Up-to-dates

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.

It’s 56 years and 8 months before Sadie is born and 13 years and 2 months before Thomas is…let’s hear how 1963 closed out with December’s playlist.

Songs of the month

[new] “As Usual” – Brenda Lee
[new] “Baby Don’t You Weep” – Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters
“Be True To Your School” – Beach Boys
“Bossa Nova Baby” – Elvis Presley
“Can I Get A Witness” – Marvin Gaye
“Deep Purple” – Nino Tempo And April Stevens
“Dominique” – Singing Nun
[new] “Drag City” – Jan And Dean
“Drip Drop” – Dion Di Muci
“Everybody” – Tommy Roe
[new] “Forget Him” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “Have You Heard” – Duprees
“Hey Little Girl” – Major Lance
“I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” – Barry And The Tamarlanes
“I’m Leaving It Up To You” – Dale And Grace
[new] “In My Room” – Beach Boys
“It’s All Right” – Impressions
[new] “Kansas City” – Trini Lopez
“Little Red Rooster” – Sam Cooke
“Living A Lie” – Al Martino
“Loddy Lo” – Chubby Checker
“Louie Louie” – Kingsmen
“Maria Elena” – Los Indios Tabajaras
[new] “Midnight Mary” – Joey Powers
[new] “Nitty Gritty” – Shirley Ellis
“Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebelles
[new] “Popsicles And Icicles” – Murmaids
[new] “Pretty Paper” – Roy Orbison
[new] “Quicksand” – Martha And The Vandellas
“She’s A Fool” – Lesley Gore
“Since I Fell For You” – Lenny Welch
“Sugar Shack” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
[new] “Surfin’ Bird” – Trashmen
[new] “Talk Back Trembling Lips” – Johnny Tillotson
[new] “The Boy Next Door” – Secrets
[new] “The Nitty Gritty” – Shirley Ellis
[new] “There I’ve Said It Again” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “Turn Around” – Dick And Deedee
“Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa” – Gene Pitney
“Walking The Dog” – Rufus Thomas
“Washington Square” – Village Stompers
[new] “Wives And Lovers” – Jack Jones
“Wonderful Summer” – Robin Ward
“You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry” – Caravelles

[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 5th the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) completed its investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy less than two weeks after the crime, as Director J. Edgar Hoover approved the final report of the bureau inquiry. The FBI’s conclusion was that Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby had each acted alone, and independently of each other. Of course conspiracy theories persist to this day. No footage of that but a classic piece of TV footage as Walter Cronkite announces his assassination the previous month.

On the 20th for the first time since the erection of the Berlin Wall in 1961, residents of West Berlin were allowed to cross into East Berlin. By agreement between West Germany and East Germany, West German applicants were granted one-day passes in order to visit with family members in the Communist-controlled east side during the Christmas holidays. Because we’ve just mentioned JFK, here he is in June of that year giving his famous speech at the Berlin Wall.

On the 21st “The Daleks”, a serial that began with the fifth episode of the “Doctor Who” science fiction television series, saw the introduction of the Dalek, the most famous of all the nemeses in the program’s history. In the episode “The Dead Planet”, the Doctor and his three companions arrived in the TARDIS on the planet Skaro, although viewers would not see what a Dalek looked like until the December 28 show.

What’d Sadie think?

Four weeks at the top for The Singing Nun with “Dominique” this month.

Loved ’em

• “Baby Don’t You Weep” – Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters
• “Nitty Gritty” – Shirley Ellis
• “Surfin’ Bird” – Trashmen
• “Wives And Lovers” – Jack Jones

Of course very notoriously, in NZ, in the ’80s “Surfin’ Bird” was repurposed to promote Bluebird crisps. The height of advertising.

Liked ’em

• “As Usual” – Brenda Lee
• “Drag City” – Jan And Dean
• “Forget Him” – Bobby Rydell
• “Have You Heard” – Duprees
• “In My Room” – Beach Boys
• “Kansas City” – Trini Lopez
• “Midnight Mary” – Joey Powers
• “Popsicles And Icicles” – Murmaids
• “Pretty Paper” – Roy Orbison
• “Quicksand” – Martha And The Vandellas
• “Talk Back Trembling Lips” – Johnny Tillotson
• “The Boy Next Door” – Secrets
• “Turn Around” – Dick And Deedee

Leave ’em

• “There I’ve Said It Again” – Bobby Vinton

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

It’s starting to feel a lot like xmas! In both 2023 and 1963 as we find ourselves n November of the year in both time periods. Let’s jump back to the ’60s and see what it sounded like…

Songs of the month

[new] “500 Miles Away From Home” – Bobby Bare
“Be My Baby” – Ronettes
[new] “Be True To Your School” – Beach Boys
“Blue Bayou” – Roy Orbison
“Blue Velvet” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “Bossa Nova Baby” – Elvis Presley
“Busted” – Ray Charles
[new] “Can I Get A Witness” – Marvin Gaye
“Cross Fire” – Orlons
“Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms
“Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters
[new] “Cry To Me” – Betty Harris
“Deep Purple” – Nino Tempo And April Stevens
[new] “Dominique” – Singing Nun
“Don’t Think Twice” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
“Donna The Prima Donna” – Dion Di Muci
[new] “Down At Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebelles
[new] “Drip Drop” – Dion Di Muci
“Everybody” – Tommy Roe
“Fools Rush In” – Rick Nelson
[new] “Hey Little Girl” – Major Lance
“Honolulu Lulu” – Jan And Dean
[new] “I Adore Him” – Angels
“I Can’t Stay Mad At You” – Skeeter Davis
[new] “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” – Barry And The Tamarlanes
“I’m Leaving It Up To You” – Dale And Grace
“It’s All Right” – Impressions
[new] “It’s Alright” – Impressions
[new] “Little Red Rooster” – Sam Cooke
[new] “Living A Lie” – Al Martino
[new] “Loddy Lo” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Louie Louie” – Kingsmen
“Maria Elena” – Los Indios Tabajaras
“Mean Woman Blues” – Roy Orbison
[new] “Misty” – Lloyd Price
“Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebelles
“Part Time Love” – Little Johnny Taylor
[new] “Saturday Night” – New Christy Minstrels
“She’s A Fool” – Lesley Gore
[new] “Since I Fell For You” – Lenny Welch
“Sugar Shack” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
“Talk To Me” – Sunny And The Sunglows
“That Sunday That Summer” – Nat King Cole
“The Grass Is Greener” – Brenda Lee
[new] “Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa” – Gene Pitney
[new] “Walking Proud” – Steve Lawrence
[new] “Walking The Dog” – Rufus Thomas
“Washington Square” – Village Stompers
[new] “Wonderful Summer” – Robin Ward
[new] “You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry” – Caravelles
“You Lost The Sweetest Boy” – Mary Wells
[new] “Your Other Love” – Connie Francis

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

Some news stories I come across are small things, but in some ways point out just how much changed. Such as this one, on the 3rd Barry E. Steiner, a 20-year old medical student at Boston University, was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after having flown hundreds of thousands of miles on stolen airplane tickets. At the time it was commonplace to purchase a ticket at the airline counter, have the ticket agent fill it out, and then to board the airplane. Steiner’s method was simply to reach behind an unattended counter at an airport, steal blank tickets, write in the flight number and destination of his choice, and then walk on to the appropriate plane. Yeah…a bit more security at airports today!

Then on the 18th the first electronic push-button telephone with touch-tone dialing was commercially offered by Bell Telephone in the USA to customers in the Pittsburgh area towns of Carnegie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

And on the 22nd United States president John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Kennedy was riding as a passenger in a Lincoln Continental motorcade in Dealey Plaza of Downtown Dallas, Texas. A story we’ve all seen at least one movie or documentary on so here’s…another one.

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs before a week for “Deep Purple” by Nino Tempo and April Stevens which is then beat out by Dale & Grace’s, “I’m Leaving It Up To You”.

Loved ’em

• “500 Miles Away From Home” – Bobby Bare
• “Bossa Nova Baby” – Elvis Presley
• “Can I Get A Witness” – Marvin Gaye
• “Louie Louie” – Kingsmen
• “Since I Fell For You” – Lenny Welch
• “Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa” – Gene Pitney
• “Walking The Dog” – Rufus Thomas

Some great tunes this month. The stand-out, in terms of a new sound on our charts is The Kingsmen’s cover of “Louie Louie”. According to wikipedia it is the world’s most recorded rock song, with published estimates ranging from over 1,600 to more than 2,000 versions. Their cover has been cited, variously, as the “rosetta stone” of garage rock, the defining “ur-text” of punk rock, and “the original grunge classic”. As wikipedia also notes, “Rock critics Dave Marsh and Greil Marcus believe that virtually all punk rock can be traced back to a single proto-punk song, ‘Louie Louie’.” In short…quite the tune.

The backstory about the original song writer and performer Richard Berry, who sold the rights before it became a real hit, is also worth a read,

“In the mid-1980s, Berry was living on welfare. Drinks company California Cooler wanted to use “Louie Louie” in a commercial, but discovered it needed Berry’s consent because he still owned the radio and television performance rights. The company asked the Artists Rights Society to locate him which led to Berry’s taking legal action to regain his rights to the song. The settlement made Berry a millionaire.”

Liked ’em

• “Be True To Your School” – Beach Boys
• “Cry To Me” – Betty Harris
• “Dominique” – Singing Nun
• “Down At Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebelles
• “Drip Drop” – Dion Di Muci
• “Hey Little Girl” – Major Lance
• “I Adore Him” – Angels
• “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” – Barry And The Tamarlanes
• “It’s Alright” – Impressions
• “Little Red Rooster” – Sam Cooke
• “Loddy Lo” – Chubby Checker
• “Misty” – Lloyd Price
• “Walking Proud” – Steve Lawrence
• “Wonderful Summer” – Robin Ward
• “Your Other Love” – Connie Francis

Leave ’em

• “Living A Lie” – Al Martino
• “Saturday Night” – New Christy Minstrels
• “You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry” – Caravelles

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

Let’s jump straight back to October, 1963…

Songs of the month

“A Walkin’ Miracle” – Essex
“Be My Baby” – Ronettes
[new] “Blue Bayou” – Roy Orbison
“Blue Velvet” – Bobby Vinton
“Bust Out” – Busters
“Busted” – Ray Charles
[new] “Cross Fire” – Orions
“Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms
[new] “Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters
[new] “Deep Purple” – Nino Tempo And April Stevens
[new] “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
[new] “Don’t Think Twice” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
[new] “Donna The Prima Donna” – Dion Di Muci
[new] “Everybody” – Tommy Roe
[new] “Fools Rush In” – Rick Nelson
“Heat Wave” – Martha And The Vandellas
[new] “Hello Heartache Goodbye Love” – Little Peggy March
“Honolulu Lulu” – Jan And Dean
“I Can’t Stay Mad At You” – Skeeter Davis
[new] “I’ll Take You Home” – Drifters
[new] “I’m Leaving It Up To You” – Dale And Grace
“If I Had A Hammer” – Trini Lopez
[new] “It’s All Right” – Impressions
“Little Deuce Coupe” – Beach Boys
[new] “Maria Elena” – Los Indios Tabajaras
“Martian Hop” – Ran-Dells
[new] “Mean Woman Blues” – Roy Orbison
“Mickey’s Monkey” – Miracles
“My Boyfriend’s Back” – Angels
“Only In America” – Jay And The Americans
“Painted Tainted Rose” – Al Martino
[new] “Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebelles
“Part Time Love” – Little Johnny Taylor
“Sally Go Round The Roses” – Jaynetts
[new] “She’s A Fool” – Lesley Gore
“Sugar Shack” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
“Surfer Girl” – Beach Boys
[new] “Talk To Me” – Sunny And The Sunglows
[new] “That Sunday That Summer” – Nat King Cole
[new] “The Grass Is Greener” – Brenda Lee
“The Kind Of Boy You Can’t Forget” – Raindrops
“The Monkey Time” – Major Lance
“Then He Kissed Me” – Crystals
[new] “Washington Square” – Village Stompers
“Wham” – Lonnie Mack
“Wonderful Wonderful” – Tymes
[new] “You Lost The Sweetest Boy” – Mary Wells

[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 6th, “Surf music”, which has been featuring in various songs in the charts for the past few weeks, received its first nationwide American television exposure, when Dick Dale and the Del-Tones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

That performance is here (one of those youtube videos that won’t embed.)

The next day the very first Learjet, the Learjet 23, took off from an airport in Wichita, Kansas, with test pilots Bob Hagan and Hank Beaird at the controls. The prototype jet, the product of the investment of William P. Lear, inaugurated an era of private jet airplanes.

Then on the 13th, four months before they came to the United States, The Beatles performed their latest hit single, “She Loves You” live on the British television variety show Sunday Night at the Palladium. Millions watched on ITV, and the enthusiasm of their fans outside the theater was so intense that the press later coined the term “Beatlemania”.

What’d Sadie think?

It’s a week at the top for Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Velvet” before the great “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs takes the spot for the rest of the month.

Loved ’em

• “Blue Bayou” – Roy Orbison
• “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
• “It’s All Right” – Impressions
• “You Lost The Sweetest Boy” – Mary Wells

Liked ’em

• “Cross Fire” – Orions
• “Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters
• “Deep Purple” – Nino Tempo And April Stevens
• “Donna Prima Donna” – Dion Di Muci
• “Everybody” – Tommy Roe
• “Fools Rush In” – Rick Nelson
• “Hello Heartache Goodbye Love” – Little Peggy March
• “I’ll Take You Home” – Drifters
• “I’m Leaving It Up To You” – Dale And Grace
• “Mean Woman Blues” – Roy Orbison
• “She’s A Fool” – Lesley Gore
• “Talk To Me” – Sunny And The Sunglows
• “That Sunday That Summer” – Nat King Cole
• “Washington Square” – Village Stompers

Leave ’em

• “Maria Elena” – Los Indios Tabajaras
• “Papa Joe’s” – Dixiebelles

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

A day late this week because the family were busying enjoying Halloween activities. Now that’s done lets jump back to September, 1963…

Songs of the month

[new] “A Walkin’ Miracle” – Essex
[new] “Be My Baby” – Ronettes
“Blowin’ In The Wind” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
“Blue Velvet” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “Bust Out” – Busters
[new] “Busted” – Ray Charles
“Candy Girl” – Four Seasons
[new] “Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms
“Danke Schoen” – Wayne Newton
“Denise” – Randy And The Raindrops
“Fingertips” – Little Stevie Wonder
“Frankie And Johnny” – Sam Cooke
“Green Green” – New Christy Minstrels
[new] “Heat Wave” – Martha And The Vandellas
“Heatwave” – Martha And The Vandellas
“Hello Muddah Hello Faddah” – Allan Sherman
[new] “Hello Muddah Hellow Faddah” – Allan Sherman
“Hey Girl” – Freddie Scott
[new] “Hey There Lonely Boy” – Ruby And The Romantics
[new] “Honolulu Lulu” – Jan And Dean
[new] “I Can’t Stay Mad At You” – Skeeter Davis
“I Want To Stay Here” – Steve And Eydie
“If I Had A Hammer” – Trini Lopez
“Judy’s Turn To Cry” – Lesley Gore
[new] “Little Deuce Coupe” – Beach Boys
“Make The World Go Away” – Timi Yuro
[new] “Martian Hop” – Ran-Dells
[new] “Mickey’s Monkey” – Miracles
“Mockingbird” – Inez Foxx & Charlie Foxx
“More” – Kai Winding Orchestra
“My Boyfriend’s Back” – Angels
[new] “Only In America” – Jay And The Americans
“Painted Tainted Rose” – Al Martino
[new] “Part Time Love” – Little Johnny Taylor
[new] “Sally Go Round The Roses” – Jaynetts
[new] “Sugar Shack” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
“Surfer Girl” – Beach Boys
[new] “The Kind Of Boy You Can’t Forget” – Raindrops
“The Monkey Time” – Major Lance
“Then He Kissed Me” – Crystals
“Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home” – Darlene Love
[new] “Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home” – Darlene Love
[new] “Wham” – Lonnie Mack
“Wipe Out” – Surfaris
[new] “Wonderful Wonderful” – Tymes
“You Can Never Stop Me Loving You” – Johnny Tillotson

[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 15th The Beatles and The Rolling Stones performed in the same show for the first and only time, appearing at a concert at Royal Albert Hall in London. No footage of that but some related footage of The Beatles performing below.

On the 16th the classic science fiction show, The Outer Limits, premiered on the ABC television network at 7:30 pm in the United States, beginning with the episode “The Galaxy Being”.

And in a good month for sci fi, on the 29th “My Favorite Martian”, an American television sitcom and science fiction fantasy starring Ray Walston and Bill Bixby, premiered..

Then in a space close to our day jobs, The Pantone Color Matching System, was introduced and would become the de facto international colour standard for printing companies around the world.

What’d Sadie think?

It’s “My Boyfriend’s Back” by the Angels and then “Blue Velvet” by Bobby Vinton that have the top for 2-weeks a piece this month.

Loved ’em

• “A Walkin’ Miracle” – Essex
• “Be My Baby” – Ronettes
• “Busted” – Ray Charles
• “Heat Wave” – Martha And The Vandellas
• “Little Deuce Coupe” – Beach Boys
• “The Kind Of Boy You Can’t Forget” – Raindrops
• “Wonderful Wonderful” – Tymes

Absolute song of the month is “Heat Wave” – composed by the hit-writing team of Holland–Dozier–Holland it was one of the first songs to exemplify the style of music later termed as the “Motown Sound”.

Liked ’em

• “Bust Out” – Busters
• “Cry Baby” – Garnet Mimms
• “Hey There Lonely Boy” – Ruby And The Romantics
• “Honolulu Lulu” – Jan And Dean
• “I Can’t Stay Mad At You” – Skeeter Davis
• “Mickey’s Monkey” – Miracles
• “Part Time Love” – Little Johnny Taylor
• “Sally Go Round The Roses” – Jaynetts
• “Sugar Shack” – Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs
• “Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home” – Darlene Love
• “Wham” – Lonnie Mack
  

Leave ’em

• “Martian Hop” – Ran-Dells
• “Only In America” – Jay And The Americans
  
  

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

We’re turning our ears back to August, 1963 which is 57 years before young Sadie was born. Let’s hear it!

Songs of the month

“Abilene” – George Hamilton Iv
“Blowin’ In The Wind” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
“Blue On Blue” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “Blue Velvet” – Bobby Vinton
“Candy Girl” – Four Seasons
[new] “Danke Schoen” – Wayne Newton
“Denise” – Randy And The Raindrops
“Detroit City” – Bobby Bare
“Devil In Disguise” – Elvis Presley
“Don’t Say Goodnight And Mean Goodbye” – Shirelles
“Easier Said Than Done” – Essex
“Fingertips” – Little Stevie Wonder
[new] “Frankie And Johnny” – Sam Cooke
[new] “Green Green” – New Christy Minstrels
[new] “Heatwave” – Martha And The Vandellas
[new] “Hello Muddah Hello Faddah” – Allan Sherman
[new] “Hey Girl” – Freddie Scott
“Hopeless” – Andy Williams
[new] “I Want To Stay Here” – Steve And Eydie
[new] “I Who Have Nothing” – Ben E. King
[new] “I Wonder” – Brenda Lee
[new] “If I Had A Hammer” – Trini Lopez
“Judy’s Turn To Cry” – Lesley Gore
“Just One Look” – Doris Troy
[new] “Make The World Go Away” – Timi Yuro
“Memphis” – Lonnie Mack
[new] “Mockingbird” – Inez Foxx & Charlie Foxx
“More” – Kai Winding
[new] “My Boyfriend’s Back” – Angels
“My True Confession” – Brook Benton
[new] “My Whole World Is Falling Apart” – Brenda Lee
“No One” – Ray Charles
“Not Me” – Orlons
[new] “Painted Tainted Rose” – Al Martino
“Pride And Joy” – Marvin Gaye
“Ring Of Fire” – Johnny Cash
“So Much In Love” – Tymes
“Sukiyaki” – Kyu Sakamoto
“Surf City” – Jan And Dean
[new] “Surfer Girl” – Beach Boys
[new] “The Monkey Time” – Major Lance
[new] “Then He Kissed Me” – Crystals
“Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport” – Rolf Harris
“Till Then” – Classics
[new] “True Love Never Runs Smooth” – Gene Pitney
[new] “Twist It Up” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home” – Darlene Love
“Wipe Out” – Surfaris
[new] “You Can Never Stop Me Loving You” – Johnny Tillotson

[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 3rd the Beatles performed at The Cavern Club in Liverpool for the 275th, and final time, nearly 18 months after their first appearance on the club’s stage on February 9, 1961.

Then on the 8th “The Great Train Robbery” of 1963 took place at Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, England, when a gang of bandits halted a train ferrying mail between Glasgow and London. At 3:00 am, the group caused the train’s engineer to stop by activating the red signal and covering the green signal. When the train came to a halt, engineer Jack Mills and his assistant were overpowered, while others in the group boarded the first two coaches hauling mail and tied up the four employees on board. The group then uncoupled the engine and two coaches from the other ten cars on the train, and forced the engineer and assistant to move one mile down the line to the Bridego Bridge, where the mail bags were dropped into automobiles waiting beneath. The haul was estimated at £2,600,000 (at the time worth about $7,300,000; equivalent to £70 million or $87,500,000 in 2023).

And on the 28th at the 1963 “March on Washington”, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his I Have A Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to an audience of at least 250,000 people.

What’d Sadie think?

It’s a mixed bag at the top this month with “So Much In Love” by the Tymes for a week then “Fingertips” by Little Stevie Wonder for three before “My Boyfriend’s Back” by the Angels hits the top spot.

Loved ’em

• “Blue Velvet” – Bobby Vinton
• “Danke Schon” – Wayne Newton
• “Heatwave” – Martha And The Vandellas
• “I Who Have Nothing” – Ben E. King
• “I Wonder” – Brenda Lee
• “My Boyfriend’s Back” – Angels
• “Surfer Girl” – Beach Boys

Track of the week is The Angel’s “My Boyfriend’s Back” – you just can’t get past those catchy handclaps. Apparently the track was originally intended as a demo for the Shirelles, but ended up being released as recorded by the Angels – lucky break!

In reading up on it I found an interesting project from Stereogum that i’d missed – Tom Breihan spent 8 years reviewing every number 1 from 1958 to today. Of this track he says,

Just as important: It’s a hell of a pop song, crisp and propulsive, built on jittery guitar stabs and handclaps that hit at the exact right instant. It’s a whole pop production, with vocal arrangements and bursts of horn, but it sounds urgent and fast. And it sounds joyous. There’s no anguish or fear in those hey-la backing vocals — just the mocking exultance of young women who are about to watch this asshole’s head get kicked in.

Liked ’em

• “Frankie And Johnny” – Sam Cooke
• “Green Green” – New Christy Minstrels
• “Hello Muddah Hello Faddah” – Allan Sherman
• “Hey Girl” – Freddie Scott
• “I Want To Stay Here” – Steve And Eydie
• “If I Had A Hammer” – Trini Lopez
• “Make The World Go Away” – Timi Yuro
• “Mockingbird” – Inez Foxx With Charlie Foxx
• “My Whole World Is Falling Apart” – Brenda Lee
• “The Monkey Time” – Major Lance
• “Then He Kissed Me” – Crystals
• “Twist It Up” – Chubby Checker

Leave ’em

• “Painted Tainted Rose” – Al Martino
• “True Love Never Runs Smooth” – Gene Pitney
• “Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home” – Darlene Love
• “You Can Never Stop Me Loving You” – Johnny Tillotson
  

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.