Best Song: Dr Hook And The Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother
It's a tough one this week, but this record pips it. When I decided to broaden my horizons outside of dance music in the late 90s Dr Hook were the first band I started listening to. What's great about this record is that it's a sad love song that doesn't take itself too seriously. End each verse with the operator wanting 40 cents more for the next 3 minutes is genius.
Worst Song: Michael Jackson - Rockin' Robin
Picking the worst song has been equally tough, plenty of songs which are bad in their own different ways. What's disappointing about this one though is it being a Motown record. This is the label I've praised a lot so far, but this to me is just a cheesy cover version out to rival Donny Osmond and David Cassidy with their cheesy cover version songs.
Top 40 Review
Fortunately I like the other Motown record in this Top 40, "Doobedood'Ndoobe Doobedood'Ndoobe" by Diana Ross. We also have some Philly soul in "Betcha By Golly Wow" by The Stylistics which was a contender for best song. Another contender was "Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love" by Love Unlimited. Other soul records I like are "Oh Girl" by The Chi-Lites and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers.
This is looking more like a stereotypical 70s chart. Those Donny Osmond and David Cassidy songs I mentioned are in it. We also have glam rock from Slade, Gary Glitter and T Rex whilst The Sweet are edging in that direction. Unfortunately that does not translate into good music, "Metal Guru" by T Rex is ok but I don't like any of the others mentioned.
A 49 year old Hurricane Smith is in the Top 40 again, this time with "Oh Babe What Would You Say" which also gets the thumbs up from me.
The surprisingly good record comes from Lindisfarne with "Lady Eleanor". When I think Lindisfarne I think that Gazza collaboration, but I know they did proper music too. I just never really paid much attention to them, probably because of the Gazza song.
There are two versions of "Amazing Grace" in the Top 40. One comes from Pipes And Drums And The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guard which had previously been number one. The other is from Judy Collins, which had been in and out of the Top 40 since 1970. Neither record is to my liking.
Two of the records I like are re-issues of records which had charted previously. They're "Nut Rocker" by B Bumble And The Stingers, my favourite song in the 1962 charts and "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum. There's also "At the Club" by The Drifters which is part of a double a-side with "Saturday Night At The Movies" which hadn't charted previously but was an older record and gets half a mark.
If it wasn't for these older records the score may have gone down again, but instead we've stayed the same.
Score: 14
Table
Much like the previous year, 1972 is better than the early 60s but not as good as the late 60s:
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