Rock

A brilliant pop song in the informative publication, 'You Are A Tube!'

The author Gary Watton — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:32:47 GMT

All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey (1994)
Yes you can argue that it is a Christmas song which is best discarded with the tree and the decorations, and only allowed to emerge for several weeks each year. Well, the truth is that this is a great pop song and an equally good love song from a young lady who became North America’s latest singing sensation in the 1990s.

This song is so Awesome I love it so much =] [bethann3161]
author: Hey thanks, dude.

When I was listening to this I got a txt from my crush asking me out! [wctrojans1]

All i want for christmas is youu Mr. Certain-Flute-player-that-sits-next-tome-in-band-that-ive-liked-for-over-a-year -333 [GrelSebastianluv098]

mariah carey is truly amazing ;D i absolutely love her, [bloodkiller33]

My boyfriend made my Christmas extra special after I shared this song with him . [blackdragoness21]

I luv this song during winter I went on utube wth my touch and listen to this song everyday well almost everyday and I luv it on Chrismas I listened to it all day and I’m Gunna keep listing to this I luv this song it’s the best I luv mareih carney she’s the best I have the same voice as her and a Christina anguliar high pitch and alot of ppz pisten to this not only on Chrismas but Chrismas and new year is the best time to listen to this bcz zitz a holiday song [misspunkgummy16]

All i want for Christmas is YOU! Great [vera11031978]

well…..im listening to this song on December 35!!!! BAM!! im such a rebel….. [cynthiaroxmysox99]

everytime this song comes on the radio, my closest cousin and I call each other and go “our song is playing!!!!!” because one Christmas, me and my three cousins sang this song for our family. <3 <3 <3 [saxophonegirl101]

This is the perfect Christmas song for lovers [victor90787]

Erase You

lisabianco — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:26:48 GMT

Breakin

lisabianco — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:25:31 GMT

Big City Lights

lisabianco — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:23:22 GMT

She's My Angel

Ray Whitlock — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 03:51:24 GMT

Wrote for my wife and daughter, by Corey Barker and Ray Whitlock

December tracks from 'The Song For Today' by Jimmie Oliver; £9.99

The author Gary Watton — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:34:46 GMT

DECEMBER 1ST

Riders On The Storm by The Doors (1971)

from the album L.A. Woman

'L.A. Woman' was the last project that Jim Morrison and his Doors completed before the lizard king's mysterious death in Paris several months later. The album has many items that deserve attention. The title track is clearly a highlight of the group's entire catalogue, while the blues of 'Been Down So Long' is equally impressive. However, the show is stolen by the final two items: 'The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)' and the marvel that is 'Riders On The Storm'. The latter includes the lashing of rainfall as a sound effect along with thunder to complement the awesome music. It was entirely fitting that the final piece on the last product of the brief but eventful career of Jim Morrison should be 'Riders On The Storm'. One witness and willing accomplice in the storm that was Morrison was an LA man, John Densmore, who drummed for one of the west coast's greatest acts. Densmore was born this day back in 1944.

{Also on this day, the people of Ukraine vote for independence from the USSR in 1991}

DECEMBER 2ND

Night Fever by The Bee Gees (1977)

from the album Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Soundtrack

I have just been privileged enough to hear this song on the radio a few hours prior to writing this. The Gibb brothers emerged from a relatively barren spell with the hits, 'How Deep Is Your Love' and 'Jive Talkin', and it was their presence on the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack that catapulted them to new heights. 'Night Fever' is one of the outstanding dance-floor tunes of pop history. Reinforced by an excellent orchestral accompaniment, this single occupied the highest perch on the Billboard chart for a mere eight weeks. British record buyers were no less impressed and helped the group return to Number One for the first time in ten years. It is the kind of item that ought to be played alone behind closed doors, whereupon the listener takes to the living room floor and moves their body accordingly. On this day in 1976, the Bee Gees played a gig at Madison Square Garden and then donated the proceeds to a fund for New York police officers.

{Also on this date, in 1988 Benazir Bhutto takes office as Pakistan's Prime Minister}

DECEMBER 3RD

Running Away by Bob Marley And The Wailers (1978)

from the album Kaya

On this date in 1976, gunmen entered the home of Bob Marley at 56 Hope Road, Kingston, in Jamaica and attempted to assassinate the reggae superstar. The singer's apparent allegiance to one of the two rival political parties may have resulted in representatives from the other warring faction trying to silence him. Rumours persisted thereafter about the identity of the culprits and their motives, but Marley escaped with minor injuries and soon appeared defiantly at the Smile Jamaica concert. Nevertheless, Marley was obliged to flee into temporary exile in London and Miami until the 'heat' of the Jamaican political climate had cooled down. Whilst abroad, the legend recorded the popular 'Exodus' and 'Kaya' albums. The latter yielded the track 'Running Away' in which the composer mocks himself for abandoning his native land. The words of this song remain powerful for any listener who is running away instead of confronting personal demons. Marley eventually returned in April 1978 in triumph, when he united Jamaica's two rival political leaders at the One Love peace concert.

{Also on this day, war erupts as India invades East Pakistan in 1971}

DECEMBER 4TH

Please Let Me Wonder by The Beach Boys (1965)

from the album The Beach Boys Today

Born this day in 1944, Dennis Wilson was the only genuine 'beach boy' in that he was the only member of America's most famous singing family who actually negotiated the waves as a surfer. 20 years later and the group were starting to slowly withdraw from their surfing sound in favour of more moody and sensitive pop songs. One example is the superb 'Please Let Me Wonder', which could have sat very comfortably amongst the assembled brilliance that was the 'Pet Sounds' album of the following year. The oldest of the Wilson brothers was Brian. He was socially gauche but musically gifted, the polar opposite of Dennis. The gift that was Brian's voice is a major blessing on this obscure gem.

{Also on this date, in 1991 the US hostage Terry Anderson is freed after 7 years in Beirut}

DECEMBER 5TH

Seven O' Clock News/Silent Night by Simon And Garfunkel (1966)

from the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Few recordings in popular music can attain jaw-dropping status, but this powerful piece does precisely that. Whilst the duo plough through a semi-silent version of 'Silent Night', a news announcer reveals the bad happenings that afflicted that particular day (believed to be August 3rd 1966). Mention is made of the death of the comedian Lenny Bruce from an overdose of narcotics, whilst the listener's attention is drawn to the running sore of the Vietnam War, with the yet to be disgraced Richard Nixon reportedly claiming that opposition to the conflict was the greatest single weapon working against the United States. The standout news item refers to the indictment of the serial nurse killer, Richard Speck in Chicago. Whilst Simon and Garfunkel sing "sleep in heavenly peace", the contrast with the turbulent news bulletin is very noticeable. On this day in 1991, the notorious Speck died, one day shy of his fiftieth birthday.

[Also on this day, the Argentinian military junta is dissolved in 1983}

DECEMBER 6TH

It's Over by Roy Orbison (1964)

from the album More Of Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits

Today's tune is highly appropriate, given that the life of the Big O, Roy Orbison, ended on this date in 1988 in Tennessee after a massive heart attack. 'It's Over' was the second and arguably the best of Orbison's three British Number Ones of the 'sixties. The song's theme of the end of a love affair was characteristic of Orbison's subject matter from other such sad tunes as 'Crying' and 'Only The Lonely'. Orbison had been previously engaged in the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, but now at the age of fifty-two, it was indeed over for this particular Wilbury.

{Also on this date, the Altamont music festival descends into chaos in 1969]

DECEMBER 7TH

Time by Tom Waits (1985)

from the album Raindogs

The singer and songwriter Tom Waits is very much an acquired taste. Take for instance one of his major albums, 'Raindogs'. The items are an exercise in gritty realism, based on low-life characters for whom there is no happy ending. Such was the lack of sunshine in his output that he would never be regarded as 'easy listening'. For a man whose commercial appeal appeared to rest between nil and zero, Waits reaped the royalties when Rod Stewart converted 'Downtown Train' into a smash hit. A particular favourite of mine from the aforementioned long player is 'Time'. I recently chanced upon another cover of a Waits tune when the blonde chanteuse Xanda Howe completed a decent attempt at 'Time'. This day in 1949 was the 'time' when young Thomas Alan Waits appeared on planet earth for the first time, in California.

{Also on this day, in 1997 the Scottish footballer Billy Bremner dies, aged 54}

DECEMBER 8TH

Love by John Lennon (1970)

from the album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

If December 7th is a date of infamy in American history, then December 8th 1980 has a notoriety of its own. Late on that winter's evening when John and Yoko Lennon returned to the Dakota building in New York from the recording studio, Mark Chapman stepped forth and shot dead his hero from whom he had obtained an autograph earlier in the day. Although Lennon was no saint by any stretch of the imagination, it was incredibly ironic that the author of such anthems as 'All You Need Is Love' and 'Give Peace A Chance' should be violently gunned down. A decade earlier, John's solo debut album with his Plastic Ono Band contained memorable pieces, such as 'Working Class Hero', 'Mother', and 'God'. It is the project in which the ex-Beatle, under the influence of primal therapy, bares his soul to the world. The long player also yielded the supremely beautiful 'Love'. Armed merely with a piano and simple but effective lyrics, Lennon touches the soul. Sometimes the best songs are simple ones. Ten years later and one of the greatest icons of the 20th century was dead at the age of forty.

{Also on this date, Greek voters in 1974 choose to abolish their monarchy}

DECEMBER 9TH

I'm The Urban Spaceman by The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (1968)

from the album Tadpoles

Their oddball repertoire and explorations of English eccentricity meant that it was always going to be an uphill struggle to take the Bonzos too seriously, but the outfit did have the last laugh when the Paul McCartney-produced 'I'm The Urban Spaceman' landed in the Top Five towards the end of the 'sixties. One such urban spaceman, Neil Innes, was born on this date in 1944 in Essex. Innes went on to deliver musical contributions for his buddies in Monty Python's Flying Circus, culminating in the establishment of a mock Beatles group, called the Rutles, in which Innes and Eric Idle offered their own take on Beatlemania (with George Harrison's blessing), producing such spoof efforts as 'All You Need Is Cash'. Cash was temporarily plentiful after the success of the 'urban spaceman' one-hit wonder.

{Also on this day, in 1990 Lech Walesa won the Polish Presidential election}

DECEMBER 10TH

(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding (1968)

from the album The Dock Of The Bay

Here is another dark day in which 'the music died', this time for the premier soul artist, Otis Redding. Redding followed the likes of Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline, and Jim Reeves in having his life terminated by an aeroplane catastrophe, when he crashed into Lake Monona in Wisconsin, aged only 26. For those who subscribe to the theory that death can be a very good career move, evidence is apparent from this tale, as Redding's posthumous single, '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay' sat on the summit of the American hit parade for four weeks, a feat that Redding could not achieve whilst alive, in spite of many admirable recordings.

{Also on this date, Raul Alfonsin becomes Argentina's President in 1983}

DECEMBER 11TH

Wonderful World by Sam Cooke (1960)

available on the album The Best Of Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke was yet another rock 'n' roll fatality, when he was shot dead on this day in 1964, at the age of thirty-three, in Los Angeles. Cooke's violent death is a grim reminder of the shadowy undercurrent that lurks beyond the silky songs and glitter of the music business. Whatever the soul singer's private life amounted to, he at least bequeathed music listeners with the simple love song, 'Wonderful World', which was later covered by Otis Redding on 'Otis Blue'. Cooke's version made a belated appearance in the British Top Three in early 1986.

{Also on this day, in 1994 Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya}

DECEMBER 12TH

Nutbush City Limits by Ike & Tina Turner (1973)

from the album Nutbush City Limits

On this day in 2007 it was Ike Turner's 'turn' to breathe his last, at the ripe old age of seventy-six. Ike was himself no stranger to controversy, and it would be a diplomatic understatement to record that Ike and Tina Turner had a tempestuous and turbulent love affair. However, there were a couple of notable occasions when their chemistry in the recording studio produced musical fireworks. Firstly in the mid-'sixties, the couple recorded 'River Deep - Mountain High' which its producer Phil Spector regarded as his ultimate 'wall of sound' effort. From the spectre of Spector, the Turners bounced back in 1973 with the majestic rocker, 'Nutbush City Limits', written by Tina about her home town. It is clearly one of the highlights of the 1970s and if you don't yet own a copy, it's time that you did.

{Also on this date, Rhodesia is to be re-named as Zimbabwe in 1979}

DECEMBER 13TH

Marquee Moon by Television (1977)

from the album Marquee Moon

We remain on the other side of the 'big pond' for the fourth successive day and pay homage to one of the great punk (or 'new wave') classics, 'Marquee Moon'. Assisted by a fine introduction, this track appears rather repetitive, but when you have a good riff, then why wander off on another direction? The composer of this work of art was Tom Verlaine, who was born on this date back in 1949 in the state of New Jersey. Originally called Thomas Miller, the guitarist and singer re-named himself in honour of the French poet, Paul Verlaine.

{Also on this day, in 1981 General Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland}

DECEMBER 14TH

Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus by Jane Birkin And Serge Gainsbourg (1969)

from the album Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg

1969 had its fair share of novelty records, with the success of 'Sugar Sugar' by the Archies (a non-existent group), 'In The Year 2525' by Zager And Evans, 'Two Little Boys' by that ultimate rock 'n' roller Rolf Harris which was the Christmas chart-topper, and not forgetting the brilliant one-hit wonder, 'Something In The Air' by Thunderclap Newman. However, surpassing all of these offerings was the autumnal smash, 'Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus', written by Serge Gainsbourg. For the liberated 'yoof', this song with its heavy breathing (which left little to the imagination) was an amusing giggle, whilst to the older generation (and particularly the broadcasting censors) this tune was an outrage, incurring the wrath of the Vatican! Few recordings appeared to create such a generation gap as this hugely listenable declaration of love. One of the two love birds (or culprits) Jane Birkin (an actress by profession) was born this day in 1946 in London.

{Also on this date, 12 states, including fascist Spain, join the United Nations in 1955}

DECEMBER 15TH

Guns Of Brixton by The Clash (1979)

from the album London Calling

Johnny Rotten may have scorned the Clash for attempting reggae tunes, but many others admired arguably the greatest punk and new wave band for demonstrating that reggae was something which not only could be appreciated by whites, but which could be performed by young white men. The rebellious Clash after all empathised with the Jamaican 'rude boys' who were defying the system, and the feeling was mutual. One such Clash composition was bass player Paul Simonon's 'Guns Of Brixton' from the highly regarded 'London Calling' double album. Simonon himself a gun (or should I say son) of Brixton was born on this date in 1955. It is Simonon's on-stage histrionics which are captured on photograph for the famous front cover of 'London Calling'.

{Also on this day, in 1961 Adolf Eichmann is sentenced to death in Jerusalem}

DECEMBER 16TH

I Have A Dream by Abba (1979)

available on the album The Singles: The First Ten Years

Abba could scarcely be further removed from the outlaws of the Clash, yet Sweden's greatest quartet achieved some semblance of street credibility when they invited their apparent polar opposites Led Zeppelin to record their new album, 'In Through The Out Door', at their Polar Studios in Scandinavia in 1978. Abba meanwhile could do no wrong in the British charts even if a few of their releases in 1979 stalled just short of the coveted top position. One of these was 'I Have A Dream' which brought the curtain down on the 1970s. This Christmas hit is a beautiful composition from the 'Voulez-Vous' album, and one of its authors, the bearded pianist Benny Andersson, was born on this day in 1946 in Stockholm. In tandem with Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny was a master at creating a commercial tune without compromising on quality. Perhaps the word genius should spring to mind.

{Also on this date, British and American air forces bomb Iraq in 1998}

DECEMBER 17TH

Cruel Summer by Bananarama (1983)

from the album Bananarama

The eye-catching trio of Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward first made a name for themselves with their collaborations with the Funboy Three which yielded hit singles, based on cover versions scarcely worthy of mention. They then deteriorated by joining the Stock/Aitken/Waterman assembly line of hits which guaranteed regular forays into the charts with even more fairly forgettable releases. However, there was one absolute treasure item in their time together, namely 'Cruel Summer', which appeared in 'The Karate Kid' movie. Blessed with a delicious jangling guitar, half-decent lyrics, and a magnificent rhythm, I would be bold enough to state here and now that 'Cruel Summer' ought to be short-listed for the accolade of the best pop song of all time, narrowly ahead of Cyndi Lauper's 'All Through The Night'. One of the banana ladies, Sara Dallin, came to life in Bristol on this date in 1961.

{Also on this day, in 1989 the first episode of The Simpsons is broadcast}

DECEMBER 18TH

Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones (1969)

from the album Let It Bleed

The opening track of 'Let It Bleed' is a truly stunning piece of work. 'Gimme Shelter' emerges with a menacing guitar intro from Keith Richards that can lay claim to be the greatest intro in popular music. Keef's opening contribution sets the tone for this brooding composition, during which Jagger sings that "rape is just a kiss away." The rest of 'Let It Bleed' is largely dark too, as the bad boys of pop unveil a sense of cynicism and negativity that demonstrates their disillusionment with the love and peace ideals of 'flower power'. Richards, who was born this day in 1943 in Dartford, was certainly not full of the joys of spring, having learned of his best friend's sexual conquest of his lover, Anita Pallenberg. Richards and Jagger recovered from this, as well as absorbing such blows as the death of Brian Jones, the near-fatal overdose of Marianne Faithfull, and the disastrous Altamont concert to confront the 'seventies with their defiant swagger. 'Let It Bleed' may not have many happy memories for the group, but with the likes of 'Gimme Shelter', it was a landmark album.

{Also on this date, the UK parliament votes in 1969 to permanently ban the death penalty}

DECEMBER 19TH

Draft Morning by The Byrds (1968)

from the album The Notorious Byrd Brothers

'The Notorious Byrd Brothers' is one of the very best long players of the 1960s. Its thirty-minute duration contains a box of delights, such as 'Tribal Gathering', 'Dolphin Smile', and 'Get To You'. Another fairly obscure track from the album is 'Draft Morning', which ought to be regarded as arguably the greatest anti-war song in pop history. Against the sound effects of machine gunfire, the Byrds sing of a reluctant soldier who is obliged to leave his "bed to kill instead/ Why should it happen?" The composition is simple but effective. You will not find it on the playlist of any recruiting officer. Before you naively fall for dreams of pretty uniforms and seeing the world, take a listen to this slice of brutal honesty. One of the Byrds, the drummer Michael Clarke, died of liver failure in Florida on this date in 1993, at the age of forty-seven.

{Also on this day, in 1983 the soccer Jules Rimet Trophy is stolen in Rio de Janeiro}

DECEMBER 20TH

Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin (1959)

available on the album Darin: 1936-1973

'Mack The Knife' was one of two British Number Ones for the American cabaret singer, Bobby Darin. This fabulous recording also received its just desserts from Uncle Sam, who appointed it to the top of the United States chart for a staggering nine weeks. It is easy to hear why, as this murderous tale is unquestionably one of the finest tunes from the 1950s. Bobby Darin (whose other UK chart-topper was the admirable 'Dream Lover') died at the age of only 37, on this day in 1973 in Los Angeles, after health problems arising out of a bad heart condition. Darin had no funeral as his body was donated to medical research.

{Also on this date, Spain's Prime Minister, Luis Carrero Blanco, is murdered by ETA in 1973}

DECEMBER 21ST

I Can Hear Music by The Beach Boys (1969)

from the album 20/20

Today is the anniversary of the birth in 1946 of the late Carl Dean Wilson. Carl was the youngest and almost certainly the most sensible of the three Wilson brothers, who were the very heartbeat of the Beach Boys. Carl (like oldest brother Brian) possessed the gift of a beautiful voice. He was after all entrusted with the lead vocal on the unforgettable 'God Only Knows' hit single from the 'Pet Sounds' album. As the wayward genius Brian became more erratic, Carl was required to fill this considerable void. One such impressive result was Carl's vocals on the Beach Boys' version of 'I Can Hear Music'. Needless to say but Carl and the rest of the 'boys' do tremendous justice to this Phil Spector pop song, which had been previously recorded by the Ronettes and later covered by a young Freddie Mercury.

{Also on this day, in 1988 a bomb on board a Pan Am flight explodes over Lockerbie}

DECEMBER 22ND

Bankrobber by The Clash (1980)

from the album Sandinista

'Bankrobber' was another reggae effort from the Clash. This hit single was one of the highlights of the group's triple album, 'Sandinista'. Joe Strummer and the gang were no lovers of what they perceived as a capitalist-dominated legal system, so it came as little surprise that the band should sing "Daddy was a bankrobber who never hurt nobody." After the Clash called time on their rebel rock, Strummer went on to have an association with the Pogues. However, this is a black day in the history of rock and pop, because Joe Strummer, the likeable rogue, died at the age of fifty, on this date in 2002, in Somerset, as a consequence of heart complications. Strummer's partner in crime, Mick Jones, once appropriately described Joe as the "salt of the earth."

{Also on this date, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate re-opens in 1989}

DECEMBER 23RD

Bring Your Daughter...To The Slaughter by Iron Maiden (1990)

from the album No Prayer For The Dying

The notorious heavy metal outfit Iron Maiden proved unlikely chart-toppers when their charming piece, 'Bring Your Daughter...To The Slaughter' hit Number One in the British chart in early 1991. It can hardly be regarded as the world's most commercial pop song, but these senior citizens of hard rock richly deserved their success after a plethora of recordings that spanned more than a decade. One of the combo, Dave Murray (the guitarist and songwriter), was born on this day back in 1958 in Edmonton, north-east London.

{Also on this day, the first human kidney transplant is performed in 1954 in the USA}

DECEMBER 24TH

Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues (featuring Kirsty MacColl) (1987)

from the album If I Should Fall From Grace With God

On this special day in the calendar, it is hard to ignore the memorable Christmas tune that opens with the line: "It was Christmas Eve, babe, in the drunk tank." The vocalist Shane MacGowan was no stranger to drunk tanks. Whilst his merry men offer their customary musical excellence, MacGowan stays sufficiently sober to swap lines with Kirsty MacColl, as the two take on the role of young lovers hoping for "a better time when all our dreams come true." Regrettably, the song had no fairytale ending, as Kirsty MacColl was killed in a boating accident thirteen years later, at the age of only forty-one.

{Also on this date, in 1951 Libya achieves its independence from Italy}

DECEMBER 25TH

Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid (1984)

available on the album The Best Christmas Album In The World...Ever!

Until the death of Princess Diana in August 1997, this colossus of a single was the United Kingdom's biggest-ever selling 45. I have to raise my hat to the celtic composers, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. The song actually sounds quite festive, yet the lyrics are arguably the most thought-provoking words to be translated into music. Assembling a cast of current pop favourites, including Bono, Boy George, Duran Duran, Sting, Wham, and Paul Young was also a masterstroke. Forget all the forgettable stuff about Santa Claus is coming to town. Here is the ultimate Christmas track in which the world of pop reminds the listener of a less fortunate world where Santa Claus was most certainly not coming. There is a legion of legends, myths, and true stories about the excesses and downright shameful behaviour of the agents of rock and pop, but 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' was one glorious occasion when the artists of pop world did themselves proud. For Christians, today is the Saviour's Day. Not even the Messiah, Jesus Christ, could fail to be impressed by Band Aid's well-intentioned response to the famine catastrophe in east Africa.

{Also on this day, the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu is executed in 1989}

DECEMBER 26TH

The Fool On The Hill by The Beatles (1967)

available on the album The Beatles' Ballads

On this day in 1967 a new Beatles hour-long film was screened for the first time on television. Entitled 'Magical Mystery Tour', the movie was certainly something of a mystery, even if the music remained magical. The reception to this premiere was so critical that Paul McCartney appeared on the box the following day to defend this apparent flop. One item that was totally devoid of criticism was McCartney's composition, ' The Fool On The Hill'. Has Macca ever penned anything better than this highlight from the 'Magical Mystery Tour EP'? Well, possibly 'The Long And Winding Road' is a close second. Ironically, Sir Paul loathed the fact that the famed American producer Phil Spector gave this acoustic number a wall of sound makeover, featuring an orchestra and a 'heavenly choir'. Paul may have resented the end product, but the rest of us beg to differ. Today also happens to be the date of birth of Spector in 1939 in New York.

{Also on this date, in 1999 soul singer Curtis Mayfield dies, aged fifty-seven}

DECEMBER 27TH

I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner (1984)

from the album Agent Provocateur

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Foreigner's frontman Mick Jones in 1944 in Surrey. Not to be confused with the guitarist from the Clash, Jones and his group had made some ripples with the singles, 'Cold As Ice' and 'Waiting For A Girl Like You', but their biggest splash came courtesy of the marvellous ballad, 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. Undoubtedly one of the greatest sad songs in pop history, this 45 deservedly occupied No.1 in the British hit parade in early 1985.

{Also on this day, the Ulster loyalist Billy Wright is killed by the INLA in 1997}

DECEMBER 28TH

Surf's Up by The Beach Boys (1971)

from the album Surf's Up

'Surf's Up' was originally recorded for inclusion on the ill-fated 'Smile' project, but it was one of the few items that was salvaged from the wreckage of that aborted venture and placed in the public domain several years later. Back in the fall of 1966 when Brian Wilson seemingly had the world at his feet, he performed a solo version of this opus for American television, with sand from the beach at his feet. The eventual release possesses a stunning outro of harmonies that brings the curtain down on this Van Dyke Parks collaboration with Brian. The end result is a clear candidate for the best album track in popular music. Meanwhile on this day in 1983, the group's wayward drummer, Dennis Wilson, dived off his boat at the Marina del Rey in California. He never surfaced again. He was only 39.

{Also on this date, in 1950 the Peak District is named as Britain's first National Park}

DECEMBER 29TH

Dance With The Devil by Cozy Powell (1973)

available on the album The Best Of Cozy Powell

Colin Flooks was born on this date back in 1947 in Gloucestershire. Colin who? Alternatively known as Cozy Powell, Mr.Flooks scored a most unlikely smash with the instrumental, 'Dance With The Devil'. Featuring a typically virtuoso drums performance from Powell, this Mickie Most-produced single contains a riff that sounds remarkably similar to Jimi Hendrix's 'Third Stone From The Sun'. Nevertheless, Cozy Powell gave service to a whole host of rock acts such as Rainbow, which confirmed that this Top Three single was no 'fluke' for Mr. Flooks.

{Also on this day, Vaclav Havel is elected as President of Czechoslovakia in 1989}

DECEMBER 30TH

Mr.Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra (1977)

from the album Out Of The Blue

The hugely talented Jeff Lynne was born in Birmingham a day after Cozy Powell. Lynne was the main songwriter for the Electric Light Orchestra. The group's greatest song, even surpassing 'Telephone Line', is almost certainly 'Mr.Blue Sky', a Jeff Lynne composition. This is one of those rare tunes that can prompt the listener to stop in their tracks and drink in this wondrous recording. It is quite remarkable that the mundane subject of the weather could form the background to this grandiose effort. I cannot help but feel that this item would have sat comfortably in the midst of the 'Sergeant Pepper' album, given this impressive fusion of rock group and orchestra. Lynne went on to 'travel' a decade later with the Wilburys: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. He was also hired to act as a producer when the three remaining Beatles re-convened in the mid-1990s. Having cultivated one of the finest pieces from the 1970s, Jeff Lynne was very much in demand. 'Mr.Blue Sky' was the integral part of a suite entitled, 'Concerto For A Rainy Day'.

{Also on this date, in 1965 Ferdinand Marcos becomes the President of the Philippines}

DECEMBER 31ST

I Feel Love by Donna Summer (1977)

from the album I Remember Yesterday

Of all the romantic songs and syrupy tunes that have populated pop world, the greatest love anthem is perhaps Donna Summer's chart-topper from the summer of 1977. Ably assisted by the Euro-disco dance rhythms generated by Giorgio Moroder's rumbling synthesizer sound, Summer (born on New Year's Eve in 1948) produces a near-orgasmic vocal performance. Without any doubt, this single represents not only one of the best disco tracks of all time, but it is one of the great British Number Ones of the much-maligned 'seventies.

{Also on this day, Boris Yeltsin resigns as the President of Russia in 1999}

1977 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:44:48 GMT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Guide-Music-1970s/dp/0955575656

The song of the month for January 1977

Isn’t She Lovely by David Parton (peak chart position: No.4)

Not to be confused with Dolly Parton, Mr. David Parton took hold of a Stevie Wonder composition and promptly escorted it into a lofty position in the British singles lists. Wonder had originally recorded the track for his highly acclaimed 1976 album ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’. The item was written to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha. Meanwhile David Parton (real name Des Parton) was enjoying his brief flirtation with fame, courtesy of this one-hit wonder. Having said that, he had previously written Sweet Sensation’s ‘Sad Sweet Dreamer’.

The song of the month for February 1977

Sound And Vision by David Bowie (peak chart position: No.3)

David Bowie made a welcome return to the UK Top Three, thanks to the repetitive, yet highly infectious ‘Sound And Vision’, which was a product of his ‘Low’ project. Bowie at this time had been laid low by substance abuse which had threatened to undermine his renowned creativity. Hence, the Thin White Duke found himself ensconced in Berlin, rather strung out and waiting for the gifts of sound and vision to return to his consciousness. They clearly did, judging by the popularity of this single, decorated by the guitar of Carlos Alomar.

The song of the month for March 1977

Nightclubbing by Iggy Pop (album track)

Iggy Pop was yet another artist to benefit from the assistance of David Bowie. The artist formerly known as Ziggy Stardust took on the role of producer for Iggy Pop’s album, ‘The Idiot’, which was released in March 1977. The wacky Mr.Pop proved himself no idiot with the cool yet delightfully sleazy ‘Nightclubbing’ recording. The item would later be used in the opening sequence of the film ‘D.O.A.’ which recounted the Sex Pistols’ ill-fated tour of North America. Iggy and Bowie were very much a mutual appreciation society and the latter would later cover the former’s ‘China Girl’ with considerable success in 1983 as well as produce his next long player, ‘Lust For Life’.

The song of the month for April 1977

Police And Thieves by The Clash (album track)

Whenever the Sex Pistols kicked down the door of rock and pop, their fellow west London punk rockers, the Clash were among the first to rush in. This formidable foursome were acknowledged as arguably the most talented of the new wave of working class three minute heroes. Their first album surfaced in April 1977, having been recorded with much haste and little expense. The frantic material with an anti-capitalist agenda contained a decent reggae cover version of Junior Murvin’s ‘Police And Thieves’, sang by the late Joe Strummer.

The song of the month for May 1977

Peaches by The Stranglers (peak chart position: No.8)

The Stranglers were another new wave act that were able to successfully cash in on the punk explosion. They were denounced by that nice Johnny Rotten as “short-haired hippies”, but the Stranglers found favour with the teenage punk audience when their single ‘Peaches’ ventured into the British Top Ten. Hugh Cornwell and the gang had a sound that was reminiscent of the Doors and they were able to enjoy chart success much longer than their peers and contemporaries. The quirky ‘Peaches’ was responsible for laying such foundations.

The song of the month for June 1977

God Save The Queen by The Sex Pistols (peak chart position: No.2)

The mischievous Malcolm McLaren always had a nose for publicity and he jumped at the opportunity to seize upon the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II to issue what would be regarded as the most controversial single to hit the airwaves. Johnny Rotten had originally intended for this raucous composition to be entitled ‘No Future’ (a summation of his view of life in Britain for the disenfranchised youth), but he acquiesced in the change of song title. This recording did have a future in the hit parade though it is commonly believed that it was denied a place at Number One in a deliberate attempt to spare her Royal Lowness (or “moron”) any embarrassment.

The song of the month for July 1977

I Feel Love by Donna Summer (peak chart position: No.1)

The disco genre was now fighting off the challenge of punk rock for the attentions of the teenage pop market. However, one new release soon towered over all its competitors when Donna Summer finally sailed to the top of the British singles list with the dancefloor favourite, ‘I Feel Love’. This smash hit showcased the synthesizer sound as Giorgio Moroder supervised the creation of this modern pop classic. Summer’s semi-orgasmic vocals are a key component in an item which must be a candidate for the best chart-topper of the decade.

The song of the month for August 1977

Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon (peak chart position: No.7)

American songbird, Carly Simon, had previously tasted chart-topping success in the United States with the excellent ‘You’re So Vain’. She eventually stepped forth with another commendable single when ‘Nobody Does It Better’ journeyed into the UK Top Ten in the late summer of 1977. This release was the signature tune for the latest James Bond movie, ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach). Carly Simon was not a regular visitor to the hit parade but when she did appear, the song was worth writing about.

The song of the month for September 1977

Yes Sir I Can Boogie by Baccara (peak chart position: No.1)

Baccara scored another notable success for disco music with the hugely likeable ‘Yes Sir I Can Boogie’. The artists in question hailed from Spain and were a female duo called Mayte Mateos and Maria Mendiola. This eye-catching pair eventually evicted David Soul from the British chart summit in late October, but their triumph proved to be short-lived and they failed to find anything to match this smash hit, although their follow-up single, ‘Sorry I’m A Lady’ did sneak into the UK Top Ten in early 1978.

The song of the month for October 1977

You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac (peak chart position: No.45)

Singer-songwriter and keyboardist Christine McVie was responsible for arguably the best track of 1977, yet when ‘You Make Loving Fun’ was issued as a single in the autumn of this year, it failed to make a splash in the UK. McVie’s soft rock masterpiece features a fine guitar contribution from Lindsey Buckingham as Christine pays tribute to a current boyfriend. The harmonies are of the highest quality, as indeed is the magnificent rhythm. Why this release did not achieve more airplay and subsequent sales is beyond all understanding.

The song of the month for November 1977

White Punks On Dope by The Tubes (peak chart position: No.28)

This remarkably eccentric recording is described as a punk song, by virtue of the word punk in the title, but quite frankly this gem of a single simply occupies its very own planet. The Tubes sing of poor little Californian rich kids desperately in search of street credibility, and if the fusion of guitars and piano seldom works better than here, the social comment lyrics are equally worthy of note, with such pearls as “Sounds real classy living in a chateau/ So lonely all the other kids will never know.” This is one of pop music’s finest five minutes.

The song of the month for December 1977

Jamming by Bob Marley And The Wailers (peak chart position: No.9)

Bob Marley had been a regular on the Caribbean music scene since the mid-sixties but he eventually began to conquer Babylon when the ‘Exodus’ album enjoyed critical acclaim and decent record sales in 1977. One of the tracks from the album would yield Marley his first British Top Ten single when ‘Jamming’ coupled with ‘Punky Reggae Party’ was released towards the end of the year. Although this third item to be issued as a single from ‘Exodus’ has its merits, it is a bit peculiar that it proved more popular than its predecessor, ‘Waiting In Vain’, which seemed more likely chart material. Anyhow, British audiences were now beginning to warm to the charming Robert Nesta.

Listed Below are the Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1977

1 Mull of Kintyre Wings

2 Don’t Give Up On Us David Soul

3 Don’t Cry For Me Argentina Julie Covington

4 When I Need You Leo Sayer

5 Silver Lady David Soul

6 Knowing Me Knowing You Abba

7 I Feel Love Donna Summer

8 Way Down Elvis Presley

9 So You Win Again Hot Chocolate

10 Angelo Brotherhood of Man

1977’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR

Now firmly established as Public Enemy Number One, the loveable Sex Pistols found their concert ambitions curtailed by numerous local councils who all got stage fright at the prospect of entertaining the fearsome foursome in their town centres. This didn’t stop the likes of the Clash, Joy Division, and the Stranglers acting as punk missionaries, bringing their anthems of doomed youth to youngsters throughout the UK. Speaking of missionaries, Bob Marley was back in London town, enchanting the assembled masses at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park. Marley and his Wailers were displaying new tracks from the aptly-titled ‘Exodus’ album, including ‘Jamming’ and an awesome rendition of ‘The Heathen’. On the subject of jamming heathen, Led Zeppelin were conquering the United States for an eleventh time. A record-breaking seventy-six thousand attended their treat at the Pontiac Silverdome on the 30th of April; yet three months later their performance at Oakland would prove to be their last on American soil, as personal tragedies took centre stage instead. Back in London, the River Thames was the unlikely host of the decade’s most peculiar public performance, when those oh so patriotic Pistols performed their very own ‘God Save The Queen’ to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of her Royal Lowness.

1977’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

(released in February; reached No.1 in the UK)

By the mid-seventies Fleetwood Mac had become more renowned for changes in personnel than for their music. However, the recruitment of Lindsey Buckingham and his partner, Stevie Nicks, transformed the fortunes of the group. The new Anglo-American quintet made an impressive start with their first album together in 1975, but it was the follow-up, ‘Rumours’, which launched the band into the superstardom stratosphere. Ironically, the new project (or at least some of its material) was a product of emotional strife amongst the five protagonists. Amongst other things, the love affairs between Christine and John McVie, and between Buckingham and Nicks came to an end, as the behind-the-scenes ‘proceedings’ ressembled a soap opera. For all the apparent tension, the music was of the highest quality. ‘Go Your Own Way’ is the obvious example of the angst that circulated both inside and outside the recording studio. Nevertheless, with such foundations as the under-rated guitar work of Lindsey, the splendid vocals and songwriting of Christine and Stevie, underpinned by the tried and trusted rhythm section of John and Mick, the recipe for a tremendously durable commercial success was in existence. That said, it is almost inconceivable that the resulting long player should sit in the UK album charts for the best part of the ensuing decade! There again, just listen to ‘Dreams’, ‘The Chain’, ‘Songbird’, and ‘Gold Dust Woman’, and suddenly the record’s phenomenal triumph makes perfect sense.

SPORT IN 1977

English Division One football champions: Liverpool; runners-up: Manchester City

English FA Cup final: Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1

English League Cup Final: Aston Villa 3 Everton 2 (after extra time, in a replay)

Scottish Premier Division football champions: Glasgow Celtic; runners-up: Glasgow Rangers

Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 1 Glasgow Rangers 0

Scottish League Cup final: Aberdeen 2 Glasgow Celtic 1

Irish League football champions: Glentoran; Irish Cup final: Coleraine 4 Linfield 1

League Of Ireland football champions: Sligo Rovers; cup winners: Dundalk

European Cup final: Liverpool 3 Borussia Moenchengladbach 1

European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: Hamburg 2 Anderlecht 0

UEFA Cup final: Juventus beat Athletico Bilbao on away goals rule (2-2 on aggregate)

English county cricket champions: Kent shared with Middlesex

Five Nations’ rugby union champions: France (the Grand Slam); runners-up: Wales

Formula One world drivers’ champion: Niki Lauda (Austria) in a Ferrari car

Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Dublin; runners-up: Armagh

British Open golf champion: Tom Watson (at Turnberry)

US Masters golf champion: Tom Watson

US Open golf champion: Hubert Green

USPGA golf champion: Lanny Wadkins

Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Leeds 16 Widnes 7

Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: B Borg beat J Connors 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4

Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final: V Wade beat B Stove 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

World snooker final: John Spencer (England) beat Cliff Thorburn (Canada) 25-21

The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Red Rum; price 9-1

The Epsom Derby winner: The Minstrel; jockey - Lester Piggott; price 5-1

The Ryder Cup golf contest: Great Britain And Ireland 7.5 United States 12.5

1977’s DEATHS

January 14th: Robert Anthony Eden (ex-British Prime Minister), aged 79

January 14th: Peter Finch (British actor), aged 60

January 14th: Anais Nin (US author), aged 69

January 17th: Gary Gilmore (US murderer), aged 36

February 19th: Charles Anthony Raven Crosland (British Foreign Secretary), aged 58

March 20th: Peter Houseman (British footballer), aged 31

April 11th: Jacques Prevert (French poet), aged 77

May 10th: Joan Crawford (US actress), aged 69

June 3rd: Roberto Rossellini (Italian film director), aged 71

June 16th: Wernher von Braun (German scientist), aged 65

July 2nd: Vladimir Nabokov (Russian writer), aged 78

August 3rd: Archbishop Makarios (Cypriot President), aged 63

August 16th: Elvis Aaron Presley (US singer), aged 42

August 19th: Julius ‘Groucho’ Marx (US actor), aged 86

September 4th: Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (German economist), aged 65

September 12th: Steve Biko (South African political activist), aged 30

September 13th: Leopold Stokowski (British conductor), aged 95

September 16th: Marc Bolan (British musician), aged 29

September 16th: Maria Callas (Greek soprano), aged 53

October 14th: Harry ‘Bing’ Crosby (US actor), aged 73

October 20th: Ronnie Van Zant (US musician), aged 29

November 18th: Kurt von Schuschnigg (ex-Austrian Chancellor), aged 79

November 30th: Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (British playwright), aged 66

December 12th: Clementine Ogilvy Spencer Churchill (Winston Churchill’s wife), aged 92

December 25th: Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (British actor), aged 88

1976 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 11:17:33 GMT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Guide-Music-1970s/dp/0955575656

The song of the month for January 1976
Forever And Ever by Slik (peak chart position: No.1)
Slik were perhaps guilty of attempting to imitate the highly-successful Bay City Rollers, but they did record a single which was superior to much of the teenage pop that had been unleashed in the previous couple of years. ‘Forever And Ever’ (with lead vocals by a young chap called Midge Ure) surrounds the vows taken at a wedding ceremony. Slik however soon vanished when the next single (‘Requiem’) failed to sell many copies.

The song of the month for February 1976
Convoy by C.W. McCall (peak chart position: No.2)
Every now and then a box office success would yield smash hits and the latest film to inspire a foray into the pop charts was the American ‘road movie’, ‘Convoy’, starring the bearded country and western singer Kris Kristofferson. The artist responsible was C.W. McCall who provided a spoken role throughout the tune. The song found favour with a public that was keen on American chase movies such as ‘Smokey And The Bandit’. It also inspired a spoof cover version from Laurie Lingo And The Dipsticks, entitled ‘Convoy GB’.

The song of the month for March 1976
Music by John Miles (peak chart position: No.3)
John Miles was the spokesperson for millions of people when he sang that “music is my first love and it will be my last”. This single spent three weeks at its peak position of Number 3. The song was quite a grandiose recording, assisted by an orchestral accompaniment. It even found its way deservedly on to a subsequent compilation, entitled ‘Milestones - 20 Rock Operas’, taking its place alongside many other classic recordings.

The song of the month for April 1976
No Charge by J.J. Barrie (peak chart position: No.1)
This country and western flavoured novelty release sneaked into the Top Fifty at the end of April before ‘charging’ its way up the singles chart. J.J. Barrie actually talks his way through this emotional little number in which a small child runs through a bill of chores completed for his mother, after which the mother makes her son aware of her ‘services’, all performed with no charge. The British public certainly took it to their hearts, whilst Billy Connolly was inspired to perform a spoof entitled ‘No Chance’.

The song of the month for May 1976
Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight And The Pips (peak chart position: No.10)
This sad composition had previously climbed to the summit of the American singles list three years earlier for Gladys Knight and her Pips. In the British charts, their effort was ‘pipped’ to the top of the charts but it remains one of the greatest soul singles in the history of popular music. This fabulous story was to provide the act with the third of four UK Top Ten hits in the 1970s, though its peak position of No.10 was an injustice.

The song of the month for June 1976
Let’s Stick Together by Bryan Ferry (peak chart position: No.4)
Geordie crooner Bryan Ferry continued to cultivate a solo career alongside his association with Roxy Music. In between band projects, Ferry did a commendable re-working of Canned Heat’s ‘Let’s Work Together’ which provided the singer with his first Top Ten hit since ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’. Ferry’s other half, Jerry Hall, made a contribution to the song’s video, before she decided to go off and stick together with Mick Jagger.

The song of the month for July 1976
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John And Kiki Dee (peak chart position: No.1)
Elton John was no stranger to the top of the Billboard Number One position, but it took a collaboration with Kiki Dee to earn the popular singer his first UK chart-topper. Not content with reaching the pop summit, Elton and Kiki promptly stayed there for a further five weeks. This excellent pop song would end the year as the second biggest-selling single in the British charts. For four August heatwave weeks, this duet would sit at the top of the pop music lists in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

The song of the month for August 1976
The Killing Of Georgie by Rod Stewart (peak chart position: No.2)
This outstanding item lived in the shadow of the million-selling ‘Sailing’ which is quite unjust, considering that it is arguably the better song. Here Rod branches out into a ballad about the murder of a gay friend in New York. Not only does the tragic end of Georgie make for an interesting story but the second half of the song’s extended version is most poignant. This tune must surely be a strong contender for the best track of the year.

The song of the month for September 1976
Girl Of My Best Friend by Elvis Presley (peak chart position: No.9)
His health may have been in terminal decline, but for all the personal turmoil, Elvis Presley still enjoyed regular incursions into the British Top Ten. This ‘latest’ success story was actually a recording that dated back to 1960. The ‘Girl Of My Best Friend’ was born around the same time as the smash hits ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ and ‘It’s Now Or Never’. This slice of nostalgia was a reminder of the majesty of the King.

The song of the month for October 1976
If You Leave Me Now by Chicago (peak chart position: No.1)
Peter Cetera and his Chicago outfit had already enjoyed a two-week stint at the top of the Billboard chart when they emulated this success by securing a three-week sojourn at the summit of the UK singles listings. Here was yet another of those sensitive songs that the British public took a liking to. Chicago hadn’t visited the Top Ten for six years and it would be a further 6 years before they returned.

The song of the month for November 1976
Money Money Money by Abba (peak chart position: No.3)
The all-conquering Abba experienced relative failure when ‘Money Money Money’ could ‘only’ manage a Number 3 peak position after a hat-trick of chart-toppers in the previous twelve months. This new smash hit still remained one of the most memorable tunes from the quartet’s esteemed repertoire. It is after all the kind of lyrics which many gold-digging females could relate to. The single spent four weeks in the Top Three, but was eclipsed by Abba’s next three releases which also topped the UK charts.

                        The song of the month for December 1976
         The Last Resort by The Eagles (album track)
This seven and a half minute epic brought the curtain down on the highly acclaimed ‘Hotel California’ long player. The song is a critique of the white man’s colonisation of North America in the name of God. It is a powerful, thought-provoking grandiose recording which never seemed to acquire the recognition it has merited. Perhaps it has been overshadowed by the album’s hit singles, but ‘The Last Resort’ is a giant album track.

Listed Below are the Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1976
1     Save Your Kisses For Me                        Brotherhood of Man
2     Don’t Go Breaking My Heart          Elton John and Kiki Dee
3     Mississippi                                Pussycat
4     Dancing Queen                        Abba
5     A Little Bit More                         Dr. Hook
6     If You Leave Me Now                Chicago
7     Fernando                             Abba
8     I Love To Love                        Tina Charles
9     The Roussos Phenonemon (EP)       Demis Roussos
10    Under The Moon Of Love                      Showaddywaddy

                        1976’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
The runaway train, otherwise known as the Sex Pistols, took off around England’s green and pleasant land, as the ‘Anarchy Tour’ caused merry mayhem. The Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester was one such venue that enjoyed the peculiar pleasures of a Pistols’ performance. From this happening began the great Manchester music scene that dominated the new wave and indie genres for the subsequent dozen years. Other punk acts such as the Clash and the Damned were treating the disenfranchised youth to their own particular rocky horror shows. Meanwhile, one slightly less punk outfit, the Brotherhood of Man, were triumphing at the Eurovision Song Contest with the twee ‘Save Your Kisses For me’. The reclusive Brian Wilson also stepped out of his bedroom and joined the Beach Boys back on stage for the first time in several years as the group continued to entertain their fans with their ‘sixties ‘surfin’ repertoire. Speaking of ‘sixties legends, the Rolling Stones were strutting their stuff at the Knebworth summer festival. Out in the Carribbean, Bob Marley made an astonishing appearance at the Smile Jamaica concert, a few hours after being shot in an assassination attempt at his home. It would be Marley’s last outing in Jamaica for 16 months.

                        1976’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Hotel California by The Eagles
                        (released in December; reached No.2 in the UK)
The Eagles were the biggest success story to emerge from North America in the ‘seventies. They were loosely described as a rock band, but their own brand of laid back, west coast ‘rock’ was considerably more accessible than heavy metal whilst their material refreshingly swerved the standard alpha male, macho posturing of the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Who. The group’s creative peak was almost certainly ‘Hotel California’. Whilst the record is best remembered for its trio of hit singles, ‘Life In The Fast Lane’, ‘The New Kid In Town’,and the epic title track, the rest of the long player is anything but ‘album filler’. The band’s sensitive side was much in evidence on such items as the majestic ‘Wasted Time’ and the beautiful ‘Pretty Maids All In A Row’. ‘Try And Love Again’ is another impressive ‘soft rock’ composition, but pride of place must go to ‘The Last Resort’. This concluding piece is surely one of the most under-rated tracks in the history of popular music. With such an armoury of quality songs, it is small wonder that ‘Hotel California’ thrived in the UK and US charts.

                        SPORT IN 1976
English Division One football champions: Liverpool; runners-up: Queen’s Park Rangers
English FA Cup final: Southampton 1 Manchester United 0
English League Cup Final: Manchester City 2 Newcastle United 1
Scottish Premier Division football champions: Glasgow Rangers; runners-up: Glasgow Celtic
Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Rangers 3 Hearts 1
Scottish League Cup final: Glasgow Rangers 1 Glasgow Celtic 0
Irish League football champions: Crusaders; Irish Cup final: Carrick Rangers 2 Linfield 1
League Of Ireland football champions: Dundalk; cup winners: Bohemians
European Cup final: Bayern Munich 1 St Etienne 0
European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: Anderlecht 4 West Ham United 2
UEFA Cup final: Liverpool beat Bruges 4-3 on aggregate
English county cricket champions: Middlesex
Five Nations’ rugby union champions: Wales (the Grand Slam); runners-up: France
Formula One world drivers’ champion: James Hunt (United Kingdom) in a McLaren car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Dublin; runners-up: Kerry
British Open golf champion: Johnny Miller (at Royal Birkdale)
US Masters golf champion: Ray Floyd
US Open golf champion: Jerry Pate
USPGA golf champion: Dave Stockton
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: St Helens 20 Widnes 5
Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: B Borg beat I Nastase 6-4, 6-2, 9-7
Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final: C Evert beat E Cawley 6-3, 4-6, 8-6
World snooker final: Ray Reardon (Wales) beat Alex Higgins (Northern Ireland) 27-16
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Rag Trade; price 14-1
The Epsom Derby winner: Empery; jockey - Lester Piggott; price 10-1
European Championship final: Czechoslovakia beat West Germany on penalties (2-2 after full time)

                        1976’s DEATHS
January 5th: John Aloysius Costello (Irish ex-Taoiseach), aged 84
January 8th: Chou En-lai (Chinese statesman), aged 77
January 12th: Dame Agatha Christie (British author), aged 85
January 23rd: Paul Robeson (US singer), aged 77
February 22nd: Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman (US singer), aged 32
February 23rd: Laurence Stephen Lowry (British artist), aged 78
March 14th: Busby Berkeley (US choreographer), aged 80
March 19th: Paul Francis Kossoff (British musician), aged 25
March 24th: Field Marshal Montgomery (British soldier), aged 88
April 1st: Max Ernst (French artist), aged 84
April 5th: Howard Hughes (US tycoon), aged 70
April 25th: Sir Carol Reed (British film director), aged 69
April 26th: Sidney James (British actor), aged 62
May 26th: Dame Maggie Teyte (British soprano), aged 88
June 6th: John Paul Getty (US oil tycoon), aged 83
June 9th: Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike (British actress), aged 93
June 25th: Johnny Mercer (US singer), aged 66
July 22nd: Sir Robert Wheeler (British archaeologist), aged 85
August 2nd: Fritz Lang (German film director), aged 85
August 4th: Baron Thomson of Fleet (British newspaper owner), aged 82
August 19th: Alastair George Bell Sim (British actor), aged 75
August 29th: Jimmy Reed (US musician), aged 50
September 9th: Mao Tse-tung (Chinese dictator), aged 82
September 21st: Sir William Alexander Roy Collins (British publisher), aged 76
October 14th: Dame Edith Evans (British actress), aged 88
October 22nd: Edward John Burra (British artist), aged 71
November 18th: Man Ray (US artist), aged 86
November 19th: Sir Basil Urwin Spence (British architect), aged 69
November 23rd: Andre Malraux (French author), aged 75
December 4th: Tommy Bolin (US musician), aged 25
December 4th: Edward Benjamin Britten (British composer), aged 63

1975 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:26:26 GMT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Guide-Music-1970s/dp/0955575656

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/johnny+zero/an+essential+guide+to+music+in+the+1970s/6586813/

              The song of the month for January 1975
         January by Pilot (peak chart position: No.1)
It was wholly appropriate that this song should be released in January and find itself in the upper echelons of the UK singles list before the month’s end. Before long it was at the pop summit, which is not surprising as this radio-friendly light rocker couldn’t fail to arouse the interest of pop aficionados. Unfortunately for Pilot, they could not navigate their next 2 singles into the British Top Thirty and thus any hopes of a durable pop career crash landed when January ‘disappeared’ in March.

              The song of the month for February 1975
         Number Nine Dream by John Lennon (peak chart position: No.23)
Released a few months previously on his ‘Walls And Bridges’ album, John Lennon’s under-rated masterpiece made an all-too-brief appearance in the British singles chart in early 1975. With the help of Phil Spector, Lennon draws attention to the significance of the number 9 in his life. He was born on the ninth of October 1940 in the midst of a Luftwaffe air raid upon Liverpool. Fortunately the Luftwaffe missed Julia Lennon, or we would never have been treated to this piece which surely surpasses the hyped ‘Imagine’.

               The song of the month for March 1975
         Honey by Bobby Goldsboro (peak chart position: No.2)
‘Honey’ had previously made its sweet presence felt back in the spring of 1968 when it fell agonisingly short of the Number One position. History actually repeated itself when this beautiful item again came close to the coveted top spot. As a consequence of these two chart runs, this popular single spent a total of 27 weeks in the British singles lists. It was clearly Bobby Goldsboro’s most successful release. Regrettably, the folks ‘back then’ had a stronger preference for ‘Bye Bye Baby’ by the Bay City Rollers. Dear oh dear.

                   The song of the month for April 1975
         Lovin’ You by Minnie Riperton (peak chart position: No.2)
Loving this is easy ‘cos it’s beautiful. Minnie Riperton excels here with a vocal performance that takes the breath away. Aside from the notable singing, the song is remembered for the bird constantly chirping in the background. For all the incurable romantics for whom flowers and chocolates are the order of the day, this American chart-topper would have been essential listening. Tragically, Minnie Riperton passed away in July of 1979 at the age of 31, a victim of breast cancer. What a waste.

                 The song of the month for May 1975
         I’m Not In Love by 10CC (peak chart position: No.1)
10CC had been among the most consistent hit-makers in the last few years, having previously climbed onto the UK singles summit with ‘Rubber Bullets’ in 1973. It therefore came as little surprise when they reached the pop heights again, though the material this time was radically different. ‘I’m Not In Love’ is a deliciously mellow recording which would have found favour with both young and old. It sounded considerably more mature and sophisticated than their previous Number One and it is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 1970s.

The song of the month for June 1975
Tears On My Pillow by Johnny Nash (peak chart position: No.1)
American singer Johnny Nash had previously had an association with Bob Marley so it was hardly surprising that he should flirt with reggae music. Yet again the British singles-buyers were clearly feeling sorry for themselves as they took a shine to this tearjerker which enjoyed one week at the ‘top of the pops’. This was the sixth time that a Nash release had invaded the UK Top Ten but hereafter the absence of any further successes would have been reason enough for more tears on his pillow.

              The song of the month for July 1975
         Barbados by Typically Tropical (peak chart position: No.1)
British music lovers engaged in a flight of fancy as they warmed on that hot summer to the sounds of ‘Barbados’ which nudged the Bay City Rollers off the Number One perch. The artists responsible were Typically Tropical who can lay a credible claim to having provided one of the best tunes from a ‘one hit wonder’. The song includes a mock address from the aeroplane pilot at the start of the ‘flight’ as the singer shares his excitement at the prospect of travelling to the attractive island in the Caribbean.

               The song of the month for August 1975
         Sailing by Rod Stewart (peak chart position: No.1)
Not a year seemed to go by without Rod Stewart making his presence felt in the world of pop. This time he stepped forth with a song whose popularity probably eclipses his ‘Maggie May’ offering. This smash hit demonstrated his knack of sourcing a good song from elsewhere - in this instance from the Sutherland brothers. The musical accompaniment is first class as Rod sings from the heart. This is one of the few records that emerge in any era which retains its appeal through the march of time. Its sales figures speak for themselves.

The song of the month for September 1975
Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1 to 5 by Pink Floyd (album track)
The album opener to the newly-released ‘Wish You Were Here’ represents the very best of the Floyd. It evolves in characteristically languid style with a fine contribution from Dave Gilmour’s guitar. The ‘hero’ of the song, one Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett just happened to venture into the Abbey Road recording studios during its creation for a brief and typically bizarre reunion with his former ‘colleagues’. Barrett explained to his horrified (former) friends that his overweight condition was due to the large pork chops that he had in his fridge - a crazy diamond indeed.

The song of the month for October 1975
Space Oddity by David Bowie (peak chart position: No.1)
It was indeed something of an oddity that David Bowie’s first hit single from six years ago should land once more on planet pop and then soar into orbit - or to Number One to be precise. Such a success for the ever-changing Bowie was overdue, though this ‘sixties artefact was a surprise package. Bowie had also previously tasted American charts glory in collaboration with John Lennon on ‘Fame’ and Bowie’s own fame was enhanced by this ‘new’ success. Bowie remained a chart regular over the next few years in spite of a spiralling drug habit.

             The song of the month for November 1975
         Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (peak chart position: No.1)
Freddie Mercury and his troops took the British charts by storm at the end of 1975 when ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ took up a phenomenal nine-week residence at the top of the pop tree. Not since the 1950s had any single monopolised the lists to such an extent. It was widely accepted that the exposure of the song’s video was a major factor in its success. The tune itself typified the eccentric brand of rock that Queen represented, with piano one moment and electric guitar the next, culminating in a gong being hit at the tune’s conclusion. This was predictably the lead single from the ‘A Night At The Opera’ project which is only narrowly defeated by ‘Wish You Were Here’ for album of the year.

             The song of the month for December 1975
         Mamma Mia by Abba (peak chart position: No.1)
After the triumph of ‘Waterloo’, Sweden’s finest foursome experienced a couple of false starts before their pop career resumed in earnest. It took the success of ‘S.O.S’ to indicate that Abba had more to offer than merely a ‘one-hit wonder’. The next item in the Abba assembly line of smash hits was ‘Mamma Mia’. This single mercifully relieved ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ of its occupation of the British pop summit whilst laying the foundations for a year of world domination. The song (or at least its title) has since inspired both a musical and a popular film.

Listed Below are the Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1975
1 Bye Bye Baby                 The Bay City Rollers
2 Sailing                         Rod Stewart
3 Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)The Stylistics
4 Whispering Grass                 Windsor Davies and Don Estelle
5 Stand By Your Man                 Tammy Wynette
6 Give A Little Love                 The Bay City Rollers
7 Hold Me Close                 David Essex
8 I Only Have Eyes For You         Art Garfunkel
9 The Last Farewell                 Roger Whittaker
10 I’m Not In Love              10CC

1975’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
A new rock group called the Sex Pistols shocked audiences in London with an unprecedented display of amateurism and aggression that kick started punk rock in the United Kingdom. Punk was held aloft as the yoof generation’s challenge to the rock dinosaurs who had taken live shows away from the intimacy of clubs and concert halls in favour of stadium venues. The biggest culprits were perhaps the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Both outfits were ‘back by popular demand’ in the United States as the former introduced their new team member, Ronnie Wood, whilst the latter were trying to market their acclaimed double album, ‘Physical Graffiti’. After completing their tenth invasion of Uncle Sam’s home, Zeppelin took Earls Court in west London by storm, with five gigs there in the spring. Punk rock and the new wave may have just been around the corner, but they would have to wait until the Zeppelin exited the stage. Meanwhile, Bob Marley and the Wailers entertained the assembled mass at the Lyceum in London, thereby confirming them as one of the hottest acts on planet pop. The accompanying live album provided Robert Nesta with another incursion into the UK album charts, whilst ‘No Woman No Cry’ (performed live) would be his first British hit single.

1975’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
(released in September; reached No.1 in the UK)
After ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ began to accumulate record sales that were beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, the Floyd became victims of their own success. Just how, after all, were they supposed to match or improve upon their ‘dark moon’ project? Indeed in many quarters, ‘Wish You Were Here’ was indeed viewed as a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’, but it is held in high regard by most Pink Floyd aficionados. Once again the group (and Roger Waters in particular) were expressing their negative outlook of how society was evolving, or indeed deteriorating. ‘Welcome To The Machine’ was the obvious example of a band that was both world-weary and bored with the trappings of ‘stardom’. ‘Meanwhile ‘Have A Cigar’ (with lead vocals from Roy Harper) is a more amusing but ironic swipe at the music industry. The title track is simply an exquisite acoustic guitar track. The centre piece of the album is ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, which is characteristically divided into nine ‘parts’. It isn’t so much a case of the foursome pining for the impossible return of the unhinged Syd Barrett, but more a case of the quartet offloading their guilt at jettisoning their former friend several years previously when he became something of an ‘acid casualty’. ‘Wish You Were Here’ is not instantly likeable, but it grows in appeal with every listen.

SPORT IN 1975
English Division One football champions: Derby County; runners-up: Liverpool
English FA Cup final: West Ham United 2 Fulham 0
English League Cup Final: Aston Villa 1 Norwich City 0
Scottish Division One football champions: Glasgow Rangers; runners-up: Hibernian
Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 3 Airdrieonians 1
Scottish League Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 6 Hibernian 3
Irish League football champions: Linfield; Irish Cup final: Coleraine 1 Linfield 0 (in a replay)
League Of Ireland football champions: Bohemians; cup winners: Home Farm
European Cup final: Bayern Munich 2 Leeds United 0
European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: Dynamo Kiev 3 Ferencvaros 0
UEFA Cup final: Borussia Moenchengladbach beat Twente Enschede 5-1 on aggregate
English county cricket champions: Leicestershire
Five Nations’ rugby union champions: Wales (six points)
Formula One world drivers’ champion: Niki Lauda (Austria) in a Ferrari car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Kerry; runners-up: Dublin
British Open golf champion: Tom Watson (at Carnoustie)
US Masters golf champion: Jack Nicklaus
US Open golf champion: Lou Graham
USPGA golf champion: Jack Nicklaus
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Widnes 14 Warrington 7
Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: A Ashe beat J Connors 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final: B-J King beat E Cawley 6-0, 6-1
World snooker final: Ray Reardon (Wales) beat Eddie Charlton (Australia) 31-30
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: L’Escargot; price 13-2
The Epsom Derby winner: Grundy; jockey - Pat Eddery; price 5-1
The Ryder Cup golf contest: United States 21 Great Britain And Ireland 11

1975’s DEATHS
February 4th: Louis Jordan (US musician), aged 66
February 14th: Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (British scientist), aged 87
February 14th: Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (British author), aged 93
February 24th: Nikolai Bulganin (Soviet statesman), aged 79
February 28th: Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus (British writer), aged 85
March 14th: Susan Hayward (US actress), aged 56
March 15th: Aristotle Onassis (Greek tycoon), aged 69
March 16th: T-Bone Walker (US musician), aged 64
March 28th: Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (British composer), aged 83
April 5th: Chiang Kai-shek (Chinese statesman), aged 87
April 12th: Josephine Baker (US entertainer), aged 68
April 15th: Michael Henry Flanders (British actor), aged 53
April 24th: Pete Ham (British musician), aged 27
May 6th: Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty (from Hungary), aged 83
May 20th: Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (British sculptor), aged 72
July 2nd: James Robertson Justice (British actor), aged 70
August 9th: Dmitri Shostakovich (Soviet composer), aged 68
August 15th: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bangladesh’s President), aged 55
August 27th: Emperor Haile Selassie (of Ethiopia), aged 83
August 29th: Eamon de Valera (ex-Irish Taoiseach), aged 92
October 1st: Al Jackson (US musician), aged 39
October 22nd: Arnold Joseph Toynbee (British historian), aged 86
November 7th: Cardinal Heenan (ex-Archbishop of Westminster), aged 70
November 20th: General Francisco Franco (Spain’s dictator), aged 82
November 27th: Ross McWhirter (British journalist), aged 50
November 29th: Norman Graham Hill (British Formula 1 driver), aged 46
December 7th: Thornton Wilder (US author), aged 78

1974 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:32:05 GMT

        The song of the month for January 1974
         All Of My Life by Diana Ross (peak chart position: No.9)
Diana Ross was proving to be as consistently successful as a solo artist as she had been in tandem with the Supremes. ‘All Of My Life’ may have only scraped into the British Top Ten, but it still ranks as one of her very finest love songs. Miss Ross then proceeded on to a couple of heavyweight collaborations with another American icon, Marvin Gaye, which yielded the excellent ‘You Are Everything’. Regardless of the trends and fads which surfaced and then vanished, the recordings of Diana Ross remained constantly popular.

                     The song of the month for February 1974
         Billy, Don’t Be A Hero by Paper Lace (peak chart position: No.1)
This sad tale about a young soldier who ignored his fiancee’s plea to keep his “pretty head low” also reached the American pop summit, but it was covered by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, who gave it an American Civil War setting. Even more strange was the fact that Paper Lace actually topped the Billboard singles chart later in the year with ‘The Night Chicago Died’. This track will always be remembered for its military sound of a marching drum and an accompanying flute.

              The song of the month for March 1974
         Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks (peak chart position: No.1)
Following shortly after the tearjerker that was ‘Billy Don’t Be A Hero’ was perhaps the saddest song of them all. Yes, in spite of the title, ‘Seasons In The Sun’ was far from sunny. Instead it is sung from the point of view of a person contemplating an imminent death who recalls past times when he had joy and fun and seasons in the sun. Tissue paper manufacturers must surely have been doing a good trade in the spring of this year. ‘Seasons In The Sun’ was so popular that it became the second biggest-selling single of the year.

             The song of the month for April 1974
         Waterloo by Abba (peak chart position: No.1)
Continental Europe had never provided artists who could enjoy a durable chart career in Britain or the United States, but all that was to change with the Abba invasion from Sweden, which began with the glorious ‘Waterloo’. The two men and two women singing act had been a well-worn formula, but this time the two guys were highly capable composers, so the group simply stuck to their own admirable material. What was remarkable was that after the success of ‘Waterloo’, Abba struggled to find a decent follow-up for eighteen months until their flagging fortunes were rescued by an ‘S.O.S.’.

                 The song of the month for May 1974
    This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us by Sparks (peak chart position: No.2)
One of the great injustices in human history was the fact that the Rubettes kept this charming rocker off the Number One position in the British singles listing. Nevertheless, the Sparks had delivered one of the biggest music thrills of the year with this eccentric piece, underpinned by the sound of gunfire, a falsetto singing voice, not to mention the ‘Hitler moustache’ of the keyboardist Ron Mael. Any ‘seventies compilation that overlooks this magnificent museum piece deserves itself to be overlooked.

             The song of the month for June 1974
         Rock Your Baby by George McCrae (peak chart position: No.1)
The British record-buyers were mercifully beginning to tire of glam rock and turned instead in increasing numbers to the genre of disco. The only drawback was that for a few years anything with the word ‘disco’ in the song title found its way onto the charts, regardless of its dubious quality. Nevertheless, there were clearly a number of giant dancefloor classics, of which ‘Rock Your Baby’ is most certainly one. George McCrae reaches the high notes here and is deservedly rewarded with a Number One on both sides of the Atlantic.

                  The song of the month for July 1974
         Band On The Run by Wings (peak chart position: No.3)
The fertile imagination of Paul McCartney hit upon the crazy idea of fleeing to Africa to record an album there. The ensuing result of Macca’s ‘band on the run’ was a long player that even the once scornful John Lennon approved of. Wings may have gone on to dwell at Number One for a staggering nine weeks with ‘Mull Of Kintyre’, but McCartney’s jailbreak song represents his post-Beatles creative peak. The item switches cleverly between a wonderful acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Such is popular taste that McCartney has reached singles summits with songs that don’t compare with the quality of this tune.

               The song of the month for August 1974
         Annie’s Song by John Denver (peak chart position: No.1)
John Denver was no stranger to lofty chart positions in the United States, courtesy of the likes of ‘Thank God I’m A Country Boy’ but his only major British success story was the hugely listenable ‘Annie’s Song’. Here was one of those occasions when the adults closed ranks and purchased something which all the teenage record-buyers would not have warmed to. This delightful piece benefited from harmonies and a fine strings arrangement and re-appeared in the UK chart in 1978 when Irish flautist James Galway delivered his own version.

              The song of the month for September 1974
         Sad Sweet Dreamer by Sweet Sensation (peak chart position: No.1)
ITV’s hugely popular ‘Opportunity Knocks’ was the breeding ground for many new acts in the world of showbusiness. One such instance was the emergence of the Sweet Sensation who were regarded as Britain’s very own answer to the Jacksons. This young group never fulfilled the high expectations, which is all the more surprising since they made a majestic splash with the beautiful ‘Sad Sweet Dreamer’. Here is another candidate for one of the best-ever pop songs. Yet again record-buyers were seduced by a sad, sweet composition.

         The song of the month for October 1974
         Killer Queen by Queen (peak chart position: No.2)
Queen carved out their very own niche on planet pop by shrewdly offering material that was more accessible than heavy metal and yet they were correctly labelled as a ‘rock band’. They made an impressive start with the ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’ and it was becoming apparent that they would be a prolific act when they then issued ‘Killer Queen’. Failing narrowly to hit the Number One spot, this is an entertaining tale of a femme fatale, decorated with tongue-in-cheek lyrics while Brian May’s guitar weighs in with its customary excellence.

              The song of the month for November 1974
    You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (peak chart position: No.2)
This monumental rock song was one of Canadian music’s finest moments. Taking its cue from ‘All Right Now’, the recording has amusing seduction lyrics. It certainly struck a chord with music aficionados on both sides of the ‘big pond’. The item was later popularized by spoof disc jockeys ‘Smashy’ and ‘Nicey’ who were rather fond of it. The trouble for Randy Bachman and his team were that they will forever be remembered for this one song, but then when you record one of the great rock anthems, you only have yourself to blame.

                  The song of the month for December 1974
         Help Me Make It Through The Night by John Holt (peak chart position: No.6)
Bob Marley was slowly beginning to emerge as one of the world’s most important performers, but in the mean time a plethora of acts still took turns to fly the flag for Jamaican music. Stepping up to the mark for his four minutes of fame this time was John Holt, a renowned exponent of love songs in Caribbean circles. Holt expertly covered Kris Kristofferson’s delightful song of seduction and eventually helped himself to a British Top Five position in early 1975. Both the vocals and the musical accompaniment were of the highest order.

Listed Below are the Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1974
1 Tiger Feet                         Mud
2 Seasons In The Sun                 Terry Jacks
3 Billy, Don’t Be A Hero         Paper Lace
4 When Will I See You Again         The Three Degrees
5 Rock Your Baby                 George McCrae
6 Gonna Make You A Star         David Essex
7 Kung Fu Fighting                 Carl Douglas
8 She                                 Charles Aznavour
9 Sugar Baby Love                 The Rubettes
10 Everything I Own                 Ken Boothe

                        1974’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
The Beatles once insisted that they would not tour the United States until they had achieved a Stateside Number One. ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ resolved that potential impasse. Eleven years later, John Lennon made a similar pronouncement to his new buddy, Elton John. Lennon stated that he would not take to the stage unless his new disco release, ‘Whatever Gets You Through The Night’, should reach the top of the Billboard charts. To Lennon’s astonishment, his new single did indeed climb to the American pop summit, whereupon he kept his word and joined Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden in November where the two Johns (Elton and Lennon) performed versions of ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ and ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, as well as Lennon’s current US chart-topper. It would be the last time that one of the icons of popular music would sing live. Meanwhile, back in the spring, a different musical gathering at Brighton, on England’s south coast, witnessed the birth of pop world’s next ‘big thing’ when Sweden’s Abba conquered the Eurovision Song Contest, en route to global domination in the ensuing seven years.

         1974’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Natty Dread by Bob
                        (released in October; reached No.43 in the UK)
Robert Nesta Marley was entering new territory with his ‘Natty Dread’ recording, as his act was now billed as Bob Marley And The Wailers. The recent departure of his closest collaborators Bunny Livingstone and Peter Tosh to pursue their own solo paths had necessitated this new state of affairs. Bob recruited his wife Rita as well as singers Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths to form the backing band, the I-Threes, whilst American blues guitarist Al Anderson was hired to assist the Barrett brothers who comprised the Wailers’ rhythm section. The result was Marley’s first breakthrough into the British album charts. The long player visited Marley’s main concerns of inequality (‘Them Belly Full’) and oppression (‘Rebel Music’). It also possessed the first outing of ‘No Woman, No Cry’, as well as a fans’ favourite, ‘Lively Up Yourself’. On the road to becoming reggae’s first superstar and an ambassador for the Third World, Bob Marley was already setting out his stall with his musical anxieties about ‘Babylon’. This isn’t by any means his best album, but it was a signpost of what was to follow from Jamaica’s most famous son who quickly became one of the most important recording stars of the 1970s.

                        SPORT IN 1974
English Division One football champions: Leeds United; runners-up: Liverpool
English FA Cup final: Liverpool 3 Newcastle United 0
English League Cup Final: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Manchester City 1
Scottish Division One football champions: Glasgow Celtic; runners-up: Hibernian
Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 3 Dundee United 0
Scottish League Cup final: Dundee 1 Glasgow Celtic 0
Irish League football champions: Coleraine; Irish Cup final: Ards 2 Ballymena United 1
League Of Ireland football champions: Cork Celtic; cup winners: Finn Harps
European Cup final: Bayern Munich 4 Atletico Madrid 0 (in a replay)
European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: FC Magdeburg 2 AC Milan 0
UEFA Cup final: Feyenoord beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 on aggregate
English county cricket champions: Worcestershire
Five Nations’ rugby union champions: Ireland (five points)
Formula One world drivers’ champion: Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil) in a McLaren car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Dublin; runners-up: Galway
British Open golf champion: Gary Player (at Royal Lytham & St Annes)
US Masters golf champion: Gary Player
US Open golf champion: Hale Irwin
USPGA golf champion: Lee Trevino
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Warrington 24 Featherstone Rovers 9
Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: J Connors beat K Rosewall 6-1, 6-1, 6-4
Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final: C Evert beat O Morozova 6-0, 6-4
World snooker final: Ray Reardon (Wales) beat Graham Miles (England) 22-12
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Red Rum; price 11-1
The Epsom Derby winner: Snow Knight; jockey - Brian Taylor; price 50-1
World Cup final: West Germany 2 Holland 1

                        1974’s DEATHS
January 6th: David Siqueiros (Mexican painter), aged 77
January 25th: James Pope-Hennessy (British author), aged 57
January 31st: Samuel Goldwyn (US film producer), aged 91
April 2nd: Georges Pompidou (France’s President), aged 62
April 5th: Richard Crossman (British politician), aged 66
May 24th: Duke Ellington (US musician), aged 75
June 10th: Duke of Gloucester, aged 74
June 18th: Marshal Georgi Zhukov (Soviet soldier), aged 77
July 1st: Juan Domingo Peron (Argentina’s President), aged 78
July 5th: Georgette Heyer (British novelist), aged 71
July 9th: Earl Warren (US judge), aged 83
July 29th: Mama Cass Elliot (US singer), aged 32
August 13th: Kate O’Brien (Irish novelist), aged 76
August 22nd: Dr. Jacob Bronowski (Polish biologist), aged 66
September 23rd: Robbie McIntosh (British musician), aged 24
October 24th: David Oistrakh (Soviet violinist), aged 66
November 7th: Eric Linklater (British novelist), aged 75
November 13th: Vittorio de Sica (Italian film director), aged 72
November 24th: Cornelius Ryan (Irish writer), aged 54
November 25th: Nick Drake (British singer), aged 26
November 25th: U Thant (Burmese UN Secretary-General), aged 65
December 14th: Walter Lippman (US journalist), aged 75

1972 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:01:52 GMT

                       The song of the month for January 1972
         Let’s Stay Together by Al Green (peak chart position: No.7)
Perhaps immortalised from its inclusion on the ‘Pulp Fiction’ movie, Al Green’s magnificent love song, decorated by an excellent horns section, deservedly climbed to the top of the tree in the Billboard singles list. British record-buyers were slightly less appreciative, but few observers and listeners three decades later can argue that this is perhaps the greatest soul recording to emerge from North America in the 1970s.

                    The song of the month for February 1972
         Without You by Nilsson (peak chart position: No.1)
This tearjerker is steeped in tragedy.The composer, Pete Ham (from the group Badfinger) took his own life a few years later, whilst the singer Harry Nilsson also died rather prematurely in the mid-1990s after his hard living caught up with him. Nevertheless, this ‘bad luck charm’ proved to be one of the most successful sad songs of all time, as it proceeded to sit on the top perch of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

                 The song of the month for March 1972
         Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple (peak chart position: No.21 in 1977)
This album track from the newly-released ‘Machine Head’ never featured prominently in the hit parade, but it unquestionably rates as one of the great rock songs of the twentieth century. Recounting the story of their appearance at Montreux where the casino was wrecked by a fire, Deep Purple treat the listener to one of the greatest instrumental breaks in popular music as well as a memorable intro. Some songs are just too good for the charts, and this rock milestone was clearly one of them.

                  The song of the month for April 1972
    Amazing Grace by The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (peak chart position: No.1)
It was certainly one of the most unexpected of chart-toppers, but an instrumental version of the Christian hymn, ‘Amazing Grace’, dominated the British hit parade throughout the spring of 1972. Five weeks at Number One and a mere 27 weeks on the singles chart tells its own story. Long before the likes of the Bay City Rollers and Rod Stewart popularized tartan fashion, the Pipes And Drums Of The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards got there first!

    The song of the month for May 1972
         Happy by The Rolling Stones (album track)
After the critical success of ‘Sticky Fingers’, the Fab Five delivered an hour of music in a similarly murky vein that would comprise the ‘Exile On Main St.’ album. Whilst many of the songs were a bit seedy, there were a few rays of light. One such item was ‘Happy’ in which Keef has another bash at lead vocals, having previously sang ‘You Got The Silver’ on the ‘Let It Bleed’ project. Richards was singing “I need your love to keep me happy”, but if this was directed at his partner, Anita Pallenberg, it would be closer to the truth to suggest that they had a mutual suicide pact, given their dangerous flirtation with hard drugs.

        The song of the month for June 1972
         American Trilogy by Elvis Presley (peak chart position: No.8)
As the 1970s unfolded, the behaviour and performances of Elvis Presley became increasingly erratic. However, what was good was exceptionally good. The King’s rendition of an ‘American Trilogy’ simply takes the breath away and helps to explain why this ‘has-been’ remained one of the greatest live attractions. Sourcing ‘Dixieland’, ‘All My Trials’, and ‘The Battle Hymn Of The Republic’, Elvis sings straight from the depths of his soul. Only the coldest heart could fail to be moved or impressed by four and a half minutes of this emotional piece.

        The song of the month for July 1972
         All The Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople (peak chart position: No.3)
Flavour of the month David Bowie stepped in to rescue the flagging career of Mott The Hoople by offering a composition of his own which he then produced for the combo. Not content with this, he weighed in with backing vocals. The group for their part rose to the challenge with a landmark rock song which opens wonderfully and goes from strength to strength, culminating in a formidable arms-swaying outro, during which Ian Hunter ad-libs “Hey you with the glasses/ I want you/ I want you up at the front.” They just don’t make them like this anymore.

        The song of the month for August 1972
         Virginia Plain by Roxy Music (peak chart position: No.4)
Former teacher Bryan Ferry joined forces all too briefly with Brian Eno as their new combo Roxy Music were at the forefront of art rock. The new act hit the ground running with the marvel that was ‘Virginia Plain’ which ought to be short-listed for the best debut single of all time. The song possesses a plethora of amusing lyrics featuring “you’re so chic/teenage rebel of the week” with references to flamingoes, a studebaker, and a rollercoaster ride. What a pity that Eno subsequently jumped ship, but the rest of the crew coped more than adequately in his subsequent absence.

          The song of the month for September 1972
         Mouldy Old Dough by Lieutenant Pigeon (peak chart position: No.1)
British record-purchasers have always been logic-defying suckers for novelty records, and good old Lieutenant Pigeon stepped forth with the mother of all novelty singles. Featuring a marching drum,a flute, and a fabulous piano contribution, this home-made recording stomped to the top of the UK charts. It was the kind of record that would have driven music critics to distraction, but I do confess to a liking for this bizarre smash hit.

         The song of the month for October 1972
         Clair by Gilbert O’Sullivan (peak chart position: No.1)
Gilbert O’Sullivan was a prolific hit-maker in the early ‘seventies. His finest four minutes are almost certainly ‘Clair’. I have an ambiguous attitude to this chart-topper. On a purely naive level, this is a sweet piece with beautiful strings music, but in the changed times of the twenty-first century it is doubtful whether O’Sullivan would get away with a song in which his intense affection for his niece Clair is perhaps questionable: “Nothing means more to me than hearing you say I’m going to marry you/ Will you marry me, Uncle Ray?”

              The song of the month for November 1972
Long Haired Lover From Liverpool by Little Jimmy Osmond (peak chart position: No.1)
Having allowed the likes of Rolf Harris, Clive Dunn, and Benny Hill to reach Number One, it was hardly surprising that Britain’s record-buyers were bowled over by Little Jimmy Osmond’s delightful little ditty. It was perhaps fitting that the year of Osmond mania should finish with the youngest of their clan sitting on the top chart perch. In one crazy December week, the Osmonds and their rivals in the Jackson family were responsible for no fewer than five of the UK Top Ten singles. Little Jimmy himself was only nine years of age and thus made history as the youngest act to perform a British chart-topper!

      The song of the month for December 1972
         The Jean Genie by David Bowie (peak chart position: No.2)
David Bowie followed his friend Marc Bolan down the path of re-inventing himself from previous mod and then hippie into a fictional glam rock star, Ziggy Stardust. Bowie’s very own version of glam rock was critically better received than the less arty offerings from the likes of Slade and the Sweet. Ironically, Bowie’s great rocker, ‘The Jean Genie’ contained a fabulous riff from the great Mick Ronson which appeared to re-surface shortly afterwards on the Sweet’s ‘Block Buster’. Although ‘The Jean Genie’ didn’t quite match the heights of the Sweet’s effort, it remains one of the very best recordings from arguably the decade’s most important act.

             1972’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
Whilst Ziggy Stardust and his Spiders From Mars were thrilling British concert-goers, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones resumed their sonic onslaught of North America. Back in the United Kingdom, teenage audiences were in near hysteria at Marc Bolan and T. Rex, while Mr.Paul McCartney took his new band Wings out on the road as they traversed the university circuit, a far cry from Shea Stadium and Candlestick Park. McCartney’s estranged musical partner, John Lennon, also took to the stage in his adopted home of New York, performing live for the first time in six years (an Apple rooftop appearance aside). Meanwhile in London an altogether different rock group, Pink Floyd, were introducing the assembled mass at Earl’s Court to some new sounds which would later form the bedrock of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’, released a year later. The rest is history.

          1972’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Harvest by Neil Young
                        (released in February; reached No.1 in the UK)
Canada’s Neil Young had emerged in recent years as one of the most respected singer-songwriters, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. His reputation was cemented by his appearance at Woodstock and further enhanced by the success of the ‘After The Goldrush’ album. Young’s ‘Harvest’ project drew upon the assistance of his Stray Gators backing band as the singer veered off in the direction of country music as he attempted to follow the path of Gram Parsons in bringing country music to a rock audience. This big-selling long player is characterised by mellow music, though the theme is frequently one of loneliness, as illustrated on ‘A Man Needs A Maid’, ‘Out On The Weekend’, and ‘Old Man’. Young actually recorded this cycle of songs from a wheelchair, as a result of a car accident. Whatever physical pain he was in perhaps doesn’t compare with the emotional anguish he lays bare on ‘The Needle And The Damage Done’ as he sings of his departed guitarist Danny Whitten who was fighting a losing battle against heroin addiction. Harvest’s massive commercial success was due in no small part to the fact that it contained ‘Heart Of Gold’ which provided Young with a rare presence amongst the higher echelons of the singles charts on both sides of the ‘big pond’.

                        SPORT IN 1972
English Division One football champions: Derby County; runners-up: Leeds United
English FA Cup final: Leeds United 1 Arsenal 0
English League Cup Final: Stoke City 2 Chelsea 1
Scottish Division One football champions: Glasgow Celtic; runners-up: Aberdeen
Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 6 Hibernian 1
Scottish League Cup final: Partick Thistle 4 Glasgow Celtic 1
Irish League football champions: Glentoran; Irish Cup final: Coleraine 2 Portadown 1
League Of Ireland football champions: Waterford; cup winners: Cork Hibernians
European Cup final: Ajax Amsterdam 2 Inter Milan 0
European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: Glasgow Rangers 3 Dynamo Moscow 2
UEFA Cup final: Tottenham Hotspur beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 on aggregate
English county cricket champions: Warwickshire
Five Nations’ rugby union champions: none, due to the troubles in Ireland
Formula One world drivers’ champion: Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil) in a Lotus car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Offaly; runners-up: Kerry
British Open golf champion: Lee Trevino (at Muirfield)
US Masters golf champion: Jack Nicklaus
US Open golf champion: Jack Nicklaus
USPGA golf champion: Gary Player
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: St Helens 16 Leeds 13
Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: S Smith beat I Nastase 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final: B-J King beat E Goolagong 6-3, 6-3
World snooker final: Alex Higgins (Northern Ireland) beat John Spencer (England) 37-32
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Well To Do; price 14-1
The Epsom Derby winner: Roberto; jockey - Lester Piggott; price 3-1F
European Championship final: West Germany 3 USSR 0

                        1972’s DEATHS
January 1st: Maurice Chevalier (French singer), aged 83
January 14th: King Frederik IX of Denmark, aged 72
February 5th: Marianne Moore (US poet), aged 84
February 15th: Edgar Snow (US writer), aged 66
April 9th: James Byrne (US judge), aged 92
April 27th: Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana’s ex-President), aged 62
May 2nd: John Edgar Hoover (US FBI chief), aged 77
May 22nd: Cecil Day Lewis (British poet laureate), aged 68
May 22nd: Dame Margaret Rutherford (British actress), aged 80
May 28th: Duke of Windsor, aged 77
June 8th: Jimmy Rushing (US singer), aged 69
June 13th: Clyde McPhatter (US singer), aged 39
August 26th: Sir Francis Chichester (British yachtsman), aged 70
August 28th: Prince William of Gloucester, aged 30
August 29th: Lale Andersen (German singer), aged 67
September 14th: Geoffrey Fisher (Archbishop of Canterbury), aged 85
October 1st: Dr Louis Leakey (British anthropologist), aged 69
October 26th: Igor Sikorsky (Russian aviation pioneer), aged 83
November 1st: Ezra Pound (US poet), aged 86
November 11th: Berry Oakley (US musician), aged 24
November 18th: Danny Whitten (US musician), aged 29
November 30th: Sir Compton Mackenzie (British author), aged 89
December 23rd: Andrei Tupolev (Soviet aviation pioneer), aged 84
December 26th: Harry S. Truman (ex-US President), aged 88

1971 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:10:14 GMT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Guide-Music-1970s/dp/0955575656

Song of the month for January 1971
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison (peak chart position:No.1)
He may have described himself as an economy-class Beatle, but the quiet one surpassed his former musical associates with the huge-selling ‘My Sweet Lord’. This beautiful Hare Krishna anthem was a statement of George’s own religious state of mind. It certainly struck a chord with many record-buyers who ensured that Harrison would land himself a Transatlantic chart-topper long before either Lennon or McCartney could even begin to emulate this accomplishment. The trouble was that the self-described ‘dark horse’ peaked with this single and its accompanying album, ‘All Things Must Pass’. He never reached these heights again.

                       Song of the month for February 1971
         Hot Love by T. Rex (peak chart position:No.1)
Following fast behind the huge success of ‘Ride A White Swan’, T. Rex scored the first of their four British chart-toppers with ‘Hot Love’. This song appears to live in the shadow of its successor, ‘Get It On’, which is quite strange given that it originally sold more copies and spent longer at Number One (six weeks to be precise). Meanwhile Marc Bolan’s previous followers were dismayed that he had swapped trippy lyrics in favour of “la la la la la la la”, but his new teenage fanbase were not complaining.

                  Song of the month for March 1971
         Double Barrel by Dave And Ansil Collins (peak chart position:No.1)
‘Double Barrel’ was effectively an instrumental and not exactly the most likely song to reach the pop summit. It was yet another outpouring from Jamaica’s very own hit factory, Trojan Records. This tune was expected to be another novelty hit from the Carribbean, but Dave and Ansil Collins demolished the likelihood of being one-hit wonders when they followed up with another Top Ten hit, the slightly similar, ‘Monkey Spanner’, which featured “the heavy heavy monster sound”, which was later re-visited by Madness on ‘One Step Beyond’.

                        Song of the month for April 1971
         Can’t You Hear Me Knocking by The Rolling Stones (album track)
‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’ was far too long to be released as a single, but it was a key track on the ‘Sticky Fingers’ album, released in April 1971. Opinion is divided on the merits of this extended jam. Some Stones’ ‘purists’ complain that the lads were getting much too self-indulgent. I however am firmly in the camp which hails this item as a delightful jazz-rock fusion which sets it apart from many other more typical Stones’ recordings. Quite simply, the instrumental second half is a joy to behold, helped by the keyboards input of Billy Preston and the saxophonist Bobby Keyes.

                     Song of the month for May 1971
         My Brother Jake by Free (peak chart position:No.4)
The consensus of opinion may be that their best single was ‘All Right Now’, but I have a slight preference for the Top Five hit, ‘My Brother Jake’, which was released in May of 1971. This tune is a far cry from the tongue-in-cheek humour of their biggest smash, as the subject matter is darker. Here Paul Rodgers is pleading to Jake to clean up his act and pull his life around. The song’s message ought to have been heeded by young guitarist, Paul Kossoff, who died of a heart attack in 1976, another victim of rock and roll excess.

                   Song of the month for June 1971
         Black And White by Greyhound (peak chart position:No.6)
Jamiaca’s Greyhound helped themselves to a Top Ten hit, courtesy of the standard ‘Black And White’, which was a well-intentioned appeal for inter-racial harmony. Not content with this hugely listenable tune, the act found further success with their own decent interpretation of ‘Moon River’ and the commendable ‘I Am What I Am’. Here was another surprise triumph for the Caribbean’s very own ‘Motown’ - Trojan Records.

                       Song of the month for July 1971
         Let Your Yeah Be Yeah by The Pioneers (peak chart position:No.5)
Although the Pioneers are regarded as something of a reggae group, this marvellous single was more akin to Motown or soul. Written by new Jamaican superstar Jimmy Cliff, ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’ deserves to be credited as one of the great pop songs of all time, with its excellent vocal harmonies and brass accompaniment. It certainly sounds much different from the group’s previous hit single, ‘Long Shot Kick De Bucket’!

                      Song of the month for August 1971
         It’s Too Late by Carole King (peak chart position:No.6)
Taken from an album, ‘Tapestry’, which had already surfaced successfully back in the spring, this ‘new release’ made predictable progress into the British Top Ten, though Carole King’s radio-friendly double A-side failed to match the chart-topping success it achieved in the United States. This sad song was further evidence of Carole King’s songwriting gifts and it was a key ingredient on a massive-selling long player that took up a mere 300 weeks’ residency in the American album charts.

                 Song of the month for September 1971
         Maggie May by Rod Stewart (peak chart position: No.1)
The new release, ‘Maggie May’ announced the arrival of one of the 1970s’ great institutions, Mr. Rod Stewart. Abandoning his footballing ambitions in favour of delivering from the mike stand, ‘Rod The Mod’ sang “it’s late September and I really should be back at school”. Instead of which he was located at the top of the British hit parade. Scotland’s finest was joined on stage for a memorable ‘Top Of The Pops’ cameo by John Peel on mandolin, while the Brentford FC reject dribbled a football. Credit must also go to the Faces for their musical contribution. For three glorious October weeks, Rod and the Faces were Number One in British and American singles and album charts simultaneously, emulating Simon And Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

                    Song of the month for October 1971
         How Do You Sleep? by John Lennon (album track)
John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ album was first released in September in the United States before seeing the light of day in the United Kingdom in October, by which time the ex-Beatle was now a citizen of New York. ‘How Do You Sleep’ is not necessarily the long player’s best song, but it is certainly the most noteworthy. After divorcing Cynthia, John found himself embroiled in another bitter divorce situation as he and Paul McCartney embarked on a war of words amidst legal proceedings. ‘How Do You Sleep?’ was a savage put-down of his songwriting partner and (former) friend, suggesting that “the only thing you’ve done was ‘Yesterday’”. Fortunately sanity eventually prevailed and diplomatic relations were restored between the two legends.

                   Song of the month for November 1971
         Echoes by Pink Floyd (album track)
Arch-purveyors of progressive rock, the Floyd were always keen to stretch themselves by fleeing from the conventional format of three-minute songs in favour of something more daring. ‘Echoes’ followed ‘Atom Heart Mother’ as a track which lasted for a whole album side. It was risky, but it worked. Starting with a plucked piano, the song is a twenty-two minute nautical delight. At the conclusion, the music and the voices fade as if wandering off over the horizon - never to return. This item ought to find its way on to anyone’s desert island disc collection, because its duration would be the equivalent of six or seven lesser songs.

                  Song of the month for December 1971
         Theme From ‘Shaft’ by Isaac Hayes (peak chart position: No.4)
Performer of ‘hot buttered soul’, Isaac Hayes served up a treat with the outstanding theme to ‘Shaft’. The song oozes sex appeal and is one of the coolest anthems to be delivered to the airwaves. Unfortunately, Hayes was never able to repeat this American chart-topper, but who can ever forget those strings and his spoken words? Nothing that the performer would subsequently record would ever stand any chance of a favourable comparison.

Listed Below are the Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1971
1 My Sweet Lord                 George Harrison
2 Maggie May                      Rod Stewart
3 Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep         Middle of the Road
4 Knock Three Times               Dawn
5 Hot Love                          T.Rex
6 The Pushbike Song               The Mixtures
7 Never Ending Song Of Love            The New Seekers
8 I’m Still Waiting               Diana Ross
9 Get It On                       T.Rex
10 Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me         The Tams

                        1971’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
Led Zeppelin braved the deteriorating situation in Ulster to perform at the Ulster Hall in Belfast in March. The band took the opportunity to treat the audience to the first public performances of ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’. However, the most noteworthy concert of 1971 is undoubtedly the event organised by George Harrison to raise money for the famine-stricken citizens of the new state of Bangladesh. Held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the ex-Beatle guitarist recruited such acts as Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bily Preston, Ravi Shankar, and Ringo Starr who all made contributions to the gig, which was subsequently translated onto vinyl. To quote from ‘The Song For Today’ (by Jimmie Oliver) “this historic event [on August the 1st] was a prototype Live Aid, and it was the first notable occasion when performers from the rock and pop aristocracy assembled to raise funds for others less fortunate.”

                        1971’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
                        (released in April; reached No.1 in the UK)
The landscape on Planet Stones had changed considerably since the issue of ‘Let It Bleed’ at the end of the ‘sixties. For a start, the talented young Mick Taylor was now firmly ensconced in the role of guitarist, filling the void of the departed Brian Jones. Secondly, the Rolling Stones were now liberated from their contractual obligations to Decca Records and thus able to form their very own record label. Thirdly, these new rock aristocrats were now effectively tax exiles. However, one thing that did not change was the quality of their music. In fact, ‘Sticky Fingers’ is frequently hailed as the band’s finest three-quarters of an hour, and it is hard not to agree. The album boasted the presence of the group’s signature rocker, ‘Brown Sugar’, which dominated the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The highlights however don’t end there. The long player also contains such gems as ‘Wild Horses’, though much of the content dwells on drugs, pain, and vulnerability, as typified on ‘Sister Morphine’, ‘I Got The Blues’, and the magnificent ‘Moonlight Mile’, so the project is hardly overflowing with joie de vivre. Whatever the negativity of such items as ‘b*tch’, the album with the Andy Warhol-inspired cover met with the royal seal of approval from fans and critics alike.

                        SPORT IN 1971
English Division One football champions: Arsenal; runners-up: Leeds United
English FA Cup final: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 (after extra time)
English League Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 2 Aston Villa 0
Scotiish Division One football champions: Glasgow Celtic; runners-up: Aberdeen
Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 2 Glasgow Rangers 1 (in a replay)
Scottish League Cup final: Glasgow Rangers 1 Glasgow Celtic 0
Irish League football champions: Linfield; Irish Cup final: Distillery 3 Derry City 0
League Of Ireland football champions: Cork Hibernians; cup winners: Limerick
European Cup final: Ajax Amsterdam 2 Panathinaikos 0
European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: Chelsea 2 Real Madrid 1 (in a replay)
European Fairs Cup final: Leeds United beat Juventus on away goals rule (3-3 on aggregate)
English county cricket champions: Surrey
Five Nations’ rugby union champions: Wales (the Grand Slam); runners-up: France
Formula One world drivers’ champion: Jackie Stewart (United Kingdom) in a Tyrrell car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Offaly; runners-up: Galway
British Open golf champion: Lee Trevino (at Royal Birkdale)
US Masters golf champion: Charles Coody
US Open golf champion: Lee Trevino
USPGA golf champion: Jack Nicklaus
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Leigh 24 Leeds 7
Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: J Newcombe beat S Smith 6-3, 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final:E Goolagong beat M Court 6-4, 6-1
World snooker final: John Spencer (England) beat Warren Simpson (Australia) 37-29
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Specify; price 28-1
The Epsom Derby winner: Mill Reef; jockey - Geoff Lewis; price 100-30F
The Ryder Cup golf contest: United States 18.5 Great Britain And Ireland 13.5

                        1971’s DEATHS
January 5th: Sonny Liston (US boxer), aged 38
January 10th: Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel (French designer), aged 87
March 8th: Harold Lloyd (US actor), aged 77
March 16th: Thomas Dewey (US politician), aged 68
April 6th: Igor Stravinsky (Russian composer), aged 88
April 21st: ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier (Haitian dictator), aged 64
May 19th: Ogden Nash (US poet), aged 68
June 4th: Gyorgy Lukacs (Hungarian politician), aged 86
June 16th: Baron Reith (BBC pioneer), aged 81
July 3rd: Jim Morrison (US singer), aged 27
July 6th: Louis Armstrong (US entertainer), aged 71
August 14th: Georg Von Opel (German car manufacturer), aged 59
September 11th: Nikita Khrushchev (Soviet statesman), aged 77
October 12th: Gene Vincent (US singer), aged 36
October 29th: Duane Allman (US musician), aged 24
December 18th: Bobby Jones (US golfer), aged 69

1970 in 'An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s' by Johnny Zero

The author Gary Watton — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 14:55:42 GMT

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Guide-Music-1970s/dp/0955575656
Song of the month for January 1970
The Only Living Boy In New York by Simon And Garfunkel
The 1970s could hardly have made a more impressive start with the release of Simon and Garfunkel’s farewell project, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. The album not surprisingly climbed to the summit of the American and British charts, assisted in no small way by the success of the title track in the singles listings. In truth, there are at least half a dozen songs which could have coped more than adequately in the hit parade. Chief among them is perhaps ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’. This item was decorated by spectacular harmonies as Paul Simon takes centre stage on a composition that is quite breath-taking. The tune is undoubtedly a strong contender for the best album track of the ‘seventies.

                   Song of the month for February 1970
         Instant Karma by John Lennon
‘Instant Karma’ was instant by name and instant by nature as it was recorded and released in a mere three weeks. Remarkably, whilst this marvellous single proceeded into a lofty position in the Transatlantic charts, many folk still harboured the illusion that John Lennon was simply taking a little sabbatical from the Beatles. However, the success of Lennon’s third solo single would have fortified his desire to obtain his ‘divorce’ from the Fab Four. The bespectacled one even appeared on ‘Top Of The Pops’ with his previously long hair cropped off - further signs of a soul desperately keen to break from his past and plot new territory. As for ‘Instant Karma’, it was another of those sing-along anthems that John Lennon turned into an art form.

                       Song of the month for March 1970
         Young Gifted And Black by Bob And Marcia
‘Young Gifted And Black’ was the latest success story for Jamaica’s Trojan Records. One half of the performing duo was Marcia Griffiths who would later provide harmonies as a member of Bob Marley’s backing band, the I-Threes. She was assisted in this duet by the American, Bob Andy. The song’s subject matter was unashamedly an anthem of black consciousness, exhorting young black people to step forth and embrace the changing world with pride and confidence. Whatever the worthy sentiments, the single was sufficiently enjoyable to attract record buyers of all races and colours, hence its lofty chart position.

                      Song of the month for April 1970
         Back Home by The England World Cup Squad
It is peculiar to think that the England football team’s World Cup 1970 rallying call should have been composed by a Scotsman (Bill Martin) and a Northern Irishman (Phil Coulter). Although the current world football champions were agonisingly evicted at the quarter-finals by West Germany, Bobby Moore and the rest of the squad found themselves reaching the summit of the singles chart. The trouble was that the success of this record prompted other football teams to subsequently cash in on their cup final appearances and irritatingly release their own signature tunes. Meanwhile, the celtic songwriting duo of Coulter and Martin would find further chart success when their material was performed by the likes of Elvis Presley and Slik.

                    Song of the month for May 1970
         The Long And Winding Road by The Beatles
It is remarkable to think that Paul McCartney did not actually approve of the final released version of his own composition. Originally conceived as an acoustic piece, Macca’s ballad was then given the ‘Spector treatment’, as North America’s ace producer applied his trademark ‘wall of sound’, assisted by a ‘heavenly choir’. The result was a monumental recording that climbed to the top of the American Billboard chart. Although amazingly not released in the United Kingdom as a single, this item was clearly one of the highlights of the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ album which saw the light of day at the beginning of May.

                      Song of the month for June 1970
                 All Right Now by Free
Free’s first hit single has stood the test of time as one of the most enduring of all rock anthems. The music is of the highest quality, notably the guitar work of the tragic Paul Kossoff. This monster hit also benefits from amusing lyrics delivered by the throaty singing of Paul Rodgers. Unfortunately for Free, the fabulous foursome were very young and consequently their immaturity ruined any possibility of stability and durability. As a result, the group peaked with their debut hit, even if some of their subsequent recordings were equally impressive.

               Song of the month for July 1970
         The Wonder Of You by Elvis Presley
In 1968 the King of rock and roll mercifully turned his back on his mediocre movie career and went back to basics, to do what he did best - performing. Over the next few years, the result was a spectacular return to form for Elvis which culminated in the American Number One, ‘Suspicious Minds’, and the United Kingdom chart-topper, ‘The Wonder Of You’. Regrettably each hit would be the King’s last chart-topper in his lifetime as personal excess and self abuse destroyed the promise that had flowed from the wondrous ‘The Wonder Of You’ live recording.

                  Song of the month for August 1970
         Wild World by Jimmy Cliff
Sandwiched between the emergence of Desmond Dekker and the arrival of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff was Jamaica’s latest singing sensation. ‘Wild World’ would propel Cliff into the British Top Ten, which he had previously visited a year earlier with the more positive ‘Wonderful World, Beautiful People’. Just what led Cliff to travel from a ‘wonderful world’ to a ‘wild world’ in less than a year is open to question, although a clue may lie in an intervening hit, the majestic ‘Vietnam’. Anyhow, ‘Wild World’ (written by Cat Stevens) was not so much a global critique as words of caution uttered to a former sweetheart.

                   Song of the month for September 1970
         Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross
Diana Ross took the bold step of casting off the umbilical cord of her supremely successful Supremes career in favour of a solo journey. This decision paid handsome dividends with the marvellous American Number One, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. The British record-buying public however let themselves down by only helping this disco and love song crossover to a brief stay in the Top Ten. This romantic recording had previously surfaced on princess Diana’s debut solo album which also contained the equally beautiful ‘Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)’.

               Song of the month for October 1970
         Ride A White Swan by T.Rex
Although Tyrannosaurus Rex had been in existence for a few years, Marc Bolan was a virtual stranger to the singles chart. However, ‘Ride A White Swan’ would prove to be his ‘road to Damascus moment’ as he made the transition from cult hippy hero to glam rock star. The excellent ‘Ride A White Swan’ lingered in the British Top Ten for many weeks at the end of 1970 and the beginning of the following year. This smash hit was the first example of T. Rex’s fusion of pop and rock. It worked like a charm, even if the likes of his former champion John Peel were less amused.

                    Song of the month for November 1970
         Voodoo Chile by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Two months after the premature death of arguably popular music’s greatest guitarist, ‘Voodoo Chile’ (alternatively known as ‘Slight Return’) would provide Jimi Hendrix with a slight and hugely successful return to the British singles chart. This five-minute closing track to the 1968 ‘Electric Ladyland’ double album must surely rate as one of the most unlikely of chart-toppers. It certainly showcased the guitar prowess of Hendrix. Incidentally, this rock song has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Chile!

                       Song of the month for December 1970
         Layla by Derek And The Dominos
After the relative failure of his Blind Faith venture, Eric Clapton ‘disguised’ himself in Derek And The Dominos. This new combo’s debut offering was entitled ‘Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs’, which was released in December, whereupon it failed mysteriously to make much of a splash in the album charts. Whilst ‘Bell Bottom Blues’ has a credible claim for being the best item on the album, pride of place must surely go to ‘Layla’. With the considerable assistance of Duane Allman’s guitar, Clapton reveals his intense yearning for ‘Layla’ (or his future wife Pattie Harrison, to be precise). If the track’s first part is a perennial rock favourite, then part two’s instrumental interplay between guitar, piano, and drums is simply out of this world.

Listed Below are the Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1970
1 The Wonder Of You                 Elvis Presley
2 Yellow River                 Christie
3 In The Summertime                 Mungo Jerry
4 Band Of Gold                 Freda Payne
5 Something                     Shirley Bassey
6 Wanderin’ Star                 Lee Marvin
7 Spirit In The Sky                 Norman Greenbaum
8 Bridge Over Troubled Water         Simon and Garfunkel
9 Back Home                     England World Cup Squad
10 All Right Now                Free

                        1970’s CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
Perhaps the first historic concert of the new decade was the farewell outing for Diana Ross and The Supremes, during which the audience were introduced to Miss Ross’s replacement, Jean Terrell. Meanwhile on St.Valentine’s Day, the Who cemented their reputation as a formidable live act with their performance at Leeds University, which would be thereafter immortalised on the ‘Live At Leeds’ album. The Rolling Stones too avoided a studio album, in favour of the live recordings of ‘Get Yer Ya-Yas Out’. Gig of the year was arguably the Isle of Wight festival at the end of August. This now annual shindig featured the likes of the Doors and the Jimi Hendrix Experience (or ‘Band of Gypsies’). However, within three weeks, the virtuoso guitarist would be dead, whilst Jim Morrison of the Doors would be going through life’s departure lounge a mere ten months later.

                        1970’s ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin
                        (released in October; reached No.1 in the UK)
The mighty Zep took the most peculiar step of retreating from their fearsome onslaught upon Californian five-star hotels in favour of some quality time in the depths of rural, north-west Wales. The fab four’s self-imposed exile in the rustic setting of the hamlet of Bron-Y-Aur, in Snowdonia, would be commemorated in the jaunty track ‘Bron-Y-Aur Stomp’ which would surface in the group’s third album. Yet again choosing to avoid an album title, Led Zeppelin proceeded to confuse fans and critics further still with several tracks which were a far cry from the heavy rock that had stamped its considerable presence upon the band’s first two projects. The acoustic guitar was very much to the fore as Robert Plant and Jimmy Page indulged in their passion for folk music. ‘Gallows Pole’ is a case in point, whilst the item ‘Friends’ showcased the group’s desire to extend into eastern music. The long player still possessed its moments of sonic mayhem, courtesy of ‘Out On The Tiles’ and the stirring curtain-raiser, ‘Immigrant Song’. Pride of place perhaps goes to the epic blues of ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ which represents seven and a half minutes of a combo at the very peak of their artistic development. Sandwiched in between the towering giants of Led Zeppelin II and IV, the third offering has never quite received its due recognition, but it can make a strong case for being the outstanding album of 1970, even ahead of Simon And Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

                        SPORT IN 1970
English Division One football champions: Everton; runners-up: Leeds United
English FA Cup final: Chelsea 2 Leeds United 1 (after extra time, in a replay)
English League Cup Final: Manchester City 2 West Bromwich Albion 1
Scotiish Division One football champions: Glasgow Celtic; runners-up: Glasgow Rangers
Scottish FA Cup final: Aberdeen 3 Glasgow Celtic 1
Scottish League Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 1 St Johnstone 0
Irish League football champions: Glentoran; Irish Cup final: Linfield 2 Ballymena United 1
League Of Ireland football champions: Waterford; cup winners: Bohemians
European Cup final: Feyenoord 2 Glasgow Celtic 1
European Cup-Winners’ Cup final: Manchester City 2 Gornik Zabrze 1
European Fairs Cup final: Arsenal beat Anderlecht 4-3 on aggregate
English county cricket champions: Kent
Five Nations’ rugby union champions: France and Wales (both 6 points)
Formula One world drivers’ champion: Jochen Rindt (Austria) in a Lotus car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Kerry; runners-up: Meath
British Open golf champion: Jack Nicklaus (at St. Andrews)
US Masters golf champion: Billy Casper
US Open golf champion: Tony Jacklin
USPGA golf champion: Dave Stockton
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Castleford 7 Wigan 2
Wimbledon men’s singles tennis final: J Newcombe beat K Rosewall 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final: M Court beat B-J King 14-12, 11-9
World snooker final: Ray Reardon (Wales) beat John Pulman (England) 37-33
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Gay Trip; price 15-1
The Epsom Derby winner: Nijinsky; jockey - Lester Piggott; price 11-8F
Football World Cup final: Brazil 4 Italy 1

                        1970’s DEATHS
January 29th: Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart (British historian), aged 74
February 2nd: Bertrand Arthur William Russell (British philosopher), aged 97
February 11th: Henry Mayo Bateman (British cartoonist), aged 82
February 15th: Air Chief Marshal Dowding (of the RAF), aged 87
February 25th: Mark Rothko (US artist), aged 66
June 7th: Edward Morgan Forster (British author), aged 91
June 11th: Alexander Kerensky (ex-Russian leader), aged 89
June 21st: Ahmed Sukarno (ex-Indonesian President), aged 69
July 8th: Sir Allen Lane (British publisher), aged 67
July 8th: Dame Laura Knight (British artist), aged 92
July 20th: Iain Macleod (British politician), aged 56
July 27th: Antonio de Oliveira Salazar (Portugal’s dictator), aged 81
July 29th: Sir John Barbirolli (British conductor), aged 70
September 5th: Jochen Rindt (Austrian Formula 1 driver), aged 28
September 18th: Jimi Hendrix (US musician), aged 27
September 25th: Erich Maria Remarque (German author), aged 72
September 28th: Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt’s President), aged 81
September 28th: John Dos Passos (US author), aged 74
October 4th: Janis Joplin (US singer), aged 27
October 10th: Edouard Daladier (French statesman), aged 86
November 9th: General Charles de Gaulle (ex-French President), aged 79
November 25th: Yukio Mishima (Japanese author), aged 45
December 14th: Field Marshal William Slim (British soldier), aged 79
December 26th: Lillian Board (British athlete), aged 22

The Other Within

Demir Demirkan — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:23:27 GMT

The Rain Song

MuseGurus — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:52:11 GMT