UK Music Chart: April 4, 1970

Number 13 : Dana : All Kinds of Everything

• 01 (01) Simon And Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water 
• 02 (07) Mary Hopkin - Knock, Knock Who's There 
• 03 (03) Andy Williams - Can't Help Falling In Love 
• 04 (02) Lee Marvin - Wand'rin' Star 
• 05 (06) Bob And Marcia - Young, Gifted And Black 
• 06 (05) Pickettywitch - That Same Old Feeling 
• 07 (04) Beatles - Let It Be 
• 08 (11) Kenny Rogers And The First Edition - Something's Burning 
• 09 (08) Dave Clark Five - Everybody Get Together 
• 10 (09) Elvis Presley - Don't Cry Daddy 
• 11 (10) Steam - Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye 
• 12 (12) Jackson Five - I Want You Back 
• 13 (**)  Dana - All Kinds Of Everything 
• 14 (18) Jimmy Ruffin - Farewell Is A Lonely Sound 
• 15 (33) Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky 
• 16 (13) Herman's Hermits - Years May Come, Years May Go 
• 17 (22) Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself 
• 18 (20) Joe Dolan - You're Such A Good Looking Woman 
• 19 (29) Juicy Lucy - Who Do You Love? 
• 20 (14) Canned Heat - Let's Work Together

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red
Image: The Best of Dana

Simon and Garfunkel remained at the top of the UK singles chart this week in 1970, but two Eurovision songs were endeavouring to capture their crown. The Eurovision Song Contest for this year had just been settled and Ireland was celebrating its first win.

The UK entry at the Contest was up five places to Number 2, but the winning entry by Dana was set for better things. This was a time when Eurovision songs regularly charted and All Kinds of Everything was no different. Entering this week at Number 13, Dana would soon be celebrating again when the song cruised to the top of the charts:

   

Next up is one of the UK chart's true One Hit Wonders: Spirit in the Sky. Norman Greenbaum's classic song was new to the ears of the British record buying public at this point, but over the following years it has not only been a Number 1 two other times, but also celebrated as one of the greatest songs of all time. This, the original version, would also go to Number 1 along with covers from Doctor and the Medics in 1986 and Gareth Gates in 2003:

It was 1965 when The Four Tops were celebrating their first Number 1 in the US with the classic I Can't Help Myself. However, it would take another five years before it saw any chart action in the UK, where it eventually peaked at Number 10. One of Holland-Dozier-Holland's finest compositions, it would return to the British chart two years later in a version by Donnie Elbert: 

Hands up if you remember blues band Juicy Lucy. While the band is still around today (albeit with a different line-up), it is probably best remembered for its cover of the Bo Diddley song Who Do You Love. Included on their self-titled first album, the band's rendition would take it to a peak of Number 14. Later in the year, Juicy Lucy's second and final chart appearance was with a track called Pretty Woman which stalled at Number 44.

Until next time...

UK Music Chart: March 28, 1970

Number 7 : Mary Hopkin : Knock, Knock Who's There?

• 01 (02) Simon And Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water 
• 02 (01) Lee Marvin - Wand'rin' Star  
• 03 (06) Andy Williams - Can't Help Falling In Love 
• 04 (03) Beatles - Let It Be 
• 05 (05) Pickettywitch - That Same Old Feeling 
• 06 (15) Bob And Marcia - Young, Gifted And Black 
• 07 (---) Mary Hopkin - Knock, Knock Who's There 
• 08 (11) Dave Clark Five - Everybody Get Together 
• 09 (08) Elvis Presley - Don't Cry Daddy 
• 10 (09) Steam - Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye 
• 11 (13) Kenny Rogers And The First Edition - Something's Burning 
• 12 (04) Jackson Five - I Want You Back 
• 13 (07) Herman's Hermits - Years May Come, Years May Go 
• 14 (12) Canned Heat - Let's Work Together 
• 15 (10) John Lennon/Yoko Ono/The Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma! 
• 16 (14) Sacha Distel - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head 
• 17 (16) Brotherhood Of Man - United We Stand 
• 18 (23) Jimmy Ruffin - Farewell Is A Lonely Sound 
• 19 (17) Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 
• 20 (26) Joe Dolan - You're Such A Good Looking Woman

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red
Image: Knock, Knock Who's There? single art

One of music's classic songs slid into the top spot as Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water began its three week run as the UK Number this week in 1970. Elsewhere, a Eurovision song, some Motown and Ireland's Tom Jones were enjoying their first week in the Top 20.

It was Eurovision time at this point in 1970 and the United Kingdom had selected the angelic Mary Hopkin and the song Knock, Knock Who's There? as its contender at the Song Contest that was held in Amsterdam. There were high hopes for Ms. Hopkin, who was already a high profile singer across Europe, because of hits such as Those Were the Days and Goodbye. In the event, she secured the UK's sixth second place behind Ireland's winner All Kinds of Everything sung by Dana:

Motown was particularly popular in the UK around this time and, in my opinion, one of the label's best artists  was about to climb the Top 20. Jimmy Ruffin had already recorded some classics such as What Becomes of the Brokenhearted and I'll Say Forever My Love and his latest was easily as good. I'm unfortunately unable to locate any live performances of Farewell Is A Lonely Sound, a song which would briefly bounce back into the chart on re-release in 1974:

Ireland's most successful recording artist of the era was former showband leader, Joe Dolan. He had already made appearances in the UK chart with the international hit Make Me An Island and a more minor entry, Teresa. By this time, Dolan had signed up to the agency that handled Tom Jones and, from the evidence of the following video, its influence had an impact on his stage act:

Until next time...