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.
The Sweet
Poppa Joe
At No.14, on the the U.K. Top 50 Singles Chart the day I am born, is The Sweet with “Poppa Joe”.
The Sweet’s latest single…
…had entered the chart a few weeks ago at No.46, just as January was making way for February, and it’s been climbing steadily upwards ever since.
It had been less than a year ago…
that the group, taken on board by the ChinniChap songwriting partnership through their producer Phil Wainman, had scored their first hit.
Phil had known The Sweet’s previous guitarist Mick Stewart when both Phil and Mick had played in ‘The Phil Wainman Set’ with Phil on drums, back in the mid 1960’s.
Fast forward to a couple of years ago and following the departure of Mick from The Sweet, after the group had released a few unsuccessful bubblegum singles, they bumped into Phil again, who was trying to find a group who would help out two songwriters called Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who in turn were trying to record some demos.
The three remaining members, sticking with the bubblegum format, provided their vocal talents to one of their songs called “Funny Funny”.
While their new songwriters went from one record company to another, the Sweet began their own search to find a new guitarist. This they found in 21 year old Andy Scott.
By December of that year, they’d made their first television appearance on a show called ‘Lift Off!’, with the song they’d recorded earlier without Andy.
A recording contract was signed not long afterwards, and by March of last year, the single, now released, had become a hit.
On that song, and also the next subsequent releases,
…the band and songwriting partnership would follow the same format. That is, they would only sing on the records, and not play on them. That job would be handled by session musicians, arranged by the songwriters and Phil, who himself was now signed up as their executive producer.
And this is where we find the group at this point, fully under the control of their music management.
It would take another couple of releases before the band would actually be allowed to play any instruments on any of the songs.
Back to this latest single,..
…and it will just fall short of the Top 10 in next week’s U.K. Singles Chart, stalling at No.11 before sliding slowly back down again through the month of March.
Still, a pretty solid 12 weeks, from the end of January 1972 to mid-April, would mean that the band themselves are still in their career ascendancy at this point.
The “A” Side
The “B” Side
The Sweet – Poppa Joe (TV Appearance)
The Sweet – Poppa Joe (TV Promotional Video Appearance)
Just a quick note regarding the next promotional video to Poppa Joe.
I’m sure the idea looked good on paper, a beach scene with the music to give it that sun kissed Caribbean feel. Except when your filming on a typical freezing cold day on a British beach, no matter how many floodlights they have pointing at them to replace the blazing sun, you still can’t stop the poor guys freezing their nuts off.
The Sweet – Poppa Joe (Promotional Video)
The Sweet – Jeanie (Promotional Video)
The Sweet – Poppa Joe (“Top of the Pops” TV appearance Video footage via “Disco” TV)
Many thanks go to the following YouTube Channels for providing the chance to hear this music, and watch the footage, once again.
Please show your appreciation by visiting their channel:
Grab Your Binoculars, Come Follow Me…
What is it…?
Why am I…?
How do I…?
When am I…?
