Showing posts with label Hurricane Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hurricane Smith. Show all posts

UK Top 20: May 13, 1972 Ft. T. Rex

UK Top 20: May 13, 1972 Ft. T. Rex
We have now arrived at the UK Top 20 of May 13, 1972 which features Metal Guru by T. Rex as the highest new entry of the week.

The band was one of the most successful in the United Kingdom during the early 1970s, so it was no surprise to see this latest single jump straight into the chart at Number 9.

Just two other discs were new to the twenty this week: the current release by record producer and recording engineer Hurricane Smith and the latest in a string of football club songs - this time from Leeds United.

In all, seven records within the Top 10 were climbers but, as yet, none of them were able to topple The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards from the summit of the chart, as the military band's record achieved its fifth straight week at Number 1 with Amazing Grace.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards at Number 1





The Chart: 
  • 01 (01) The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - Amazing Grace 
  • 02 (03) Vicky Leandros - Come What May 
  • 03 (04) David Cassidy - Could It Be Forever 
  • 04 (07) Johnny Cash and the Evangel Temple Choir - A Thing Called Love 
  • 05 (14) The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice 
  • 06 (09) Marmalade - Radancer 
  • 07 (12) Elton John - Rocket Man 
  • 08 (06) Jo Jo Gunne - Run Run Run 
  • 09 (**) T. Rex - Metal Guru 
  • 10 (05) The Chiffons - Sweet Talking Guy 
  • 11 (02) Ringo Starr - Back Off Boogaloo 
  • 12 (08) Tyrannosaurus Rex - Debora / One Inch Rock 
  • 13 (11) Tom Jones - The Young New Mexican Puppeteer 
  • 14 (15) Johnny Nash - Stir It Up 
  • 15 (10) Nilsson - Without You 
  • 16 (13) Elvis Presley - Until It's Time For You to Go 
  • 17 (16) The Temptations - Take A Look Around 
  • 18 (27) Hurricane Smith - Oh Babe, What Would You Say? 
  • 19 (20) The Drifters - At the Club / Saturday Night at the Movies 
  • 20 (42) Leeds United F.C. - Leeds United
*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold

Download This Week's New Hits:




09: T. Rex: Metal Guru

The latest release from T. Rex proved to be yet another winner on the UK Singles Chart as Metal Guru stormed into the Top 10 at Number 9.

Its popularity was such that, in a week, it would climb to the top of the chart, just three months after the band's Telegram Sam had achieved the same feat.

Both songs were included on the group's album The Slider, which charted well in the UK (#4) and was their highest placed long-player in the US (#17).  Strangely, however, Metal Guru would make no impression on the Billboard Hot 100.

Nevertheless, in the UK, the band's singles continued to make impressive inroads into the Top 20, although this single would prove to be the band's final Number 1.

18: Hurricane Smith: Oh Babe, What Would You Say?

Famed for his role as the engineer of many of The Beatles' studio recordings, Hurricane Smith turned to recording himself during the early '70s.

Having enjoyed a UK Number 2 hit with his ecologically-themed Don't Let It Die, he was back on the chart with what would pan out to be a transatlantic hit.

Oh Babe, What Would You Say? would climb to Number 4 in Britain, but American record buyers also took it to their hearts and sent it to Number 3 in the US charts.

Although his follow-up managed a Top 30 placing, this would be the last time Smith appeared in the 20.

20: Leeds United F.C.: Leeds United

Leeds United FC had fought their way to the 100th FA Cup Final, so it seemed a foregone conclusion that they would record an official team song.

In fact, with different lyrics, the track had been released the previous year under the title Sally Sunshine, but failed to chart for either Miki Antony or The Mills Brothers.

However, with new words, the Leeds United team singing and an army of fans behind it, the song finally raced up the UK Chart, peaking at Number 10 following the team's 1-0 victory over Arsenal.

The UK Number 1 album this week:
  • Deep Purple: Machine Head


The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)



UK Music Chart: June 19, 1971

Number 17: The Temptations

A new Number 1 song graced the top of the British singles chart on this date in 1971, when Scottish group Middle of the Road jumped fifteen places with Lally Stott's infectious Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.

Elsewhere, three acts entered the Top 20 with new hits - among them, American soul legends The Temptations and purveyors of pure pop, The Sweet.


The Chart: 
  • 01 (16) Middle of the Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep 
  • 02 (01) Dawn - Knock Three Times 
  • 03 (02) Tony Christie - I Did What I Did For Maria 
  • 04 (09) Blue Mink - Banner Man 
  • 05 (08) Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You 
  • 06 (07) Mungo Jerry - Lady Rose 
  • 07 (15) John Kongos - He's Gonna Step on You Again 
  • 08 (05) The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You 
  • 09 (04) Neil Diamond - I Am...I Said 
  • 10 (03) R. Dean Taylor - Indiana Wants Me 
  • 11 (06) Free - My Brother Jake 
  • 12 (13) Elvis Presley - Rags to Riches 
  • 13 (12) Peter Noone - Oh, You Pretty Thing 
  • 14 (11) McGuinness Flint - Malt and Barley Blues 
  • 15 (17) Perry Como - I Think of You 
  • 16 (10) The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar 
  • 17 (25) The Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
  • 18 (50) Hurricane Smith - Don't Let It Die 
  • 19 (33) The Sweet - Co-Co 
  • 20 (18) Waldo De Los Rios - Mozart Symphony No. 40
*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold 
 Image: The Temptations: Gold

17: The Temptations: Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)

Approximately two months earlier, The Temptations had scored their third US Hot 100 Number 1 hit with Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) and its popularity was now growing in the UK. It jumped into the British Top 20 at Number 17 this week, but it could not replicate its American chart journey to the summit. The single did, however, peak at Number 8 - sadly, the last time The Temptations would enter the UK Top 10 with new material.


18: Hurricane Smith: Don't Let It Die

Up until this point, Norman 'Hurricane' Smith was more used to working behind the scenes in the recording studio. He had engineered and produced albums by The Beatles and later produced long players by both Pink Floyd and Barclay James Harvest. During this time, he had written a song and demoed it with the intention of offering it to John Lennon. However, he was persuaded to release Don't Let It Die himself and was subsequently surprised to see his ecological message speed up the chart, eventually peaking at Number 2.


19: The Sweet: Co-Co

The Sweet's first hit single, Funny Funny, was still hanging around the lower reaches of the UK chart as this second and more successful track jumped fourteen places into the Top 20. Similar to the previous hit, Co-Co was pure bubblegum and belied the true nature of The Sweet's harder rock sound. Also as was the case with Funny Funny, this second hit for the group only featured the vocals of lead singer, Brian Connolly; none of the rest of the group appear on the recording. Nevertheless, it became the first of five singles for the band to peak at Number 2 in the UK during the 1970s.

 



The US Top 10 this week:
  • 01 (06) It's Too Late - Carole King
  • 02 (03) Rainy Days and Mondays - The Carpenters
  • 03 (01) Want Ads - Honey Cone
  • 04 (02) Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
  • 05 (04) It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr
  • 06 (08) Treat Her Like a Lady - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
  • 07 (11) Indian Reservation - The Raiders
  • 08 (05) Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
  • 09 (09) I'll Meet You Halfway - The Partridge Family
  • 10 (07) Sweet and Innocent - Donny Osmond

The UK Number 1 album this week:
  • Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones