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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 4 2019, 09:20 PM
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#41
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 I'll just stick around and do some more damage
Joined: 14 February 2009
Posts: 115,047 User: 8,300 
                  
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My parents loved The Fast Show so I watched it a fair bit as a kid, and indeed I do actually recognise 'The Happy Wanderer' from that!
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Nov 5 2019, 04:50 PM
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#42
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 BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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QUOTE(Jester @ Nov 4 2019, 08:06 PM)  The val de ree (ha ha ha ha) part was used as the title of a Victoria Wood sketch. As a big Victoria Wood fan I'm suitably embarrassed that I forgot that! |
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Nov 5 2019, 05:15 PM
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#43
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 9
We left off in July 1954, but there is quite a big gap before the next one. In the mean time, on 2nd October 1954, the chart was extended from a top 12 to a top 20, so we are now, for the most part, mining slightly deeper for our one week wonders than we were before. Our first two are both from 6th November 1954, so we are within 65 years of the current date now! The first is a duet between the Johnston Brothers, who have just had a hit with Oh Happy Day and Joan Regan, who had had three top ten hits at this stage. The song charted at #18 and is Wait For Me, Darling. Next up Dickie Valentine makes a third appearance on our list, charting in the same week at #19 with Endless. Don't feel too sorry for him though as he's only a couple of months away from the first of his two number ones. Finally we have a Canadian singer, Norman Brooks, whose real name was Norman Arie. His main claim to fame was being able to impersonate Al Jolson, most notably in the 1956 film 'The Best Things In Life Are Free'. He also played himself in the 1960 film 'Oceans Eleven'. This single entered at #13 on 13th November 1954, and represents the only week of UK chart action this singer ever had. The song is A Sky Blue Shirt And A Rainbow Tie. Thats it for today, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow's three, which include, I think, a big suprise that no-one would guess was on this list... This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Nov 5 2019, 06:19 PM |
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Nov 5 2019, 05:58 PM
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#44
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,139 User: 23,961
   
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Norman Brooks had quite an interesting vocal style but my favourite of those three would be Wait For Me Darling. I like the Hawaiian guitar sounds on that one.
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Nov 5 2019, 06:22 PM
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#45
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 Alone and wounded
Pronouns: She/her
Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,113 User: 12,810 
          
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Yeah 'Wait For Me Darling' is my favourite of that bunch too. Hawaiian guitar sounds always remind me of Spongebob
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Nov 6 2019, 05:03 PM
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#46
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 10
We have a particularly 'sing-a-long' episode in store today... Well I promised you a surprise in this episode, and I think this particular song really is that. The artist in question had already had three previous singles enter the UK charts when this charted for one week at #16 on 11th December 1954. The song has since appeared in loads of films, commercials and so on, and is thus a really familiar song to most of us, but amazingly this song has never managed a second week in the UK charts at any time. Seen here performing it on his own show it's Perry Como's Papa Loves Mambo. Our second one today will also seem quite a familiar song, even if you don't necessarily know this version. Mr Sandman was charting in four versions around this time, the one that charted highest was by Dickie Valentine, who peaked at #5. There was a Four Aces version that peaked at #9. And probably the most familiar version was by the Chordettes, which peaked at #11. They were joined by this fourth version, which charted for one week only at #16 on 22 January 1955, and was by Mr Sing-A-Long himself, Max Bygraves. Our final song today, which charted at #13 on 5th February 1955, is taken from 'The Student Prince', a film that was originally meant to star Mario Lanza in the lead, but he either was fired, or voluntarily walked off the project, depending on who you believe. Whilst he didn't appear on screen, the music he recorded for the film was already contracted to be used, and so the new lead, Edmund Purdom, had to perform the songs within the scene, only to then be overdubbed with Mario's original recording. The song we are interested in was the 'other side' of Serenade, which charted later in 1955 for a few weeks and should not be confused with a completely different song also called Serenade that Mario released and charted in 1956. The other side of the first Serenade, and the song we are concerned with here, was Drink, Drink, Drink (The Drinking Song), and is shown here as seen in the film, Edmund in vision, Mario's vocal, and in full colour, but somewhat shortened compared to the actual single (which I will post a link to underneath for anyone who wants to listen to the full song). The full version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48xbhit8ZRA |
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Nov 6 2019, 06:05 PM
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#47
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,139 User: 23,961
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I like the Chordettes version of Mr Sandman but not that version by Max Bygraves. I don't think I've heard 'Papa Loves Mambo' before.
It's interesting that Mario Lanza had two hit singles with the same song title. I can't think of anyone else who has done this. The nearest I can think of would be George Michael with 'Freedom' in 1990,six years after his group Wham! had a no.1 single with the same title. I'm sure someone here might be able to come up with another example. |
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Nov 6 2019, 06:20 PM
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#48
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I'll just stick around and do some more damage
Joined: 14 February 2009
Posts: 115,047 User: 8,300
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Glee Cast charted with covers of 2 different songs called 'Somebody To Love' (Justin Bieber and Queen), even the OCC got confused and marked the second one as a re-entry.
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Nov 6 2019, 07:14 PM
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#49
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This custom member title has been edited by jimwatts
Joined: 28 August 2017
Posts: 10,671 User: 38,591
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Westlife had 2 songs called Home, the first was an album track and never charted, but when or just before their later single of that name came out, apparently there was a spike in downloads for the earlier track.
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Nov 6 2019, 07:51 PM
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#50
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Alone and wounded
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Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,113 User: 12,810
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The instrumental of 'Papa Loves Mambo' sounds soooo familiar to me - it must be due to adverts. A strong start to this trio!
I had no idea that so many versions of 'Mr. Sandman' existed  that Max Bygraves version is passable but doesn't hold a candle to the one by the Chordettes. I cannot mention said version without sharing the one good thing to come from TikTok: Wow, an actual coloured video from the 50s for 'Drink Drink Drink (The Drinking Song)' ;o can't say the song is doing much for me oops. |
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Nov 6 2019, 08:25 PM
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#51
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 24 March 2013
Posts: 2,134 User: 18,521
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Dave Clark Five had two hits called 'Everybody Knows'.
I regard the two Jennifer Lopez hits called 'Ain't It Funny' as different sons as well, though officially it was just a remix. |
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Nov 7 2019, 05:24 PM
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#52
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 11
Our first song this week is by a trio of sisters, Peggy, Cherie and Babette (although later on a cousin, Olgita sometimes stood in for the latter of those). The song, Teach Me Tonight, charted in five different versions in the U.S. (Janet Brace, Jo Stafford, Dinah Washington and Helen Grayco being the other four), but this version, which hit #2 in the US, was the only version to chart here, and even then for only one week at #20 on the 12th February 1955. They are the DeCastro Sisters, and this was their only charting single in the UK. The footage I've found here was from 1957 and also features them performing a comic version of Heartbreak Hotel! I'll add a link underneath to the actual single though, for those who want to hear it in full. The full single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1o57qfBV54 Our second song is another one that was available in many versions, in this instance four. Teresa Brewer was who I would associate the song with, but that only got to #9, compared to #5 for the Ruby Murray version, and #3 for the Dean Martin version. As well as those three there was also this version, which was the one that topped the US chart. The song is Let Me Go Lover, and the artist is Joan Weber. The song charted at #16 on 19th February 1955, and was Joan's only week on chart here. [Edited on 11th September 2021 to fix a dead link. Original link was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hyLRbRCCLU] Finally Jade will be glad to know our third song today is by the Stargazers! By now they were on their 5th charting single, of which three had topped the charts, and we have already seen the other exception, The Happy Wanderer. This one is called Somebody, and it charted at #20 on 5th March 1955. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Sep 11 2021, 09:07 AM |
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Nov 7 2019, 11:52 PM
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#53
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,139 User: 23,961
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That's a great vocal performance by Joan Weber on the second song while the third one was an interesting banjo/trumpet pub singalong.
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Nov 8 2019, 12:04 AM
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#54
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Alone and wounded
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Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,113 User: 12,810
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The DeCastro Sisters' harmonies are a pleasure to listen to! Also love that I got a shoutout for The Stargazers haha. Their singles continue to be pretty diverse - 'Somebody' potentially the catchiest one I've heard to date. Fun instrumentation too!
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Nov 8 2019, 05:03 PM
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#55
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 12
We start today with an appropriately titled track, In The Beginning. It's by Frankie Laine, and is his 15th chart hit, in a period of less than 3 years. It reached #20 on 12th March 1955. [Edited on 11th September 2021 to fix a dead link. Original link was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S0h3_7LGXA] Next up is a chart debut for the McGuire Sisters. The single we're interested in is the other side of Sincerely, which was a US number one, but here only got as far as #14. This side, No More, spent one week at #20 on 2nd April 1955. [Edited on 11th September 2021 to fix a dead link. Original link was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXeQqiNsKyU] Finally we move on to the 23rd April 1955, when two versions of the same song were both having their one and only week on chart. We'll hear the higher placed one now, and cover the other one as our first song tomorrow. The song is Tweedle Dee, and the version charting at #17 was by Frankie Vaughan, as his first release on Philips (having previously released two singles on the HMV label). This post has been edited by DanChartFan: Sep 11 2021, 09:16 AM |
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Nov 8 2019, 05:46 PM
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#56
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,812 User: 17,376
 
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Papa Loves Mambo is all over the TV this century, unheard by me in the late 20th century though! Mr Sandman is 80's nostalgia Back To The Future set in the 50's nostalgia, love The Chordettes version, never loved anything Uncle Max ever did. Not even slightly, not even kiddie-aimed You're A Pink Toothbrush setting gender stereotypes firmly on impressionable kids way back when.
Tweedle-Dee is fab - by Little Jimmy Osmond. or La Verne Baker the r'n'b original. I SO want somebody to morph Little Jimmy's Tweedlee dee hook... into the nonsense hook of this one: It would tickle me! 
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Nov 9 2019, 12:37 PM
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#57
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,139 User: 23,961
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No More by the McGuire Sisters would be my pick from Episode 12. The lyrics to the Frankie Laine song are very religious which might have put many people off from buying it. I see from my hit singles book that his previous 11 singles all made the top 10.
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Nov 9 2019, 08:21 PM
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#58
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 13
We start off where we left off yesterday, with Tweedle Dee. The second version getting it's sole week in the charts, at #20, was by Georgia Gibbs, real name Frieda Lipschitz. Here's a short clip of her performing the song, but with a link to the full single underneath. Full version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBdeC3JnSm0 Our next song is a duet between an established singer and a small boy. It's Open Your Heart by Joan and Rusty Regan, which charted at #19 on 7th May 1955. I assume Rusty was her son, though I've not been able to verify this anywhere. Certainly Joan went on to record a song called Papa Loves Mama with her then two year old daughter, Donna. I'm not sure why Rusty is surnamed Regan though, considering that Joan Regan is a stage name and Regan is neither her maiden name, nor her married name at that time, so Rusty must also be using a stage name, meaning he could be anyone and therefore not neccessarily her son. Another odd thing about this single is that it is not shown in the NME chart book, which has a Ray Burns single at #19 this week instead, whilst Guinness and the OCC say that Ray was actually joint 20th and that Joan and Rusty had a single week at #19. Our final song today is Paths of Paradise by Johnnie Ray, which charted at #20 on 21st May 1955. |
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Nov 9 2019, 08:39 PM
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#59
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 29 June 2007
Posts: 222 User: 3,777
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Loving this thread. Definitely keep it up as really good and nice to see
7 May 1955 Joan Regan was at 19 on the chart as printed at the time. The scan does also have a joint 20 for Ray and Mario so the OCC website does list the right order for 19 and joint 20. https://www.dropbox.com/s/kcl8xy7jrjrb3os/1...%20Pop.pdf?dl=0 That’s a copy of the scan for that week |
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Nov 10 2019, 12:36 AM
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#60
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,139 User: 23,961
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How quaint was that 'Open Up Your Heart' song.
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