7th - 13th October 1965

32. She Needs Love - Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J5OzKR9QvM The guitar on the intro was a promising start but it quickly turned into an average beat style song. It will be the last hit for the group before Wayne leaves to go solo.

39. Down In The Boondocks - Billy Joe Royal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M0HE0mwwFQ The singer's name made me think that this would be a country song but it sounds like something that might be given to Gene Pitney. There is a resemblance to '24 Hours To Tulsa'.

Record of the week : 31. It's Good News Week - Hedgehoppers Anonymous

This is the best of today's three. Written and produced by Jonathan King, it's a commentary on the media only reporting bad news and the desire to hear to some good news now and then. The band members were all RAF personnel. This will be their only top 40 hit, peaking at number 5.

Not heard that Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders song before, it's mildly pleasant and nicely of its' era, but not one I'd search out to hear again, but happy if it ever popped up on oldies radio (as if!). They both had better things ahead.

Down In The Boondocks is totally based on 24 Hours To Tulsa, but that said I heard it on 60's Florida Oldies Radio in the 90's, they tended to create playlists of chosen tracks to hammer for a week or two, and this was one of 'em. I was quite taken by it, and searched it out on compilation CD's in the days when CD's and record stores were still things. In a sign of how these things work (still) the target audience is largely 25 to 30 years back give or take (old people are too busy dying off and not buying from adverts to be worth bothering with) - so at the start of the 90's when I first went to Florida it was pretty much just 60's music, by the end of the decade it was around 1965 through 1975, and the same radio station has kept that rule - it's all about the 90's now.

Much as I love Boondocks, I also have to give the top track to JK, this song was one I liked at the time, catchy and cynical, and if they are RAF lads then I would have to support them, being as Dad was in the RAF then. 🙂

14th - 20th October 1965

22. Evil Hearted You / Still I'm Sad - The Yardbirds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Pe3GJe2Iw / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02K9H5dwCJY Evil Hearted You is another Graham Gouldman composition and has some innovative guitar work but I prefer Still I'm Sad with its otherworldly chanting. This will be another top 3 hit for the group.

31. Yesterday Man - Chris Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6N3o4TDYsI The writer of many hits for Sandie Shaw and Adam Faith now has one of his own with this breezy pop song which has a slight ska sound to it. It will go as high as number 3.

40. (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco - Tony Bennett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysw4svDmcxc The second of three chart runs in 1965 will get this as far as number 40, the third will see the single reach its peak of number 25 at Christmas. The song was actually recorded in 1962 and is what you would expect from him, nicely sung and arranged but not my sort of thing.

Record of the week : 29. Here It Comes Again - The Fortunes

By a small margin, I've chosen this one. The verses are short so we're never far away from that recognisable chorus. There are some good vocal harmonies complemented by the brass instrumentation, strings and drums. Following up their number 2 hit, 'You've Got Your Troubles', it will peak at number 4.

Still I'm Sad is a goodie and yes better than Evil Hearted You, quite unusual for the time. I love Yesterday's Man a kiddie fave at the time, the Sandie Shaw vibes obv helped, pity she didnt do it really. I've never been keen on San Francisco but it always seems to have been part of the TV furniture (and radio) - Tony wasnt one of my fave crooners, never really got the appeal. The Fortunes always sounded great to me, though, including on this track, so it just edges it for me too.

21st - 27th October 1965

26. Yesterday - Matt Monro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQhC3bMMLmw There's some nice orchestration but this is a pale shadow of the original. Matt Monro will have one more top 40 hit but we will have to wait another eight years for it.

34. I Love You, Yes I Do - The Merseybeats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp84gEbny1k A song that goes as far back as 1947, this version is OK but the lead singer's vocal gets a bit strained during the louder parts.

35. When I Get Home - The Searchers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKJhCLjzUsA They're going through the motions on this single which will only reach number 35. Their golden era appears to be coming to a close.

Record of the week : 36. Until It's Time For You To Go - The Four Pennies

This wouldn't get the award most weeks but the bar is set quite low so it's left as the winner. I liked the guitar arrangement, tempo changes and the lead singer's plaintive vocal which was supported by the other members' backing harmonies. The song was first recorded by its writer, Buffy Sainte-Marie, earlier this year and went on to be covered by many singers including Glen Campbell, Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley. The Four Pennies' version will peak at number 19.

Until It's Time For You To Go I first heard done by Glen Campbell, and then Elvis had the big hit with it - and which plodded on. This is a nicer version, not nearly as ponderous. Yesterday was already famous as a Beatles song at the time, and Matt was well-known on TV - but I was never a fan, bar Born Free. It's a bit of a snooze. Don't know the Merseybeats track, could have done with being speeded up quite a bit from the start as opposed to just the chorus. Surely The Searchers could grab this one? Not one I know, either. Of the 4 I'd rather hear this one again. One jangly guitar section has echoes of a fave song of the era I discovered in later years (Get Together, Youngbloods) but I doubt they borrowed it from this.

28th October - 3rd November 1965

22. Love Is Strange - The Everly Brothers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKBhq2q3J98 A cover of a Bo Diddly written song from the 50s, they make a decent job of it, including some spoken dialogue in the middle. This will be the end of a regular run of top 40 hits that started in 1957. They will have one more in 1968.

29. But You're Mine - Sonny and Cher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnDILamtGgo The intro to this was longer than I expected it to be. As for the rest, the lyrics are on a similar theme to 'I Got You Babe', about not taking any notice of what people say about them.

31. Baby I'm Yours - Peter and Gordon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0aXBP9SBuc The vocals are a bit ropey in places but I enjoyed the string section coming out of the right speaker. First recorded by Barbara Lewis, the song was written by Van McCoy who will go on to give us 'The Hustle'.

37. It's My Life - The Animals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6JmD6IcYgo There's a determination and defiance in the lyrics of this one which also has a prominent bass guitar riff. It will be their sixth top 10 single.

39. Positively 4th Street - Bob Dylan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aehwEu8SBSo While the song's title is familiar to me, I don't remember hearing it before. Containing just verses with no chorus, it seemed to go on for a long time and the organ in the background was the only redeeming feature.

Record of the week : 17. Get Off Of My Cloud - The Rolling Stones

This is fairly straightforward in its structure but the infectious singalong chorus is enough to win this week's award. Living on the 99th floor of an apartment block but being disturbed by noisy neighbours is meant to be a metaphor for the group enjoying their success but being under pressure to follow up each single with an even better one. The single will be the group's fifth consecutive number 1, spending three weeks at the top of the chart.

The Everly's sounding jangly Merseyside as they cover the classic 50's Micky & Sylvia ballad. This isnt as good as that version, but it's pretty decent. Not one I know! Sonny & Cher's I have on a hits CD I bought in Cairns 30 years ago. I like it, but it's not memorable. Baby I'm Yours was a song that seemed vaguely familiar to me when Linda Lewis covered it in 1975 very nicely - when Van was all the rage. This version isnt that great but Peter Asher was singing World Without Love in Manchester with Graham Nash the other week, it's on Youtube.

The Animals' hit is one I sorta know, having heard here and there over the decades, and I expect I heard it at the time a bit, but it's never stayed with me as such. Good, though. Dylan's melodic biggie always suffered from the title not being a chorus hook, so I was never aware I knew it when it got referenced. For someone lauded for his lyrics, he could bang out a great tune when he needed to, and this is one of his best. ROTW for me I think, as much as I rate the Rolling Stones's Get Off My Cloud raucous chart-topper. In the Beatles vs Stones battle I was always team Beatle, a fave Stones track was more an exception to the rule - Satisfaction, As Tears Go By, Out Of Time.

4th - 10th November 1965

13. The Carnival Is Over - The Seekers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ZipKdI1sY Based around a 19th Century Russian folk song, this will be a second number 1 single for the Seekers and sell more than a million copies. It's a feel-good song with a lovely distinctive vocal from Judith Durham.

27. Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames - Something https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK_QWx32K_w This keeps to his usual style but maybe a little bit slower in tempo. It's alright but I can understand why it's his third single in a row to miss the top 20 since his number 1.

31. 1-2-3 - Len Barry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWpV2gi9AiA A song I've always liked but I'm only now finding out the singer is white, I'd always assumed by the way he sounds that he was black. It's all well produced with the drums, horns and backing singers playing their part and certainly a contender for ROTW but it's a busy week.

32. In The Chapel In The Moonlight - The Bachelors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUJpTjn5Cqs This time they are tackling a song from 1936 and there's a bit more life to it so a slight improvement on their last few singles.

35. You're The One - Petula Clark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeukU-KOuMY Petula's last two singles just missed the top 40 but she's back with a song that she co-wrote with her regular songwriter, Tony Hatch. It has a rousing chorus but the lyrics are a bit cliched.

37. Shame And Scandal In The Family - Lance Percival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNUHRZpWaVU The only hit for the English comedian and actor who puts on a West Indian accent for this version of a calypso song from 1943. I did find the lyrics to be amusing.

38. Sins Of The Family - PF Sloan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FyQLYcdxbk A similar song title but this folk rock tune from the writer of 'Eve Of Destruction' is a lot more serious. He's saying that if your parents are both sinners, you're going to be judged by people in the same way.

39. A Lover's Concerto - The Toys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtH8Oz3h5t8 This uses the melody of Christian Petzold's 'Minuet in G Major' and turns it into a big hit for the American girl group, one of this week's highlights.

40. Yesterday - Marianne Faithfull https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gORyrU1xQpg This is a lot better than Matt Monro's cover though it will peak 28 places lower than his version. She sings it beautifully and the addition of a choir works very well. It will be the last of her five top 40 singles.

Record of the week: 33. My Generation - The Who

Lots to choose from but it has to be this anthem of teenage rebellion which could be regarded as an influence on the punk rock that will follow in the 1970s. Roger Daltrey's stutter filled delivery stands out here along with the aggressive guitar playing. The single will spend two weeks at number 2, giving the band their highest chart position so far.

On 14/10/2025 at 19:56, King Rollo said:

40. (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco - Tony Bennett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysw4svDmcxc The second of three chart runs in 1965 will get this as far as number 40, the third will see the single reach its peak of number 25 at Christmas. The song was actually recorded in 1962 and is what you would expect from him, nicely sung and arranged but not my sort of thing.

Didn't think the San Francisco themed songs started until 1967 lol

Wow what a packed week! My favourite is 'The Carnival Is Over', which I've always found pretty rousing, of course helped by Judith's vocal and the group's strong harmonies in general. But 'My Generation' is a stone cold classic so a worthy winner all the same.

Petula Clark is currently doing the rounds on TV/radio to promote her autobiography and she's still so with it and looking great at almost 93, good for her!

wow clearout week or what - Not heard the Georgie Fame track, his chart career was always a bit random, but never bad. It's alright! Ditto The Bacholers, thought they were going doowop at the start, before dropping back into retro crooning, but more upbeat than usual, almost soaring vibes. I actually don't mind this one! That backing female vocalist needs a featuring credit. I have Petula's 60's hits CD and loads of gems on it, and this just falls short of gem status, but I do like it. I also caught her this week on TV looking fabulous, what a legend, the only World War 2-era veteran still going. Cut Copy was amazing for someone in their 80's.

Lance Percival was a familiar face on comedy shows/movies back in the day, not least Carry On films, not PC these days of course, but I do like it, I grew up on Harry Belafonte's 50's hit album dad bought. P.F.Sloan I know the name from Eve Of Destruction but not much else, better as a songwriter I think than singer, s'OK. Marianne's version of Yesterday is fab, she does a great performance as the Beatles start her off on their TV show on the thread I posted Monday.

So that leaveds me with 4 classics I love to bits to choose from: The Carnival Is Over is pure melancholy and takes me back to the era with oodles of nostalgia, just wonderful. 1-2-3 also was a song I loved at the time, that chorus is amazing, the verse less so, but it's still great overall. The Toy's song I adored at the time and forever after, but I never knew it was classical, or who they were, or what is was called, until well into the 70's. What a tune! And My Generation, what an angry teen anthem, one I liked more as I got older - reduced in impact somewhat by Pete & Roger being middle aged when I saw them do it live.

So I'm struggling to pick a winner. I suppose The Who's classic is the most important, so I should plump for that too....!

11th - 17th November 1965

29. Wind Me Up (Let Me Go) - Cliff Richard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ3foTK8NNc Another song that Cliff recorded in Nashville in 1964. There's a very slow pace to it but after his last two singles failed to make the top 10, he'll be relieved to see this one spend the Christmas and New Year period at number 2.

30. Treat Her Right - Roy Head https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj43dafq0r0 A two minute song with a 30 second intro and a 30 second outro so the lively horn section were the highlight on what will be the American singer's only hit.

31. Princess In Rags - Gene Pitney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVTBzdZig_k The main character in the song is saving up some money to buy some good clothes for his poor girlfriend. This will be another top 10 hit for Gene who puts in his usual solid vocal.

38. Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches - Paul and Barry Ryan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAVgSjbLmuM The first hit from the Leeds twins has a good chorus and vocal harmonies backed up by brass instruments and strings.

40. Tell Me Why - Elvis Presley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD3Clr9C6Ro Another release of an old Elvis song, this time from 1957. It's a slow blues tune which should have maybe stayed in the vault.

Record of the week : 35. Crawling Back - Roy Orbison

Not a great week for new entries, if only one of last week's runners up had been delayed for a week. I've chosen this one as it's always a treat to hear Roy sing a ballad as well as he does here and the strings are gorgeous. It will be Roy's 17th top 40 single, peaking at number 19.

Cliff goes for the Jim Reeves vibe, not a direction that worked, though I guess he was trying to break America (again). Come back in 11 years Cliff with a great song. Roy Head is a name I dont know, and the song ditto, it's not bad. Elvis, you know there's something wrong with current material if you have to trawl the vaults for a single, though its not bad as such. Love Gene but Princess In Rags isnt one of his essential hits. Paul And Barry's debut is the best of this bunch, it at least sounds 1965.

So, the Big O wins by virtue of being in a class of his own...Roy does heartbreak better than anyone, though Gene comes close when on form.

18th - 24th November 1965

28. Is It Really Over - Jim Reeves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLyAS-cceGM Another ballad in his usual style with stately orchestration.

34. Turquoise - Donovan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT0xkUbljKU A folk style ballad about Joan Baez which is spoilt by a very high pitched harmonica which was too piercing for my ears to enjoy the rest of the song. After two number 4s, this will be a miss, only reaching number 30.

37. The River (Le Colline Sono In Fioro) - Ken Dodd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X74RolsIPI There's no doubt he sings this well but it's one for the grandparents' Christmas present only. Following up his chart topper, it will make its way to number 3.

38. Let's Hang On - The Four Seasons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YzlwyAgefE One of this group's best known songs, the backing vocals combine well with Frankie Valli's falsetto and it has that killer chorus.

Record of the week: 39. Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) - The Byrds

It's a close call between this one and 'Let's Hang On' but the lyrics, most of which are lifted form the book of Ecclesiastes, are a bit deeper, with a plea for peace amidst the escalation of the Vietnam War. There's also that characteristic jangly guitar sound. The song's writer, Pete Seeger, recorded it himself but the first version to be released was by The Limeliters in 1962. The Byrds' cover will be a US number 1 but only get to number 26 in the UK.

The Jim Reeves song doesnt ring a bell, but it's very much his trademark sound and they hadn't yet started scraping the barrel in his back catalogue, quite nice. Turquoise isnt one I recognise either (and I have his Greatest Hits cd!) but it's quite good too. I dont mind the screechy harmonica, though it was obviously a mis-step commercially as a musical decision! He'll come back fighting with top-notch stuff that did get through to me though. There was no escaping Ken and Tears in 1965, but The River - like so much from this period - passed me by. That's because my dad had been posted to Aden, and we were living with my grandma, her partner and his dad in Liverpool, adjacent to Stanley Park in Kirkdale. Which meant I got no say in what was on TV, except maybe Doctor Who. I dont remember the radio being on as even Mersey radio hadnt started yet, never mind Radio 1 and 2.

So the two I DO know battle it out. Turn Turn Turn I first knew as a song Mary Hopkin did on Opportunity Knocks as she kept winning, prior to me going Mary Hopkin mad on Those Were The Days, but the Byrds version I got hold of on an EP of Mr Tambourine Man sometime in the later 80's. It's a good record. But I love The Four Seasons, and Let's Hang On was def one I knew and liked in the 60's, and a song that kept getting hit covers in the 70's and 80's, none of them as great as Frankie & Co, so that's my pick.

I love 'Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)' so great top pick! I'm pretty sure I first discovered it when listening through all of the U.S. #1 hits years ago, shame it didn't set the British charts alight in the same way. I was surprised to find out that it has a higher stream count than 'Mr Tambourine Man', also a U.S. #1 but more successful here! Apparently it's been used in a handful of films so perhaps that is why.