Now That's What I Call Music

Now Yearbook 1972 Now That's What I Call Music Electric Blue Vinyl edition

NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series. It’s back to 1972 with 50 stellar tracks… Available as a 3-LP set pressed on beautiful blue vinyl. NOW – Yearbook 1972: Celebrating a brilliant year of pop singles.

Opening with an all-time favourite, usually reserved for Christmas-time listening, ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ by John Lennon, The Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono & The Harlem Community Choir – and it leads an opening run of classics including Rod Stewart’s #1 ‘You Wear It Well’, Don McLean with ‘American Pie’, ‘A Horse With No Name’ from America and a song by the same name ‘America’ from Simon & Garfunkel, released as a single in 1972 to promote the duo’s ‘Greatest Hits’ collection. More legendary U.S. artists follow including Harry Nilsson with his #1 ‘Without You’, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney & Wings with their first Top 10 hit ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’.

Flip the LP over for ‘Baby I’m-A Want You’ from Bread, ‘Anticipation’ from Carly Simon and Neil Diamond with one of his signature tracks, U.S. #1, and the title of recent biopic ‘Song Sung Blue’. Gilbert O’Sullivan enjoyed his first chart-topper with ‘Clair’ while Colin Blunstone hit with ‘Say You Don’t Mind’ and Cat Stevens scored a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic with ‘Morning Has Broken’… Ten years before ‘Thriller’, Michael Jackson had his first solo hit with ‘Got To Be There’, and is followed by timeless songs from Labi Siffre with ‘It Must Be Love’ and Johnny Nash who enjoyed a massive hit with ‘I Can See Clearly Now’.

1972 saw Glam Rock become hugely popular, and LP2 kicks off at the rock end of glam with Alice Cooper and the anthemic #1 ‘School’s Out’, and followed by the superb art-rock of Roxy Music on their debut ‘Virginia Plain’ – and Mott The Hoople with the David Bowie written and produced ‘All The Young Dudes’ hitting the Top 3. Ahead of their biggest commercial year in ’73, Sweet scored their third Top 5 hit with ‘Wig Wam Bam’ and Slade follow with the second of two #1’s in 1972, ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’. Elton John had a huge year and Top 5 smash ‘Crocodile Rock’ is up next alongside another glam-flavoured chart-topper ‘Son Of My Father’ by Chicory Tip and co-written by Giorgio Moroder… and rounding off the side, Jeff Beck had a hit with the re-released ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ – whilst over on the other side – we are celebrating a great year for soul music on the charts with The Stylistics leading an incredible run of classics with ‘Betcha By Golly Wow’ ahead of ‘Lean On Me’ from Bill Withers, Love Unlimited’s sublime ‘Walkin’ In The Rain With The One I Love’ and ‘Family Affair’ a huge hit and a massively-influential track from Sly & The Family Stone… The O’Jays announced their ‘70s Philadelphia International era with ‘Back Stabbers’ and The Supremes and Michael Jackson also feature along with pop gems from Melanie with ‘Brand New Key’ and the massive selling ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing’ a #1 from The New Seekers.

LP3 is packed with huge hits and launches with one of Elton John’s signature songs, the #2, ‘Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time)’. Rod Stewart provided the stunning vocal on Python Lee Jackson’s ‘In A Broken Dream’ and Slade’s other #1 in ’72 ‘Take Me Bak ‘Ome’ is next, alongside the debut hit from Electric Light Orchestra, ‘10538 Overture’, which reached #9 and became the first of 13 Top 10 smashes they would enjoy in the ‘70s – and the huge ‘Silver Machine’ from Hawkwind featuring a pre-Motörhead Lemmy on lead vocals. The side finishes with ‘Lady Eleanor’ from Lindisfarne and ‘Burning Love’ a UK and US Top 10 hit for Elvis Presley… and on the final side…72’s easy listening and pure pop classics - opening in style with Shirley Bassey and her second ‘Bond’ theme ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ ahead of Andy Williams’ ‘Speak Softly Love’ – the theme from the year’s biggest film ‘The Godfather’. ‘The Way Of Love’ from Cher comes ahead of joyful pop nuggets from Sammy Davis Jr and Tony Christie with ‘(Is This The Way To) Amarillo’ reaching #18 in 1972 but hitting #1 33 years later! Up next, Paul Simon with his Top 5 hit ‘Mother And Child Reunion’, a #2 debut hit for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show with ‘Sylvia’s Mother’ and Don McLean makes a second appearance with his #1 ‘Vincent’. It’s an instrumental that closes this collection – and 1972’s biggest selling single: Based on the arrangement of the previous year’s hit for Judy Collins, The Pipes and Drums Of The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards celebrated a huge selling version – featuring a bagpipe solo – of ‘Amazing Grace’.

NOW – Yearbook 1972 – a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly fabulous year in pop.