UK Music Chart: January 15, 1972 Ft. Melanie

Melanie at Number 8

It's midway through January 1972 and beginning its second week as the UK's Number 1 record was I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) by The New Seekers - a song that had originally been featured heavily in the Coca-Cola ads of the day.

However, unlike the previous week, there was a lot more upward movement on the listing - principally by discs that were new to the Top 20. 

For instance, this chart saw first time UK chart action from artists as diverse as The Faces and America, as well as displaying a distinct bias for movie and TV-related releases. 

See how many you can spot.

The New Seekers at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) The New Seekers - I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing 
• 02 (12) Neil Reid - Mother Of Mine 
• 03 (02) Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 
• 04 (04) The Congregation - Softly, Whispering I Love You 
• 05 (05) Middle of the Road - Soley Soley 
• 06 (07) Cilla Black - Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight) 
• 07 (10) Elvis Presley - I Just Can't Help Believing 
• 08 (24) Melanie - Brand New Key 
• 09 (08) The Johnny Pearson Orchestra - Sleepy Shores 
• 10 (03) T. Rex - Jeepster 
• 11 (21) America - A Horse With No Name 
• 12 (09) Gilbert O'Sullivan - No Matter How I Try 
• 13 (30) Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken 
• 14 (06) Isaac Hayes - Theme From 'Shaft' 
• 15 (13) Val Doonican - Morning 
• 16 (23) The Faces - Stay With Me 
• 17 (25) The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Theme From 'The Onedin Line' 
• 18 (15) Deep Purple - Fireball 
• 19 (14) Labi Siffre - It Must Be Love 
• 20 (27) The John Barry Orchestra - Theme From 'The Persuaders'

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
Image: Melanie: Double Exposure at Amazon

8: Melanie: Brand New Key

Melanie had just spent three weeks at the top of the American charts with her latest single, Brand New Key, and now it was the turn of the British to buy the record and send it swiftly up the chart.

Taken from her album Gather Me, the song was somewhat at odds with the hippie attitude of her other releases. Many describe it as a novelty because of this, but there is no doubt about its commercial accomplishments and its candidacy as one of the most memorable pop tunes ever.

Consequently, it wasn't only the US and the UK public which fell for the song, as it also went to Number 1 in Australia, Canada and South Africa. In the British charts, it peaked at Number 4.

11: America: A Horse With No Name

After the single A Horse With No Name spluttered to a halt at Number 49 and fell of the chart just before Christmas 1971, it found a new lease of life soon after the festivities were over and quickly began to power its way into the UK Top 10.

Written by America band member Dewey Bunnell, music critics have tried to analyse and dissect the song's lyrics over the years - some even accusing them of alleged drug references. However, even though some of the text makes little sense, Bunnell has since explained that the horse of the title was originally a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place.

There was no calm for America, however - especially in the United States. This was the song that kick started the band's career and took them to Number 1 there for the first time. In the UK though, the track peaked at Number 3 and remains the group's sole Top 40 entry.

13: Cat Stevens: Morning Has Broken

Cat Stevens' rejuvenated career continued to soar with the release of a second internationally successful album in Teaser and the Firecat and this, the third commercially fruitful single lifted from it: Morning Has Broken (UK #9, US #6).

Over the years, the song has become so inherently linked to Stevens that many people believe it is his composition. In fact, churchgoers would be the first to inform you that this is a hymn that dates back to the 1930s, with words by Eleanor Farjeon.

Steven's adaption, however, includes a distinct and original piano melody played and composed by progressive rock musician, Rick Wakeman. Some may note a similarity between it and parts of the track Catherine Howard from Wakeman's album, The Six Wives of Henry Vlll. This is because Stevens heard the original Wakeman demo and wanted it for the intro to Morning Has Broken. Wakeman told him it was reserved for his solo album, so Stevens requested something similar of him, thus the resemblance between the two songs.

16: The Faces: Stay With Me

The Faces were formed out of the ashes of their former incarnation, The Small Faces. With the departure of lead singer Steve Marriott, the band recruited Ronnie Wood on guitar and Rod Stewart on vocals as replacements and Stay With Me became their breakthrough hit in both the US and the UK.

Stewart's voice had already appeared at the top of both the American and British charts just a few months earlier, courtesy of his solo single Maggie May. In the UK particularly, Stay With Me looked as if it may turn the same trick. However, it was not to be, as the track eventually stalled at a peak position of Number 6, while in the US it reached Number 17.

17: The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra: Theme From 'The Onedin Line'

Although it became known in the UK as the theme to the television series The Onedin Line, the music which accompanied the opening and closing credits to the programme is a segment from the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian.

The shipping drama was one of the most prominent of its kind on British television throughout the 1970s and it helped popularise this stirring piece of music, forever equating it with all things nautical.

Although recorded by numerous orchestras over the years, it was the Vienna Philharmonic which took the piece to its best UK chart position of Number 15.

20: The John Barry Orchestra: Theme From 'The Persuaders!'

John Barry had first appeared on the UK charts in 1960 under the group name The John Barry Seven which had the Top 10 record, Hit and Miss, the theme to the BBC television show, Juke Box Jury.

After composing and adapting numerous film scores and television themes - among them many in the James Bond series, Born Free and The Lion in Winter - John Barry was back in the British charts for the final time in 1972. On this occasion, it was with the music that accompanied the opening and closing credits of the action series The Persuaders!, starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis.

The piece is also known as The Unlucky Heroes and, unusually, features both the cimbalom (a type of hammered dulcimer) and Moog synthesizers in the creation of the melody. Fans of TV music may also remember the B-Side to this single, The Girl With the Sun in Her Hair, which was used in a television commercial for Sunsilk shampoo.

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• T. Rex - Electric Warrior

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)