UK Top 20: October 21, 1972 Ft. The Carpenters

New at Number 18: The Carpenters

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 21 October, 1972

Mouldy Old Dough, Lieutenant Pigeon's novelty hit, continued its reign at Number 1 for a second week blocking records such as 10cc's debut hit Donna from hitting the top spot.

Elsewhere, three new tracks entered the Top 20 - songs by artists who had already enjoyed chart success up until this point. Gilbert O'Sullivan's Clair was making its debut on the chart and would, in time, climb to the summit of the chart.

The Carpenters' return marked the beginning of a series of major hits in the UK, while Burlesque became the swansong on the Singles Chart for predominantly album rockers, Family.

Read on...

Lieutenant Pigeon at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 02 (10) 10cc - Donna 
• 03 (03) Peter Skellern - You're a Lady 
• 04 (02) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 05 (04) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 06 (09) Python Lee Jackson - In a Broken Dream 
• 07 (08) Elvis Presley - Burning Love 
• 08 (06) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 09 (17) Alice Cooper - Elected 
• 10 (05) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 11 (11) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 12 (19) Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers 
• 13 (12) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing 
• 14 (07) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 15 (---) Gilbert O'Sullivan - Clair 
• 16 (14) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 17 (15) The Drifters - Come on Over to My Place 
• 18 (22) The Carpenters - Goodbye to Love 
• 19 (23) Family - Burlesque 
• 20 (18) The O'Jays - Back Stabbers

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

Stream This Week's New Hits:



15: Gilbert O'Sullivan: Clair

Gilbert O'Sullivan followed up his his fifth UK Top 20 hit with his first British Number 1, the somewhat cloying Clair.

Written about his manager's (then) three-year-old daughter, the lyrics to the song are initially ambiguous, leading the listener to believe the track is a love song from one adult to another.

The record would soon become one of O'Sullivan's most successful. It would go on to reside at Number 1 for two weeks in November, while becoming his second chart topper in Ireland.

America loved it, too. Clair peaked at Number 2 Stateside, blocked from the top by both Carly Simon's You're So Vain and Billy Paul's Me and Mrs. Jones.

18: The Carpenters: Goodbye to Love

Up until this point The Carpenters' chart performance in the UK had not been quite as spectacular as in their home country.

Goodbye to Love would go some way in amending that position, entering the Top 20 this week at Number 18 and eventually clawing its way to a peak of Number 9.

Originally released as the B-Side to I Won't Last a Day Without You, the record was flipped shortly after release and became only the duo's second Top 10 hit - but perhaps the first true power ballad to hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

It also includes a wonderful guitar solo by Tony Peluso.

19: Family: Burlesque

Taken from the group's album Bandstand, Burlesque returned Family to the UK Top 20 Singles for the very last time for a few weeks in 1972.

The track is, to some extent, a suggestive rocker about a bar in the band's hometown of Leicester, England and contains some thoroughly satisfying hooks - not always particularly evident in Family's body of work up to this point.

The band would split around 12 months after this record appeared on the chart (peak No. 13).


The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 All Time Greats of the 50s

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)