VA -  (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) [2022]
Audio codec: Mp3 @320 kbps

Continuing on with my 'best singles' compilations, here is an excellent overview of 1972.

After extensive research into virtually every single released in the UK, USA and around the world in 1972, I've compiled the absolute cream of the crop of the year. Many tracks have been included that you just never see on compilations using the latest highest quality digital remasters released to date.  In fact, quite a few of the tracks were banned by the BBC at the time, which makes this collection a little more interesting, plus I made a point of incorporating all original 7" single mixes that were different to the album versions where appropriate.

With news dominated by the events of Bloody Sunday in January, when 13 Catholic civilians were killed in by British soldiers during a demonstration in Derry, it was Paul McCartney of all people who put his thoughts on record, only to have the record banned. ‘Give Ireland Back to the Irish’ was deemed “too controversial” for the airwaves. He further proved himself to be the real Bad Boy of The Beatles when he was arrested on drugs offences later in the year.

Gone: “Little” Jimmy Osmond only had one hit, the ghastly ‘Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool’ but the squeaky little pre-teen lingered for weeks at Number One, with all right-minded boys yearning intensely to punch his lights out.

Album of the year: Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones

Single of the year: ‘Virginia Plain’ - Roxy Music

Band/artist of the year: David Bowie 1972 belonged to: David Bowie, The Osmonds (ask your Mother, make her blush) Key event of the year: Bowie unleashes his Ziggy Stardust persona. Elsewhere, glam rock was beginning to make serious pop inroads, with Roxy Music, T. Rex and David Bowie, sending grandparents into apoplexy as they switched on their television sets for Top of the Pops only to be greeted by a generation of garish woofters from outer space.

The real hysteria, however, was being created by David Cassidy and Mormon Jackson 5 soundalikes The Osmonds, who moistened the gussets of legions of 14-year-old teenybopper girlies every time they flew into Britain. In the face of all this, “serious” rockers kept snootily aloof from the fray. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes all got pompier as pop got sillier. (NME)

Track lists:
CD1
01 Electric Light Orchestra 10538 Overture (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 4:05
02 Mott The Hoople All the Young Dudes 3:30
03 Gilbert O'sullivan Alone Again (Naturally) 3:38
04 Don Mclean American Pie (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 4:06
05 Rod Stewart Angel 4:06
06 Badfinger Baby Blue 3:37
07 Ringo Starr Back Off Boogaloo 3:19
08 The O'jays Back Stabbers 3:07
09 Big Star The Ballad of El Goodo 4:20
10 The New Seekers Beg, Steal or Borrow 2:47
11 The Stylistics Betcha By Golly, Wow 3:45
12 Judge Dread Big Six 2:59
13 Judge Dread Big Seven 3:21
14 Three Dog Night Black and White 3:50
15 Chelsea Football Club Blue Is the Colour 2:24
16 Melanie Brand New Key 2:25
17 Looking Glass Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) 3:03
18 Elvis Presley Burning Love 2:51
19 Paul Mccartney & Wings C Moon 4:36
20 David Bowie Changes 3:34
21 David Cassidy Cherish 3:50
22 T. Rex Children of the Revolution 2:29
23 Gilbert O'sullivan Clair 3:02

CD2
24 Betty Wright Clean Up Woman 2:46
25 David Cassidy Could It Be Forever 2:19
26 The Osmonds Crazy Horses 2:32
27 Elton John Crocodile Rock 3:56
28 Badfinger Day After Day 3:09
29 Aretha Franklin Day Dreaming 3:59
30 Steely Dan Do It Again (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 4:23
31 Jackson Browne Doctor, My Eyes 3:19
32 10cc Donna 2:57
33 Alice Cooper Elected! (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:43
34 Bread Everything I Own 3:06
35 Sly And The Family Stone Family Affair 3:05
36 The Detroit Emeralds Feel the Need in Me (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:41
37 Roberta Flack The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 4:19
38 Toots & The Maytals Funky Kingston 4:55
39 Paul Mccartney & Wings Give Ireland Back to the Irish 3:46
40 Raspberries Go All the Way 3:22
41 The Carpenters Goodbye to Love 3:57
42 Slade Gudbuy T'Jane 3:33
43 Bread Guitar Man 3:43
44 The Rolling Stones Happy 3:06
45 Jimmy Cliff The Harder They Come (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:08

CD3
46 The Chi-lites Have You Seen Her 5:08
47 Neil Young Heart of Gold 3:09
48 Gladys Knight & The Pips Help Me Make It Through the Night 4:21
49 Archie Bell & The Drells Here I Go Again 2:06
50 Paul Mccartney & Wings Hi, Hi, Hi 3:09
51 Argent Hold Your Head Up (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 3:17
52 Elton John Honky Cat 5:14
53 America A Horse with No Name 4:11
54 David Cassidy How Can I Be Sure 3:10
55 Johnny Nash I Can See Clearly Now 2:47
56 Gary Glitter I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll) 3:21
57 Colin Blunstone I Don't Believe in Miracles 3:00
58 Joe Tex I Gotcha 2:13
59 Todd Rundgren I Saw the Light 2:55
60 Raspberries I Wanna Be with You 3:05
61 The New Seekers I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) 2:20
62 The Spinners I'll Be Around 3:10
63 The Staple Singers I'll Take You There 3:15
64 Al Green I'm Still in Love with You 3:11
65 The Stylistics I'm Stone in Love with You 3:18
66 Frederick Knight I've Been Lonely for So Long 3:22
67 Nolan Porter If I Could Only Be Sure 3:18
68 Luther Ingram (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right 3:35

CD4
69 Python Lee Jackson Feat. Rod Stewart In a Broken Dream 3:41
70 Albert Hammond It Never Rains in Southern California (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:17
71 Faron Young It's Four in the Morning 2:58
72 David Bowie John, I'm Only Dancing (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 2:46
73 The Who Join Together 4:22
74 Lindisfarne Lady Eleanor (UK A2U 1972 Re-release Full Length 7" Single Version) 4:12
75 Strawbs Lay Down 3:34
76 Derek & The Dominos Layla (Original 1972 UK 7" Single Edit) 2:42
77 Bill Withers Lean on Me 4:18
78 Al Green Let's Stay Together 3:16
79 The Doobie Brothers Listen to the Music (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 3:26
80 Errol Dunkley & The Gaytones A Little Way Different (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 2:57
81 The Sweet Little Willy 3:14
82 Slade Look Wot You Dun 2:58
83 Bobby Hebb Love, Love, Love 2:52
84 Slade Mama Weer All Crazee Now 3:45
85 Paul Mccartney & Wings Mary Had a Little Lamb 3:34
86 Gilbert O'sullivan Matrimony 3:14
87 Paul Simon Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard 2:44
88 Billy Paul Me and Mrs. Jones (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:41
89 Lindisfarne Meet Me on the Corner 2:38
90 T. Rex Metal Guru 2:28

CD5
91 Lieutenant Pigeon Mouldy Old Dough 2:44
92 Chuck Berry My Ding-a-Ling (Original 1972 Live 7" Single Edit) 4:16
93 Millie Jackson My Man, A Sweet Man 2:31
94 Bee Gees My World 4:21
95 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons The Night 3:17
96 The Chi-lites Oh Girl (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 3:14
97 Hurricane Smith Oh, Babe What Would You Say? 3:27
98 Gilbert O'sullivan Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day 2:47
99 Terry Callier Ordinary Joe 4:13
100 The Temptations Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 6:58
101 Hot Butter Popcorn 2:32
102 The Sweet       Poppa Joe 3:06
103 Donny Osmond Puppy Love 3:03
104 Led Zeppelin Rock and Roll 3:41
105 Gary Glitter Rock and Roll Part 2 2:58
106 Elton John Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) 4:42
107 Michael Jackson Rockin' Robin 2:33
108 The Rolling Stones Rocks Off 4:33
109 Yes Roundabout (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 3:29
110 Bee Gees Run to Me 3:13

CD6
111 Sly And The Family Stone Runnin' Away 2:56
112 Colin Blunstone Say You Don't Mind 3:18
113 Alice Cooper School's Out (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:31
114 Big Youth Screaming Target 3:38
115 The Pointer Sisters Send Him Back 2:34
116 Hawkwind Silver Machine (Original 1972 7" Single Mix) 4:38
117 New World Sister Jane 3:40
118 Horace Andy Skylarking (Original 1972 Bongo Man 7" Single Version) 3:05
119 T. Rex Solid Gold Easy Action 2:22
120 Chicory Tip Son of My Father 3:11
121 Neil Diamond Song Sung Blue (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:15
122 Blackfoot Sue Standing in the Road 3:55
123 David Bowie Starman 4:14
124 The Faces Stay with Me 4:39
125 The Fortunes Storm in a Teacup 3:13
126 David Bowie Suffragette City 3:26
127 Lynsey De Paul Sugar Me 3:53
128 Curtis Mayfield Superfly (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 3:08
129 Dandy Livingstone Suzanne Beware of the Devil 2:35
130 Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show Sylvia's Mother 3:50
131 Eagles Take It Easy 3:30

CD7
132 Slade Take Me Bak 'Ome 3:16
133 T. Rex Telegram Sam 3:45
134 Lyn Collins Think (About It) 3:20
135 The Pearls Third Finger, Left Hand 2:36
136 Elton John Tiny Dancer 6:15
137 Mardi Gras Too Busy Thinking 'Bout My Baby (1972 7" Promo DJ Edit) 3:18
138 The Rolling Stones Tumbling Dice 3:46
139 Bill Withers Use Me 3:44
140 Don Mclean Vincent 4:00
141 Roxy Music Virginia Plain 2:58
142 Junior Walker & The All Stars Walk in the Night 3:44
143 Love Unlimited Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love 4:47
144 The Sweet Wig-Wam Bam 3:01
145 Nilsson Without You 3:21
146 The Pearls You Came, You Saw, You Conquered 2:39
147 Rod Stewart You Wear It Well (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 4:24
148 Peter Skellern You're a Lady 4:35
149 David Bowie Ziggy Stardust 3:13
150 John Lennon And Yoko Ono, The Plastic Ono Band With The Harlem Community ChoirHappy Xmas (War Is Over) 3:37