Jason’s Jukebox Volume 36

Jason Maloney reviews

JASON’S JUKEBOX
V o l u m e # 3 6 Chart Date: 6th October 1973 Online Date: 8th October 2004

An Introduction to
Mott the Hoople The records occupying the top two positions had both debuted a fortnight earlier; Sweet‘s Ballroom Blitz looked the more likely future chart-topper when it entered at #2 ahead of Eye Level by The Simon Park Orchestra at #14, but the latter leapfrogged a remarkable 13 places to take the #1 spot on the September 29th chart. This week they both remained at #1 and #2, and Eye Level went on to deny another Glam Rock favourite 7 days later when Slade‘s My Friend Stan (new at #4) replaced Ballroom Blitz in the runners-up slot.

The Top 5 was completed by Bobby Pickett & The Crypt Kicker‘s Monster Mash at #3 and Nutbush City Limits by Ike & Tina Turner moving from #8 to #5. David Bowie‘s oddity Laughing Gnome (up 6 to #8) and Joybringer by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (rising 2 to #9) eased into the Top 10, at the expense of Rod Stewart‘s version of Oh No Not My Baby (falling 6 to #12), The Rolling Stones‘ Angie (down from #7 to #14) and All The Way From Memphis by Mott The Hoople, which having peaked at #10 now fell back to #13.

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The Berry Vest of
Gilbert O’Sullivan Status Quo were in the process of establishing themselves as a chart force of the 70s and 80s after first making their mark as proponents of late-60s psychedelic pop. Caroline, up 6 places to #11, went on to reach the Top 10 and the hits kept on coming after that. By contrast, Gilbert O’Sullivan – he of successive UK #1s with Clair in late 1972 and Get Down in early 1973 – was stuck at #18 with Ooh Baby.

Current releases by Perry Como (For The Good Times climbing to #7) and Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (the former #12 hit Say, Has Anyone Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose hanging on at #21 after 9 weeks on the chart) had brought their previous successes back onto the Top 40 – Como’s And I Love You So returned at #39, having originally spent 18 weeks on the listings, while Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree was three weeks into adding to its initial tally of 26 during a second run that ultimately lasted two months.

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Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music:
The Platinum Collection Motown legends The Jackson Five and Marvin Gaye hadn’t set the chart on fire with their latest singles; Skywriter continued to hover around the mid-20s for the former, while Let’s Get It On surprisingly failed to better its #31 placing for Gaye despite yoyo-ing around the bottom of the Top 40 – and even dropping out for a week – over the next month. The Isley Brothers (That Lady climbing 6 to #25) and Detroit Spinners (Ghetto Child up 14 to #24 en route to the Top 10) were faring much better.

There were a trio of major entries to the chart; second-highest of the week after Slade was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John at #16. 7 places lower, Bryan Ferry‘s cover of Bob Dylan‘s A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall debuted at 23, and Dylan himself was new at #34 with Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door from the soundtrack of Pat Garret & Billy The Kid

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