Chart
|
1
|
MISSISSIPPI
- PUSSYCAT (One of the longest Number Ones…..parodied
these days but was very popular) |
|
2
|
When
Forever Has Gone - Demis Roussos (Why is Demis so unhip
now. I think his music is great sing along stuff) |
|
3
|
Sailing
- Rod Stewart (Had already been a big hit the previous
year - then they made a TV programme!) |
|
4
|
If
You Leave Me Now - Chicago (A song that like 10CC'S I'm
Not In Love wafted over you as a classic seventies love
song) |
|
5
|
Hurt
- The Manhattans (These guys were smooth and sounded so
cool) |
|
6
|
Dancing
Queen - Abba (Their most popular anthem) |
|
7
|
Summer
Of My Life - Simon May (He became one of TV's most prolific
theme writers) |
|
8
|
Howzat
- Sherbert (Dedicated to cricketers everywhere, particularly
bowlers!) |
|
9
|
Don't
Take Away The Music - Tavares (Starred on the Saturday
Night Fever and they were made) |
|
10
|
Disco
Duck - Rick Dees and his Cast Of Idiots (He was a US DJ
who brought some manic humour to the disco and enjoyed
a huge hit in the US) |
|
11
|
Can't
Get By Without You - The Real Thing (Liverpool's leading
band along with Liverpool Express in 76) |
|
11
|
I'll
Meet You At Midnight - Smokie (This was sheer pop but
it was melodic and fun, though this was a little spooky!) |
|
13
|
Girl
Of My Best Friend - Elvis Presley (One of two Top 10 hits
for the King the year before he died - Suspicion was the
other) |
|
14
|
The
Best Disco In Town - The Ritchie Family (One of the catchiest
disco tunes of the year) |
|
15
|
Dancing
With The Captain - Paul Nicholas (He was a star of stage
and screen too and became a TV favourite with his blond
locks) |
|
16
|
I
Only Wanna Be With You - Bay City Rollers (Dusty's song
was covered in tartan, electrified a bit and the Rollers
had a renaissance) |
|
17
|
Dance
Little Lady Dance - Tina Charles (Catchy disco tunes were
her trademark and had the year's eighth best seller with
I Love To Love) |
|
18
|
Loving
And Free - Kiki Dee (Great record from Kiki, showing she
didn't need Elton by her side to have hits!) |
|
18
|
I
Can't Ask For Any ore Than You - Cliff Richard (So who
remembers this one from Cliff?) |
|
19
|
Rubber
Band Man - Detroit Spinners (They would go on to have
a No.1 and not to be confused with the Detroit Emeralds) |
|
20
|
Play
That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (Has grown in popularity
since it was released and you'll find it still heard at
discos) |
News
Headlines
It was October 1976 and the unfinished National Theatre
on London's South Bank was officially opened by the Queen.
The vast concrete complex, designed by Denys Lasdun, was started
in 1969 and was expected to open four years later. Its total
cost was sixteen million pounds but even by its official opening
date, the Cottesloe Theatre, one of the complex's three theatres,
was still unfinished. Following
the opening, the Queen sat down to watch a performance of
Il Campiello by Goldoni.
In
motor racing there was an exciting end to the Formula One
World Championship when Britain's James Hunt came third in
a raid sodden Japanese Grand Prix. Despite
finishing in third place, he won the championship by one point
ahead of Austria's Nikki Lauda. Lauda
retired after two laps because of the awful conditions. Lauda
had been driving despite being horrifically scarred in a crash
earlier in the season.
It
was October 28 years ago and the familiar TV debate between
the two US Presidential hopefuls had ended in an on screen
win for challenger Jimmy Carter.
His
opponent, the sitting Republican President Gerald Ford, got
himself into a problem when he claimed that there was no Soviet
domination of Eastern Europe. Democrat
candidate Carter retorted that that he would like Ford to
say that to Polish Americans. Carter
would go on to win the election in November by a narrow margin
of forty million votes to thirty nine million votes.
Back
home British Rail was certainly getting there when it introduced
its latest train - the HS 125. It
was the world's fastest diesel service, capable of going at
125 miles per hour.
Interest
rates were on the rise. The
Bank Of England put its minimum lending rate up to fifteen
per cent from thirteen per cent, Building
societies followed, increasing their rates to twelve and a
quarter.
| REMEMBER
THE SUMMER OF MY LIFE
The
summer of 1976 really had been something to talk about.
More than ninety degrees in the shade, a long dry spell
also led to Britain's first major drought and to the
Government the job of Drought Minister to Denis Howell.
The
Summer Of My Life was the title of one of the best selling
singles of the year, and helped bring to prominence
the up and coming musical TV theme and song writer Simon
May.
It
was one of few songs to spend three weeks in a row at
Number Seven in the UK singles chart. It had featured
originally in one of the era's most popular TV soap
operas Crossroads, when it was used in a scene between
Meg and Hugh. The single featured the song with vocals
on one side and an instrumental version on the other
side. It was a graceful, sweeping and orchestral piece
of music.
Simon
May started writing music professionally while teaching
modern languages in Kingston Upon Thames near Richmond.
While at the school, he co-wrote a play called Smike.
It was so successful that the BBC decided to televise
it.
There
followed a TV career for Simon May and he joined ATV,
where he composed music for Crossroads. It included
a hit song for Stephanie De Sykes called Born With A
Smile On My Face, which was used during one of the show's
storylines.
One
of his best selling compositions from the show was recorded
by Kate Robbins. It was called More Than In Love and
made No.2. He co-wrote it with Barry Leng.
Simon
May is still heard most nights of the week by millions
of TV viewers in Britain. Whenever Eastenders comes
on or goes off, Simon May's work can be heard in the
theme. The instrumental had words added by the lyricist
Don Black, and were recorded by Anita Dobson, who of
course played Angie from the Queen Vic pub. Another
popular eighties TV theme penned by Simon May was Howard's
Way, a soap about well heeled families messing about
on yachts.
In
1994 a CD called New Vintage was released containing
much of Simon May's work.
|
Join
John Hayes for his Journey Back In Time, a nostalgic look
back at music and memories from a chosen year, this Sunday
from 9am on 103.5 & 95.3FM - BBC Essex.
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SECTION.
|
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