UK Top 20: October 7, 1972 Ft. 10cc

New at Number 17: 10cc

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 7 October, 1972

David Cassidy was enjoying the second of his two weeks at the top of the UK music charts this week in October 1972 with his cover of The Young Rascals' 1967 US hit How Can I Be Sure? His reign was about to end thanks to Lieutenant Pigeon's novelty tune, Mouldy Old Dough which was making a measured climb up the Top 20.

Further down the chart four new entries climbed into the twenty, the highest coming courtesy of one of rock's greats, Elvis Presley. Other debuts were represented by acts that would become among the most successful and recognisable voices of the rock era: David Bowie, Rod Stewart (courtesy of a reissue) and art-rock group, 10cc.

Elsewhere, Peter Skellern continued his ascent of the Top 20, enjoying a rapid rise of twelve places to Number 6 with his debut hit, You're A Lady.

Read on...

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

David Cassidy at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 02 (02) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 03 (04) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 04 (06) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 05 (05) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 06 (18) Peter Skellern - You're a Lady 
• 07 (03) Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now 
• 08 (14) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 09 (07) Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 10 (09) Drifters - Come on Over to My Place 
• 11 (21) Elvis Presley - Burning Love
• 12 (17) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 13 (08) Michael Jackson - Ain't No Sunshine 
• 14 (16) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 15 (10) Roxy Music - Virginia Plain 
• 16 (12) Cliff Richard - Living in Harmony 
• 17 (25) 10cc - Donna 
• 18 (49) Python Lee Jackson - In a Broken Dream 
• 19 (20) Jr. Walker and the Allstars - Walk in the Night 
• 20 (23) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing

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

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11: Elvis Presley: Burning Love

Elvis Presley returned to the UK Top 20 with what would become yet another Top 10 success. This time he dispensed with the recent ballads and returned to more of a rock feel with this latest release, Burning Love.

Written by Dennis Linde, the track was originally recorded by Arthur Alexander and released without much success. Although Elvis disliked the song, he was persuaded to lay down his own version and it has since become a Presley classic.

It would peak at Number 7 in Britain, but would prove to become the King's last Top 10 success in America, where it settled at Number 2 behind Chuck Berry's My Ding-A-Ling.

17: 10cc: Donna

Having recorded under various band guises, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman and Lol Creme joined forces in 1972 under the band name 10cc.

Donna was the group's first single and it began a string of UK hits throughout the 1970s, together with a collection of very well-regarded albums.

The track was written by Godley and Creme as a clever parody of doo wop songs from the 1950s and 1960s. Ingenious vocals and a great production would lift the song to Number 2 in the charts, only barred from the top by Lieutenant Pigeon's Mouldy Old Dough.

18: Python Lee Jackson: In A Broken Dream

Re-released to cash in on the huge popularity of Rod Stewart, Python Lee Jackson deservedly did the business the second time around as In A Broken Dream leapt more than thirty places to settle at this week's Number 18.

The track was originally issued in 1970 after the then little known Stewart was enlisted as a session singer to provide the lead vocals for this Australian band. At that time, the single did absolutely nothing and would probably have never seen the light of day again had it not been for Rod Stewart's involvement.

Whilst most of these type of reissues are best left buried, this little gem was most welcome and sold enough copies to take it to a peak of Number 3.

20: David Bowie: John, I'm Only Dancing

David Bowie followed-up Starman for his first back to back UK Top 20 hits with the controversial John, I'm Only Dancing.

Yet again showcasing glam rock at its finest, Bowie's track nevertheless proved contentious due to its lyrical content: often attributed to a gay relationship.

In fact, it was considered too racy for conservative  America, the singer's record label therefore declining to release it there, only surfacing four years later on a compilation album.

Never included on a conventional long player in the UK, Bowie nonetheless recorded the song twice more - the first in 1973 with a saxophone break and, in 1979, a more soul/funk-influenced version released as John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) which became a moderate UK hit. This 1972 release managed a peak position of Number 12.

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: July 15, 1972 Ft. David Bowie

New at Number 20: David Bowie

Presenting the Top 20 music chart in the United Kingdom for the week ending 15 July 1972

The Top 3 singles of the chart remained static with Donny Osmond clocking up a second week at the top with his reworking of the Paul Anka song, Puppy Love.

The biggest climber within the Top 20 was the début single by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Sylvia's Mother would eventually peak at Number 2, but this week the disc rose nine places to settle at Number 4.

Just two new entries this week as Neil Diamond and The Chi-Lites are replaced by the latest singles from The Partridge Family and David Bowie.

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 (03) - Slade - Take Me Bak 'Ome 
• 04 (13) - Dr Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother 
• 05 (06) - The New Seekers - Circles 
• 06 (04) - The Sweet - Little Willy 
• 07 (12) - Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now 
• 08 (05) - Don McLean - Vincent 
• 09 (09) - Elvis Presley - An American Trilogy 
• 10 (07) - Michael Jackson - Rockin' Robin 
• 11 (08) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day 
• 12 (16) - The Who - Join Together 
• 13 (30) - The Partridge Family - Breaking Up is Hard to Do 
• 14 (10) - The Move - California Man 
• 15 (11) - Wings - Mary Had A Little Lamb 
• 16 (19) - Love Unlimited - Walkin' in the Rain With the One I Love 
• 17 (14) - Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 
• 18 (15) - Free - Little Bit of Love 
• 19 (20) - B. Bumble and the Stingers - Nut Rocker 
• 20 (29) - David Bowie - Starman

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

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13: The Partridge Family: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

The UK was a little slow to cotton on to the bubblegum pop of America's TV combo, The Partridge Family.

However, principally due to the increasing popularity of lead vocalist David Cassidy, the group's singles began to sell in ever greater amounts on this side of the Atlantic.

The band's latest offering was a cover of Neil Sedaka's signature song, Breaking Up is Hard to Do. While it stalled at just inside the Top 30 in America, it continued to climb the listing in the UK to eventually peak at Number 3.


20: David Bowie: Starman

It had been three long years since David Bowie had first appeared on the British charts with the seminal Space Oddity, but this had been one of the singer's most creative periods culminating in the birth of his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.

No doubt, it was this character's appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops during July (see left) performing Starman which secured Bowie's eventual British breakthrough.

Ultimately included on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Starman was the first in a succession of UK Top 20 singles for Bowie over the next eighteen months to two years - many peaking within the Top 5. It would eventually peak at No.10, but marked the beginning of one of the most commercially successful and artistically inventive rock careers of all time.


The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 Dynamic Hits

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)