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.
Donnie Elbert
Where Did Our Love Go
At No.22, on the the U.K. Top 50 Singles Chart the day I am born, is Donnie Elbert with “Where Did Our Love Go”.
Donnie’s second entry in this weeks U.K. Chart…
…was another cover of a Motown classic, this time The Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go”.
The original track which was tailor made for the Marvelettes’ style,..
…including the key it was recorded in (which was better suited to Gladys Horton), had been recorded back in the spring of 1964. However, after that group turned it down at the time, the producers offered it to the trio, but were undecided which Supreme was going to sing out front.
It’s also got to be remembered that, at this point, the Supremes were still a relatively new trio who were yet to have a big hit.
Only a few months before, they were all singing lead in some shape or form. Florence Ballard chose soulful and punchy, Diana Ross favoured pop, and Mary Wilson suited soft and slow.
It was only quite recently before this song, that Motown founder Berry Gordy judged Diana Ross to be the main singer on most of their future output. The problem is, when she first attempted this new production she reverted to type and sang high.
When the producers directed her to sing it again at the lower register, she brought with it a soft and sensuous, and in this case sulky tone (due to the indignation that she thought they were getting some other group’s cast-offs).
The added attitude was just what the song needed. It sounded breathtaking.
At which point, she ran off to share with Berry her excitement, who, when hearing the track for himself, assured the girls they could have their first Top 10 hit record.
In fact, it did better than that when, after being released in June, it hit the top of the Billboard charts in the United States for 2 weeks during the summer of 1964.
Donnie recorded his version…
…(most definitely in his high register) a few years after he’d settled into a life here in England in 1966, where he’d also recently got married.
Whereas his latest single…
…“I Can’t Help Myself” had just entered the chart, it was doing so to replace this single which, two weeks previously, had slipped out of the Top 10 on the 6th of February 1972 after spending 2 weeks at it’s peak position of No.8.
It had previously entered the U.K. Chart on the 2nd day of January 1972, and would ultimately spend 10 weeks in total, before dropping back out after the 11th of March.
The “A” Side
The “B” Side
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