THIS WEEK IN 1972

1 My Ding-A-Ling Chuck Berry

2 Crazy Horses The Osmonds

3 Gudbuy T’ Jane Slade

4 Angel/What Made Milwaukee Famous (Had Made A Loser Out Of Me) Rod Stewart

5 Crocodile Rock Elton John

6 Why Donny Osmond

7 Ben Michael Jackson

8 Solid Gold Easy Action T Rex

9 Long Haired Lover From Liverpool Jimmy Osmond

10 Lookin’ Through The Windows The Jackson 5

Here’s a Jacksons/Osmonds dominated top ten from almost a half a century ago topped by one of the silliest number ones in pop history.

‘My Ding-A-Ling’ was written and originally recorded by Dave Bartholemew in 1952, though Berry’s hit was a substantially rewritten and reworked version that he initially took credit for writing.

Berry first recorded a version of the song, called ‘My Tambourine’, in 1968. The ‘My Ding-A-Ling’ version that hit the top of the charts in 1972 was recorded live during an arts festival at the Locarno Ballroom in Coventry (the bill also included Slade and Pink Floyd).

The song’s barely disguised double-entendres caused some controversy with many radio stations refusing to play it and campaigners such as Mary Whitehouse trying – without successto have it banned. In a letter of complaint to the BBC’s Director General, Whitehouse said ‘One teacher told us of how she found a class of small boys with their trousers undone, singing the song and giving it the indecent interpretation. We trust you will agree with us that it is no part of the function of the BBC to be the vehicle of songs which stimulate this kind of behaviour.’

Berry, who died aged 90 in 2017, always looked back with fondness on the song, but fans through the years have found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that it was the only number one for a rock and roll pioneer responsible for such towering classics as ‘Johnny B, Goode’, ‘Rock and Roll Music’ and ‘Roll Over Beethoven’.

‘My Ding-A-Ling’ was a number one hit for Chuck Berry in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US.

Chuck Berry died aged 90 of a heart attack at his home in Missouri on March 18, 2017.

Chuck Berry scored his only number one with ‘My Ding-A-Ling’.