This is what I was listening to exactly 35 years ago this week, when I looked like this photo, preparing to go off to College in Lincoln, away from home student digs…great times!
UK TV is currently showing music TV from this period, hooray! “Top Of The Pops”. Appropriately at No.1 is the record that changed pop music forever, the sound of the future, this record came suddenly onto the radio and I went “Woah!” Sounding like nothing before it, and 35 years of dance music since, “I Feel Love” was an instant number One in my chart, a perfect pop moment that still sounds fresh. The Rock N Roll Hall Of fame should hang its head in shame, incapable of seeing innovative music for what it is, preferring bland rock acts much of the time…
AUG 16TH 1977
1. (1) I FEEL LOVE – Donna Summer
2. (5) THE CRUNCH – The Rah Band
3. (6) DREAMS – Fleetwood Mac
4. (3) ROADRUNNER ONCE – Jonathon Richman
5. (2) SLOWDOWN – John Miles
6. (4) FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
7. (7) IT’S YOUR LIFE – Smokie
8. (12)FLOAT ON – The Floaters
9. (11)TWIST AND SHOUT – The Beatles
10. (8) ANGELO – Brotherhood Of Man
11. (10) FEEL THE NEED – The Detroit Emeralds
12. (20) NOBODY DOES IT BETTER – Carly Simon
13. (26) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR – Deniece Williams
14. (19) NIGHTS ON BROADWAY – Candi Staton
15. (21) WILL YOU BE MY LOVER – Maxine Nightingale
16. (14) SO YOU WIN AGAIN – Hot Chocolate
17. (15) OH LORI – Alessi
18. (16) MA BAKER – Boney M
19. (9) WE’RE ALL ALONE – Rita Coolidge
20. (40) DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT – Thin Lizzy
21. (24) EXODUS – Bob Marley & The Wailers
22. (22) LONG DISTANCE LOVE – Helen Reddy
23. (–) SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE – The Stranglers
24. (17) BABY DON’T CHANGE YOUR MIND – Gladys Knight & The Pips
25. (–) YOU TAKE MY HEART AWAY – Bill Conti
26. (49) SPANISH STROLL – Mink De Ville
27. (13) ONE STEP AWAY – Tavares
28. (23) EASY – The Commodores
29. (46) ALL AROUND THE WORTLD – The Jam
30. (45) TULANE – Steve Gibbons Band
31. (18) YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES – Showaddywaddy
32. (32) DANCIN’ EASY – Danny Williams
33. (44) A DIFFERENT DRUM – Linda Ronstadt/Stone Ponies
34. (36) LIFE IN THE FAST LANE – The Eagles
35. (25) A LITTLE BOOGIE WOOGIE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND – Gary Glitter
36. (29) SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO – The Jacksons
37. (38) YOUR SONG – Billy Paul
38. (43) CAN’T GET YOU OUTA MY MIND – Yvonne Elliman
39. (28) ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU – Harry Nilsson
40. (41) STRAIGHTEN OUT – The Stranglers
two 60’s tracks in amongst these, a bit of punk, west coast rock, disco, MOR, pop, 50’s rocknroll revival, reggae, progrock, garage rock, and soul. Not sure it’s as varied as that in genre terms these days….
Of course, Elvis died on the week listed above, but it took two weeks for the chart invasion of his records to be listed, and so 3 weeks later before it registered on my charts – I was actually gutted when Elvis died, he had always been there for all of my life, films records etc. Not nearly as upset, though, as when Marc Bolan died later in the month. Anyway, I only allowed oldies that charted in my chart, so that’s the chartweek of …
SEPT 6TH 1977
1. (3) MAGIC FLY – Space
2. (1) THE CRUNCH – The Rah Band
3. (2) WAY DOWN – Elvis Presley
4. (6) DOWN DEEP INSIDE – Donna Summer
5. (4) I FEEL LOVE – Donna Summer
6. (8) SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN – Elkie Brooks
7. (12) OXYGENE PART IV – Jean-Michel jarre
8. (–) THE WONDER OF YOU – Elvis Presley
9. (5) DREAMS – Fleetwood Mac
10. (19) DO ANYTHING YOU WANNA DO – The Rods
11. (9) SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE – The Stranglers
12. (7) FLOAT ON – The Floaters
13. (–) IT’S NOW OR NEVER – Elvis Presley
14. (20) TELEPHONE MAN – Meri Wilson
15. (21) TULANE – Steve Gibbons Band
16. (24) ANOTHER STAR – Stevie Wonder
17. (33) I CAN’T GET YOU OUTA MY MIND – Yvonne Elliman
18. (26) THINK I’M GONNA FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU – The Dooleys
19. (30) SILVER LADY – David Soul
20. (16) ANGELO – Brotherhood Of man
21. (11) ROADRUNNER – Jonathan Richman
22. (10) THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR – Deniece Williams
23. (29) DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT – Thin Lizzy
24. (15) NOBODY DOES IT BETTER – Carly Simon
25. (14) CELEBRATE SUMMER – T.Rex
26. (18) FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN – Emerson lake & Palmer
27. (23) SLOWDOWN – John Miles
28. (–) RETURN TO SENDER – Elvis Presley
29. (–) WOODEN HEART – Elvis Presley
30. (41) DREAMER – The Jacksons
31. (17) IT’S YOUR LIFE – Smokie
32. (13) NIGHTS ON BROADWAY – Candi Staton
33. (–) HEARTBREAK HOTEL – Elvis Presley
34. (34) SPANISH STROLL – Mink Deville
35. (28) FEEL THE NEED – Detroit Emeralds
36. (25) DIFFERENT DRUM – Linda Ronstadt/Stone Ponies
37. (32) ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU – Harry Nilsson
38. (43) BLACK BETTY – Ram Jam
39. (48) DOWN THE HALL – The Four Seasons
40. (22) WILL YOU BE MY LOVER – Maxine Nightingale
41. (27) YOU TAKE MY HEART AWAY – Deetta Little/ Nelson Pigford
42. (–) JAILHOUSE ROCK – Elvis Presley
43. (–) CRYING IN THE CHAPEL – Elvis Presley
44. (35) MA BAKER – Boney M
45. (36) SO YOU WIN AGAIN – Hot Chocolate
46. (–) ARE YOU DANCING – Hudson-Ford
47. (47) HARD ROCK CAFE – Carole King
48. (–) ALL SHOOK UP – Elvis Presley
49. (–) ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT – Elvis Presley
50. (38) IF I HAVE TO GO AWAY – Jigsaw
So, 4 instrumentals, all very different, punk, rock, bubblegum, soul, 2 disco classics from Donna Summer and ten Elvis hits, a record in my chart at that time.
That shoved a lot of records that would otherwise have gone up, out of the chart, such as Alice Cooper. Ahhh.
OK, it’s been a while since I posted a 35-years-ago chart. Me, I was at College, first year Lincoln and enjoying student life and Art in particular, and I remember sitting through hours of Saturday morning kids TV waiting for the promised airing of the Abba video (to the annoyance of housemates). Top Of The Pops 1977 seems to have caught up, so here’s my chart exactly as rated for:
November 22nd 1977:
- (2) THE NAME OF THE GAME – Abba
- (1) VIRGINIA PLAIN/PYJAMARAMA – Roxy Music
- (4) TURN TO STONE – E.L.O.
- (5) CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT – Carpenters
- (3) STAR WARS – Meco
- (13) HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE – Bee Gees
- (7) LOVE HURTS – Nazereth
- (10) WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS – Queen
- (14) DANCIN’ PARTY – Showaddywaddy
- (16) ROCKIN’ ALL OVER THE WORLD – Status Quo
- (8) YES SIR I CAN BOOGIE – Baccara
- (6) 2-4-6-8 MOTORWAY – Tom Robinson Band
- (11) FROM HERE TO ETERNITY – Giorgio
- (12) BLACK BETTY – Ram Jam
- (25) GOING PLACES – Jacksons
- (9) SHE’S NOT THERE – Santana
- (18) HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN – Sex Pistols
- (29) DADDY COOL – Darts
- (17) BLACK IS BLACK – la Belle Epoque
- (15) NEEDLES AND PINS – Smokie
- (46) IT’S A HEARTACHE – Bonnie Tyler
- (26) BELFAST – Boney M
- (19) HEROES – David Bowie
- (–) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELING – Righteous Brothers
- (20) YOU’RE IN MY HEART – Rod Stewart
- (–) MULL OF KINTYRE – Wings
- (35) GEORGINA BAILEY – Noosha Fox
- (28) WONDROUS STORIES – Yes
- (24) WAY DOWN – Elvis Presley
- (23) MAGIC FLY – Space
- (30) CAPTAIN KREMMEN – Kenny Everett
- (32) I BELIEVE YOU – Dorothy Moore
- (45) I WILL – Ruby Winters
- (22) MY BABY LEFT ME/ THAT’S ALRIGHT MAMA – Slade
- (21) LOVE BUG – Tina Charles
- (27) ANGEL OF THE MORNING – Mary Mason
- (34) I CAN’T GET YOU OUTA MY MIND – Yvonne Elliman
- (33) YOU MAKE LOVIN’ FUN – Fleetwood Mac
- (43) BABY BABY MY LOVE’S ALL FOR YOU – Deniece Williams
- (31) NO MORE HEROES – Stranglers
- (–) LOVE OF MY LIFE – Dooleys
- (49) DON’T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE – Crystal Gayle
- (41) FROM NEW YORK TO LA – Patsy Gallant
- (39) DOWN DEEP INSIDE – Donna Summer
- (40) OXYGENE PART IV – Jean-Michel Jarre
- (–) HIGHWAYMAN – Brotherhood Of Man
- (–) WATCHING THE DETECTIVES – Elvis Costello
- (37) RIGHT ON TIME – Brothers Johnson
- (–) FLORAL DANCE – Brighouse & Rastrick Band
- (–) YOU’RE FABULOUS BABE – Kenny Williams
I’m struck by how many songs have become widely regarded as classics, as well as the acts. Abba were my top act of the time, with ELO runners-up, but I’d also had periods of being mad on Queen, Roxy, Wings, Donna, Bowie, and with a great body of work even by this time, the Bee Gees. Oldies from Roxy and Righteous Brothers charted in the UK, and recharted in my chart. Righteous Brothers would eventually go all the way – in 1990, on one of it’s many revivals. It is, of course, one of the greatest most perfect pop singles of all-time. Elvis Costello debuts, first in a long career. In at 26, one of the biggest-sellers in the UK of all-time, Wings Mull Of Kintyre, and a future number one.
