Our first 4xLife posted from the northern hemisphere in 18 months as Emily and I are in Berlin (via a few days in Seoul) for a wedding. Our first Sadie-less holiday, as the munchkin is staying at home with Emily’s parents. We had to cheat this week slightly and listen to this week’s songs with her last weekend, so she was a week ahead!
Songs of the month
“A Wonder Like You” – Rick Nelson
“Big Bad John” – Jimmy Dean
“Big John” – Shirelles
“Bristol Stomp” – Dovells
“Candy Man” – Roy Orbison
[new] “Crazy” – Patsy Cline
“Crying” – Roy Orbison
“Don’t Blame Me” – Everly Brothers
“Dreamboat” – Connie Francis
“Everlovin'” – Rick Nelson
[new] “Fool No. 1” – Brenda Lee
[new] “God Country & My Baby” – Johnny Burnette
[new] “God Country And My Baby” – Johnny Burnette
[new] “Goodbye Cruel World” – James Darren
[new] “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” – Neil Sedaka
“Heartaches” – Marcels
[new] “Heartaches” – Marcels
“Hit The Road Jack” – Ray Charles
“I Love How You Love Me” – Paris Sisters
“I Understand” – G-Clefs
[new] “I Want To Thank You” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “In The Middle Of A Heartache” – Wanda Jackson
[new] “Just Out Of Reach” – Solomon Burke
[new] “Let There Be Drums” – Sandy Nelson
“Let’s Get Together” – Hayley Mills
“Mexico” – Bob Moore
[new] “Moon River” – Henry Mancini
[new] “Moon River” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Please Mr. Postman” – Marvelettes
[new] “Run To Him” – Bobby Vee
“Runaround Sue” – Dion
“Sad Movies” – Sue Thompson
[new] “School Is In” – Gary Us Bonds
[new] “September In The Rain” – Dinah Washington
“Sweets For My Sweet” – Drifters
“The Fly” – Chubby Checker
“The Twist” – Chubby Checker
“The Way You Look Tonight” – Lettermen
“This Time” – Troy Shondell
[new] “Tonight” – Ferrante And Teicher
“Tower Of Strength” – Gene Mcdaniels
[new] “Walk On By” – Leroy Van Dyke
[new] “What A Party” – Fats Domino
“Ya Ya” – Lee Dorsey
“Ya-Ya” – Lee Dorsey
“You’re The Reason” – Bobby Edwards
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On November 9th Brian Epstein saw the Beatles perform at the Cavern Club for the first time and signed them to a contract by December 10. So…here they come!
On the 10th the classic novel Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, was first put on sale by Simon & Schuster, after favorable advance reviews in October. The book’s title, which became a phrase to refer to a no-win situation, had originally been Catch-18, but was changed because of a 1961 novel by Leon Uris, “Mila 18”.
On the 29th the United States successfully placed a 37.5-pound (17.0 kg) chimpanzee, Enos, into orbit around the Earth, clearing the way for the first American astronaut to break the pull of Earth’s gravity.
What’d Sadie think?
The full month is owned by the awesome “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean.
Loved ’em
Two versions of Moon River in the chart this week after it debuted in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” when it was released in October, 1961. Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for Audrey Hepburn to sing in the film, and Mancini’s version is charting along with a version by Jerry Butler.
Apparently, “There was an eruption of behind-the-scenes consternation when a Paramount Pictures executive, Martin Rackin, suggested removing the song from the film after a tepid Los Angeles preview. Hepburn’s reaction was described by Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying, “Over my dead body!” to her using more colorful language to make the same point”…
- “Crazy” – Patsy Cline
- “Heartaches” – Marcels
- “In The Middle Of A Heartache” – Wanda Jackson
- “Moon River” – Henry Mancini
- “Moon River” – Jerry Butler
- “Run To Him” – Bobby Vee
Liked ’em
- “Fool No. 1” – Brenda Lee
- “God Country & My Baby” – Johnny Burnette
- “Goodbye Cruel World” – James Darren
- “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” – Neil Sedaka
- “I Want To Thank You” – Bobby Rydell
- “Just Out Of Reach” – Solomon Burke
- “Let There Be Drums” – Sandy Nelson
- “Please Mr. Postman” – Marvelettes
- “School Is In” – Gary Us Bonds
- “September In The Rain” – Dinah Washington
- “Tonight” – Ferrante And Teicher
- “Walk On By” – Leroy Van Dyke
- “What A Party” – Fats Domino
Leave ’em
What do ya know, nothing we’d skip this week!
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.