UK Music Chart: December 11, 1971 Featuring Deep Purple

Deep Purple (Courtesy: Amazon UK)

Christmas was fast approaching and it appeared that many people were about to receive Benny Hill's latest record, Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West), as a stocking stuffer.

The cheeky comedy song was selling strongly enough to climb to Number 1 (for the first of four weeks) and prevent one of glam rock's biggest bands, T.Rex, from topping the chart for the third time in 1971.

Lower down the chart, three songs debuted in the Top 20, as new records by Labi Siffre, Deep Purple and The Congregation continued climbing the listing.

Benny Hill at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (02) Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 
• 02 (03) T. Rex - Jeepster 
• 03 (01) Slade - Coz I Luv You 
• 04 (06) John Kongos - Tokoloshe Man 
• 05 (04) Cher - Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves 
• 06 (07) Olivia Newton-John - Banks of the Ohio 
• 07 (16) Isaac Hayes - Theme From 'Shaft' 
• 08 (08) Tom Jones - Till 
• 09 (15) Gilbert O'Sullivan - No Matter How I Try 
• 10 (05) The Piglets - Johnny Reggae 
• 11 (10) The Newbeats - Run Baby Run 
• 12 (11) Cilla Black - Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight) 
• 13 (09) Springwater - I Will Return 
• 14 (13) Cliff Richard - Sing A Song of Freedom 
• 15 (12) Diana Ross - Surrender 
• 16 (20) The Who - Let's See Action 
• 17 (27) Labi Siffre - It Must Be Love 
• 18 (21) Deep Purple - Fireball 
• 19 (14) Rod Stewart - Maggie May 
• 20 (28) Congregation - Softly Whispering I Love You

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
 
17: Labi Siffre: It Must Be Love

It Must Be Love was the first Top 40 entry for the British-born singer/songwriter Labi Siffre, who has also proved himself as an adept poet.

Most of his commercially successful period was during the early 1970s, although he did return to the UK chart in 1987 with the anti-apartheid song, (Something Inside) So Strong. He won an Ivor Novello award for the track and scored his biggest hit with it (UK No.4).

This 1971 debut, however, peaked at Number 11 and was later successfully covered by the band Madness (in 1981 and 1992).

18: Deep Purple: Fireball

Returning to the UK Top 20 for a third visit, this time with the title track from their British Number 1 album Fireball, were Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore - collectively known as Deep Purple.

The track would remain in this part of the British chart for six weeks, peaking at Number 15 - a position it would hold for three non-consecutive weeks.

Of course, Deep Purple is better-known as an albums band and it would continue to register major hits on that chart. However, while the group managed more minor hit singles, Fireball would be the last to crack the Top 20.

20: The Congregation: Softly Whispering I Love You

Softly Whispering I Love You became The Congregation's only hit in both the UK and the USA.

Written by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, the duo originally recorded it under the names, David and Jonathan. Their version was a minor hit in Australia, but this later recording with lead vocals by Brian Keith, scaled the charts more successfully in the UK, the USA, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand and, once again, Australia.

The Congregation could not maintain any chart momentum though, and this became their only hit, peaking at Number 4. The song, however, returned again to the UK Top 40 in 1990 when covered by English singer, Paul Young.


The American Top 10 (w/e December 11, 1971)

• 01 (01) Family Affair - Sly & the Family Stone
• 02 (02) Theme From 'Shaft' - Isaac Hayes
• 03 (04) Have You Seen Her? - The Chi-Lites
• 04 (06) Got to Be There - Michael Jackson
• 05 (07) An Old Fashioned Love Song - Three Dog Night
• 06 (03) Baby I'm-A Want You - Bread
• 07 (05) Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - Cher
• 08 (11) All I Ever Need is You - Sonny & Cher
• 09 (15) Brand New Key - Melanie
• 10 (08) Desiderata - Les Crane

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV