Best Song: Robert Knight - Love On A Mountain Top
There was a time when I used to buy a newspaper on a Sunday that would often come with a free CD. This is how I first came across this record and therefore how I got into it. It was a Northern Soul record and a lot has to be said for Northern Soul because it was music that flopped initially but then made popular by those seeking out obscure but good quality music.
Worst Song: Simon Park Orchestra - Eye Level
One of the first home videos of my childhood included a Christmas party where someone was playing this repeatedly on the recorder. That was basically my introduction to this record and I'm still haunted by it to this very day.
Top 40 Review
It could be argued that 1973 was the biggest year for Christmas hits. There were just 4 in total but this included the big Christmas hits from Slade, Wizzard and Elton John charting for the first time. Additionally there was "Gaudete" by Steeleye Span. No points for any of them.
Glam rock was the leading genre in the Top 40 and generally speaking it isn't my cup of tea. The only record that really fits that category that I like is "Roll Away The Stone" by Mott the Hoople.
Bubblegum pop was still big in 1973 and Donny Osmond, The Osmonds and David Cassidy all have hits as well as Marie Osmond having a country record in the charts. Again no points there.
We are getting points from funk and soul music though. Eddie Kendricks is in the Top 40 with "Keep On Truckin" which was his first Top 40 hit since leaving The Temptations. There's also The Four Tops with "Sweet Understanding Love" which would be their final Top 40 hit until the 80s. Finally there was the lesser known Don Downing with "Lonely Days Lonely Nights" which is a solid effort.
We have the Leo Sayer debut "The Show Must Go On" which is one of his better records and gets full marks. You can often rely on Roxy Music for a decent record and they have one here with "Street Life".
3 of the 4 Beatles have records in this Top 40 with just George Harrison being absent. John Lennon has "Mind Games" which is a great record. The Ringo Starr record "Photograph" is a bit of a non-entity and the Paul McCartney/Wings record "Helen Wheels" just sounds silly.
A strong contender for worst song is "And You Smiled" by Matt Monro which was a vocal version of "Eye Level" but the vocals make it sound less like the recorder I mentioned. It had been his first Top 40 hit in 8 years and was his last to date.
Another surprise inclusion in the Top 40 are 2 records from Perry Como who was in his 60s by this point. He had one further Top 40 hit after this too.
A handful of decent records, a couple of alright ones and lots of crap ones leads us to this score.
Score: 13
Table
Less than the best year score but not by much and we're level with 1975:
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