Never heard that Adam Wade single before or heard of him :o Seems OK, sort of pseudo Johnny Mathis.

 

 

Never heard of the singer buy know the song by Elvis and Daniel ODonnell.

I was a big kiddie fan of Don't Bring Lulu, Dorothy Provine was star of US TV show The Roaring 20's which pushed this single and led it to become a staple on Juniors Choice radio show, but her shining moment of immortality is as the serene moral centre of the manic epic all-star big-budget comedy extravaganza It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Brilliant film, so many top notch performances.

 

If Neil Sedaka's on the list, I'll opt for him - Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen is a goodie, albeit of it's time. Seen Neil a couple of times, and always engaging and flawless vocals with an amazing back catalogue of songs - not least, these days, Amarillo! Yes, Neil gave it away to Tony Christie....oops!

28th December 1961 - 3rd January 1962

 

30. Baby's First Christmas - Connie Francis

The first and only Christmas song to make the top 40 this year. It's a saccharine ballad as I expected when I saw the song's title.

34. Goodbye Cruel World - James Darren

Not a suicide song, it's about joining a circus. The high pitched bit at the start (and later on), to the tune of 'Entrance Of The Gladiators', is not being played on a musical instrument. It's a synthesized recording of a woman's voice. I didn't know such a recording technique was possible at this time.

37. I Cried For You - Ricky Stevens

If I heard this on the radio and didn't know who it was, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was a man or a woman singing. I liked the orchestral flourishes in the background. This will be the English singer's only top 40 hit.

 

Record of the week : 26. Run To Him - Bobby Vee

 

Lots to like here with the lead vocal, the strings, the drums and the backing vocals and the way it builds up towards the end. Part of it reminds me of Close To You by The Carpenters. It will reach number 6 and give Bobby Vee his fifth consecutive top 10 single. The song will be kept off the top of the US chart by last week's ROTW, The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

 

Edited December 28, 20213 yr by Sausage Rollo

Run To Him is a goodie, Bobby Vee had quite the run of great singles back in the day, his Greatest Hits is well worth a listen.

 

James Darren was a big fave of mine in the 60's. Not for his records though, he was the handsome star of The Time Tunnel, jaunting through time on adventures lost in time and space. Then he came back in the 90's on Deep Space 9 as a crooner hologram. never heard Goodbye Cruel World before, and it's a lot livelier than I was expecting from his DS9 output!

Run To Him is a goodie, Bobby Vee had quite the run of great singles back in the day, his Greatest Hits is well worth a listen.

I liked the other two singles by him I've heard so far so I might do that.

4th - 10th January 1962

 

31. The Language Of Love - John D Loudermilk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5eSr06fQRc It's always good to hear a harpsichord being used in a pop song. I didn't like the rest of it, there were too many dooby dooby doos. This was the American singer's only top 40 hit but he went on to write many hit singles for other singers and groups.

38. Come Along Please - Bob Wallis and his Storyville Jazz Band

Some more trad jazz now, I hope we see an end to this style of music in the chart soon. We won't be hearing from this particular group again, at least.

39. Can't You Hear The Beat Of A Broken Heart - Iain Gregory

A decent pop song written and produced by Joe Meek. This will be Iain Gregory's only hit single. He will go on to become a potter, sculptor and painter.

 

Record of the week : 36. Son, This Is She - John Leyton

 

And here we have another Joe Meek production. This performance must have been filmed just before or after the Iain Gregory one as all the backing singers and musicians are in the same positions. The song's protagonist is told by "a voice from above" that "this is she" after meeting a girl he instantly falls in love with. I think John Leyton is only the second act so far to win my ROTW title twice. As with 'Johnny Remember Me', the backing vocals and production complement the lead vocal very nicely. After a number 1 and number 2 with his first two singles, this one will only reach number 15.

 

 

 

11th - 17th January 1962

 

26. Walk On By - Leroy Van Dyke

Nothing to do with the Dionne Warwick song, this is a country tune. It spent 19 weeks at number 1 on the US country chart, a record it held until 2013, and was named by Billboard magazine in 1994 as the biggest country single of all time, based on sales, plays, and weeks in the charts. It doesn't sound like anything that special to me.

27. The Twist - Chubby Checker

Having only got to number 49 in 1960, this has been re-issued after Let's Twist Again has returned to the chart. While I enjoyed it, I don't think it's as good as Let's Twist Again.

29. Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night - Doug Sheldon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrD9kQtA9ws As with his previous single, Runaround Sue, this is a cover of someone else's recent hit. I like the rhythm running through this, it foreshadows the beat music that will arrive soon. A couple of the youtube comments mention Bits And Pieces by the Dave Clark Five and I can see how that could be sung over this.

 

Record of the week : 1. The Young Ones - Cliff Richard and The Shadows

 

It has to be this classic. With pre-orders of half a million, it goes straight in at number 1, the first single to do so since It's Now Or Never by Elvis in 1960. It's Cliff's fifth number 1, spending six weeks at the top of the chart.

 

 

 

18th - 24th January 1962

 

19. Forget Me Not - Eden Kane

I continue to be unimpressed by Eden Kane's output. This will go as high as number 3 but it was not very memorable.

26. The Comancheros - Lonnie Donegan

Lonnie goes for the Latin American sound this time. It didn't quite work for me.

33. Lonesome - Adam Faith with John Barry and his Orchestra

A plodding ballad. The strings were the only saving grace.

34. Small Sad Sam - Phil McLean

This is a parody of Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean which was featured three months ago. The character here is the opposite, a selfish and cowardly man. You would certainly need to hear the first song to appreciate this one fully. Phil McLean was a radio DJ from Cleveland, Ohio.

35. The Peppermint Twist - Danny Peppermint and the Jumping Jacks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpoTlUbcWWE The only hit single for the American group, cashing in on the twist craze. I won't be surprised if we have more new entries with the word 'twist' in the title. The song was OK.

37. What A Crazy World We're Living In - Joe Brown and the Bruvvers

A live recording sung with his cockney accent and lots of screaming girls. It's a chirpy song which I quite enjoyed. He's the father of Sam Brown.

 

Record of the week : 21. Crying In The Rain - The Everly Brothers

 

I don't think I've heard this before. I'm much more familiar with Aha's fine cover version from 1990. I always thought that it was an Elvis song, I was probably getting it mixed up with Crying In The Chapel. As ever, the vocals are very good, complemented by the drums and guitars. The single will peak at number 6, their last top 10 hit until 1965.

 

 

25th - 31st January 1962

 

27. D Darling - Anthony Newley

This wasn't too bad. He still has that similarity to David Bowie in his voice. The theme of the lyrics is that many of the words are preceded by their initial letter.

29. Jeannie - Danny Williams

A quick follow-up to his no.1 which is still in the top 20. His vocal is just as good here but the song is not as memorable, it's another ballad with backing singers and strings.

 

Record of the week : 37. He's Old Enough To Know Better - The Brooks Brothers

 

This isn't a standout but it's the best of today's three offerings. It has a fast pace to it with an enthusiastic drummer. It's the third of five top 40 hits for Geoff and Ricky Brook, the UK's answer to the Everly Brothers.

 

No argument with any of your picks in the latest batches, though I also like Forget Me Not and The Twist. a-ha did Crying In The Rain, Fat Boys The Twist, The Young Ones The Young Ones, none of them quite as well as the originals (prob) and I don't know The Brooks Brothers :o

1st - 7th February 1962

 

12. Can't Help Falling In Love / Rock-A-Hula Baby - Elvis Presley

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The first of these is very well known. I like the arrangement with the piano, guitars and backing singers, it's very well put together. The other side is not half as good. This will go on to spend four weeks at number 1, Elvis' tenth chart topper.

30. Little Bitty Tear - Burl Ives

A decent enough country ballad, the first of two top 40 hits.

33. Don't Stop-Twist! - Frankie Vaughan

I said I expected more songs with the word 'twist' in the title and I didn't have to wait long. There's a lot of crowd noise on this but it doesn't sound like the rest of it is recorded live, perhaps the screaming girls were just added on.

37. Norman - Carol Deene

A first top 40 single for the English singer, covering a song that reached no.3 in the US for Sue Thompson. It's a fairly good pop song with just brass instruments and drums being used.

 

Record of the week : 28. Wimoweh - Karl Denver

 

I was expecting this to be a version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and there are traces of the melody in there but he's definitely doing his own thing with it with an extraordinary yodelling performance. He would have needed a good lie down after his exertions here. There was some good guitar work on this as well. The single will peak at number 4.

 

 

Elvis and Karl are decent enough, Frankie Vaughan was quite the hit with the ladies of the time and was always on TV variety shows, though I dont know the song, but my fave is Burl Ives. He was a the jolly & big friendly man of US movies like Summer Magic, a Hayley Mills Disney flick all but forgotten these days, but his song Ugly Bug Ball was big with us kiddies of the 60's and 70's, and A Little Bitty Tear was sort of the 2nd fave if Juniors Choice got fed up playing Ugly Bug Ball. Bizarrely he makes the US top 10 every christmas these days with a song that was unknown in the UK until streaming era. If Buble hadnt nicked it, I'm guessing Holly Jolly Christmas would end up charting here too like other ancient US xmas staples that never meant anything before but now also streaming chart every xmas. :)

I was introduced to 'Don't Bring Lulu' a few months ago because my favourite couple on the latest series of Strictly did a (very impressive!) Charleston routine to it - since then it periodically gets stuck in my head. Speaking of the charleston... hello 'Charleston', too :lol: that was unsurprisingly wheeled out on Strictly this year too, I went to the tour a couple of weekends ago and the couple who performed that replicated it live, a fun crowd-pleasing piece of music.

 

Happy to see John Leyton doing well in this! I've been reading a book called 'The Legendary Joe Meek: The Telstar Man' because I kept finding out new things about his story that increased my curiosity and wanted to find a comprehensive retelling - and I've just got to the part where John's career is taking off. Found out that he recorded a version of 'Tell Laura I Love Her' as well but of course it was Ricky Valance who got the big hit, with 'Johnny Remember Me' instead being the break-through. I like his voice but the haunting backing on a lot of his songs is a big draw too.

 

'Stranger On The Shore' is stunning :heart: I remember reading that it was the first British recording to hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (so, rock era onwards), with 'Telstar' swiftly following - what a time for instrumentals! I think you may be right that it will forever remain the biggest selling.

Yes, Stranger On The Shore and Johnny Remember Me are certainly two of my favourites from 1961.

8th - 14th February 1962

 

21. Little Bitty Tear - Miki and Griff

A second version of the song that came up last week. Miki and Griff were a British married couple and this was their first top 40 hit since 1959. They do the song in the same country style as Burl Ives. I would have liked Miki (the female half) to have been given a few lines but only Griff has a solo part with the rest of the song being sung by both of them together.

31. Pianissimo - Ken Dodd

Ken Dodd's third hit. He sings it well with a nice orchestral backing but it's dated even for 1962.

36. It's A Raggy Waltz - The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Another jazz instrumental from Dave Brubeck. I enjoyed it but it's not in the same league as Take Five.

38. Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee and the Starliters

This is the original version of a song that appeared a few weeks ago and Joey Dee is the one that wrote it. There are some nifty dance moves in this performance. The single will only get to number 33 but it was an American number 1. It seems the group are still going.

 

Record of the week : 39. Walk Away - Shane Fenton and the Fentones

 

I'm picking this one as I liked the production. It has that echoey Joe Meek sound to it but it's not on the list of records produced by him so I think someone else is responsible. It's the second top 40 hit for the future Alvin Stardust and will peak just one place higher than its new entry position.

 

 

 

I'm aware of Peppermint Twist as a huge US hit, but don't really know any of these. I'll always support Alvin as a pick though, he grew up in Mansfield (where I was born), the closest Mansfield has ever come to producing a pop star...

15th - 21st February 1962

 

29. March Of The Siamese Children - Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen

I know this tune well from The King And I. Kenny Ball speeds it up and gives it the jazz band treatment. It's not as good as the original but quite enjoyable. It will get to number 4.

30. Softly As I Leave You - Matt Monro

A standard orchestral ballad. The song originated in Italy in 1960. There's quite a long list of well known singers who have recorded versions of it.

34. Tonight - Shirley Bassey

Another musical number now, this one is from West Side Story. Shirley Bassey's version is the only one to be a chart hit. Not surprisingly, she sings it very well.

38. Hole In The Ground - Bernard Cribbins

I remember this as a regular song on Junior Choice. Produced by George Martin, it concerns a dispute between a workman digging a hole and an interfering man in a bowler hat who ends up being buried in the hole. It's the first of three top 40 hits for Bernard.

 

Record of the week : 33. Tell Me What He Said - Helen Shapiro

 

Helen Shapiro gets her third ROTW award with this one. It's not quite as good as her two number 1 singles but still another great vocal performance from the 15 year old who starts with just a piano accompaniment before the song opens up with the drums, strings, saxophone and backing singers. The song was originally recorded by the American singer Ginny Arnell in 1960. This version will spend three weeks at number 2.

 

 

 

 

nice batch there, and Helen Shapiro deservedly on top, though I loved (and still greatly enjoy) Hole In The Ground as a kid. Tonight is a great song, quite probably the best hit song named Tonight (and there's been loads of 'em) possible exception The Rubettes forgotten doo-wop wannabee, while Kenny ball's version of Siamese Children is his most tolerable record.

22nd - 28th February 1962

 

34. Lessons In Love - The Allisons

I listened to the wrong version of this first. It was only when I read the youtube comments that I realised that it was a much later re-recording. I was wondering why the keyboard part sounded so modern. So I have now played the 1962 version which is much more basic and not half as good. The song was first recorded by Jeri Lynne Fraser in 1961. Cliff Richard also did a version for The Young Ones film. This is the last of the Allisons' three hit singles.

37. Lesson One - Russ Conway

This gets off to a false start which I'm assuming is supposed to represent someone learning the piano. It then moves on to the usual energetic Russ Conway piano tune.

40. I'll See You In My Dreams - Pat Boone

A ballad with double bass, brass, strings and acoustic guitar. I didn't like it much. The song goes back to 1924.

 

Record of the week : 31. The Wanderer - Dion

 

It's an easy choice this week with this classic. It was actually a B side but took off after American radio DJs started playing it instead of the A side, 'The Majestic'. The single will peak at number 10 and then return to the chart as a re-issue in 1976, reaching number 16. Status Quo also had a top 10 hit with their version in 1984. This will be Dion's last top 40 single in the UK but he's still going strong and released an album as recently as November last year.

 

34. Lessons In Love - The Allisons

I listened to the wrong version of this first. It was only when I read the youtube comments that I realised that it was a much later re-recording. I was wondering why the keyboard part sounded so modern. So I have now played the 1962 version which is much more basic and not half as good. The song was first recorded by Jeri Lynne Fraser in 1961. Cliff Richard also did a version for The Young Ones film. This is the last of the Allisons' three hit singles.

 

I wonder were Level 42 inspired by this song when they created their 1986 hit single of the same name!