10th - 16th June 1965

27. Stingray - The Shadows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYWXp_Qiqfk Sadly, this is not their version of the theme tune to Stingray but, as the programme started just a year ago, maybe it inspired the song's title. Their guitars have a deeper, rockier sound to them on this one so credit to them for varying their style a bit.

32. On My Word - Cliff Richard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQHQk_XOivo Cliff's impressive run of 23 consecutive top 10 singles dating back to January 1960 finally comes to an end with this one peaking at number 12. There was some tinkly piano, acoustic guitar and brass instruments but the song itself was fairly mundane so it's understandable it wasn't a big hit.

33. From The Bottom Of My Heart - The Moody Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ7oEgpcuo8 There's a brooding rhythm to this one with Denny Laine's vocal ranging from the lower register to a wailing falsetto at the end. It will be the group's last hit until the big one in 1967.

36. My Child - Connie Francis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJMUuizXlk An orchestral ballad with a powerful vocal from Connie will be her 22nd and final top 40 hit. She is now 87 years old.

40. Back In My Arms Again - The Supremes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7p1J39qc3g This will be a fifth US number 1 for the Supremes but it's the weakest song out of the five and will go no higher then number 40 here.

Record of the week : 28. Looking Through The Eyes Of Love - Gene Pitney

This is the best of today's bunch. It has the usual skilled vocal from Gene backed by some dramatic orchestration. The lyrics are about him being a hopeless loser who no one notices but his girl thinks differently as she's looking through the eyes of love. The single will peak as high as number 3. A cover version by The Partridge Family will be a top 10 hit in 1973.

The only one of these i knew at the time was gene pitneys and thats the best track here though i knew the partridge family hit better. the supremes is a drop in standard but i still like it and first heard it in 1970 on a hits album.

The other 4 are all new and not that fussed about any of them. Connie Francis can claim Pretty Little Baby as a sales hit in 2025 happily with her around to appreciate it. Stingray the TV theme is ten times more exciting than The Shads song. In fact one of the most exciting tv themes of all time up there with Doctor Who Thunderbirds Hawaii 5-0 in the 60s.

17th - 23rd June 1965

32. Heart Full Of Soul - The Yardbirds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrnngCgJQyA Another Graham Gouldman composition for the Yardbirds. Jeff Beck has replaced Eric Clapton and his guitar parts really stand out here. A good follow-up to 'For Your Love' and it will go one place higher at number 2.

36. I'll Stay By You - Kenny Lynch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foeanqs_9h4 This will be the last of Kenny's seven top 40 hits and it's a pleasant tune with plenty of warmth in his vocal.

37. She's About A Mover - Sir Douglas Quintet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XboE3_7KZ3Y The only hit for the Texas group has a catchy chorus, a distinctive contribution from the organ and a soulful vocal from the lead singer, Doug Sahm, who also wrote the song.

40. Maggie's Farm - Bob Dylan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgphPFNiVZw The drawling vocal style is in full effect on this one so it's difficult to enjoy it as much as I would like.

Record of the week : 38. Mr Tambourine Man - The Byrds

Another Bob Dylan song wins the accolade this week with this cover of an album track that only came out a few weeks ago. Its folk rock/jangle pop sound wouldn't be out of place in the 'summer of love' in 1967. The first hit for the Los Angeles band will spend two weeks at number 1 and also top the Billboard chart.

Oh what a great week - 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and 'Heart Full Of Soul' are both big favourites of mine

I was watching a Youtube thingy on Graham Gouldman songs he wrote for others only this afternoon, so many great songs before he even hit 21. Heart Full Of Soul is great, but the jangly Byrds classic is even greater, what a classic. Mr Tambourine Man sounding fabulous in a way Dylan's own Maggie's Farm doesn't. Never liked it, ever. She's About A Mover is good fun, always worth catching it if it ever crops up briefly somewhere, which is getting rarer and rarer these days. The Byrds' is the only song I actually knew at the time, but I would have been likely to like Kenny Lynch's too. If it had been memorable. Ah well, never mind.

24th - 30th June 1965

37. Goodbye-ee - Peter Cook and Dudley Moore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKai4Ss13CI One of the worst novelty songs I've ever heard. Not only is the singing deliberately bad but the comedy bits were not funny.

38. Just A Little Bit Too Late - Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W2_2slNZ9o A cover of a Clyde McPhatter song from 1963. I like the heavy drum sound and the guitar parts from a young Eric Stewart but the song was just OK. It won't do as well (number 20) as their previous two singles which both reached the top 5.

Record of the week: 25. Leave A Little Love - Lulu

Since 'Shout' was a big hit, four singles by Lulu have failed to reach the top 40 so she will be relieved to be back with this one. There are some tempo changes and she sings the soft parts and the louder sections equally well. The single will reach a peak position of number 8.

Goodbyee was everywhere at the time, one I could singalong to on the telly, but yes it was of its' time, silliness. Just A Little Bit Of Love is new to me, fun seeing Eric Stewart in the video, but they all did better stuff than this, split up and elsewhere. Lulu an easy win, morphing from soulful young gutsy screamer to lush ballad on her way to Mickie Most tuneful pop hits. Leave A Little Love is pretty good.

1st - 7th July 1965

15. To Know You Is To Love You - Peter and Gordon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dKg9BRkTbQ A cover of a 1958 US number 1 by The Teddy Bears. Rather than starting quietly, the orchestra, choir and drums come straight in before the song quietens down at the 25 second mark. Not for long though, the sweeping strings compete with the vocals for most of the song.

21. Tossing And Turning - The Ivy League https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6MNwtwdci4 This will be the group's biggest hit, reaching number 3, but also their last top 40 single. The song peaked for me in the first four seconds with that electric keyboard intro. The rest of it was just OK.

23. In The Middle Of Nowhere - Dusty Springfield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybf3apqPSq8 Another great vocal from Dusty along with the backing singers who play their part. The brass instrumentation gives this a Motown type of sound.

39. When The Summertime Is Over - Jackie Trent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5MiAyEdx24 Jackie's follow-up to her number 1 is a forgettable ballad and will not go any further than this position.

Record of the week : 29. Wooly Bully - Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs

It wasn't an easy decision but I chose this one for being a bit different. It's like the 1965 equivalent of Madness or Bad Manners with the sax solo and how the band are dressed in this clip, great fun to listen to and watch. It will become the first Billboard song of the year not to reach number 1, a record it will hold until 2000 when Faith Hill's 'Breathe' will do the same thing. In the UK, it will peak at number 11 and be their only top 40 hit.

Peter & Gordon losing the subtlety of the original lovely track a bit, but they were on their way to back-stage employment so it's all fine. Tossing & Turning I have as a double-A-side yellow vinyl late 70's reissue, and I'm rather fond of the track. Funny How Love Can Be is Ivy League's best track though. Even better was to come from John Carter and Ken Lewis though, in 1967 and 1974 under new names The Flowerpot Men and The First Class along with singer Tony Burrows. Woolly Bully is great fun and ahead of it's time, and Jackie Trent is better as co-songwriter to her hubbie Tony Hatch by and large, total classy hit machines in the 60's.

Dusty was alternating classy ballads with r'n'b in her heyday, and In The Middle Of Nowhere is brassy funk-gospel fabness and is my track of the week - Madeline Bell was among a handful US future hitsters backing Dusty in those days, and I'm pretty sure that's her on the record, she did a tribute live version on youtube to her late old friend Dusty in 2011 and was talking about the pre-Blue Mink days to Paul Gambaccini when I saw her in concert last year. Still as great a singer as ever and Dusty is timeless.