NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing Yearbook series. Its back to 1972 with 80 stellar tracks across 4 CDs. NOW Yearbook 1972 Celebrating a brilliant year of pop singles.Opening with an alltime favourite, usually reserved for Christmastime listening, Happy Xmas War Is Over by John Lennon, The Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono amp The Harlem Community Choir and it leads an opening run of classics including Rod Stewarts 1 You Wear It Well, Don McLean with American Pie, A Horse With No Name from America and a song by the same name America from Simon amp Garfunkel, released as a single in 1972 to promote the duos Greatest Hits collection. More legendary U.S. artists follow including Carly Simon, Bread, Harry Nilsson with his 1 Without You, and Neil Diamond with one of his signature tracks, U.S. 1, and the title of recent biopic Song Sung Blue. Gilbert OSullivan enjoyed his first charttopper with Clair while Colin Blunstone hit with Say You Dont Mind and Cat Stevens scored a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic with Morning Has Broken Ten years before Thriller, Michael Jackson had his first solo hit with Got To Be There, and is followed by timeless ballads from Bill Withers and Labi Siffre with It Must Be Love. Johnny Nash enjoyed a massive hit with I Can See Clearly Now and leads into Disc Ones closing run from four of the most celebrated artists of all time Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney amp Wings, and finishes with Elvis Presleys Top 10 I Just Cant Help Believin.1972 saw Glam Rock become hugely popular, and the second disc kicks off at the rock end of glam with Alice Cooper and the anthemic 1 Schools Out, and followed by the superb artrock of Roxy Music on their debut Virginia Plain and Mott The Hoople with the David Bowie written and produced All The Young Dudes hitting the Top 3. Ahead of their biggest commercial year in 73, Sweet scored their third Top 5 hit with Wig Wam Bam and Slade follow with the second of two 1s in 1972, Mama Weer All Crazee Now. Elton John had a huge year and Top 5 smash Crocodile Rock is up next alongside another glamflavoured charttopper Son Of My Father by Chicory Tip and cowritten by Giorgio Moroder. Jeff Beck had a hit with the rereleased Hi Ho Silver Lining and Terry Dactyl amp The Dinosaurs made 2 with Seaside Shuffle. The second half of the disc celebrates the years biggest rockpop hits including from Blackfoot Sue, Family, Argent, Free, Lindisfarne, Marmalade, Jo Jo Gunne and The Move plus the debut hit from Electric Light Orchestra, 10538 Overture, which reached 9 and became the first of 13 Top 10 smashes they would enjoy in the 70s and the huge Silver Machine from Hawkwind featuring a preMotrhead Lemmy on lead vocals. The disc ends on a lighter note from a Rock n Roll legend Chuck Berry, who hit 1 in both the UK and US with the novelty track My DingALing.CD3 celebrates 72s easy listening and pure pop classics opening in style with Shirley Bassey and her second Bond theme Diamonds Are Forever ahead of Andy Williams Speak Softly Love the theme from the years biggest film The Godfather. The Way Of Love from Cher comes ahead of joyful pop nuggets from Sammy Davis Jr, Tom Jones and Tony Christie with Is This The Way To Amarillo reaching 18 in 1972 but hitting 1 33 years later... Middle Of The Road had a Top 5 hit, while The New Seekers Beg Steal Or Borrow reached 2 and came 2nd at 1972s Eurovision Song Contest, losing out to Vicky Leandros with Come What May which is next It was a great year for soul music on the charts with Love Unlimiteds sublime Walkin In The Rain With The One I Love leading an incredible run that features The Stylistics, Diana Ross, The Supremes, Jackson 5, The Drifters and The Staple Singers, plus Northern Soul favourites Donnie Elbert and Archie Bell And The Drells, with Back Stabbers from The OJays announcing their 70s Philadelphia International era, while the disc closes with Family Affair a huge hit and a massivelyinfluential track from Sly amp The Family Stone.The final disc is packed with huge hits and launches with one of Elton Johns signature songs, the 2, Rocket Man I Think Its Going To Be A Long Long Time. Rod Stewart provided the stunning vocal on Python Lee Jacksons In A Broken Dream and Slades other 1 in 72 Take Me Bak Ome is next, alongside a second appearance from Sweet. More second features from Elvis Presley, Gilbert OSullivan and Michael Jackson are included along with 1s from Don McLean with Vincent and The New Seekers with their massive selling Id Like To Teach The World To Sing. Melanie enjoyed a Top 5 hit with Brand New Key and Dr. Hook amp The Medicine Show reached 2 with Sylvias Mother.Artists enjoying a laterincareer renaissance included Johnny Cash, Faron Young and The Fortunes whilst newer artists Junior Campbell and Hurricane Smith are up next. The disc closes with singersongwriter Peter Skellerns Youre A Lady reaching 3 and featuring backing vocals by The Congregation who are featured next with their own Top 5 hit Softly Whispering I Love You. U.S. talk show host and actor Les Cranes spoken word reading of the poem Desiderata was a Top 10 hit both here and in his home country and its an instrumental that closes this collection and 1972s biggest selling single Based on the arrangement of the previous years hit for Judy Collins, The Pipes and Drums Of The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards celebrated a huge selling version featuring a bagpipe solo of Amazing Grace.
