9 December 1971
This seems to be the first number one single anywhere for Andrew Lloyd Webber, although Jesus Christ Superstar had topped the US album charts the previous year. (Earlier in 1971, Helen Reddy’s version of the song had cracked the top twenty Stateside but neither it nor a rival cover by Petula Clark got higher than no. 47 in the UK .) Since we get plenty more Lloyd Webber content for years to come, including his Svengali-like sponsorship of Bombalurina’s ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’, I’m not sure this is a cause for national pride.
So, what attracted an Irish showband to this dreary, blustery ballad? As with other Lloyd Webber hits, ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ has one show-stoppingly memorable line but otherwise just generic melodramatic filler. Since it’s the opening line here, I presume the intention is to allow the theatre-goers of the West End and Broadway to enjoy that hook and then nip out for popcorn or a slash, safe in the knowledge they’re missing nothing for the next few minutes. At least this version by Wicklow’s Tina with previous chart-toppers (The) Real McCoy—knocking fellow Wicklow act The Nevada and their ‘Kiss Me Goodbye’ off the Irish number one spot—minimises the bluster by being minimally arranged, be that by necessity from modest budget or design from a late twinge of good taste.
I’m also wondering how a song about Mary Magdalene fancying Jesus managed to get to number one in the bishop-ridden Ireland of the early-’70s. However, we’ve already seen young wans getting married in the park on Sundays and Hare Krishna chanting at the top of the charts that same. Were our record-buying public about to throw off the yoke of religious conformity? Let’s see what our next number one of 1971 has to say about that.
