A Rummage In The Bargain Bins - September '73

LISTEN HERE
Singles that were released in September 1973 but failed to enter the UK charts...

01 Dankworth Big Band - Tomorrow's World (Philips 6006337)

Cleo Laine’s husband had two Top Ten hits in the early chart days, but failed to have another hit in his lifetime despite countless releases under different names. In 1973 he released “Bitter Lemons” which also failed to chart, but the b-side could well have been a hit for him, had he released this instead.

02 Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up (Island WIP6167)

It wasn’t until 1975 that Marley had his first hit with ‘No Woman No Cry’. Many of his previous releases then became popular including this release.

03 Judy Mowatt - Way Over Yonder (Trojan TR7900)

When Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left Bob Marley’s band in 1974, he replaced them with a girl backing group ‘I Three’. Judith Mowatt was included in this group having already written songs and had several solo singles. Something she continued to do long after the I Three disbanded.

04 Dobie Gray - Loving Arms (MCA MUS1221)

‘Drift Away’ had been a huge Top 5 hit for Dobie Gray in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. This follow up not only failed to chart in the UK, but only reached #61 in the States.

05 Clifford T Ward - Wherewithal (Charisma CB212)

It had looked like Ward was going to be huge. The release of his album ‘Home Thoughts’ had won him great praise and the single ‘Gaye’ had hit the Top 10. Unfortunately, despite much airplay on FAB 208, the BBC ignored the follow up and the this failed to chart.

06 Tir Na Nog - Strong In The Sun (Chrysalis CHS2016)

‘Strong In The Sun’ heralded a change in direction for the Irish folk band. However even this most commercial of tracks failed to give them any real success, and despite strong support from John Peel, the group disbanded a year later.

07 Association - Windy (Warner Bros K16304)

Originally released in 1967, it was thought that its use in the highly popular ‘Today’ programme would see it chart on it’s re-release in 1973…it didn’t!

08 Roger Daltrey - Thinking (Track 2094014)

Following ‘Giving It All Away’ and ‘I’m Free’, it looked like the Who’s frontman’s solo career was assured. Unfortunately ‘Thinking’ flopped and Daltrey wasn’t to trouble the Top 40 again until 1980.

09 String Driven Thing - It's A Game (Charisma CB215)

Another track ignored by Radio 1 but had heavy airplay on Radio Luxembourg. Many listeners may recognise the song from the highly popular K-Tel album “22 Electrifying Hits”, which of course, it wasn’t.

10 Hello - Another School Day (Bell BELL1333)

Glam rock wannabies Hello had several releases before gaining success with 1974’s ‘Tell Him’. This was one of them.

11 Phil Cordell - Roadie For The Band (MoWest MW3011)

Also releasing singles as Dan The Banjo Man and Springwater, Phil Cordell also managed to avoid the charts as a member of the groups The Challengers, The Prophets and Tuesday’s Children.

12 New Seekers - We've Got To Do It Now (Polydor 2058397)

Five Top 40 hits in a row and then…this. Not sure why this one stopped their flow, but lucky for them, their next single was a number one hit, ‘You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me’.

13 Chris Renshaw and the Keepers - Banksie (Pye 7N45285)

Gordon Banks was England’s most popular goalkeeper, having played in their winning 19966 team and still helping Stoke to League Cup victory. A car accident late in 1972 lost him his sight in one eye, and his goal keeping career, but his popularity remained as this tribute song makes clear.

14 Hotshots - Battle Of New Orleans (Mooncrest MOON12)

The Cimarons decided to cover a sixties hit ‘Snoopy vs The Red Baron’ as The Hotshots, and had had a huge UK hit with the track. Repeating the same formula for the follow up was not so successful.

15 Sid James - Our House (Pye 7N45281)

Currently riding high in his TV sitcom ‘Bless This House’, Sid James had already appeared on vinyl in the early 60s. Unfortunately, there is always some music executive who thinks it’s a good idea to get an actor to release a novelty song.

16 Dr Hook & The Medicine Show - Roland The Roadie And Gertrude The Groupie (CBS SCBS1648)

Following the success of ‘Sylvia’s Mother’, Dr Hook continued to struggle to find a suitable follow up hit. This wasn’t it.

17 Burundi Black - Marabunta (Barclay BAR22)

More tribal rhythms from the French pianist, arranger and producer Michel Bernhoic, as he continued to sample recordings of the Ingoma people of Burundi under the pseudonym Mike Stephenson.

18 Lance LeGault - Catch My Soul (RCA Victor RCA2420)

LeGault was an actor who had started his career as a bit-part actor and stunt double in Elvis Presley films, before appearing as Lago in the film ‘Catch My Soul’ and becoming known as Colonel Decker in several episodes of ‘The A-Team’ and Colonel Buck Green in ‘Magnum PI’.

19 Stories - Brother Louie (Kama Sutra 2013073)

Shortly after Hot Chocolate had taken ‘Brother Louie’ into the UK Top 10, US Band The Stories covered the song and took it to the top in the States, delaying Errol Brown’s US success for two years.

20 Chi Lites - Stoned Out Of My Mind (Brunswick BR7)

It’s like the Chi-Lites had given up on having another UK hit with this one getting no chance of Radio 1 airplay. Thankfully ‘Homely Girl’ the following year was much more radio friendly.

21 Foster Sylvers - Misdemeanor (MGM 2006292)

If ever a band wanted to emulate the success of The Jackson 5 it was the NINE sibling strong The Sylvers. Styled and sounding like the Jacksons, they even tried to spin off their youngest, Foster, as a Michael clone. They had a US Number 1 in 1976, but otherwise came nowhere near their heroes achievements.

22 Linda Lewis - Play Around (Raft RA18505)

The under-rated British singer had difficulty following her hit ‘Rock A Doodle Doo’, with this soundalike, but fortunately continued her chart career with the ’75 cover of ‘It’s In His Kiss’.

23 Mac And Katie Kissoon - Love Will Keep Us Together (Young Blood YB1060)

‘Their version of ‘Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep’ had scraped the bottom end of the chart in 1971, and hit Top 20 in the States, but then any success had eluded them. This song was written by Neil Sedaka, and became a number 12 hit for them in Holland, but failed to chart here. Sedaka’s own version also got nowhere, but Captain And Tennille finally got the song to 35 in 1975, and the Kissoons had several more UK hits as well.

24 J J Barnes - Real Humdinger (Tamla Motown TMG870)

Motown artist Barnes had a minor US hit with this in 1966, and although he never charted in the UK, the ‘Northern Soul’ scene of the early 70s, picked up on this track and it got plenty of plays in the clubs around the time.

25 Ray Conniff - Harmony (CBS SCBS1738)

Conniff had had many hit albums in the 60s, but never a hit single. This was the title track from his last charting album.

26 Phil Everly - The Air That I Breathe (RCA Victor RCA2409)

Albert Hammond co-wrote this track for is 1972 album. Phil Everly covered it with Duane Eddy producing and Warren Zevon arranging, but it took the Hollies to turn it into a hit.

27 Kris Kristofferson And Rita Coolidge - I Never Had It So Good (A&M AMS7085)

After meeting on an air flight to Memphis in 1971, Coolidge and Kristofferson were married in August 1973, one month before this track was released in the UK. Unfortunately it failed to chart, as his career declined, her career took off. Other troubles took hold and they divorced in 1980.

28 Danny O'Keefe - Angel Spread Your Wings (Atlantic K10361)

You may have never heard of Danny O’Keefe, but he has released 15 albums, his first in 1966 and his last in 2015. His songs have been covered by everyone from Elvis Presley to Des O’Connor, but despite all this he has only had one minor US hit, and this wasn’t it.

29 Merle Haggard - Carolyn (Capitol CL15763)

Mainly known for his first US hit ‘Okie From Muskogee’, Haggard was one of the many country music stars who never had a hit in the UK. This was his second British release, which along with the other double-A side, Everybody’s Had The Blues’, had been minor hits in the States.

30 Ray Charles - Come Live With Me (London HLU10432)

Ray Charles continued to release singles in the hope of regaining his success from the 60s, but despite becoming a true ‘legend’ he hasn’t hit the UK charts since 1968!

31 Ray Martin - Eye Level (Decca F13453)

Born Kurt Kohn, Martin had had huge prominence in the 50s with albums awash with his ‘Marching Strings’ sound. After making it big in the US, he returned to the UK in ’72 to very little success before retiring to South Africa. His version of the Van Der Valk Theme tune will have fooled several members of the record buying public, but not enough to chart.

32 Adrienne Posta - Dog Song (DJM DJS286)

Posta had appeared in many 60s and 70s films and Tv programmes, and in 1973 was a regular on ‘It’s Lulu’ appearing along side impressionist Roger Kitter, acting, dancing and singing on the show.

33 Stackridge - Galloping Gaucho (MCA MU1224)

By 1973 Stackridge had become quite popular, appearing on the Old Grey Whistle Test, and having their third album produced by none other than George Martin. Unfortunately a stack of sales eluded them.

34 Kinks - Sweet Lady Genevieve (RCA Victor RCA2418)

Sixteen Top 20 hits since their debut in 1964, then after ‘Supersonic Rocket Ship’ in ’72, nothing would chart again until the 80s.

35 Rare Bird - Virginia (Polydor 2058402)

Despite five moderately successful albums, prog rockers Rare Bird’s only single chart entry was ‘Sympathy’ in 1970.

36 Bitch - Wild Cat (Warner Bros K16313)

New Zealand band The Cleves had released their debut album in 1971. Whilst looking to break the European charts, they decided to change their band name to ‘Bitch’. Two singles and out!

37 Mixtures - Dazzle Easy Diane (UA UP35593)

In 1970 the Mixtures had covered Mungo Jerry’s ‘In The Summertime’ to circumvent Australia radios current ban on non-native records. That went to the top down-under as did their follow up single ‘The Pushbike Song’ which went to number 2 in the UK and became a worldwide hit. By 1973 the sound was the same, but chart success had disappeared.

38 Dick Mills and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Moonbase 3 (BBC RESL13)

Theme from the BBC Tv series if the same name.

39 Rod McKuen - Cycles (Buddah 2011184)

Despite being one of the most popular poet/singers in America, and releasing many albums from the mid 50s onwards, Rod McKuen is still relatively unknown in the UK. In 1973 he changed his image by growing a beard and letting his hair return to it’s natural non-blond shade of brown, but still eluded the UK charts.

40 X Certificate - Don't Stick Stickers On My Paper Knickers (Spark SRL1096)

Banned by the BBC, this is rumoured to be by Radio 2 DJ Sarah Kennedy, which seems highly unlikely. But it was produced by producer of other novelty songs Mike Morton.