Delayed from being released early last month for unexplained reasons at the same time as the cd versions we had on October 2nd the latest 70's volume of Now Yearbook and era poorly compiled at the time.
This is a selection from the 4 cd but makes sense as this was the era of playing records and we had Hot Hits remakes for Music For Pleasure and the Top of the Pops series for Hallmark as hit compilations of original tracks just weren't a thing in 1971.
To play it takes you back to then.
Record one starts with a series of classic songs and performances starting with Elton John’s signature ‘Your Song’ leads, followed by Paul McCartney’s debut solo single ‘Another Day’. U.S. classics next: Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ is as popular today as it was in ’71, as is John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’. Country-pop hits for Lynn Anderson and Olivia Newton-John come ahead of the debut single from Carly Simon and to close the side, Judy Collins’ version of ‘Amazing Grace’ was massive hit and would end up spending an incredible 67 weeks on the UK charts!...flip the LP over for Rod Stewart with his first chart-topper ‘Maggie May’ alongside the second #1 for T.Rex with ‘Get It On’ and also the second chart-topper for Mungo Jerry with ‘Baby Jump’. The Kinks and Free follow leading to two of the defining anthems of the era, The Who’s epic ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ closing with Deep Purple with ‘Strange Kind Of Woman’.
Record two first side opens with some of ‘71’s most soulful ballads: Al Green’s ‘Tired Of Being Alone’ is followed by Diana Ross, who hit #1 with ‘I’m Still Waiting’ and the Jackson 5 hit the top in the U.S. with one of their most beloved tracks, ‘I’ll Be There’. The Tams enjoyed a #1 with the re-released Northern Soul classic ‘Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me’, and leads a run including The Elgins, The Supremes and ‘I'm Gonna Run Away From You’ from Tami Lynn. The side winds down with two stunning ballads from The Delfonics with ‘La La Means I Love You’ and The Temptations with ‘Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
Side two opens with ’Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves’ gave Cher a U.S. #1 and Cilla Black was back in the UK Top 3 with ‘Something Tells Me…’. followed by Tony Christie leading a run of pure-pop gems from Bay City Rollers, Middle Of The Road with their #1 ‘Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep’, The Mixtures, Clodagh Rodgers (with 1971’s UK Eurovision entry), and ‘Knock Three Times’, the first #1 for Tony Orlando & Dawn while the side concludes with the Top 10 hit, ‘I Believe (In Love)’ for Hot Chocolate.
The third LP kicks off with T.Rex and their first #1 ’Hot Love’, the first #1 from the ‘glam’ scene that would dominate the singles charts over the next few years. Peter Noone enjoyed a big hit covering David Bowie’s ‘Oh You Pretty Things’ and is followed by early glam-pop favourites from Sweet and Slade. Up next, Dave & Ansel Collins' groundbreaking chart-topper ‘Double Barrel’ which became the second ever reggae single to hit the UK #1 spot. Easy Listening gold up next from Perry Como, Andy Williams, Elvis Presley and to close the side ‘Till’ from Tom Jones
The final side holds a stellar run celebrating 1971’s groundbreaking soul classics, opening with Marvin Gaye’s landmark masterpiece ‘What’s Going On’, before the Oscar-winning ‘Theme From "Shaft"’ from Isaac Hayes and Ike & Tina Turner’s electrifying ‘Proud Mary’. Bill Withers’ sublime ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ leads to a final run of classics from Cat Stevens with ‘Wild World’, Joan Baez’s interpretation of ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’, and Janis Joplin’s posthumous hit – the timeless ‘Me And Bobby McGee’, and it’s left to Rod Stewart to sign off the year with his #1 ‘Reason To Believe’.
This is a great round up of 1971 in all its variety as I recall it.
No comments:
Post a Comment