Imma let me finish.
20 - “How Much Love,” Leo Sayer
Leo’s seventh Top Ten was this bit of discoey blandness. It reminded me of The Little River Band, which is never a good thing. It sounds like carefully constructed product, which more often than not ends up not being the slightest bit meaningful or interesting.
19 - “Lonely Boy,” Andrew Gold
Gold’s tale of a neglected older child was a Top Ten in North America, and a #11 here. It’s all right, but Britain was wiser than their former colonies when they made “Never Let Her Slip Away” a bigger hit. So to the U.K. I say, thank you for being a friend...to good musical taste.
18 - “When,” Showaddywaddy
The second of seven straight Top Fives for the Teddy Boy revivalists was this cover of a 1958 hit by twins Harold and Herbert Kalin. Their usual watered-down doo-wop. The coolest thing about them remains the name of their drummer, Romeo Challenger.
17 - “Solsbury Hill,” Peter Gabriel
The debut solo single from the Genesis exile was this loping folkie about moving on to a new stage in life. It still retains its beauty and poignancy. It battles “Games Without Frontiers” for the title of my Gabriel favourite.
16 - “Lay Back in the Arms of Someone,” Smokie
These guys again, this time with a simple country-rock love song. Not overly ambitious or sappy, just a song that would sound good on a radio. Which makes it great, by their standards.
15 - “Gimmie Some,” Brendon
Brit Brendon Dunning’s only hit was this dance record than is basically disco filtered through the Bay City Rollers. It gets nothing from me.
14 - “I Wanna Get Next to You,” Rose Royce
The second big hit for the “Car Wash” crew was this ballad about wanting a woman who may not want you. Lush and lovely soul for a group whose influence and reputation seems to grow all the time.
13 - “I Don’t Want to Talk About It/The First Cut is the Deepest,” Rod Stewart
Another look at Rod’s double-sided Number One. Again, it’s a great one-two punch, but contrary to the label, it’s the A-side that cuts the deepest.
12 - “Whodunnit,” Tavares
The third Top Five for the former Chubby and the Turnpikes was this bouncy soul call for a roll call of literary, television, and film detectives to find out who stole the singer’s girlfriend. Catchy tune, good gimmick, nothing but listening pleasure. If I were Ironside, I would not let it slide.
11 - “Oh Boy (The Mood I’m In),” Brotherhood of Man
More goo-pop from these people, in the form of their defanging of this song about a woman searching the night for the straying father of her baby. ABBA could do this same arrangement but make you feel the song. This lot might as well be singing about cuddling kittens.
10 - “Sunny,” Boney M
The M hit the Top Five here with this cover of the 1966 Bobby Hebb hit. The song doesn’t work as well in disco as it did in folk-pop, but it still has some appeal. It’s really hard not to like these guys.
9 - “Pearl’s a Singer,” Elkie Brooks
The Lancashirewoman’s breakthrough hit was this song that legendary songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller wrote in 1974 for never-weres Dino and Sembello. The bluesy tale of a woman who falls short of the big time is an ideal showcase for Brooks’ voice. It must not have been pushed very well in North America, because that’s the only reason I can think of for why this didn’t hit over here. It’s right in the Rod Stewart/Bonnie Tyler sweet spot.
8 - “Going in with My Eyes Open,” David Soul
Hutch’s second hit is pretty much a rewrite of “Don’t Give Up on Us Baby.” It hit #2, so persistent pays, don’t fix what ain’t broke, all that stuff.
7 - “You Don’t Have to be a Star (To Be in My Show),” Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
The married, former Fifth Dimensioneers had a North American #1 with this sweet disco love song about acceptance. It only got this high here. I’m satisfied that 1-1-7 was the right outcome.
6 - “Have I the Right,” Dead End Kids
From Kilmarnock, these Scots tried to pick up where the Bay City Rollers left off, and it did net them one hit in this cover of a 1964 Honeycombs song. They sound enthusiastic enough, and it’s a pleasant listen, but you forget all about them before the song even finishes fading out.
5 - “I Don’t Want to Put a Hold on You,” Berni Flint
This ex-Navy sailor from Southport is another graduate of the talent show Opportunity Knocks, and his first and biggest hit was this nice folk number about taking romance casually. I like it, even though it’s a bit derivative of David Carradine’s “I’m Easy.”
4 - “Sir Duke,” Stevie Wonder
His tribute to the legends of jazz was #1 in the States, #2 here and in Canada. That’s more of an injustice than it appears. Stevie should have all the crowns for Songs in the Key of Life. That was a mic drop that still echoes four decades later.
3 - “Free,” Deneice Williams
One of the other famous singers from Gary, Indiana, Williams first hit was a minor Top 40 in North America, but topped the chart here. Britain for the win. Brilliant bedroom soul.
2 - “Red Light Spells Danger,” Billy Ocean
Billy’s second #2 was this dramatic, Four Tops-y number about restrained lust. I was prepared to be disappointed in this compared to the greatness of “Love Really Hurts Without You,” but this measures up quite favourably. He was clearly the best British soul had to offer at the time.
And at #1 42 years ago was...
1 - “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” ABBA
Their fourth #1 here, and possibly their best. It’s definitely their hardest-rocking hit. It actually registers on the Headbangometer. Only a 0.3, but still. Combine that with the stark breakup lyric, and it’s one of the prime examples of their genius. Canada could have done better than #5, and the U.S.? 14! That’s an insult to Swedish craftsmanship.
We’re back to the tournament next time, seeing how sweet the 16 remaining songs can be. See you then.
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