It’s feeling very spring like here in 2023 as we turn our ears back to December of 1962 and hear the Four Seasons singing that… “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”!
Songs of the month
“All Alone Am I” – Brenda Lee
“Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Four Seasons
“Bobby’s Girl” – Marcie Blane
[new] “Chains” – Cookies
“Close To Cathy” – Mike Clifford
“Dance With The Guitar Man” – Duane Eddy
[new] “Dear Lonely Hearts” – Nat King Cole
[new] “Desafinado” – Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
“Desafinado” – Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd
“Do You Love Me” – Contours
“Don’t Hang Up” – Orlons
[new] “Eso Beso” – Paul Anka
[new] “Everybody Loves A Lover” – Shirelles
“Gina” – Johnny Mathis
[new] “Go Away Little Girl” – Steve Lawrence
“He’s A Rebel” – Crystals
[new] “Hotel Happiness” – Brook Benton
“I Can’t Help It” – Johnny Tillotson
“I’ve Got A Woman” – Jimmy Mcgriff
[new] “It’s Up To You” – Rick Nelson
“Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” – Litta Eva
[new] “Let’s Go” – Routers
“Limbo Rock” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Love Came To Me” – Dion
[new] “My Dad” – Paul Petersen
“My Own True Love” – Duprees
“Next Door To An Angel” – Neil Sedaka
“Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke
“Only Love Can Break A Heart” – Gene Pitney
[new] “Pepino The Italian Mouse” – Lou Monte
“Release Me” – Esther Phillips
“Return To Sender” – Elvis Presley
“Ride” – Dee Dee Sharp
[new] “Ruby Ann” – Marty Robbins
“Rumours” – Johnny Crawford
[new] “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” – Four Seasons
[new] “Tell Him” – Exciters
“Telstar” – Tornados
“The Cha Cha Cha” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “The Little Drummer Boy” – Harry Simeon Chorale
“The Lonely Bull” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
[new] “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” – Bobby Vee
[new] “The Push And Kick” – Mark Valentino
[new] “Two Lovers” – Mary Wells
[new] “Up On The Roof” – Drifters
“What Kind Of Fool Am I” – Sammy Davis Jr.
[new] “Wiggle Wobble” – Les Cooper And The Soul Rockers
[new] “You Are My Sunshine” – Ray Charles
[new] “Your Cheating Heart” – Ray Charles
[new] “Zip A Dee Doo Dah” – Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
[new] “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” – Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On August the 14th the U.S. spacecraft Mariner 2 became the first Earth probe to successfully transmit data from another planet, as it flew by Venus. The data showed for the first time the surface temperature of Venus, found to be 482 °C, and revealed “a planet inhospitable to life”, which “dashed hopes for a tropical, watery planet filled with aquatic and amphibious creatures”, in the words of one observer.
On the 22nd for the first time, a song by a British band reached #1 on the American singles chart. More than a year before The Beatles began music’s “British Invasion”, the instrumental song “Telstar” became a hit for The Tornados.
And on the 30th “Blowin’ in the Wind”, Bob Dylan’s most iconic song, was performed for the first time, as part of a BBC television play called “Madhouse On Castle Street”. Dylan was 21 (having never left America before), when he visited London for the first time in December 1962, to take part in a BBC play. He appeared as “Bobby the hobo” and sang four songs, including the first ever broadcast of “Blowin’ in the Wind”.”
What’d Sadie think?
The Four Seasons classic, and Sadie sing-a-long fave, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” is at the top for 3 weeks this December before the aforementioned “Telstar” by the Tornados rounds out the month with 2 weeks at number 1.
Loved ’em
- “Love Came To Me” – Dion
- “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” – Four Seasons
- “Tell Him” – Exciters
- “Two Lovers” – Mary Wells
- “Up On The Roof” – Drifters
- “You Are My Sunshine” – Ray Charles
- “Your Cheating Heart” – Ray Charles
Liked ’em
- “Dear Lonely Hearts” – Nat King Cole
- “Desafinado” – Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
- “Eso Beso” – Paul Anka
- “Everybody Loves A Lover” – Shirelles
- “Go Away Little Girl” – Steve Lawrence
- “It’s Up To You” – Rick Nelson
- “Let’s Go” – Routers
- “My Dad” – Paul Petersen
- “Ruby Ann” – Marty Robbins
- “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” – Bobby Vee
- “The Push And Kick” – Mark Valentino
- “Wiggle Wobble” – Les Cooper And The Soul Rockers
- “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” – Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
Leave ’em
- “Chains” – Cookies
- “Hotel Happiness” – Brook Benton
- “Pepino The Italian Mouse” – Lou Monte
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.