Just poking my head in to see if we’ve reached the 80s yet… and then leaving again ^_^

Haha I’m keeping the topic sub-header up to date just for you!

 

See you in late 2024 maybe. x

On the subject of Lucille by The Every Bros, I watched the excellent Little Richard Documentary on BBC 2 last night.

 

I was obsessed with 60s music in the 90s partly down to Britpop and also the excellent Encyclopedia Of Hits by Dave McAleer, which covers all the UK & US top ten hits of the decade.

I've Heard alot of the big hits but still not everything as yet, so hats off to you Julian T for reviewing them all!

Edited April 23, 20232 yr by fiesta

The Twist is a classic, but I dont recall ever hearing it until the 1975 double A reissue smash - Let's Twist Again was the UK smash and the main reason it was a hit again in 75, after a hit cover by a DJ John Asher. I actually prob know the Fat Boys cover better :o B-) The Fat Boys also covered a Ventures hit - Wipeout, with The Beach Boys, that song is a surf classic. Walk Don't Run is also great.

 

Dont know that Cliff track! Billy Fury's Wondrous Place has made my charts a few times, in 1983 when he did a new version, and most recently on a revamp of the original. It's probably his 2nd best record, it's great. Don;t know the Adam faith song either! The Everly's cover I was never fussed about, but my other fave in this bunch is Let's Think About Living which is still fun - shame some later death discs ignored the advice - though not classics like Eleanor Rigby and Leader of The Pack!

 

 

I've learned that a chain gang is a group of prisoners manacled together and forced to do menial tasks. Sam Cooke wrote a great song about it and gets his third win today.

 

8 Sam Cooke Chain Gang Inspired by a meeting with a chain gang of prisoners while on tour and it really gives the feel of never ending work - great song

8 Eddie Cochran Sweetie Pie A small hit and quite simple but I love it - I think it's the hummed hook that really draws me in; quite hypnotic

8 Buddy Holly Learnin' The Game Another beautifully simple sad song and incredibly emotionally mature and intimate performance from Buddy

7 Russ Conway Passing Breeze Not a very big hit but I think it's my favourite of Russ's to date - a beautiful bluesy melody with a gentle orchestral accompaniment

7 Johnny Burnette Dreamin' First hit for this American rockabilly singer - it's a lovely lyrical and indeed dreamy melody shared between the vocals and violins

7 Johnny And The Hurricanes Rocking Goose Well it's a goose alright - the sax quacks obnoxiously all the way through and somehow it's great fun and not irritating

6 Johnny Kidd And The Pirates Restless Similar in style to "Shakin' All Over" and doesn't have that killer melody but still has delightful guitar action and great vocals

6 Johnny Mathis My Love For You A slow, classy ballad with beautiful smooth vocals and violin accompaniment and a twinkling piano line - very nice

5 Don Costa And His Orchestra And Chorus Never On Sunday An instrumental verison of this song with a Meditteranean feel but with a choir singing much of the melody very nicely to "ah"

4 Garry Mills Top Teen Baby Another song with the subtle implication that a girl is past it at 20, but quite a pleasant and catchy tune

3 Manuel And The Music Of The Mountains Never On Sunday Another instrumental version of this but without the choir and think it just falls a bit flat - there isn't enough light and shade

3 The Viscounts Short'nin' Bread An old African American folk number and there's nothing wrong with the arrangement but find it quite an annoying repetitive song

2 Makadopolous And His Greek Serenaders Never On Sunday Yet another instrumental of this - find this one takes too long to get going and the choir singing to "la" isn't used so effectively

2 Brian Hyland Four Little Heels (The Clickety Clack Song) Quite a silly song really with not much lyrical or musical substance, although the clickety clack effect with the drums is quite fun

 

 

1960 Group 15:

 

#1266 22/10/1960 Brenda Lee I Want To Be Wanted 31 43-{31}-33-50-45-46->6

#1267 22/10/1960 Lynn Cornell Never On Sunday 30 50-{30}-37-49-37-36-32-31-39->9

#1268 29/10/1960 Frankie Vaughan Milord 34 38-{34}-38-38-39-48->6

#1269 29/10/1960 Charlie Drake Mr Custer 12 46-25-17-14-{12}-14-16-22-18-23-22-29->12

#1270 29/10/1960 Bert Weedon Sorry Robbie 28 47-40-30-34-{28}-29-29-47-49-48-49->11

#1271 29/10/1960 Roy Orbison Blue Angel 11 49-29-22-20-17-15-17-12-{11}-19-19-15-14-23-27-48->16

#1272 05/11/1960 Elvis Presley It's Now Or Never 1 {1}-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-6-4-7-11-13-18-25-34-37-50->19

#1273 05/11/1960 Connie Francis My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own 3 28-12-6-{3}-7-10-11-13-10-15-19-33-40-43-50->15

#1274 05/11/1960 The Drifters Save The Last Dance For Me 2 39-21-8-6-{2}-2-2-3-5-2-3-5-8-14-13-30-38-50->18

#1275 05/11/1960 Bill Black's Combo Don't Be Cruel 32 46-34-{32}-50-33-44-49->7

#1276 12/11/1960 The Shadows Man Of Mystery/The Stranger 5 25-7-7-{5}-5-7-9-9-13-7-8-26-28-49-42->15

#1277 12/11/1960 Duane Eddy Kommotion 13 28-16-{13}-19-20-25-26-45-31-48->10

#1278 12/11/1960 Peter Sellers And Sophia Loren Goodness Gracious Me 4 31-18-8-{4}-7-6-8-13-7-6-10-20-25-30->14

#1279 12/11/1960 Nat 'King' Cole Just As Much As Ever 18 41-24-{18}-20-23-21-21-22-25-34->10

 

 

Chain Gang is a goodie, though the best Chain Gang-referring song is Back On The Chain Gang Chrissie Hynde's Pretenders hit following the suicide of 2 of the original line-up of the band. Nor quite the original meaning, granted.

 

Dreamin' is prob my fave of this week, just a good pop song. Rocking Goose is OK, Shortnin' Bread is one of those songs that always annoyed me, and Never On Sunday is a tune I've always liked, from the award-winning film about a Greek hooker with a heart of gold. Oddly I've never really known which version of it is the one I know and like, so I expect it's the film version, nana Mouskouri's or Lynn Cornell's English version :D

1960 continues to deliver, with 2 more 9-worthy songs today but the beautiful “Blue Angel” edges out the better known Drifters song for me. I wonder how many daily wins Roy is going to get from me.

 

9 Roy Orbison Blue Angel An agonising #11 peaking run, but a beautiful song with quite an ethereal feel and great vocal performance from Roy

9 The Drifters Save The Last Dance For Me Very much a classic from this American doo-wop group - a strong simple melody and lyrical message excellently led by Ben E King

8 The Shadows Man Of Mystery/The Stranger "Apache" can't have been easy to follow up but a fine double A side here; "Man Of Mystery" is a great tune with a relentless rhythm

7 Duane Eddy Kommotion A really interesting one as you have guitars in the foreground twanging away set against smooth violins in the background

7 Lynn Cornell Never On Sunday Indeed this is so much better as an actual song rather than an instrumental - lovely tune with a Mediterranean accompaniment

7 Peter Sellers And Sophia Loren Goodness Gracious Me "Boom boo di boom" - novelty songs don't usually get good reviews from me but I find this genuinely funny and a really good tune

6 Brenda Lee I Want To Be Wanted I'm impressed at how much emotion Brenda packs into her songs - there's a real wailing sense of loneliness here; great performance

6 Elvis Presley It's Now Or Never 109th #1, the first to debut there and the 9th biggest seller of the 60s; still very good but all I can think of is "just one Cornetto"

5 Connie Francis My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own The usual Connie striking heartfelt multi-tracked singing with a lilting slightly country style melody, but nothing new really

5 Bert Weedon Sorry Robbie A pleasant couple of minutes of tuneful twanging with saxes jointing for the second half, but nothing more than nice

4 Nat 'King' Cole Just As Much As Ever Nat has stunning songs and others that are still very well sung and classy but also slightly dull, and this is the latter

3 Bill Black's Combo Don't Be Cruel An instrumental cover of Elvis and not even one of his more memorable hits - sounds perfectly fine but I don't get it

2 Charlie Drake Mr Custer I have to give this some credit for ingenuity and the chanting is quite fun, but otherwise it's fairly unpleasant military novelty song

2 Frankie Vaughan Milord Edith's beautiful work of art definitely didn't need this goofy lightweight English cover with a gung ho backing chorus

 

 

 

1960 Group 16:

 

#1280 12/11/1960 Mark Wynter Kickin' Up The Leaves 24 48-31-26-{24}-25-27-39-30-32-42->10

#1281 19/11/1960 Nina And Frederik Little Donkey 3 30-16-8-{3}-9-6-4-8-17-41->10

#1282 19/11/1960 Adam Faith Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop) 4 40-27-21-18-10-{4}-7-4-12-28-36->11

#1283 26/11/1960 Frank Sinatra Ol' MacDonald 11 30-16-{11}-14-19-20-20-30->8

#1284 26/11/1960 Lonnie Donegan Lively 13 34-18-{13}-19-17-15-14-26-49->9

#1285 26/11/1960 Anthony Newley Strawberry Fair 3 43-12-8-{3}-7-3-5-9-12-34-48->11

#1286 26/11/1960 Russ Conway Even More Party Pops 27 48-36-46-29-32-{27}-28-32-37->9

#1287 03/12/1960 Cliff Richard And The Shadows I Love You 1 23-4-4-2-{1}-1-2-2-6-8-12-16-26-32-37-48->16

#1288 03/12/1960 Max Harris Gurney Slade 11 35-19-13-12-{11}-16-18-27-35-44->10

#1289 03/12/1960 Johnny Tillotson Poetry In Motion 1 37-22-8-5-6-3-{1}-1-2-3-3-10-15-30-35->15

#1290 03/12/1960 The Ventures Perfidia 4 38-27-16-15-12-9-10-{4}-7-17-21-27-37->13

#1291 03/12/1960 Ray Charles Georgia On My Mind 24 47-{24}R(2)-28-29-34-35-44-49->8

#1292 10/12/1960 Emile Ford And The Checkmates Counting Teardrops 4 33-23-20-14-11-11-6-{4}-7-8-15-21->12

#1293 10/12/1960 Johnny Preston Charming Billy 34 {34}-42R(2)-46->3

We're approaching the festive season and as often happens the quality suffers a bit, but still some good ones here.

 

9 Johnny Tillotson Poetry In Motion 111th #1: I think this is such a beautiful tune and I love the way it flows between the vocal line, the backing vocals and the sax

8 Adam Faith Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop) For me this is up there with the Christmas classics and should be played more often - great tune and a cute little story

7 The Ventures Perfidia Similar to "Walk, Don't Run" with the way the twangy melody is presented above the other guitar backing lines; also very good

7 Johnny Preston Charming Billy Charming indeed - a traditional style rock 'n' roll song but has a really good build to it and he performs it with swag

7 Ray Charles Georgia On My Mind Debut hit for Ray and he has better to come but this is a very classy, tender and romantic jazzy ballad

6 Max Harris Gurney Slade Theme music for an Anthony Newley TV series and only hit for this British composer; a very nice jazzy piece led by flute and piano

5 Mark Wynter Kickin' Up The Leaves A sweet and wistful Autumnal ballad and nice contrasts between the twanging guitar and the fluttering flute in the background

5 Emile Ford And The Checkmates Counting Teardrops Bigger than their last couple of hits and it is a catchier number delivered in their usual style; nothing extraordinary

4 Nina And Frederik Little Donkey A sweet duet style recording of this with nice harmonies, though rather twee and doesn't really bring anything unique to the song

3 Russ Conway Even More Party Pops Gosh how many have there been in this party pops series now - it's the usual format and really nothing original

2 Cliff Richard And The Shadows I Love You 110th #1: this is just so chronically drippy - "Everyone knows one and one is two" and that is what I am giving you

2 Lonnie Donegan Lively This is in the "My Old Man's A Dustman" style of Lonnie songs with bad slapstick humour - a chore to listen to all in all

2 Anthony Newley Strawberry Fair An adaptation of an old folk song but for some reason I find it terribly irritating - I think it's his goofy Bygraves style delivery

1 Frank Sinatra Ol' MacDonald "And on this farm there was a chick - the prettiest chick I know": I see what you did there Frank but it's utterly daft

 

 

1960 Group 17:

 

#1294 10/12/1960 John Barry Seven Black Stockings 27 43-33-44-37-45-{27}-31-38-35->9

#1295 10/12/1960 Lonnie Donegan Virgin Mary 27 47-30-{27}-32-40->5

#1296 10/12/1960 Mr Acker Bilk And His Paramount Jazz Band Buona Sera 7 48-36-38-31-30-14-18-9-10-9-{7}-11-17-20-30-35-47-46->18

#1297 17/12/1960 The Everly Brothers Like Strangers 11 31-30-24-18-16-{11}-13-16-31-40->10

#1298 17/12/1960 Bobby Rydell Sway 12 32-29-28-24-13-17-{12}-15-17-23-29-39-49->13

#1299 17/12/1960 Andy Stewart Donald Where's Your Troosers? 37 {37}->1

#1300 17/12/1960 Matt Monro Portrait Of My Love 3 40-22-16-12-5-{3}-3-5-6-11-12-15-21-45-48-45->16

#1301 24/12/1960 Marty Wilde Little Girl 16 31-26-29-20-{16}-17-29-24-32->9

#1302 24/12/1960 Frank D'Rone Strawberry Blonde (The Band Rocked On) 24 34-34-33-{24}-29-31->6

#1303 24/12/1960 Harry Simeone Chorale Onward Christian Soldiers 35 {35}-38R(2)->2

#1304 24/12/1960 Roy Castle Little White Berry 40 {40}-41-43->3

#1305 24/12/1960 Al Saxon Blue-Eyed Boy 39 48-{39}->2

#1306 31/12/1960 Tommy Steele It Must Be Santa 40 {40}->1

#1307 31/12/1960 Sarah Vaughan Let's/Serenata 37 43-{37}-44-47R(3)->4

 

 

Big batch here, and I'll go with Blue Angel and Drifters too, always liked Save The Last dance for me, one of those toons that seemed to be there simmering in the background without being up front. As usual I didnt know I knew the Shadows song, but just played it and yes it's a goodie, very familiar to me, just didnt know the title. Duane Eddy's is OK, and Lynn Cornell will be popping up in the 70's as a member of The Pearls.

 

My number 1 of that week, if I'd been doing them, would have been Goodness Gracious Me, an early obsession for me, mad on that tune and the boom-buddy-boom from film star Sophia Loren was fab. Not going to get radio play these days obviously but I still love it. From a film. Brenda Lee always good, Elvis was another early fave, and I still like it but it's not up with his greatest tracks. The rest I dont know, except Mr Custer which was never a fave of mine. Charlie Drake was when I was very young, but by the time I got to 12 he was excruciating.

 

 

Poetry In Motion is a top pop tune still, never really noticed that Adam Faith track! Perfidia I thought I didnt know and I'm wrong yet again, I know it very well, so many instrumentals from that era I need to have on a CD! Same goes for Gurney Slade, playing it now and I know it! I must say I'm amazed at how many tunes my pre-school me was absorbing from TV and radio - it really doesn't seem like I havent heard this for decades but I'm pretty sure that must be the case as I'm not aware of it. very nice jazzy tune. :o

 

My top track is totally Georgia On My Mind here though, it's a standard of movies and TV slots, so evocative, and one I've come to more in the 21st century than the 20th century. I dont know the rest except Little Donkey, which I can take or leave, ditto Cliff, and agree about the Newley/Sinatra tracks, I just never got that style of annoying jazzcroon.

It really feels like we're sweeping up the dregs of 1960 here, though there are a few nice festive season hits

 

7 Mr Acker Bilk And His Paramount Jazz Band Buona Sera We had the original of this in 1958 but really like this version with the jazzy instrumental followed by vocals in the second half

7 John Barry Seven Black Stockings Really enjoy this instrumetnal - very strong guitar melody and then some lovely backing choral aahs and violins

6 Sarah Vaughan Let's/Serenata The most beautiful voice and both sides of this are soulful songs - listening to them back to back is like being at a lovely jazz gig

6 Bobby Rydell Sway Not sure how this came to be covered 6 years late, and it's very pleasant but don't think it brings anything new to the song

5 Matt Monro Portrait Of My Love The first hit for this English baritone and the biggest in this group; very much in the pleasant but not thrilling category for me

5 Frank D'Rone Strawberry Blonde (The Band Rocked On) Only hit for this American jazz singer and it's a jolly and charming one; like the relentless "pa-pa-ya" from the backing singers

5 Roy Castle Little White Berry Also the only hit for this British comedian - fun little festive song though you definitely don't need a little white berry at Christmas

4 Tommy Steele It Must Be Santa Cover of a Mitch Miller song relased a month before - it's a really good song but I just can't get on with the out of tune children

4 The Everly Brothers Like Strangers Has the usual Everlys nice harmonies and a good beat and instrumental but it's a bit saccharine - not too keen on this overall

3 Al Saxon Blue-Eyed Boy A fairly decent number with jazzy rhythms although feels like it goes on a bit and the melody isn't really hummable

3 Marty Wilde Little Girl Hooray another children's choir, which doesn't seem very suitable for a romantic song, and I don't care for the song espeically

3 Andy Stewart Donald Where's Your Troosers? This will come back and be much bigger in 1989 - quite fun I guess but just the same few lines over and over in a Scottish accent

2 Harry Simeone Chorale Onward Christian Soldiers This arrangement of the old hymn has a quiet children's verse followed by a loud triumphal full choir; nicely done but not my thing

2 Lonnie Donegan Virgin Mary One of those songs you would do at Sunday School as a child - harmonies quite nice but not a great seasonal offering from Lonnie

 

 

.

It's a complete "never 'eard of 'em" from me except the godawful Donald Where's Your Trousers, so bad it came back to haunt me again in the 80s. Also Portrait Of My Love, a little dreary for me then and now. Buena Sera is a nice tune, Acker's is fine, though my heart is still with Bad Manners' ska version. Just playing John Barry's I like that one too, but dont know it. I like the strings and choral bits, nicely OTT.

 

 

And so the first year of the 60s is done! Average score was 5.37 which is one of the highest so far.

 

Gold medal: Theme From 'A Summer Place'- Percy Faith

 

Silver medal: Only The Lonely - Roy Orbison

 

Bronze Medal: True Love Ways - Buddy Holly

 

14 other songs received 9s:

Wonderful World - Sam Cooke

He'll Have To Go - Jim Reeves

The Twist - Chubby Checker

Handy Man - Jimmy Jones

Poetry In Motion - Johnny Tillotson

Blue Angel - Roy Orbison

Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd And The Pirates

Misty - Johnny Mathis

Walk, Don't Run - The Ventures

La Mer (Beyond The Sea) - Bobby Darin

Everybody's Somebody's Fool - Connie Francis

Apache - The Shadows

Summer Set - Mr Acker Bilk And His Paramount Jazz Band

Save The Last Dance For Me - The Drifters

 

Worst hit of the year: Teen Angel - Mark Dinning

 

1961 Group 1:

 

#1308 07/01/1961 Tony Bennett Till 35 {35}-41->2

#1309 07/01/1961 Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs Stay 14 36-25-15-{14}-18-15-28-27-38->9

#1310 07/01/1961 Fats Domino My Girl Josephine 32 47-40-{32}-48->4

#1311 14/01/1961 The King Brothers Doll House 21 28-25-{21}-24-26-33-36-33->8

#1312 14/01/1961 Duane Eddy Pepe 2 31-9-5-{2}-5-5-9-13-17-24-29-30-34-48->14

#1313 14/01/1961 Rhet Stoller Chariot 26 33-{26}-33-34-35-49-46-49->8

#1314 14/01/1961 Danny Rivers Can't You Hear My Heart 36 {36}-43-50->3

#1315 14/01/1961 Peter Sellers And Sophia Loren Bangers And Mash 22 37-{22}-30-36-37->5

#1316 14/01/1961 Johnny Burnette You're Sixteen 3 38-20-10-6-4-{3}-4-9-13-19-30-38->12

#1317 14/01/1961 Connie Francis Many Tears Ago 12 39-24-15-{12}-20-19-18-28-38->9

#1318 14/01/1961 Andy Stewart A Scottish Soldier 19 46-21-{19}-26-27-26-28-29-29-26-34-32-27-34-39-31-26-25-32-29-29-34-37-29-29-30-31-31-32-29-19-24-26-24-25-27-28-43-45R(2)-43->40

#1319 14/01/1961 The Piltdown Men Piltdown Rides Again 14 50-34-22-21-16-{14}-17-20-26-32->10

#1320 21/01/1961 Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight? 1 19-{1}-1-1-1-2-3-7-13-16-18-21-28-26-44->15

#1321 21/01/1961 Russ Conway Pepe 19 23-25-22-{19}-22-23-31-36-34->9

#1322 21/01/1961 Billy Fury A Thousand Stars 14 30-28-20-{14}-20-20-25-28-35-46->10

 

 

I didn’t realise ‘Lonely Pup’ was released as late as 1960, but yeh that and Little Donkey are classics!

It's quite close at the top in this group for me but there's something very charming about the Billy Fury song so giving that the nod.

 

8 Billy Fury A Thousand Stars My favourite of Fury's so far - a very sweet and straightforwardly emotional little ballad with a twinkly piano riff

8 Elvis Presley Are You Lonesome Tonight? 112th #1: Elvis on form here - really great performance and not generally a fan of spoken verses but he really drives this one home

8 Duane Eddy Pepe His second #2 hit which is a cover of a song written for a film of the same name - a great tune and works perfectly with his style

7 Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs Stay The only hit for this American doo wop group and it's a very nice sultry song excellently sung, especially the falsetto parts

7 Rhet Stoller Chariot Only hit for this English guitarist - a lovely twangy instrumental that gives a sense of a chariot ride indeed

6 Danny Rivers Can't You Hear My Heart Another one hit artist from Liverpool - a very good fairly typical song of the day with twanging, clapping and "ah"s

6 Andy Stewart A Scottish Soldier What an epic chart run here and a very nice old folk tune; much better than "Donald...", though the death verse is a bit laboured

5 Connie Francis Many Tears Ago Usual Connie style with strong emotive vocals in a slightly country style, but the tune doesn't really stand out

5 The King Brothers Doll House A pretty good tune, although telling someone you'll build them a doll's house if they marry you might not go down so well now

4 Fats Domino My Girl Josephine Another of Fats' that's technically good but doesn't quite get off the ground for me; just his usual style and all on one level

4 Russ Conway Pepe The same tune as the Duane Eddy hit but on the piano of course - a perfectly pleasant listen but doesn't feel too necessary

3 Johnny Burnette You're Sixteen So many songs about being sixteen in this period - a big hit and not a bad tune but it's all a bit smug and I can't really enjoy it

3 Tony Bennett Till I feel like we could quite happily have left Tony in the 50s - it's a slow crooner style ballad with some melodious bits but not great

2 The Piltdown Men Piltdown Rides Again It's the William Tell overture but done with squawking saxophones - really can't see the point of it

1 Peter Sellers And Sophia Loren Bangers And Mash Unlike the rather masterful "Goodness Gracious Me" this is business as usual for a novelty song - meaning it's awful and grating

 

 

1961 Group 2:

 

#1323 21/01/1961 U.S. Bonds New Orleans 16 35-43-32-23-17-{16}-23-25-25-39-41->11

#1324 21/01/1961 Johnny Horton North To Alaska 23 39-32-{23}-32-39-43-41-39-40-43-43->11

#1325 21/01/1961 The Olympics I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate 40 {40}->1

#1326 21/01/1961 Bobby Vee Rubber Ball 4 45-24-9-7-{4}-7-11-15-22-33-40->11

#1327 21/01/1961 Brenda Lee Let's Jump The Broomstick 12 50-42-37-33-21-19-14-{12}-15-18-19-22-30-36-42->15

#1328 28/01/1961 Marty Wilde Rubber Ball 9 16-11-11-{9}-13-19-34-41-49->9

#1329 28/01/1961 Petula Clark Sailor 1 18-4-2-2-{1}-2-3-11-10-16-20-23-31-34-46->15

#1330 28/01/1961 Anne Shelton Sailor 10 27-19-{10}-12-14-22-31-49->8

#1331 28/01/1961 The Avons Rubber Ball 30 37-{30}-42-47->4

#1332 28/01/1961 Jess Conrad Mystery Girl 18 44-46R(2)-31-25-{18}-23-29-32-50-48->10

#1333 28/01/1961 Joe Brown Shine 33 45-{33}-36-36-33-42->6

#1334 28/01/1961 Wanda Jackson Mean, Mean Man 40 46-{40}R(2)-48->3

#1335 28/01/1961 Buddy Holly What To Do 34 47-41-{34}-35-40-44->6

#1336 04/02/1961 Ben E King First Taste Of Love 27 40-38-29-32-{27}-32-36-36-37-39-50->11

#1337 04/02/1961 Bert Weedon Ginchy 35 45-39-37-{35}-46->5

 

I'd aslo go for Billy, Elvis, and Stay - though I know it better by The Hollies and Jackson browne.

 

Chariot's quite jolly, A Scottish Solider is OK, and 2 big faves down the bottom end - for other acts. Ringo did the best version of You're Sixteen, by far, Johnny Burnette's is OK (let's gloss over Ringo being about 33 when he recorded it :lol: ) and Till - Tom Jones had a huge hit with it and wrought every ounce of emotion out of the huge finale.

Another group with no obvious winner but this one from Bert Weedon stands out for me.

 

8 Bert Weedon Ginchy A really sultry and moody instrumental with a guitar led opening and then the flute gives it a whole new dimension - brilliant

8 Buddy Holly What To Do Not one of his best known but another lovely Buddy song - quite a simple ballad but the sadness really comes across beautifully

7 U.S. Bonds New Orleans An American soul singer - reminds me of Little Richard in style with the call and response and raw feeling to the vocals

7 Jess Conrad Mystery Girl By far the biggest hit for this English actor and singer - it's quite Elvis-like with the "uh huh huh" feel, but I think it's a great song

7 Petula Clark Sailor 113th #1: originally a German song but gave Petula international success - a slightly old fashioned song but a lovely warm one

6 Joe Brown Shine He'll have bigger to come but a very nice rock 'n' roll number - really enjoy the "yip yip" backing, the drum rolls and the guitar solo

6 Bobby Vee Rubber Ball First hit for Bobby and he has better to come but this is a catchy number with good interplay between the lead and backing vocals

6 Ben E King First Taste Of Love Our first taste of this American RnB singer and a nice soulful number; reminds me rather of "Save The Last Dance For Me"

5 Wanda Jackson Mean, Mean Man Her second and last hit which is a shame as it's a breath of fresh air to hear a raspy rocky female star; decent song

5 Brenda Lee Let's Jump The Broomstick Like Wanda she has a bit of an edge to her voice on this - also has a rock 'n' roll feel and bounces along nicely; if slightly repetitive

5 Johnny Horton North To Alaska Second and final hit for this US country star and I much prefer this to the other - a good tune delivered by a rich baritone voice

4 The Olympics I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate All about shimmying - again much prefer this to the other hit for the American doo wop group, "Western Movies", but don't love it

4 Anne Shelton Sailor Not a bad version but doesn't work anywhere near as well as Petula's for me - the tempo is lazier and it all feels a bit indifferent

3 The Avons Rubber Ball We have 2 rather unnecessary covers of this here - think this one is slightly preferable as it's slightly crisper with a brisker tempo

3 Marty Wilde Rubber Ball "Bouncy bouncy, bouncy bouncy" - if you hear this song too many times as I now have it may make you feel a little queasy

 

 

1961 Group 3:

 

#1338 04/02/1961 Neil Sedaka Calendar Girl 8 46-29-24-10-{8}-9-12-15-17-24-21-32-41-44->14

#1339 04/02/1961 Nat 'King' Cole The World In My Arms 36 49-41-38-41-{36}-42-44-47-49-49->10

#1340 11/02/1961 The Shadows FBI 6 22-{6}-6-7-8-6-7-11-7-8-8-13-20-20-25-22-33-35-45->19

#1341 11/02/1961 The Everly Brothers Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes 1 25-8-3-{1}-1-1-2-4-4-3-4-8-18-27-34-32->16

#1342 11/02/1961 Adam Faith Who Am I?/This Is It 5 28-13-{5}-6-6-7-11-14-14-11-18-28-36-48->14

#1343 11/02/1961 The Shirelles Will You Love Me Tomorrow? 4 45-18-8-5-{4}-5-6-5-5-14-16-12-25-32-39->15

#1344 18/02/1961 Benny Hill Gather In The Mushrooms 12 34-22-{12}-16-17-25-34-43->8

#1345 25/02/1961 The Ramrods (Ghost) Riders In The Sky 8 24-10-10-9-{8}-9-10-12-19-27-32-40->12

#1346 25/02/1961 The String-A-Longs Wheels 8 30-16-11-{8}-13-12-11-20-20-25-29-33-48-45-49-50->16

#1347 25/02/1961 The Allisons Are You Sure 2 31-4-{2}-2-3-2-2-2-2-3-6-18-21-21-37-40->16

#1348 25/02/1961 Lonnie Donegan presents Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen Samantha 13 39-24-18-14-17-{13}-13-15-13-20-24-24-31-33-42->15

#1349 25/02/1961 Conway Twitty C'est Si Bon (It's So Good) 40 45-{40}-47->3

#1350 25/02/1961 Johnny Dankworth African Waltz 9 47-34-19-18-19-26-29-22-17-17-{9}-10-16-15-19-23-30-30-35-46-48->21

#1351 04/03/1961 Cliff Richard And The Shadows Theme For A Dream 3 21-5-{3}-4-3-3-4-7-11-17-29-33-37-41->14

#1352 04/03/1961 Johnny And The Hurricanes Ja-Da 14 26-{14}-16-20-22-23-32-38-38->9

 

No doubt about the winner today, though there are some interesting discoveries (and another Eurovision song yippee) behind it.

 

9 The Shirelles Will You Love Me Tomorrow? What to say about this - possibly one of the first ever girl groups as we know it, and biggest classic of the year so far

8 The Allisons Are You Sure 6 weeks at #2 for this plus 2nd in Eurovision - a beautiful heartfelt ballad; quite Everlys in style but with some call and response

8 Lonnie Donegan presents Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen Samantha From "High Society" - A lovely jazzy number with wind and brass accompanying the punchy vocal line and a great trumpet solo

8 Johnny Dankworth African Waltz He was a composer and instrumentalist and this is a really fab African style piece with a relentless rhythm and lilting flute melody

7 The Shadows FBI Another great one from the Shadows - enjoy the really arresting main melody and then how it develops and varies

7 The String-A-Longs Wheels A one hit wonder American instrumental group - this is a great tune with forthright guitar playing and you get the sense of motion

6 The Ramrods (Ghost) Riders In The Sky Only hit for this Duane Eddy style group - a really good ne with nice distant soprano humming and also some odd cattle noises

6 Johnny And The Hurricanes Ja-Da A good tune as usual from them, led by the organ with the saxophones later sqauwking away at a countermelody

6 Adam Faith Who Am I?/This Is It It's very much business as usual from Adam on both sides - both sub 2 minute "Poor Me" style songs with plucked strings

5 Neil Sedaka Calendar Girl I'm aware this is meant to be a classic but I find it slightly irritating - too brashly chirpy and the rhythm gets a bit plodding

4 The Everly Brothers Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes 114th #1: "World Right Back" is a nice heartbreak ballad with close harmonies but "Ebony Eyes" is a terribly maudlin death song

4 Nat 'King' Cole The World In My Arms I've said this about a fair number of Nat's hits - another one with lovely vocals and production but quite a boring song

3 Cliff Richard And The Shadows Theme For A Dream Wet Cliff again - there's no drama to this at all; it's just so satisfied and unaffecting and the female parts sound not bothered too

2 Conway Twitty C'est Si Bon (It's So Good) This is a really odd record - he growls his way through it and can't even pronounce the French title properly

2 Benny Hill Gather In The Mushrooms First hit for Benny and not sure if it's meant to be a Lonnie parody but it's to the tune of "Putting On The Style" - could be worse

 

 

1961 Group 4:

 

#1353 04/03/1961 The King Brothers 76 Trombones 19 35-30-27-24-24-{19}-27-25-46-34-39->11

#1354 04/03/1961 Buzz Clifford Baby Sittin' Boogie 17 43-27-23-22-20-{17}-19-23-19-21-31-30-41->13

#1355 04/03/1961 Emile Ford And The Checkmates What Am I Gonna Do 33 45-{33}-39-41-46-44->6

#1356 11/03/1961 Matt Monro My Kind Of Girl 5 22-10-{5}-6-6-7-5-16-22-30-40-44->12

#1357 11/03/1961 Elvis Presley Wooden Heart 1 24-4-{1}-1-1-1-1-1-2-5-6-7-16-13-19-20-23-26-32-45-43-42-39-35-33-43-45->27

#1358 11/03/1961 Mike Preston Marry Me 14 40-21-{14}-15-15-16-22-24-31-47->10

#1359 11/03/1961 The Piltdown Men Goodnight Mrs Flintstone 18 41-31-21-23-{18}-25-33-43->8

#1360 11/03/1961 The Krew Kats Trambone 33 43-46-37-36-36-{33}-47-40-50-49R(2)->10

#1361 11/03/1961 Ferrante And Teicher Theme From 'Exodus' 6 44-20-9-8-8-9-{6}-10-16-15-17-18-20-28-28-27-39->17

#1362 11/03/1961 Mark Wynter Dream Girl 27 48-37-31-{27}-41->5

#1363 18/03/1961 Anthony Newley And The Heavens Cried 6 28-12-7-9-{6}-9-14-19-22-27-25-50->12

#1364 18/03/1961 Semprini Theme From 'Exodus' 25 33-27-{25}-28-37-40-35-41->8

#1365 18/03/1961 Connie Francis Where The Boys Are/Baby Roo 5 38-26-21-16-10-11-{5}-10-17-23-26-28-37-48->14

#1366 18/03/1961 The Drifters I Count The Tears 28 42-{28}-31-31-41-49->6

#1367 18/03/1961 Bobby Darin Lazy River 2 43-23-10-12-5-3-{2}-12-16-22-28-35-42->13

 

6 Joe Brown Shine He'll have bigger to come but a very nice rock 'n' roll number - really enjoy the "yip yip" backing, the drum rolls and the guitar solo

Had to check this one out! It's fine but no match for Yes Tonight Josephine in the "yip yip" stakes.

 

Walk Right Back is great but I guess its double A-side partner does weigh it down a bit. Wonder what caused that 2-12 drop for Lazy River...

Never heard that Burt Weedon track, seems decent enough. Gary US Bonds New Orleans is a classic oldie, but as usual I prefer the 70's cover (by Harley Quinne) but not the 80's cover you will also be hearing from Gillan. Sailor is nice enough, and it's Petula Clark, but her great records are still ahead of her. Bobby Vee's Rubber Ball is the only version that counts, and written by Gene Pitney - but he'd be writing much better, classic songs like He's A Rebel before long, and Bobby doing his best stuff too.

 

Ben E. King using the same songwriters as his former band it seems, but the other side of the record was the classic one - Spanish Harlem is pure classic. Let's Jump The Broomstick is great fun, good ol Brenda, and Coast To Coast had an 80's cover hit with it, even more tongue-in-cheek fun!

 

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, still a classic. Girl Groups have arrived! Melanie did a decent cover in the 70's, but not a patch on this. Are You Sure was the UK's first good Eurovision song. Come back in 6 years for the next one. FBI is a great Shadows hit, know it well but as usual didn't know what it was called. Riders In The Sky is a great song, co-incidentally The Shadows cover version was their last big hit in 1980. Not sure Calendar Girl is one of Neil's classics, but it's one I like a lot in January...and every other day of the year :lol: Ebony Eyes is awful, yet that was the one everybody loved back in the day. Walk Right Back is way better. African Waltz is new to me, but I also like it, very cool jazzy TV-theme-tune-ish. Never heard of that String Along record so playing it out fo curiosity and doh! Totally know it so well. It was used often on TV as the background to whimsical muscle men is swimming trunks parading muscle exercises on Opportunity Knocks or the like. Now I know what it's called!

Oops I've fallen behind while I was away. I actually heard 'Save The Last Dance For Me' on holiday when going out to a 'Decades Rewind' night specialising in 60s-80s music! Other highlights since I last popped in include: 'Walk, Don't Run', 'Poetry In Motion' (a Frankie & Benny's playlist fave :lol:) and 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' :wub:

 

'Theme From 'A Summer Place' is the perfect pick for favourite of 1960.

I changed my mind at the last minute regarding what was going to win this group and it's a bit of a surprise - I don't think the follow up to "Save The Last Dance For Me" is well known at all but I think it's very lovely.

 

8 The Drifters I Count The Tears A very small follow up to their huge smash but it's actually great; the "na na na na na na late at night" hook is particularly catchy

7 The Krew Kats Trambone Only hit for this instrumental quartet who shared The Shadows' drummer, and it's a very nice sultry and atmospheric guitar piece

7 Connie Francis Where The Boys Are/Baby Roo A good double A side here - "Where The Boys Are" is in Connie's usual country style and "Baby Roo" is the catchy upbeat one

7 Bobby Darin Lazy River A jazz standard but the only time it was a UK hit, and it's a fab laid back and rhthmic number that builds up to a dramatic climax

6 Emile Ford And The Checkmates What Am I Gonna Do The last and smallest of their 6 Top 40 hits, which is a shame as it's a rather lovely wistful and classy feeling heartbreak song

6 Mark Wynter Dream Girl Like some of the songs placed below it this veers into twee territory but actually it's a very catchy tune so I'll let it off

5 Ferrante And Teicher Theme From 'Exodus' "Exodus" was an epic film and 2 versions of the theme were hits - both nice and it's a very futuristic sounding piano led theme

5 Semprini Theme From 'Exodus' Very little to choose between the two versions - maybe the Ferrante and Teicher one is slightly more virtuosic

4 Matt Monro My Kind Of Girl This is a perfectly inoffensive jazzy number and a fairly decent tune, but all in all it's pretty pedestrian and lacking in oomph

3 Elvis Presley Wooden Heart 115th #1: already Elvis's 3rd entry in the Top 50 sellers of the 60s, but it's really quite a lightweight song and his German is terrible

3 Mike Preston Marry Me His last hit and it has well played instruments but it's a terribly twee, sickly sweet and overly chirpy ballad about falling in love

3 The King Brothers 76 Trombones Last hit for this group and they won't be missed too much - this is a very old fasioned sounding military march style song

2 Anthony Newley And The Heavens Cried "CRY-EYE-EYE-EYE-EYED!" - oh so over the top, but the vocals are slightly grating and it lacks any coherent melody

2 The Piltdown Men Goodnight Mrs Flintstone 3rd and final hit for this group and it's exactly the same formula - a children's tune played by a band featuring lots of saxophones

1 Buzz Clifford Baby Sittin' Boogie I thought the crazy frog had travelled back in time to haunt me for a minute - only hit for him and it's full of unpleasant baby noises

 

 

1961 Group 5:

 

#1368 25/03/1961 Helen Shapiro Don't Treat Me Like A Child 3 38-28-38-29-21-15-7-{3}-5-11-7-6-7-17-18-24-33-36-46-43->20

#1369 25/03/1961 Peggy Lee Till There Was You 30 40-{30}R(2)-39-48->4

#1370 25/03/1961 Gene Pitney (I Wanna) Love My Life Away 26 42-48-35-35-28-{26}-30-26-28-42-38->11

#1371 25/03/1961 Nero And The Gladiators Entry Of The Gladiators 37 50-{37}R(2)-38-37-50->5

#1372 01/04/1961 The Temperance Seven You're Driving Me Crazy 1 29-26-13-10-4-3-2-2-{1}-9-14-16-25-26-33-39->16

#1373 01/04/1961 Cliff Richard And The Shadows Gee Whiz It's You 4 33-25-18-15-6-{4}-11-11-13-15-16-22-41-34->14

#1374 01/04/1961 Chubby Checker Pony Time 27 35-40-31-{27}-36-42->6

#1375 01/04/1961 The Brook Brothers War Paint 5 39-32-17-14-9-{5}-8-13-9-13-17-21-38-47->14

#1376 01/04/1961 Jimmy Jones I Told You So 33 44-{33}-43->3

#1377 08/04/1961 Pearl Carr And Teddy Johnson How Wonderful To Know 23 42-45-42-30-27-{23}-24-23-26-32-40->11

#1378 15/04/1961 The Marcels Blue Moon 1 24-12-7-{1}-1-3-2-5-9-15-22-27-49->13

#1379 15/04/1961 Johnny Burnette Little Boy Sad 12 26-24-21-14-{12}-15-20-22-26-31-42-46->12

#1380 15/04/1961 Bobby Vee More Than I Can Say/Staying In 4 36-29-29-13-{4}-4-6-4-4-4-13-14-15-22-33-39->16

#1381 15/04/1961 Floyd Cramer On The Rebound 1 40-35-23-15-6-{1}-3-6-7-12-18-21-28-42->14

#1382 15/04/1961 Kokomo Asia Minor 35 49-45-39-{35}-38-44-47->7

Edited May 7, 20232 yr by JulianT