Description:
NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing Yearbook series and take a trip back 50 years in Pop history with 82 tracks on 4 CDs, to celebrate a stellar year of Pop singles NOW Yearbook 1974.
Opening with Killer Queen the first Top 5 single for Queen, and followed by the classic Jet by Paul McCartney & Wings, and the still breathtakingly original, and hugely influential This Town Aint Big Enough For Both Of Us from Sparks - this epic beginning to the 1974 Yearbook continues with a run of glamtastic Pop from Sweet and Slade, and including #1s from Suzi Quatro, Alvin Stardust and the years biggest seller Tiger Feet from Mud. The #1s keep coming with Pop gold from David Essex, The Rubettes and Paper Lace, plus a huge hit from Pilot and the first Top 3 singles for the Bay City Rollers with Shang-A-Lang, and Leo Sayer with The Show Must Go On. 1974s biggest selling singles act was The Wombles, and their debut The Wombling Song is up next along with the global smash Kung Fu Fighting from Carl Douglas. The first disc closes with some of the years best Soul smashes from Barry White, Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye, The Stylistics and the #1s from The Three Degrees and Sweet Sensation.
Disc two opens with legendary singers: Elton John with one of his signature tracks Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me before some of 74s biggest Rock hits, including You Aint Seen Nothing Yet, Radar Love, Dance With The Devil and Rod Stewarts vocals on the Faces Pool Hall Richard. An eclectic run of Pop hits follow from Cher, The Arrows, Hello, 10cc and second appearances from Mud and Slade plus hit covers from Lulu with The Man Who Sold The World, featuring its writer David Bowie on backing vocals and production, and Bryan Ferry with his version of 60s classic The In Crowd. The second disc winds down with Soft Rock ballads from Andy Kim and Ace and finishes with the sublime The Air That I Breathe from The Hollies.
1974 was a landmark year for soul music, and it included the first global disco hits that remain iconic floor-fillers 50 years on, opening with Barry Whites #1 Youre The First, The Last, My Everything, before a run of hits from Disco Tex & His Sex-O-Lettes, The Hues Corporation, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and a further chart-topper Rock Your Baby from George McCrae. Hot Chocolate, The Drifters, Johnny Bristol and Limmie & Family Cookin all enjoyed Soul-Pop crossover success, whilst Eddie Holman, The Isley Brothers and Aretha Franklin produced three of the greatest all-time Soul ballads. Ken Boothe enjoyed a #1 with Reggae smash Everything I Own, and the disc begins its closing run with hits influenced by the years Rock n Roll and 60s revival crazes, including here from Showaddywaddy, The Rubettes, Wizzard, and First Class with the final two tracks a hybrid of Glam and Retro from Alvin Stardust and T.Rex.
The final disc is all about more massive Pop! Opening with the title track from 1974s biggest selling album, Band On The Run from Paul McCartney & Wings followed by the timeless Candle In The Wind from Elton John and the beautiful I Honestly Love You by Olivia Newton-John her first US #1. Next up is a run of pure Pop heaven led by the #1 Seasons In The Sun from Terry Jacks and including the Bay City Rollers, Stephanie De Sykes, Eurovision hit I See A Star from Mouth & Macneal, Sweet Dreams cover of Abbas Honey Honey and another chart-topper from the New Seekers with You Wont Find Another Fool Like Me Roxy Musics All I Want Is You and Cockney Rebels Mr Soft join second Yearbook 74 appearances from Sparks, Sweet, and Leo Sayer and two Italian singers scoring big hits Drupi and Gigliola Cinquetti.
The final four songs on the collection include three more #1s! Charlie Richs The Most Beautiful Girl narrowly missed the top spot, but John Denvers Annies Song and She from Charles Aznavour both topped the UK Charts, whilst the last word is given to Mud. As well as having 1974s biggest seller with the aforementioned Tiger Feet, they also took the Christmas #1 spot with Lonely This Christmas.
NOW Yearbook 1974 A celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly magnificent year in Pop.
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