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| One Week Wonders in the UK Chart, An ongoing journey through the shortest lived hits (now in Mar 1984) |
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 Nov 10 2019, 11:49 PM
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#61
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 BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 14
Sorry, it's rather a late one tonight, but better late than never I guess. We start today with one of the 50's most iconic songs, Unchained Melody. The song began life in January 1955 as the theme song for an obscure prison film called Unchained. The film's version was performed by Todd Duncan, but his version didn't trouble our charts, in fact I can't be sure it even got a release here. By summer 1955 there were however four other versions in the charts. The two big versions were by housewives' favourite Jimmy Young, and US singer Al Hibbler. NME says Jimmy's version was the one topping the charts, whilst Record Mirror says it was Al, but either way both were at the upper end of the charts. Another US singer, Les Baxter, had a version slightly further down the charts, peaking at #10. Les' version stands out to me, as it begins with the words "unchain me, unchain me" being sung, when the song in most of it's version is normally seen as being a song that doesn't reference any part of its title. Neither Les nor Al would have another hit in this country, whilst Jimmy still had a fair few to come, as well as a later careeer in DJing. But the version of Unchained Melody we're interested in charted for one week at #20 on 18th June 1955, and was by flamboyant pianist Liberace. [Edited on 11th September 2021 to fix a dead link. Original link was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03z59EpPxRI] Next up we have the Five Smith Brothers. Originally they were five actual brothers, Alfred, Harold, Martin, Royston and Stanley, and had been singing together since 1932. Having all served in WWII they then lost one brother, Martin, in a car accident in 1946. They then brought in an outsider, Ronnie Culbertson, who apparently then became Ronnie Smith. Anyway their UK chart career extended to just this one single week, 23rd July 1955, when they charted at #20 with I'm In Favour Of Friendship. I have to say that I'm in favour of this song! Finally for today it's ol' blue eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. He charted at #18 on 3rd September 1955 with Not As A Stranger, from the film of the same name, in which Frank starred. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Sep 11 2021, 09:44 AM |
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Nov 11 2019, 12:44 PM
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#62
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
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I haven't heard an instrumental version of Unchained Melody before. I quite liked that one with the choir and strings as well as piano. I also liked the orchestral arrangement on the Frank Sinatra song but my favourite today is 'I'm In Favour Of Friendship',one of the best songs so far.
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Nov 11 2019, 08:34 PM
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#63
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 15
First up today, after a run of 5 top ten hits, including one charttopper, it's a one week entry into the charts at #20 on 10th September 1955 for Doris Day with Love Me Or Leave Me. Here she is performing it in the film of the same name. Next up it's Tony Bennett's first charting single since Stranger In Paradise. Charting at #18 on 17th September 1955 is Close Your Eyes. Finally this last song is actually the other side of a single called Go On By, which spent four weeks in the chart and peaked at #16. The side we're interested in charted first for one week at #17 on 24th September 1955, before the disc dropped out for two weeks, before returning on 15th Sept as Go On By. It's The Banjo's Back In Town by Alma Cogan. |
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Nov 12 2019, 12:10 AM
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#64
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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'The Banjo's Back In Town' is definitely the best song out of those three.
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Nov 12 2019, 09:03 PM
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#65
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 16
We carry on where we left off yesterday, on 24th September 1955. Our first song was charting that week at #20. It's a version of Blue Star (The Medic Theme), which as it's title suggests was the theme tune to Medic, which was a US television series that wasn't actually broadcast in the UK at the time. The big hit version, which reached #2 was by Cyril Stapleton, whilst this version was by Charlie Applewhite with Victor Young and Chorus. Victor Young was actually the original composer of the song. There was also a third version that would chart, but more of that tomorrow... Our next song was originally released by Glenn Miller in 1942, and is That Old Black Magic by Sammy Davis Jr, which charted at #16 on 1st October 1955. Our final song today was one of four charting versions of Hey There. The most succesful versions chartwise were by Rosemary Clooney and Johnnie Ray, which peaked at #4 and #5 respectively. Another version, by Lita Roza, charted at #17 on 8th October 1955, but managed to just about cling on in the chart the following week, at a tied 20th place. The version we're interested in also charted on 8th October 1955, but at #19, and is also by Sammy Davis Jr. And no, even though these two Sammy Davis Jr songs charted within a week of each other they aren't two sides of the same disc this time. |
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Nov 12 2019, 10:38 PM
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#66
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 Alone and wounded
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The vocals of that The McGuire Sisters song 'No More' reminded me of Alma Cogan so much that I had to look up if she was somehow a part of the group, unsurprisingly all of the members have the surname McGuire
 but yeah that's a good thing, was definitely enjoying that song the most from that trio on Friday.In the battle of 'Tweedlee Dee' I am preferring the Georgia version, although I think that is slightly enhanced by the fact that I watched the clip of her performing it that was embedded (as well as the full song) and the fact she looked so happy performing it was endearing. Ooh I had no idea about that history of 'Unchained Melody' - the only versions from the 50s of it that I know are the Jimmy Young and Harry Belafonte ones. Wow that song will just never die  the Liberace version is stunning - I'm a fan of the song anyway and piano playing always tugs on my heartstrings, so definitely a win. I'm then really liking 'I'm In Favour Of Friendship' from that section as well - the instrumentation sounds so much like a Winifred Atwell piece!Really liking the Doris Day song from yesterday's trio - sounds very classy from the vocal performance to the brass and strings, a bit Bond-esque, maybe not quite dramatic enough for that. Then the Tony Bennett song (finally something I've heard from him other than 'Strangers In Paradise' and his Gaga/Amy Winehouse stuff) - it starts by immediately mentioning the title, which is also the first line in 'All My Loving' by The Beatles and I couldn't shake that song off the whole time Then... it's actual Alma Cogan as opposed to my confusion earlier aw she always sounds like she's having a jolly good time when singing. The first song I ever discovered by her was 'Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo' blasting out of the latest Now Christmas album at the time while I was working at HMV. I think I've enjoyed anything I've heard by her since too. Definitely also emerging as a 50s favourite.That instrumental intro of 'That Old Black Magic' sounds so familiar! Although I'm pretty sure the only Sammy Davis Jr. song I knew prior to now was 'I've Gotta Be Me'  so god knows why. Well, now I know three of his songs anyway both of those in the latest section showing quite different sides to him.
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Nov 12 2019, 11:10 PM
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#67
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BuzzJack Legend
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QUOTE(E L Rollo @ Nov 11 2019, 12:44 PM)  I haven't heard an instrumental version of Unchained Melody before. I quite liked that one with the choir and strings as well as piano. I also liked the orchestral arrangement on the Frank Sinatra song but my favourite today is 'I'm In Favour Of Friendship',one of the best songs so far.  Never heard an instrumental version of that either.
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Nov 12 2019, 11:49 PM
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#68
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BuzzJack Regular
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Ahhhhh! Alma Cogan. My heart ❤️
I Listened to the Magic of Alma Cogan Greatest Hits one summer holiday visiting my aunt, and it became a holiday listening tradition after then. Such a sad story of her life ending so early. So lovely to see her pop up here. |
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Nov 13 2019, 10:04 PM
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#69
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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QUOTE(Jade @ Nov 12 2019, 10:38 PM) That instrumental intro of 'That Old Black Magic' sounds so familiar! Although I'm pretty sure the only Sammy Davis Jr. song I knew prior to now was 'I've Gotta Be Me' so god knows why. Well, now I know three of his songs anyway both of those in the latest section showing quite different sides to him.I agree that the intro is extremely familiar and I can't put my finger on it. The drums remind of this ident for ATV though... I'm wondering if the fast bit of the intro might have been used as background music for chase scenes on cartoons, or in films, as I can sort of imagine Road Runner or some such being chased to that music. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Nov 13 2019, 10:05 PM |
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Nov 14 2019, 12:01 AM
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#70
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 17
In this week of remembrance we have an appropriate record to start with today. 1955 was the year the film The Dam Busters was released, and the a version of the theme tune, entiled 'Dambusters March, was released by the Central Band Of The Royal Air Force. Dambuster March was composed by Eric Coates, who had previously played in the orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, who happens to be a distant cousin of mine! This version of Dambusters March charted on #18 on 22nd October 1955. Yesterday I promised you a third version of Blue Star, and here it is. It's by Ron Goodwin and his Orchestra and it charted at #20 on 29th October 1955 Our final song today is by Frankie Laine and is called Humming Bird. It charted at #16 on 12th November 1955. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Nov 14 2019, 02:44 AM |
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Nov 14 2019, 12:19 AM
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#71
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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The Dambusters March is certainly well known. Very stirring,that was the best of today's trio of songs.
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Nov 14 2019, 06:59 PM
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#72
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 18
We start today with the battle of the Twenty Tiny Fingers, a song about becoming parents to twins. There were three versions of this song that charted, The Stargazers on Decca, Alma Cogan on HMV and The Coronets on Columbia. The Stargazers achieved the most success, reaching #4 and spending 11 weeks on chart. The Coronets version spent a week on chart at #20 on 26/11/1955, which would have been their only week on the UK charts had they not sung on a Ray Burns single earlier in 1955. The third version, Alma Cogan's, charted for a week at #17 on 17th December 1955. The Stargazers version is here if you want to compare it to the other two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qXdhkn2YUs The final one week wonder today is a 50's tradition by the Johnston Brothers of releasing a medley of songs under the Join In And Sing series of singles and E.P's. This one is Join In And Sing Again, featuring a medley of Sheik Of Araby, Yes Sir That's My Baby, California Here I Come, Some Of These Days, The Charleston and Margie. It charted for one week on 31/12/1955 at #9, which is probably the last time we'll see a one week wonder inside the Top 10, though my research from the 80s onwards is far from complete at this stage, so do tell me if I've forgotten an obvious limited release or high profile social media campaign that created a Top 10 one week wonder in more recent times. I've had to research quite carefully to ensure I am talking about the correct medley, since virtually the same title was used for four different singles (shellac 78s only?), and then for two E.P's that compiled two singles each. If you're interested in such complexities then keep reading, otherwise just click on the video below and fast forward to the 5:14 point for the single in question. The first release was Join In And Sing, which was released for Xmas 1954 and was a medley of six songs across both sides of the single, from Someday to Toot, Toot, Tootsie. Join In And Sing failed to chart in the Top 20, but given that the release would have been tied to Xmas, and given there were two uncompiled charts that Xmas, perhaps it should have in fact charted and is a lost hit. Join In And Sing Again was released for Xmas 1955, and was another medley of six songs across two sides, from Sheik Of Araby to Margie. This is the medley we are interested in here. Join In And Sing No. 3 was released for Xmas 1956, with much the same format, and a medley running from Coal Black Mummy to If You Were The Only Girl In The World. It entered the chart at #30 on 7th December 1956, but avoids eventual inclusion here as it managed a second and final week at #24 on 28th December 1956. Finally Join In And Sing No.4 was released for Xmas 1957 and the medley ran from Nobody's Sweetheat to The Darktown Strutter's Ball, but failed to hit the charts. Now here's where things get confusing, as there was also two vinyl E.P's, probably released after the end of the initial run of four singles (though I'm not sure of this). The first E.P. , called Join In And Sing, featured the 1954 original as Side 1, and the 1955 follow up as Side 2. The second single, confusingly named Join In And Sing Again, the same title as the 1955 single, actually featured the 1956 single on Side 1 and the 1957 single on Side 2. I mention this insane level of detail because although I'm telling you the single we are interested in is called Join In And Sing Again, from 1955, yet I'm going to link to a video entitled Join In And Sing, which has actually been ripped from the first E.P. and therefore features both the 1954 and 1955 releases, and is uploaded by a youtuber who also has another video Join In And Sing Again (1955) which is actually the second E.P. and therefore actually the 1956 and 1957 singles. If you fast forward this video to the 5:14 mark you can listen to the second single, the one we are interested in here. Or you could just listen to the full ten minutes comprising both of the first two singles if you wish. [Edited on 11th September 2021 to add that the embededd version of the video doesn't seem to be working for me, despite the youtube video still being available, so I am also adding the link here too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvHl6_8OH3s] Before I go it occured to me that I could turn each year's list of One Week Wonders into a poll for us to vote for our favourite on, if that is something people would be interested in doing. Perhaps we could then go on to a decade vote at the end of each decade, and then an ultimate all-time vote when we have covered everything to the end of 2019 and have 7 decade winners remaining? Tomorrow is the last song of 1955, so this weekend I could put a 1952/3 poll, a 1954 poll and a 1955 poll up maybe. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Sep 11 2021, 09:54 AM |
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Nov 14 2019, 07:59 PM
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#73
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
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Join In And Sing would have been ideal for a family singalong on Christmas Day around the fire! I don't think many people had TV sets in those days.
Twenty Tiny Fingers was a charming little song. The Stargazers version is the best so you can understand that one being the longer running hit. I would then put Alma Cogan's version in 2nd place and The Coronets 3rd. We've now reached the time 'Rock Around The Clock' was no.1 so maybe we'll soon have some rock'n'roll to listen to. I would be happy to take part in a favourite song poll,Dan. |
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Nov 14 2019, 08:28 PM
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#74
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I'll just stick around and do some more damage
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There have been a couple of more recent songs that were top 10 for a single week then disappeared from the charts entirely. Alex Day's 'Forever Yours' did so legitimately (charting for one week at #4 as a Christmas #1 campaign then dropping out of the top 100), and then there was Drake's 'Emotionless' which fluked one week as the third most popular Drake track to enter the chart at #5 before being overtaken by 'In My Feelings' and falling victim to the three-track rule. No idea if there are any others between those and these 50s ones (also I might be forgetting other recent ones but those are the only two that immediately come to mind). Ed Sheeran's 'Take Me Back To London' initially had the same fate as 'Emotionless' but it obviously later re-entered.
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Nov 15 2019, 10:43 PM
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#75
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 19
We start today where we left off yesterday, on 31st December 1955. The chart in question had been extended for one week only, to a Top 25 instead of a Top 20, which allowed our next hit to score a week in the charts that it otherwise wouldn't have had, charting that week at #25. It's Tina Marie by Perry Como, and here's a live performance of it from the time. The orchestral bit in the middle had been added to the song, but otherwise it's a fairly similar version to the recorded one, though I'll still link to the record in case any want to compare. Single version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ULfx79YGk As a bonus I will also mention that as a result of the one-off Top 25 there was one record that gained it's second and last week in the charts, that otherwise would have only had the one week and been on this list. Boyd Bennett's Seventeen had charted the week before at #16 and dropped this week to #23, thus avoiding being on this list. On now to 1956. Our second song today is a version of Arrivederci Darling, which had already had four weeks on the charts over Xmas 1955 in a version by the other forces sweetheart, Anne Shelton. This version charted at #19 on the 14th January 1956 and is by Edna Savage, who was experiencing the only week on the UK chart. Our last song today is Shifting Whispering Sands, a song that had already entered the charts by Eamonn Andrews, who those of us of a certain age will remember as the host of Thames Television's successful series This Is Your Life. Eamonn only peaked at #18, but spent three weeks on chart, though Eamonn never charted again. On the 28th January 1956 there was a three way tie at #20 between Eamonn's version, Malcolm Vaughan's With Your Love and a second version of Shifting Whispering Sands by Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra. |
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Nov 16 2019, 12:26 PM
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#76
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
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I like the guitar and clarinet on 'Seventeen' while 'Arrivederci Darling' was a lovely song. The Shifting Whispering Sands is quite unusual firstly for including spoken word sections and secondly for being six minutes long with the song being split across the A and B sides. I remember some spoken word singles from the 70s with the most notable being If by Telly Savalas which reached no.1. I think they had died out by the end of the 70s.
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Nov 16 2019, 01:00 PM
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#77
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,812 User: 17,376
 
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Doris Day is always fab, and Sammy Davis Jr too. Apart from the famous songs, the only one of the latest batches I knew but didn't know I knew was Hey There - a great song and Sammy does a good version. Now I know what it's called! Jade, if you want some more Sammy check out his film performance in Sweet Charity as a cool preacher singing Rhythm Of Life, or his singalong kiddie fave The Candy Man.
Blue Star is nice, I enjoy a sweet instrumental. Arriverdici Darling is a song I know and like, though never heard of Edna Savage, great name. Ed'na Clouds would have been a greater name. Nice version. Perry Comatose was so laid back I always had a problem with his records. They were still annoying me in the charts of the early 70's. Still do, actually. oops! |
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Nov 16 2019, 08:25 PM
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#78
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 20
Today we have three songs that were available in multiple versions. The first one is The Ballad Of Davy Crockett. There were four versions available, Bill Hayes on the London label was the most successful, reaching #2, while Tennessee Ernie Ford on Capitol peaked at #3. Ernie also had another record at #1 at the same time, though after this he didn't chart again. A third version, on Parlophone, was by Dick James, and was the other side of another big song of the time, Robin Hood. I'm not totally clear on the chart history of this disc, as the OCC says it was a double a-side throughout, whereas some chart books say Dick's Davy Crockett was only actually shown on the chart for one week, and thus would potentially be a contender for this list. Anyway the version of The Ballad Of Davy Crockett we are interested in is by Max Bygraves and charted at #20 on 18th February 1956. [Edited on 11th September 2021 to fix a dead link. Original link was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No-66ttn8io] Our second song today is Young And Foolish. The most succesful version, on Nixa, was by Edmund Hockridge, and peaked at #10. Another version, on HMV, by Ronnie Hilton, reached #17. The version on our list though is by Dean Martin, and charted on 3rd March 1956 at #20. Our final on today was available in 3 charting versions. The Ronnie Hilton version, was a charttopper, whilst the Edmund Hockridge version only reached #24. There was also this version by the Johnston Brothers which spent a week at #22 on 14th April 1956. It's called No Other Love. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Sep 11 2021, 09:59 AM |
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Nov 16 2019, 09:07 PM
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#79
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,137 User: 23,961
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I know The Ballad Of Davy Crockett but not Max Bygraves' version which I didn't care for and the Dean Martin song was a bit of a dirge so the best one today is No Other Love with a North African sound to some of its instrumentation.
Has the chart been extended again? You said the top 25 was just for one week at Christmas but the last song has a chart position of 22. |
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Nov 17 2019, 07:44 AM
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#80
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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QUOTE(King Rollo @ Nov 16 2019, 09:07 PM) Has the chart been extended again? You said the top 25 was just for one week at Christmas but the last song has a chart position of 22. Oops, I knew there was something else to cover in episode 20. Following the one-off Top 25 at Xmas 1955 the N.M.E announced that in response to repeated requests from readers and the trade they would be increasing their best-selling records list from 20 to 30 as of 14th April 1956. The NME remained a Top 30 from that date until April 1983, but of course we will switch magazines to Record Retailer (later Music Week) when we get up to March 1960, so as to have a Top 50 instead. |
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