The Ultimate Averaged Chart - The BBC Chart Re-Imagined

[Robbie]

I would like the UAC to continue beyond 1969. At the moment the three charts have more in common, hence less comments. I believe that 1970 has more variance so I would like to see a UAC for 1970 too. That leaves the question of the cut-off point for when to stop doing the UAC in the 1970s. I think early 1971 had been mentioned. A pivotal point seems to have been the ending of the national postal strike which affected chart returns in February and part of March 1971. When the strike ended the BMRB appear to have developed more robust procedures in for ensuring a sufficient amount of chart returns from shops. Perhaps that was the point where the BMRB chart became more widely accepted?

[Splodj]

What I don't understand is why, if 100 are viewing it, more don't post.

I think the post-BMRB pattern has been established, and is well illustrated by 'Sugar Sugar'. Once again BMRB is the first to identify a strong number one. I imagine this is because it sold so much more rapidly than other records in key stores and this was not detected by the points system.

Also, BMRB will keep 'Sugar Sugar' at the top longer than the others. Towards the end of its reign NME will have 3 alternative one-week number ones. It is understandable that as its strength faded this created opportunities for rivals to outscore it on the points system under its 'levelling' effect.

[kingofskiffle]

It may also have coincided with more going back to work and having less time for this sort of thing...

[MrTibbs]

I don't think the 'fun' UAC is proving as popular post BMRB (maybe not as relevant to most guys as before and therefore in retrospect maybe not so good an idea). Before then it was taking around 200 to 250 hits a day but on some days now it's lucky to be getting up to 100. When I finish 1969 and I can actually post these much quicker to get through them would you guys rather I left it there and reverted to the original plan of doing 56 - 59 thus completing the original project ?

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending October 25th 1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending October 25th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	100	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Bobbie Gentry					1	1	2	16400
7	2	I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie					2	2	3	15850
14	3	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					4	3	1	15400
6	4	He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies					3	4	5	14950
2	5	Je T'aime..Moi Non Plus - Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg					5	7	4	13900
10	6	Space Oddity - David Bowie					7	5	6	13800
4	7	Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan					8	6	9	13050
3	8	A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash					6	8	10	12850
13	9	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					9	9	8	12200
8	10	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					10	10	7	11850
9	11	It's Getting Better - Mama Cass					12	11	14	10500
5	12	Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival					11	12	18	10050
17	13	Do What You Gotta Do - The Four Tops					14	13	11	9900
12	14	Good Morning Starshine - Oliver					13	14	12	9750
26	15	Return Of Django - The Upsetters					15	16	17	8350
11	16	Throw Down A Line - Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin					18	15	15	8200
24	17	Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra					17	17	13	8100
19	18	Love At First Sight - Sounds Nice					16	18	19	7450
15	19	Don't Forget To Remember - The Bee Gees					20	19	16	6700
25	20	Everybody's Talkin' - Nilsson					19	21	23	5700
16	21	Hare Krishna Mantra - The Radha Krishna Temple					21	20	22	5650
NEW	22	Delta Lady - Joe Cocker					23	24	20	4450
18	23	Put Yourself In My Place - The Isley Brothers					24	23	21	4400
20	24	I Second That Emotion - Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations					25	22	28	3750
NEW	25	And The Sun Will Shine - Jose Feliciano					22	28	30	2650
21	26	In The Year 2525 - Zager and Evans						25	25	2100
23	27	Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye					26		27	1400
27	28	Cloud Nine - The Temptations						26		1250
NEW	29	Long Shot Kick The Bucket - The Pioneers						27		1000
NEW	30	What Does It Take - Junior Walker and The All Stars					27		29	1000
28		Viva Bobby Joe - The Equals						30	24	950
B		Wonderful World Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff						29		500
X		Penny Arcade - Roy Orbison					28			600
X		For Once In My Life - Dorothy Squires							26	500
30		The Hunt - Barry Ryan					29			400
		Soul Deep - The Box Tops					30			200
29		Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight - Trash					30			200
22		Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie

[MrTibbs]

Nilsson's biggest moment of glory will come three years later but meantime his first hit which debuts this week is almost remembered just as much.
Trash, in the absence of The Beatles' own version from Abbey Road take their cover into the Top 30.
Barry Ryan attempts another epic, although not in the same class as Eloise I thought it deserved to do better than it's chart peak of 30 here.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending October 18th 1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending October 18th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	100	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Bobbie Gentry					1	1	1	16500
3	2	Je T'aime..Moi Non Plus - Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg					2	2	2	15950
4	3	A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash					3	3	4	15300
5	4	Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan					4	4	7	14550
2	5	Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival					5	5	12	13600
20	6	He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies					7	7	5	13400
12	7	I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie					6	9	3	13300
10	8	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					8	8	6	12850
9	9	It's Getting Better - Mama Cass					11	6	13	12050
13	10	Space Oddity - David Bowie					9	10	8	11950
6	11	Throw Down A Line - Cliff Richard and Hank MARVIN					10	11	14	10900
8	12	Good Morning Starshine - Oliver					13	11	10	10700
21	13	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					12	13	9	10500
29	14	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					14	16	11	9150
7	15	Don't Forget To Remember - The Bee Gees					15	14	16	8950
11	16	Hare Krishna Mantra - Radha Krishna Temple					16	15	15	8600
22	17	Do What You Gotta Do - The Four Tops					17	17	17	7700
16	18	Put Yourself In My Place - The Isley Brothers					18	18	22	6750
19	19	Love At First Sight - Sounds Nice					20	19	18	6500
18	20	I Second That Emotion - Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations					21	20	19	5950
14	21	In The Year 2525 - Zager and Evans					24	23	23	4200
15	22	Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie					25	21	27	4100
17	23	Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye					22	25	24	4000
NEW	24	Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra					23	26	21	3850
NEW	25	Everybody's Talkin' - Nilsson					19	27		3400
NEW	26	Return Of Django - The Upsetters						22	20	3350
24	27	Cloud Nine - The Temptations					26	24		2750
23	28	Viva Bobby Joe - The Equals						28	25	1350
NEW	29	Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight - Trash					27			800
NEW	30	The Hunt - Barry Ryan					28			600
25		Soul Deep - The Box Tops						29		500
X		For Once In My Life - Dorothy Squires							26	500
28		Am I The Same Girl - Dusty Springfield					29			400
B		And The Sun Will Shine - Jose Feliciano							28	300
27		My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder						30		250
		Saved By The Bell - Robin Gibb							29	200
X		Penny Arcade - Roy Orbison					30			200
B		Delta Lady - Joe Cocker							30	100
26		Birth - The Peddlers
30		Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones

[MrTibbs]

[QUOTE=Splodj;n10658163]The alternative chart was broadcast by the BBC, so was 'published' - in the same way that non-printed material like music is published. I see it as an amendment that the BBC requested ("we can't not play that twice!") which BMRB agreed to and it is what the overwhelming majority of people will have seen and heard as BMRBs placing of the record that week./QUOTE]

Yeah I remember POTP placing but not playing Je T'aime at number two that week obviously because they wanted it listed in just one position but yeah chart history since reverts to the split positions.
My memory was proved correct when Dave Taylor supplied me with the alternative chart. I felt it was fairer to use that for The Ultimate Chart.

On the alternative charts Roy Orbison was at 50 with Penny Arcade on the 4th, and on the 11th Dusty Springfield was at 50 with Am I The Same girl.

[Splodj]

Looking back at page 102 where the alternative Top 50s for the two weeks are listed, a question occurs ...

Why did BMRB recalculate the complete 50?

For w/e 4-Oct all the BBC would need were the combined position and the new number 30. For w/e 11-Oct the BBC would not need anything; the combined position could not be higher than number one, and the Fontana version at 33 would not present any risk of double mentions.

[Splodj]

The alternative chart was broadcast by the BBC, so was 'published' - in the same way that non-printed material like music is published. I see it as an amendment that the BBC requested ("we can't not play that twice!") which BMRB agreed to and it is what the overwhelming majority of people will have seen and heard as BMRBs placing of the record that week.

Incidentally - as Je T'aime was originally recorded when Gainsbourg had an affair with Brigitte Bardot, it is a pity Mike Sarne didn't do a 'Come Outside' style duet with her when they had an affair!!

[kingofskiffle]

The alternative chart was never published and since the accepted history has bene to use what Music Week prints therefore that's the way the chart is recorded for history. In 1976 they fixed this and combined Leader of The Pack, presumably because Radio 1 would have said "we can't play the same song twice".

[braindeadpj]

BMRB actually compiled an alternative chart for that week brain which combined both versions so i used that as it represented a total for it rather than
split positions. It never topped NME or MM.

Thanks for your response, I was not aware of this. I always remember seeing the original chart (in Tony Jaspers Top Twenty book) and thinking what a screw up. Good to know there's an alternative one. So being at both 3 and 16 was not enough to overhaul the no.1...

OCC uses the original, how about Guinness? BTW what's position 50 on the alternative chart (as everything else should be the 'same').

[MrTibbs]

BTW how did you handle the fact that Je T'aime was at 3 and 16 in the BMRB due to different record labels, on the 4th October (looks like you had it only at 2 and shifted everything up below 16?).
So Je T'aime was not a no.1 on NME or MM?

BMRB actually compiled an alternative chart for that week brain which combined both versions so i used that as it represented a total for it rather than
split positions. It never topped NME or MM.

[braindeadpj]

BTW how did you handle the fact that Je T'aime was at 3 and 16 in the BMRB due to different record labels, on the 4th October (looks like you had it only at 2 and shifted everything up below 16?).
So Je T'aime was not a no.1 on NME or MM?

[Splodj]

A rare case (the only one?) of NME and MM putting a record at number one before BMRB. Although this is not because BMRB are clinging on to the previous number one, as is usually the case when the situation is reversed.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending October 11th 1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending October 11th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	100	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
3	1	I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Bobbie Gentry					1	1	2	16400
1	2	Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwatwer Revival					2	2	3	15850
2	3	Je T'aime..Moi Non Plus - Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg					3	4	1	15350
4	4	A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash					4	3	4	15100
12	5	Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan					5	6	5	14050
7	6	Throw Down A Line - Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin					7	5	8	13600
5	7	Don't Forget To Remember - The Bee Gees					6	9	7	12900
6	8	Good Morning Starshine - Oliver					8	8	6	12850
10	9	It's Getting Better - Mama Cass					9	7	9	12600
18	10	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					10	10	10	11550
14	11	Hare Krishna Mantra - The Radha Krishna Temple					11	11	12	10900
21	12	I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie					11	12	11	10750
27	13	Space Oddity - David Bowie					18	13	13	8900
9	14	In The Year 2525 - Zager and Evans					14	15	18	8700
8	15	Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie					16	14	17	8650
15	16	Put Yourself In My Place - The Isley Brothers					15	16	15	8550
11	17	Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye					13	19	21	7600
17	18	I Second That Emotion - Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations					17	17	24	7000
24	19	Love At First Sight - Sounds Nice					19	18	22	6550
NEW	20	He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies					20	20	16	6450
NEW	21	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					22	21	14	6000
28	22	Do What You Gotta Do - The Four Tops					20	23	19	5400
13	23	Viva Bobby Joe - The Equals					23	22	23	4650
16	24	Cloud Nine - The Temptations					24	25	20	4000
20	25	Soul Deep - The Box Tops					26	24		2750
25	26	Birth - The Peddlers					26	26		2250
19	27	My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder						27	27	1400
NEW	28	Am I The Same Girl - Dusty Springfield					25			1200
NEW	29	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					28	29		1100
22	30	Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones						28	28	1050
23		Saved By The Bell - Robin Gibb					30	30	25	1050
B		Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra							26	500
B		Everybody's Talkin' - Nilsson					29			400
		I'm A Better Man - Engelbert Humperdinck							29	200
29		Wet Dream - Max Romeo							30	100
26		Marrakesh Express - Crosby Stills and Nash
30		Clean Up Your Own Back Yard - Elvis Presley

[MrTibbs]

Two records of opposing quality debut this week. The sublime and endearing Space Oddity by David Bowie which will become a timeless classic, and the appalling, cloying, horrendous Nobody's Child from Karen Young. 'Nuff Said.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending October 4th 1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending October 4th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	100	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival					1	1	1	16500
2	2	Je T'aime..Moi Non Plus - Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg					2	3	2	15700
4	3	I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Bobbie Gentry					3	2	3	15650
10	4	A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash					5	4	4	14650
3	5	Don't Forget To Remember - The Bee Gees					4	5	5	14500
7	6	Good Morning Starshine - Oliver					8	6	6	13350
11	7	Throw Down A Line - Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin					7	7	7	13200
6	8	Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie					9	8	11	12150
5	9	In The Year 2525 - Zager and Evans					10	9	10	11800
13	10	It's Getting Better - Mama Cass					11	10	8	11550
8	11	Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye					6	12	15	11350
21	12	Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan					12	11	9	11000
9	13	Viva Bobby Joe - The Equals					13	13	13	9900
16	14	Hare Krishna Mantra - The Radha Krishna Temple					15	14	12	9350
18	15	Put Yourself In My Place - The Isley Brothers					14	16	24	7850
14	16	Cloud Nine - The Temptations					16	15	30	7100
27	17	I Second That Emotion - Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations					17	20	17	6950
NEW	18	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					19	21	14	6600
12	19	My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder					21	18	20	6350
20	20	Soul Deep - The Box Tops					20	17	25	6300
25	21	I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie					17	23	16	6300
15	22	Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones					25	19	29	4400
17	23	Saved By The Bell - Robin Gibb					24	23	21	4400
28	24	Love At First Sight - Sounds Nice					30	22	18	3750
19	25	Birth - The Peddlers					23	26	22	3750
23	26	Marrakesh Express - Crosby Stills and Nash					22	25		3300
NEW	27	Space Oddity - David Bowie					27	27	19	3000
NEW	28	Do What You Gotta Do - The Four Tops					25	29	26	2200
24	29	Wet Dream - Max Romeo					29	28		1150
29	30	Clean Up Your Own Back Yard - Elvis Presley					27		28	1100
22		Make Me An Island - Joe Dolan							23	800
26		I'm A Better Man - Engelbert Humperdinck							27	400
		Tears In The Wind - Chicken Shack						30		250
B		Am I The Same Girl - Dusty Springfield					30			200
30		Curly - The Move

[Splodj]

It is implied there that 'son of a bitch' needed to be bleeped out, rather than done for effect.

As a general point about Wiki, I notice that the 'official' peak chart position is the only one mentioned for the UK, whereas for the USA they give positions for Billboard, Cashbox and Billboard sub-charts. This doesn't matter much for 'Sue', but in some cases it would be informative to mention the other UK charts even from 1969 on. An obvious example is 'Tapestry', as discussed on the other thread.

[Metalweb]

I assume that the bleep in 'A Boy Named Sue' was put in as a joke, because the unexpurgated version on the album reveals the missing words to be merely 'son of a bitch'. Even the BBC could have played that!

Whole paragraph about censorship of that phrase on wiki....

A Boy Named Sue - Wikipedia

[Splodj]

the top ten with general agreement

Absolute agreement between the Ultimate and BMRB!

[Splodj]

I assume that the bleep in 'A Boy Named Sue' was put in as a joke, because the unexpurgated version on the album reveals the missing words to be merely 'son of a bitch'. Even the BBC could have played that!

[MrTibbs]

There is a lot of consistency between the three charts again this week in the top ten with general agreement and records at most just one position out between any chart.

Some good records too around the chart, especially, David Bowie about to break in, Crosby Stills and Nash, Mama Cass, Lou Christie,The Box Tops and Bob Dylan hanging around too.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending September 27th 1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending September 27th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	100	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival					1	1	1	16500
4	2	Je T'aime..Moi Non Plus - Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg					2	3	2	15700
3	3	Don't Forget To Remember - The Bee Gees					3	2	3	15650
10	4	I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Bobbie Gentry					4	4	4	14850
2	5	In The Year 2525 - Zager and Evans					6	5	5	14100
5	6	Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie					5	6	6	13950
8	7	Good Morning Starshine - Oliver					8	7	7	13000
6	8	Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye					7	8	8	12850
7	9	Viva Bobby Joe - The Equals					9	9	9	12100
22	10	A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash					10	10	10	11550
18	11	Throw Down A Line - Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin					11	11	14	10700
9	12	My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder					13	12	16	9850
20	13	It's Getting Better - Mama Cass					14	14	11	9650
14	14	Cloud Nine - The Temptations					19	13	15	8500
11	15	Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones					15	16	18	8250
28	16	Hare Krishna Mantra - The Radha Krishna Temple					12	19	19	8000
12	17	Saved By The Bell - Robin Gibb					18	15	23	7400
23	18	Put Yourself In My Place - The Isley Brothers					16	22	13	7050
16	19	Birth - The Peddlers					17	18		6050
24	20	Soul Deep - The Box Tops					23	17	22	6000
27	21	Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan					25	20	12	5850
13	22	Make Me An Island - Joe Dolan					19	21	24	5600
17	23	Marrakesh Express - Crosby Stills and Nash					22	23	17	5200
25	24	Wet Dream - Max Romeo					24	25	26	3400
29	25	I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie					21		28	2300
19	26	I'm A Better Man - Engelbert Humperdinck						24	29	1950
NEW	27	I Second That Emotion - Diana Ross and the Supremes and The Temptations					27	27		1800
NEW	28	Love At First Sight - Sounds Nice					26	30	27	1650
26	29	Clean Up Your Own Back Yard - Elvis Presley					28		21	1600
15	30	Curly - The Move					30	26		1450
B		Nobody's Child - Karen Young							20	1100
21		Early In The Morning - Vanity Fare					29	29	30	1000
30		Tears In The Wind - Chicken Shack						28		750
B		Space Oddity - David Bowie							25	600

[MrTibbs]

I really do like how they all agree on the number 1.

Ha Ha, yeah enjoy the moment, that said they often will, or sometimes two out of the three will agree, but there are some times ahead when there will be a three way split on #1