I was just about to make that point Rich....Once again, you beat me to it!!!
It's pretty amazing at no comment from TOTP's and no T Rex/Bolan tracks returning, even to the lower regions of the chart!
Hot Love reached No.1 on my 2nd birthday!!
Re: Do They Know It's Christmas? Wasn't it John Lennon who came up with the classic Bono line "Well Tonight Thank God It's Them Instead Of You" I almost posted that with a straight face!
Last night's episode was great (well perhaps with the exception of the 2 acts previously mentioned in earlier posts).
As you mentioned, an excellent Top 5.
Great to hear the original version of Leo's "Thunder...." but have to agree with Mrs Mackintosh in that the video was pretty terrible.
Baccarra....whoo!! I loved that!
One big advantage chart wise for Elvis is that he already had a single in the chart when he died.* Also, in those days, singles were deleted by record companies after their chart runs were over, so there may not have been T Rex stuff available. Would have thought Marc's albums would have done well though.
* Edit: have just seen Servalan's post that there was a new T Rex single available.
We were watching it with my 15 year old daughter and her friend, they were killing themselves laughing and giving a running commentary like "ooh, there's a seagull" and "mmm...lovely white trainers". I'd just spent the previous few minutes bumming up the track and telling them how fab it was only to be completely undermined by that bizarre snoozefest of a video :D
One thing that really stood out were all the crackles and scratching on the video. Thank goodness for the Restoration Team on Doctor Who DVDs!
I don't disagree, but I would add that had Marc died in the 1972-4 period I think more would have been made of it, he was definitely way past his peak in 1977. But it's still shameful that TOTP ignored him - they could so easily have dropped one of the two crap pop bands and shown one of his performances.
I have to agree with this. The pop scene was so fast moving and we didn't have the gift of hindsight to realise what a huge influence Marc Bolan and T Rex were. In 1977 it was just a general feeling that he was a washed up pop star who had been killed in a crash (clearly fans of Bolan would feel differently, I'm talking about the general public).
A new T Rex single. 'Celebrate Summer', was issued in August 1977 to coincide with the Marc series on ITV - but, while that had a profile there, I don't recall it getting much coverage on Radio 1 ... possibly in line with Bolan having done a show for 'the other side'. So there wasn't the mainstream media coverage to generate sales.
I would guess that EMI may have - mistakenly, I'd argue - taken a short term view that 'Celebrate Summer' wasn't worth promoting as Presley was not only hoovering up all the media coverage, but also much of the business at pressing plants. They certainly didn't view it as a business opportunity in the way they did when Lennon died. Maybe they thought the public could only maintain interest in one dead pop star ...?
Way Down, like Just Like Starting Over three years later, was still in the charts - albeit slipping down the charts. But it had peaked quite high so there were plenty of singles around - they just needed to press a few more.
I remember it was all over the news when Elvis died (Angela Rippon refused to say the words "The king is dead") and the Kid Jenson show played only Elvis that night. I cannot remember Marc Bolan dying.
Way Down, like Just Like Starting Over three years later, was still in the charts - albeit slipping down the charts. But it had peaked quite high so there were plenty of singles around - they just needed to press a few more.
I remember it was all over the news when Elvis died (Angela Rippon refused to say the words "The king is dead") and the Kid Jenson show played only Elvis that night. I cannot remember Marc Bolan dying.
Going back (sorry!) to Sir Jimmy, it sticks in my mind that of all disc jockeys, he was the one who always referred to Elvis as "The King".
With the T.Rex track, are you using it's week ending date as reaching No1, therefore 20th March? Or it's real date on the radio, presumably Tuesday in 1971? Making it the 16th.
Looking in detail through the 1977 period and finding absolutely nothing charting in either singles or albums even as low as No50 for singles, or at No100 for albums has actually shocked me a bit. Especially as he was in the middle of a TV show run at the time on the other side. It may not have been his own musical high point, but he'd hardly vanished. Until he hit the tree.
I know the Leo video was predictably dull and bore little relationship to the song, but I would prefer that style to the over done crap now, where the video seems more important than the bloody song! Check out Cliff's Wired For Sound video on You Tube, and it's available on iTunes. I walk down the places he skates in that video! It was shot in Milton Keynes. It still looks exactly the same in those places.
This weeks Top 5, with those two fabulous instrumentals has always been a fave Top 5 of mine. I hope we get Jean-Michel next week, because that Oxygene song stayed No4 for 4 weeks and holds that spot next week too. Space's Magic Fly has now been on 5 consecutive showings!
Liked your first line, seems we are still on the same wavelength then!
And for three of those four weeks the Top 5 consisted of the same 5 records which was very unusual back then - the same Top 5 for two weeks in a row, then in the third week again the same apart from Silver Lady went from 3 to 2 and Magic Fly did the opposite.
I have to agree with this. The pop scene was so fast moving and we didn't have the gift of hindsight to realise what a huge influence Marc Bolan and T Rex were. In 1977 it was just a general feeling that he was a washed up pop star who had been killed in a crash (clearly fans of Bolan would feel differently, I'm talking about the general public).
Sorry, but I can't agree - regardless of whether or not I'm a T Rex fan.
Sure, Bolan's chart placings weren't great in the last 12 months of his life - but he had (cannily, some might say) aligned himself with the punk/new wave bands ... pretty much all of whom embraced him and David Bowie whilst rejecting the rock establishment (Elvis included). He toured with the Damned, got Generation X, The Jam and the Boomtown Rats on his TV show and there were plans for him to produce Siouxsie & The Banshees ... so 'washed up' isn't really a phrase I'd use. He did have a profile - radically different from the days of T Rextacy - but he certainly hadn't dropped out of the picture altogether.
Way Down, like Just Like Starting Over three years later, was still in the charts - albeit slipping down the charts. But it had peaked quite high so there were plenty of singles around - they just needed to press a few more.
I remember it was all over the news when Elvis died (Angela Rippon refused to say the words "The king is dead") and the Kid Jenson show played only Elvis that night. I cannot remember Marc Bolan dying.
BIB - sorry: not true. 'Way Down' had climbed four places to number 42 before Presley died. Hardly 'quite high' ... and not really comparable to 'Just Starting Over', which reached the Top 20 before Lennon was shot.
Sorry, but I can't agree - regardless of whether or not I'm a T Rex fan.
Sure, Bolan's chart placings weren't great in the last 12 months of his life - but he had (cannily, some might say) aligned himself with the punk/new wave bands ... pretty much all of whom embraced him and David Bowie whilst rejecting the rock establishment (Elvis included). He toured with the Damned, got Generation X, The Jam and the Boomtown Rats on his TV show and there were plans for him to produce Siouxsie & The Banshees ... so 'washed up' isn't really a phrase I'd use. He did have a profile - radically different from the days of T Rextacy - but he certainly hadn't dropped out of the picture altogether.
Bowie wasn't having one of his most productive periods singles wise, and, like Marc, he was nowhere near as big as he had been earlier in the decade, although in 1977 he was still much more successful than Marc was. At the time I thought '"Heroes"' (whilst a great song) represented the old and 'No More Heroes' was the new's riposte!
And for three of those four weeks the Top 5 consisted of the same 5 records which was very unusual back then - the same Top 5 for two weeks in a row, then in the third week again the same apart from Silver Lady went from 3 to 2 and Magic Fly did the opposite.
....and I'm not even going to mention Donna Summer in your presence, who was No5 with Down Deep Inside last night. Oops, I suppose I have now. But 1977-79 was Donna Summer's era without a doubt.
Way Down, like Just Like Starting Over three years later, was still in the charts - albeit slipping down the charts. But it had peaked quite high so there were plenty of singles around - they just needed to press a few more.
They still managed to rush re-release "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and Imagine" giving John 3 singles in the Top 5 simultaneously.
BIB - sorry: not true. 'Way Down' had climbed four places to number 42 before Presley died. Hardly 'quite high' ... and not really comparable to 'Just Starting Over', which reached the Top 20 before Lennon was shot.
Yep, "Way Down" did 46-42-4...
I think I mentioned this before. But I wonder what it would have achieved had Elvis not died. I'm guessing Top 30...Top 20 at an absolute stretch. Bearing in mind some strange chart runs in this era.
I remember noticing that in 1980 Don Mclean's cover of "Crying" moved from 41-40 before going on to eventually peak at the top.
BIB - sorry: not true. 'Way Down' had climbed four places to number 42 before Presley died. Hardly 'quite high' ... and not really comparable to 'Just Starting Over', which reached the Top 20 before Lennon was shot.
Me and Highlander have mentioned this one before. It rose 46 to 42 the week he died. It was hardly making No1 moves, or even Top 10. Maybe it would have stalled entirely and missed the Top 40. I reckon it would have made a 20ish position, but who can ever know? The charts had their own oddities at this time, as previously discussed. I suppose it was just fortunate timing, or unfortunate for Elvis himself, that the song was just impacting as he passed away, leading to its rapid ascent to the top in 2 weeks. Had he not had a single out, I wonder what they would have released, if anything?
With John Lennon, he was also in the charts when he was shot. Just Like Starting Over had reached No8 and fallen to No21 by his passing, but then did an immediate spring back into No1. Very tragic considering it was his first music release in 5 years at that time.
I cannot fathom why nothing, even album sales show up even at the lowest positions in the aftermath of Marc Bolan passing. It is baffling.
....and I'm not even going to mention Donna Summer in your presence, who was No5 with Down Deep Inside last night. Oops, I suppose I have now. But 1977-79 was Donna Summer's era without a doubt.
No doubt at all (although her 1976-Autumn 1977 stuff was better on the whole than her late 1977-79 stuff).
BIB - sorry: not true. 'Way Down' had climbed four places to number 42 before Presley died. Hardly 'quite high' ... and not really comparable to 'Just Starting Over', which reached the Top 20 before Lennon was shot.
Really? Didn't know that. I've always thought (wrongly) it had been to no. 4 and was slipping down the charts to the 40s when it was reactivated. Apologies.
I think Way Down was one of his best songs so I'm surprised it wasn't a hit on it's own terms.
Me and Highlander have mentioned this one before. It rose 46 to 42 the week he died. It was hardly making No1 moves, or even Top 10. Maybe it would have stalled entirely and missed the Top 40. I reckon it would have made a 20ish position, but who can ever know? The charts had their own oddities at this time, as previously discussed. I suppose it was just fortunate timing, or unfortunate for Elvis himself, that the song was just impacting as he passed away, leading to its rapid ascent to the top in 2 weeks. Had he not had a single out, I wonder what they would have released, if anything?
With John Lennon, he was also in the charts when he was shot. Just Like Starting Over had reached No8 and fallen to No21 by his passing, but then did an immediate spring back into No1. Very tragic considering it was his first music release in 5 years at that time.
I cannot fathom why nothing, even album sales show up even at the lowest positions in the aftermath of Marc Bolan passing. It is baffling.
BIB ...
By today's standards, it certainly is - the death of someone of Bolan's stature would not only have generated public interest, it would have been used by record companies to milk the late artist's back catalogue. EMI did nothing whatsoever.
I'd also say that pop music didn't quite have the profile in the national media it does now - short of one the Beatles or the Stones dying, I don't think anyone would have muscled Elvis out of the picture.
Now what a great Top Ten they would make, and look out for a near miss in late 1977 by DBM, with a bit of Disco Beatlemania! Oh, okay I'll replace JLS with er...LMFAO!
By today's standards, it certainly is - the death of someone of Bolan's stature would not only have generated public interest, it would have been used by record companies to milk the late artist's back catalogue. EMI did nothing whatsoever.
I'd also say that pop music didn't quite have the profile in the national media it does now - short of one the Beatles or the Stones dying, I don't think anyone would have muscled Elvis out of the picture.
Of course this wasn't the end of the charting career of Marc Bolan and T.Rex, which in much later years scored with a few albums and even re-releases, but long after 1977. Also, on the 30th anniversary in 2007 Get It On made a brief return to the chart for a week at the bottom end. Yet 1977, zilch. Even Andy Williams has managed to scrape a posthumous re-entry low into the Top 50 album chart this month following his passing.
The point was previously made about putting those 2 diabolical nobody groups into the TOTP studio, Stardust and that Hank crap, when all they had to do was play a 3 minute promo song of Bolan in tribute, without seriously making the show go downbeat. But no, history shows that Stardust and Hank The Knife were deemed more significant! OMG.
Now what a great Top Ten they would make, and look out for a near miss in late 1977 by DBM, with a bit of Disco Beatlemania! Oh, okay I'll replace JLS with er...LMFAO!
Of course this wasn't the end of the charting career of Marc Bolan and T.Rex, which in much later years scored with a few albums and even re-releases, but long after 1977. Also, on the 30th anniversary in 2007 Get It On made a brief return to the chart for a week at the bottom end. Yet 1977, zilch. Even Andy Williams has managed to scrape a posthumous re-entry low into the Top 50 album chart this month following his passing.
The point was previously made about putting those 2 diabolical nobody groups into the TOTP studio, Stardust and that Hank crap, when all they had to do was play a 3 minute promo song of Bolan in tribute, without seriously making the show go downbeat. But no, history shows that Stardust and Hank The Knife were deemed more significant! OMG.
Yep Rich. It's still a mystery to me regarding Marc. Maybe the advert that put "20th Century Boy" back in the chart in 1991 was a belated posthumous hit!! :rolleyes:
Have to admit, I loved The Power Station's cover of "Get It On" from '85. Robert Palmer's vocals really suited the song.
Comments
One big advantage chart wise for Elvis is that he already had a single in the chart when he died.* Also, in those days, singles were deleted by record companies after their chart runs were over, so there may not have been T Rex stuff available. Would have thought Marc's albums would have done well though.
* Edit: have just seen Servalan's post that there was a new T Rex single available.
One thing that really stood out were all the crackles and scratching on the video. Thank goodness for the Restoration Team on Doctor Who DVDs!
I have to agree with this. The pop scene was so fast moving and we didn't have the gift of hindsight to realise what a huge influence Marc Bolan and T Rex were. In 1977 it was just a general feeling that he was a washed up pop star who had been killed in a crash (clearly fans of Bolan would feel differently, I'm talking about the general public).
Way Down, like Just Like Starting Over three years later, was still in the charts - albeit slipping down the charts. But it had peaked quite high so there were plenty of singles around - they just needed to press a few more.
I remember it was all over the news when Elvis died (Angela Rippon refused to say the words "The king is dead") and the Kid Jenson show played only Elvis that night. I cannot remember Marc Bolan dying.
Going back (sorry!) to Sir Jimmy, it sticks in my mind that of all disc jockeys, he was the one who always referred to Elvis as "The King".
And for three of those four weeks the Top 5 consisted of the same 5 records which was very unusual back then - the same Top 5 for two weeks in a row, then in the third week again the same apart from Silver Lady went from 3 to 2 and Magic Fly did the opposite.
Sorry, but I can't agree - regardless of whether or not I'm a T Rex fan.
Sure, Bolan's chart placings weren't great in the last 12 months of his life - but he had (cannily, some might say) aligned himself with the punk/new wave bands ... pretty much all of whom embraced him and David Bowie whilst rejecting the rock establishment (Elvis included). He toured with the Damned, got Generation X, The Jam and the Boomtown Rats on his TV show and there were plans for him to produce Siouxsie & The Banshees ... so 'washed up' isn't really a phrase I'd use. He did have a profile - radically different from the days of T Rextacy - but he certainly hadn't dropped out of the picture altogether.
BIB - sorry: not true. 'Way Down' had climbed four places to number 42 before Presley died. Hardly 'quite high' ... and not really comparable to 'Just Starting Over', which reached the Top 20 before Lennon was shot.
Bowie wasn't having one of his most productive periods singles wise, and, like Marc, he was nowhere near as big as he had been earlier in the decade, although in 1977 he was still much more successful than Marc was. At the time I thought '"Heroes"' (whilst a great song) represented the old and 'No More Heroes' was the new's riposte!
....and I'm not even going to mention Donna Summer in your presence, who was No5 with Down Deep Inside last night. Oops, I suppose I have now. But 1977-79 was Donna Summer's era without a doubt.
They still managed to rush re-release "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and Imagine" giving John 3 singles in the Top 5 simultaneously.
Yep, "Way Down" did 46-42-4...
I think I mentioned this before. But I wonder what it would have achieved had Elvis not died. I'm guessing Top 30...Top 20 at an absolute stretch. Bearing in mind some strange chart runs in this era.
I remember noticing that in 1980 Don Mclean's cover of "Crying" moved from 41-40 before going on to eventually peak at the top.
Me and Highlander have mentioned this one before. It rose 46 to 42 the week he died. It was hardly making No1 moves, or even Top 10. Maybe it would have stalled entirely and missed the Top 40. I reckon it would have made a 20ish position, but who can ever know? The charts had their own oddities at this time, as previously discussed. I suppose it was just fortunate timing, or unfortunate for Elvis himself, that the song was just impacting as he passed away, leading to its rapid ascent to the top in 2 weeks. Had he not had a single out, I wonder what they would have released, if anything?
With John Lennon, he was also in the charts when he was shot. Just Like Starting Over had reached No8 and fallen to No21 by his passing, but then did an immediate spring back into No1. Very tragic considering it was his first music release in 5 years at that time.
I cannot fathom why nothing, even album sales show up even at the lowest positions in the aftermath of Marc Bolan passing. It is baffling.
Could someone please let me know what 'BIB' stands for?
Thanks in anticipation.
Thank you Clare
You're obviously cleverer than I am!
No doubt at all (although her 1976-Autumn 1977 stuff was better on the whole than her late 1977-79 stuff).
TOTP on BBC4 with DLT, LOL.
BIB
TOTP on BBC4 with DLT, LOL.
AIB
Really? Didn't know that. I've always thought (wrongly) it had been to no. 4 and was slipping down the charts to the 40s when it was reactivated. Apologies.
I think Way Down was one of his best songs so I'm surprised it wasn't a hit on it's own terms.
BIB ...
By today's standards, it certainly is - the death of someone of Bolan's stature would not only have generated public interest, it would have been used by record companies to milk the late artist's back catalogue. EMI did nothing whatsoever.
I'd also say that pop music didn't quite have the profile in the national media it does now - short of one the Beatles or the Stones dying, I don't think anyone would have muscled Elvis out of the picture.
BIB, RUTTP?
ELO, XTC, JLS, UFO, CCS, BBE, SWV, NWA, PPK, PHD.
Now what a great Top Ten they would make, and look out for a near miss in late 1977 by DBM, with a bit of Disco Beatlemania! Oh, okay I'll replace JLS with er...LMFAO!
Of course this wasn't the end of the charting career of Marc Bolan and T.Rex, which in much later years scored with a few albums and even re-releases, but long after 1977. Also, on the 30th anniversary in 2007 Get It On made a brief return to the chart for a week at the bottom end. Yet 1977, zilch. Even Andy Williams has managed to scrape a posthumous re-entry low into the Top 50 album chart this month following his passing.
The point was previously made about putting those 2 diabolical nobody groups into the TOTP studio, Stardust and that Hank crap, when all they had to do was play a 3 minute promo song of Bolan in tribute, without seriously making the show go downbeat. But no, history shows that Stardust and Hank The Knife were deemed more significant! OMG.
What about ABC as well!
Yep Rich. It's still a mystery to me regarding Marc. Maybe the advert that put "20th Century Boy" back in the chart in 1991 was a belated posthumous hit!!
Have to admit, I loved The Power Station's cover of "Get It On" from '85. Robert Palmer's vocals really suited the song.