Barry White - I'll Do Anything You Want Me To: Barry White's chart career came to an end once the GBP sensed that 'all of his records sound the same'. There's more than a sliver of truth in this, but it's partly down to Barry White's records sounding like nobody else's. This - like many of his 'similar sounding' songs - is (like its singer) immense. 9/10

Hamilton Bohannon - Disco Stomp: hard not to think of this man without hearing his name repeated in the Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love'. There are shades of Krautrock (particularly Neu!) in this tremendous record. 8/10

Roy Wood - Oh What a Shame: a great start to this week's programme. This sounds like it's been culled from every other Wizzard/Move/Roy Wood record, but it's a great record, nevertheless. In fact it reminds me of Wizzard's 'Angel Fingers', which in turn reminds me of Irish comedian Jimoein's greatest obsevation: "Even a stranger will smell a proffered wrist, but just ask a loved one to smell your fingers..."
8/10

Kraftwerk - Autobahn: in all of the times I've heard this over the past 46 years, it's never been anything less than stunning. The first time I saw the robots arriving on stage to perform Kraftwerk's encore is still up there in my top ten 'gig moments'. Gambaccini decided to introduce this song in a cod-German voice (very much like Partridge's racist 'Japanese' 'Life in Tokyo'. (What a c**t. 10/10

Hot Chocolate - Disco Queen: it sounds like they're making it up as they go along. 2/10

Wings - Listen to What the Man Said: finally saw 'Yesterday' this week. Some really nice scenes, but essentially it's a risible Richard Curtis-by-numbers effort. (Curtis took sole credit for the screenplay after essentially stealing the central idea - the best thing about the film - from another writer.) Anyway, McCartney wrote some right old crap, didn't he? 2/10

Van McCoy - The Hustle: great stuff. Curiously - and tragically - Van died in the same week as the great Minnie Riperton. 8/10

Judy Collins - Send in the Clowns: we had tickets to see the 80 year old Judy a couple of years ago, but I was really ill so I doubt if I'll ever see her in person. What a voice. I still can't listen to this (twatty) song without hearing 'Making my entrance again - in my usual flares'. My problem, obviously. 4/10

Gladys Knight - The Way We Were: this song always reminds me of the brilliant but crazed American character actor Anthony James in 'The Naked Gun 2'. I f***ing love Gladys, me, but this song is a gigantic bunch of arse. 4/10

The Osmonds - The Proud One: when Donny revealed that his arl fella had all but embezzled the Osmonds' earnings over the years, it was like hearing that 'some vandals' had broken the Blue Peter garden. Top flight telly for scoundrels, in other words. The Proud One has more truck gear changes than an apposite simile I'm too tired to construct, but I still have some residual affection for its essential awfulness. 6/10

Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man: it was stupid at the time, it's much stupider in 2021:

"Stand by your man
Although HE IS a bastard -
But if you had any sense
You'd realise that morbid heterosexuality
Isn't the norm:
Stand by YOO-URR MA-AH-HAIN!"

0/10

The Stylistics - Sing Baby Sing: there are quite a few lightweight male soul bands I'm partial to, but I'm not a fan of the Styles. One of the few Philly bands whose productions sound like they're being backed by the (ghastly) BBC Top of the Pops orchestra. 1/10

10cc - I'm Not in Love: a good record, undoubtedly, but not for me. BBC4's documentary on the band from a few years ago was tremendous - and proved what I've always thought: Eric Stewart is a miserable, snidey little bastard, and Kevin Godley is a wanker. 6/10

Showaddywaddy - 3 Steps to Heaven: 0/10

Don Estelle and Windsor Davies - Whispering Grass: people often ask why It Ain't Half Hot Mum isn't repeated. The simple answer is that it's racist. And shite. I called one of the characters in my MA submission script 'Donna Stell'. She had a one night stand with 'Peter Sanley'. I'm a riot, me. Seriously. 1/10

Programme as a whole: 8/10
Gambaccini: beginning to hate him: 0/10
Best: Kraftwerk
Worst: the plazzy teds

Souvenez: c'est juste pop music!

Click on the link to hear the song: