We were too busy to post the blog last week (remember the playlist is always on my Youtube.) so first here’s December, 1963. And now to hear what the brand new year sounds like…welcome to 1964!
Songs of the month
[new] “A Fool Never Learns” – Andy Williams
[new] “Anyone Who Had A Heart” – Dionne Warwick
“As Usual” – Brenda Lee
[new] “Baby I Love You” – Ronettes
“Be True To Your School” – Beach Boys
“Can I Get A Witness” – Marvin Gaye
[new] “Daisy Petal Pickin'” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
“Dominique” – Singing Nun
“Drag City” – Jan And Dean
“Drip Drop” – Dion Di Muci
“Everybody” – Tommy Roe
[new] “For You” – Rick Nelson
[new] “For Your Precious Love” – Garnett Mimms
“Forget Him” – Bobby Rydell
“Have You Heard” – Duprees
[new] “Hey Little Cobra” – Rip Cords
[new] “Hooka Tooka” – Chubby Checker
[new] “I Want To Hold Your Hand” – Beatles
“I’m Leaving It Up To You” – Dale And Grace
“Kansas City” – Trini Lopez
“Loddy Lo” – Chubby Checker
“Louie Louie” – Kingsmen
“Midnight Mary” – Joey Powers
[new] “Out Of Limits” – Marketts
“Popsicles And Icicles” – Murmaids
“Pretty Paper” – Roy Orbison
“Quicksand” – Martha And The Vandellas
“Since I Fell For You” – Lenny Welch
[new] “Somewhere” – Tymes
“Surfin’ Bird” – Trashmen
[new] “Talkback Trembling Lips” – Johnny Tillotson
[new] “Talking About My Baby” – Impressions
[new] “That Lucky Old Sun” – Ray Charles
[new] “The Boy Nexy Door” – Secrets
“The Nitty Gritty” – Shirley Ellis
“There I’ve Said It Again” – Bobby Vinton
“Turn Around” – Dick And Deedee
[new] “Um Um Um Um Um Um” – Major Lance
[new] “When The Lovelight Stars Shining Through His Eyes” – Supremes
[new] “Whispering” – Nino Tempo And April Stevens
“Wives And Lovers” – Jack Jones
“You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry” – Caravelles
[new] “You Don’t Own Me” – Lesley Gore
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On the first day of the year the British music chart television program, “Top of the Pops”, made its debut on the BBC network. The program would become one of the world’s longest-running weekly music show in television history.
On the 3rd, millions of americans got their first view of The Beatles and heard their new song, “She Loves You”, as they watched film footage on The Jack Paar Program.
Then as Beatlesmania made its way across the atlantic Chicago’s Vee-Jay Records released “Introducing… The Beatles” to get the jump on Capitol Records’ release of “Meet the Beatles!”, scheduled for January 20. Capitol obtained a restraining order against Vee-Jay on January 16 to prevent further sales, although Vee-Jay would defy the order by releasing the album again on February 10 and spending nine weeks with the second most popular selling album, behind Capitol’s number one seller
On the 29th the film “Dr. Strangelove” (subtitled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”) opened in the U.S. theaters. Along with four other movies “dealing with fictitious presidents of the United States”, advance publicity and the release had been put on hold after the assassination of John F. Kennedy the previous November.
What’d Sadie think?
“There I’ve Said It Again” by Bobby Vinton dominates the chart top all month. But it’s the arrival of The Beatles with “I want to hold your hand” that is the real stand out of this week’s charts. Young Sadie went crazy for it and spent some time dancing around the lounge hold but mum and dad’s hands. Too cute.
Loved ’em
- “Anyone Who Had A Heart” – Dionne Warwick
- “Baby I Love You” – Ronettes
- “I Want To Hold Your Hand” – Beatles
- “That Lucky Old Sun” – Ray Charles
- “You Don’t Own Me” – Lesley Gore
Liked ’em
- “Daisy Petal Pickin'” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
- “For You” – Rick Nelson
- “For Your Precious Love” – Garnet Mimms
- “Hey Little Cobra” – Rip Cords
- “Hooka Tooka” – Chubby Checker
- “Out Of Limits” – Marketts
- “Somewhere” – Tymes
- “Talkback Trembling Lips” – Johnny Tillotson
- “Talking About My Baby” – Impressions
- “The Boy Next Door” – Secrets
- “Um Um Um Um Um Um” – Major Lance
- “When The Lovelight Stars Shining Through His Eyes” – Supremes
- “Whispering” – Nino Tempo And April Stevens
Leave ’em
- “A Fool Never Learns” – Andy Williams
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.