Volume 3 (HM 620) - January 1969

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Tracks:

Side 1          
  • Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da Originally a hit for Marmalade (1)
  • Private Number Originally a hit for William Bell (8)
  • For Once In My Life Originally a hit for Stevie Wonder (3)
  • Atlantis Originally a hit for Donovan (23)
  • Ain't Got No - I Got Life Originally a hit for Nina Simone (2)
  • The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Originally a hit for Hugo Montenegro (1)

Side 2
  • Something's Happening Originally a hit for Herman's Hermits (6)
  • Son Of A Preacher Man Originally a hit for Dusty Springfield (9)
  • Love Child Originally a hit for The Supremes (15)
  • Build Me Up Buttercup Originally a hit for The Foundations (2)
  • Albatross Originally a hit for Fleetwood Mac (1)
  • Lily The Pink Originally a hit for The Scaffold (1)
Sleeve notes:

HALLMARK SOCK IT TO YOU AGAIN!

You've twisted our arm again! So many thousands and thousands of you groovy babies grabbed our last "Top of the Pops" album from the counters that we've had to take the hint.

Here, then, is our third Rave Album, packed with current chart-smashers, that will send you jumping straight through the roof of your pad.

So drag out your record players, try out this fab disc, and go, go, go with the swinging sounds of Hallmark's third (and greatest) "Top of the Pops" L.P.!

“Groovy Baby”
Comments: Running into the new year, Paul McCartney and his brother Mike McGear were battling it out for the top spot, with Macca's "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" (in the hands of Marmalade) swapping the number 1 position with Mike's group the Scaffold ("Lilly The Pink") over and over. Both are captured here, and bookend the album. Meantime, on Stevie Wonder's "For once In My Life", Top of the Pops had a female vocalist perform the track!

This LP gave rise to a major development in the Top of the Pops story: the recruitment of Bruce Baxter to work on "Something's Happening". His arrangement of the recording served as his audition, and with a decent version pulled off, Baxter was brought into the fold. His presence would loom large over the rest of the series, particularly when he became producer in 1971, taking over from Alan Crawford.

This LP became the first Top of the Pops to feature in the charts - Record Retailer's budget charts, that is - where it peaked at number 7.

Overseas releases

France

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Norway

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West Germany

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* Next: Volume 4 *