This week in 1988
1 He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother The Hollies 2 Groovy Kind Of Love Phil Collins 3 Teardrops Womack and Womack 4 Lovely Day (Sunshine Mix) Bill Withers 5 Nothing Can Divide Us Jason Donovan 6 I Quit Bros 7 The Race Yello 8 Big Fun Inner City 9 Domino Dancing Pet Shop Boys 10 The Only Way Is Up Yazz and the Plastic Population ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ was co-written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell in 1969.It was Russell’s final hit as he died of leukaemia less than a year later. The song was first recorded by Californian singer Kelly Gordon in 1969. It featured on his album ‘Defunked’, and was released as a single, but failed to chart. The Hollies’ version (with Elton John contributing piano, for which he received £12), was released later that year and hit the spot, reaching number 4 in the UK and 7 in the US. Almost 20 years later, in 1988, the Hollies recording was re-released in the UK after its use in a Miller Lite advert, and this time it did reach the top of the charts. In 2012 ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ was back at the top in the UK, claiming the Christmas number one slot for The Justice Collective, a group of celebrities and musicians who recorded the song as a fundraiser for various charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster. ‘He Ain’t Heavy…’ has never reached number one in Ireland – The Hollies made No 3 in the Irish charts in 1969, and 2 in 1988, while the Justice Collective’s version stalled at 4 in 2012.