UK Music Chart: October 9, 1971 Featuring Mungo Jerry

Number 13: Mungo Jerry (Amazon)

This was the week that Rod Stewart climbed to the top of the charts in the UK with Maggie May, mirroring his contemporaneous achievement in the USA with the same song.

Not only was he at Number 1 in both country's singles charts, but at the same time he captured the top spot on their respective album charts with Every Picture Tells A Story. This was the first instance in chart history of this happening.

However, by this time, Mungo Jerry were British chart veterans by comparison, having seen their first three single releases jump into the Top 10. This week they were back with their new record, as a part of a quartet of songs debuting in the Top 20.  

Rod Stewart at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (02) Rod Stewart - Maggie May 
• 02 (01) The Tams - Hey Girl Don't Bother Me 
• 03 (03) Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood - Did You Ever? 
• 04 (04) Middle of the Road - Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum 
• 05 (08) James Taylor - You've Got a Friend 
• 06 (05) CCS - Tap Turns on the Water 
• 07 (10) Shirley Bassey - For All We Know 
• 08 (06) Marmalade - Cousin Norman 
• 09 (17) The Fortunes - Freedom Come, Freedom Go 
• 10 (09) Hot Chocolate - I Believe (In Love) 
• 11 (12) Jethro Tull - Life is a Long Song / Up the Pool 
• 12 (07) The Supremes - Nathan Jones 
• 13 (21) Mungo Jerry - You Don't Have to Be in the Army (to Fight in the War) 
• 14 (29) Redbone - The Witch Queen of New Orleans 
• 15 (11) Curved Air - Back Street Luv 
• 16 (13) Diana Ross - I'm Still Waiting 
• 17 (28) Titanic - Sultana 
• 18 (24) The Four Tops - Simple Game 
• 19 (18) Daniel Boone - Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast 
• 20 (14) The New Seekers - Never Ending Song of Love

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
 
13: Mungo Jerry: You Don't Have to Be in the Army

Mungo Jerry was on a roll at this point in the group's career. Their first three singles had entered the UK Top 10, the first two making it to Number 1.

As well as the previous disc (Lady Rose) hitting Number 5, the group had also been acknowledged as one of the best live bands in the world during this year. Lead singer Ray Dorset was also on the receiving end of a trio of Ivor Novello Awards for his songwriting and composing.

It was no surprise then that the band's fourth skiffle-based single, You Don't Have to Be in the Army (to Fight in the War), would jump into the Top 20. The only surprise was that it could climb no further than this week's Number 13.

14: Redbone: The Witch Queen of New Orleans

Redbone was one of the few, if not the only, Native American rock groups to feature in the UK music charts.

Whereas 1974's Come and Get Your Love was the band's biggest US hit, that song completely missed the British listing and instead the pounding rhythm of The Witch Queen of New Orleans is the track that UK record buyers will remember more readily.

It faltered at Number 21 in the States, but the disc was only denied a Number 1 placing here, for three straight weeks, by this week's new chart topper from Rod Stewart.

17: Titanic: Sultana

In a week when a Native American band entered the Top 20, another overseas group made its first and only appearance: the Norwegian progressive rockers, Titanic.

Equally unusual was that their record, Sultana, was an instrumental - a genre that often sold too few copies to worry the chart compilers.

It was very commercial though, and its regular coverage on stations like Radio Luxembourg no doubt helped lodge it in listeners' memories and push up its sales. It went on to eventually peak at Number 5.

Although Titanic continued to record throughout the 1970s, follow-up releases failed to capture the imagination of record buyers and the group have since been added to the list of UK One Hit Wonders.

18: The Four Tops: Simple Game

From two bands enjoying their one and only UK successes to one of Motown's finest vocal groups, The Four Tops, which was making one its regular visits to the UK Top 20. This time the quartet was back with one of its biggest British hits, a remake of The Moody Blues' Simple Game.

Originally included on the British group's album, In Search of the Lost Chord, The Moodies were more than happy for Levi Stubbs and co to cover the song. In fact, their producer - the late Tony Clarke - also produced The Four Tops version of the track, adding some heat to their already excellent performance.

This combined talent helped Simple Game to reach Number 3 in the United Kingdom, but it unfortunately failed to impress American record buyers, only peaking at Number 90 when released there in 1972.


The American Top 10 (w/e October 9, 1971)

• 01 (01) Maggie May / Reason to Believe - Rod Stewart
• 02 (02) Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond
• 03 (04) Superstar - The Carpenters
• 04 (03) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez
• 05 (09) Yo-Yo - The Osmonds
• 06 (10) Do You Know What I Mean? - Lee Michaels
• 07 (06) Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey - Paul & Linda McCartney
• 08 (05) Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
• 09 (12) If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder
• 10 (14) Sweet City Woman - The Stampeders

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story

UK Music Chart: June 5, 1971

Number  11: Tami Lynn

After nine weeks on the UK chart, Knock Three Times by Dawn had just completed its fourth week as the Number 1 song in the country.

Elsewhere, three 1970s classics entered the Top 20, led by soul singer, Tami Lynn.

The Chart:

• 01 (01) Dawn - Knock Three Times 
• 02 (03) R. Dean Taylor - Indiana Wants Me 
• 03 (06) The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You 
• 04 (04) Free - My Brother Jake 
• 05 (02) The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar 
• 06 (11) Neil Diamond - I Am...I Said 
• 07 (05) McGuinness Flint - Malt and Barley Blues 
• 08 (17) Tony Christie - I Did What I Did For Maria 
• 09 (16) Elvis Presley - Rags to Riches 
• 10 (07) East Of Eden - Jig-A-Jig 
• 11 (26) Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You 
• 12 (12) Waldo De Los Rios - Mozart Symphony No. 40 
• 13 (30) Mungo Jerry - Lady Rose 
• 14 (18) Perry Como - I Think of You 
• 15 (08) Ringo Starr - It Don't Come Easy 
• 16 (31) Blue Mink - The Banner Man 
• 17 (10) Dave and Ansel Collins - Double Barrel 
• 18 (15) Gerry Monroe - It's a Sin to Tell a Lie 
• 19 (20) Peter Noone - Oh! You Pretty Things 
• 20 (09) Séverine - Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
Image: Tami Lynn: Love is Here and Now You're Gone

11: Tami Lynn: I'm Gonna Run Away From You

Another artist to benefit from the Northern Soul club scene was American singer, Tami Lynn. Having recorded I'm Gonna Run Away From You in 1965, the song was shelved in the States but did manage a UK release. It flopped then and was largely forgotten until soul music aficionados began playing it in British dance halls and clubs. Its infectious beat and memorable melody led to regular radio play and, eventually, a peak position of Number 4 in the UK Top 20.

 

13: Mungo Jerry: Lady Rose

Having seen their previous two releases reach Number 1, Mungo Jerry was looking to become one of the few bands or singers to have their first three single releases top the UK chart. Unfortunately, it was not to be as Lady Rose stalled at Number 5 later during this month.

16: Blue Mink: The Banner Man

It's not often a pop record incorporates a brass band, but Blue Mink managed it back in 1971 with their latest hit, The Banner Man. With some lyrics and a vibe sounding as if they were borrowed from the Salvation Army, the song was very easy to like and exceptionally catchy. As a result, it peaked at Number 3, equalling the accomplishment of their introductory single, Melting Pot.

The American Top 10 (W/E June 5, 1971)

• 01 (01) Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones 
• 02 (02) Joy to the World - Three Dog Night 
• 03 (04) Want Ads - Honey Cone 
• 04 (05) It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr 
• 05 (11) Rainy Days and Mondays - The Carpenters 
• 06 (07) Bridge Over Troubled Water - Aretha Franklin 
• 07 (08) Sweet and Innocent - Donny Osmond 
• 08 (03) Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson Five 
• 09 (21) It's Too Late - Carole King 
• 10 (09) Me and You and a Dog Named Boo - Lobo

The Number 1 album this week:
Ram - Paul & Linda McCartney

UK Music Chart: March 6, 1971

 

Paul McCartney 

Buy This at Allposters.com

All change at the top of the UK Top 20 this week as George Harrison finally relinquished the Number 1 position in favour of the latest 45 from Mungo Jerry: Baby Jump.

That track was among only four that climbed within the Top 20, but another four made their debuts into the listing this week. Probably the most significant among them was a future Number 1 from T.Rex and the first solo single from Paul McCartney.

The Chart:

• 01 (07) Mungo Jerry - Baby Jump 
• 02 (01) George Harrison - My Sweet Lord 
• 03 (02) The Mixtures - Pushbike Song 
• 04 (24) Paul McCartney - Another Day 
• 05 (04) Perry Como - It's Impossible 
• 06 (03) Ashton, Gardner And Dyke - Resurrection Shuffle 
• 07 (06) Judy Collins - Amazing Grace 
• 08 (05) The Supremes - Stoned Love 
• 09 (11) Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline 
• 10 (23) Lynn Anderson - Rose Garden 
• 11 (15) Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Forget Me Not 
• 12 (22) Atomic Rooster - Tomorrow Night 
• 13 (08) Elton John - Your Song 
• 14 (14) Jackie Lee - Rupert 
• 15 (13) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - (Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need 
• 16 (10) Badfinger - No Matter What 
• 17 (31) T. Rex - Hot Love 
• 18 (12) Clive Dunn - Grandad 
• 19 (20) Chairmen of the Board - Everything's Tuesday 
• 20 (09) Dawn - Candida

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

4: Paul McCartney: Another Day

With Paul McCartney jumping twenty places to Number 4, there were now two ex-Beatles occupying places in the Top 5. Like George Harrison's My Sweet Lord, this was McCartney's first release as a solo artist. Another Day is probably one of my favourite of McCartney's post Beatles songs. A big fan of Eleanor Rigby, this is reminiscent of that classic tune: using the sadness and drudgery of everyday life to paint a picture of despair. Linda was probably at her most useful on this one too.

 

10: Lynn Anderson: Rose Garden

I'm not much of a country music fan. In fact, I really don't like it at all. However, there's always an exception to the rule and this is one of them. Lynn Anderson's Rose Garden is touted as a country song but, to me, the arrangement is much more pop than it is Nashville. Perhaps this is the reason why it was so successful. Already a Top 3 hit in the States, the track was about to repeat the feat in the UK, as well as top the charts in several countries around the world. While Anderson continued to appear on the Country charts in the States, she was not able to follow up this song either on the US or UK pop charts.

12: Atomic Rooster: Tomorrow Night

Progressive rock band Atomic Rooster is probably one of those groups that turns up occasionally in a pub quiz, but little else is heard of them. Possibly not surprising as their most successfully commercial period was during this year. Both Death Walks Behind You and In Hearing of Atomic Rooster peaked in the Top 20 on the UK Album Chart during 1971, as did two singles, the first of which was this one, Tomorrow Night.

  

17: T.Rex: Hot Love

A quick follow-up to Ride A White Swan - which was still within the Top 40 at this point - was this T.Rex classic, Hot Love. With this song, Marc Bolan had found the formula that would turn him into a rock superstar in the UK. The addition of some glitter under his eyes for his Top of the Pops rendition created a totally new genre in pop music: glam rock. Many bands followed the trend, but it can be safely said that Bolan was its king. Hot Love would soon climb to Number 1 and, by the end of the year, rank as the fifth best selling song of 1971.

The American Top 10 (W/E March 6, 1971)

• 01 (01) One Bad Apple - The Osmonds 
• 02 (02) Mama's Pearl - The Jackson Five 
• 03 (10) Me & Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin 
• 04 (16) Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations 
• 05 (05) If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot 
• 06 (17) She's A Lady - Tom Jones 
• 07 (12) For All We Know - The Carpenters 
• 08 (08) Amos Moses - Jerry Reed 
• 09 (09) Mr. Bojangles - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 
• 10 (07) Sweet Mary - Wadsworth Mansion

The Number 1 album this week:

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

UK Music Chart: February 20, 1971

Number 14: Mungo Jerry

George Harrison's My Sweet Lord had now clocked up four weeks as the UK Number 1 song this week in 1971.

The track that would replace it had just entered the Top 20 as one of three new entries into the listing. However, it would be a couple more weeks before Mungo Jerry would claim the top spot as their own.

The Chart:

• 01 (01) George Harrison - My Sweet Lord 
• 02 (02) The Mixtures - Pushbike Song 
• 03 (04) Ashton, Gardner And Dyke - Resurrection Shuffle 
• 04 (03) The Supremes - Stoned Love 
• 05 (05) Judy Collins - Amazing Grace 
• 06 (06) Badfinger - No Matter What 
• 07 (13) Perry Como - It's Impossible 
• 08 (07) Elton John - Your Song 
• 09 (09) Clive Dunn - Grandad 
• 10 (10) Dawn - Candida 
• 11 (08) The Kinks - Apeman 
• 12 (14) T. Rex - Ride A White Swan 
• 13 (15) Tom Jones - She's A Lady 
• 14 (RE) Mungo Jerry - Baby Jump 
• 15 (12) Frankie Valli - You're Ready Now 
• 16 (16) Jackie Lee - Rupert 
• 17 (24) Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - (Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need 
• 18 (18) Elvis Presley - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me 
• 19 (22) Cliff Richard - Sunny Honey Girl 
• 20 (25) Glen Campbell - It's Only Make Believe (RE)

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold
Image: Baby Jump: Mungo Jerry, The Definitive Collection
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14: Mungo Jerry: Baby Jump

Mungo Jerry had just had one of the biggest hits of 1970 with In the Summertime and, this week, the band was set to repeat the feat. Two weeks previously Baby Jump had entered the charts at Number 32 but, because of a the shortage of sales data due to a national postal strike, the song had fallen off the listing. Nevertheless, the track leapt back into the chart at Number 14 this week, heading towards Number 1.

   

17: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: (Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need

The success of Tears of A Clown meant that this Miracles' song, which had not charted well on its original release in the UK in 1966, had now earned a re-release. In the US, (Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need had been a Top Twenty hit, but had struggled to Number 45 on this side of the pond. This time around, it did much better, peaking at Number 13.

19: Cliff Richard: Sunny Honey Girl

Peaking at this week's Number 19 was Cliff Richard's second Top 20 song of the decade, Sunny Honey Girl. Compared to his 1960s output, this was quite a lean period for major hit records for the singer. It wouldn't be until his Eurovision entry in 1973 that he would land inside the Top 10 once again. Given the standard of songs such as this one, it's not surprising he had to wait a while.

The American Top 10 (W/E February 20, 1971)

• 01 (01) One Bad Apple - The Osmonds 
• 02 (02) Knock Three Times - Dawn 
• 03 (03) Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson 
• 04 (04) I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edmunds 
• 05 (11) If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot 
• 06 (10) Mama's Pearl - The Jackson 5 
• 07 (07) Groove Me - King Floyd 
• 08 (15) Sweet Mary - Wadsworth Mansion 
• 09 (14) Mr. Bojangles - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 
• 10 (05) Lonely Days - The Bee Gees

The Number 1 album this week:

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

UK Music Chart: June 6, 1970

Number 13 : Mungo Jerry : In the Summertime

In its sixth week on the UK charts, Christie's Yellow River wins the battle to become the nation's new Number 1. However, it would not last for long, as a classic pop song was about to get a grip on the top spot over the the summer period.

• 01 (03) Christie - Yellow River 
• 02 (01) The England World Cup Squad - Back Home 
• 03 (02) The Moody Blues - Question 
• 04 (05) Glen Campbell - Honey Come Back 
• 05 (09) Tom Jones - Daughter Of Darkness 
• 06 (12) Ray Stevens - Everything Is Beautiful 
• 07 (13) Mr Bloe - Groovin' With Mr Bloe 
• 08 (11) The Jackson Five - ABC 
• 09 (04) Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky 
• 10 (06) The Supremes - Up The Ladder To The Roof 
• 11 (08) Roger Whittaker - I Don't Believe In 'If' Anymore 
• 12 (14) The Beach Boys - Cottonfields 
• 13 (**) Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime 
• 14 (20) Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin And John 
• 15 (10) The Move - Brontosaurus 
• 16 (07) Frijid Pink - House Of The Rising Sun 
• 17 (18) Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) 
• 18 (19) Butterscotch - Don't You Know (She Said Hello) 
• 19 (17) White Plains - I've Got You On My Mind 
• 20 (23) Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken

*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red
Image: Mungo Jerry - The Dawn Singles Collection

As Rufus Thomas danced his way back into the Top 20, Mungo Jerry motored their way to the Number 13 spot in their first week on the chart. A spectacular debut for what has now become one of the classic, feelgood summer songs of all time.

As with many songs that capture the public imagination, In the Summertime was written very quickly by its composer, Ray Dorset. At the time, he was working in a watch factory and created the melody within a few minutes. Adding the lyrics the next day, it was not long before the BBC was contacting him to appear on its music show, Top of the Pops.

These TV appearances and regular radio airplay catapulted the track to Number 1, where it would remain for a total of seven weeks. It repeated this feat across Europe, Australia, South Africa and Canada, while it peaked at Number 3 in the United States.

In the intervening years, it has gone on to sell in the region of 30 million units, making it one of the biggest selling singles of all time. Playing at 33⅓ rpms, it was also one of the earliest available maxi singles, including Mighty Man on its A-Side and Dust Pneumonia Blues on the flip side.

Until next time...