K SPECIAL
A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to BB and all his visitors!
I hope you have all enjoyed my compilation contributions to BB's blog this year and have found them an interesting and exciting listen.
Here's to a healthy and prosperous New Year 2024 to all.
Regards,
K
VA - The Official UK Top 50 Singles Chart: 22 December 1973 - 28 December 1973 (50th Anniversary 2023 Remastered Expanded Edition) [1973] (3 x CDs)
It's exactly 50 years ago this week since Slade's perennial favourite 'Merry Xmas Everybody' smashed into the top spot going straight to number one the day after release having sold over a million copies.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Xmas_Everybody
Slade 'Merry Xmas Everybody' Top of the Pops, December 1973:
https://youtu.be/WM7M7zSMJcw?si=ByyxXCrYkfaEgfp8
https://youtu.be/3AY3lx1LyxY?si=35uqz_jIVmKol9qv
Acts like David Bowie, Gary Glitter, the Sweet, Slade, the Carpenters and Wizzard would have the best chart years of their careers. Teenybop stuff was alive and well with David Cassidy and The Osmonds peaking. Plus, lots of new acts like Mud, David Essex, Suzi Quatro, Medicine Head and, erm, Barry Blue came through.
Tony Orlando and Dawn had the best-selling single of 1973 with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", which spent four weeks at the top spot and lasted 11 weeks in the top 10.
Slade became the first act to have three singles enter the UK charts at number-one; "Cum On Feel the Noize", "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me", and "Merry Xmas Everybody" (which also became the year's Christmas number-one single).
The glam-rock group had two further singles in the UK top 10 this year. They also reached number two in October with their single "My Friend Stan". They had five entries in total this year but this included "Gudbuy T'Jane" from the latter part of 1972.
Another glam-rock band who made it big in 1973 was Wizzard, fronted by Roy Wood. Wood had previously achieved chart success a member of both The Move and Electric Light Orchestra.
Wizzard scored four top 10 singles during the year, which included the number-one hits "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers", as well as their Christmas classic "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", which peaked at number four for four consecutive weeks.
10cc achieved the first of their three UK number-one singles in June of this year with "Rubber Bullets", which spent one week at the top spot. They also reached number ten in September with "The Dean and I".
One-hundred and twenty-eight singles were in the top ten in 1973. Eight singles from 1972 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "The Show Must Go On" by Leo Sayer and "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by
The New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul were both released in 1973 but did not reach their peak until 1974. "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues, "Shotgun Wedding" by Roy C and "Solid Gold Easy Action" by T. Rex were the singles from 1972 to reach their peak in 1973. Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1973. David Essex, Leo Sayer, Marie Osmond, Mud and Wizzard were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1973.
The 1972 Christmas number-one, "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond, remained at number-one for the first three weeks of 1973. The first new number-one single of the year was "Block Buster!" by The Sweet.
Overall, seventeen different singles peaked at number-one in 1973, with Slade (3) having the most singles hit that position.
Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1973. Donny Osmond secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1973 with six hit singles. He scored three top 10 entries in 1973 as a solo artist, with "The Twelfth of Never" and "Young Love" both reaching number-one, and "When I Fall in Love" peaking at number four in November. His sister Marie made her top 10 debut in November with the number two hit "Paper Roses". Donny's total was boosted to six by his participation on The Osmonds recordings. The family group scored two top 10 entries in 1973 with "Going Home", which peaked at number four in July and "Let Me In", which peaked at number two in November. Their number two hit from November 1972, "Crazy Horses", remained in the top 10 for the first three weeks of 1973.
David Bowie peaked in the top 10 with five singles in 1973. He reached number two in January with "The Jean Genie", while "Drive In Saturday", "Life on Mars" and "Sorrow" all peaked at number three.
His single "The Laughing Gnome", originally released in 1967, also entered the top 10, reaching number six in October. Little Jimmy Osmond had two individual entries, including "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" from 1972 and his number four single "Tweedle Dee" in April, as well as being a part of The Osmonds collective.
David Cassidy and Gary Glitter scored four top 10 entries in 1973. The Partridge Family singer David Cassidy had two hit singles as part of the group - "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" at number nine and "Walking in the Rain" peaking at number ten -
as well as the number one hit "Daydreamer"/"The Puppy Song", and "I am a Clown"/"Some Kind of a Summer" which reached number three. Gary Glitter's first two entries, "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" and "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again", both peaked at number two, while the remaining two, "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" and "I Love You Love Me Love", both spent four weeks at number-one.
Solo artists Suzi Quatro, Barry Blue and David Essex all made their top 10 debut in 1973, and all three scored a second entry later in the year. Suzi Quatro made her top 10 debut in May with "Can the Can", which spent a week at number-one in June, while "48 Crash" peaked at number three in August. Barry Blue made his top 10 debut in August with "Dancing on a Saturday Night", which peaked at number two, while "Do You Wanna Dance" reached number seven in November.
David Essex made his top 10 debut in September with "Rock On", which peaked at number three, while "Lamplight" reached number seven in December.
The Sweet had three top-ten entries, among these chart-topper "Block Buster!". The other artists with three top 10 singles were 10cc, Elton John, Paul McCartney, T. Rex and Wings.
Gilbert O'Sullivan was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Get Down". Alice Cooper, The Carpenters, The Partridge Family, Rod Stewart, Roxy Music and Status Quo were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1973.
This is the twelfth and final part of my month by month series featuring classic top 50 UK singles charts from selected weeks in 1973.
BBC Radio 1 also introduced a new logo in 1973 which is featured on the cover art above.
This 3CD set contains many rare and extremely hard to find tracks, with quite a few featured in their original 7" single versions and edits. Only the original studio mixes are included. No later remixes, re-recordings, 'stereo enhanced' or live bootleg versions here! Compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters, with a considerable number of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment. I hope you have enjoyed this fascinating 12-part series and have had the opportunity to revisit a few old favourites and long forgotten hits.
K
The Official UK Top 50 Singles Chart: 22 December 1973 - 28 December 1973 (50th Anniversary 2023 Remastered Expanded Edition) (3CD) (1973)
https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19731223/7501/
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Track lists
CD1
01 Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody 3:26
02 Gary Glitter - I Love You Love Me Love 3:11
03 The New Seekers feat. Lyn Paul - You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:09
04 Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:39
05 Alvin Stardust - My Coo Ca Choo 2:47
06 Marie Osmond - Paper Roses 2:40
07 Leo Sayer - The Show Must Go On (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:53
08 David Essex - Lamplight 2:53
09 Mott the Hoople - Roll Away the Stone (Original 1973 UK 7" Single Version) 3:07
10 Roxy Music - Street Life 3:29
11 Roy Wood - Forever 4:19
12 T. Rex - Truck On (Tyke) 3:09
13 Gilbert O'Sullivan - Why, Oh Why, Oh Why 3:52
14 Steeleye Span - Gaudete 2:24
15 Donny Osmond - When I Fall In Love 2:58
16 Robert Knight - Love on a Mountain Top 2:29
17 Cozy Powell - Dance with the Devil 3:33
CD2
18 Kiki Dee - Amoureuse 4:08
19 The Osmonds - Let Me In 3:36
20 Faces - Pool Hall Richard 4:26
21 Drupi - Vado Via (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:04
22 Mud - Dyna-Mite 2:58
23 Millican & Nesbitt - Vaya Con Dios (May God Be with You) 2:36
24 Paul McCartney & Wings - Helen Wheels 3:47
25 Golden Earring - Radar Love (Original 1973 UK 7" Single Edit) 3:43
26 Elton John - Step Into Christmas (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:29
27 Carpenters - Top of the World 3:02
28 Barry Blue - Do You Wanna Dance? 3:54
29 Perry Como - For the Good Times 3:39
30 David Cassidy - Daydreamer 2:48
31 David Cassidy - The Puppy Song 2:46
32 Eddie Kendricks - Keep on Truckin', Pt. 1 (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:33
33 David Bowie - Sorrow 2:53
34 The Simon Park Orchestra - Eye Level (Theme from the Thames Television series 'Van der Valk') 2:21
CD3
35 Matt Monro - And You Smiled 2:25
36 John Lennon - Mind Games 4:12
37 The Four Tops - Sweet Understanding Love 3:01
38 Ringo Starr - Photograph 3:57
39 Don Downing - Lonely Days, Lonely Nights (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:11
40 Cliff Richard - Take Me High 2:42
41 Perry Como - Walk Right Back 2:26
42 Nazareth - This Flight Tonight 3:21
43 Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 3:15
44 Wink Martindale - Deck of Cards (Original 1959 Dot Records 7" Mono Single Version) 3:51
45 Charles Aznavour - The Old Fashioned Way 3:07
46 Suzi Quatro - Daytona Demon 3:59
47 Andy Williams - Solitaire 4:20
48 Max Bygraves - Deck of Cards 3:56
49 Elvis Presley - Raised on Rock 2:41
50 The London String Chorale and The South Bank Orchestra, conducted by Denis King - Galloping Home (Theme from the London Weekend Television series 'The Adventures of Black Beauty') 2:25
51 Michael Ward - Let There Be Peace on Earth (Let It Begin with Me) 2:39
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A massive thanks to K for his hard work on this excellent series this year (and all his other contributions!) and equally massive thanks to BB for making them available to us mere mortals. Merry Xmas to all at Butterboy World!
ReplyDeleteMarvellous! What a brilliant series and a lovely Xmas present to boot. Have a lovely Yule and a fab '24! Thanks! A.
ReplyDeleteThanks K. What a great Christmas present. (Some gems, some stinkers! It makes the world go round).
ReplyDeleteK thanks for all the effort you put into these collections. Have a happy.
K I am sure you have decided on your next project but I was thinking 1964 would be nice (Nudge Nudge).
DeleteThanks! I remember! I was in the UK throughout 1973, and this music was played at year-end parties. Much of it is on my original open reel 1973 Holiday Party Tape.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the high quality memories!
Thanks also for all of your contributions this year.
Cheers,
Mike M
You're welcome, Mike.
DeleteMuch appreciated.
Cheers.