Kill or Save: UK No. 1-hits of the 70s

[Bibliogryphon 9,579]

In terms of 72/73. I will admit that 72 is horrendous but there are some in 73 that I would happily vote for.

[theoldlady 2,300]

Here are my selections for Thursday October 27th:

35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
32    Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown

32    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

31    Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)  
28    T. Rex – Get It On
28    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water
27    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile

27    Slade - Coz I Luv You 

21    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord +4
20.   Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking -6

19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May

15   Benny Hill -  Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

8    Lee Marvin - Wanderin` Star

7    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 

[msc 18,442]

35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
32    Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown

32  Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water +4

32    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

28    T. Rex – Get It On
27    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile

27    Slade - Coz I Luv You 

25   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes) -6

21    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord 
20.   Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking 

19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May

15   Benny Hill -  Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

8    Lee Marvin - Wanderin` Star

7    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 

[Great Uncle Bulgaria 1,282]

35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
32    Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown

32  Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water 

32    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

29    Slade - Coz I Luv You  +2

28    T. Rex – Get It On
27    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile

25   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes) 

22.   Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking +2

19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May

15   Benny Hill -  Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

15    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -6

8    Lee Marvin - Wanderin` Star

7    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 

[Grim Up North 3,725]

35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
32    Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown

32  Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water 

32    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

30    T. Rex – Get It On +2
29    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile +2

29    Slade - Coz I Luv You

25   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes) 

22.   Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking

 19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May

15   Benny Hill -  Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

9    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -6

 8    Lee Marvin - Wanderin` Star

7    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 

 

[time 8,599]

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel +4
35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
32    Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown
32    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 
30    T. Rex – Get It On
29    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile
29    Slade - Coz I Luv You
25    Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
22    Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking
19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May
15    Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
8    Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star 
7    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
3    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -6
 

[time 8,599]

5 hours ago, Bibliogryphon said:

In terms of 72/73. I will admit that 72 is horrendous but there are some in 73 that I would happily vote for.

I've got '72 & '73 even in terms of those I'd vote for (6 each) but '73 is ahead in those I'd vote against (8 as opposed to 6 for '72), with the rest being those I have no strong feeling either way (5 v 3). 

[Toast 16,140]

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel
35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
33   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown +1
32    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 
30    T. Rex – Get It On
29    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile
29    Slade - Coz I Luv You
22   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) -3
22    Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking
19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May
18  Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) +3
8    Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star 
7    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
0    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -3

[Grim Up North 3,725]

3 minutes ago, Toast said:

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

 

This is not an attempt to sabotage this song - music is very much a personal taste thing - but I was unfamiliar with this record when I saw it on the list and I've now listened to it 4 or 5 times to try and 'get it' but I can't (it just never seems to get started) which makes me even more surprised it is flying so high on the list.

 

I'm sure no one can make me like it but wonder what it is that makes it enjoyable for others?

[Drewsky1211 4,739]

20 minutes ago, Toast said:

0    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -3

All things must pass.

 

Also, we've hit the halfway mark of 1970-1971- 14 songs gone, 14 remain.

[TQR 14,391]

Ten eliminations away from the grand final in what has been a pretty interesting round of surprises and yo-yos. This is my personal take on what’s left:

 

Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel: Love it. Impossible to listen to a chill reggae tune like this and not improve your mood.

Freda Payne – Band of Gold: The sheer popularity of this one has surprised me. I think it’s good, but maybe not grand final good.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown: I’ll listen to it if it’s on. I won’t be all that sorry when it stops, mind.

Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water: Not one I choose to listen to, but I don’t deny its gorgeousness.

T. Rex – Get It On: Not my favourite band by any stretch but this is class. Considerably better than Hot Love imo. 

 

Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile: My joint-favourite here. That riff does things to me.

Slade - Coz I Luv You: msc summed this one up perfectly earlier in the thread. Absolute genius. (before msc gets a big head, I meant the song)

Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes): It’s jizz, and before seeing any scores, I’d have had money on this being one of the first out.

Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking: A tune that belongs in an inoffensive advert but not on the car playlist.

T. Rex – Hot Love: Better than a lot of the glam rock it inspired. The la-la-las get a bit tiresome but otherwise enjoyable.

Rod Stewart - Maggie May: The radio station I was listening to at the time of Thatcher’s death played this immediately after the news bulletin. Since then it raises a smile.

Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West): Much like the vast majority of comedy singles, it’s about as entertaining as psoriasis.

Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star: TF is this shit?

Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime: Has circled the drain for a while. I’m impressed it’s still here, though not necessarily impressed by the song itself.

[justonecornetto 950]

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel
35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
33   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 
32    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 
30    T. Rex – Get It On
29    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile
29    Slade - Coz I Luv You

22   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 
22    Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking
19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May
14  Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) -4

11    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime +4
6    Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star -2
 

[Toast 16,140]

24 minutes ago, TQR said:

Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel: Love it. Impossible to listen to a chill reggae tune like this and not improve your mood .....

 

..... and get your arse swinging.

[En Passant 3,741]

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel
35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
33   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 

33    Slade - Coz I Luv You +4

32    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 
30    T. Rex – Get It On
29    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile
22   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 
22    Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking
19    T. Rex – Hot Love
18    Rod Stewart - Maggie May
14  Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
11    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
0   Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star -6

 

Wandered right off into the distance. 

[msc 18,442]

37 minutes ago, TQR said:

Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water: Not one I choose to listen to, but I don’t deny its gorgeousness.

 

Art Garfunkel's solo vocals in this one are brilliant. Just such a range. In one of the live videos you can see him fist pump himself in delight after reaching some of the highest notes! 

 

40 minutes ago, TQR said:

T. Rex – Get It On: Not my favourite band by any stretch but this is class. Considerably better than Hot Love imo. 

 

Bolan's group had some bangers (20th Century Boy,  Metal Guru) but this one is decent. 

 

41 minutes ago, TQR said:

 

Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile: My joint-favourite here. That riff does things to me.

 

 

Great riff by a musical genius. When it comes down to these songs, Smokey Robinson and 1 or 2 others it's going to be a tough fight.

 

42 minutes ago, TQR said:

Slade - Coz I Luv You: msc summed this one up perfectly earlier in the thread. Absolute genius.

 

Thank you very much!

 

43 minutes ago, TQR said:

(before msc gets a big head, I meant the song)

 

 

Oh. Right. As you were, then. 

 

43 minutes ago, TQR said:

 

Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star: TF is this shit?

 

Gonnae paint that wagon, gonna paint it good

We ain't bragging, we're gonna paint that wood.

 

If you haven't seen Paint Your Wagon, my oh my, it's certainly an experience. It clearly got to number one because people found the idea of notorious movie tough guy Lee Marvin singing a lonesome ballad. Or trying to sing one. There's a decent enough song in there, but it would lose its charm without the non-singer. imo of course.

Richard Harris giving MacArthur Park a good go is far better though. 

 

Looking at the songs which nearly made it to number one in both years, but fell just short:

 

1970
Beatles - Let it Be
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Carpenters - Close to You
Deep fn Purple - Black Night
Edwin Starr - WAR
Elvis - Suspicious Minds
Fleetwood Mac - The Green Manalishi
Four Tops - I Cant Help Myself
Free - All Together Now
Jethro Tull - The Witches Promise
Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me not to Come

 

Some good stuff here. Looking directly at Jon Lord and Peter Green (and Ozzy but take that as read).

 

1971
Elton John - Your Song
Isaac Hayes - Shaft (Theme)
Joan Baez - The Night they Drove old Dixie Down
Ringo Starr - It Dont Come Easy
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
The Who - Wont Get Fooled Again

 

Less choice here, but all of these would do better than half the dross that made it to the top. 

 

The British public, eh? Bastions of good taste!

[Death Impends 7,971]

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel
35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold

34    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water +2
33   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 

33    Slade - Coz I Luv You
30    T. Rex – Get It On
30    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile +1
23    Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking +1

20   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) -2
19    T. Rex – Hot Love
16    Rod Stewart - Maggie May -2
14  Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
9    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime -2

[En Passant 3,741]

20 minutes ago, msc said:

Looking at the songs which nearly made it to number one in both years, but fell just short

 

Given the popularity of this thread I had already started to wonder what might happen when we ran out of historical #1's at two years a pop.

Well......we could do #2's (Oh do grow up....) or 3, 4 and so on. That'll last a while.

[Drewsky1211 4,739]

36    Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel

36    Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water +2
35    Freda Payne – Band of Gold
33   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 

33    Slade - Coz I Luv You
30    T. Rex – Get It On
30    Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile
23    Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking

20   Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
18    T. Rex – Hot Love -1
16    Rod Stewart - Maggie May
11    Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime +2

9  Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) -5

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

4 hours ago, msc said:

21    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord

 

1 hour ago, Toast said:

0    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -3

 

Haven't voted in this as I don't have strong opinions on many of the songs, but enjoying the ups and downs and discussions of the tunes. Keeping the parents abreast when I see them as its very much their era (although I like plenty of 70s and 80s music).

 

Anyway, just highlighting the way fortunes can change if a song builds up a head of steam. My Sweet Lord has bounced up and down the rankings but remained this morning basically where it started. Suddenly, in 3 hours, it's gone from 21 to 0. It's a cruel business!

[time 8,599]

49 minutes ago, msc said:

 

Art Garfunkel's solo vocals in this one are brilliant. Just such a range. In one of the live videos you can see him fist pump himself in delight after reaching some of the highest notes! 

 

 

Bolan's group had some bangers (20th Century Boy,  Metal Guru) but this one is decent. 

 

 

Great riff by a musical genius. When it comes down to these songs, Smokey Robinson and 1 or 2 others it's going to be a tough fight.

 

 

Thank you very much!

 

 

Oh. Right. As you were, then. 

 

 

Gonnae paint that wagon, gonna paint it good

We ain't bragging, we're gonna paint that wood.

 

If you haven't seen Paint Your Wagon, my oh my, it's certainly an experience. It clearly got to number one because people found the idea of notorious movie tough guy Lee Marvin singing a lonesome ballad. Or trying to sing one. There's a decent enough song in there, but it would lose its charm without the non-singer. imo of course.

Richard Harris giving MacArthur Park a good go is far better though. 

 

Looking at the songs which nearly made it to number one in both years, but fell just short:

 

1970
Beatles - Let it Be
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Carpenters - Close to You
Deep fn Purple - Black Night
Edwin Starr - WAR
Elvis - Suspicious Minds
Fleetwood Mac - The Green Manalishi
Four Tops - I Cant Help Myself
Free - All Together Now
Jethro Tull - The Witches Promise
Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me not to Come

 

Some good stuff here. Looking directly at Jon Lord and Peter Green (and Ozzy but take that as read).

 

1971
Elton John - Your Song
Isaac Hayes - Shaft (Theme)
Joan Baez - The Night they Drove old Dixie Down
Ringo Starr - It Dont Come Easy
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
The Who - Wont Get Fooled Again

 

Less choice here, but all of these would do better than half the dross that made it to the top. 

 

The British public, eh? Bastions of good taste!

All a matter of personal taste, but re 1971, I'd add to the "honourable mentions" (i.e. those better than half the number ones).

John Kongos - Tokoloshe Man

John Kongos - He's Gonna Step on You Again

Redbone - Witch Queen of New Orleans

Dave & Ansell Collins - Monkey Spanner

Cher - Gypsys Tramps & Thieves (and I'm not even a Cher fan)

and possibly a few more.

 

[Toast 16,140]

17 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

Anyway, just highlighting the way fortunes can change if a song builds up a head of steam. My Sweet Lord has bounced up and down the rankings but remained this morning basically where it started. Suddenly, in 3 hours, it's gone from 21 to 0. It's a cruel business!

 

As the candidates dwindle in number, we can more easily focus our hatred

[Bibliogryphon 9,579]

Just now, Toast said:

 

As the candidates dwindle in number, we can more easily focus our hatred

There are two specific songs I have got my sights on but one vote amongst many makes this quite tense

[Grim Up North 3,725]

51 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

Anyway, just highlighting the way fortunes can change if a song builds up a head of steam. My Sweet Lord has bounced up and down the rankings but remained this morning basically where it started. Suddenly, in 3 hours, it's gone from 21 to 0. It's a cruel business!

 

@theoldlady logged in early to try and save it +4 last night, +4 first thing this morning but 3 hours later it was literally Toasted 

 

2 hours ago, Toast said:

0    George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -3

 

[TQR 14,391]

Agonisingly for me, the final four is most likely going to be decided whilst I’m away.

[Grim Up North 3,725]

20 minutes ago, TQR said:

Agonisingly for me, the final four is most likely going to be decided whilst I’m away.

 

Agonisingly for Slade perhaps....