers - Never Ending Song of Love 
• 16 (14) White Plains - When You Are A King 
• 17 (13) Bob And Marcia - Pied Piper 
• 18 (18) Tony Christie - I Did What I Did For Maria 
• 19 (15) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - I Don't Blame You at All 
• 20 (25) Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer 

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold 


15: The New Seekers: Never Ending Song of Love

On the other side of the Atlantic, the concurrent single release of this song by its composer Delaney Bramlett (featuring his wife, Bonnie and also some friends) was climbing the American Top 20 as The New Seekers were doing the same thing in the UK. While the Bramlett version peaked at Number 13 on the Billboard Chart, The New Seekers' recording of Never Ending Song of Love would spend five straight weeks at Number 2 on the British equivalent and become the seventh ranked best-selling single of 1971.

20: Atomic Rooster: Devil's Answer

Four months after Atomic Rooster had first appeared on the UK chart with Tomorrow Night, Vincent Crane and co were back with a second hit, Devil's Answer. Commercially more successful than the former (peaking at Number 4), this single also helped to promote the group's then-latest album, In Hearing of Atomic Rooster, which also made the Top 20.

The American Top 10 (w/e July 24, 1971)

• 01 (02) Indian Reservation - The Raiders
• 02 (01) It's Too Late - Carole King
• 03 (03) You've Got A Friend - James Taylor
• 04 (04) Don't Pull Your Love - Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
• 05 (06) Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
• 06 (05) Treat Her Like a Lady - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
• 07 (08) Draggin' the Line - Tommy James
• 08 (09) How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? - The Bee Gees
• 09 (12) Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
• 10 (13) Sooner or Later - The Grass Roots

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel