NOW Yearbook 1972 (Deluxe Edition) - Various Artists [CD]

NOW is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing 'Yearbook' series. It's back to 1972 with 80 stellar tracks... this special edition 4-CD is housed in 'hardback-book' packaging featuring a 28-page booklet which includes notes about each track. 'NOW - Yearbook 1972': Celebrating a brilliant year of pop singles. Opening with an all-time favourite, usually reserved for Christmas-time listening, 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' by John Lennon, The Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono & The Harlem Community Choir - and it leads an opening run of classics including Rod Stewart's #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 & Garfunkel, released as a single in 1972 to promote the duo's '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 O'Sullivan enjoyed his first chart-topper with 'Clair' while Colin Blunstone hit with 'Say You Don't 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 One's closing run from four of the most celebrated artists of all time; Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney (& Wings), and finishes with Elvis Presley's Top 10 'I Just Can't 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 'School's Out', and followed by the superb art-rock 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 #1's in 1972, 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now'. Elton John had a huge year and Top 5 smash 'Crocodile Rock' is up next alongside another glam-flavoured chart-topper 'Son Of My Father' by Chicory Tip and co-written by Giorgio Moroder. Jeff Beck had a hit with the re-released 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' and Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs made #2 with 'Seaside Shuffle'. The second half of the disc celebrates the year's biggest rock-pop 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 pre-Motörhead 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 Ding-A-Ling'. CD3 celebrates '72's 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 year's 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 1972's 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 Unlimited's 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 O'Jays announcing their '70s Philadelphia International era, while the disc closes with 'Family Affair' a huge hit and a massively-influential track from Sly & The Family Stone. The final disc is packed with huge hits and launches with one of Elton John's signature songs, the #2, 'Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)'. Rod Stewart provided the stunning vocal on Python Lee Jackson's 'In A Broken Dream' and Slade's other #1 in '72 'Take Me Bak 'Ome' is next, alongside a second appearance from Sweet. More second features from Elvis Presley, Gilbert O'Sullivan and Michael Jackson are included along with #1's from Don McLean with 'Vincent' and The New Seekers with their massive selling 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'. Melanie enjoyed a Top 5 hit with 'Brand New Key' - and Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show reached #2 with 'Sylvia's Mother'. Artists enjoying a later-in-career renaissance included Johnny Cash, Faron Young and The Fortunes whilst newer artists Junior Campbell and Hurricane Smith are up next. The disc closes with singer/songwriter Peter Skellern's 'You're 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 Crane's spoken word reading of the poem 'Desiderata' was a Top 10 hit both here and in his home country - and it's an instrumental that closes this collection - and 1972's biggest selling single: Based on the arrangement of the previous year's 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'. 'NOW - Yearbook 1972' - a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly fabulous year in pop.

Disc 1
1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) [feat. The Plastic Ono Band & the Harlem Community Choir] - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
2. You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart
3. American Pie - Don McLean
4. A Horse With No Name - America
5. America - Simon & Garfunkel
6. Anticipation - Carly Simon
7. Baby I'm-a Want You - Bread
8. Without You - Harry Nilsson
9. Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
10. Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
11. Say You Don't Mind - Colin Blunstone
12. Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens
13. Got to Be There - Michael Jackson
14. Lean On Me - Bill Withers
15. It Must Be Love - Labi Siffre
16. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
17. Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon
18. If Not for You - Bob Dylan
19. Mary Had a Little Lamb - Paul McCartney & Wings
20. I Just Can't Help Believin' - Elvis Presley
Disc 2
1. School's Out - Alice Cooper
2. Virginia Plain - Roxy Music
3. All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
4. Wig Wam Bam - Sweet
5. Mama Weer All Crazee Now - Slade
6. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
7. Son of My Father - Chicory Tip
8. Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck
9. Seaside Shuffle - Terry Dactyl and The Dinosaurs
10. Standing in the Road - Blackfoot Sue
11. Burlesque - Family
12. Hold Your Head Up - Argent
13. Little Bit of Love - Free
14. 10538 Overture - Electric Light Orchestra
15. Silver Machine - Hawkwind
16. Lady Eleanor - Lindisfarne
17. Radancer - Marmalade
18. Run Run Run - Jo Jo Gunne
19. California Man - The Move
20. My Ding-a-ling (Live at the Lancaster Arts Festival, 1972) - Chuck Berry
Disc 3
1. Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey
2. Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from 'The Godfather') - Andy Williams
3. The Way of Love - Cher
4. The Candy Man - Sammy Davis Jr.
5. The Young New Mexican Puppeteer - Tom Jones
6. (Is This the Way To) Amarillo? - Tony Christie
7. Soley Soley - Middle of the Road
8. Beg, Steal Or Borrow - The New Seekers
9. Come What May - Vicky Leandros
10. Walkin' in the Rain With the One I Love - Love Unlimited
11. Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics
12. Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo, Doobedood'ndoo - Diana Ross
13. Floy Joy - The Supremes
14. Where Did Our Love Go? - Donnie Elbert
15. Saturday Night at the Movies - The Drifters
16. Here I Go Again - Archie Bell and The Drells
17. Lookin' Through the Windows - Jackson 5
18. Back Stabbers - The O'Jays
19. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
20. Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone
Disc 4
1. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long Long Time) - Elton John
2. In a Broken Dream (Feat. Rod Stewart) - Python Lee Jackson
3. Take Me Bak 'Ome - Slade
4. Little Willy - Sweet
5. Burning Love - Elvis Presley
6. Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
7. Vincent - Don McLean
8. Ben - Michael Jackson
9. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) - The New Seekers
10. Brand New Key - Melanie
11. Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
12. A Thing Called Love - Johnny Nash
13. It's Four in the Morning - Faron Young
14. Storm in a Teacup - The Fortunes
15. Hallelujah Freedom - Junior Campbell
16. Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? - Hurricane Smith
17. You're a Lady - Peter Skellern
18. Softly Whispering I Love You - The Congregation
19. Desiderata - Les Crane
20. Amazing Grace - The Pipes & Drums of the Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards