May 1975. Um,,,there was some sort of reorganization of local governments in Scotland. That’s...something. Let’s see if the charts were more newsworthy.
40 - “Israelites,” Desmond Dekker and the Aces
Born Desmond Dacres in 1941, this Jamaican was the first artist to get high on major nations’ charts with reggae, reaching #1 here and #9 in the States with this tale of a young man who lives in poverty in spite of working, to the point where his family leaves him and he contemplates crime, although he fears the consequences (“I don’t want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde.”). It was rereleased at this time, and returned to the British Top Ten. My parents had the 45 of this, and it fascinated me with its alien sound. And it’s still probably my favourite ska record ever.
39 - “Hasta La Vista,” Sylvia
Swede Sylvia Vrethammar sings some lite-pop in foreign languages. The titles are in Spanish, but I think the lyrics are in German. It’s a United Nations of suck.
38 - “Autobahn,” Kraftwerk
Another encounter with our favourite German synth track about highway driving. It never fails to thrill. The closest I’ll ever get to flying at 200 kph through the Black Forest.
37 - “Stand by Me,” - John Lennon
This is a decent cover, but it’s much less interesting than the story behind it’s parent album, Rock n’Roll. Lennon agreed to make a covers album to settle a lawsuit from a music publisher over a Chuck Berry lyric quoted in “Come Together.” He chose Phil Spector to produce, but not surprisingly, Spector behaved erratically, eventually running off with the master tapes, and then getting into a car accident which left him in a coma. Lennon retrieved the tapes, but he decided to put the album in hold and make a different one. However, the aggrieved publisher was frustrated with the delay, so when John gave him a copy of the unfinished masters, the publisher released them on an album he made available through TV mail-order. He was forced to stop after three days, but he did get the official album rush-released. Ah, the old-school, cutthroat record business.
36 - “Sing Baby Sing,” The Stylistics
The Philly group’s fifth Top Ten here was this feel-good number about newlyweds. It’s kind of like “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” but with weddings instead of county fairs.
35 - “Wombling White Tie and Tails,” The Wombles
Another number by the proto-freegan mammalian puppets. It’s about one of them fantasizing about being a star of Hollywood musicals in the Fred Astaire vein. It does get a little icky when a character affects a Mae West voice and says “Womble up and see me sometime.” Even if I could, I wouldn’t.
34 - “The Funky Gibbon,” The Goodies
The sketch comedy trio of Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie were on British television throughout the 70s, and they also managed five hits, the biggest being this silly funk tune about dancing like one of the smaller members of the ape family. As novelty fare goes, its more on the entertaining side than the annoying one.
33 - “I Get the Sweetest Feeling/Higher and Higher,” Jackie Wilson
A reissue of two of Mr. Excitement’s late 60s. The B side is better-known, but the A is a strutting showcase of the man’s voice and style. Both are all-star soul.
32 - “Lady Marmalade,” Labelle
The tale of a man’s memorable dalliance with a Big Easy prostitute did the North American #1 double, but only got to #17 here. To me, that’s a mocha-choca-lotta-no-no.
31 - “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles,” West Ham United Cup Squad
This song turns 100 this year, and hear we find the football club who adopted it performing a disco-reggae version to celebrate reaching the FA Cup Final. They would beat Fulham 2-0 to lift the trophy for only the second time. Fortune was not hiding from them that day.
30 - “Save Me,” Silver Convention
Before their better known hits “Fly Robin Fly” and “Get Up and Boogie,” this German disco outfit had this hit. A little faster and funkier, but with the same minimum of lyrics.
29 - “Skiing in the Snow,” Wigan’s Ovation
This track was first popularized by the Northern Soul community in the form of a 1965 version by the Invitations. There was no official version widely available, so producer Russ Winstanley got an unknown Wigan band to rename themselves and record a cover, which although derided by purists, made it to #12. I’ve never heard the Invitations, but it can’t be anything but better than this damp squib.
28 - “Once Bitten Twice Shy,” Ian Hunter
The former Mott the Hoople frontman had his biggest solo success with this tale of the “education” of a groupie. Terrific sleazy rock. And let’s expunge that Great White cover from the record, shall we? I still say their egotistic longing for past glories is what led to the Station tragedy.
27 - “Don’t Do it Baby,” Mac and Katie Kissoon
The Trinidadian-British brother/sister duo’s 1971 U.S, hit version of “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” was overshadowed by another take in theirt adopted homeland, but they would manage a handful of other hits here, including this please-don’t-leave pop tune. Nothing interesting about it.
26 - “Papa Oom Mow Mow,” The Sharonettes
Another white-bread Northern Soul cover by a band found by an opportunistic producer, this one of a 1962 number by The Rivingtons. This is a little better than Wigan’s Ovation, but still, I’m holding my applause.
25 - “Where is the Love,” Betty Wright
Miamian Wright is best known at home for her 1971 Top Ten “Clean Up Woman,” but her only Brit I hit was this disco-funk calling out of a man bot living up to his promises. Sublime, and maybe the best thing Harry Wayne Casey was ever involved with...
24 - “Get Down Tonight,” KC and the Sunshine Band
...but this one might be #2. The template of the Sunshine Band formula, and one that was never improved upon. I don’t know that Britain was wrong to deny it a Triple Crown, but it should have gotten a bit higher than #21 at least.
23 - “Sorry Doesn’t Always Make It Right,” Diana Ross
Miss Ross shines on this harmonica-accented ballad about lingering breakup pain. An underheard artistic high point by the Supreme diva.
22 - “The Way We Were/Try to Remember,” Gladys Knight and the Pips
This soul interpretation of Streisand’s Oscar-winning movie theme, with some Fantasticks thrown in for good measure, not only charted higher here than in the states, it outcharted Babs’ original. And I can’t say that’s wrong. This is GK just killing it.
21 - “Fox on the Run,” Sweet
The groupie ode was a Triple Top Five in its day, and returned to mainstream consciousness four decades later thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Infinity War yet. That’s right, I’m the one.
In Part Two: we will dine on soup, honey, and...wet dirt.
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