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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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 18th November 2019, 12:41 AM
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#81
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 BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 21
Sorry it's after midnight before I've managed to post today's episode. I've been resetting my bodyclock for a new nightshift job I will be doing for a few weeks from Monday night and overslept a bit tonight as I struggle to sleep during the day. I'm hoping that I can get into a routine of writing the 'copy' for each night's post after I finish work in the morning, then save it and when I wake up in the evening find time to paste it and post it whilst I'm getting ready for work. If that plan does go mammaries uppermost then I will do a catch up at the weekends (when I won't be working). Anyway on with this episode. We carry on with the chart of 14th April 1956, which I forgot to mention in the last episode was the NME's first Top 30, following the successful experiment with a Top 25 at Xmas 1955. Our first song today is the theme tune to the film Come Next Spring, and shares its name. It's sung by Tony Bennett, and charted at #29. Tony wouldn't have another charting single until 1961. Next up is Sammy Davis Jr who charted at #28 on 21st April 1956 with In A Persian Market. Finally we have a song from the film Meet Me In Las Vegas. The song is by Frankie Laine, and is called Hell Hath No Fury. Here's Frankie performing it in the film. |
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18th November 2019, 09:08 PM
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#82
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 22
The first song tonight is an earlier version of a song that went on to be a number one for Frank Ifield. There were also two more successful versions at this time by Tex Ritter (#8) and Gogi Grant. This charted at #27 on the 9th June 1956 is the other side of Rich Man Poor Man which also charted, and is by Jimmy Young. Next up in the same week at #30 is Who Are We by Vera Lynn. Then we have an EP. It charted at 29 on 13th June 1956, and is Take It Satch by Louis Armstrong. However as it contains both his most recent big single, and his next big single, I figure it is effectively selling for those and doesn't really count here. So instead we finish with Rich Man Poor Man, the other side I mentioned of the first Jimmy Young single, and charting on 23rd June 1956 at #23. |
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19th November 2019, 12:41 PM
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#83
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
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I didn't really like any of the last six songs. I see we've now reached the point at which Elvis Presley made his chart debut.
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19th November 2019, 06:02 PM
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#84
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BuzzJack Regular
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QUOTE(DanChartFan @ Nov 16 2019, 08:25 PM)  The One Week Wonders - Episode 20 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. It all depends on the definition of One Week Wonder. On 29 May 1956 the chart listed a double A-Side of Robin Hood and Davy Crocket. Robin was a RE and the A-Side, whistle Davy was New and the B-Side. So technically it's a one week wonder but was on the B-Side of the records being bought. Maybe similar to the EP rule? |
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19th November 2019, 09:53 PM
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#85
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 23
We're staying with 23rd June 1956 for our first song today, and it's one of 3 versions of Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom). The big hit version, on HMV, was by Perry Como, and peaked at #4. On Columbia there was a version by Michael Holliday which peaked at #13. The version we're interested in charted at #28, was released by Decca and is by the Stargazers. It would be the last of their 9 charting singles. Next up back in 1955 we had a One Week Wonder from Georgia Gibbs, a version of Tweedle Dee. Well she narrowly avoided having a one week only UK chart career by notching up a second one week wonder single on 14th July 1956, called Kiss Me Another. It charted at either at #24 or #25 that week depending on what source you believe, in fact the 17th Guinnes book (which I have to hand as I write this) shows 25 in the main body of the text but 24 in the song index. Finally we have a singer whose entire UK chart career is one week, but who had already founded a legendary group who went on to have some very well known hits after he himself had left for an ultimately not so successful solo career. The group are the Drifters, who have been in existence since they were founded in 1953, and who have had around 65 different members as of today. Their founder was Clyde McPhatter, who charted in the UK at #27 on 25th August 1956 with Treasure Of Love, which was a number one on the US R&B charts. He did have a few other hit singles in the US, but they became smaller hits after a change of labels, and dried up completely after 1962. That, combined with his regret at selling his rights to the Drifters, causing his fellow Drifters to be put on a contract that paid them a pittance, which led to a revolving door line-up for the group, meant he turned to alcohol. Clyde planned a big comeback in 1972, but sadly it never happened as he passed away in his sleep on 13th June 1972, aged just 39, due to multiple organ complications caused by the years of drinking. |
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20th November 2019, 12:02 AM
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#86
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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The Stargazers coming up with the goods again. Anyone who watches Family Guy will be thinking of Glenn Quagmire when they hear that song. I liked the Clyde McPhatter one as well.
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20th November 2019, 09:15 PM
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#87
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 24
We start today with David Whitfield and My Unfinished Symphony, which charted at #29 on 1st September 1956. It was the other side of My Son John, which peaked at #22 and charted for 4 weeks. Next up we have an acapella single that was released in the US in 1952, but hit the charts here at #30 on 15th October 1956. There first single to chart in the UK was Only You, which peaked at #3 earlier in 1956. It's the Hilltoppers, whose name comes from their University athletice team the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The song is called Tryin, and here they are peforming it, through a haze of tape artifacts due to the age of the recording, on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1952. Finally we have British male vocalist Geoffrey Paddison, who released music under the name David Hughes. His one and only week on the UK chart was on 22/10/1956 at #27 with By The Fountains Of Rome, which reached #17 in another version by Edmund Hockridge. |
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21st November 2019, 09:42 PM
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#88
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 25
We start today with an alternative version of a charttopping song, A Woman In Love. The charttopping version was by Frankie Laine, and their was also another version by the Four Aces, which peaked at #19. There was also this version which charted at #30 on 22nd October 1956. Next up we have Gene Vincent, whose real name was Eugene Craddock, and his Blue Caps. He had just had a #16 hit with Be-Bop-A-Lula, and followed that up with this, Race With The Devil, which charted at #28 on 13th October 1956. Finally we have another One Week Wonder for Liberace, with a song called I Don't Care. Unusually for Liberace he is the vocallist on this track, as well as the pianist. It charted at #28 on 20th October 1956, and here he is performing it (well probably lipsynching?) on his own show. |
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21st November 2019, 10:28 PM
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#89
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BuzzJack Gold Member
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'Race With The Devil' by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps is a great song. Vincent's unsual stance while performing was partly down to the fact that he had to wear a leg brace following a serious crash in 1955 which left his left leg shattered. He wore the brace for the rest of his life.
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22nd November 2019, 09:41 PM
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#90
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 26
Here's something a little bit unexpected in the Singles chart... it's an LP! Back in the 50s singles generally sold more than LPs, so if an LP was a particular big seller able to rival the sales of singles then it was slotted into the singles chart. The LP in question is Rock 'N' Roll Stage Show by Bill Haley and his Comets, which charted at #30 for one week on 10th November 1956. As with the EP the other day there are tracks on it in common with singles that charted, namely Rocking Through The Rye, which had already reached #3, and Rudy's Rock which was about to reach the charts and peak at #26, as well as both those singles' B-sides, therefore I figure that this doesn't really count for our list either. Note that if the tracks were totally unique, and not present on a charting single, then I would count any EP or LP that the chart of the time felt was eligible to chart in the first place. Our first single is In The Middle Of The House. There were two other versions on the chart, by Alma Cogan and Jimmy Parkinson, both of which peaked at #20. This version is by the Johnston Brothers and charted at #27 on 1st December 1956. Our next one is The Cat Came Back by Sonny James. It charted at #30 on 1st December 1956. Sonny only had one other charting single, in early 1957, a version of Young Love, which was a number one for Tab Hunter. To end today we have the a vocal group called the Deep River Boys. The single is called That's Right. It charted at #29 on 8th December 1956, and was their only week on chart in the UK. |
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23rd November 2019, 12:30 AM
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#91
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
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That first song about two people being murdered and ending with the singer run over by a train being one of 110 childrens' favourites.
 The Deep River Boys' song was the best one out of those three I think. This post has been edited by King Rollo: 23rd November 2019, 12:37 AM |
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24th November 2019, 07:35 PM
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#92
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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The One Week Wonders - Episodes 27 and 28
I didn't manage to upload an episode yesterday, so here is a double length edition to make up for it. We start today with a song that charted in three versions, Cindy Oh Cindy. The big hit version was by Eddie Fisher, on HMV, and peaked at #5. Another version was by Tony Brent, on Columbia, and that peaked at #16. The version we are interested in was released on London, and was by Vince Martin and the Tarriers. It charted at #26 on 15th December 1956. The Tarriers (seemingly minus Vince) had one more hit in 1957, a version of the Banana Boat Song, which peaked at #15. Next we would have been listening to the chart debut of Little Richard, namely his version of Rip It Up, which charted at #30 on the same week, however it was part of a double a side of re-recordings in 1977, with Good Golly Miss Molly as the other side, and this charted for 4 weeks, peaking at #37, and so I feel the 1956 version no longer counts as a one week wonder. Instead we move on to 29th December 1956 at #28, and Sammy Davis Jr's All Of You. This now represents Sammy's fourth one week wonder in a row, and we'll be making his acquaintance again on this thread when we reach 1960. We now move into 1957, the year of skiffle, but the first one week wonder of the year wasn't in that genre. It was an alternative version of Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love), a #3 hit for Pat Boone. This version was by the Four Aces featuring Al Alberts, and charted at #29 on 5th January 1957. Having caught up with yesterday's three additions to the list we now look at today's. First up is Mitchell Torok, with the follow up to his #6 hit When Mexico Gave Up The Rumba. It's a rockabilly song called Red Light, Green Light, and charted on 12th January 1957 at #29. It features the Tulane Sisters, who provide the calls of 'red light' and 'green light'. Next up we have Fats Domino with Honey Chile, which was charting at #29 on 2nd February 1957. Fats also had a second single, Ain't That A Shame, in the charts in the same week at #23, but I've checked the catalogue numbers and they are separate discs, not just two sides of the same one. Here we can watch him performing the song on TV (not sure which show). Finally for this double edition we have our old friends the Johnston Brothers, now appearing on this list for the fifth time. The single this time is Give Her My Love, which charted at #27 on 9th February 1957. After this they had one more charting single, Heart, which peaked at #23 later in 1957, and charted for 3 weeks, so this is the last time we will hear from them here. That's it for today, but tomorrow will feature a couple of fairly important slices of Rock 'n' Roll, so be sure not to miss that. |
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24th November 2019, 10:36 PM
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#93
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
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I like 'Cindy Oh Cindy',perhaps the first song so far that sounds like it could be from the 60s. 'Red Light,Green Light' was the other good song from this batch.
It's interesting that the credit for 'Friendly Persuasion' is the Four Aces featuring Al Alberts. Although that word is used all the time for singles these days,it wasn't used at all until the late 80s so I'm surprised to see it used as early as 1957. |
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26th November 2019, 06:45 AM
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#94
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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I wrote and posted an episode last night and for some reason it didn't go through, so better late than never here is Monday's episode.
Today is something of a Rock 'n' Roll special, as our first two songs are fairly described as Rock 'n' Roll classics. In fact it's hard to believe they are in fact one week wonders. Our first song was at number one in Mojo's 100 records that changed the world. It was recorded back in September 1955 and it became a model for not only its artist's future recordings, but for Rock 'n' Roll itself. I literally cannot overstate how important a recording it is, and yet in the UK it charted for a single week at #29 on 23rd February 1957. It's Little Richard's Tutti Frutti. Here he is in vision, but I have linked to the original single underneath too. Original single: youtube.com/watch?v=NnIIvWnpaBU Next up is another Rock 'n' Roll classic, albeit an alternative version of the track, but performed by one of its stars who went on to become it's biggest legend. The song is Rip It Up, which was originally release by Little Richard, and that version very nearly found itself on our list, but as mentioned in episode 27 it was reprieved by being part of a double a-side rerecording that charted in 1977. The main chart hit was by Bill Haley and his Comets, which peaked at #4. And the only other charting version at the time hit #27 on 9th March 1957 and was by Elvis Presley. If you're feeling breathless now with the pace and excitement of this new fangled Rock 'n' Roll then don't worry our last song is almost a kind of antidote. It's housewives favourite Jimmy Young with a song called Round And Round, actually a nice enough tune, but admittedly dwarfed by the two Rock'n' Roll entries before it. It charted at #30 on 4th May 1957, and perhaps due to the rise of Rock 'n' Roll it is his last appearance on the charts until 1963. This post has been edited by DanChartFan: 26th November 2019, 06:50 AM |
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26th November 2019, 09:07 AM
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#95
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
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'Tutti Frutti' by Little Richard was the B side to 'Long Tall Sally' which was at number 17 the week the former had its one week on the charts. 'Long Tall Sally' eventually climbed to number 3.
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26th November 2019, 01:43 PM
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#96
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is my brain across your walls?
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Posts: 115,091 User: 8,300
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Wow, 'Tutti Frutti' really feels vastly more well-known than every other song in here so far!
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26th November 2019, 09:33 PM
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#97
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 8 July 2007
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 30
Our first song today is Nat 'King' Cole's follow up to his number two hit When I Fall In Love. It charted at #28 on 6th July 1957 and was called When Rock 'n' Roll Came To Trinidad. Next up is Valley Of Tears, a song later released by Buddy Holly on a double a side that reached #12, but the version we're interested in was by Fats Domino and charted at #25 on 20th July 1957. Finally, sticking with the same date, we have Gary Miller, real name Neville Williams, who had six singles in the charts between 1955 and 1961, mostly version of songs that were bigger hits by someone else. This is his fourth charting single, and hit #29. |
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27th November 2019, 09:20 PM
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#98
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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The One Week Wonders - Episode 31
First today is the second charting single for Welsh songtress Shirley Bassey. The follow-up chartwise to her Banana Boat Song, which had peaked at #10. Fire Down Below charted at #30 on 24th August 1957. The other side of this disc, You You Romeo, charted for two weeks in September, peaking at #29. I couldn't resist illustrating this song with the Muppet Show's take on the song, from somewhere in the 70's, but have also linked the original single underneath. Original single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fuZq6O--Y0 Next is the UK chart debut of the Coasters. Probably best known for another hit, Yakety Yak (famously used to promote McCain's MicroChips), although their biggest hit was Charlie Brown, which peaked at #6. This, however, is Searchin, which charted at #30 on 28th September 1957. Here's a clip of them performing live, though again the original single is linked underneath. Original single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN307ssGLuc Last up its Johnny Duncan and his Blue Grass Boys. They had just had a big number two hit with Last Train To San Fernando, and followed it up with this, Blue Blue Heartaches, which peaked at #27 on 26th October 1957. |
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29th November 2019, 09:49 PM
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#99
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
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Posts: 1,088 User: 3,866
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The One Week Wonders - Episodes 32 and 33
Sorry, I missed another episode yesterday, so here's another double edition. First up is a US charttopper by Jimmie Rodgers, called Honeycomb. In this country however it had one week at #30 on 2nd November 1957. He would go on to have bigger success in the UK with Kisses Sweeter Than Wine and English Country Wine. Next we have Tommy Steele and the Steelmen with Hey You! They'd already had a charttopper a year previously with Singing The Blues, and had a couple of other top ten hits. This one charted at #28 on 23rd November 1957. Now we have a song that was a US number one for Nino Tempo and April Stevens in 1963, and reached #17 in the UK for them, and also reached #25 in 1976 for Donny and Marie Osmond. It's Deep Purple. The version we're interested in is by Billy Ward and the Dominos, who had also had a #13 hit with Stardust. Appropriately enough for the day when Mariah reentered the Top 40 we now have two Xmas songs on our list. The first up is White Christmas, which has charted in at least 12 different versions, by artists as diverse as Freddie Starr, Max Bygraves, Bryn Terfel, Glee Cast, Jim Davidson, and Keith Harris and Orville. Obviously the big hit version is by Bing Crosby, or rather versions since there were at least two different recordings by him, since the original master had worn out after a few years and necessitated a rerecording. The version on our list is by Pat Boone. The other christmas hit today is by Dickie Valentine. This is actually Dickie's third consecutive christmas hit, following his charttopper Christmas Alphabet in 1955, and a top ten hit, Christmas Island, in 1956. The 1957 offering is called Snowbound For Christmas. He had no hits at all in 1958, so didn't extend it to four consecutive hits. He then had two final charting singles in 1959 to round off his Uk chart career. Snowbound Fpr Christmas charted at #28 on 28th December 1957. Finally today we have a double a side from the Kaye Sisters, Shake Me I Rattle and Alone, on the Phillips label. Alone was also available in three other versions. Petula Clark, on Pye Nixa, reached #8. The Southlanders, on Decca, peaked at #17. And the Shepherd Sisters, on HMV, reached #17. The Kaye Sisters charted at #27 on 4th January 1958. |
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30th November 2019, 12:08 AM
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#100
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,162 User: 23,961
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You're making great progress. Just two years before we get to the 1960s now.
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