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

Stream This Week's New Hits:



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: October 7, 1972 Ft. 10cc

New at Number 17: 10cc

Presenting the UK Top 20 music chart for the week ending 7 October, 1972

David Cassidy was enjoying the second of his two weeks at the top of the UK music charts this week in October 1972 with his cover of The Young Rascals' 1967 US hit How Can I Be Sure? His reign was about to end thanks to Lieutenant Pigeon's novelty tune, Mouldy Old Dough which was making a measured climb up the Top 20.

Further down the chart four new entries climbed into the twenty, the highest coming courtesy of one of rock's greats, Elvis Presley. Other debuts were represented by acts that would become among the most successful and recognisable voices of the rock era: David Bowie, Rod Stewart (courtesy of a reissue) and art-rock group, 10cc.

Elsewhere, Peter Skellern continued his ascent of the Top 20, enjoying a rapid rise of twelve places to Number 6 with his debut hit, You're A Lady.

Read on...

Above image: By AVRO (Beeld En Geluid Wiki - Gallerie: Toppop 1974) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

David Cassidy at Number 1

The Chart: 

• 01 (01) David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure 
• 02 (02) T. Rex - Children of the Revolution 
• 03 (04) Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough 
• 04 (06) The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam 
• 05 (05) Donny Osmond - Too Young 
• 06 (18) Peter Skellern - You're a Lady 
• 07 (03) Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now 
• 08 (14) Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll) 
• 09 (07) Faron Young - It's Four in the Morning 
• 10 (09) Drifters - Come on Over to My Place 
• 11 (21) Elvis Presley - Burning Love
• 12 (17) Judge Dread - Big Six 
• 13 (08) Michael Jackson - Ain't No Sunshine 
• 14 (16) Dandy Livingstone - Suzanne Beware of the Devil 
• 15 (10) Roxy Music - Virginia Plain 
• 16 (12) Cliff Richard - Living in Harmony 
• 17 (25) 10cc - Donna 
• 18 (49) Python Lee Jackson - In a Broken Dream 
• 19 (20) Jr. Walker and the Allstars - Walk in the Night 
• 20 (23) David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing

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

Stream This Week's New Hits:


11: Elvis Presley: Burning Love

Elvis Presley returned to the UK Top 20 with what would become yet another Top 10 success. This time he dispensed with the recent ballads and returned to more of a rock feel with this latest release, Burning Love.

Written by Dennis Linde, the track was originally recorded by Arthur Alexander and released without much success. Although Elvis disliked the song, he was persuaded to lay down his own version and it has since become a Presley classic.

It would peak at Number 7 in Britain, but would prove to become the King's last Top 10 success in America, where it settled at Number 2 behind Chuck Berry's My Ding-A-Ling.

17: 10cc: Donna

Having recorded under various band guises, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman and Lol Creme joined forces in 1972 under the band name 10cc.

Donna was the group's first single and it began a string of UK hits throughout the 1970s, together with a collection of very well-regarded albums.

The track was written by Godley and Creme as a clever parody of doo wop songs from the 1950s and 1960s. Ingenious vocals and a great production would lift the song to Number 2 in the charts, only barred from the top by Lieutenant Pigeon's Mouldy Old Dough.

18: Python Lee Jackson: In A Broken Dream

Re-released to cash in on the huge popularity of Rod Stewart, Python Lee Jackson deservedly did the business the second time around as In A Broken Dream leapt more than thirty places to settle at this week's Number 18.

The track was originally issued in 1970 after the then little known Stewart was enlisted as a session singer to provide the lead vocals for this Australian band. At that time, the single did absolutely nothing and would probably have never seen the light of day again had it not been for Rod Stewart's involvement.

Whilst most of these type of reissues are best left buried, this little gem was most welcome and sold enough copies to take it to a peak of Number 3.

20: David Bowie: John, I'm Only Dancing

David Bowie followed-up Starman for his first back to back UK Top 20 hits with the controversial John, I'm Only Dancing.

Yet again showcasing glam rock at its finest, Bowie's track nevertheless proved contentious due to its lyrical content: often attributed to a gay relationship.

In fact, it was considered too racy for conservative  America, the singer's record label therefore declining to release it there, only surfacing four years later on a compilation album.

Never included on a conventional long player in the UK, Bowie nonetheless recorded the song twice more - the first in 1973 with a saxophone break and, in 1979, a more soul/funk-influenced version released as John, I'm Only Dancing (Again) which became a moderate UK hit. This 1972 release managed a peak position of Number 12.

The UK Number 1 album this week:

• Various Artists: 20 All Time Greats of the 50s

The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)