I always love looking back and seeing what the charts were doing in 1971!
This is an image of the charts from Sep 1971 - the ones that stand out for me and have really stood the test of time are -
Maggie May / Reason To Believe by Rod Stewart; Maggie May is definitely one of the highlights of our show and such an anthem!
You've Got A Friend by James Taylor (written by Carole King and released on Tapestry earlier that year) still hanging around having been released in May.
T Rex - Get It On, definitely one of our favourites from Electric Warrior!
George Harrison - Bangla Desh - an emotional plea for help as war was waging in South Asia.
(Image from - https://www.everyhit.com/retrocharts/1971-September.html)
Number 1 in the UK in Sep 1971 seems to have been Tams - which I'd never heard. I managed to find this video from Top Of The Tops and it's a great tune! Check it out here
One moment in history that particularly stands out in September 1971, was the Attica Prison riots in Attica, New York on 9th-13th September. Prisoners revolted against poor living conditions taking 42 of the staff hostage. After five days of rioting 43 men died making it the highest number of fatalities in the history of Prison Uprisings.
There's been many books and documentaries about Attica but for a brief histroy you can check out this Ted Talk that I found really informative.
For me putting this music into social and political context of events like Attica, Bangladesh and the Vietnam War is really important, and adds even more weight to songs like Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and John Lennon's "Imagine" and "Gimme Some Truth" also released in September 1971.
Jesse Smith
23rd September 2024
From Strawberry Fields Central Park (Nov 2014)
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