UK Music Chart: January 29, 1972 Ft. T. Rex

January 1972 was almost over and so was The New Seekers' reign as the Number 1 act in the UK. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) was about to complete its fourth and final week as Britain's chart champion, eventually giving way to this week's highest new entry at Number 3 from T. Rex.

Elsewhere, the lower quarter of the Top 20 was host to four further new songs, as releases from acts such as Bread and The Chi-Lites continued to climb the chart.

Reggae was still very much in vogue, as Greyhound proved with their genre-influenced cover of a classic tune, while this week saw the beginning of the end of the British chart career of American duo, Sonny and Cher. 

The New Seekers at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) The New Seekers - I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing 
• 02 (02) Neil Reid - Mother of Mine 
• 03 (**) T. Rex - Telegram Sam 
• 04 (03) America - Horse With No Name 
• 05 (04) Melanie - Brand New Key 
• 06 (06) Elvis Presley - I Just Can't Help Believing 
• 07 (08) The Faces - Stay With Me 
• 08 (16) Donnie Elbert - Where Did Our Love Go? 
• 09 (10) Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken 
• 10 (17) Al Green - Let's Stay Together 
• 11 (07) Middle of the Road - Soley Soley 
• 12 (09) The Johnny Pearson Orchestra - Sleepy Shores 
• 13 (20) The John Barry Orchestra - Theme From 'The Persuaders' 
• 14 (05) The Congregation - Softly, Whispering I Love You 
• 15 (24) Greyhound - Moon River 
• 16 (15) The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Theme From 'The Onedin Line' 
• 17 (27) The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her? 
• 18 (11) Gilbert O'Sullivan - No Matter How I Try 
• 19 (30) Sonny and Cher - All I Ever Need is You 
• 20 (28) Bread - Baby, I'm-a Want You

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

03: T. Rex: Telegram Sam

T. Rex had become one of the hottest bands around and proof of this was the band's continuing onslaught on the top of the British music charts.

Currently occupying the upper reaches of the Albums Chart with Electric Warrior, Marc Bolan and his group did not mess around in the Singles Chart either as they vaulted in with their fifth straight 45 to eventually settle within the Top 2.

Entering the chart this week at Number 3, Telegram Sam would go on to become the group's third British chart topper in a matter of twelve months, although it could only struggle to Number 67 in the US.

15: Greyhound: Moon River

The Summer of 1971 saw reggae group Greyhound debut in the British Top 10 with Black and White (a song that would enjoy commercial success in the US by Three Dog Night) and they followed it up with this updated rendition of Henry Mancini's Moon River.

The much-recorded song was previously a UK Number 1 hit for Danny Williams in late 1961, having seen action on the US Hot 100 by Jerry Butler and Mancini himself.

This light reggae version climbed to a peak position of Number 12 during its eleven week run on the UK chart.

17: The Chi-Lites: Have You Seen Her?

This was the week that one of America's classic soul vocal groups of the era finally made its first appearance in the UK Top 20.

Chicago's The Chi-Lites had seen one of their recent singles, (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People briefly climb the British chart, but it petered out at Number 32. Have You Seen Her? was an altogether different beast, however.

It was the first of the group's releases to feature in the Billboard Pop Top 10 when it peaked at Number 3 over the Christmas and New Year period of 1971/2. It eventually repeated that peak position in the UK later in its chart run.

That wasn't the end of its chart life, though. It enjoyed yet more British Top 10 action in 1975 when it was released as one half of a double A-Side with another soul classic from the group, Oh Girl.

19: Sonny & Cher: All I Ever Need is You

It had been four years since Sonny and Cher had last appeared on the British chart, when The Beat Goes On peaked at Number 29.

Several flops later, the duo - along with Cher as a solo artist - were back, trying to match their previous chart triumphs of the 1960s. A major factor in the pair's ongoing commercial rebirth was their celebrated primetime US TV show. It featured many of their newest recordings, including this one: All I Ever Need is You.

It became the title track to the duo's fourth album, having achieved Top 10 status in both the US and the UK, but proving to be Sonny and Cher's final British hit as a duet.

20: Bread: Baby, I'm-a Want You

It had been a while since we had seen Bread's name on the British Singles Chart. That was in the Summer of 1970 when Make It With You made the Top 5.

Eighteen months on, David Gates and co had missed the UK listing with classics such as If and It Don't Matter to Me, but they made a welcome return with another track that would go on to become another favourite among their soft rock output: Baby, I'm-a Want You.

It brought the group back into America's Top Three, history showing that it became one of Bread's most successful singles there.

It couldn't replicate that achievement in the UK, however, where it plateaued at Number 14.

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• George Harrison & Friends: The Concert For Bangladesh

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)