A weekend in February, 2022 in which we find ourselves stuck indoors again so a perfect time to escape back to May, 1956 to hear what it sounded like…
The songs of May, 1956
“A Tear Fell” – Teresa Brewer
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Carl Perkins
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Elvis Presley
“Can You Find It In Your Heart” – Tony Bennett*
“Eddie My Love” – Chordettes
“Eddie My Love” – Fontane Sisters
“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley
“Hot Diggity” – Perry Como
“I Want You To Be My Girl” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers*
“I’ll Be Home” – Pat Boone
“I’m In Love Again” – Fats Domino*
“Ivory Tower” – Cathy Carr
“Ivory Tower” – Gale Storm
“Ivory Tower” – Otis Williams*
“Juke Box Baby” – Perry Como
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle
“Long Tall Sally” – Little Richard
“Long Tall Sally” – Pat Boone*
“Molly-O” – Dick Jacobs Orchestra
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – George Cates Orchestra
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – Morris Stoloff
“Mr. Wonderful” – Peggy Lee
“No Not Much” – Four Lads
“Picnic” – Mcguire Sisters*
“Poor People Of Paris” – Les Baxter
“Rock & Roll Waltz” – Kay Starr
“Rock Island Line” – Lonnie Donegan
“Standing On The Corner” – Four Lads*
“The Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds*
“The Happy Whistler” – Don Robertson*
“The Magic Touch” – Platters*
“The Wayward Wind” – Gogi Grant*
“Theme From Man With The Golden Arm” – Richard Maltby Orchestra
“Walk Hand In Hand” – Tony Martin*
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Diamonds
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Gale Storm
* = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:
This month in history
May, 1956 was apparently the first time in the history of Billboard magazine when five singles have appeared in both the pop and R&B Top Ten charts. “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard, “Magic Touch” by The Platters, and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. All on our playlist this week of course!
Also this month, John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger receives its première at the Royal Court Theatre in London. A press release describes the dramatist as an “angry young man”, a phrase that would come to describe a British working-class literary movement. See the trailer for the 1959 film based on the play below:
In notable, and timely, births we have Bob Saget, American comedian and actor, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania born on 17 May, 1956 – who died recently.
In the United States, NBC’s peacock logo is used for the first time, to indicate the quality of its colour television broadcasting. Which I had vaguely assumed was the reason for its design but its interesting to hear that confirmed and see the evolution of it below:
What’d Sadie think?
It was inevitable as soon as it hit the charts… “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley is number one for the whole month. But what else was there to delight our ears?
Loved ’em
“Can You Find It In Your Heart” – Tony Bennett
“I’m In Love Again” – Fats Domino
Liked ’em
“I Want You To Be My Girl” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
“Long Tall Sally” – Pat Boone
“Ivory Tower” – Otis Williams
“The Magic Touch” – Platters
“The Wayward Wind” – Gogi Grant
“Walk Hand In Hand” – Tony Martin
“Standing On The Corner” – Four Lads
Lose ’em
“Picnic” – Mcguire Sisters
“The Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds
“The Happy Whistler” – Don Robertson
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.