Music to My Years: 1973
Welcome to the third week of Music to My Years. This week I am sharing my favourite tracks from 1973. The year I turned two and I still had just the one sibling.
The music in this year was fairly questionable. Many of the tracks in the Top Ten were by Gary Glitter – and, even though some of the songs were great, I don’t feel comfortable about including him!
I really loved the honourable mentions last week so I am going to continue with those. This week, these are:
- Status Quo – Caroline
- Dave Edmunds – Baby I Love You
- Stevie Wonder – You are the Sunshine of my Life
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.
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.
Table of Contents
10. Heart of Stone by Kenny
Kenny was an English pop, rock and glam rock band and they had several hit singles in the UK in the mid-1970s, including “The Bump” and “Fancy Pants”. But this was the one that was on my large, wooden boxed record player on a very regular basis. I would dance to it ALL of the time when I was around 8 or 9 years old. And sing along of course!
9. Feel The Need in Me by Detroit Emeralds
This was the original version of Feel the Need as the group re-recorded and re-released a disco version in 1977. I thought I would choose it now as I like the song – but I know that there will be others I like more when I get to that year!
8. The Ballroom Blitz by Sweet
This song was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who wrote many glam rock hits including Sweet’s other song, “Blockbuster,” Suzi Quatro’s “Devil Gate Drive” and Tony Basil’s “Mickey.” Quentin Tarantino nearly chose this track for Reservoir Dogs – but he chose one that is a bit higher up in this list instead! It also reminds me of Waynes World as Wayne’s girlfriend, Cassandra, sings it in the film.
7. NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS by Ike & Tina Turner
Tina Turner is the sole composer for this particular track and it is her biggest hit as a songwriter. It’s also the first song she ever wrote. Marc Bolan of T Rex played guitar on the song – he was a big Ike Turner fan and apparently had a crush on Tina! A great track to dance and sing a long to!
6. Wishing Well by Free
The second song by Free to feature in Music to My Years, I just love the music on this one.
5. C Moon By Wings
The first of 3 Wings hits on this chart. Hi Hi Hi, the A side, was apparently banned by the BBC as they thought it was about drugs! Instead, C Moon on the B side got played and I have to admit that I still love to sing a long to it. It is one of those songs which gets stuck in your head!
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
Three weeks of Music to My Years and the third week that Elton features in my Top 5. This is a beauty of a song. The lyrics are fab to this day. The lyrics are about giving up a life of opulence for one of simplicity in a rural setting and was more about Bernie Taupin’s lifestyle than Elton’s!
3. Stuck in the Middle by Stealers Wheel
This song has become a complete classic! It was co-written by the group’s guitarist Gerry Rafferty and keyboard player Joe Egan and was apparently a parody about Bob Dylan. It had a new lease of life when Quentin Tarantino used it in the notorious ear-slicing scene in his 1992 movie Reservoir Dogs.” Then Louise (of Eternal fame) went on to have a hit with it in 2001. The original is the best though!
2. My Love by Wings
With 3 great Wings songs released this year, the choices were not easy. This beautiful song was written by Paul McCartney as a love song to his wife and Wings bandmate. I still love the sentiment behind it – and Paul has continued to perform it in concert as a tribute to Linda following her death in 1998.
1. Live and Let Die by Wings
I never, ever tire of hearing this fantastic Bond theme. Live and Let Die was the first to star Roger Moore as James Bond. Paul McCartney recalled the writing of the song in an interview with Mojo magazine back in 2010: “I got the book and it’s a very fast read. On the Sunday, I sat down and thought, OK, the hardest thing to do here is to work in that title. I mean, later I really pitied who had the job of writing Quantum Of Solace. So I thought, Live And Let Die, OK, really what they mean is live and let live and there’s the switch.” Guns n Roses went on to have a hit with it later. I have also been lucky enough to see Paul McCartney perform it live – with all the fireworks! Fab!
Find my playlist over on Spotify:
