UK Top 20: October 14, 1972 Ft. Alice Cooper

New at Number 17: Alice Cooper

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 14 October, 1972

Lieutenant Pigeon's novelty tune, Mouldy Old Dough, which had been threatening the Number 1 position finally made the all-conquering leap to the top of the UK charts this week in 1972.

Elsewhere, three new entries came courtesy of two acts which were following up massively successful 1972 singles - namely Alice Cooper and Johnny Nash. In addition, American soul group The O'Jays arrived on the British listing for the first time.

Several big hitting artists of the Seventies were making a big leap up the charts as well, with singles from 10cc, David Bowie and Python Lee Jackson (among others) making impressive moves up the Top 20.

Read on...

Above image: By Hunter Desportes [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Lieutenant Pigeon at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (03) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 02 (01) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 03 (06) Peter Skellern - You're A Lady 
• 04 (08) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 05 (02) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 06 (04) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 07 (05) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 08 (11) Elvis Presley - Burning Love 
• 09 (18) Python Lee Jackson - In A Broken Dream 
• 10 (17) 10cc - Donna 
• 11 (12) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 12 (20) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing 
• 13 (09) Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 14 (14) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 15 (10) The Drifters - Come on Over to My Place 
• 16 (07) Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now 
• 17 (34) Alice Cooper - Elected
• 18 (22) The O'Jays - Back Stabbers 
• 19 (26) Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers
• 20 (19) Junior Walker and the Allstars - Walk in the Night

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

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17: Alice Cooper: Elected

Alice Cooper followed up his recent UK Number 1 hit School's Out with another British Top 10 hit; Elected becoming the first single release from the group's transatlantic chart topping album, Billion Dollar Babies.

The track was a rewrite of an earlier song, the 1969 offering Reflected and also profited from its own video - one of the earliest to accompany a single release.

It reached a peak of Number 4 in the UK, but could only manage to reach Number 25 in the States.


18: The O'Jays: Back Stabbers

Formed in the late 1950s, soul vocal goup The O'Jays had been trying to secure a Pop 40 hit throughout the Sixties, but it was not until 1972 when the trio's fortunes changed.

Thinking of quitting the music business, The O'Jays met up with the production and songwriting team of Gamble and Huff with whom they recorded several moderately successful R&B tracks.

However, it was not until G & H formed the label Philadelphia International - to which The O'Jays signed - that major hits began to accumulate.

Back Stabbers was the first and featured the group's now-trademark harmonies backed by intricate arrangements, sumptuous strings together with a smattering of contemporary funk.

It became a Number 3 hit in America while only managing a number 14 peak in the UK.

19: Johnny Nash: There Are More Questions Than Answers

1972 had been a great year for Johnny Nash on both sides of the Atlantic with his previous single I Can See Clearly Now going Top 5 in the UK and all the way to the top in America.

His follow-up in Britain was another self-penned song with the thought provoking title There Are More Questions Than Answers.

Included on the I Can See Clearly Now album, the single completely missed the charts in the States, but climbed into the Top 10 in the UK and peaked at Number 9.


The UK Number 1 album this week:

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

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)

 

UK Top 20: August 26, 1972 Ft. Lynsey de Paul

Lynsey de Paul enters at Number 20

Presenting the Top 20 music chart in the United Kingdom for the week ending 26 August, 1972

Alice Cooper's School's Out maintained its grip on the summit of the British music charts for a third and final week as the school holidays continued for a little while longer.

However, a couple of songs were making steady progress up the Top 10 and it would not be long before one of them - courtesy of Rod Stewart - would become the nation's next No.1 hit single.

Further down the Top 20, we welcomed three new entries (as well as a brief re-entry), all of which would enjoy Top 10 status in the weeks to come.

Read on...

Above image by AVRO (Beeld En Geluid Wiki - Gallerie: Toppop 1974) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Alice Cooper at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) - Alice Cooper - School's Out 
• 02 (07) - Rod Stewart - You Wear It Well 
• 03 (03) - Hawkwind - Silver Machine 
• 04 (11) - Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes 
• 05 (02) - Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs - Seaside Shuffle 
• 06 (05) - Hot Butter - Popcorn 
• 07 (13) - Derek and the Dominos - Layla 
• 08 (06) - The Partridge Family - Breaking Up is Hard to Do 
• 09 (14) - The Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture 
• 10 (04) - Donny Osmond - Puppy Love 
• 11 (09) - The Bee Gees - Run to Me 
• 12 (10) - Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 13 (15) - Little Eva - The Loco-Motion 
• 14 (25) - Blackfoot Sue - Standing in the Road 
• 15 (16) - Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now 
• 16 (08) - Dr Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother 
• 17 (24) - Jackie Wilson - I Get the Sweetest Feeling 
• 18 (12) - Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Parts 1 and 2 
• 19 (21) - The New Seekers - Circles (RE-ENTRY)
• 20 (47) - Lynsey De Paul - Sugar Me

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

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14: Blackfoot Sue: Standing in the Road

The first and only Top 20 hit for Blackfoot Sue came courtesy of this glam rock pretender, Standing in the Road.

A stomping pop number, it reflected a burgeoning appetite for all things glam and there was a feeling that the group would continue to be commercially successful for some time.

However, once Standing in the Road peaked at Number 4 and subsequently fell off the chart, the group's fortunes changed dramatically.

There was one further minor hit (Sing Don't Speak, No. 36, December '72) after which further releases failed to chart. The group split in 1977.

17: Jackie Wilson: I Get the Sweetest Feeling

What became just a moderately successful single for Jackie Wilson in the US in 1968 took on a whole new life when it was released in the UK in 1972.

Co-written by Van McCoy, I Get the Sweetest Feeling was recorded with the assistance of the Motown in-house band and backing singers giving the entire production the quality of a Tamla hit.

On this occasion it would climb into the Top 10 (to Number 9) but it was subsequently re-released both in 1975 (No.25) and in 1987 when it peaked at Number 3 following the unexpected No.1 success of his 1957 hit Reet Petite.

20: Lynsey de Paul: Sugar Me

Starting out primarily as a songwriter - she had written The Fortunes' Top 10 hit earlier in the year, Storm in a Teacup - the late Lynsey de Paul's appearance on the British charts came about somewhat accidentally.

Sugar Me was intended for Peter Noone, but Lynsey was persuaded to record the self-penned song herself and it was subsequently released as her first single.

As well as becoming a Top 10 hit in the UK, the song also found its way into numerous European charts in addition to those in Scandinavia, Japan and Australia.

Sugar Me eventually peaked at No.5 and began a five-year chart career of a further six Top 40 entries for the English singer.


The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 Fantastic Hits

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)

UK Top 20: August 19, 1972 Ft. Rod Stewart

New at Number 7: Rod Stewart wears it well

Presenting the Top 20 music chart in the United Kingdom for the week ending 19 August, 1972

Alice Cooper's rock classic, School's Out, remained at the top of the UK chart for a second week as kids everywhere continued to celebrate the ongoing summer vacation.

Meanwhile, five new songs entered the Top 20 - among them a couple of classics of the rock era. The year's proclivity for nostalgia returned an early Sixties dance tune to the chart, while for two groups it was both the beginning and the end of their respective Top 20 careers.

Read on...

Alice Cooper at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) - Alice Cooper - School's Out 
• 02 (02) - Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs - Seaside Shuffle 
• 03 (07) - Hawkwind - Silver Machine 
• 04 (04) - Donny Osmond - Puppy Love 
• 05 (06) - Hot Butter - Popcorn 
• 06 (03) - The Partridge Family - Breaking Up Is Hard to Do 
• 07 (23) - Rod Stewart - You Wear It Well 
• 08 (05) - Dr Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother 
• 09 (19) - The Bee Gees - Run to Me 
• 10 (16) - Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 11 (22) - Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes 
• 12 (09) - Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Parts 1 and 2 
• 13 (25) - Derek and the Dominos - Layla 
• 14 (17) - The Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture 
• 15 (21) - Little Eva - The Loco-Motion 
• 16 (08) - Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now 
• 17 (12) - The Supremes - Automatically Sunshine 
• 18 (11) - David Bowie - Starman 
• 19 (13) - Bruce Ruffin - Mad About You 
• 20 (24) - Chairmen of the Board - Working on a Building of Love

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

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07: Rod Stewart: You Wear It Well

A little over a year since the release of Maggie May/Reason to Believe, Rod Stewart was back in the UK Singles Chart with his second (future) Number 1.

You Wear It Well, taken from the album Never A Dull Moment, was one of this week's biggest climbers, making an impressive sixteen place leap into the Top 10 at Number 7.

In some ways, it repeats the techniques that made Maggie May so memorable: lyrically poetic while squaring Stewart's hoarse vocalisation with a musically buoyant musical track.

It turned the trick again for Rod though. Chartwise it enjoyed international success - although not so dominantly as Maggie, managing the Top 20 in America but not the top spot on this occasion.

Intro image by Allan Warren (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

11: Mott the Hoople: All the Young Dudes

Time for another classic single of the era as Mott the Hoople make their first excursion into the UK Top 10 with the David Bowie-penned glam anthem All the Young Dudes.

With a lack of previous commercial success, Mott the Hoople was on the verge of folding. The story goes that Bowie learnt of the band's imminent demise and offered them the song Suffragette City. They declined it, so he instead wrote All the Young Dudes especially for the group.

This one track saved the band and gave them the exposure they so yearned. The single would rise to Number 3 in the UK and also managed a Top 40 placing in both the US and Canada.

13: Derek and the Dominos: Layla

Talking of classics, here's yet another one: Layla from Derek and the Dominos.

Originally appearing on the the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, an edited version of the track was released as a single in the United States in March 1971. This specific version peaked at Number 51 on the singles chart there.

However, when the full seven minute version of the song was re-released as a single in 1972, it rapidly climbed the chart in the United Kingdom - this week making a twelve place jump to Number 13 - on its way to a high of Number 7.

It repeated the feat in the United States where it also became a Top 10 hit.

But you can't keep a great track down, it seems. In 1982, Layla was once again released as a single in the UK, this time peaking at Number 4. On this occasion, the entire seven-minute single charted, including the trailing two-thirds which is instrumental only.

15: Little Eva: The Loco-Motion

In a year full of re-releases, it was perhaps no surprise that another 1960s classic would return to the British chart.

This time it was the reappearance of a US Number 1 song from 1962, the classic Loco-Motion recorded by Carole King and Gerry Goffin's babysitter, Little Eva.

Originally peaking at Number 2 in the UK a decade earlier, the song almost re-entered the UK Top 10 this time around - but eventually faltered at Number 11.


20: Chairmen of the Board: Working on a Building of Love

It had been around eighteen months since the Chairmen of the Board had enjoyed a UK Top 20 hit - their previous entry being Everything's Tuesday.

Two Top 50 hits later, the gospel-tinged soul of Working on a Building of Love brought the American vocal group back into the upper reaches of the UK chart - albeit briefly.

This week's Number 20 would be its peak, as well as the final time that the group would appear in the British Top 20.


The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 Fantastic Hits

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)

UK Top 20: August 12, 1972 Ft. Faron Young

New Entry: Number 16: Faron Young

Presenting the Top 20 music chart in the United Kingdom for the week ending 12 August, 1972

The boyish charisma of a young Donny Osmond had finally given up its stranglehold on the top of the UK charts, yielding to something altogether different in the form of the Alice Cooper band. The controversial rockers climbed to Number 1 with their first major international hit, School's Out. 

In addition to that track, just six other records were climbing within the Top 20 - the biggest leap coming from Hot Butter with their electronic instrumental Popcorn, rising five places to Number 6. 

Elsewhere, the listing was very light on new entries with only two songs breaking into the Top 20. These were courtesy of US country music star Faron Young, as well as a welcome return by the Brothers Gibb with a track from the album, To Whom It May Concern.

Alice Cooper at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (02) - Alice Cooper - School's Out 
• 02 (04) - Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs - Seaside Shuffle 
• 03 (05) - The Partridge Family - Breaking Up is Hard to Do 
• 04 (01) - Donny Osmond - Puppy Love 
• 05 (03) - Dr Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother 
• 06 (11) - Hot Butter - Popcorn 
• 07 (07) - Hawkwind - Silver Machine 
• 08 (08) - Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now 
• 09 (06) - Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Parts 1 and 2 
• 10 (09) - The New Seekers - Circles 
• 11 (12) - David Bowie - Starman 
• 12 (10) - The Supremes - Automatically Sunshine 
• 13 (13) - Bruce Ruffin - Mad About You 
• 14 (16) - The Stylistics - Betcha By Golly Wow 
• 15 (14) - Mary Wells - My Guy 
• 16 (24) - Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 17 (20) - Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture 
• 18 (15) - The Who - Join Together 
• 19 (26) - The Bee Gees - Run to Me 
• 20 (17) - The Sweet - Little Willy

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

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16: Faron Young: It's Four in the Morning

The highest new entry to the 20 was an unusual occurrence in the British charts: an old-style Country song that was usually reserved for an audience at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

However, Faron Young's It's Four in the Morning found traction in the UK, selling phenomenally well and becoming a major smash hit.

It was already in week five of a twenty-three week chart run, where it would peak at Number 3 and go on to shift in excess of a half a million copies.

In the States however, although it would rise to the top of the Hot Country Singles Chart, It's Four in the Morning made little impression on the pop listing only rising to a lowly Number 92.

19: The Bee Gees: Run to Me

The early 1970s was a fairly barren period for the Bee Gees as far as major singles success in the UK was concerned.

Their last Top 10 hit had been Don't Forget to Remember in late 1969 and, despite two Top Three hits in the States, their British chart stats were at one their lowest ebbs.

Neither of the aforementioned American hits had made much impression on the UK Top 40 and it wasn't until the release of My World earlier this year that The Bee Gees had, once again, featured in the Top 20.

Run to Me would become the trio's highest placed single for three years, peaking at Number 9. Equally, it was the only real bright spot in a period of six years which would see the brothers absent from the British Top 10.


The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 Fantastic Hits

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)

UK Top 20: July 22, 1972 Ft. Alice Cooper

New Entry: Number 17: Alice Cooper

Presenting the Top 20 music chart in the United Kingdom for the week ending 22 July 1972

The top of this week's singles chart remained unchanged as Donny Osmond racked up his third week at Number 1 with his revamp of Paul Anka's Puppy Love.

The song making the biggest leap within the Top 20 was courtesy of another teen heartthrob: David Cassidy, as lead with The Partridge Family, climbing six places to Number 7 with their own remake. This cover of Neil Sedaka's Breaking Up is Hard to Do was on its way to a peak of Number 3.

Five new discs made their first appearances in the Twenty as records by Roberta Flack, The Move, Wings, Free and B. Bumble and the Stingers made way for the latest releases from Hawkwind, Alice Cooper, The Stylistics, Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs and Bruce Ruffin.

Donny Osmond at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) - Donny Osmond - Puppy Love 
• 02 (02) - Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Parts 1 and 2 
• 03 (04) - Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother 
• 04 (05) - The New Seekers - Circles 
• 05 (07) - Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now 
• 06 (06) - The Sweet - Little Willy 
• 07 (13) - The Partridge Family - Breaking Up is Hard to Do 
• 08 (03) - Slade - Take Me Bak 'Ome 
• 09 (12) - The Who - Join Together 
• 10 (09) - Elvis Presley - American Trilogy 
• 11 (11) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day 
• 12 (29) - Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs - Seaside Shuffle 
• 13 (25) - The Stylistics - Betcha By Golly Wow 
• 14 (23) - Bruce Ruffin - Mad About You 
• 15 (10) - Michael Jackson - Rockin' Robin 
• 16 (16) - Love Unlimited - Walkin' in the Rain With The One I Love 
• 17 (44) - Alice Cooper - School's Out 
• 18 (20) - David Bowie - Starman 
• 19 (08) - Don McLean - Vincent 
• 20 (37) - Hawkwind - Silver Machine

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

Download This Week's New Hits:




12: Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs: Seaside Shuffle

In 1980, Jona Lewie was the vocalist behind the British hits Stop the Cavalry and You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties, but back in the summer of 1972 his voice graced this (eventual) UK No. 2 hit by Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs.

Seaside Shuffle had been released the previous year to little acclaim, but with the marketing clout of Jonathan King behind it, the disc soon climbed the chart upon re-release.

The group only ever appeared in the Top 20 with this song, as subsequent releases were largely ignored by record buyers. The follow-up, On A Saturday Night, managed a Top 50 showing but the next single, She Left; I Died, tanked and the band split not long after.

13: The Stylistics: Betcha By Golly, Wow

The much-covered Betcha By Golly, Wow was the first hit for The Stylistics in the UK - although even their version was not the first release of the song as a single.

Two years earlier, the actress and singer Connie Stevens had recorded the Thom Bell/Linda Creed composition under the title Keep Growing Strong, but it had failed to chart.

With Bell producing The Stylistics' eponymous début album, the vocal group recorded the song for the long player under its original title. When released as a single it hit No. 3 in the US and peaked at No. 13 in the UK, selling over a million copies in the process.

14: Bruce Ruffin: Mad About You

Ruffin was a member of the Jamaican rocksteady group The Techniques for a short period before branching out as a more successful solo artist.

He had already enjoyed some action in the UK Top 20 during 1971 with his cover of the Jose Feliciano song Rain, but it was the reggae-pop of Mad About You which gave Ruffin his biggest commercial achievement in the UK.

A self-penned composition with some quirky instrumentation and backing vocals, it was also Ruffin's final appearance on the UK chart, but his highest at No. 9.

17: Alice Cooper: School's Out

Destined for the No. 1 spot in the UK, School's Out was the début hit for Alice Cooper on the British Top 20 -  although the band had already enjoyed some success in the US, particularly with the single I'm Eighteen.

The group's arrival on this side of the Atlantic coincided nicely with the popularity of British glam rock; their make-up, glitter and theatrics dovetailing into the movement with some panache.

Of course, the look and the lyrics won over (or created) many a rebellious teenager who sent School's Out rocketing up the charts.

It finally settled at Number 1 in the UK for three weeks over the summer holidays until reality set in for most school kids upon their return to the classroom.

20: Hawkwind: Silver Machine

With vocals (eventually) by the late, great Lemmie, this was the only appearance in the UK Top 20 by the-then leading purveyors of space rock, Hawkwind.

Originally recorded live at The Roundhouse in London, the final product was mixed in the studio with band member Robert Calvert's inferior vocals overdubbed by those of Lemmie.

It worked. Silver Machine sped up the charts to a peak of No. 3 where it stayed for two weeks. It completed a fifteen week chart run in 1972, but was re-released on three further occasions (in 1976, 1978 and 1982) when it again managed to climb into the Top 75.

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 Dynamic Hits

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)