UK Music Chart: March 25, 1972 Ft. Argent

Argent: New at Number 7

Without You by Harry Nilsson started its third week at Number 1 in the UK on this date in 1972 with Eurovision runners-up, The New Seekers, valiantly trying to knock him off the top spot with Beg, Steal or Borrow.

That effort would prove fruitless, as did the progressive rock vibe of Argent's Hold Your Head Up, the week's biggest mover and highest new entry into the listing.

That particular track leapt straight into the Top 10, while two of last week's new songs - from Les Crane and The Supremes - joined it.

Further down the chart, British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck made a return to the Top 20 at Number 19 with his latest offering, Too Beautiful to Last - the only other single to penetrate the chart.


Nilsson at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Nilsson - Without You 
• 02 (03) The New Seekers - Beg, Steal or Borrow 
• 03 (02) Don McLean - American Pie 
• 04 (06) Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone Again (Naturally) 
• 05 (09) Lindisfarne - Meet Me on the Corner 
• 06 (05) Paul Simon - Mother and Child Reunion 
• 07 (21) Argent - Hold Your Head Up 
• 08 (07) Michael Jackson - Got to Be There 
• 09 (20) Les Crane - Desiderata 
• 10 (18) The Supremes - Floy Joy 
• 11 (08) The Chelsea Football Team - Blue is the Colour 
• 12 (04) Chicory Tip - Son of My Father 
• 13 (11) Donnie Elbert - I Can't Help Myself 
• 14 (19) The Partridge Family - It's One of Those Nights 
• 15 (10) Neil Reid - Mother of Mine 
• 16 (17) Wings - Give Ireland Back to the Irish 
• 17 (12) The Sweet - Poppa Joe 
• 18 (13) Slade - Look Wot You Dun 
• 19 (26) Engelbert Humperdinck - Too Beautiful to Last 
• 20 (22) The New Seekers - I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (RE)

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
*Intro Image: Argent - The Argent Anthology

Download This Week's New Hits:



07: Argent: Hold Your Head Up

Fresh from The Zombies, keyboard player Rod Argent formed his eponymous band, along with members Russ Ballard, Bob Henrit and Jim Rodford.

Hold Your Head Up was the group's first chart entry in both the UK and the US following four previous flops which included Liar, later recorded successfully by Three Dog Night.

This song reached a peak of Number 5 in both countries, but Argent would become a one hit wonder in the States where follow-up singles failed to chart.

They did a little better at home where the group managed to crack the Top 40 twice more.

19: Engelbert Humperdinck: Too Beautiful to Last

With Engelbert back on the television in a short series with the Young Generation dance troupe, it was no real surprise to see his name back in the UK charts.

It also helped that Too Beautiful to Last was the theme to the Oscar-winning biopic Nicholas and Alexandra, one of the year's most successful movies.

Nevertheless, the song would prove to be the singer's final entry in this part of the UK chart after a five-year run of major hits.

Several minor chart entries have since followed, including his disappointing 2012 Eurovision song. But it was his  American fans who continued to buy his singles - most notably After the Lovin', a US Top 10 hit in 1976 which failed to dent the charts in the UK.

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Lindisfarne: Fog on the Tyne

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)

The Number 3 song, The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Robert John, is unavailable.  This has been substituted by the Tight Fit version from the 1980s.