20 - “Misty,” Ray Stevens
The novelty man got to #2 with a country-pop cover of the Johnny Mathis hit Jessica Walter kept asking Clint Eastwood to play in that movie. It’s a snappy surprise.
19 - “Action,” Sweet
The glam standard-bearers reject haters and hangers-on. The violin opening is fantastic, and it stays that good throughout.
18 - “Dolly My Love,” The Moments
Slick love disco from the Washington soul-funk outfit on their second Top Ten. Glad it got the hit status their countrymen wouldn’t give them,
17 - “Rollin’ Stone,” David Essex
In his homeland, Essex kept rocking on with his fifth Top Ten, this lurching groove about being a sexy drifter. The instrumental break in the middle might be a little too orchestrated, but otherwise, this is high-quality glam.
16 - “Blanket on the Ground,” Billie Jo Spears
Texas native Spears didn’t become successful until her 30s, but she had a solid decade of hits on the country charts. Her only #1 on that chart was also her first of two Top Tens here. It’s a spirited tune about a woman inviting her husband to make love with her outdoors like they did when they were younger. Very good stuff.
15 - “New York City,” T. Rex
Bolan’s boys were past their commercial prime, but they could still go Top Twenty with a song that does little more than give us the image of a woman from the Big Apple “with a frog in her hand.” Is it an artistic statement, or a throwaway? Hard to say. But I don’t think much of it.
14 - “The Last Farewell,” Roger Whittaker
The Kenyan-born Britain’s old-timey ballad of love and war. Made for drunk 2 am karaoke. I don’t think it works in any other context.
13 - “It’s Been So Long,” George McCrae
The last British Top Ten for the man behind the Triple Crown-winning “Rock Your Baby.” This is more soul than disco, which is probably why it only hit here.
12 - “Sherry,” Adrian Baker
The Londoner’s only solo hit was this carbon copy cover of the 1962 Beach Boys hit. He even does his best Frankie Valli impressions. Later, with his studio project Gidea Park, he would cash in on the medley craze with strings of hits by both The Four Seasons and the Beach Boys, and his proficiency at aping the latter would actually land him a spot in their touring band.
11 - “I Write the Songs,” David Cassidy
Before Barry Manilow lied, David recorded this deception, which at least was produced by the tune’s actual author, Bruce Johnston. Dave does okay, but it’s not hard to see why Cassidymania was coming to an end.
Ten for you.
10 - “Tears on My Pillow,” Johnny Nash
Not a cover of the 1958 Little Anthony doo-wop standard, but an original reggae number about loneliness. Okay. It’s still a surprise that this, and not “I Can See Clearly Now,” was his only U.K. #1.
9 - “Je T’aime...Moi Non Plus,” Judge Dread
The Judge’s second and last Top Ten was this sorta-cover of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s 1969 heavy breathing exercise. In this one, Dread meets a woman who sexily removes his boot, before revealing that...she is a he! Oh no. Yeah, this one doesn’t hold up as well as some of his other naughty bits. I will not be listening to this again.
8 - “Delilah,” The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
The biggest hit for this Scottish band was a hard rock cover of the singalong tale of infidelity and murder popularized by Tom Jones. Enthusiastically performed, but it seems that their original material was much more interesting. I’ll have to give it a listen.
7 - “Sealed with a Kiss/Ginny Come Lately,” Brian Hyland
A reissue of two 1962 hits by the New York bubblegum popster. First is a ballad about a boy pledging to stay in contact with his girlfriend during their summer separation. The B is a waltzy pop tune about fast-developing romance. There is a reason why the A is much better known. It wrings all the drama possible from puppy love. I’d like the B better if Ginny were clad in some sort of revealing, distinctly decorated swimsuit.
6 - “It’s in His Kiss,” Linda Lewis
The West Ham lady’s biggest hit was this disco cover of Betty Everett’s shoop shooping 1964 it. Her voice is too annoyingly high for me to love this so.
5 - “Jive Talkin’,” The Bee Gees
Maybe the most egregious of Britain’s Triple Crown blocks. Okay, I’m sure the new direction was a shock, but come on. Never has there been a greater funk emanating from an unlikelier source.
4 - “If You Think You Know How to Love Me,” Smokie
The band’s first hit was this song about desperate young lovers on the run. It’s like Seals and Crofts covering Springsteen. There’s a good song there, but I don’t believe it in this arrangement.
3 - “I Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love),” The Stylistics
The Philly soul crew topped this chart for the only time with this sumptuous disco-soul track about being poor and in love. On this, they give plenty. Shame if flopped across the pond.
2 - “Give a Little Love,” The Bay City Rollers
The boyish Scots got their second #1 was this workmanlike rock ballad. I get why it worked for the teenybopper fanbase at the time, but it doesn’t hold up like many of their other, peppier hits.
And your #1 back then was..
1 - “Barbados,” Typically Tropical
White British dudes Jeff Calvert and Max West had their biggest success as a band with this reggae-pop tune about dreaming of flying off to the Caribbean on “Coconut Airlines.” There’s even an accented pilot joyously guiding you through a plane’s approach to Bridgetown airport. Silly escapism. Calvert and West would make one more impact on the charts later in the decade by writing the immortal “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper.”
Back to Canada next time. See you soon.
Ten for you.
10 - “Tears on My Pillow,” Johnny Nash
Not a cover of the 1958 Little Anthony doo-wop standard, but an original reggae number about loneliness. Okay. It’s still a surprise that this, and not “I Can See Clearly Now,” was his only U.K. #1.
9 - “Je T’aime...Moi Non Plus,” Judge Dread
The Judge’s second and last Top Ten was this sorta-cover of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s 1969 heavy breathing exercise. In this one, Dread meets a woman who sexily removes his boot, before revealing that...she is a he! Oh no. Yeah, this one doesn’t hold up as well as some of his other naughty bits. I will not be listening to this again.
8 - “Delilah,” The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
The biggest hit for this Scottish band was a hard rock cover of the singalong tale of infidelity and murder popularized by Tom Jones. Enthusiastically performed, but it seems that their original material was much more interesting. I’ll have to give it a listen.
7 - “Sealed with a Kiss/Ginny Come Lately,” Brian Hyland
A reissue of two 1962 hits by the New York bubblegum popster. First is a ballad about a boy pledging to stay in contact with his girlfriend during their summer separation. The B is a waltzy pop tune about fast-developing romance. There is a reason why the A is much better known. It wrings all the drama possible from puppy love. I’d like the B better if Ginny were clad in some sort of revealing, distinctly decorated swimsuit.
6 - “It’s in His Kiss,” Linda Lewis
The West Ham lady’s biggest hit was this disco cover of Betty Everett’s shoop shooping 1964 it. Her voice is too annoyingly high for me to love this so.
5 - “Jive Talkin’,” The Bee Gees
Maybe the most egregious of Britain’s Triple Crown blocks. Okay, I’m sure the new direction was a shock, but come on. Never has there been a greater funk emanating from an unlikelier source.
4 - “If You Think You Know How to Love Me,” Smokie
The band’s first hit was this song about desperate young lovers on the run. It’s like Seals and Crofts covering Springsteen. There’s a good song there, but I don’t believe it in this arrangement.
3 - “I Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love),” The Stylistics
The Philly soul crew topped this chart for the only time with this sumptuous disco-soul track about being poor and in love. On this, they give plenty. Shame if flopped across the pond.
2 - “Give a Little Love,” The Bay City Rollers
The boyish Scots got their second #1 was this workmanlike rock ballad. I get why it worked for the teenybopper fanbase at the time, but it doesn’t hold up like many of their other, peppier hits.
And your #1 back then was..
1 - “Barbados,” Typically Tropical
White British dudes Jeff Calvert and Max West had their biggest success as a band with this reggae-pop tune about dreaming of flying off to the Caribbean on “Coconut Airlines.” There’s even an accented pilot joyously guiding you through a plane’s approach to Bridgetown airport. Silly escapism. Calvert and West would make one more impact on the charts later in the decade by writing the immortal “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper.”
Back to Canada next time. See you soon.
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