Popular '76

I think ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ is just about the only Sir Elton song I can bear to listen to.

Less than 50% voting for Chicago surprises me… I’d have had that down as a surefire Poptimist fave.

I only found five, but I’ve always had trouble with ‘Fernando’, not my kind of Abba song. And I had to vote for Chicago. I played an mp3 of this after the discussion below and it’s turned into a bit of an earworm. I half hated it at the time, having once been a big fan of the far more respectable ’25 or 6 to 4′, the meaning of whose title I only discovered in the comments box here…

I found 8, which may show that I’m a comparatively easy man to entertain.

It most assuredly was NOT me who voted for Barrie or Mathis, though.

I managed 4. None of the Abba songs made the cut.

I wanted to mention some songs from this year that I don’t think have been mentioned yet…some of which are still radio regulars:

“More Than A Feeling” by Boston

“The Boys Are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy

“More, More, More” by Andrea True Connection

“Tear The Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up The Funk)” by Parliament

“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry

“The Rubberband Man” by The Spinners

“Lowdown” by Boz Scaggs

“Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways

“Dazz” by Brick

“The Things We Do For Love” by 10cc

At the time I am sure I heard at least half of these, The Runaways, Brick and Parliament being the only ones that were beyond ‘regular’ radio in Canada.

Just to add to and reinforce the missus’ excellent list above, here’s the NME critics’ Top 20 singles of the year list:

1. The Boys Are Back In Town – Thin Lizzy
2. Live At The Marquee (E.P.) – Eddie & The Hot Rods
3. Anarchy In The U.K. – Sex Pistols
4. Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
5. So It Goes – Nick Lowe
6. Police And Thieves – Junior Murvin
7. Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Staton
8. Love And Affection – Joan Armatrading
9. I’ll Be Good To You – Brothers Johnson
10. Couldn’t Get It Right – Climax Blues Band
11. War In A Babylon – Max Romeo
12. Take The Money And Run – Steve Miller Band
13. Hurricane – Bob Dylan
14. Lowdown – Boz Scaggs
15. Let’s Stick Together – Bryan Ferry
16. Little Johnny Jewel – Television
17. I Want More – Can
18. Shake Some Action – Flamin’ Groovies
19. Roast Fish And Cornbread – Lee Perry
20. Boogie On The Street – Lew Lewis

ABBA 18%? 609 voters? I suspect that you may have been spammed!

The phantom NME Chart number ones of 1976; Glass Of Champagne, Silly Love Songs, Young Hearts Run Free. All of which are ace.

For a sense of context, let’s look at the same chart upside down – here’s a list of all the singles that peaked at number 40 in 1976;

13 Mar London Boys – T. Rex – 1 week

27 Mar You Belong To Me – Gary Glitter – 1

19 Jun Could It Be Magic? – Donna Summer – 1

9 Oct Under One Roof – The Rubettes – 1

27 Nov Say You Love Me – Fleetwood Mac – 1

Incidentally, I think that it’s probably safe to re-open the Pussycat thread by now!

This week’s rerun of TOTP was not quite as dire as last week, despite being presented by Noel Edmunds. There was a bizarre appearance by Eric Carmen who looked like he was there as some form of community service.
“Don’t stop it now” Hot Chocolate
The band seemed to be enjoying themselves but the song was not that memorable.

“Fernando” Abba
A tiny bit twee, but a great tune with effortless production – plus those women were good looking

“Reggae like it used to be” Paul Nicholas
Dreadful in so many ways – sadly not DREADful

“Paperback writer” The Beatles
It’s a sign of getting old that I was more interested in what books were on the shelves than the dancers

“I’m Mandy, Fly Me” 10cc
I enjoyed this, although it got a bit bogged down in the middle. The musical pastiche and wordplay put me in mind of Elvis Costello.

“Baby I’m yours” Linda Lewis
Pleasant – I was more interested in her vocal range, and surprised at how deep it went. I think of her as a high pitched triller

“Love Me Like I Love You” Bay City Rollers
Bizarre video – I couldn’t figure out what the song was called as it didn’t seem to have a hook.

“Silver Star” The Four Seasons
Pleasant but a little dull

“There’s a kind of hush” The Carpenters
Strange synthetic sound not helped by second helping of dancers

“Life is too short girl” Sheer Elegance
Hot Chocolate wannabes – with a marginally more memorable song, but weaker production

“Fallen Angel” Frankie Valli
I can’t remember this at all – just glad Frankie didn’t start shrieking

“Save all your kisses for me” Brotherhood of Man
A black hole of mediocrity

“You see the trouble with me” Barry White
Only a short burst of this over the end credits, but pretty good.

When did that rule come in? Post Tony Burrows? Well, Frankie probably doesn’t even appear on Silver Star (lyrically an adult role-reversal of Under My Thumb, musically a post-Bo Rhap shapeshifter, love it passionately) so he was probably only on keyboards to give him something to do.

Eric Carmen shaking hands with Noel Edmonds was a peculiar and quite touching surprise.

I’m Mandy Fly Me shoulda been a number one! The middle section is what makes it for me, esp. as Eric Stewart’s long held note goes into “I…. saw her walking on the water”; it has an arrangement to rival Surfs Up. I’ve never understood whether the lyric is meant to be taken literally – am I missing something obvious?

#23, I think Tony Burrows was why, yes. I’m sure Frankie’s singing the middle section of “Silver Star” you know.

Also, IMFM was ‘supposed’ to be some sort of drugs reference by the ‘people’ who ‘know’, denied by the writers obviously…

Thanks Erithian! Yes, Mandrax. All makes sense.

Don’t think it’s Frankie on the mid section (prob Don Ciccone), and according to Wiki “Valli’s contribution was limited to harmony vocals at the end of the recording (he was gradually losing his hearing in the 1970s due to otosclerosis)”.

Of course I was forgetting… Frankie’s obviously harmonising all over the thing right at the very end.

Right, seen it now, so:

Yeah, you can see that it isn’t FValli on the piano, but I stand by that they would have said “no, FValli can’t appear with both acts”. Also, drummer looks a lot like Woody Harrelson.

Also, another one reminds me of that old MU rule that you ‘had’ to re-record your backing track to appear on the show. So, Paul Nicholas gets the BBC Orchestra with The Ladybirds treatment, and the four seasons get to buy the Musician’s Union bloke a drink while they switch the tapes.

My four-month-old daughter giggled with either delight or amusement throughout Pan’s People and Theme from Mahogany, and then kicked along to Brass Construction. She lost interest after that.

Russell Thompkins Jr. and Orville – no difference. Apart from their vocal range.

I don’t think I’d ever heard Movin’ before – anyone remember it getting Radio 1 airplay?

On the other hand it felt like the BBC LOVED All By Myself, even if it did only reach no.12. An “important” record. Like Eye Level. It might have done better if this performance wasn’t backed by the usual MU hired hands – where’s the guitar solo gone?

Disco Connection still sounds great played out, esp. if you pitch it down -3. Fastest disco record ever?

“The 1970s was a hilariously naff decade for music”, obv.

Yes I heard Movin’ in 88 due to the remix and loved it. It was later sampled by The Bucketheads on ‘Got Myself Together’, their follow up to ‘The Bomb’.

Not sure last night’s repeat was quite so good, really. Although David Hamilton much less annoying (and looking less relaxed) than DLT, as you might reasonably expect.

Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – I’ll Go Where the Music Takes Me
Seeming something of a rather second-rate relative of 70s disco. Some backing vocals a bit grating. A bit “by numbers”.

John Miles – Music
As discussed elsewhere round here lately. (Was it the “No Charge” thread). Certainly worth the time of day

Harpo – Movie star (Studio)
Completely unknown to me; a Swedish guy with a bicycle bell. A bit self-consciously wacky; kind of like the uncle of Per from Roxette was preparing the way for him. A bit twee, but not dislikeable. At least, until the gratuitous key change

Abba – Fernando (vid)
Well, everybody knows this…

Sheer Elegance – Life Is Too Short Girl
More identical pastel-coloured clothing (yellow suits with orange-dominated tartan waistcoats) and co-ordinated dance moves. Some nice humming bits. Never heard this before but I strongly suspect it would improve on further listening.

Rubettes – You’re The Reason Why
Bus-conductor outfit with cap-wearing guy (another mid-70s thing). Bloke in dungarees over a red shirt with a big hankie tied round his neck. Evidently not a hit, and really a bit dull, if inoffensive.

Hank Mizel – Jungle Rock (with Pan’s People)
Dancers in chimpanzee and dinosaur suits & those of the many animals mentioned in the song while PP go all colonial and khaki. Very 50’s revivalish rockabilly, I think. Rather odd. (Edit: I see – it was from 1958)

Gilbert O’Sullivan – Doing what I know
Piano-based midtempo number that gets duller the longer it last. A bit like Beautiful South on a fairly off-par day, mostly supremely banal. Another one that failed to even graze the charts. (And “And it’s amazing when you think of it how many people smoke, despite all the risks that are invoked”…OMG. Actually with “smoke” changed to “drink” I could readily imagine Paul Heaton singing that). Far too long, far too little substance.

Brotherhood Of Man – Save your kisses for me
No comment required. It’s all been said here already. Although one positive consequence of this group was that the thought of that style of moustache, combined with mutton-chop sideburns has been so repulsive that there is no danger of that look returning. Also probably a better song than the Gilbert O’Sullivan one beforehand.

Andrea True Connection – More more more (over credits)
Can’t go wrong with that one, really. Pity it cut off so soon..

I don’t hardly remember the GO’S (relevent acronym: When will I be not famous?) song, I’m assuming it missed. I’ve never heard a song as blatantly “here’s another one just like the usual rubbish I always do because you’d hate it if I did anything different or better” song ever.

Anyway, a large no of repeats this time (Miles, Abba, Sheereleg, Pan’s Jungle)

The rubes would have had a longer career with the new-wave sounds around the corner, if the singer (not the usual one) looked less like an untrendy Buggle.

I see they finally found a pic of Hank for the rundown.

Harpo: Yep.

Oh, and if I recall correctly, the forthcoming ‘performance’ looked like an excerpt from a ‘non-porn’ musical section of a porn movie (which it might well have been)

I missed the week before’s episode, is someone collecting these I wonder?

Latest news: The BBC are definitely doing this TOTP run for a year.

Surely ‘public demand’/ratings will keep it going for longer?

A rather less dancy edition this week. Although I am informed that Gladys Knight and the Pips were among artists cut from the re-run so it would fit in the 30 mins slot…

Slik – Requiem
Never heard this before. Starts off very promisingly, atmospherically, sinks a bit. But, superior pop music that rises above the pub-rock feel that also slips into a couple of place, I think so. (Prefer it to their big hit)

Paul Nicholas – Reggae Like It Used To Be
Curious, not unpleasant, lively and singalong and danceable, but a Judge Dread appearance on TOTP (or even, just once, on the BBC airwaves) might well have been preferable…

Andrea True Connection – More More More
with Pans People in grass skirts. Fab song anyway,

Electric Light Orchestra – Nightrider
(non-chart single). Not their best. Really. Obligatory good harmonies & instrumentation in evidence though.

Diana Ross – Love Hangover
Just a classic, no?

Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks – Convoy GB
Hmmm. Not a classic, I think it’s fair to say, even if Spaghetti Junction were on the M1. Not the worst “comedy” record ever made by Radio 1 DJs though. (I think several of Steve Wright’s are worse, for starters…)

Eric Carmen – All By Myself
Pretty much a classic too.

Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow
Unpretentious, at least. surely only a matter a time before Britney Spears nicks the lyrics from the chorus of this and puts them over a beat just to show how we have come full circle and back to the 70s.

Brotherhood Of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me
see above

Stylistics – I Can’t Help Falling In Love (over end credits)
as previously discussed

For a tenth of a second, it sounded like “we will fall”, but no. Also, LLingo looked a lot like Badly Drawn Boy in a mask…

re 46
1) I assume Stevie Wonder – possibly for ‘Boogie on Reggae Woman’ and Paul could be Paul Simon for ‘Mother and Child reunion’ – although it could be McCartney
2) judging by his performance he misses a particular flaccid version of reggae which bears little or no relation to the real thing

#43 Aha! I knew they were cutting stuff!

So, is that “Andrea True” appearance coming up, or has that gone the way?