The only one I know is the Walter Brennan oddity, he was hugely popular as a wizened cowboy (usually) in films back in the day, and I especially loved him in a now-forgotten Disney kids film, The Gnomemobile.

 

Brenda Lee is a good choice, she's always decent quality, and this is rather nice.

5th - 11th July 1962

 

25. Palisades Park - Freddy Cannon

A rock'n'roll song with fairground sound effects. It was quite good. It's the last of Freddy's six top 40 hits. Chartwise, he's best known for interrupting the long run at number 1 in the albums chart for South Pacific. It was number 1 for 70 weeks until his album, 'The Explosive Freddy Cannon', replaced it for one week. The soundtrack album then returned to the top of the chart for 17 more consecutive weeks.

32. Ya Ya Twist - Petula Clark

Another song sung in the French language by Petula Clark, this time it's an uptempo dance record. The original version, called 'Ya Ya', was by Lee Dorsey.

35. Al Di La - Emilio Pericoli

It's off to Italy now for this decent ballad. It's a cover of the Italian Eurovision song from the previous year which finished in 5th place.

36. I Remember You - Frank Ifield

A country style ballad with some yodelling. It will go on to spend seven weeks at number 1, selling more than a million copies. The original version dates back to 1941.

37. Adios Amigo - Jim Reeves

A country style ballad with some whistling.

38. Tears - Danny Williams

Another well delivered orchestral ballad from Danny Williams. This will be the last we hear from him until 1977.

 

Record of the week : 40. The Crowd - Roy Orbison

 

Another fantastic vocal from Roy here with good use of the piano and strings and a dramatic climax to the song. The record buying public were not so keen on this one and it will stall at number 40.

 

Palisades Park is a goodie, Frank Ifield is a kiddie fave of mine, the singer and the song, and still sounds good, and Petula is cute-ish. Roy, well it's Roy, nobody gonna argue with that choice. That said, my heart is still with I Remember You, I'm 4 years old again, watching Fireball XL5 and Bill & Ben on telly... :D

12th July - 18th July 1962

 

30. I'm Just A Baby - Louise Cordet

A decent little pop song with some lyrics that are of their time. Her godfather was the Duke Of Edinburgh due to her family's connection to the Royal Family. This will be her only hit single.

32. Johnny Get Angry - Carol Deene

The second hit for Carol Deene this year, there will be one more to come. Here, she wants her man to have a bit more backbone. I liked the use of the xylophone. It's a cover of a Joanie Sommers song from the same year.

39. It Keeps Right On A Hurtin' - Johnny Tillotson

A sad country ballad. It's Johnny's first top 40 hit since his number 1 from January 1961, 'Poetry In Motion'.

40. Speedy Gonzales - Pat Boone

I think I've heard this one before. It will get to number 2, giving Pat his biggest hit since 1958. The highlight is certainly the repeated female lalala bit.

 

Record of the week : 21. Right Said Fred - Bernard Cribbins

 

Well, it has to be this classic novelty single about three men trying to move a large item of furniture and taking numerous tea breaks. Produced by George Martin, it was another single played regularly on the 'Juniors Choice' radio show in the 70s. It will reach number 10, giving Bernard his second top 10 hit of this year and giving a future group, who will have a number 1 single, their name.

 

Awww still love Right Said Fred and still love Bernard Cribbins. It has a period charm, and of course it's George Martin so what's not to love anyway. Amazing to think he will be hitting the world of music with an avalanche in about 4 months time....

 

Speedy Gonzales was also a kiddies fave of the 60s, but is regarded as a bit racist these days because it had a Mexican cartoon mouse as the focus from the Warner Brothers cartoons. Even if that were true (which it isn't, it's a cartoon for kids who loved Speedy Gonzales) it's still the best thing by far that Pat Boone did. So that kind of sets the bar pretty low, admittedly... :)

19th - 25th July 1962

 

23. Little Miss Lonely - Helen Shapiro

A ballad from Helen Shapiro. The stereo mix has the rhythm instruments on the left, the strings and backing singers on the right and her vocal in the centre. It's another fine vocal as I've come to expect now. She's still only 15 years old but this will be not only her last top 10 single but the last time she reaches the top 30.

28. Cindy's Birthday - Shane Fenton and the Fentones

A colour video for this one. It was made for video jukeboxes which were set up in pubs and clubs but they didn't really catch on. A good pop song, this will be Shane's last top 40 hit until his 1973 reinvention as Alvin Stardust.

37. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka

This is one I've certainly heard a few times. We seem to have a choir of Neil Sedakas with the lead vocal double tracked in different keys and he does his own backing vocals as well. It will be a US number 1 and the last of his seven UK top 10 hits.

 

Record of the week : 36. Let There Be Love - Nat King Cole with George Shearing

 

A good standard of new entries this week with the Neil Sedaka song unlucky to miss out but I've gone for this classic. It's only right that George Shearing gets equal billing as the piano playing makes the song just as much as Nat's vocal. The song was written in 1940 by Lionel Rand and Ian Grant. This is the only version to chart, peaking at number 11.

 

I like all of these tracks, it's amazing to think Helen's career was pretty done as a chart act at 16! Blame The Beatles! All was swept aside in the aftermath. Cindy's Birthday was referenced a lot when Alvin Stardust was setting up My Coo Ca Choo - but Ive never heard it before! My second fave of the 4, ahead of Nat King Cole. I love Nat but never been that fussed about Let There Be Love. Neil Sedaka for me, I loved The Partridge Family identi-cover in 1972 and then also the re-issue hit of Oh Carol, and then he went and did a ballad version in 1975 after his big singer-songwriter successes like Laughter In The Rain :)

Yes, a lot of singers are having their last big hits at this point. It will be interesting to see how chart music evolves in 1963. I did think you would pick the Neil Sedaka song as your favourite.

26th July - 1st August 1962

 

31. Once Upon A Dream - Billy Fury

This is from the film 'Play It Cool' and we have a clip here of Billy singing it in the departure lounge at Gatwick Airport. I recognise the man who played the next door neighbour in the 70s sitcom 'Sykes'. Shane Fenton and Helen Shapiro, who both had new entries last week, also appear elsewhere in the film, playing themselves. The song itself is an unremarkable ballad.

 

Record of the week : 29. Things - Bobby Darin

 

Just the two new entries this week. I'm not a big fan of this song but it's better than the other one. The backing singers contribute quite a lot and I did like rhythm track in the background. This will go all the way up to number 2, Bobby's second single to peak at that position to add to his two number 1s from 1959. Robbie Williams and Showaddywaddy are among the acts to have recorded cover versions of 'Things'.

 

Things is OK, one I've always quite liked but never loved. I didn't know I knew the Billy Fury song till I heard it just now, and it's one I like. Apparently Norrie paramour wrote and produced it - the man who held the record for most number one singles as producer till George Martin overtook him (Norrie did Cliff, Shadows, Helen Shapiro etc). Makes sense I like it as I was in full-on "I love Billy Floory" mode aged 4 :D

2nd - 8th August 1962

 

28. Guitar Tango - The Shadows

A Latin American sound to this one, it's certainly suitable for a tango dance. It's a cover of a French song from 1961 and will give the group another top 5 hit.

33. Gotta See Baby Tonight - Mr Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band

Stranger On The Shore is still in the top 20 after 36 weeks on the chart. In the meantime, Acker Bilk has already seen the follow up single, 'Frankie And Johnny', stall at 42 but this one does a little better. It's his familiar brass jazz sound with some vocals.

38. That Noise - Anthony Newley

A novelty song about an unidentified noise. This will be the last of Anthony's twelve top 40 singles which included two number 1s.

 

Record of the week : 40. Vacation - Connie Francis

 

A lively pop song to herald the start of the summer holidays. The main hook is the word vacation spelt out as letters and there's a good saxophone solo. The single will peak at number 10. It's not quite goodbye to Connie as well. She will have one more hit but we will have to wait until 1965 for that one.

 

Vacation the only one I know here, it's pretty jolly. The Shadows tune is one I turn out to know (as is so often the case with these instrumentals from the early 60s) even though I don't know I know it :lol:

9th - 15th August 1962

 

23. Roses Are Red (My Love) - Ronnie Carroll

A country style ballad. The verses are short so there's time for several choruses. It's the Irish singer's first hit since 1960 so this is the first time I've come across him.

25. Roses Are Red (My Love) - Bobby Vinton

And now we have the original version. It has been number 1 in the US for the last four weeks. I think I prefer this one as his vocal delivery of the song is much better than Ronnie's. It will only peak at number 15 while Ronnie's cover will reach number 3.

 

Record of the week : 32. Sealed With A Kiss - Brian Hyland

 

There's no doubt this week. I've always liked this song. I know it well as it was a top 10 hit in 1975 after being re-issued. It will reach number 3 in its first chart run. The vocals, the song's melody, and the use of several different musical instruments make it a standout. The original version was recorded by The Four Voices in 1960 while Jason Donovan's 1989 cover will go all the way to number 1. This is Brian's second ROTW award. He has one more top 40 single to come this year.

 

Sealed With A Kiss is still a great record and I also got to love it in 1975's long hot summer. Bobby Vinton's version of Roses Are Red is better but his classic wont pop up till 1990 - Blue Velvet should have been a UK hit. Ronnie carroll was most known for Windmill In Old Amsterdam, a Juniors Choice fave for years. "I saw a mouse where, there on the stairs, a little mouse with clogs on, well I declare going clip clippity clop on the stairs". Classic, they dont write em like that anymore... :D

16th - 22nd August 1962

 

26. Dancin' Party - Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker releases a single without the word 'twist' in the title but it is included in the lyrics. It sounds very like 'Under The Moon Of Love' and you could easily sing that over this if you wanted to.

 

Record of the week : 35. Peter And The Wolf - The Clyde Valley Stompers

 

With little opposition, this version of Prokofiev's 'Peter And The Wolf' done in a trad jazz style takes the award. I did find this performance to be entertaining. The group were formed in Glasgow in 1952 but disbanded just a year after this hit the charts. It will peak at number 25 and will be their only top 40 single. The Russian composer wrote the piece in 1936 so it's only 26 years old at this point.

 

Ooh Trad Jazz not for me I'm afraid, had to suffer years of it on TV courtesy Kenny Ball and others, but I do love the original tune. Dancin Party was also a big hit for Showaddywaddy as per Under The Moon Of Love, and I think I prefer Dancin Party of the 2.

23rd - 29th August 1962

 

26. Main Title Theme from 'The Man With The Golden Arm' - Jet Harris

There are some low guitar notes here and good use of the brass and woodwind section. The film was from 1955 so this is a cover version. It's the last of two solo singles for Jet Harris, he will team up with Tony Meehan next year.

27. The Ballad Of Paladin - Duane Eddy

A similar sound to this one which is also a cover of a theme song, in this case, it's the 50s TV show 'Have Gun - Will Travel'. I like the orchestration on this and prefer it to the Jet Harris tune.

29. So Do I - Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen

Some more trad jazz now with vocals. It's an adaptation of a French song from the early 40s called 'Bel Ami'.

33. Welcome Home Baby - The Brook Brothers

The fourth of five hits for the brothers is a decent enough pop song.

38. (Girls Girls Girls) Made To Love - Eddie Hodges https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrTeeTtMtOc I thought I remembered this child singer. He had his first hit about a year ago. This time his father is giving him advice about girls.

 

Record of the week : 21. Pick A Bale Of Cotton - Lonnie Donegan

 

A difficult decision this week as nothing really stands out but I'm going for this one as I enjoyed the tambourine led rhythm and the vocal interaction between Lonnie and the backing singers. Looking through the youtube comments, it seems many Americans remember singing it in elementary school. The song dates back to 1933 with later cover versions like this one changing the lyrics to avoid any racial slurs. Peaking at number 11, it will be Lonnie Donegan's final top 40 hit.

 

Yes, nothing much to praise this week! Have Gun Will Travel was being repeated on Singapore TV in 1969/70 and mum and dad were fans of the show and Richard Boone. I quite liked it too. Duane Eddy is always OK by me.

 

Bel Ami has a different thing spring to mind in the gay world, but it's Kenny Ball so I'll give it a miss oops!

 

Eddie Hodges will be referenced by Little Jimmy Osmond's cover in 1974, but not this song sadly. I rather enjoy I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door.

 

Pick A Bail Of Cotton, of course it goes without saying, will never be bettered by anyone as ABBA recorded it as part of a medley B side. yes, Abba did a cover version. That sounds like I've made it up, but I haven't! I bought it, I played it a lot, I danced around in my bedroom to it. At least until the On Top Of Old Smokey bit comes in. I wish they'd stuck it into the Voyage show just to watch everyone's jaw hit the floor :lol:

 

 

I've just had a listen to Abba's version and yes, it's a good one. :)

30th August - 5th September 1962

 

27. Some People - Carol Deene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1u8KNUot0I The last of Carol's three top 40 hits is about the negative perception of some older people towards the younger generation. It's a cover of the theme song from the film of the same name. Her vocal here is a bit ragged and the recorder was a bit annoying.

34. She's Not You - Elvis Presley

This will another number 1 single for Elvis but not one I like so he's still waiting for his first ROTW award.

36. Will I What? - Mike Sarne with Billie Davis

Mike Sarne's follow up to his number 1 has a similar theme to it. Once again, he's trying to chat up a cockney sounding girl who finally gives in after some early reluctance. This one will only get to number 18. Billie Davis will have some hit singles of her own to come.

38. What Now My Love? - Shirley Bassey

A cover of a French song from 1961 based on Ravel's Bolero. As you'd expect from Shirley, it's powerful vocals and a big orchestral production.

 

Record of the week : 31. Spanish Harlem - Jimmy Justice

 

It's the original 1960 version by Ben E King that I know well but that one was never a hit in the UK, and this one has a very similar arrangement and the lead vocal is almost as good so it wins the award. The song was written by Jerry Lieber and Phil Spector. This will be the last of three hit singles for Jimmy Justice who is still alive.