WEDDING BELLS – BILLY SWAN

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
16-Jul-76	19	New
23-Jul-76	18	+1
30-Jul-76	6	+12	Biggest climber/Star rater
06-Aug-76	5	+1
13-Aug-76	3	+2	Peak
20-Aug-76	3	0	Peak
27-Aug-76	4	-1
03-Sep-76	3	+1	Peak
10-Sep-76	6	-3
17-Sep-76	8	-2
24-Sep-76	10	-2
01-Oct-76	13	-3
08-Oct-76	19	-6	Biggest faller

Written by: Claude Boone
Produced by: Billy Swan & Chip Young
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Monument

Hit number for artist	3
Peak position	3
Weeks	13
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	1
Biggest faller awards	1
Top 20 points	156
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=658
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	2
Top 30 Points	286
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=700
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	2

Annual ranking:

1976

24

The song was a cover of one first recorded in 1947 by a guy called Bill Carlisle. It has been widely recorded by numerous artists including George Jones, Bill Anderson and Dean Martin. Billy Swan’s version appears to only have been released as a single in South Africa apart from some radio promo pressings made in the US. The b-side of the SA pressing was a song called ‘I’m Her Fool’ which would chart in the US and Canada (peaking at 53 and 93 respectively). The b-side of that single would be a song called ‘I’d Like To Work For You’.

Video:

Artist link: Billy Swan

I CAN HELP – BILLY SWAN

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
14-Feb-75	18	New
21-Feb-75	10	+8	Star rater
28-Feb-75	5	+5	Biggest climber/Star rater
07-Mar-75	4	+1
14-Mar-75	6	-2
21-Mar-75	5	+1
28-Mar-75	3	+2	Peak
04-Apr-75	3	0	Peak
11-Apr-75	3	0	Peak
18-Apr-75	3	0	Peak
25-Apr-75	3	0	Peak
02-May-75	4	-1
09-May-75	10	-6	Biggest faller
16-May-75	15	-5

Written by: Billy Swan
Produced by: Chip Young & Billy Swan
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Monument

Hit number for artist	1
Peak position	3
Weeks	14
Biggest climber awards	1
Star rater climbs	2
Biggest faller awards	1
Top 20 points	202
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=375
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	1
Top 30 Points	342
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=457
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	1

Annual ranking:

1975

10

Other chart success:

Australia	1
Austria	1
Belgium	1
Canada	2
Denmark	1
France	1
Germany	1
Ireland	11
Italy	42
Netherlands	1
New Zealand	14
Norway	1
Spain	4
Sweden	18
Switzerland	4
UK	6
US	1
Zimbabwe	6

The song would be the 1^st of 9 songs to spend 5 straight weeks at 3. Of those 9, only George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’ spent further consecutive weeks at 3 as it managed the all time record  of 7. ‘I Can Help’ was 1 of 5 of those 9 for which 3 was its peak position. Aside from the chart success noted above (number 1 in at least 9 countries), the track would also top the Country Singles charts in the US and Canada as well as the Euro Hit 50 charts.

Video:

Artist link: Billy Swan

DON’T BE CRUEL – BILLY SWAN

Chart performance:

Week	Position	Movement	Comments
15-Aug-75	20	New
22-Aug-75	17	+3
29-Aug-75	13	+4	Star rater
05-Sep-75	12	+1	Peak

Written by: Otis Blackwell
Produced by: Billy Swan & Chip Young
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Monument

Hit number for artist	2
Peak position	12
Weeks	4
Biggest climber awards	0
Star rater climbs	1
Biggest faller awards	0
Top 20 points	22
Overall Top 20 points ranking	=1973
Top 20 points ranking for the artist	3
Top 30 Points	62
Overall Top 30 points ranking	=2080
Top 30 points ranking for the artist	3

Annual ranking:

1975

97

Other chart success:

Austria	16
France	18
Germany	26
Switzerland	4
UK	42

The song was originally recorded by Elvis Presley in 1956 and would give him his second US number 1 hit, spending 7 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Other versions to have charted in the US are by Bill Black’s Combo (#11) and Cheap Trick (#4) while a version by The Judds made it to 10 on the US Hot Country Songs charts.

Video:

Artist link: Billy Swan

BILLY SWAN (US)

Born: 12 Mary 1942
Full name: William Lance Swan

Swan was born in Cape Girardeau in Missouri which is a town about 330 kms north east of Nashville, Tennessee. He learnt to play drums, guitar and piano as a kid and would start writing songs at an early age. In 1962 Clyde McPhatter (who had been one of the founding members of The Drifters) recorded a version of ‘Lover Please’ which Swan had written. This went to number 7 on the Hot 100 and was Swan’s first major success. He would move to Memphis to work with musician Bill Black. Sadly for Swan, Black fell ill and subsequently died before much could happen, so Swan moved to Nashville in 1972. He began to get noticed as a song writer and would also produce some country hits, including Tony Joe White’s ‘Polk Salad Annie’. He would record his debut album, ‘Rock on With Rhythm’ that same year, although it does not appear to have ever got an official release. His success as a singer came in 1974 with the song and album ‘I Can Help’. The track went to number 1 in the US and the album peaked at 21 and topped the US Country Album charts. It would also see a peak of 6 in the UK. However, he would only see 2 further minor US hits and 1 further one in the UK. On the Country Singles charts, he saw 16 hits, the last one being in 1987.

Date of entry	Song	Peak (weeks at 1)	Weeks
14-Feb-1975	I Can Help	3	14
15-Aug-1975	Don’t Be Cruel	12	4
16-Jul-1976	Wedding Bells	3	13
		Total hits	3
		Total weeks	31

Biggest climber awards	2
Star rater climbs	4
Biggest fallers	2
Weeks with oldest in the charts	0
Longest run in the charts (weeks)	14
Weeks with more than 1 in the charts	0
Biggest gap between hits (weeks)	44
Top 30 points ranking	=210
Top 20 points ranking	187
Top 30 points	690
Top 20 points	380

As mentioned above, Swan produced the following Tony Joe White hit:

Date of entry	Song	Peak (weeks at 1)	Weeks
26-Sep-1969	Polk Salad Annie	18	1
		Total hits	1
		Total weeks	1

Total chart involvement by the band and its members:

Number of hits	4
Weeks	32