A couple of good chart toppers and some other very good ones here but nothing mind blowing.

 

8 Manfred Mann Mighty Quinn 244th #1: this has more replay value than their other chart toppers, and manages to be both commercial and musically interesting

8 The Tremeloes Suddenly You Love Me Maybe my favourite of theirs: a relentless romp that's absolutely packed with hooks, both in the guitar and in the vocal lines

7 Love Affair Everlasting Love 243rd #1: debut hit for this London rock group; a bit of a Heart FM staple but it's a very good pop song convincingly performed

7 The Beach Boys Darlin' Their invincible era has certainly passed but despite stalling at #11 and not sounding like vintage Beach Boys this is a lovely song

6 Solomon King She Wears My Ring Debut for this US singer and a long running #3: a slow ballad but the vocals build very impressively and it's really grown on me

6 John Fred And The Playboy Band Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) Only hit for this US singer and his band and a play on mis-hearing "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds": really fun and a good tune

6 Robert Knight Everlasting Love This is actually the original and the 1st hit for this US singer: also very good but not quite as sharp and exciting as Love Affair's

5 Tony Blackburn So Much Love The only time the DJ and presenter made the Top 40 and it's actually a heartfelt and well sung ballad with big production

5 Amen Corner Bend Me Shape Me This was the big UK hit version but a different cover was the US hit: great song but find this rendition relatively ordinary

5 Plastic Penny Everything I Am Another 1 hit wonder and a UK band: it's a Box Tops song slowed down and turned into a ballad and it's very sweet and sincere

4 Martha Reeves And The Vandellas Honey Chile Their 5th hit and still none have reached the Top 20: found their previous ones more exciting and this a fairly standard soul song

4 The Spencer Davis Group Mr Second Class The last hit for them and it has a good tune but the production sounds a bit busy and chaotic: don't think it quite comes together

3 Herman's Hermits I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving This has rather a disinterested feel which is maybe deliberate given the lyrical theme but it means I really struggle to get into it

3 The Symbols The Best Part Of Breaking Up Only Top 40 for this UK band and originally a Ronettes song: I find the chorus quite repetitive and it doesn't do much for me

2 Engelbert Humperdinck Am I That Easy To Forget You said it Engelbert: again there's a French version which may be more interesting but this is an utterly sleepy turgid ballad

 

 

1968 Group 2 omitting Redding’s “My Girl” re-released following his death and already reviewed:

 

#3021 27/01/1968 Anita Harris Anniversary Waltz 21 47-35-26-{21}-23-23-27-36-43->9

#3022 27/01/1968 Status Quo Pictures Of Matchstick Men 7 49-30-12-9-{7}-7-7-13-19-23-29-37->12

#3023 27/01/1968 The Foundations Back On My Feet Again 18 50-38-23-{18}-18-19-19-22-27-40->10

#3024 03/02/1968 The Alan Price Set Don't Stop The Carnival 13 37-{13}-16-15-18-21-27-34->8

#3025 03/02/1968 Bee Gees Words 8 41-14-13-12-{8}-11-15-16-24-38->10

#3026 10/02/1968 The Move Fire Brigade 3 22-10-8-6-4-{3}-7-13-17-26-32->11

#3027 10/02/1968 Don Partridge Rosie 4 35-22-19-14-5-{4}-4-7-10-15-20-30->12

#3028 10/02/1968 The American Breed Bend Me Shape Me 24 36-28-{24}-30-32-41->6

#3029 10/02/1968 The Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine 7 40-23-17-11-10-{7}-8-16-25-31-46->11

#3030 10/02/1968 Louis Armstrong What A Wonderful World/Cabaret 1 45-33-31-26-26-17-10-6-5-3-2-{1}-1-1-1-5-4-11-12-20-20-22-27-34-33-47-49-43-42->29

#3031 10/02/1968 Sandie Shaw Today 27 49-29-{27}-28-30-33-44->7

#3032 17/02/1968 Esther And Abi Ofarim Cinderella Rockafella 1 32-2-{1}-1-1-2-4-6-11-16-21-29-33->13

#3033 17/02/1968 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich Legend Of Xanadu 1 35-13-3-2-2-{1}-5-8-18-21-27-43->12

17/02/1968 Otis Redding My Girl {1968} 36 42-39-37-{36}-39-39-36-44-45->9

#3034 17/02/1968 Grapefruit Dear Delilah 21 43-25-22-22-23-{21}-30-43-48->9

#3035 17/02/1968 Eric Burdon And The Animals Sky Pilot (Part 1) 40 47-46-{40}->3

Edited December 18, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

'Everlasting Love' is good which yeah you do hear on the radio every now and then still!

I think it was around this time that we moved to RAF Swinderby for the first of 3 postings, in between Lincoln and Newark. All of our 4 houses are still there but privately owned these days. I don't associate any of these songs with anglesey, more in line with my new fave comic Sparky which was def Lincoln. There was an update on the Noah & ark story in it, weekly adventures of this metal techno globe ark - think the end of 2012 movie. Bet they didnt give credit...

 

Mighty Quinn was a great cover of Dylan, an early lesson to me of how great his songs were if someone else covered them. Not that I was aware at the time. Very catchy, but not my fave Manfred Mann record of the year, Not even my second fave. Suddenly You Love Me is a great pop track, Zai zai zai zai, and so upbeat.

 

Everlasting Love is the top tune here for me though, what a song, and much as I rate the Robert Knight version (finally a proper hit in 1974, it was great he finally got the hit out of it) The Love Affair turned it into an anthem. Darlin' is decent Beach Boys, but it was the 1975 David Cassidy cover that flagged it to me. Passed me by in 1968. Ditto Solomon King, but it turned up on dad's 16 Big Hits album in Singapore late 1969, so it became well known to me - and my least-fave track on the album, but it's not bad.

 

Judy In Disguise was a big one for me, loved the playful stop-start semi-novelty hit, second only to Love Affair at the time. The most nostalgic of the batch for me. Tony Blackburn? Pass. And passed me by. He did have a big effect on getting soul records to become hits though (most notably I'm Still Waiting) from his Breakfast show.

 

Amen Corner, another fave of the time, fast and stomping, love Andy fairweather-low vocals, though not to evryone's taste. Plastic Penny, not one I knew, but lead singer'd turn up lending his amazing vocals to the 1971 Softly Whispering I Love You hit from Congregation. Honey Chile is OK, it's no Heat Wave, far and away their greatest record, and Mod classic.

 

Spencer Davis, hmmm OK, Herman's Hermits had a playground biggie on the way, but I liked this one. I always liked their hits. It's decent enough but one would pick other Herman tracks from 1968. The Symbols - the original is pretty good. Engelbert tipping over a tad too much into MOR here, one I mildly liked, but his masterpiece is up next (I'm biased).

 

 

'Mighty Quinn' is like a theme tune or song from a film.

 

'Pictures of Matchstick Men' is my favourite Status Quo song, brilliant song and production with the phaser effects.

Edited December 18, 20231 yr by TheSnake

No disrespect at all to wonderful Satchmo but when you listen to some of these wonderfully innovative and exciting tracks alongside “What A Wonderful World” it’s hard to put that right at the top. The Quo debut is excellent - not sure if they became more ordinary the more they found their signature sound.

 

8 Status Quo Pictures Of Matchstick Men A fabulous and adventurous debut hit for them with a very arresting guitar riff leading into a delightfully psychedelic number

8 The Move Fire Brigade I think this is the catchiest of their hits; has a great sense of urgency from the twanging and love the siren-like backing vocals

8 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich Legend Of Xanadu 245th #1: what a delightfully strange mock Western style song for their only chart topper, with Spanish guitar and trumpets

7 Louis Armstrong What A Wonderful World/Cabaret 249th #1: what a run for this and of course the 1st side is a classic and "Cabaret" a nice jazz song; just can't get that excited

7 The American Breed Bend Me Shape Me The big US hit version and I think it's much better: the tempo is more stately and really like the trumpets and the clapping

7 Don Partridge Rosie Debut hit for this English singer songwriter known for busking: it's a really lovely little ballad performed with real feeling

6 The Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine Only Top 40 for this US rock band and one of the first psychedelic Stateside chart toppers: it's a very nice atmospheric song

6 The Foundations Back On My Feet Again A nice follow up to their chart topping debut and a sincere performance, but not a huge hit - maybe a bit too similar in sound

6 Grapefruit Dear Delilah Debut hit for a London band: another good psychedelic song and particularly like the mysterious opening and organ effects

5 Bee Gees Words Hard to judge something that has subsequently been mauled by a boyband: a very nice romantic ballad but not exciting

5 The Alan Price Set Don't Stop The Carnival Last hit with the Alan Price Set credit and it's still a catchy and fun bit of paychedelia but not excellent like its predecessors

4 Eric Burdon And The Animals Sky Pilot (Part 1) An unusual song about a chaplain blessing some troops before they go to war: interesting and atmospheric but quite bleak

4 Sandie Shaw Today Quite a punchy pop song with an oom-pah style, but nothing we haven't had from her before and feels a bit throwaway

3 Anita Harris Anniversary Waltz A cover of a rather plodding 1940s ballad: the big saving grace is that her voice here is beautiful - an intimate performance

3 Esther And Abi Ofarim Cinderella Rockafella 246th #1 for this Israeli husband and wife duo: I have warmed to it as it is funny, but it isn't the most enjoyable of listens

 

 

1968 Group 3:

 

#3036 24/02/1968 Donovan Jennifer Juniper 5 35-15-6-{5}-6-9-13-24-33-38-46->1

#3037 24/02/1968 Otis Redding (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay 3 37-21-14-9-5-{3}-4-6-8-18-21-25-29-40-47->15

#3038 24/02/1968 Paul Mauriat Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu) 12 38-31-24-21-17-14-{12}-19-19-24-30-32-38-49->14

#3039 24/02/1968 Val Doonican You're The Only One 37 40-43-{37}-49->4

#3040 24/02/1968 Elvis Presley Guitar Man 19 45-24-23-24-20-{19}-26-38-49->9

#3041 02/03/1968 Lulu Me The Peaceful Heart 9 34-20-10-{9}-11-14-21-28-36->9

#3042 02/03/1968 Tom Jones Delilah 2 36-12-6-3-{2}-2-2-4-5-10-15-20-27-19-23-25-31->17

#3043 02/03/1968 The Dave Clark Five No One Can Break A Heart Like You 28 41-29-{28}-28-31-41-49->7

#3044 02/03/1968 Frankie Vaughan Nevertheless 29 42-31-{29}-30-37->5

#3045 02/03/1968 Jeff Beck Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu) 23 45-33-25-{23}-26-28-36->7

#3046 02/03/1968 The Troggs Little Girl 37 50-42-{37}-47->4

#3047 09/03/1968 Traffic No Face, No Name, No Number 40 {40}-42-46-47->4

#3048 09/03/1968 P.J. Proby It's Your Day Today 32 48-{32}-36-46-48->5

#3049 16/03/1968 The Four Tops If I Were A Carpenter 7 30-13-10-{7}-9-11-17-25-34-41-50->11

#3050 16/03/1968 Dionne Warwick (Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls 28 31-33-{28}-30-39-40-45-49->8

Edited December 21, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

'What A Wonderful World' :wub:

I discovered 'Green Tambourine' recently from, of all things, the Jimmy Savile drama 'The Reckoning' - a brilliant bit of 60s psychedelia. Love 'What A Wonderful World' too ofc <3

Amazing that Otis recorded this just before his death in a plane crash and never heard the final edit.

 

9 Otis Redding (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay He recorded it just a few days before his death and it was thought to be too poppy for him, but of course it's fabulous

8 Paul Mauriat Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu) Originally a Luxembourg Eurovision entry and this is a beautiful diverse instrumental version that topped the US chart

8 The Four Tops If I Were A Carpenter A cover but one of their best: a lovely emotion filled record performed beautifully with great vocals and backing harmonies

7 Dionne Warwick (Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls Another quite mesmerising song recorded for a film; it's a very gentle wistful ballad but she connects with it brilliantly

6 Tom Jones Delilah I do think this remains one of his best despite the murderous lyrics; a great tune though not one I'd go out of my way to hear

6 Donovan Jennifer Juniper Another Top 5 for him: a sweet song with wind instruments giving a countryside springtime feel; psychedelic in a very soft way

5 Lulu Me The Peaceful Heart Starts with a slightly Medieval style wind riff and it's a nice catchy and rhythmically interesting song done in her usual style

5 Elvis Presley Guitar Man He's still going through a commercially hit and miss period; this is a fun fast paced country style song which he covered

4 Jeff Beck Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu) Another more rocky version of this with vocals and lyrics and electric guitar; quite nice but to me lacks the magic of Paul's

4 Traffic No Face, No Name, No Number Their last Top 40 and understandably much less successful than the others: some nice elements but slow and vocally strained

3 The Troggs Little Girl I think he's saying in a very convoluted way that he's just become a father; quite a nice song instrumentally but a bit stuttering

3 The Dave Clark Five No One Can Break A Heart Like You A nice Mediterranean feel to this thanks to the guitar effects and a big soaring chorus, but overall it feels quite twee and dated

2 Frankie Vaughan Nevertheless Last of nearly 30 hits for him across more than a decade; this is a reflecting on life style song quite nicely performed but boring

2 P.J. Proby It's Your Day Today No idea why it's this person's day but the last Top 40 for him: I've come to quite like his voice but it's a shame about the songs

1 Val Doonican You're The Only One Such a featureless and lifeless song that it's hard to know what to write, though the twinkly piano almost brings something

 

 

1967 Group 4:

 

#3051 16/03/1968 Cilla Black Step Inside Love 8 35-22-12-9-{8}-9-14-27-30->9

#3052 16/03/1968 The Showstoppers Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty 11 38-29-20-16-16-14-{11}-13-16-16-16-23-32-36-45->15

#3053 16/03/1968 John Rowles If I Only Had Time 3 40-40-18-11-5-{3}-4-4-8-8-11-17-18-23-30-27-38-48->18

#3054 16/03/1968 Sam And Dave I Thank You 34 43-37-{34}-39-44-50-49-45-48->9

#3055 16/03/1968 The Paper Dolls Something Here In My Heart (Keeps A-Tellin' Me No) 11 44-41-35-31-22-18-12-{11}-13-17-25-39-43->13

#3056 16/03/1968 Andy Williams Can't Take My Eyes Off You 5 45-45-27-20-17-10-6-{5}-6-9-8-13-21-26-27-33-44-49->18

#3057 23/03/1968 The Beatles Lady Madonna 1 11-{1}-1-4-6-9-26-35->8

#3058 23/03/1968 Cliff Richard Congratulations 1 32-8-3-{1}-1-2-6-11-12-17-24-28-31->13

#3059 23/03/1968 Reparata And The Delrons Captain Of Your Ship 13 38-21-15-{13}-15-13-17-24-27-37->10

#3060 23/03/1968 The Box Tops Cry Like A Baby 15 42-39-24-23-17-{15}-15-17-19-22-38-49->12

#3061 23/03/1968 Honeybus I Can't Let Maggie Go 8 48-42-27-14-13-{8}-9-14-18-23-42-42->12

#3062 23/03/1968 1910 Fruitgum Company Simon Says 2 50-33-18-7-5-3-{2}-3-6-7-11-13-16-17-25-41->16

#3063 30/03/1968 The Monkees Valleri 12 41-19-{12}-12-16-18-27-30->8

#3064 30/03/1968 Roger Miller Little Green Apples 19 43-32-28-23-25-22-{19}-21-20-40-48R(44)-39R(5)-47->13

#3065 30/03/1968 The Hollies Jennifer Eccles 7 44-23-10-{7}-7-8-10-13-21-29-39->11

Edited December 25, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

and we are firmly established in RAF Swinderby territory now, most of these songs take me back there, and to my junior school in Bassingham village where the very old (to me) teacher was still running the two older tiers. He wouldnt last into 1969 before ill health left us with a succession of replacement teachers for our class at school I think. Warm milk, British Bulldog in the small playground (it was an old small building, with outside toilets) but the infants had a new block down the road where we had dinner and played football for PE.

 

And music-wise, Pictures Of Matchstick Men didnt make an impression on me, but it did in the 70's when Quo were big and I realised it was a forgotten fave tune, atmospheric and pure 60's psychedelia. Still one of my top 2 Quo tracks (see 1986 for the next). Fire Brigade was a fun song I liked, but preferred Flowers In The Rain, but I do like the frantic pace and sound effects. Roy wasnt yet my top pop star of a year (that was 1973).

 

No question, legend Of Xanadu was my fave here, epic, exciting, and Dave Dee in leather trousers on Top Of The Pops cracking a whip with Spanish-flavoured backdrop was genius. I still regard it as a masterpiece, I got to hear loads on dad's 16 Biggest Hits album. One of my earliest "woh!" TOTP memories. I think I was allowed to watch it now as it was becoming clearer my enthusiasm for pop music was growing not a phase. I was starting to write down the names of as many pop stars I could remember in my notebook....

 

Mum and dad loved What a Wonderful World. me too, and my brother. One of mum's funeral songs last year. It has an innocent sad optimism and message, because of course life can be wonderful and it can also be unspeakably awful too. Cabaret was never a massive fan of, Liza Minelli was to do it best. I didnt get to hear the American Breed version till the 80's, so to me it's plodding compared to Amen Corner, but Rosie was a big busker fave of mine. I was seriously impressed Don could play all the instruments at once on TOTP. Best I could manage was the melodica and recorder - we had recorder music lessons at school. I dont recall the tune, just the old teacher starting off A....A F, A...A F.

 

Green tambourine is fab, I rated it then and bought it on a 70's compilation album to confirm it was still fab. The Foundations still sounding good, Dear Delilah is a goodie, Words was a big tune (if not big hit) of the day, it sounded like a standard when it was new and I liked it, I like it more with passing years despite the best attempts of Boyzone to kill it dead. The Gibbs sing so much better, see Bob Stanley's new book appreciation of The Bee Gees (Saint Etienne staple).

 

Don't Stop The Carnival, loved it, upbeat and also downbeat, and upbeat again. Alan Price was fab. Sky Pilot is a good 'un, Today good too, and we finish on 2 top faves of the time on Anita Harris, about to star in Carry On Up The Khyber and the lovely Anniversary Waltz tune, and the sensations of early 1968, Abi & Esther, a sort of quirky Israeli Sonny & Cher, loved Cinderella Rockefella, catchy and fun. Neither of those have weathered well with time though, mostly it's nostalgia for what they meant to me then rather than how great they sound in 2023.

Dock Of The Bay was sad and tragic the moment it was released, who knows what Otis might have musically coming - it was easily his greatest record. I liked it at the time, grew to love it more on dad's 16 Big Hits album in Singapore, and with each passing decade the love just keeps growing. Love Is Blue was another big tune. Lots of girls at school had melodicas, and this was the main tune I remember getting played - I wanted one too, but I probably borrowed someone else's and learned to play the tune, sharing germs.

 

If I Were A Carpenter follows my rule: if Levi Stubbs covers a song, it's usually the definitive - that said the original folk versions are pretty fine too. Valley Of The Dolls is OK, I remember the film fuss more than the song. Delilah, yet another classic tune from 16 Big Hits, a monster production. Tom at his most tortured, it was mostly a declining return from hereon until his various revivals kick off in the 80's. Jennifer Juniper, another huge fave I would sing along to, not that demanding vocally. Another one that is mostly nostalgic for me, though I still find it charming.

 

Me The Peaceful Heart another catchy fave Lulu tune from the Mickie Most pop hit factory, Guitar Man was a decent Elvis rock return, but not one I noticed much. Jeff Beck's not up there with Paul mauriat's cover. The rest all failed to make an impression on me and vary from OK to meh!

'Dock Of The Bay' another classic popping up!

I didn't even know until fairly recently that '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay' was a posthumous release, that's wild it was recorded so close to his death. </3

Dock Of The Bay :wub: :wub:

 

 

A good and interesting group here. “Lady Madonna” is great but not top tier Beatles for me, leaving room for some other interesting stuff at the top. It may have been conceived in French but I find “If I Only Had Time” an incredibly arresting record, and gosh if only every girl band single could be as captivating as Captain Of Your Ship”.

 

9 John Rowles If I Only Had Time Debut hit for a New Zealand singer and a translation of a French song but I find it incredibly powerful and beautifully sung

9 Reparata And The Delrons Captain Of Your Ship Only hit here for this US girl group and it's a gorgeous little gem of a discovery with a quirkiness and a dreamy quality to it

8 The Beatles Lady Madonna 247th #1: musically this doesn't push any boundaries with its "boogie-woogie" style but a great piece of storytelling from Paul

8 Andy Williams Can't Take My Eyes Off You A student disco staple for me; the Frankie Valli original didn't chart here but this is a very fine version and the song suits Andy

7 The Monkees Valleri It's the fabulous frenetic solo guitar parts that really make this: love the contrast between those and the wall of sound chorus

7 Honeybus I Can't Let Maggie Go A 1 hit wonder London group with their own song, and it's a lovely ballad that really captures the heady feelings of infatuation

6 The Paper Dolls Something Here In My Heart (Keeps A-Tellin' Me No) A rare late 60s British girl group with their only hit: a very catchy song but doesn't have the replay value of some others here

6 Roger Miller Little Green Apples Last hit for Roger: a very sweet acoustic ballad that doesn't exactly grab you by the scruff of the neck but it's very enjoyable

6 The Box Tops Cry Like A Baby This doesn't come anywhere near the sultry brilliance of "The Letter" but it's a good atmospherically sorry for itself ballad

5 Cliff Richard Congratulations 248th #1 and Eurovision runner up: I think the chorus has become so familiar it's hard to take it seriously, but it is a nice song

5 Cilla Black Step Inside Love One of her better ones for sure: vocals don't become too harsh in the bigger sections and it's a good slightly hypnotic pop song

4 1910 Fruitgum Company Simon Says I find the primary school lyrics quite off-putting, but musically it flows nicely with the rhythmic backing vocals and organ

4 Sam And Dave I Thank You A couple of soul songs here which aren't at all bad but which I can't quite get into: a catchy chorus but all sounds a bit harsh

3 The Showstoppers Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty Debut hit for this US band with an interesting run including 5 weeks at #16: with this one I feel the chorus doesn't go anywhere

3 The Hollies Jennifer Eccles This marked a return to their poppy style after they had dabbled in psychedelia, but it's a little grating; particularly the whistling

 

 

 

1968 Group 5 (omitting 2 repeats):

 

#3066 30/03/1968 Jim Reeves Pretty Brown Eyes 33 45-45-{33}-41-46->5

#3067 30/03/1968 The Scaffold Do You Remember? 34 48-35-{34}-34-44->5

#3068 30/03/1968 Bee Gees Jumbo/The Singer Sang His Song 25 49-33-{25}-29-29-33-46->7

#3069 30/03/1968 Dorian Gray I've Got You On My Mind 36 50-37-41-37-47-{36}-42->7

#3070 06/04/1968 Gene Pitney Somewhere In The Country 19 36-30-25-23-{19}-20-22-26-31->9

06/04/1968 Bill Haley And His Comets Rock Around The Clock {1968} 20 42-{20}-24-33-32-29-26-30-35-44-44->11

06/04/1968 Buddy Holly Peggy Sue/Rave On 32 47-{32}-35-35-34-36-35-41-49->9

#3071 13/04/1968 The Easybeats Hello, How Are You 20 35-26-{20}-23-21-25-24-30-46->9

#3072 13/04/1968 Diana Ross And The Supremes Forever Came Today 28 40-39-{28}-28-28-28-32-44->8

#3073 13/04/1968 Jacky White Horses 10 42-22-19-14-12-{10}-10-14-16-19-19-28-29-43->14

#3074 13/04/1968 The Herd I Don't Want Our Loving To Die 5 43-27-22-12-{5}-7-6-6-6-10-14-22-39->13

#3075 13/04/1968 Fleetwood Mac Black Magic Woman 37 50-45-{37}-44-44-43-42->7

#3076 20/04/1968 Small Faces Lazy Sunday 2 31-10-3-{2}-4-4-5-9-21-28-42->11

#3077 20/04/1968 The Kinks Wonder Boy 36 {36}-40-37-40-37->5

#3078 20/04/1968 Bobby Goldsboro Honey 2 42-32-20-9-5-3-{2}-3-3-6-10-16-20-25-38->15

#3079 20/04/1968 Julie Driscoll And The Brian Auger Trinity This Wheel's On Fire 5 44-34-31-26-23-15-10-10-6-{5}-8-13-16-26-39-50->16

#3080 20/04/1968 The Union Gap Young Girl 1 47-31-16-7-3-{1}-1-1-1-2-2-10-13-15-25-29-33->17

Edited December 25, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

Think most versions of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You' are fab. I even performed it myself when at uni which went down well!

“White Horses” feels like a good Christmassy pick somehow - imagining these snow white creatures galloping and it’s a dreamy and quite magical song.

 

8 Jacky White Horses A TV drama theme and the only hit for Irish Jackie Lee: it's a stunning ethereal song beautifully performed and a unique hit

8 Dorian Gray I've Got You On My Mind Only hit for this English singer and a minor one, but a remarkably lovely song with really warm orchestral accompaniment

7 The Herd I Don't Want Our Loving To Die Last and by far the most commercial of their hits: this is an excellent pop song but lacks the intrigue and drama of their others

7 Julie Driscoll And The Brian Auger Trinity This Wheel's On Fire Only hit for Julie or Brian and his band and a Dylan song cleverly turned into something more psychedelic with distortion

7 Fleetwood Mac Black Magic Woman Their first hit and a really strong piece of blues rock, though it sounds nothing like what we now know as Fleetwood Mac

6 Jim Reeves Pretty Brown Eyes This is the best posthumous hit that's come up from Jim in a fair while; it's simple but achingly sincere and beautifully sung

6 Gene Pitney Somewhere In The Country I like that this is a bit different from many of Gene's others, telling a story rather than being a dramatic display of raw emotion

6 The Kinks Wonder Boy A relative flop for them but it's still a very enjoyable listen; catchy with interesting lyrics and I can see why John Lennon liked it

5 Diana Ross And The Supremes Forever Came Today 4 straight weeks at the #28 peak for this; a very nice song but very typical Supremes in production and quite unremarkable

5 The Union Gap Young Girl 250th #1: hard to place as it's an excellent dramatic track but meant to make you uncomfortable and does that rather too much

4 Bee Gees Jumbo/The Singer Sang His Song "Jumbo" is a good and catchy piece of psychedelia but find the other side turgid, and all in all it's not a memorable double A

4 Small Faces Lazy Sunday I find the faux Cockney accent off-putting and understand Steve Marriott was trolling throughout this; still it's a strong tune

4 The Easybeats Hello, How Are You Loved the 1st of their 2 hits but not so much this one; not bad but chorus somewhat plodding and vocals rather harsh in places

3 Bobby Goldsboro Honey Huge at the time but has fallen out of favour over the years and see why: sincere with nice elements but rather sickly sweet

3 The Scaffold Do You Remember? This is fun and far less irritating than their debut, but fairly lightweight and not something that rewards large numbers of listens

 

 

1968 Group 6 (another re-issue to skip):

 

#3081 20/04/1968 Love Affair Rainbow Valley 5 48-42-24-18-11-9-7-{5}-5-11-17-21-36->13

#3082 27/04/1968 Engelbert Humperdinck A Man Without Love 2 26-7-4-{2}-2-3-2-4-10-14-25-21-33-43-49->15

#3083 27/04/1968 Massiel La La La 35 39-{35}-37-45->4

27/04/1968 Eddie Cochran Summertime Blues {1968} 34 41-39-39-{34}-36-36-34-41->8

#3084 04/05/1968 Scott Walker Joanna 7 38-23-15-13-8-{7}-11-15-19-23-33->11

#3085 04/05/1968 Herman's Hermits Sleepy Joe 12 40-22-14-{12}-12-12-17-16-32-49->10

#3086 04/05/1968 Solomon King When We Were Young 21 47-31-31-28-{21}-24-24-32-30-36->10

#3087 04/05/1968 The Equals Baby Come Back 1 50-39R(2)-31-20-19-14-7-3-{1}-1-1-3-6-11-16-21-29-39->18

#3088 11/05/1968 The Beach Boys Friends 25 38-33-29-{25}-29-34-44->7

#3089 11/05/1968 The Tremeloes Helule Helule 14 41-24-{14}-15-14-15-18-24-28->9

#3090 11/05/1968 The Everly Brothers It's My Time 39 45-48-{39}-41-40-42->6

#3091 11/05/1968 Tyrannosaurus Rex Debora 34 47-36-{34}-37-38-49-49->7

#3092 11/05/1968 Des O'Connor I Pretend 1 50-44-33-22-22-13-9-6-5-3-3-{1}-2-3-5-12-14-16-18-18-21-26-31-34-43-48-45-48-42-47-43-40-45-45-39-42->36

#3093 18/05/1968 Dionne Warwick Do You Know The Way To San Jose 8 32-19-9-{8}-9-8-13-17-19-37->10

#3094 18/05/1968 Elvis Presley US Male 15 40-18-16-{15}-22-23-34-50->8

Edited December 27, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

Interesting you like John Rowles a lot, one I've always known but never really got into that much. I liked it then, but never a fave. Not heard it in ages. Reparata was a fave, possibly my fave oif this batch then, and still has a charm to it. The Beatles' madonna was huge of course, an attempt at Fats Domino, but it's never topped my charts as an oldie, while 2 of the others here have. More Paperback Writer quality than Magical Mystery Tour.

 

Andy's is an anthem - this was the version I knew originally and came back unexpectedly in the 90's. Got to see him sing it when he was so old he was walking very carefully with small steps on stage as older men do! Valleri, though, is my record of this group, one I liked at the time but it wasn't huge on radio and TV, but years later I got to fully appreciate the energy and quality. Monkees better than Beatles moment, shock horror.

 

Honeybus was famous for being in a bread advert well into the 70's "she flies like a bird in the sky" etc. So it got a bit OD'd on after liking it a lot in 1968. Still pleasant though. Paper Dolls another fave then, with a little Northern Soul flavour to it, still quite like it. Roger Miller quality, Little Green Apples a great folk tune, touching. The Box Tops, as you say, not up The Letter but OK.

 

Congratulations, watched Eurovision, the record was huge before the contest, expected to win...and then didnt. But it lived on for events ever since. Jolly and singalong but its no The Day I Met Marie. Paul Actual McCartney wrote Step Inside Love for Cilla to kick off her new variety show career on telly, so it got plugged every week. It would never have made a Beatles album, but it helped Cilla.

 

Simon Says is the start of the Bubblegum vogue culminating in Tommy Roe's Dizzy and The Archies' Sugar Sugar, but hear it too much and it can get annoying. It was on dads 16 Big Hits album so I can vouch for that, one of the lesser tracks on it. Sam & Dave, OK, Showstoppers proper Northern Soul and catchy played loud, Jennifer Eccles another earworm that starts off charming and gets annoying if you hear it too much. I still like it once in a while but borders on novelty. Jennifer Eccles will pop up again later in the year in another song.

Think most versions of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You' are fab. I even performed it myself when at uni which went down well!

 

 

Ooh wish I could play or sing songs! Well done on stepping up :)

 

"I play all the right notes... but not necessarily in the right order" Eric Morecambe. I've said it before, but it continues to be true until I can buy myself a keyboard and have a go :lol:

 

My great nephew is having guitar lessons. He can do 7 Nation Army intro, which impressed me. We suggested Mundian Te Bach Ke next :lol:

White Horses, oh what a top-notch classic, one I was def mad on, loved that tune, bought it on a compilation album for 1968 in 1976 and loved it all over again. The TV show was OK, the theme tune was much better. Still love it. I've Got You On MY Mind is a recent discovery, oddly, it's pretty good. The Herd is fab, young Peter Frampton would be a 1976 fave as a solo star.

 

Wheels On Fire is a top notch stone 60's classic that I was late on. I liked it but took a the 70's to go mad on. Easily the best record of the batch, still iconic and cool. Black Magic Woman would become more known as a Santana hit, bit it's very laid-back blues really and the birth of a timeless band. Jim's passed me by as usual (they tended not to get airplay on Radio 1!)

 

Gene's is a nice one, but not top-notch Pitney, Wonder Boy is OK, Forever Came Today is quite good, but again not top-notch Supremes, while Young Girl was a monster and another 16 Big Hits track that will be top 10 again in 1974 after being voted the UK's all-time fave song on Radio 1. Times have changed havent they! It's still powerful but Lady Willpower has aged better.

 

The Bee Gees having a miss-fire here, it won't be their last but usually they failed to make the chart entirely. Lazy Sunday was a fave, and a hit again in 1976, but a bit too novelty-sounding these days. I still like it though. The Easybeats is not bad, but Flash & The Pan will be way better in a later incarnation.

 

Honey hit 2 in 68 and 75, I liked it in 68 and in 75 a schoolmate at the time was mourning his best mate (and former classmate) who'd been killed in a motorbike accident, so I think if you've recently lost a loved one it resonates more than if you havent, as the saccharine-strings OD can fall on the wrong side of emotion vs good taste. It topped my charts in 1975, but wouldnt these days.

 

Do You Remember? ironically, no.

 

 

Despite the low scores, 'Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty' and 'Lazy Sunday' are 2 of my 5 favourites to come up so far in 1968! The others being The Beach Boys - Darlin', Andy Williams and the Otis classic.