But wait, there’s more.
20 - “Hold on to Love,” Peter Skellern
The second and last hit for this man from Bury was this attempt at sexy soul. Doesn’t quite come off, but there have been worse tries.
19 - “Ding-a-Dong,” Teach-In
It was Eurovision season, so of course the winner is in the charts. This year the prize was won by a Dutch group with a song about cheering yourself up with a nonsensical phrase. It’s in the same league as early ABBA, and it's more than competitive.
18 - “Swing Your Daddy,” Jim Gilstrap
Texas native Gilstrap was a session singer and musician whose most prominent moment before this was being the male voice singing the first part of Stevie Wonder’s “You are the Sunshine of My Life.” His biggest solo success came when he took this snappy soul song to #4 here. He made a wave when he could, as he sang on one of his other big moments, the Good Times theme.
17 - “We’ll Find Our Day,” Stephanie De Sykes
Born Stephanie Ryton, this singer picked up her second hit with a ballad she performed at a wedding on the soap opera Crossroads. It’s...what you’d expect from a ballad performed at a wedding on a soap opera. Your opinion of that is your opinion of this.
16 - “Love Me, Love My Dog,” Peter Shelley
The second of two Top Fives (three if you count “My Coo-Ca-Choo,” the Alvin Stardust hit on which he was the actual singer) for this non-Buzzcock was this crap bit of cheese about dumping a lady who cannot abide his canine companion. It’s like a David Cassidy impersonator singing a song by Harry Nilsson’s non-union Mexican equivalent. That’s why it’s my Uneasy Rider for the week
15 - “Life is a Minestrone,” 10cc
Their fifth Top Ten was this jaunty rock tune about how life can truly be a banquet, with soup and crepes, until it all ends with cold lasagna. The kind of wonderful, meaningful nonsense you can always depend on these guys for.
14 - “Only Yesterday,” Carpenters
Karen singing optimistic pop with a tango beat. Lovely.
13 - “Love Like You and Me,” Gary Glitter
The creep’s tenth Top Ten is okay pop. Shame about the singer. Lots and lots of shame.
12 - “I Wanna Dance Wit Choo,” Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes
Somehow, this derivative follow-up to “Get Dancin’” was a bigger hit here than its predecessor. It does have it’s own charms, but no, that’s not right.
11 - “The Tears I Cried,” The Glitter Band
The fifth Top Ten for the creep at #13’s sometime backup was this bit of breakup glam-pop. Not the strongest entry in the genre.
10 - “A Little Love and Understanding,” Gilbert Becaud
Frenchman Becaud (whose birth surname, I’m not kidding, was “Silly”) has been electrifying audiences at home for two decades before scoring his only Brit hit with this charming Gallic croon meant to inspire optimism in the listener. It worked on me. I’m tempted to hear more of him.
9 - “Take Good Care Of Yourself,” The Three Degrees
The second Top Ten for the Philly soul trio was this bit of sumptuous disco asking a lover to practice good self-care between rendezvous. Well, since they asked so nicely...
8 - “Bye Bye Baby,” Bay City Rollers
The Rollers’ first #1 was a cover of a 1965 Four Seasons hit. It makes me want to hear Frankie and the boys.
7 - “The Night,” Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
Oh hey, there they are. This was recorded in 1972, but it didn’t hit here until it became hit on the clearly influential Northern Soul scene. It’s actually funky, and features Frankie warning a girl not to give herself to the wrong guy. I’m on record disparaging much of their 70s output, but this is very good, and belongs with their best 60s moments.
6 - “Let Me Try Again,” Tammy Jones
Welshwoman Jones had been recording and performing predominantly in her native language for a decade when England finally discovered her through Opportunity Knocks. Her run in that show led to her one big hit, a cover of a song co-written by Paul Anka and recorded by Frank Sinatra two years earlier. It’s that kind of big, let’s give it another go ballad, and she belts it quite proficiently. But it’s quite a bit short of being a standout.
5 - “Honey,” Bobby Goldsboro
The Floridian’s 1968 tearjerker was on its second run to #2 here. It caught me at the wrong or right time this time, because I teared up a little. Damn you Goldsboro!
4 - “Hurt So Good,” Susan Cadogan
Jamaican Cadogan had her biggest hit with a reggae cover of Millie Jackson’s 1971 hit about a relationship that’s worth the moments of misery. Well done, although the amount of misery described in the song could be seen as unhealthy
3 - “Stand By Your Man,” Tammy Wynette
Speaking of songs that can be interpreted as questionable advice, here’s the 1969 country classic by Mississippi-born Virginia Pugh, finally released here and on its way to the top. I think the song is more good relationship guidance for both sexes rather than a call for women to take whatever shit their man gives them, but I can see given the charged atmosphere of the times how it could be seen as retrograde scolding.
2 - “Loving You,” Minnie Riperton
This ballad best remebered for those high notes was a #1 in the States, a #2 here, and a #3 in Canada. There should be a name for that. I’ll call it a Pinfall, like in wrestling. One...two...three. Ding Ding Ding! No, I’ll call it a Dinger instead.
And your 43-year-old Number One is.
1 - “Oh Boy,” Mud
The third band last #1 for the Carshalton glam era was this cover of Buddy Holly’s 1958 teen romance raveup. They slow it down and have a woman do a sultry spoken-word break. It doesn’t work for me.
There you go. Next time: the tournament returns.
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