Music to My Years: 1977

This week, for Music to My Years, I am turning back the clock to 1977. The year I turned 6. It was the Queen’s silver jubilee and we all made a crown and entered a competition. It was a blazing hot day and each class walked around in a parade. There was a girl and a boy winner from each class. Graham Methold won for the boys in our Class and I won for the girls! I received a bag of boiled sweets and proceeded to share them with my friends as we enjoyed the rest of the fun.

But, back to the music. This year there was slim picking when it came to great songs (they made up for it the following year, so you will see next week how hard that choice is going to be!). There are still enough songs to make up a few honourable mentions though! Here they are:

• Hotel California by The Eagles
• Car Wash by Rose Royce
• You’re More Than a Number in My Little Red Book by The Drifters
• Daddy Cool by Boney M
• Nights on Broadway by Candi Staton
• Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder
• How Deep is Your Love by The Bee Gees
• You’re Moving Out Today by Carol Bayer Sager
• Mull of Kintyre by Wings
• Evergreen by Barbara Streisand
• Black is Black by La Belle Epoque
• Yes Sir, I Can Boogie by Baccara
• Red Light Spells Danger by Billy Ocean
• Ma Baker by Boney M

As I am now a radio presenter on Radio Ninesprings, and I will be sharing my Top 10 all week and sharing 1 track from the list each day, Monday to Friday, on my show from 3pm. Plus, there is now a compilation show on Sunday’s at 6pm.

So, from the year I was born taking me right up to 2021, I am going to be sharing my top 10 chart songs from the year in question.

10. Halfway Down The Stairs – The Muppets

This song means a lot to me. I used to sit on our stairs in Horsell and sing it – when I was halfway up. Or was it half way down?! Either way, years later I taught it to Grace as we sat halfway and then, just the other week, I caught Grace teaching it to Rex. Such a wonderful moment.

I shall always remember The Muppet Show as a kid. I loved it. It was a very special part of our family viewing. It was one of the first programmes we would record on our video player (brand new!) and I can still recall Kermit’s nephew, Robin, singing this on the show. We also got The Muppet Show album and I can still remember the tracklist to this day!

9. Daddy Cool by Darts

Now this group was one that I first became fascinated with. One of the members, Den Hegarty, came across as a bit mad! He was a brilliant acapella singer though – and had a great deep voice! I used to be spellbound by them on Top of the Pops. I also loved their harmonies and this isn’t the only song of theirs I loved.

It was also around the time that I can remember my Uncles starting up their disco. They had lights and loads and loads of 45rpm singles. Colin and Martin (my Uncles) called it C&M Disco and they always had the latest top ten. I would go into my Grandad’s billiard room where the disco was stored, Colin would plug in the microphone and I would sing along. The earliest memory of karoake!

8. Rockin’ All OVer the World by Status Quo

I cannot really remember this song coming out at the time but I can recall that years later it was used to open Live Aid in 1985. A classic.

My mum went to the same school which Rick Parfitt went to. He, of course, formed the band with Francis Rossi. This song was written by John Fogerty, formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival and he released it originally where it spent 6 weeks on the chart. Another cover version – bet you didn’t realise that!

7. When I Need You By Leo Sayer

I can actually remember this being the first song that came across as a love song to me. There was something about it which meant that you never had to feel alone.

Albert Hammond wrote this song with Carole Bayer Sager – who also wrote ‘Groovy Kind of Love’ and ‘The Air That I Breathe’ and I can hear both those songs in this. It deals with Hammond’s personal experiences being away from home and his loved one. Leo Sayer’s wife, Janice, was at home in England when he first heard it and those were the words he wanted to say to her on the phone.

6. When By Showaddwaddy

Another song from Showaddywaddy on this chart but, unlike last week, they are not at number one this time. Still a great foot-tapper of a song though! It was originally released in 1958 and the Wads got to number 3 with their version.

5. We Are The CHampions by Queen

This song was released as a double A side with We Will Rock You and both have become great anthems – but this was the bigger hit in 1977.

Freddie Mercury stated: “I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. Of course, I’ve given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. I suppose it could also be construed as my version of ‘I Did It My Way.’ We have made it, and it certainly wasn’t easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it’s still not easy.” It is definitely a participation song! Join in!

4. Money, Money, Money by Abba

I can just about recall this song being released – and it has stayed a firm favourite from Abba. I will always remember the video for “Money, Money, Money” as it was inspired by the film Cabaret, showing Frida wearing a hat typical of the 1920s. The video varies from her determined presence in reality during the verses, to the dream sequences about money and “the good life” in the chorus.

3. Nobody Does It Better By Carly Simon

Another Carole Bayer Sager song, it which was the theme for the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. Unlike all the previous Bond tunes, this one wasn’t named after the movie. The only mention comes in the first verse: “Like heaven above me, the spy who loved me is keepin’ all my secrets safe tonight.”

Talking of The Spy Who Loved Me it was one of the three James Bond films that we recorded and watched over and over again (the other two were Man with the Golden Gun and Moonraker) and this one still remains my favourite Bond film to this day!

2. Telephone Line By Elo

This was SO close to being my number one. But, then I realised that it went just a teeny tiny bit too long. It was one of those songs that I would listen to at night in my earphones when I couldn’t sleep – and it was the perfect song for the dark! Close your eyes when listening and you will see what I mean!

By the way, the video I share below was the concert back in 2017 (which I wish I had gone to) – just listen to the beautiful string accompaniment.

1. The Things We Do for Love by 10CC

Most people who know me, will know that I am a bit of an old romantic at heart. I also go a bit melancholy on lots of things. This song really is a combination of me and my feelings. The harmonies are great, it is a really well-formed song and is one you can take as either down or upbeat. There aren’t many that can do that!

It is a really grounded love song. Talking about communication and compromise. Something many of us can learn from! The lyric is based on Stewart’s real-life experience. “I remember walking through the rain and the snow when I lived in Manchester and we didn’t have a telephone,” he said in a BBC Radio Wales interview. “I had to go and find a phone box to ring the girl who was about to become my wife. The phones were down, and it was snowing, and these, these vivid pictures are there. If you put them in a song, a lot of people identify with a similar situation.”

Find my playlist over on Spotify: