#35 Tony Brent - Got You On My Mind

 

Debut: 29 January 1953

Peak: 12

WoC: 1

Chart Run: 12

 

 

Tony Brent’s 3rd hit on the UK singles chart in less than 3 months, but also his last appearance until 1956’s Cindy Oh Cindy. Can't say I'm particular in mourning of that fact. A nice enough tune but solely that- but also more importantly on my end there's not a great deal of info about a fair few of his hits! He was born Reginald Bretagne but chose to change his name for his recordings, somebody else with the same first name did that many years later didn't they. Can't think who?

Edited November 20, 20213 yr by chartfridays

#36 Eddie Fisher - Everything I Have Is Yours

 

Debut: 29 January 1953

Peak: 8

WoC: 5

Chart Run: 12 (B) - 8-9-11-10

 

 

Another hit song for Eddie Fisher, and another beautiful one at that. It was also a minor hit in the US peaking at #23. The pop standard dates back to 1933 and was originally song by Art Jannet in Dancing Lady - a pre-Code film featuring Fred Astaire. The music was written by Bunton Lane and lyrics by Harold Adamson.

Not a fan of either of those, Elton Brent would have been a better name :lol:

 

Eddie Fisher, I mean, how many successful marriages can a crooner have?! Loads apparently! Hooked actresses Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Connie Stevens among several. They probably all heard this record...

Not a fan of either of those, Elton Brent would have been a better name :lol:

 

Eddie Fisher, I mean, how many successful marriages can a crooner have?! Loads apparently! Hooked actresses Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Connie Stevens among several. They probably all heard this record...

 

Surely definition at least one of your marriages is unsuccessful if you have more than one. Seems Eddie was quite the lothario. I hadn't actually clocked him being Carrie Fisher's dad though until you mentioned Debbie Reynolds.

Surely definition at least one of your marriages is unsuccessful if you have more than one. Seems Eddie was quite the lothario. I hadn't actually clocked him being Carrie Fisher's dad though until you mentioned Debbie Reynolds.

 

Yes, you're right, it's a steal from dame Edna Everage/Barry Humphries who once asked Zsa Zsa Gabor or someone famous how it felt to have so many successful marriages. When you write it needs 'successful' but not when you say it :lol:

Yes, you're right, it's a steal from dame Edna Everage/Barry Humphries who once asked Zsa Zsa Gabor or someone famous how it felt to have so many successful marriages. When you write it needs 'successful' but not when you say it :lol:

 

Ah fair enough. Happens not to be one I'd heard of.

 

#37 Now by Al Martino

 

Debut: 5 February 1953

Peak: #3

WoC: 12

Chart Run: 10-9-7-6-4-5-4-3-5-3-4-8

 

 

Now we move onto one of a number of slightly less successful hits from the man who gave us the UK's first number one. It was however still a pretty decent success clocking in at 12 consecutive weeks on the chart and peaking at #3. Released after Al Martino had moved to Britain to get away from people he described as 'bad guys' who claimed he owed them thousands of pounds - American mafia men - who were demanding a safeguarding payment from, it's notable along with several more of hits from this era for not charting in the US. It would be 1959 before he was able to move back to America after negotiating a deal - allegedly without paying the supposed debt. He took full advantage of his British popularity and notability of being the first person to have hit on the chart to record and tour in the UK throughout the 50s

Edited November 22, 20213 yr by chartfridays

#38 Broken Wings by The Stargazers/b]

 

Debut: 19 February 1959

Peak: 01

WoC: 12

Chart Run: 11 (B) 12-7-6-7-8-2-1-3-6-8-12

 

 

The first of 3 UK #1 songs for The Stargazers and 9 #UK Top 40s. I absolutely loathe these guys so don't expect gushing write ups/detailed ones for the utter trash they've subjected me to listen to in researching this thread. Worryingly this is one of their better tunes. Whatever the record buying public were smoking in the early 50s I'd like some...

Edited November 23, 20213 yr by chartfridays

Looking forward to your review of I See The Moon :puke2: :lol:

#39 - Broken Wings by Art and Dotty Todd

 

Debut: 13 February 1953

Peak: #6

WoC: 7

Chart Run: 12-7-6-6-7-10-11

 

 

That's better. What a lovely version of this song. I can't help but wish I'd heard this before the Stargazers ruination of it. These guys unfortunately would only have this hit in the UK, there 1958 version of Chanson D'Amour not crossing the Atlantic despite good performance in the US. It did make the Melody Maker top 20 but that wasn't adopted by the OCC when the decisions were eventually made decades later so won't feature here.

#40 - Guy Mitchell - She Wears Red Feathers

 

Debut: 19 February 1953

Peak: #1

WoC: 16

Chart Run: 10-5-3-2-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-3-6-7-12 (B) 12

 

 

This isn't a song that's aged particularly well - although it has a nice enough tune. It would knock Perry Como's Don't Let the Star Get In Your Eyes off of the top spot becoming the 6th No 1 song on the UK singles chart, it would be knocked off after 4 weeks by Broken Wings by The Stargazers which thankfully limited itself to being a one week wonder. It's another in a line of hits written by Bob Merrill.

She Wears Red Feathers is the first embarrassingly bad No 1. Good to remember that the top of the charts has never had a stinker free era.

I never knew that stuff about Al martino moving to the UK - that explains why he was still rated in the 70's when Spanish Eyes was a biggie. I agree about the Broken Wings Art & Dottie track, best of this bunch. The only one Ive heard is Guy Mitchell and he did better records later on.

I never knew that stuff about Al martino moving to the UK - that explains why he was still rated in the 70's when Spanish Eyes was a biggie. I agree about the Broken Wings Art & Dottie track, best of this bunch. The only one Ive heard is Guy Mitchell and he did better records later on.

 

Yeah I didn't know much about it until I researched it. I knew he'd lived here for a bit but hadn't realised why.

 

Anyway another version of Broken Wings to wrap your ears around.

 

#41 Broken Wings by Dickie Valentine

 

Debut: 26 February 1953

Peak: 12

WoC: 1

Chart Run: 12

 

 

A one week wonder languishing at #12 for Dickie Valentine gives him the first in his line of top 40 hits - 12 in total throughout the 1950s - including two number ones (The Finger of Suspicion with the aforementioned Stargazers and The Christmas Alphabet). He sang with the Ted Heath band through 1952 and 1953 and then went fully solo in 1954 on the back of his first hits.

Edited November 26, 20213 yr by chartfridays

#42 - Danny Kaye - Wonderful Copenhagen

 

Debut: 5 March 1953

Peak: 5

WoC: 10

Chart Run: 7-9-8-6-6-6-5-6-8-10

 

 

This ode to drinking in Copenhagen becomes Danny Kaye's solitary UK Top 40 hit. He was much more famous the other side of the atlantic for his novelty songs and his acting career but this crossed over for some reason.

Edited November 27, 20213 yr by chartfridays

#42 - Joni James - Why Don't You Believe Me?

 

Debut: 12 March 1953

Peak: 1

WoC: 1

Chart Run: 11

 

 

The first of 2 UK Top 40 songs for Joni James, the second coming in 1959. Why Don't You Believe Me? would send a solitary week on the UK Chart languishing in 11th place on the 12th March 1953.

 

 

*As an aside I'm getting a bit confused over the dates here, if anyone can help? The OCC site has this listed under 12th March and my reference book has it listed as 6th March - I take it the first is week end/the second is week beginning? I've only just noticed the discrepency between the two sources for some reason. She'd have a much more succesful career in the US with seven Top 10 hits. The confusing bit is they both have 14th as the started date?

Edited November 28, 20213 yr by chartfridays

Yeah the OCC always use the week ending date which I find really counter-intuitive. Your book shows the date the chart was published.

Yeah the OCC always use the week ending date which I find really counter-intuitive. Your book shows the date the chart was published.

 

Ah! Thanks a lot, that makes more sense. :)

#43 - Dickie Valentine - All the Time and Everywhere

 

Debut: 19 March 1953 / 13 March 1953*

Peak: 09

WoC: 3

Chart Run: 12-9-10

 

 

And we move swiftly on to the second of Dickie Valentine's fourteen Top 40 tunes. This is a beautiful one it has to be said, heartfelt lyrics sung by a lovely singer with great music.

 

*Will be using both given dates from now on for ease. First is OCC website date, second OCC books date.

 

 

#45 - Lita Roza - (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window

 

Debut: 19 March 1953 / 13 March 1953

Peak: 01

WoC: 11

Chart Run: 9-3-3-4-2-1-3-4-5-7-9

 

 

The first of two versions of this classic song to chart in 1953 - this one being a cover of the other by Patti Page, This version by Lita Roza was the more successful of the two hitting No 1 for a single week (17 April 1953), making her the first British solo artist to top the chart. Apparently Roza hated the song, so much so that she never performed it live. She would appear in three separate UK heats of the Eurovision song contest in the late 1957, 1959 and 1960.

Edited December 7, 20213 yr by ChristmasFridays