Great Britain, early May, 1973. On the 5th, Sunderland, a team not even in the top flight of English football, won the FA Cup final, an upset not matched or exceeded in the British game until what happened a couple of days ago. Congratulations to Leicester City. Meanwhile, on the charts...
40 - "Whatever Happened to You," Highly Likely
This was the theme song to Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, a BBC sitcom about two working class friends that was a sequel to a 60s show called simply The Likely Lads. It's a piano-driven uptempo tune about wanting to live in the past, written by Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann and performed by a studio group. I'm sure it worked better as an abbreviated TV theme than it does as a full song.
39 - "20th Century Boy," T. Rex
The last of Marc Bolan's glam stars nine consecutive Top Threes was this grinding rock party. It grooves, Bolan swaggers, you rock out. Absolute genius.
38 - "Feel the Need in Me," The Detroit Emeralds
Formed in Little Rock, Arkansas, this vocal group moved to the Motor City and found success, picking up two U.S. Top 40 hits as well as three in Britain. Their highest charting record in either country was this one, which went to #4 here despite not even cracking the U.S. Hot 100. It's a funky strut about desire. Pretty cool, and reminiscent of the best of the Spinners.
37 - "Bad Weather," The Supremes
The group's final single with lead singer Jean Terrell would also be their last U.K. Top 40. Funky, uptempo pop-soul about a dissolving relationship. An overlooked gem of the post-Diana era.
36 - "Killing Me Softly With His Song," Roberta Flack
Covered it before, still a classic. Only #6, Britain? Pity.
35 - "Wam Bam," The Handley Family
These three sisters and two brothers from the London district of Bermondsey were briefly promoted as a British answer to American acts like the Jacksons and the Osmonds, but they only managed one minor hit in this cheesy bit of faux-ragtime. The fact that all the information I could find on this group was from a blog called "The World's Worst Records" should tell you something.
34 - "One and One is One," Medicine Head
The Staffordshire duo of John Fiddler and Peter Hope-Evans were discovered by influential BBC DJ John Peel, and the biggest of their four hits was this springy blues rocker about finding someone who is the other half of you. A nice little shuffle, with a little tinge of reggae.
33 - "Hey Mama," Joe Brown
A Lincolnshire native, Brown first found success as a teen-idol rocker in the early 60s, but was well past his commercial peak when he managed one more hit with this mournful ballad of appreciation for a dying mother. It walks a line between sincerity and melodrama, but mostly ends up on the right side of that line.
32 - "Cum On Feel the Noize," Slade
This Wolverhampton band were formed in the mid-60s. first as the N'Betweeners, then as Ambrose Slade, and finally Slade. Their first charted single in 1971 reached #16, then their next twelve all reached the Top Five, with six of them hitting #1. Their fourth charttopper was this raucous celebration of partying, with a misspelled title that was their trademark. One listen to this and you realize how pale an imitation the Quiet Riot version was.
31 - "Letter to Lucille," Tom Jones
The Welsh superstar was at the beginning of fifteen year dry spell during which none of his singles cracked the British Top 30. The closest he came was with this dramatic bit of protodisco on which Jones portrays a prisoner asking any of his fellow inmates who might be about to be released to deliver a letter to his lady asking her to wait for him. The arrangement is peppier than you'd think it should be, but it still works.
30 - "Could it Be I'm Falling in Love," The Spinners
#4 in the U.S., #12 here, #1 in your hearts. Listen and there will be no doubt you're falling in love with it.
29 - "The Right Thing to Do," Carly Simon
The ballad that followed up "You're So Vain" hit #17 on both sides of the Atlantic. A good example of her reliable early 70s output.
28 - "Heart of Stone," Kenny
Named for Irish singer Tony Kenny, these London-based glam rockers picked up the first of six U.K. hits with this tale of being betayed by an unfaithful lady named Ramona. One might assume that along with petrifying Kenny's heart, she also removed his testicles, judging by the highness of his voice. Still, pretty fun glam pop.
27 - "Mean Girl," Status Quo
The Quo's sixth Top 40 was this boogie-rocker about an unkind lady that the singer regrets becoming involved with. Decent enough example of its kind
26 - "Power to All Our Friends," Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff again, this time with Britain's entry in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. It's a ballad about appreciating people and the things they employ and enjoy. It's catchy and anthemic. I like it. But it only came third in the contest. Who won? Well, since you asked...
25 - "Wonderful Dream," Ann-Marie David
This French pop singer first got attention when she played Mary Magdalene in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar, then rose to greater fame when she sang Luxembourg's winning entry in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. The English version was this ballad about a couple trying to hold on to their dreams. Dramatic but typical MOR. Cliff totally should have won.
24 - "Love Train," The O'Jays
The Philly soul stars' only U.S. #1 was also their sole U.K. Top Ten. Nothing to say but "Get on board."
23 - "Duelling Banjos," Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
The cover of a 1955 bluegrass instrumental used in the movie Deliverance hit #2 in the U.S., but only #17 here. I'm surprised, given the British capacity for exotica and novelty.
22 - "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," Argent
The band formed by ex-Zombie Rod Argent are best known in America for "Hold Your Head Up," but in their homeland they had two hits after that, the second being this power ballad anthem about how rock was granted to humanity by the Creator to make us feel young and alive. I don't know if that's true, but it makes sense to me.
21 - "Never Never Never," Shirley Bassey
Born in Wales to a Nigerian father and a British mother, Bassey grew up in an area of Cardiff that would inspire her later nickname "The Tigress from Tiger Bay." Her career began in earnest in the late 50s, and between 1957 and 1967 she had 21 Top 40 singles, including her lone American hit, the theme from the James Bond film Goldfinger. She had another run of five Top 40s between '70 and '73, the last of which being this dramatic ballad cover of an Italian song called "Grande Grande Grande." It's about being in love with someone in spite of yourself, and Bassey sings it beautifully. She is a voice I should go out of my way to hear more of.
In Part Two: Join me at sunrise for some cocoa in your PJs. (Trust me, it makes sense.)
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