The 20th of February 1973
Official U.K. Albums Chart results from Sunday the 18th to Saturday the 24th of February 1973
Cut-off for sales figures was up to the end of Saturday the 17th of February
Results counted from Sunday the 18th,
announced on Tuesday the 20th,
and broadcast on B.B.C. Radio 1 on Sunday the 25th of February 1973.
Stevie Wonder
Talking Book
At No.40, on the “The Top 50 U.K. Albums Chart” on my 1st Birthday, is Stevie Wonder with “Talking Book”.
As we break into the Top 40,..
…we come to one of the biggest albums, not just of the 1970’s, but of all time.
Stevie, now fully let off the reins from his Motown guardians, and really beginning to relax into his newly discovered musical freedom, had only recently released this album in the United States, and now the album was making is presence felt over in the United Kingdom too.
From his last Greatest Hits” album, which featured at the edge of the chart the year before, had given a sense of closure to that period of his career, to this album featuring in the U.K.Chart a year later, the difference in overall musicality is truly stunning.
The album had only recently begun its U.K. Chart journey,..
…entering at No.45 on the 28th of January.
By the second week it had broken into the Top 20 at No.19 and by week three (which just so happened to be the week before this one) it had got to it highest position it would achieve so far, at No.16.
Inexplicably, it plummets back down to the very edge of the Top 40 this week, but will recover a little to begin another climb back towards the late teens over the next few weeks, getting up to No.18 this time, on the 11th of March.
The last few weeks of this consecutive run would, again, see the album back down to the Top 40 area, before falling out of the Top 50 after the 7th of April.
The time away wouldn’t be for long though, and we’ll catch up with Stevie, and this album’s U.K. Chart story in the future.
I’ve created my own separate playlists for Sides 1 and 2 of this LP with (I hope) the correct versions and the original track sequencing order for the U.K. release.
Side 1
Side 2
Many thanks go to the following YouTube Channels for providing the chance to hear the tracks, so that together we can experience both sides of this album release, as it was intended, once again.
Please show your appreciation by visiting their channel:
The Top 50 U.K. Singles Chart Playlist for the week of my 1st Birthday:
The Top 50 U.K. Singles Chart Playlist for the day I was born:
Grab Your Binoculars, Come Follow Me
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Why am I…?
How do I…?
When am I…?
