HURDY GURDY MAN – DONOVAN

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
23-Aug-6817New 
30-Aug-687+10Biggest climber/Star rater
06-Sep-686+1 
13-Sep-685+1 
20-Sep-682+3Peak
27-Sep-684-2 
04-Oct-687-3 
11-Oct-6812-5 
18-Oct-6814-2 

Written by: Donovan Leitch
Produced by: Mickie Most
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): CBS

Hit number for artist6
Peak position2
Weeks9
Biggest climber awards1
Star rater climbs1
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points115
Overall Top 20 points ranking=979
Top 20 points ranking for the artist4
Top 30 Points205
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1135
Top 30 points ranking for the artist5

Annual ranking:

196840

Other chart success:

Australia5
Austria20
Belgium12
Germany11
Netherlands7
Switzerland5
UK4
US5

The song is said to have been written for the band Hurdy Gurdy which featured Mac MacLeod, a friend of Donovan, but when they fell out over ‘creative disagreements’ Donovan decided to record it himself. There is a lot of disagreement about who actually played on the song with later Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham being possibles along with Alan Parker (Blue Mink & The Congregation).

Video:

Artist link: Donovan

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – DURAN DURAN

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
03-Sep-8217New 
10-Sep-8216+1 
17-Sep-8211+5Biggest climber/Star rater
24-Sep-829+2 
01-Oct-826+3Biggest climber
08-Oct-825+1 
15-Oct-824+1Peak
22-Oct-8240Peak
29-Oct-8240Peak
05-Nov-825-1 
12-Nov-827-2 
19-Nov-8211-4 
26-Nov-8213-2 
03-Dec-8220-7 

Written by: Nick Rhodes, Simon le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor & Andy Taylor
Produced by: Colin Thurston
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): EMI

Hit number for artist1
Peak position4
Weeks14
Biggest climber awards2
Star rater climbs1
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points162
Overall Top 20 points ranking=621
Top 20 points ranking for the artist2
Top 30 Points302
Overall Top 30 points ranking=620
Top 30 points ranking for the artist2

Annual ranking:

198225

Other chart success:

Australia5
Canada1
Ireland4
Netherlands50
New Zealand4
Poland25
UK5
US3

SA Radio charts:

Capital 6043
Radio 7021

The song was written and recorded in a single day. The video for the song (shot in Sri Lanka) would help break the band in the US as it received heavy rotation on MTV there. The lyrics to the song were inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale and apparently the ‘do do do…’s at the end of each line uses a melody from Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘If You Could Read my Mind’.

Video:

Artist link: Duran Duran

HUNGRY FOR LOVE – THE A-CADS

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
19-Nov-6517New 
26-Nov-6513+4Biggest climber/Star rater
03-Dec-6512+1 
10-Dec-6510+2 
17-Dec-655+5Star rater
27-Dec-653+2 
07-Jan-661+2Peak
14-Jan-6610Peak
21-Jan-663-2 
28-Jan-664-1 
04-Feb-667-3 
11-Feb-6610-3 
18-Feb-6611-1 
25-Feb-6614-3 

Written by: Gordon Mills
Produced by: Not listed
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): RCA Victor

Hit number for artist1
Peak position1
Weeks14
Biggest climber awards1
Star rater climbs2
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points183
Overall Top 20 points ranking=476
Top 20 points ranking for the artist1
Top 30 Points323
Overall Top 30 points ranking=519
Top 30 points ranking for the artist1

Annual ranking:

196541
1966=38

The song was originally a hit in 1963 for UK band Johnny Kidd & The Pirates. That version would get to number 20 in the UK. Gordon Mills, who wrote the song, would manage Johnny Kidd as well as Engelbert Humperdinck and Tom Jones amongst others. He would also write Tom Jones’ hit ‘It’s Not Unusual’. The A-Cads’ version of ‘Hungry For Love’ would be the 2nd local song to top the charts (after Murray Campbell’s ‘Goodbye My Love’).

Video:

Artist link: The A-Cads

HUNGRY EYES – ERIC CARMEN

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
11-Feb-8821New 
18-Feb-8818+3 
25-Feb-8817+1 
03-Mar-8815+2 
10-Mar-88150 
17-Mar-8814+1 
24-Mar-8812+2 
31-Mar-8810+2Peak
07-Apr-88100Peak
14-Apr-8812-2 
21-Apr-8816-4 
28-Apr-8811+5Biggest climber/Star rater
05-May-8816-5*Biggest faller
12-May-8820-4 
19-May-88200 
26-May-8826-6Biggest faller

* This was the 26th time out of 27 that a song would pick up a biggest climber followed by a biggest faller the following week.

Written by: John DeNicola & Franke Previte
Produced by: Eric Carmen
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): RCA Victor

Hit number for artist3
Peak position10
Weeks16
Biggest climber awards1
Star rater climbs1
Biggest faller awards2
Top 20 points88
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1211
Top 20 points ranking for the artist2
Top 30 Points243
Overall Top 30 points ranking=943
Top 30 points ranking for the artist2

Annual ranking:

198844

Other chart success:

Australia4
Belgium9
Canada2
Germany17
Netherlands16
New Zealand18
Sweden6
UK82
US4

SA Radio charts:

Capital 6045
Radio 51
Radio 7021

The song was originally recorded by Franke & The Knockouts (songwriter Franke Previte was a member of the band). Carmen was approached to record a version for the soundtrack to the film ‘Dirty Dancing’ but was initially reluctant. However, he was convinced to do so. Of the 3 songs from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack that made out charts, ‘Hungry Eyes’ had the second highest top 30 points total, beaten by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes’ ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’ and beating Patrick Swayze’s ‘She’s Like The Wind’. British group Eyeopener would cover ‘Hungry Eyes’ in 2004 and that version got to 16 in the UK and 25 in Ireland.

Video:

Artist link: Eric Carmen

HUMAN TOUCH – RICK SPRINGFIELD

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
09-Dec-8330NewPeak

Written by: Rick Springfield
Produced by: Bill Drescher & Rick Springfield
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Wizard

Hit number for artist2
Peak position30
Weeks1
Biggest climber awards0
Star rater climbs0
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 pointsN/A
Overall Top 20 points rankingN/A
Top 20 points ranking for the artistN/A
Top 30 Points1
Overall Top 30 points ranking=2528
Top 30 points ranking for the artist3

Annual ranking:

1983=133

Other chart success:

Australia92
UK23
US18

A reviewer in the US music magazine Cash Box, noted the irony of the song, which spoke of us all needing the human touch, yet used drum machines and synthesizers. The song was used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Video:

Artist link: Rick Springfield

HUMAN – HUMAN LEAGUE

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
16-Nov-8628New 
23-Nov-8629-1 
30-Nov-8620+9Biggest climber/Star rater
07-Dec-86200 
14-Dec-8624-4 
21-Dec-8622+2 
28-Dec-8619+3 
04-Jan-8718+1 
11-Jan-8710+8Biggest climber/Star rater
18-Jan-879+1Peak
25-Jan-8790Peak
01-Feb-8710-1 
08-Feb-8713-3 
15-Feb-8716-3 
22-Feb-87160 
01-Mar-8726-10Biggest faller

Written by: James Harris III (aka Jimmy Jam) & Terry Lewis
Produced by: James Harris III (aka Jimmy Jam) & Terry Lewis
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Virgin

Hit number for artist4
Peak position9
Weeks16
Biggest climber awards2
Star rater climbs2
Biggest faller awards1
Top 20 points71
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1365
Top 20 points ranking for the artist2
Top 30 Points207
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1125
Top 30 points ranking for the artist2

Annual ranking:

198692
198762

Other chart success:

Australia26
Belgium11
Canada1
Finland15
Germany5
Ireland5
Italy12
Netherlands16
New Zealand4
Sweden2
Switzerland25
UK8
US1
Zimbabwe10

SA Radio charts:

Capital 6041
Radio 51
Radio 7021

The Human League were struggling with material for their fifth album and their record label, Virgin, suggested they work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Jam & Lewis had recently seen success producing Janet Jackson’s ‘Control’ album and one of the songs they brought to the table was ‘Human’. It would become the Human League’s 2nd (after ‘Don’t You Want Me’) and, at the time of writing, final US number 1. It would be the 46th out of 72 songs that made our charts that would top all 3 of the local radio charts mentioned above. Rick Springfield (who had a hit with ‘Human Touch’, a different song) would record a cover of ‘Human’ in 2005.

Video:

Artist link: The Human League

HOWZAT – SHERBET

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
07-Jan-7717New 
14-Jan-779+8Biggest climber/Star rater
21-Jan-774+5Biggest climber/Star rater
28-Jan-772+2 
04-Feb-771+1Peak
11-Feb-7710Peak
18-Feb-7710Peak
25-Feb-7710Peak
04-Mar-773-2 
11-Mar-7730 
18-Mar-777-4 
25-Mar-7711-4 
01-Apr-7713-2 
08-Apr-7720-7Biggest faller

Written by: Garth Porter & Tony Mitchell
Produced by: Richard Lush & Sherbet
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Gallo

Hit number for artist1
Peak position1
Weeks14
Biggest climber awards2
Star rater climbs2
Biggest faller awards1
Top 20 points201
Overall Top 20 points ranking=381
Top 20 points ranking for the artist1
Top 30 Points341
Overall Top 30 points ranking=463
Top 30 points ranking for the artist1

Annual ranking:

197711

Other chart success:

Australia1
Belgium13
Germany36
Israel1
Netherlands6
New Zealand1
Norway8
Sweden16
Thailand2
UK4
US61
Zimbabwe5

SA Radio charts:

Radio 55

The song would win the Most Popular Australian Single award at the 1976 King Of Pop Awards and would rank 42nd on Aussie Radio Triple M’s 2018 list of most Australian songs of all time.

Video:

Artist link: Sherbet

HOW’D WE EVER GET THIS WAY? – ANDY KIM

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
15-Nov-6819New 
22-Nov-6818+1Peak

Written by: Andy Kim & Jeff Barry
Produced by: Jeff Barry
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Dot

Hit number for artist1
Peak position18
Weeks2
Biggest climber awards0
Star rater climbs0
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points5
Overall Top 20 points ranking=2234
Top 20 points ranking for the artist4
Top 30 Points25
Overall Top 30 points ranking=2325
Top 30 points ranking for the artist4

Annual ranking:

1968=128

Other chart success:

Australia64
Canada9
US21

Of the 42 songs by Canadian acts that made the top 20, ‘How’d We Ever Get This Way?’ would rank 38th.

Video:

Artist link: Andy Kim

HOW THE MIGHTY HATH FALLEN – EMIL DEAN

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
26-Nov-6520New 
03-Dec-6517+3Biggest climber
10-Dec-6516+1 
17-Dec-6513+3 
27-Dec-6512+1 
07-Jan-667+5Star rater
14-Jan-666+1Peak
21-Jan-668-2 
28-Jan-669-1 
04-Feb-6613-4Biggest faller
11-Feb-6615-2 
18-Feb-6618-3 

Written by: Roy Bennett & Sid Tepper
Produced by: Not listed
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): CBS

Hit number for artist2
Peak position6
Weeks12
Biggest climber awards1
Star rater climbs1
Biggest faller awards1
Top 20 points98
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1128
Top 20 points ranking for the artist1
Top 30 Points218
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1070
Top 30 points ranking for the artist1

Annual ranking:

1965=57
1966=67

The first recording of the song that I can find is one by US singer Mickey Denton. It was the b-side to his ‘Tell Her’ single. The single did not make the charts in either the US or the UK.

Video:

Artist link: Emil Dean

HOW I FEEL INSIDE – ROY BULKIN

Chart performance:

WeekPositionMovementComments
17-Jul-8118New 
24-Jul-8117+1 
31-Jul-81170 
07-Aug-81170 
14-Aug-8116+1 
21-Aug-81160 
28-Aug-8115+1Peak
04-Sep-8120-5 

Written by: Lee Johnson & Robert Schroder
Produced by: Robert Schroder
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Robroy

Hit number for artist6
Peak position15
Weeks8
Biggest climber awards0
Star rater climbs0
Biggest faller awards0
Top 20 points32
Overall Top 20 points ranking=1823
Top 20 points ranking for the artist4
Top 30 Points112
Overall Top 30 points ranking=1748
Top 30 points ranking for the artist4

Annual ranking:

1981=94

The song would be the last to chart where Robert Schroder as noted as the producer. Schroder would have production credits on 14 SA chart hits and this was the tied 5th highest for a local producer.

Video:

Artist link: Roy Bulkin