UK Music Chart: October 23, 1971 Featuring Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin : Buy This at Allposters.com

Maggie May by Rod Stewart remained at Number 1 in the UK for a third straight week on this date in 1971, having already seen off a challenge by Scottish band Middle of the Road and now a new one by Redbone's Witch Queen of New Orleans.

Further down the listing, Titanic, The Fortunes and The Four Tops broke into the Top 10, but it was new records by three of the United States' then-biggest stars, including Aretha Franklin, which made their debuts on this week's British chart.





Rod Stewart at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Rod Stewart - Maggie May 
• 02 (09) Redbone - Witch Queen of New Orleans 
• 03 (02) Middle Of The Road - Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum 
• 04 (04) James Taylor - You've Got A Friend 
• 05 (12) The Four Tops - Simple Game 
• 06 (10) The Fortunes - Freedom Come, Freedom Go 
• 07 (06) Shirley Bassey - For All We Know 
• 08 (05) Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood - Did You Ever? 
• 09 (03) The Tams - Hey Girl, Don't Bother Me 
• 10 (14) Titanic - Sultana 
• 11 (08) CCS - Tap Turns on the Water 
• 12 (13) Danyel Gérard - Butterfly 
• 13 (15) Engelbert Humperdinck - Another Time, Another Place 
• 14 (21) Aretha Franklin - Spanish Harlem 
• 15 (18) Mungo Jerry - You Don't Have To Be In The Army (To Fight in the War) 
• 16 (11) Jethro Tull - Life is a Long Song / Up The Pool 
• 17 (07) Marmalade - Cousin Norman 
• 18 (23) Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 
• 19 (28) Al Green - Tired of Being Alone 
• 20 (19) Bay City Rollers - Keep On Dancing

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
 
14: Aretha Franklin: Spanish Harlem

Aretha Franklin was back in the UK Top 20 this week with the second of only four British chart hits she achieved during the 1970s, the sublime Spanish Harlem.

Written by (the now jailed) Phil Spector and Jerry Leiber, it was originally recorded by the former lead singer of The Drifters, Ben E. King. It became his first American solo hit single following several flops at the beginning of the 1960s.

King's version was not a success in the UK at the time however, but the Queen of Soul's funky interpretation brought the song into the British charts to peak at this week's Number 14, having already climbed to Number 2 on the American Billboard Hot 100 a few weeks earlier.

18: Joan Baez: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Another current American hit to crack the UK Top 20 was also another cover song, this one recorded by one of the leading lights on the US folk scene, Joan Baez.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down was written by Robbie Robertson of The Band and included on the group's second album, as well as appearing as the B-Side of the 1969 single, Up On Cripple Creek.

Baez's interpretation changed the lyrics slightly, while its instrumentation gave it more commercial appeal. As a result, she saw the disc rise to Number 3 on her home chart and Number 6 in the UK, making it the highest charting song of her career on both sides of the Atlantic.

19: Al Green: Tired of Being Alone

After several attempts over the previous four years to crack the American Top 40, one of the finest soul voices of the 1970s finally arrived in the upper reaches of the music charts - not only in the US, but also in the UK.

Al Green had threatened commercial success for a little while, but it was not until he had teamed up with record producer Willie Mitchell that his fortunes truly changed.

Tired of Being Alone began a string of US Top 40 hits which would extend through until 1976, but the song would prove to be Green's highest placed record on the UK chart, peaking at Number 4.



The American Top 10 (w/e October 23, 1971)

• 01 (01) Maggie May / Reason to Believe - Rod Stewart
• 02 (02) Superstar - The Carpenters
• 03 (03) Yo-Yo - The Osmonds
• 04 (10) Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - Cher
• 05 (02) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez
• 06 (06) Do You Know What I Mean? - Lee Michaels
• 07 (05) Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond
• 08 (09) Sweet City Woman - The Stampeders
• 09 (50) Theme From 'Shaft' - Isaac Hayes
• 10 (08) If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder

*Press play > to listen to each track

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story

UK Music Chart: September 12, 1970

Number 6: Band of Gold: Freda Payne 

All change at the top of the UK charts this week in 1970 as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles finally claimed the Number 1 spot with Tears of a Clown after two weeks at Number 2. The track was among 60% of those in the Top 20 which were on their way up, including four new entries, one of which was to be a future Number 1.

• 01 (02) Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown 
• 02 (01) Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You 
• 03 (03) Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me Not To Come 
• 04 (05) Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time 
• 05 (07)  Bread - Make It With You 
• 06 (36) Freda Payne - Band Of Gold 
• 07 (08) Chicago - 25 Or 6 To 4 
• 08 (13) Jimmy Cliff - Wild World 
• 09 (04) Marmalade - Rainbow 
• 10 (15) Hot Chocolate - Love Is Life 
• 11 (24) Poppy Family Ft. Susan Jacks - Which Way You Goin' Billy? 
• 12 (10) Johnny Johnson And The Bandwagon - Sweet Inspiration 
• 13 (06) Hotlegs - Neanderthal Man 
• 14 (20) Desmond Dekker - You Can Get It If You Really Want 
• 15 (09) Shirley Bassey - Something 
• 16 (17) Andy Williams - It's So Easy 
• 17 (11) Fair Weather - Natural Sinner 
• 18 (12) The Kinks - Lola 
• 19 (29) Aretha Franklin - Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
• 20 (30) Bobby Bloom - Montego Bay

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
Image: Band of Gold - Freda Payne

The greatest gainer on the chart this week was the highest new entry into the Top 20. Freda Payne had been recording for several years, but not with too much commercial success. She was then offered Band of Gold, authored by the legendary songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, which she initially turned down. Once she was persuaded to record it, she soon found herself with a major hit on her hands. As well as climbing to Number 1 in the UK, it peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard chart in the US and Number 20 on the US Black Singles.

Freda Payne's Band of Gold is often cited as a One Hit Wonder (a Number 1 hit and nothing else), but she did manage to register two further UK Top 50 hits. However, the track at this week's Number 11 - which had climbed thirteen places - was the only instance of The Poppy Family appearing on the British charts. While not a Number 1 hit, Which Way You Goin' Billy? did manage to venture into the Top 10 (No.7) before the duo was relegated to UK chart history. In fact, The Poppy Family was Terry and Susan Jacks and we would be seeing him at Number 1 later in the decade.

  

Meanwhile, up ten places to Number 19 was only a third UK Top 20 hit for the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Don't Play That Song (You Lied) was a cover of a Ben E. King song from 1962 and included on Franklin's album, Spirit in the Dark. The single peaked at Number 13 in the UK and Number 11 in the US.

   

Someone else who appeared on the UK listing with just one massive hit song was the late Bobby Bloom. A combination of pop with calypso was Montego Bay's trademark and with the summer season coming to an end, it seemed that record buyers wanted to keep the sun shining for just a little while longer. Bloom was no stranger to the pop charts, however.  He co-wrote the song Mony, Mony, as well as a minor US hit for The Archies called Sunshine. The follow-up to Montego Bay, Heavy Makes You Happy was a UK Number 31 hit for him, but sadly, he lost his life in 1974 following an accident with his gun.

  

Until next time...