A new year is upon us in our journey through musical history. What does 1958 hold for us? Let’s find out…
Songs of the month
“All The Way” – Frank Sinatra
“April Love” – Pat Boone
“At The Hop” – Danny And The Juniors
“Be-Bop Baby” – Ricky Nelson
“Bony Maronie” – Larry Williams
“Buzz Buzz Buzz” – Hollywood Flames
“Chances Are” – Johnny Mathis
“Don’t Let Go” – Roy Hamilton*
“Fascination” – Jane Morgan And The Troubadors
“Get A Job” – Silhouettes*
“Great Balls Of Fire” – Jerry Lee Lewis
“Honeycomb” – Jimmie Rodgers
“I’m Available” – Margie Rayburn
“Jailhouse Rock” – Elvis Presley
“Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Helms
“Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” – Jimmie Rodgers
“La Dee Dah” – Billy And Lillie*
“Liechensteiner Polka” – Will Glahe Orchestra
“Little Bitty Pretty One” – Thurston Harris
“Melodie D’Amour” – Ames Brothers
“My Special Angel” – Bobby Helms
“Oh Boy” – Crickets
“Oh Julie” – Crescendos*
“Peggy Sue” – Buddy Holly
“Raunchy” – Bill Justis
“Raunchy” – Ernie Freeman
“Rock & Roll Music” – Chuck Berry
“Sail Along Silvery Moon” – Billy Vaughn Orchestra*
“Silhouettes” – Rays
“Stood Up” – Ricky Nelson*
“Sugartime” – Mcguire Sisters*
“Tear Drops” – Lee Andrews And The Hearts
“The Stoll” – Diamonds
“The Story Of My Life” – Marty Robbins
“The Stroll” – Diamonds*
“Waitin’ In School” – Ricky Nelson*
“Wake Up Little Susie” – Everly Brothers
“Why Don’t They Understand” – George Hamilton Iv
“You Send Me” – Sam Cooke
And let’s see what the top 10 looked like across the Atlantic in the UK:
“Great Balls Of Fire” – Jerry Lee Lewis
“Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me” – Johnny Otis And His Orchestra With Marie Adams*
“Wake Up Little Susie” – The Everly Brothers
“My Special Angel” – Malcolm Vaughan
“All The Way” – Frank Sinatra
“I Love You Baby” – Paul Anka*
“Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town)” – Jackie Wilson*
“Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” – Jimmie Rodgers
“Peggy Sue” – Buddy Holly
“Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” – Frankie Vaughan
* = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On January the 1st the European Economic Community (EEC), the forerunner to the European Union, came into being as an economic and cooperative union between Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. Some footage from their first council below:
And then on the 4th a party led by Edmund Hillary became the first to reach the South Pole overland since Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated journey in 1912. Despite the success, Hillary was criticised for allegedly putting adventure ahead of the expedition’s scientific aims. Earlier, in October 1957, driving modified Ferguson farm tractors, the Kiwis headed south to establish food and fuel depots for the British crossing party. Then, against the instructions of the British Ross Sea Committee, they went ‘hell-bent for the Pole – God willing and crevasses permitting’.
On the 31st, having been beaten by the USSR’s Sputnik four months earlier, the United States launched a satellite into orbit for the first time, as Explorer 1 was sent up from Florida’s Cape Canaveral on a Jupiter-C rocket.
What’d Sadie think?
For the whole month of January, the Xmas number 1, “At The Hop” by Danny And The Juniors occupied the top spot.
Love ’em
The best song of the month is definitely “Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl In Town)” by Jackie Wilson and it comes to us from the UK charts. It was released a few months ago (…1957) in the USA but only made it as high as 62 so we didn’t hear it, whereas it made it to number in the UK. The song was enough of a success that one of the writers Berry Gordy was able to fund the launch of… Motown Records. I am familiar with the song because of its re-release in 1986, when UK TV show Arena used it to soundtrack a claymation animation which sent the song to number 1 for four weeks.
The other two great songs this month are Paul Anka’s “I Love You Baby” and the Diamonds with “The Stroll”.
Like ’em
“Don’t Let Go” – Roy Hamilton
“Get A Job” – Silhouettes
“La Dee Dah” – Billy And Lillie
“Stood Up” – Ricky Nelson
“Waitin’ In School” – Ricky Nelson
“Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me” – Johnny Otis And His Orchestra With Marie Adams
Lose ’em
“Oh Julie” – Crescendos
“Sail Along Silvery Moon” – Billy Vaughn Orchestra
“Sugartime” – Mcguire Sisters
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.