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.
Jim Reeves
You’re Free To Go
At No.48, on the the U.K. Top 50 Singles Chart the day I am born, is Jim Reeves with “You’re Free To Go”.
The first UK Chart entry in my lifetime by a posthumous artist.
Reeves, had tragically died seven and a half years before, after making an ill-judged attempt to get the plane he was piloting from Batesville, Arkansas, to Nashville’s International Airport.
Just less than 15 miles from his destination, he approached a storm near Brentwood, Tennessee, which the Nashville controller advised he should turn right to avoid.
Instead, Jim turned left, and attempted to rely on sight and follow the Franklin Road which led to the airport.
As the rain lashed down, he became disorientated, stalled the plane while trying to reestablish his bearings, tried to give it full throttle to get going again, but ultimately lost the battle with the aircraft.
Only the year before his death, the popular crooner who was the first to popularize the Nashville Sound, had toured the U.K. to joyful crowds.
For this U.K. only release, he only managed 2 weeks in the Top 50. Both weeks sitting at No. 48.
This was the second of those two weeks.
Gentleman Jim, as he was fondly known, was a firm favourite of my Nana’s (on my Dad’s side).
I remember seeing her collection of records back in the 1970’s, and many of them were Jim’s albums.
For this chart entry,..
…I’ve decided, not so much concentrate on Jim’s whole life, but more attempt to get a feel for how adored he was by his British admirers.
By the time his dulcet tones floated over from the United States, he’d already been a recording artist for well over 10 years, which is when he’d recorded songs such as “My Heart’s Like a Welcome Mat”.
However, at this time, he was much more in demand as a radio announcer. A role he’d been serving since the tail end of World War II.
And it would only be a matter of time…
…before he’d finally get his big break over there, when he was gifted the chance to appear on the popular show ‘Louisiana Hayride’. Something he talks about himself on the album ‘Yours Sincerely’.
It wasn’t long…
…before he was signed to the RCA label in the mid-1950’s, and from there he would begin to have quite a few hits. But it wouldn’t be until 1957, that he was advised by one of the creators of the Nashville Sound, Chet Atkins, to try out a new intimate baritone vocal style, which would become his signature sound from that point onwards.
Jim’s next big hit would be the one,..
…which would get him noticed over here in the U.K..
“He’ll Have To Go” had already scored big in the United States at the end of the 1950’s. However, it would become his first hit in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 1960’s. First showing up at the very end of March and holding a presence in the chart up to the beginning of November. A very impressive 31 weeks total in the U.K. Charts.
The next few years…
…would also have Jim taking a place in the charts. Some only staying for a week or two, others would get higher and stay awhile longer. But it would be while he was visiting the British Isles during the summer of 1963, that he would first reach the Top 10, when “Welcome To My World” was released here and in Ireland.
Over here in Britain, the single reached No.6, and in the Emerald Isle (where he was currently touring at that point), it reached No.1.
At the time of the tragic event,..
…that would take Jim’s life, there were 2 singles which were still both doing quite well.
The first of these was “I Love You Because”, which had entered the chart in the February of 1964, and had risen up to peak at No.5 as March turned to April.
Even though the single would slip further down the charts, a wave took it back near to the Top 10 by August.
In total, this song would be the one which would stay in the chart the longest, at 39 weeks. Not leaving until after the 18th of November that year.
The second single…
…was “I Won’t Forget You”, which had first entered in June, and had swiftly climbed up to No.4 during July. His highest position in the U.K. to date, which I’m sure he would have found out about.
Again, this single had just begun to slip towards the edge of the Top 10 when the event took place.
After the news broke, this single began climbing back through and ultimately reached one place higher to claim position No.3, as August turned to September.
Once more, this single would also stay a little longer than normal, finally departing after the 9th of December.
Jim’s legacy would keep flying on without him,..
…with other songs being released due to demand.
The evidence of this is more felt in the Album chart, where, in 1964 alone, a staggering 10 separate LP’s of Jim’s would all be in the Chart at the same time. And that’s probably the time when my Nana bought her albums.
There would be one single, that would sail all the way to the top of the charts, when it was released to mark the second anniversary of his passing.
And that single, of course, would be “Distant Drums”.
To bring myself back to the single which was currently in the charts on the day I am born.
I’m not quite sure why it was released at this time.
It certainly wasn’t tied into any album release (which there were a few around that time of my arrival). In fact, the album the single refers back to, hadn’t charted since back in 1964.
Still, it was nice to have Jim around, and still visiting the U.K. Singles Chart, when I entered this world.
And many years later, after my Nana passed over in the mid 1980’s, I believe those albums she kept were passed along to me, which I still hold to this day.
The “A” Side
The “B” Side
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