The Best of Top of the Pops '70' (SHM 705)
Tracks:
Side 1
Side 2
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Sleeve notes:
Let’s take a look back over the past twelve pop-packed months and, via the twelve numbers on this collection, re-live the songs that have created probably the greatest impact in the charts here in Britain. There have been contributions from well-known chart-faces such as Mr. Presley who stormed back with “The Wonder Of You” whilst Simon And Garfunkel struck gold with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which became the title of a long-selling album. The late Jimi Hendrix was seen at the number one position in late November with “Voodoo Chile”, whilst the Kinks come up again with a new friend called “Lola”. But the newcomers dominated the heights. A young lady from Ireland called Dana swept the board at the Eurovision Song Contest early in the year and zoomed to international fame with “All Kinds Of Everything”, whilst Hollywood actor Lee Marvin slouched across the big screen and up the chart ladder with a surprising hit “Wand’rin’ Star” from “Paint Your Waggon”. Norman Greenbaum from the States arrived on the scene with his infectious “Spirit In The Sky” and a British group Christie borrowed a few riffs from over the waters and produced “Yellow River”. Smokey Robinson And The Miracles have long waited for a big British smash and it came in “Tears Of A Clown” picked off an album and thus establishing Smokey Robinson in his rightful place; also from the world of rhythm and blues came a young ex-jazz vocalist Freda Payne who topped the charts throughout the world with “Band Of Gold”. Finally, you’ll hear two songs both associated forever with 1970 and groups that arrived and firmly planted themselves in the business that year. Firstly, an outfit called Mungo Jerry who initially received rave reviews at one of the year’s outdoor festivals and who overnight hit number one with “In The Summertime”. Secondly, an excellent group namely Matthews Southern Comfort who took a song from the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young LP “déjà vu” and turned “Woodstock” into a giant seller. 1970 was a very adventurous and successful year musically and these twelve songs which originally made the higher regions of the hit parade via the artists listed above were covered by Hallmark artists and groups for issue on the “Top Of The Pops” series, a major part of that achievement. |
Comments: The previous best-of-year LP had featured all the prior cover models on the front, but this one only called in four from the six or seven available. But they might have shrunk the lady from number 10 to match the others!