We’re on the homeward stretch of 1952 which means our 3rd year of time travel is coming to an end. Let’s see what its sounding like.
The songs of October, 1952
A few nice new tracks on the charts this month:
October 1952 Top 20 Hits
“Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart” – Vera Lynn
“Because You’re Mine” – Mario Lanza
“Because You’re Mine” – Nat King Cole
“Half As Much” – Rosemary Clooney
“Heart And Soul” – Four Aces
“High Noon” – Frankie Laine
“High Noon” – Tex Ritter
“Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me” – Karen Chandler
“I Went To Your Wedding” – Patti Page
“I” – Don Cornell
“Indian Love Call” – Slim Whitman
“It’s In The Book” – Johnny Standley
“Jambalaya” – Jo Stafford
“Lady Of Spain” – Eddie Fisher
“Meet Mister Callaghan” – Harry Grove Trio
“Meet Mister Callaghan” – Les Paul
“Outside Of Heaven” – Eddie Fisher
“Somewhere Along The Way” – Nat King Cole
“Takes Two To Tango” – Pearl Bailey
“The Glow-Worm” – Mills Brothers
“Trying” – Hilltoppers
“Why Don’t You Believe Me” – Joni James
“Wish You Were Here” – Eddie Fisher
“You Belong To Me” – Dean Martin
“You Belong To Me” – Jo Stafford
“You Belong To Me” – Patti Page
“Yours” – Vera Lynn
But we’ll also drop in a top 10 from the R&B charts for the month:
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:
This month in history
This month in 1952 Agatha Christie’s play “The Mousetrap” opened in London, which until Covid was still running nearly 70 years later, the longest running play of all time having had more than 28,000 performances.
And in another, more low-brow, first on the 18th of October, 1952 the first issue of “Mad Magazine” was released.
And finally, Charlie Chaplin’s classic, Limelight was released – though it was heavily boycotted in the United States (due to suspicions Chaplin had communist associations) and failed commercially. Only for it to be re-released in the United States in 1972, which included its first screening in Los Angeles and allowed it to be entered into the 45th Academy Awards where Chaplin won his only competitive Oscar.
What’d Sadie think?
Jo Stafford’s “You Belong To Me” continued its number 1 one run from last month with another two weeks at the top before ceding it to Patti Page’s “I Went To Your Wedding”. Which must have been sweet for Ms. Page, as her own version of “You Belong To Me” never properly cracked the top 10 let alone the top spot.
We liked Mario Lanza’s version last month, but Nat King Cole’s “Because You’re Mine” is even better. Which we seem to be saying a lot about his version of chart hits lately.
Speaking of better, Rosemary Clooney’s “Half As Much” is sounding better every week is sticks around and we really rate it now. It’s one of those songs that sounds like it could be from a film and I look it up hoping to discover something to watch but it was not to be this time.
“It’s in the Book” by Johnny Standley turned out to be a comedy monologue in the manner of a revivalist preacher on the subject of Little Bo-Peep… and I thought pop today was random! Random but not that funny in this case.
“Takes Two To Tango” by Pearl Bailey is our favourite new song on the pop charts this month. Funny and sweet in equal measure.
Joni James’, “Why Don’t You Believe Me” is equally saccharine but if you’re in the mood its another lovely new tune.
Meanwhile on the R&B charts, My Song was the debut release by Johnny Ace and is a cracking song with a great sax solo.
Also great is “Juke”, a harmonica instrumental by Little Walter Jacobs which was released on 1952 but today is considered a blues standard.
“Goodbye Baby” by Little Caesar is an interesting duet but I don’t think its take on domestic violence is exactly necessary. Little Caesar is a pseudonym of Harry Caesar who a few years later would move from music to movies and was best known for his roles in The Longest Yard (1974) and A Few Good Men (1992).
The chart closes out with Lloyd Price’s” Restless Heart” and “Rock me all night long” by The Ravens which are both excellent.
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.