Nine Songs That Kick Started The 70s

What a decade for the humble listener

This is in response to two fascinating insights into how the 1970s really rocked, written by Paul Combs and Terry Barr. Here’s my take on it from just one year — 1970 — a very special year for me as it turned out.

For me as a teenager in the late 60s, 1970 was the year that kick-started and propelled the heavier rock movement forward, after the great work done by bands like CCR, Fleetwood Mac and Deep Purple in the previous year. It gave a clue as to what lay ahead. I was not disappointed.

These nine tracks are my favourites of 1970. Nine, because in Old Norse myths, the #9 is an important number, and its meaning could be considered something that is a turning point ….

1. Free — ‘All Right Now’ — For me, that turning point came when I heard Free. Nothing could be the same after that. As most folks said at the time — this is the coolest shit we’ve ever seen.

Free must be one of the most underrated bands of that era. Is there a better rock vocalist than Paul Rogers? A phenomenal rhythm section with Simon Kirke on drums and bassist Andy Fraser driving it along.

Special mention to their brilliant lead guitarist Paul Kossoff, who died in tragic circumstances on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City on 19 March 1976 from a pulmonary embolism after a blood clot in his leg moved to his lung.

2. T.Rex — ‘ Ride a White Swan’ — Written by the group’s singer, guitarist and founder Marc Bolan, ‘Ride a White Swan’ is considered to have heralded the glam rock movement, and reached #2 on the UK chart.

The song is full of mythological references, with Bolan playing most of the instruments, including bass.

There are no drums, just a synchronised tambourine and clap recorded in the bathroom of the Studio, something we, who are home recordists have often done, chosen for the ambient room echo.

3. Deep Purple — ‘Black Night’ — Deep Purple had gone from the Na na na na na na of their classic 1968 cover of a Joe South song, ‘Hush’, and, incidentally a favourite of my girlfriend, to a tough hard driving rocker — ‘Black Night’.

It was a freak, a complete accident. The band had just finished a long studio session completing their album ‘Deep Purple In Rock’, when their management, not seeing a single on the LP, demanded one.

This was a band who didn’t do singles, and I can just imagine their annoyance, when all they wanted to do was go across the road to the pub and get smashed. Which is what they did and fours hours later they were back in the studio churning out this one, a #2 UK hit!

4. Dave Edmunds — ‘I Hear You Knocking’ — Dave Edmunds’ only #1 single record, ‘I Hear You Knocking’, topped the UK chart in November 1970 and remained there for six weeks. Recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales, Edmunds plays all the instruments, except possibly bass guitar.

On the record during the instrumental break, he calls out the names of 50s legends who influenced him — Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Chuck Berry and Huey Smith. You could be forgiven for thinking Dave Edmunds was a throwback to Eddie Cochran, but he was more than that.

Just like Eddie, he was an awesome Blues and Rock guitarist, and who was leaving his 60s Love Sculpture days behind him, to carve out his own niche in the ever developing British music scene of the 1970s.

5. Status Quo — ‘Down The Dustpipe’ — They’d rattled my cage the year before with a rockin’ version of the Everly Brothers 1965 hit ‘The Price Of Love’, and in 1970 had success with ‘Down The Dustpipe’ — a song written by Australian Carl Groszman.

The original demo was recorded by a Welsh group, Man, who were the record label studio band. They taught Quo the arrangement, and found it amusing to keep reminding Quo who did the original version of their Top 20 hit single.

Yet a well known dip-stick of a British DJ, Tony Blackburn, on BBC Radio 1 at the time didn’t rate it saying — down the dustbin with this one. It was Quo’s first record to feature their soon-to-be twelve bar blues boogie-woogie trademark.

6. Melanie — ‘Ruby Tuesday’ — I needed a female singer with a powerful voice, and Melanie Safka fits the bill perfectly.

An American folk and pop singer, Melanie created a stunning version of ‘Ruby Tuesday’ — a Rolling Stones classic written by them in 1966 as a ‘B’ side. Melanie reached #9 with it in the UK charts in September 1970.

I’d later discovered other great female singers like Buffy Sainte-Marie, Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, but until then, Melanie would do.

In 2007, Jarvis Cocker invited Melanie Safka to perform at the Meltdown Festival at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The concert was sold-out prompting The Independent newspaper to comment — “It was hard to disagree that Melanie has earned her place alongside Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Marianne Faithfull in the pantheon of iconic female singers.” I’ll second that.

7. Three Dog Night — ‘Mama Told Me (Not to Come)’ — 1970 was the year of big hair and the droopy moustache and Three Dog Night had both of those in spades. Written by Randy Newman for Eric Burdon in 1966, Three Dog Night’s rock’n’roll funky cover version of ‘Mama Told Me (Not To Come) was a #1 US Billboard hit going Gold in 1970.

Three Dog Night were always in the charts, selling millions of records with their rock/fusion funk style of music. They had 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, including 3 #1 singles and had 12 LPs that went Gold.

8. Creedence Clearwater Revival — ‘Travelin’ Band’ — I always wanted to play in a travelling band. John Fogerty tells us what it’s like being on the road. I could put up with all the hassle, for a time anyway.

The song evokes the late 1950s rock’n’roll period that so inspired CCR. Unfortunately for John he had to settle out of court with the publishing company who owned the rights to Little Richard’s ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’. I hear the likeness, and if Lil’ Richard played a Fender Telecaster, this is exactly what he’d sound like.

9. Mungo Jerry — ‘In The Summertime’ — Lead singer Ray Dorset said it only took ten minutes to write ‘In The Summertime’. If ever a song evoked having fun, being happy and enjoying the bright sunny days of summer, then this is it.

Not many 70s hit records feature a banjo, a jug, foot stomping instead of drums to keep the beat, and the sound of a Triumph sports car’s exhaust — they wanted a motor cycle, but couldn’t find one, so used the studio’s engineer’s car instead. It did the trick, spending seven weeks at #1 in the summer of 1970.

I honeymooned at Greve de Lecq, Jersey in the Channel Islands in the late summer of 1970. I spent two weeks on a beach listening to Mungo Jerry and most of the other eight songs here. It was a glorious scorching hot summer, and one which, like all these songs, I’ll never forget. Simply magic.

Thanks go to Pierce McIntyre for Plethora of Pop. Here’s the full playlist:

That’s my take on 1970 — maybe 70s music rattled your cage Alex Markham Kevin Alexander Keith R. Higgons James Jordan Alexander Briseño L Burton Charlie Smith Rob Janicke Simon Dillon Chris Zappa Sarah Paris Rui Alves Jessica Lee McMillan Nicole Brown Steven Hale S.W. Lauden Noah Levy Christopher Robin and Frank Mastropolo

I invite you to join Medium via my referral link to receive unlimited access to my and other writers’ stories. I will receive a small commission in return. Thanks for your support.