Jason Maloney reviews
JASON’S JUKEBOX
V o l u m e # 0 4 Chart Date: Week Ending 11th February 1978 Online Date: 10th February 2004
Abba: Gold
(2 CDs + DVD Boxset) They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this week 26 years ago Brotherhood Of Man were being very sincere indeed as Figaro, their transparent attempt to savour some of ABBA’s success with Fernando the year before, ruled the roost.
Joy would prove short-lived as the real McCoy swiftly replaced Figaro at #1 with Take A Chance On Me the following week, but for now the Scandanavian chart champs had to play second fiddle, moving up smartly from its entry position of #10 to #2.
The Best of Baccara Disco was beginning to tighten its grasp of the Top 40, with the likes of Odyssey (down 1 place to #5 with Native New Yorker) and Donna Summer (falling 3 to #9 with Love’s Unkind) would soon become established hitmakers. Heatwave, Chic, Baccara (peaking at #8 with Sorry I’m A Lady, the follow-up to Yes Sir I Can Boogie) and Rose Royce (moving #26-#11 with Wishing On A Star) were also in the top half of the chart.
Bill Withers’ seminal Lovely Day held steady at #7; a decade later it would go even higher, reaching #4 in slightly remixed form.
ELO: The Ultimate Collection Rod Stewart’s pairing of Hot Legs and I Was Only Joking (up 4 to #14) was one of three Double A-sided hits of the week; Wings’ record-breaking Christmas ’77 #1 Mull Of Kintyre/Girls’ School still commanded a Top 5 place, while Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Jamming/Punky Reggae Party slipped a notch from its #9 peak.
Electric Light Orchestra had stormed up 23 places the previous week with Mr. Blue Sky, but the clouds temporarily moved in as it strangely stalled at #16 on its way to the Top 10 later in the month.
The Bee Gees:
The Record:
Their Greatest Hits Also making slow progress were the Bee Gees, creeping up from #34 to #31 with a track entitled Stayin’ Alive, taken from a forthcoming movie about the disco scene, Saturday Night Fever.
The single would eventually peak at #4 in the UK and go all the way on Billboard’s US Hot 100.
Billy Joel:
The Ultimate Collection Making their inaugural appearances on the British charts were Billy Joel (Just The Way You Are at #30) and Rush (Closer To The Heart at #36). Joel went on to score several major hits (including a #1 with Uptown Girl in 1983), but only 1980’s Spirit Of Radio did any better for the Canadian prog-rockers; their success being largely confined to the album listings. Page Content copyright © Jason Maloney, 2004.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.
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