We missed sending this newsletter due to a busy week/end so let’s dive straight into the sounds of January, 1962 for those who are catching up…
Songs of the month
[new] “A Little Bitty Tear” – Burl Ives
[new] “Baby It’s You” – Shirelles
[new] “Baby’s First Christmas” – Connie Francis
[new] “Break It To Me Gently” – Brenda Lee
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Cottonfields” – Highwaymen
[new] “Dear Ivan” – Jimmy Dean
[new] “Dear Lady Twist” – Gary Us Bonds
[new] “Duke Of Earl” – Gene Chandler
[new] “Funny How Time Slips Away” – Jimmy Elledge
“Goodbye Cruel World” – James Darren
“Gypsy Woman” – Impressions
“Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” – Neil Sedaka
“I Don’t Know Why” – Linda Scott
“I Know” – Barbara George
[new] “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” – James Ray
[new] “Irresistable You” – Bobby Darin
“Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
“Let There Be Drums” – Sandy Nelson
[new] “Letter Full Of Tears” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
[new] “Little Bitty Tear” – Burl Ives
“Moon River” – Henry Mancini
“Moon River” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Norman” – Sue Thompson
“Peppermint Twist” – Joey Dee And The Starlighters
“Please Mr. Postman” – Marvelettes
“Revenge” – Brook Benton
“Rock-A-Hula Baby” – Elvis Presley
“Run To Him” – Bobby Vee
[new] “Small Sad Sam” – Phil Mclean
“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – Tokens
[new] “The Little Drummer Boy” – Harry Simeon Chorale
“The Twist” – Chubby Checker
[new] “The Wanderer” – Dion
“There’s No Other” – Crystals
[new] “Till” – Angels
[new] “Town Without Pity” – Gene Pitney
[new] “Turn On Your Love Light” – Bobby Bland
[new] “Twist-Her” – Bill Black’s Combo
“Unchain My Heart” – Ray Charles
“Walk On By” – Leroy Van Dyke
“When I Fall In Love” – Lettermen
“When The Boy In Your Arms” – Connie Francis
“White Christmas” – Bing Crosby
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
A couple of pieces of New Zealand news this month. On the 1st Western Samoa (now called Samoa) became independent from New Zealand. The two fautua (advisers), Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Mea’ole, were named as the two heads of state.
Then the next day The University of New Zealand was broken up into four universities (Otago, Canterbury, Auckland and Victoria University) and two agricultural colleges at Canterbury and Massey. There’s a thing I didn’t know as a graduate of the University of Auckland many years later.
On the 5th the first recording on which The Beatles played, the 45 rpm record “My Bonnie”, credited to “Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers” (recorded the previous June in Hamburg), was released by Polydor in the United Kingdom.
What’d Sadie think?
A week at the top this month for The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” before “The Twist” by Chubby Checker is back at the top for two more weeks. Then it’s a twist on the twist with “Peppermint Twist” by Joey Dee And The Starlighters taking the top spot for the last week.
Loved ’em
- “Baby It’s You” – Shirelles
- “Break It To Me Gently” – Brenda Lee
- “Dear Lady Twist” – Gary Us Bonds
- “Letter Full Of Tears” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
- “The Wanderer” – Dion
- “Town Without Pity” – Gene Pitney
Liked ’em
- “A Little Bitty Tear” – Burl Ives
- “Cottonfields” – Highwaymen
- “Duke Of Earl” – Gene Chandler
- “Funny How Time Slips Away” – Jimmy Elledge
- “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” – James Ray
- “Irresistable You” – Bobby Darin
- “Norman” – Sue Thompson
- “Till” – Angels
- “Turn On Your Love Light” – Bobby Bland
- “Twist-Her” – Bill Black’s Combo
Leave ’em
A special call-out of “Small Sad Sam” which reminds us that meme culture didn’t start with the Internet – this is a terrible, play on the classic, “Big Bad John” that was obviously turned around pretty quickly in 1962.
- “Baby’s First Christmas” – Connie Francis
- “Dear Ivan” – Jimmy Dean
- “Small Sad Sam” – Phil Mclean
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.