UK Music Chart: July 25, 1970

Number 8 : Neandethal Man : Hotlegs

Mungo Jerry were enjoying their seventh and final week as the UK's Number 1 song this week back in 1970. However, a king of the rock genre would soon be ascending to the top of the chart to reign over allcomers for the next six weeks. In the meantime, just two new songs managed to breach the Top 20; one just inside the chart, the other into the Top 10.

• 01 (01) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime 
• 02 (02) Free - All Right Now 
• 03 (13) Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You 
• 04 (04) The Kinks - Lola 
• 05 (03) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend 
• 06 (05) The Four Tops - It's All In The Game 
• 07 (10) Shirley Bassey - Something 
• 08 (21) Hotlegs - Neanderthal Man 
• 09 (11) Nicky Thomas - Love Of The Common People 
• 10 (07) The Beach Boys - Cottonfields 
• 11 (12) Cat Stevens - Lady D'Arbanville 
• 12 (09) Cliff Richard - Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha 
• 13 (06) Gerry Monroe - Sally 
• 14 (08) Mr Bloe - Groovin' With Mr Bloe 
• 15 (19) Jimmy Ruffin - I'll Say Forever My Love 
• 16 (14) Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe 
• 17 (16) Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) 
• 18 (17) Christie - Yellow River 
• 19 (15) Glen Campbell - Honey Come Back 
• 20 (28) Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red
Image: Neanderthal Man (7" single version) - Hotlegs

In reality, Hotlegs was three-quarters of the future 10cc. Written by Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and Eric Stewart, Neanderthal Man was the only hit by the short-lived band. It would plateau at Number 2 in the UK and enjoy Top 30 status in the United States. Recorded initially as an experimental track, it sold two million copies worldwide, but the group was unable to capitalise on its success. Two years would pass before the birth of 10cc and the rest, as they say, is history.

Much more successful in the UK as an albums artist, Joni Mitchell's first and only appearance in the UK Top 20 was with this classic, environmentally friendly track: Big Yellow Taxi. Included on her long player Ladies of the Canyon, the track was also a big hit in her native Canada. Australia loved it too, although the studio version stalled outside the Top 50 in the USA. It fared a little better there, when in 1975 a live version took it into the Billboard Top 30.

The Number 1 album this week:

The Number 1 Song in the USA:

(They Long To Be) Close To You - The Carpenters

Until next time...

UK Music Chart: July 18, 1970

Number 18 : Pickettywitch : (It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie

In the Summertime was at its sixth week at Number 1 this week in 1970, but other tracks were on Mungo Jerry's tail, most notably All Right Now, Lola and Elvis's latest, The Wonder of You. Meanwhile, three new singles entered the Top 20, each representing a style of music that was very much in vogue at the time.

• 01 (01) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime 
• 02 (02) Free - All Right Now 
• 03 (04) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend 
• 04 (16) The Kinks - Lola 
• 05 (05) The Four Tops - It's All In The Game 
• 06 (07) Gerry Monroe - Sally 
• 07 (06) The Beach Boys - Cottonfields 
• 08 (03) Mr Bloe - Groovin' With Mr Bloe 
• 09 (08) Cliff Richard - Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha 
• 10 (13) Shirley Bassey - Something 
• 11 (09) Nicky Thomas - Love Of The Common People 
• 12 (19) Cat Stevens - Lady D'Arbanville 
• 13 (20) Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You 
• 14 (12) Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe 
• 15 (14) Glen Campbell - Honey Come Back 
• 16 (10) Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) 
• 17 (15) Christie - Yellow River 
• 18 (27) Pickettywitch - (It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie 
• 19 (30) Jimmy Ruffin - I'll Say Forever My Love 
• 20 (24) Ten Years After - Love Like A Man

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold.
Image: That Same Old Feeling - The Complete Recordings (Pickettywitch)

Pickettywitch were back in the Top 20 at Number 18 with their second hit of the year, but (It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie would prove to be less successful. Peaking eventually at Number 16, it was part of a sales decline for the group, which would see chart action only one more time with their next release, Baby, I Won't Let You Down (Number 27).

Also enjoying his second hit of the year was Motown's Jimmy Ruffin, brother of The Temptations' David. I'll Say Forever My Love would prove even more successful than Farewell Is A Lonely Sound as it peaked at Number 7. We'd hear Jimmy's voice one more time later in the year when It's Wonderful (To Be Loved By You) would become another Top 10 hit.

More of an albums band, Ten Years After managed to break into the UK Singles Chart on just one occasion and it was this week that Love Like A Man made its debut in the Top 20. The single release was unique in that each side of the disc was to be played at different speeds. The studio version on the A-side was a normal 45 rpm, while the B-side was a live version of the same song. However, at almost eight minutes, it had to be played at 33 rpm.

The Number 1 album this week:

The Number 1 song in the USA:

Mama Told Me (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night

Until next time...

UK Music Chart: July 11, 1970

Number 16 : Lola : The Kinks

While Mungo Jerry continued to reign supreme over the British music chart this week in July 1970, there were three new arrivals to the Top 20, all of which would soon climb towards the upper echelons of the listing.

• 01 (01) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime 
• 02 (02) Free - All Right Now 
• 03 (03) Mr Bloe - Groovin' With Mr Bloe 
• 04 (09) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend 
• 05 (08) The Four Tops - It's All In The Game
• 06 (05) The Beach Boys - Cottonfields
• 07 (04) Gerry Monroe - Sally 
• 08 (06) Cliff Richard - Goodbye Sam Hello Samantha 
• 09 (15) Nicky Thomas - Love Of The Common People 
• 10 (10) Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) 
• 11 (13) Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin And John 
• 12 (12) Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe 
• 13 (16) Shirley Bassey - Something 
• 14 (11) Glen Campbell - Honey Come Back 
• 15 (07) Christie - Yellow River 
• 16 (22) The Kinks - Lola 
• 17 (17) Arrival - I Will Survive 
• 18 (14) Ray Stevens - Everything Is Beautiful 
• 19 (28) Cat Stevens - Lady D'Arbanville 
• 20 (---) Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red
Image: The Best of the Kinks: Lola

The highest new entry at Number 16 was a song that would cause some consternation at the BBC, strangely not because of what you might think, but instead due to a soft drink. With lyrics about a transvestite that you might think would get the Beeb in a flap, it was the mention of Coca-Cola that had Lola banned from airplay. Product placement was/is not permitted by the BBC, so the record was a no-go until writer Ray Davies changed the offending cola to cherry flavour. This allowed The Kinks to perform the song on such shows as Top of the Pops. It would eventually peak at Number 2 in the UK and Number 9 in the USA.

While The Kinks were having their own problems with Lola, Cat Stevens was entering the chart at Number 19 with his own tale of relationship woes. Lady D'Arbanville was written about his romance with girlfriend Patti D'Arbanville, a model who would be absent from his life for long periods of time as she pursued her career. Stevens composed the song during his break-up with her and she has since commented that "he wrote that because he missed me, because he was down... It's a sad song". The track would go on to peak at Number 8, but it made no impression in the States.

Meanwhile, Elvis was not hanging about as he crashed into the Top 20 at Number 20, on his first week on the chart. The Wonder of You was Presley's cover of a late Fifties song that was originally a minor international hit by Ray Peterson. It would turn out to be his sixteenth UK Number 1, remaining there for six weeks and becoming the biggest selling single of 1970.

Until next time...

UK Music Chart: July 4, 1970

Number 15 : Nicky Thomas : Love of the Common People

Mungo Jerry's run at the top of the British charts continued into July 1970, holding off all comers including the classic rock track from Free: All Right Now. This week would see three new entries to the Top 20, a combination that you would only see together on the UK singles chart.

• 01 (01) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime 
• 02 (03) Free - All Right Now 
• 03 (02) Mr Bloe - Groovin' With Mr Bloe 
• 04 (05) Gerry Monroe - Sally 
• 05 (06) The Beach Boys - Cottonfields 
• 06 (07) Cliff Richard - Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha 
• 07 (04) Christie - Yellow River 
• 08 (13) The Four Tops - It's All In The Game 
• 09 (18) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend 
• 10 (10) Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) 
• 11 (08) Glen Campbell - Honey Come Back 
• 12 (14) Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe 
• 13 (09) Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin And John 
• 14 (11) Ray Stevens - Everything Is Beautiful 
• 15 (21) Nicky Thomas - Love Of The Common People 
• 16 (32) Shirley Bassey - Something 
• 17 (16) Arrival - I Will Survive 
• 18 (12) The Supremes - Up The Ladder To The Roof 
• 19 (26) Guess Who - American Woman 
• 20 (17) The Moody Blues - Question

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red
Image: Nicky Thomas - Love of the Common People (Reggae Classic)

Pop reggae, as it became known, was at its peak during the early 1970s and here was one of the tracks that almost defined the genre and saw Trojan Records gather another foothold in the UK Top 10. Jamaican Nicky Thomas had been recording for several years, with most of his success coming in his homeland. This week's chart was witness to his one and only time reaching the British listing with a magnificent cover version of Love of the Common People. The song would reappear in the Eighties, when Paul Young took it to Number 2. Unfortunately, Nicky Thomas committed suicide in 1990 at the age of 41, but we are still able to enjoy past performances from him such as this one.

It had been seven years since Shirley Bassey's last UK Top 20 hit, but she made a memorable return this week in 1970 with her dramatic cover of The Beatles' song, Something. Written by George Harrison and included on the band's Abbey Road album, it was released as a double A-side (with Come Together) and peaked at Number 4. This Shirley Bassey version would emulate that peak position, staying on the chart for 22 weeks and becoming the fifth biggest selling single of the year.

An American and Canadian Number 1 a couple of months earlier, The Guess Who made their debut in the UK Top 20 this week in 1970. Backed with No Sugar Tonight, American Woman would prove to be the Canadian band's only British hit and this week's Number 19 would be its peak position. At the time, Randy Bachman had just left The Guess Who, but he would return to the UK chart a little later in the decade as a founder member of Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Until next time...