UK Top 20: November 4, 1972 Ft. The Shangri-Las

Number 6: The Shangri-Las

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 4 November, 1972

Lieutenant Pigeon's Mouldy Old Dough continued its run as the UK's Number 1 song this week in November 1972, but it would prove to be its fourth and final week at the top.

Elsewhere, you would be forgiven for thinking that you had stumbled on a chart from the 1960s as two re-releases from that decade made their return to the UK Top 20. Both Chris Montez and The Shangri-Las made impressive moves up the chart, replacing hits from The O'Jays and T. Rex.

Read on...

Lieutenant Pigeon at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 02 (05) Gilbert O'Sullivan - Clair 
• 03 (02) 10cc - Donna 
• 04 (03) Python Lee Jackson - In A Broken Dream 
• 05 (04) Alice Cooper - Elected 
• 06 (21) The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack 
• 07 (20) Shag - Loop Di Love 
• 08 (07) Peter Skellern - You're A Lady 
• 09 (08) Elvis Presley - Burning Love 
• 10 (09) Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers 
• 11 (11) The Carpenters - Goodbye to Love 
• 12 (06) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 13 (18) Junior Campbell - Hallelujah Freedom 
• 14 (19) Family - Burlesque 
• 15 (15) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 16 (13) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing 
• 17 (10) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 18 (12) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 19 (28) Chris Montez - Let's Dance 
• 20 (16) Bread - The Guitar Man 

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

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06: The Shangri-Las: Leader of the Pack

A US Number 1 in 1964, Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las entered the UK chart for the first time in early 1965.

Despite an airplay ban by the BBC - possibly due to its morbid lyrical content - the single managed to peak at Number 11 in mid-February.

More than seven years later, the song now returned to the British charts (released on the Kama Sutra label) and - with no ban - rose to a high of Number 3.

This wouldn't be the last time the single found success in the UK. It would once again reach the Top 10 in 1976 when re-released on two separate record labels.

19: Chris Montez: Let's Dance

Almost ten years to the day, Chris Montez was back in the British charts with a re-release of his first major hit, Let's Dance.

Originally peaking at Number 2 - staying there for four consecutive weeks - the single was also a major success in the United States where it made it to Number 4.

This 1972 reissue also proved popular across Europe - especially in Germany - where it was also highly popular the second time around.



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: October 28, 1972 Ft. Bread

New at Number 16: Bread with The Guitar Man

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 28 October, 1972

Three singles were lining up behind Lieutenant Pigeon's Mouldy Old Dough as the disc enjoyed its third week at Number 1. One of those leaping into this week's Top 5 would eventually reach the top, but it would have to wait a couple of weeks before doing so.

Gilbert O'Sullivan was the biggest climber within the listing while Donny Osmond, The Drifters and Dandy Livingstone had fallen out of the Top 20 to be replaced by the latest hits from Bread, Junior Campbell and Jonathan King (recording under the pseudonym Shag).

Read on...

Lieutenant Pigeon at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 02 (02) 10cc - Donna 
• 03 (06) Python Lee Jackson - In A Broken Dream 
• 04 (09) Alice Cooper - Elected 
• 05 (15) Gilbert O'Sullivan - Clair 
• 06 (05) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 07 (03) Peter Skellern - You're A Lady 
• 08 (07) Elvis Presley - Burning Love 
• 09 (12) Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers 
• 10 (08) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 11 (18) The Carpenters - Goodbye to Love 
• 12 (04) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 13 (13) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing 
• 14 (20) The O'Jays - Back Stabbers 
• 15 (11) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 16 (22) Bread - The Guitar Man
• 17 (10) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 18 (24) Junior Campbell - Hallelujah Freedom 
• 19 (19) Family - Burlesque 
• 20 (26) Shag - Loop Di Love
*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold

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16: Bread: The Guitar Man


The Guitar Man represented the third and last occasion that American soft rock band Bread would reach the British Top 20.

Many of their biggest US hits had failed to make the upper echelons of the UK chart; several of them recorded by other artists and faring better in their cover versions.

In terms of numbers, this single was the lowest performing of Bread's British triumvirate of Top 20 entries, peaking at this week's Number 16. 

In the US, it hit Number 1 on Billboard's Easy Listening Chart and fared very nicely in the pop chart, rising to Number 11.

18: Junior Campbell: Hallelujah Freedom


Junior Campbell was a founding member of the successful British band Marmalade but he decided to quit the group in the spring of 1971.

Having done so, he pursued a solo career releasing several self-penned singles throughout the 1970s. Two of them made the UK chart listing and this was the first, Hallelujah Freedom.

Richly soulful with more than just a tinge of gospel, it featured the likes of legendary RnB singer Doris Troy on backing vocals.

Of his pair of hits, this one would go Top 10, eventually peaking at Number 10.

20: Shag: Loop Di Love


Shag was yet another guise for Jonathan King and his recording of Loop Di Love was a cover of a successful European schlager recording originally released by German singer, J. Bastós (aka Rolf Steitz).

The single became one of King's most successful and one of the first to become a hit on his own UK label. His version would reach No.4 on the chart.




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: October 21, 1972 Ft. The Carpenters

New at Number 18: The Carpenters

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 21 October, 1972

Mouldy Old Dough, Lieutenant Pigeon's novelty hit, continued its reign at Number 1 for a second week blocking records such as 10cc's debut hit Donna from hitting the top spot.

Elsewhere, three new tracks entered the Top 20 - songs by artists who had already enjoyed chart success up until this point. Gilbert O'Sullivan's Clair was making its debut on the chart and would, in time, climb to the summit of the chart.

The Carpenters' return marked the beginning of a series of major hits in the UK, while Burlesque became the swansong on the Singles Chart for predominantly album rockers, Family.

Read on...

Lieutenant Pigeon at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 02 (10) 10cc - Donna 
• 03 (03) Peter Skellern - You're a Lady 
• 04 (02) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 05 (04) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 06 (09) Python Lee Jackson - In a Broken Dream 
• 07 (08) Elvis Presley - Burning Love 
• 08 (06) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 09 (17) Alice Cooper - Elected 
• 10 (05) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 11 (11) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 12 (19) Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers 
• 13 (12) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing 
• 14 (07) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 15 (---) Gilbert O'Sullivan - Clair 
• 16 (14) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 17 (15) The Drifters - Come on Over to My Place 
• 18 (22) The Carpenters - Goodbye to Love 
• 19 (23) Family - Burlesque 
• 20 (18) The O'Jays - Back Stabbers

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

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15: Gilbert O'Sullivan: Clair

Gilbert O'Sullivan followed up his his fifth UK Top 20 hit with his first British Number 1, the somewhat cloying Clair.

Written about his manager's (then) three-year-old daughter, the lyrics to the song are initially ambiguous, leading the listener to believe the track is a love song from one adult to another.

The record would soon become one of O'Sullivan's most successful. It would go on to reside at Number 1 for two weeks in November, while becoming his second chart topper in Ireland.

America loved it, too. Clair peaked at Number 2 Stateside, blocked from the top by both Carly Simon's You're So Vain and Billy Paul's Me and Mrs. Jones.

18: The Carpenters: Goodbye to Love

Up until this point The Carpenters' chart performance in the UK had not been quite as spectacular as in their home country.

Goodbye to Love would go some way in amending that position, entering the Top 20 this week at Number 18 and eventually clawing its way to a peak of Number 9.

Originally released as the B-Side to I Won't Last a Day Without You, the record was flipped shortly after release and became only the duo's second Top 10 hit - but perhaps the first true power ballad to hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

It also includes a wonderful guitar solo by Tony Peluso.

19: Family: Burlesque

Taken from the group's album Bandstand, Burlesque returned Family to the UK Top 20 Singles for the very last time for a few weeks in 1972.

The track is, to some extent, a suggestive rocker about a bar in the band's hometown of Leicester, England and contains some thoroughly satisfying hooks - not always particularly evident in Family's body of work up to this point.

The band would split around 12 months after this record appeared on the chart (peak No. 13).


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: October 14, 1972 Ft. Alice Cooper

New at Number 17: Alice Cooper

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 14 October, 1972

Lieutenant Pigeon's novelty tune, Mouldy Old Dough, which had been threatening the Number 1 position finally made the all-conquering leap to the top of the UK charts this week in 1972.

Elsewhere, three new entries came courtesy of two acts which were following up massively successful 1972 singles - namely Alice Cooper and Johnny Nash. In addition, American soul group The O'Jays arrived on the British listing for the first time.

Several big hitting artists of the Seventies were making a big leap up the charts as well, with singles from 10cc, David Bowie and Python Lee Jackson (among others) making impressive moves up the Top 20.

Read on...

Above image: By Hunter Desportes [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Lieutenant Pigeon at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (03) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 02 (01) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 03 (06) Peter Skellern - You're A Lady 
• 04 (08) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 05 (02) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 06 (04) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 07 (05) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 08 (11) Elvis Presley - Burning Love 
• 09 (18) Python Lee Jackson - In A Broken Dream 
• 10 (17) 10cc - Donna 
• 11 (12) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 12 (20) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing 
• 13 (09) Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 14 (14) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 15 (10) The Drifters - Come on Over to My Place 
• 16 (07) Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now 
• 17 (34) Alice Cooper - Elected
• 18 (22) The O'Jays - Back Stabbers 
• 19 (26) Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers
• 20 (19) Junior Walker and the Allstars - Walk in the Night

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

Stream This Week's New Hits:



17: Alice Cooper: Elected

Alice Cooper followed up his recent UK Number 1 hit School's Out with another British Top 10 hit; Elected becoming the first single release from the group's transatlantic chart topping album, Billion Dollar Babies.

The track was a rewrite of an earlier song, the 1969 offering Reflected and also profited from its own video - one of the earliest to accompany a single release.

It reached a peak of Number 4 in the UK, but could only manage to reach Number 25 in the States.


18: The O'Jays: Back Stabbers

Formed in the late 1950s, soul vocal goup The O'Jays had been trying to secure a Pop 40 hit throughout the Sixties, but it was not until 1972 when the trio's fortunes changed.

Thinking of quitting the music business, The O'Jays met up with the production and songwriting team of Gamble and Huff with whom they recorded several moderately successful R&B tracks.

However, it was not until G & H formed the label Philadelphia International - to which The O'Jays signed - that major hits began to accumulate.

Back Stabbers was the first and featured the group's now-trademark harmonies backed by intricate arrangements, sumptuous strings together with a smattering of contemporary funk.

It became a Number 3 hit in America while only managing a number 14 peak in the UK.

19: Johnny Nash: There Are More Questions Than Answers

1972 had been a great year for Johnny Nash on both sides of the Atlantic with his previous single I Can See Clearly Now going Top 5 in the UK and all the way to the top in America.

His follow-up in Britain was another self-penned song with the thought provoking title There Are More Questions Than Answers.

Included on the I Can See Clearly Now album, the single completely missed the charts in the States, but climbed into the Top 10 in the UK and peaked at Number 9.


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: September 23, 1972 Ft. The Drifters

Up to Number 10: The Drifters

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 23 September, 1972

Slade were enjoying a third (and final) week at the summit of the UK Chart this week in 1972, while nearly a third of the places below them were occupied by records making their debut in the Top 20.

As predicted last week, the Top 3 were now in a tussle to grab the Number 1 position, but could any of the six new entries claim to be pretenders to the crown? A couple of them would come close, but it was the single at this week's anchor position that would surprise many by making a successful dash to the summit and stay there for a month.

But who are we talking about?

Read on...

(Above image by Allan Warren (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons)

Slade at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now 
• 02 (14) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 03 (10) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 04 (02) Rod Stewart - You Wear It Well 
• 05 (05) Lynsey De Paul - Sugar Me 
• 06 (03) Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 07 (04) Roxy Music - Virginia Plain 
• 08 (08) Michael Jackson - Ain't No Sunshine 
• 09 (22) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 10 (20) The Drifters - Come On Over to My Place 
• 11 (06) Blackfoot Sue - Standing in the Road 
• 12 (12) Cliff Richard - Living In Harmony 
• 13 (09) Jackie Wilson - I Get the Sweetest Feeling 
• 14 (07) Mott The Hoople - All the Young Dudes 
• 15 (25) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 16 (21) Jr. Walker and the All Stars - Walk in the Night 
• 17 (23) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 18 (28) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 19 (13) Hawkwind - Silver Machine 
• 20 (38) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough

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

Stream This Week's New Hits:



09: Donny Osmond: Too Young

Following on from his UK Number 1 hit Puppy Love, Donny Osmond had now established himself as one of a few popular heartthrobs of the early 1970s, thus allowing him impressive Singles Chart figures.

He was back this week with one of the biggest movers on the listing, albeit another cover of an already classic song: Nat King Cole's Too Young from 1951.

Osmond's version would go on to peak at Number 5 in the UK, while in both the USA and Australia the single's highest placing would be the Number 13 spot.

15: The Sweet: Wig-Wam Bam

The Sweet were now on a roll of hits and Wig-Wam Bam represented the band's sixth UK chart entry and would soon become their third Top 10 success.

Again composed by the songwriting team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, it was the group's first true glam rock single and the first on which the band played their own instruments, giving the track a completely different sound.

It would go on to peak at Number 4 in the UK and would also enjoy great success across Europe, reaching the top of the charts in both Germany and Denmark and the Top 10 elsewhere.

16: Jr. Walker and the All Stars: Walk in the Night

It had been three years since Motown legend Jr. Walker had enjoyed a British chart entry with What Does It Take (To Win Your Love).

He was now back with another superb instrumental, enhanced by his excellent saxophone and deserving of a better peak position than this week's Number 16.

Walk in the Night was lifted from Walker's album Moody Jr. and ultimately performed better on the UK charts than it did at home - although it managed a Number 10 peak position on the US R&B chart.

17: Judge Dread: Big Six

The first appearance of Judge Dread (nee Alexander Hughes) on the British chart was courtesy of this innuendo-laced nursery rhyme performed over a rocksteady rhythm and reggae beat.

Big Six was also the first of eleven singles which, not surprisingly, was banned from airplay by the BBC because of its suggestive sexual content.

Probably because of this, the single hung around on the chart for an impressive six months, managing to peak at Number 11 for a couple of weeks.

Dread would return to the Top 30 over the next four years with more of his reggae-backed lewd versions of nursery rhymes, much to the pleasure of his many fans.

18: Dandy Livingstone: Suzanne Beware of the Devil

More reggae featured at Number 18, but this time from the somewhat more authentic sound of British-Jamaican musician and producer, Dandy Livingstone.

He had released numerous singles under various names but, up until this point, none had figured on the UK Singles Chart.

Before Suzanne Beware of the Devil, his most recognisable recording was probably Rudy, A Message to You which was later successfully covered by The Specials under the slightly amended title A Message to You, Rudy.

However, Suzanne was his only sojourn into the British Top 20 as a recording artist, although the follow-up Big City/Think About That deserved better than its eventual Number 26 placing.

20: Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough

The UK's proclivity for embracing odd novelty acts was, quite possibly, no more apparent than when this single surprisingly started storming up the listing.

Not easy to categorise, Lieutenant Pigeon's Mouldy Old Dough was largely an instrumental track dominated by a marching beat and the unmistakable sound of a pub piano. Played by Hilda Woodward, mother of band member Rob Woodward, it's the piano which defines the track, along with the minimal lyrics: the deep growling of the song's title.

The single had already enjoyed great success in Belgium as a result of its use on a currents affairs TV show and, although the track had previously flopped on its initial UK release, the record company felt a re-release could take off. Helped by extensive radio play, Mouldy Old Dough did just that.

Its eighteen place leap this week was just a mere stepping stone on its way to Number 1, where it would stay for four weeks, eventually becoming the second bestselling single of 1972.

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Rod Stewart: Never A Dull Moment

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)