Music: Five from the Seventies Part One - An @slobberchops challenge

Even as a youngster, I loved music. My earliest recollections were of Top of the Pops in the early 70s and my first ever album was a 'Top of the Pops' compilation, which I still have from 1972.

I bought it myself in Asda with some birthday money, pulling the album from a bargain bin due it having 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool' on it. Don't worry. That is not one of my choices in this challenge, although one of the other tracks on there is. There are actually some top acts on there, Slade, Hendrix, Marc Bolan, Michael Jackson......there's also Donny Osmond!

The very one! I named her 'Sue'

For those of you who don't know. The 'Top of the Pops' compilations weren't associated with the TV show of the same name. They were regularly issued compilations of the hits of the day, their simple covers adorned with a scantily-clad, sultry looking girl and the track listing. They preceded the TV advertised 'Ronco' and 'K-Tel' compilations, but as I later learned, the songs were sung by session singers, and not the original artists. It mattered not. I couldn't tell, and the strains of a pre-pubescent Jimmy Osmond impersonator could be heard on repeat on my parents old Garrard Radiogram.

The 70's were not exactly strewn with classic hits in my opinion, but there were some gems. As @slobberchops mentioned in his post, I absolutely agree that the mid-70s, from 73 to 78 were particularly poor. Glam rock had become glum rock and Motown had become boretown. The musical poverty was not helped by the huge popularity of acts like The Bay City Rollers and Showaddywaddy, but there were still some tracks of note.

Now for this post, some of the tracks I have chosen are because of later memories and associations and I've looked for the release dates to find a track from each year. Picking just one track a year is still extremely difficult so I may include a couple of 'not quites' too, simply because I like the track.

Elton John - Your Song (1970)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Song

This was a close call with a toss of a coin relegating 'Paranoid' by Black Sabbath to the runners-up spot but 'YourSong', despite me only discovering it in my teenage years gets the nod due it being the very first song I ever sang on a Karaoke in the late 80s. I have very fond memories of a whole gang of us piling into a pub in Horsforth on a Tuesday night to drink, be merry and sing our hearts out on the Pioneer Laser Karaoke! They were simply such carefree and happy nights and I remember the very first time I nervously got up to sing in front of a packed and well-oiled pub crowd! An added bonus is the song perfectly fits my natural key so it wasn't too bad for a first attempt, despite the involuntary vibrato from the nerves!! So here, instead of the original track is that very same Karaoke video, which naturally I just had to sing to before posting!! This post could take a long time to finish....

Neil Diamond - I am...I said (1971)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am..._I_Said

Again, not one I remember at the time and for 71, I could have easily gone for 'Bang a Gong (get it on)' by T-Rex or 'Proud Mary' by Tina Turner but I chose this as it's a song that kind of inspired me and got me through some hard times around the turn of the century. I love the depth and simplicity of the lyric. 'Nuff said.

The Osmonds - Crazy Horses (1972)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Horses

So, back to my old 'Top of the Pops' album. I wasn't actually a huge Osmonds fan though at the time they were absolutely massive, though I did like the white jumpsuits and synchronised dancing, more associated with acts like the Drifters and Four Tops et al.
I just remember seeing this track performed on TV for the first time. I already knew it from my album and thought it was OK, but when I saw it on Top of the Pops, even as a six-year-old, I was blown away. They really rocked out. Compare it to their other bland middle of the road tosh and the pathetic Donny and Marie, this was like thrash metal in comparison.
All my friends at school hated this track, I loved it. Story of my life. I've always been awkward!! Not sure about the chicken dancing though....

David Bowie - The Jean Genie (1973)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jean_Genie

An easy year to choose from because apart from an honourable mention of The Sweet and 'Ballroom Blitz', it was a pretty poor musical year.
This is such a brilliant, sleazy track with a clunking and repetitive riff and is a dance classic. Again, I didn't really discover Bowie until the late 70's when I was inspired to listen to him by a girl in my class at high school. Apart from loving this track purely on merit. I remember it was the one that always got her on her feet at the school disco when everyone else had sat down. She danced as if there was no one else in the hall. No. Despite our joint love of Bowie, she wouldn't go out with me. Another story of my life!

Charles Aznavour - She (1974)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_(Charles_Aznavour_song)

Despite it being the year Queen hit the charts with 'Killer Queen', the charts were full of dross. Possibly the worst year on chart record. I don't know why I like this track. I remember it from the time being played on a loop in a restaurant my parents used to take me too in Scarborough and I remember thinking about the uniqueness of his voice, a quality I also love about his compatriot, Edith Piaf. It's simply a nice track and seemed apt considering his recent death.

So, that's it for now! I look forward to seeing the other entries in this #seventieschallenge

......'and as Billy started to go'........join in then, you know you want to ;-)