The 20th of February 1972
Official U.K. Singles Chart results from Sunday the 20th to Saturday the 26th of February 1972
Cut-off for sales figures was up to the end of Saturday the 19th of February
Results counted from Sunday the 20th,
announced on Tuesday the 22nd,
and broadcast on B.B.C. Radio 1 on Sunday the 27th of February 1972.
Greyhound
Moon River
At No.23, on the the U.K. Top 50 Singles Chart the day I am born, is Greyhound with “Moon River”.
The “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” 60’s classic…
…got a reggae makeover this year and gave Greyhound a Top 20 hit.
The popular British reggae outfit…
…had emerged from the remnants of the Rudies, which had featured Danny Smith and Freddie Notes. However, after a couple of cover hits, including “Patches” by Clarence Carter, Freddie walked away from the band, to be replaced by Glenroy Oakley.
It was from this point…
…they became ‘Greyhound’ and first entered the charts with their interpretation of the Earl Robinson (music) and David Arkin (lyrics) 1954 song “Black and White”.
A significantly powerful song which had been inspired by the landmark court decision of the case between Oliver Brown (whose daughter was refused enrollment at the closest school in their neighborhood in Topeka, Kansas, and instead had to travel miles further to a segregated school) and the Board of Education of Topeka.
For Oliver (along with twelve other families who were also having to endure the same fate for their own children), the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the Education Board’s decision to deny these pupils was unconstitutional was a point of historical significance.
Although, like other later versions of the song, Greyhound decided to omit the opening verse of the original lyric thus toning down the potency of the message it sent, they still managed to scored a hit which reached No.6 in the U.K Charts earlier the previous year of 1971.
This follow up single…
…crept in at No.50 on the 2nd day of the New Year 1972, and rose to No.12 by the end of January.
“Moon River”, musically brought to life by one of the most iconic writers / arrangers / composers in movie history, Henry Mancini, with lyrics written by esteemed singer / songwriter, and also co founder of Capitol Records, Johnny Mercer, around ten years previously, and famously performed by Audrey Hepburn in the romantic comedy film adaptation of the 1958 Truman Capote story “Breakfast at Tiffany’s, had been carried through the decade by becoming Andy Williams, signature opening song on his successful TV show.
Now, ten years later,..
…Greyhound were transforming the song from its familiar romantic string arrangement and transforming it with a fresh ebullient up to date reggae groove.
After slipping a couple of places…
…from their late January peak placement, they managed to reclaim the No.12 spot once again on the 13th of February.
By this next chart on the 20th of February, they have started to slip back down the charts once again, and eventually, after a steady decline, will finish a respectable 11 week run, and leave after the 18th of March.
The “A” Side
The “B” Side
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