Nostalgic mist rolling in from 1977

Mull of Kintyre was finally knocked off its perch 40 years ago, after nine weeks at the top of the UK charts.

 

Footage for the accompanying video was, of course, filmed at Saddell beach in Kintyre, and we feature a photograph from the Argyllshire Advertiser's October 21, 1977 edition. It shows a break in filming with the members of Wings - Paul and Linda McCartney plus guitarist Denny Laine - having a cuppa with Campbeltown Pipe Band, led by the redoubtable Pipe Major Tony Wilson.

 

Released on November 11, 1977, the song was Wings' biggest hit in Britain where it became the 1977 Christmas number one, and was the first single to sell over two million copies nationwide.

 

It reached the top of the charts on November 29 and was number one for nine weeks - finally toppled by Althia and Donna's Up Town Top Ranking  at the end of January 1978. Althia and Donna lasted just a week at the summit before the mighty Brotherhood of Man took over the number one spot with Figaro.

 

In the same edition there were a number of adverts and notices which caught our eye, including a notice for Calum Kennedy's variety tour of Argyll and the Isles. In Ardrishaig, Campbeltown and Bowmore you could wonder at Brahma the fakir lying on a bed of nails; Yo-yo the clown; Mister Plod the Wonder Dog and much more besides, including the soaring tones of Calum himself.

 

Also advertised were houses at the recent Fernoch development in Lochgilphead. Situated on 'elevated sites enjoying magnificent views of the surrounding countryside', buyers could land a detached five-bedroom 'Lismore' house for £22,500.

 

Frozen food and chest freezers were the 'in thing' at the time, and across the country shops were springing up specialising in frozen grub. In this week's paper The Fyne Freezer Centre in Lochgilphead and Ardrishaig's Freeze 'n' Store had a range of 200 'quality foods at reasonable prices', and customers could scoop a four litre tub of ice cream for £1.29 and half a New Zealand lamb for just 53 pence/lb, or £1.17/kg.

 

PICS:

 

Coming to a hall near you - Calum Kennedy and friends. 06_a06Edition1977_CalumKennedy01

 

A new development was opening ip in fields above Lochgilphead. 06_a06Edition1977_Fernoch01

 

N'ice' prices at two local freezer shops. 06_a06Edition1977_Freezer01

 

The making of a legend - taking a break filming the Mull of Kintyre video. 06_a06Edition1977_Wings01