Bruv, school uniform and our new Bedokville house – taken on his new budget camera
4th October 1969
It’s 2 weeks on top for John Barry, and the Hollies go top 10 along with the 5th Dimension grabbing a 3rd or 4th top 10. Highest new entry is Stevie Wonder’s fab Yester-Me, shockingly just a minor us hit, but a uk smash and one of his great pre Talking Book Motown tracks. In at 22 Peter Paul and Mary are back with their best record – John Denver’s prophetic Leaving On A Jet Plane. This marked his emergence and their goodbye as music forces.
More Beatles invasions as Abbey Road takes over with Because and Ringo’s jolly Octopus get a look in and Come Together climbs to 46. Marsha Shaw follows where the 5th Dimension charted first with Californian Soul, Esther Ofarim gets a 3rd hit and her first solo effort with a Mason Williams song, the Five Stairsteps family return with another decent single, Mel and Tim debut, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band also return with a Mike Nesmith song, Mike slso indide the 40 with one of his other songs, and the Nitty Gritty’s ahead of a starring role in movie Paint Your Wagon, out in a couple of weeks. Barry Ryan sneaks in at the lower end.
1 ( 1 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry # 1
2 ( 2 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry # 1
3 ( 4 ) NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE Steam # 3
4 ( 5 ) TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS Glen Campbell # 4
5 ( 3 ) AM I THE SAME GIRL Dusty Springfield # 1
6 ( 6 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING Nilsson # 3
7 ( 12 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies # 7
8 ( 8 ) GOOD CLEAN FUN The Monkees # 8
9 ( 7 ) SPACE ODDITY David Bowie # 1
10 ( 13 ) WEDDING BELL BLUES The 5th Dimension #10
11 ( 16 ) HERE COMES THE SUN The Beatles # 11
12 ( 10 ) MAYBE Betty Everett #10
13 ( 20 ) SOMETHING The Beatles # 13
14 ( 9 ) SUSPICIOUS MINDS Elvis Presley #6
15 ( 11 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE The Isley Brothers # 7
16 ( 14 ) SOMETHING IN THE AIR Thunderclap Newman # 1
17 ( 15 ) IN THE YEAR 2525 (EXORDIUM AND TERMINUS) Zager & Evans # 1
18 (NEW) YESTER-ME YESTER-YOU YESTERDAY Stevie Wonder
19 ( 17 ) CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION Tommy James & The Shondells # 1
20 ( 19 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER ME The Bee Gees # 4
21 ( 21 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Smokey Robinson & The Miracles # 14
22 (NEW) LEAVING ON A JET PLANE Peter, Paul and Mary
23 ( 23 ) GOLDEN SLUMBERS The Beatles # 23
24 ( 43 ) DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO The Four Tops # 24
25 ( 29 ) MY WOMAN’S GOOD TO ME George Benson # 25
26 ( 33 ) YOU LITTLE ANGEL, YOU The Archies # 26
27 ( 28 ) MY BALLOON’S GOING UP Archie Bell & The Drells # 27
28 ( 18 ) I CAN’T GET NEXT TO YOU The Temptations # 5
29 ( 37 ) IS THAT ALL THERE IS Peggy Lee # 29
30 ( 25 ) A WAY OF LIFE Family Dogg # 1
31 ( 22 ) LET ME BE THE MAN MY DADDY WAS The Chi-Lites # 9
32 ( 26 ) SUGAR, SUGAR The Archies # 1
33 ( 27 ) SAVED BY THE BELL Robin Gibb # 1
34 ( 24 ) BICYCLES, ROLLERSKATES AND YOU The Archies # 24
35 ( 47 ) MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC Mama Cass # 35
36 ( 31 ) BRINGING ON BACK THE GOOD TIMES The Love Affair # 5
37 ( 38 ) THROW DOWN A LINE Cliff Richard & Hank Marvin # 37
38 ( 32 ) EARLY IN THE MORNING Vanity Fare # 5
39 ( 44 ) CIRCLE OF BLUE The Archies # 39
40 ( 34 ) I’M GONNA MAKE YOU MINE Lou Christie # 6
41 ( 49 ) BABY I’M FOR REAL The Originals # 41
42 ( 48 ) TRACY The Cuff Links featuring Ron Dante # 42
43 ( 39 ) BREAKAWAY The Beach Boys # 1
44 ( 30 ) WALK ON BY Isaac Hayes # 12
45 ( 42 ) THE BALLAD OF JOHN & YOKO The Beatles # 1
46 ( 73 ) COME TOGETHER The Beatles # 46
47 ( 36 ) WORLD PARTS 1 & 2 James Brown # 28
48 ( 56 ) HARE KRISHNA MANTRA Radha Krishna Temple # 48
49 ( 52 ) PENNY ARCADE Roy Orbison # 49
50 ( 61 ) WE’LL CRY TOGETHER Maxine Brown # 50
51 ( 35 ) JIVE Bobby Darin # 25
52 ( 41 ) STREETS OF LONDON Ralph McTell # 16
53 ( 45 ) HONKY TONK WOMEN The Rolling Stones # 6
54 ( 63 ) ROCK & ROLL MUSIC The Archies # 54
55 ( 40 ) GROOVIN’ WITH MR’ BLOE Wind featuring Tony Orlando # 27
56 ( 66 ) OH WELL Fleetwood Mac # 56
57 ( 57 ) MOMMY AND DADDY The Monkees # 57
58 ( 53 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver # 1
59 ( 69 ) BALL OF FIRE Tommy James & The Shondells # 59
60 ( 65 ) EVIL WOMAN DON’T PLAY YOUR GAMES WITH ME Crow # 60
61 ( 64 ) SO GOOD TOGETHER Andy Kim # 61
62 ( 58 ) BEHIND A PAINTED SMILE The Isley Brothers # 1
63 (NEW) BECAUSE The Beatles
64 ( 68 ) DON’T TOUCH MY GUITAR The Archies # 64
65 (NEW) CALIFORNIA SOUL Marsha Shaw
66 (NEW) SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WORLD Esther Ofarim
67 ( 71 ) GET RHYTHM Johnny Cash # 67
68 ( NEW ) WE MUST BE IN LOVE The Five Stairsteps and Cubie
69 (NEW) OCTOPUS’S GARDEN The Beatles
70 ( 74 ) PROUD MARY Sonny Charles & The Checkmates # 70
71 ( 75 ) SHE BELONGS TO ME Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band # 71
72 (NEW) BACKFIELD IN MOTION Mel and Tim
73 (NEW) SOME OF SHELLY’S BLUES The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
74 (NEW) WE GOT LATIN SOUL Mongo Santamaria
75 (NEW) THE HUNT Barry Ryan
And in the week, more or less, we settled into our new house at Bedokville…
Wot I liked Back Then:
1 ( 2 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry
2 ( 3 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver
3 ( 1 ) IN THE YEAR 2525 Zager And Evans
4 ( 5 ) HARE KRISHNA MANTRA Radha Krishna Temple
5 ( 6 ) IT’S GETTING BETTER Mama Cass
6 ( 4 ) BAD MOON RISING Creedence Clearwater Revival
7 ( 7 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER The Bee Gees
8 ( 9 ) LAY LADY LAY Bob Dylan
9 ( 12 ) VIVA BOBBY JOE The Equals
10 ( NEW ) HE AIN’T HEAVY..HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
11th October 1969
It’s 3 weeks on top for the gorgeous classy John Barry theme to Midnight Cowboy. You can compare how great it is by listening to the horrendously amateur cover version that hit the US top 10 in the coming weeks. Just awful. The Hollies reach anew post 1966 peak of 2 with He Ain’t Heavy – it did actually top my charts in 1988, but there’s some big new entries from another fave movie soundtrack on the way, so will it make the top first-time round? The Beatles leapfrog themselves a couple of times, as Something goes top 10, and Peter, Paul & Mary grab a top 20 along with a debut 20 for George Benson, and yet more for The Four Tops and The Archies.
Highest new entry is the one that Nilsson wrote for Midnight Cowboy, which was rejected along with Dylan’s Lay Lady Lay in favour of the admittedly brilliant Everybody’s Talking – still in the top 10 in it’s 2nd run – the fab I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City. Mike Nesmith gets a second simultaneous song in the 40 as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band shoot into the 40 ahead of their debut film appearance with a much lesser song about beans. In at 38, Junior Walker outdoes The Guess Who as These Eyes enters, showing what a great vocalist can do with a song – Junior was thought of mainly as a great sax player, so much so that the brilliant What Does It Take was passed over by Motown, but he was just as good a singer.
Creedence enter at 45 with the then-less-well-known side of the usual double-hit in the USA – the other side will join it shortly for about the 8th of the year – but Fortunate Son’s use in movies about Viet-Nam has given it a much higher profile these days, quite rightly. Carlos Santana makes an appearance as the 60’s start to become history, with Jingo – a 50’s song I didn’t know at the time, but became an 80’s hit for Jellybean – 5 years before I really noticed Santana with the fab Samba Pa Ti, and 30 years before they finally topped my chart with Smooth, the first of 2 chart-toppers.
Frank Sinatra is back, so’s Gladys Knight, and also Jose Feliciano, while a couple of ska staples pop in and Holland-Dozier-Holland get cracking on Hot Wax, their new label, with Honey Cone debuting at 75 with Girls It Ain’t Easy. So who have I got to see in concert in my chart this week? Glen Campbell, The Monkees, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys all multiple times, and one each for Macca & Ringo of The Fabs, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Gladys Knight, The Bee Gees, The Chi-Lites, Santana, The Rolling Stones. Missed loads I wanted to catch though…
1 ( 1 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry # 1
2 ( 7 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies # 2
3 ( 3 ) NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE Steam # 3
4 ( 2 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry # 1
5 ( 5 ) AM I THE SAME GIRL Dusty Springfield # 1
6 ( 4 ) TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS Glen Campbell # 4
7 ( 6 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING Nilsson # 3
8 ( 10 ) WEDDING BELL BLUES The 5th Dimension # 8
9 ( 13 ) SOMETHING The Beatles # 9
10 ( 8 ) GOOD CLEAN FUN The Monkees # 8
11 ( 11 ) HERE COMES THE SUN The Beatles # 11
12 ( 9 ) SPACE ODDITY David Bowie # 1
13 ( 18 ) YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY Stevie Wonder # 13
14 ( 14 ) SUSPICIOUS MINDS Elvis Presley # 6
15 ( 12 ) MAYBE Betty Everett # 10
16 ( 22 ) LEAVING ON A JET PLANE Peter, Paul & Mary # 16
17 ( 24 ) DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO The Four Tops # 17
18 ( 15 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE The Isley Brothers # 7
19 ( 25 ) MY WOMAN’S GOOD TO ME George Benson # 19
20 ( 26 ) YOU LITTLE ANGEL, YOU The Archies # 20
21 ( 16 ) SOMETHING IN THE AIR Thunderclap Newman # 1
22 ( 17 ) IN THE YEAR 2525 (EXORDIUM AND TERMINUS) Zager & Evans # 1
23 ( 23 ) GOLDEN SLUMBERS The Beatles # 23
24 ( 29 ) IS THAT ALL THERE IS Peggy Lee # 24
25 ( 19 ) CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION Tommy James & The Shondells # 1
26 ( 35 ) MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC Mama Cass # 26
27 ( 27 ) MY BALLOON’S GOING UP Archie Bell & The Drells # 27
28 ( 20 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER ME The Bee Gees # 4
29 ( 21 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Smokey Robinson & The Miracles # 14
30 ( NEW ) I GUESS THE LORD MUST BE IN NEW YORK CITY Nilsson # 30
31 ( 39 ) CIRCLE OF BLUE The Archies # 31
32 ( 37 ) THROW DOWN A LINE Cliff Richard & Hank Marvin # 32
33 ( 30 ) A WAY OF LIFE Family Dogg # 1
34 ( 32 ) SUGAR, SUGAR The Archies # 1
35 ( 73 ) SOME OF SHELLY’S BLUES The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band # 35
36 ( 28 ) I CAN’T GET NEXT TO YOU The Temptations # 5
37 ( 33 ) SAVED BY THE BELL Robin Gibb # 1
38 ( NEW ) THESE EYES Junior Walker & The All Stars # 38
39 ( 46 ) COME TOGETHER The Beatles # 39
40 ( 56 ) OH WELL Fleetwood Mac # 40
41 ( 31 ) LET ME BE THE MAN MY DADDY WAS The Chi-Lites # 9
42 ( 34 ) BICYCLES, ROLLERSKATES AND YOU The Archies # 24
43 ( 36 ) BRINGING ON BACK THE GOOD TIMES The Love Affair # 5
44 ( 50 ) WE’LL CRY TOGETHER Maxine Brown # 44
45 ( NEW ) FORTUNATE SON Creedence Clearwater Revival # 45
46 ( 38 ) EARLY IN THE MORNING Vanity Fare # 5
47 ( 43 ) BREAKAWAY The Beach Boys # 1
48 ( 63 ) BECAUSE The Beatles # 48
49 ( 40 ) I’M GONNA MAKE YOU MINE Lou Christie # 6
50 ( 54 ) ROCK & ROLL MUSIC The Archies # 50
51 ( 45 ) THE BALLAD OF JOHN & YOKO The Beatles # 1
52 ( 41 ) BABY I’M FOR REAL The Originals # 41
53 ( 42 ) TRACY The Cuff Links featuring Ron Dante # 42
54 ( 44 ) WALK ON BY Isaac Hayes # 12
55 ( 59 ) BALL OF FIRE Tommy James & The Shondells # 55
56 ( 60 ) EVIL WOMAN DON’T PLAY YOUR GAMES WITH ME Crow # 56
57 ( 67 ) GET RHYTHM Johnny Cash # 57
58 ( 52 ) STREETS OF LONDON Ralph McTell # 16
59 ( 70 ) PROUD MARY Sonny Charles & The Checkmates # 59
60 ( 69 ) OCTOPUS’S GARDEN The Beatles # 60
61 ( 58 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver # 1
62 ( NEW ) JINGO-LO-BA Santana # 62
63 ( 66 ) SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WORLD Esther Ofarim # 63
64 ( 72 ) BACKFIELD IN MOTION Mel & Tim # 64
65 ( 53 ) HONKY TONK WOMEN The Rolling Stones # 6
66 ( 68 ) WE MUST BE IN LOVE The Five Stairsteps & Cubie # 66
67 ( 74 ) WE GOT LATIN SOUL Mongo Santamaria # 67
68 ( NEW ) LOVE’S BEEN GOOD TO ME Frank Sinatra # 68
69 ( 75 ) THE HUNT Barry Ryan # 69
70 ( NEW ) FRIENDSHIP TRAIN Gladys Knight & The Pips # 70
71 ( NEW ) RETURN OF DJANGO The Upsetters # 71
72 ( NEW ) LONG SHOT KICK DE BUCKET The Pioneers # 72
73 ( NEW ) AND THE SUN WILL SHINE Jose Feliciano # 73
74 ( NEW ) TAKE A LETTER MARIA R.B. Greaves # 74
75 ( NEW ) GIRLS IT AIN’T EASY Honey Cone # 75
RETRO THEN
1 ( 1 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry
2 ( 2 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver
3 ( 5 ) IT’S GETTING BETTER Mama Cass
4 ( 3 ) IN THE YEAR 2525 Zager And Evans
5 ( NEW ) SUGAR SUGAR The Archies
6 ( 4 ) HARE KRISHNA MANTRA Radha Krishna Temple
7 ( 6 ) BAD MOON RISING Creedence Clearwater Revival
8 ( 8 ) LAY LADY LAY Bob Dylan
9 ( 7 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER The Bee Gees
10 ( 10 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY..HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
18th October 1969
It’s a first week on top for The Hollies classic He Ain’t Heavy… it may not be their absolute best track (that would be Bus Stop or Air That I Breathe) but it’s up there at a time when the Beatles aren’t even top 5! Just to rub Fabs salt into the wound pop rivals The Tremeloes shoot in at 4 with their best record (Call Me) Number One. The Beatles at least get 2 top 10’s from Abbey Road though they are being chased by Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops and second-highest new entry They Call The Wind Maria (pronounced Mariah, as in the pop star who was named after the song) from the soundtrack to Paint Your Wagon, out this week. The film was a huge family fave back in 1970, dad bought the album, and recorded himself singing along to it – he easily keeps up with the amazing vocals of Harve Presnell, Broadway star and actor in TV such as Lois & Clark and movies like Saving Private Ryan. Dad coulda been a professional singer quite easily.
Maria is the showstopper of the film, but others enter lower down, the famous Wand’rin’ Star for Lee Marvin in at 32 a few months before it became a UK chart-topper, and a song that I could sing better – and that’s not easy, my singing voice is only marginally better than Marvin! At 55 The Gospel Of No Name City is the catchy singalong track of the movie, amusing and upbeat, while more chorus-oriented tracks pop in lower-down, including another Harve Presnell feature, and the intro to the film. Talking of songs from films – at 21 Bacharach/David give us the huge US B.J.Thomas smash Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid – I’ll be honest I was more familiar with (and loved) the Sacha Distel 1970 cover at the time, but thankfully I’ve seen the light and stick with the film version these days.
Reggae pops in courtesy of the great Jimmy Cliff at 48, and Harry J’s All Stars at 61, another Dusty track in a busy Dusty year – this time on an early Philly Soul track off a Gamble & Huff (& Thom Bell on this track) album out in the new year. Dusty should have credit for being ahead of the game, they dominated the early 70’s non-Northern Soul oldies disco scene until KC, Hues Corporation & Gloria Gaynor gave us Disco. Lastly, the Creedence A side appears after the B side, Marv Johnson returns with Motown, along with the Marv-Johnson-alettes (HHOK!) Motown, and Three Dog Night pop in withe second Laura Nyro cover in the charts, t’other The 5th Dimension.
1 ( 2 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies # 1
2 ( 1 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry # 1
3 ( 3 ) NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE Steam # 3
4 ( NEW ) (CALL ME) NUMBER ONE The Tremeloes # 4
5 ( 4 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry # 1
6 ( 5 ) AM I THE SAME GIRL Dusty Springfield # 1
7 ( 6 ) TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS Glen Campbell # 4
8 ( 9 ) SOMETHING The Beatles # 8
9 ( 11 ) HERE COMES THE SUN The Beatles # 9
10 ( 13 ) YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY Stevie Wonder # 10
11 ( 17 ) DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO The Four Tops # 11
12 ( 7 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING Nilsson # 3
13 ( 16 ) LEAVING ON A JET PLANE Peter, Paul & Mary # 13
14 ( NEW ) THEY CALL THE WIND MARIA Harve Presnell # 14
15 ( 8 ) WEDDING BELL BLUES The 5th Dimension # 8
16 ( 12 ) SPACE ODDITY David Bowie # 1
17 ( 10 ) GOOD CLEAN FUN The Monkees # 8
18 ( 20 ) YOU LITTLE ANGEL, YOU The Archies # 18
19 ( 24 ) IS THAT ALL THERE IS Peggy Lee # 19
20 ( 14 ) SUSPICIOUS MINDS Elvis Presley # 6
21 ( NEW ) RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD B.J. Thomas # 21
22 ( 15 ) MAYBE Betty Everett # 10
23 ( 19 ) MY WOMAN’S GOOD TO ME George Benson # 19
24 ( 26 ) MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC Mama Cass # 24
25 ( 18 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE The Isley Brothers # 7
26 ( 30 ) I GUESS THE LORD MUST BE IN NEW YORK CITY Nilsson # 26
27 ( 21 ) SOMETHING IN THE AIR Thunderclap Newman # 1
28 ( 22 ) IN THE YEAR 2525 (EXORDIUM AND TERMINUS) Zager & Evans # 1
29 ( 31 ) CIRCLE OF BLUE The Archies # 29
30 ( 35 ) SOME OF SHELLY’S BLUES The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band # 30
31 ( 25 ) CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION Tommy James & The Shondells # 1
32 ( NEW ) WAND’RIN’ STAR Lee Marvin # 32
33 ( 23 ) GOLDEN SLUMBERS The Beatles # 23
34 ( 38 ) THESE EYES Junior Walker & The All Stars # 34
35 ( 28 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER ME The Bee Gees # 4
36 ( 40 ) OH WELL Fleetwood Mac # 36
37 ( 39 ) COME TOGETHER The Beatles # 37
38 ( 27 ) MY BALLOON’S GOING UP Archie Bell & The Drells # 27
39 ( 48 ) BECAUSE The Beatles # 39
40 ( 29 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Smokey Robinson & The Miracles # 14
41 ( 33 ) A WAY OF LIFE Family Dogg # 1
42 ( 34 ) SUGAR, SUGAR The Archies # 1
43 ( 37 ) SAVED BY THE BELL Robin Gibb # 1
44 ( 44 ) WE’LL CRY TOGETHER Maxine Brown # 44
45 ( 45 ) FORTUNATE SON Creedence Clearwater Revival # 45
46 ( 32 ) THROW DOWN A LINE Cliff Richard & Hank Marvin # 32
47 ( 36 ) I CAN’T GET NEXT TO YOU The Temptations # 5
48 ( NEW ) WONDERFUL WORLD BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Jimmy Cliff # 48
49 ( 59 ) PROUD MARY Sonny Charles & The Checkmates # 49
50 ( 55 ) BALL OF FIRE Tommy James & The Shondells # 50
51 ( 47 ) BREAKAWAY The Beach Boys # 1
52 ( 43 ) BRINGING ON BACK THE GOOD TIMES The Love Affair # 5
53 ( 46 ) EARLY IN THE MORNING Vanity Fare # 5
54 ( 41 ) LET ME BE THE MAN MY DADDY WAS The Chi-Lites # 9
55 ( NEW ) THE GOSPEL OF NO NAME CITY Alan Dexter # 55
56 ( NEW ) HOLLY HOLY Neil Diamond # 56
57 ( 57 ) GET RHYTHM Johnny Cash # 57
58 ( 51 ) THE BALLAD OF JOHN & YOKO The Beatles # 1
59 ( 60 ) OCTOPUS’S GARDEN The Beatles # 59
60 ( 62 ) JINGO-LO-BA Santana # 60
61 ( NEW ) LIQUIDATOR Harry J All Stars # 61
62 ( 63 ) SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WORLD Esther Ofarim # 62
63 ( NEW ) THERE’S A COACH COMIN’ IN Harve Presnell & Chorus # 63
64 ( 64 ) BACKFIELD IN MOTION Mel & Tim # 64
65 ( 61 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver # 1
66 ( 42 ) BICYCLES, ROLLERSKATES AND YOU The Archies # 24
67 ( 67 ) WE GOT LATIN SOUL Mongo Santamaria # 67
68 ( 68 ) LOVE’S BEEN GOOD TO ME Frank Sinatra # 68
69 ( 56 ) EVIL WOMAN DON’T PLAY YOUR GAMES WITH ME Crow # 56
70 ( NEW ) A BRAND NEW ME Dusty Springfield # 70
71 ( NEW ) THAT’S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE The Marvelettes # 71
72 ( NEW ) PAINT YOUR WAGON ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK MAIN TITLE (I’M ON MY WAY) Paint Your Wagon Chorus # 72
73 ( NEW ) DOWN ON THE CORNER Creedence Clearwater Revival # 73
74 ( NEW ) I MISS YOU BABY (HOW I MISS YOU) Marv Johnson # 74
75 ( NEW ) ELI’S COMING Three Dog Night # 75
wot I liked that week then
1 ( 1 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry
2 ( 2 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver
3 ( 3 ) IT’S GETTING BETTER Mama Cass
4 ( 5 ) SUGAR SUGAR The Archies
5 ( 6 ) HARE KRISHNA MANTRA Radha Krishna Temple
6 ( 8 ) LAY LADY LAY Bob Dylan
7 ( 9 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER The Bee Gees
8 ( 7 ) BAD MOON RISING Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 ( RE ) A BOY NAMED SUE Johnny Cash
10 ( 10 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY..HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
25th October 1969
It’s a first week on top for yet another movie song – this time from Paint Your Wagon, but not the one you might think, this one is the Mariah-Carey-naming fab They Call The Wind Maria. The soundtrack, and this song especially, and the film, loomed large in our Singapore family lives back then. Wandrin’ Star meanwhile takes Lee Marvin into the 20 many months early, as he enters with yet another track also featuring Clint Eastwood, who should have taught Pierce Brosnan a lesson by going nowhere near a microphone to sing ever again, and also the great Ray Walston, childhood fave star of My Favourite Martian sitcom (and also South Pacific the movie).
Nilsson replaces himself in the 20, NItty Gritty Dirt Band replace The Monkees with another Mike Nesmith song, and Laura Nyro replaces Three Dog Night’s cover of Eli’s Coming in the 75 by entering with her own new-album-track Time And Love. Highest new entry is the debut classic hit for The Jackson 5 – starring young Michael, he of the jaw-dropping pre-pubescent vocals delivered with a maturity and style he had to work to achieve once his voice broke. As a kid he could soar effortlessy. I Want You Back, though, does feature Jermaine and the brothers, and obviously launched a major world star. At the time they were groovy black kids from the ghetto, pushed by Motown via Diana Ross’ TV special show, and they were on many a variety show aired in Singapore, not least Ed Sullivan. Diana Ross, meanwhile joins the Supremes for their goodbye single just before she went solo, and before Mary Wilson became the only remaining original member for their last 3 fab years of singles. I’ve seen Mary Wilson in concert, but not Diana Ross. Diana is finally headlining Glasto and coming out of semi-retirement to tour. Of course, she was totally lying, they have never gotten back together: Someday We’ll Be Together, as if!
Jimmy Cliff gets his first top 40, Shocking Blue enter with Venus, a European smash for the Dutch band that was not far from conquering the US, and the UK a little later, in 1970. Cards on the table, I love the Bananarama version more, but the original is still very good, and this week it was riding high in the Swiss top 10. Riding high in the Canadian top 10 was another future UK 1970 hit, getting them in early because my Chart Rule is, if it was available to buy somewhere – anywhere – it’s eligible for my “Streaming” version of 1969 charting: Terry Jacks as the creative force and member of The Poppy Family, and Which Way You Going Billy? In at 67 a full 4 and a bit years before Seasons In The Sun became a massive hit for him.
Clodagh’s back with a song I didn’t know at the time, but heard of in later years, and finally got to hear on CD compilation in the early 90’s, Biljo. The O’Jays are back with a track from the US Soul top 40 that has yet to pop up in the Hot 100 breakers, Branded Bad. Branded Good, I say, I was grooving along to the epic Love Train at my brothers 60th bash last weekend. By 1969 they’d already almost a decade of US singles success, albeit minor success. In at 72, Marty Wilde is back using his US pseudonym Shannon, and singing his own UK hit-song Jesamine (a hit for The Casuals that is), Nina Simone enters with future reggae classic Young, Gifted & Black, and errr in the Austrian top 10 this week, a little bubblegum ditty from a man who changed the course of popular music. Name of Giorgio. A little Papa Ooh Mow Mow-chorus-nicking bit of bubblegum named Looky Looky. It’s very catchy, and some might recognise the mini-background-hook in it. Most won’t, but it’s the same as the one Chicory Tip used on Good Grief Christina in 1973. Produced by a certain G. Moroder esq, following up their chart-topping synth-pioneering Son Of My Father. Yes there are synths on this song, albeit almost incidental background scenery towards the end. Took him another 8 years to get his own UK hit-single….
1 ( 14 ) THEY CALL THE WIND MARIA Harve Presnell # 1
2 ( 2 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry # 1
3 ( 1 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies # 1
4 ( 4 ) (CALL ME) NUMBER ONE The Tremeloes # 4
5 ( 5 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry # 1
6 ( 8 ) SOMETHING The Beatles # 6
7 ( 3 ) NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE Steam # 3
8 ( 10 ) YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY Stevie Wonder # 8
9 ( 9 ) HERE COMES THE SUN The Beatles # 9
10 ( 6 ) AM I THE SAME GIRL Dusty Springfield # 1
11 ( 11 ) DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO The Four Tops # 11
12 ( 7 ) TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS Glen Campbell # 4
13 ( 13 ) LEAVING ON A JET PLANE Peter, Paul & Mary # 13
14 ( 21 ) RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD B.J. Thomas # 14
15 ( 26 ) I GUESS THE LORD MUST BE IN NEW YORK CITY Nilsson # 15
16 ( 18 ) YOU LITTLE ANGEL, YOU The Archies # 16
17 ( 32 ) WAND’RIN’ STAR Lee Marvin # 17
18 ( 12 ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING Nilsson # 3
19 ( 15 ) WEDDING BELL BLUES The 5th Dimension # 8
20 ( 30 ) SOME OF SHELLY’S BLUES The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band # 20
21 ( 16 ) SPACE ODDITY David Bowie # 1
22 ( 24 ) MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC Mama Cass # 22
23 ( 17 ) GOOD CLEAN FUN The Monkees # 8
24 ( 20 ) SUSPICIOUS MINDS Elvis Presley # 6
25 ( 34 ) THESE EYES Junior Walker & The All Stars # 25
26 ( 19 ) IS THAT ALL THERE IS Peggy Lee # 19
27 ( 36 ) OH WELL Fleetwood Mac # 27
28 ( 23 ) MY WOMAN’S GOOD TO ME George Benson # 19
29 ( 37 ) COME TOGETHER The Beatles # 29
30 ( 27 ) SOMETHING IN THE AIR Thunderclap Newman # 1
31 ( 28 ) IN THE YEAR 2525 (EXORDIUM AND TERMINUS) Zager & Evans # 1
32 ( 25 ) PUT YOURSELF IN MY PLACE The Isley Brothers # 7
33 ( NEW ) I WANT YOU BACK The Jackson 5 # 33
34 ( 31 ) CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION Tommy James & The Shondells # 1
35 ( 39 ) BECAUSE The Beatles # 35
36 ( 29 ) CIRCLE OF BLUE The Archies # 29
37 ( 22 ) MAYBE Betty Everett # 10
38 ( 48 ) WONDERFUL WORLD BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Jimmy Cliff # 38
39 ( 45 ) FORTUNATE SON Creedence Clearwater Revival # 39
40 ( 49 ) PROUD MARY Sonny Charles & The Checkmates # 40
41 ( 44 ) WE’LL CRY TOGETHER Maxine Brown # 41
42 ( 35 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER ME The Bee Gees # 4
43 ( 55 ) THE GOSPEL OF NO NAME CITY Alan Dexter # 43
44 ( 41 ) A WAY OF LIFE Family Dogg # 1
45 ( 42 ) SUGAR, SUGAR The Archies # 1
46 ( 43 ) SAVED BY THE BELL Robin Gibb # 1
47 ( 61 ) LIQUIDATOR Harry J All Stars # 47
48 ( 70 ) A BRAND NEW ME Dusty Springfield # 48
49 ( 33 ) GOLDEN SLUMBERS The Beatles # 23
50 ( 63 ) THERE’S A COACH COMIN’ IN Harve Presnell & Chorus # 50
51 ( 40 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Smokey Robinson & The Miracles # 14
52 ( NEW ) VENUS Shocking Blue # 52
53 ( 56 ) HOLLY HOLY Neil Diamond # 53
54 ( 71 ) THAT’S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE The Marvelettes # 54
55 ( 38 ) MY BALLOON’S GOING UP Archie Bell & The Drells # 27
56 ( 51 ) BREAKAWAY The Beach Boys # 1
57 ( 47 ) I CAN’T GET NEXT TO YOU The Temptations # 5
58 ( 60 ) JINGO-LO-BA Santana # 58
59 ( NEW ) SOMEDAY WE’LL BE TOGETHER Diana Ross & The Supremes # 59
60 ( 62 ) SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WORLD Esther Ofarim # 60
61 ( 50 ) BALL OF FIRE Tommy James & The Shondells # 50
62 ( 72 ) PAINT YOUR WAGON ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK MAIN TITLE (I’M ON MY WAY) Paint Your Wagon Chorus # 62
63 ( NEW ) BILJO Clodagh Rodgers # 63
64 ( 58 ) THE BALLAD OF JOHN & YOKO The Beatles # 1
65 ( 52 ) BRINGING ON BACK THE GOOD TIMES The Love Affair # 5
66 ( 53 ) EARLY IN THE MORNING Vanity Fare # 5
67 ( NEW ) WHICH WAY YOU GOING BILLY? The Poppy Family featuring Terry Jacks # 67
68 ( 68 ) LOVE’S BEEN GOOD TO ME Frank Sinatra # 68
69 ( NEW ) BEST THINGS Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood & Ray Walston # 69
70 ( NEW ) TIME AND LOVE Laura Nyro # 70
71 ( NEW ) BRANDED BAD The O’Jays # 71
72 ( NEW ) JESAMINE Shannon aka Marty Wilde # 72
73 ( NEW ) LOOKY LOOKY Giorgio (Moroder) # 73
74 ( NEW ) TO BE YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK Nina Simone # 74
75 ( NEW ) YOU GOT TO PAY THE PRICE Gloria Taylor # 75
Wot I liked then
1 ( 1 ) I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry
2 ( 2 ) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE Oliver
3 ( 4 ) SUGAR SUGAR The Archies
4 ( 3 ) IT’S GETTING BETTER Mama Cass
5 ( 8 ) BAD MOON RISING Creedence Clearwater Revival
6 ( 6 ) LAY LADY LAY Bob Dylan
7 ( NEW ) EVERYBODY’S TALKING Nilsson
8 ( 7 ) DON’T FORGET TO REMEMBER The Bee Gees
9 ( NEW ) OH ME OH MY (I’M A FOOL FOR YOU) Lulu
10 ( NEW ) (CALL ME) NUMBER ONE The Tremeloes
popchartfreak 