Squaring the circle.
20 - "Leap Up and Down (Wave Your Knickers in the Air)," St. Cecilia
Another project of impresario Jonathan King was this silly novelty encouraging women to divest themselves of clothing and oscillate their unmentionables while jumping. Of course therefore kazoo on it. An artifact from the culture that brought us Benny Hill and the Carry On films, made uncomfortable by the creepiness of its mastermind.
19 - "Nathan Jones," The Supremes
The ladies' third post-Diana Top Ten here was this declaration from a woman who'd fed up waiting for the man who left her to return. A worthy effort, but I'd be disingenuous if I said Miss Ross wasn't missed.
18 - "Heartbreak Hotel /Hound Dog," Elvis Presley
A reissue of two of his most iconic hits: the bluesy loneliness lament and the rollicking cover of a Big Mama Thornton R&B tune. Two indisputably great records that would have made him a legend even if he'd never recorded another note.
17 - "Did You Ever," Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
Frank's daughter and the eccentric country songwriter who was her frequently duet partner went to #2 here with this track where a couple tiptoes around their issues by interrupting each other before they can finish their sentences. Hazlewood was one of the cleverest lyricists in any genre, and he and Nancy had a unique chemistry. I'm reminded again that I need to take a deep dive into Lee's catalogue at some point.
16 - "We Will," Gilbert O'Sullivan
Ol' Gil's third hit was this narrative about a family coping with some indefinite tragedy by looking forward to a time when they can return to the normal rhythms of life. Beautifully heartrending. Plus, it introduced me to the British term "bagsy," which apparently is equivalent to calling "dibs." It's seeming more and more to me like he was a much better artist before Capone Again (Naturally)" made him huge.
15 - "Won't Get Fooled Again," The Who
The eighth Top Ten for Rog, Pete, John and Keith was this now-ubiquitous rocker about how seismic change all seems to end up looking the same in the end. Hard to argue with that. The new boss always morphs into a facsimile of the old boss, don't you think?
14 - "Move on Up," Curtis Mayfield
The soul legend's first solo hit here was this propulsive call to perseverance. It moves the heart, the mind, the soul, and the ass. A singular accomplishment for most, but just one bloom in Curtis' bouquet of soul genius.
13 - "Tom Tom Turnaround," New World
The only Top Ten for these Australians was this folk-popper about a guy who doesn't have a great track record of knowing a good relationship when he's in one. You can go ahead and pass this one by.
12 - "Back Street Luv," Curved Air
The only hit single for this London prog outfit was this track about a lady who is either manipulating or manipulated by men. I can't tell which. But it's a song that I want to listen to enough times to find out.
11 - "Bangla Desh," George Harrison
George's second solo hit was this call to action for people to help in the relief efforts for the newly independent nation that at the time was ravaged by war and natural disaster. Both the song and the subsequent all-star benefit concert were very effective in raising money and awareness, but in this case, the song isn't just an afterthought to the cause, It holds up with the best of his output.
10 - "Get it On," T. Rex
Their second Number One, and their defining hit. It walks the line between sleazy and pet-friendly as well as any song ever has, Don your hubcap diamond star halo and your cloak full of eagles, if you got 'em.
9 - "Devil's Answer," Atomic Rooster
The second and biggest answer from the radioactive cocksmen was this somewhat ominous rocker about the search for the truth of good and evil, or something like that. More Deep Purple than Black Sabbath, but still worth crowing about.
8 - "It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move," Carole King
The double-sided smash from the songwriting legend's breakthrough Tapestry LP topped the North American charts, but only reached #6 here. No shame in that though, and I don't think anyone is denying that the breakup lament and the earthy declaration of sexual desire is one of the greatest one-two punches ever squeezed on to one seven-inch slab of vinyl.
7 - "Soldier Blue," Buffy Sainte-Marie
The Saskatchewan-born Native American singer-songwriter scored a Top Ten here with the title song to a film that depicted an 1864 massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people in what was then the Colorado Territory. It's a passionate argument that colonialism is against the laws of nature. How much her North American commercial prospects were undermined by organized blacklisting cannot be quantified, but from this sample alone, it's clear she had what it took to reach a wider audience in her prime.
6 - "Let Your Yeah be Yeah," The Pioneers
The second and biggest U.K. hit for this Jamaican trio was this Jimmy Cliff composition about wanting straight answers. Smooth, accessible pop-reggae like this was one of the defining differences between the American and British pop charts for nearly two decades. And the former was poorer for it.
5 - "What Are You Doing Sunday," Dawn
Tony and the ladies again, this time with a track that fell short of the Top Ten in North America but was their second Top Five here. It's an impractical impromptu marriage proposal, but it has a charm that makes me overlook that and side with the Brits regarding its worthiness.
4 - "In My Own Time," Family
This Leicester band's biggest hit was this rock tune about not being in a hurry to seek meaning in life. It's a bit distracting in the moments where the singer sounds like a bleating sheep, but outside of that, decent enough hippie fodder.
3 - "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me," The Tams
Northern Soul strikes again, as it was that scene that elevated this Atlanta group's 1964 R&B hit to #1. It's a nicely grooving rejection of a woman with an, um, flirtatious reputation. I don't know if the group's propensity to wear tam o'shanter hats on stage contributed to the song's success here, but it can't have hurt.
2 - "Never Ending Song of Love," The New Seekers
The London pop outfit had their first hit with this cover of a recent American hit for Delaney and Bonnie. A catchy tune, but this version is overly flowery and gimmicky. And like the original, it does end. Maybe that's what denied it the top spot. No one wanted to reward lying with a #1.
1 - "I'm Still Waiting," Diana Ross
Despite flopping in the States, Miss Ross' sixth solo single became her first chart topper here. It's slick soul-pop about a woman who has never been able to find someone who she loves as much as her childhood crush. She conveys the sadness and frustration well. I have no idea how America could have turned away from this. It's easily better than "Ain't No Mountain High Enough. It's also the closest either she or her former group got to recapturing Supremacy after they went their separate ways.
Next time, the Uneasy Riders of the 1980s begin their quest to find out which song is the uniquely of the unique, the differentest of the different, the WTFest of the WTF. Yes, the new tournament is about to begin. Join me then.
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