Up-to-dates

It’s feeling very autumnal in April 2023 and it’s time to listen to the music of July, 1961 at which point it’s 59 years and 1 months before Sadie is born…

Songs of the month

“Barbara Ann” – Regents
“Boll Weevil Song” – Brook Benton
[new] “Cupid” – Sam Cooke
“Dance On Little Girl” – Paul Anka
[new] “Dum Dum” – Brenda Lee
“Every Beat Of My Heart” – Pips
“Hats Off To Larry” – Del Shannon
“Heart And Soul” – Cleftones
[new] “Heart And Soul” – Jan And Dean
“Hello Mary Lou” – Ricky Nelson
“Hello Walls” – Faron Young
[new] “I Like It Like That” – Chris Kenner
[new] “I’ll Be There” – Damita Jo
[new] “I’m Comin’ On Back To You” – Jackie Wilson
“It Keeps Rainin'” – Fats Domino
[new] “Last Night” – Mar-Keys
[new] “Let’s Twist Again” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Michael” – Highwaymen
“Moody River” – Pat Boone
[new] “My Kind Of Girl” – Matt Monro
[new] “Never On Sunday” – Chordettes
[new] “Ole Buttermilk Sky” – Bill Black’s Combo
[new] “Please Stay” – Drifters
[new] “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” – Curtis Lee
“Quarter To Three” – Gary U.S. Bonds
“Raindrops” – Dee Clark
“Running Scared” – Roy Orbison
[new] “Sacred” – Castells
“San Antonio Rose” – Floyd Cramer
[new] “School Is Out” – Gary Us Bonds
“Stand By Me” – Ben E. King
“Tell Me Why” – Belmonts
[new] “That’s What Girls Are Made For” – Spinners
[new] “The Boll Weevil Song” – Brook Benton
[new] “The Fish” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “The Switch-A-Roo” – Hank Ballard
“The Writing On The Wall” – Adam Wade
“Those Oldies But Goodies” – Little Caesar
[new] “Together” – Connie Francis
[new] “Tonight” – Velvets
“Tossin’ And Turnin'” – Bobby Lewis
“Travellin’ Man” – Ricky Nelson
[new] “Wooden Heart” – Joe Dowell
“Yellow Bird” – Arthur Lyman Group
“You Always Hurt The One You Love” – Clarence Frogman Henry
[new] “You Can’t Sit Down” – Phil Upchurch Combo
[new] “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” – Ral Donner

[new] = New to the chart this week.

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

This month in history

On July 2, 1961, a personal favourite author, Ernest Hemingway commits suicide. See news footage below.

Then on the 19th the first regularly scheduled in-flight movie service began, as a TWA flight from New York to Los Angeles showed By Love Possessed to its first-class customers. Check out what travel by jet was like back then…

In more tech innovations that month, International Business Machines placed the IBM Selectric typewriter on the market. The “typeball”, a sphere with the characters on it, replaced the individual “typebars”, and moved along the paper while the carriage stood still, and could be switched out to accommodate different fonts. Initially selling at $395, the Selectric soon became the most popular typewriter in the world, until superseded by the word processor.

What’d Sadie think?

It’s a week at number one for “Quarter To Three” by the curiously named Gary U.S. Bonds before a full four weeks at the top for “Tossin’ And Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis this month.

Loved ’em

• “Cupid” – Sam Cooke
• “Heart And Soul” – Jan And Dean
• “I Like It Like That” – Chris Kenner
• “I’ll Be There” – Damita Jo
• “Let’s Twist Again” – Chubby Checker
• “My Kind Of Girl” – Matt Monro
• “Please Stay” – Drifters
• “Tonight” – Velvets

Liked ’em

• “Dum Dum” – Brenda Lee
• “I’m Comin’ On Back To You” – Jackie Wilson
• “Last Night” – Mar-Keys
• “Michael” – Highwaymen
• “Never On Sunday” – Chordettes
• “Old Buttermilk Sky” – Bill Black’s Combo
• “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” – Curtis Lee
• “Quarter To Three” – Gary Us Bonds
• “That’s What Girls Are Made For” – Spinners
• “The Boll Weevil Song” – Brook Benton
• “The Switch-A-Roo” – Hank Ballard
• “Together” – Connie Francis
• “You Can’t Sit Down” – Phil Upchurch Combo
• “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” – Ral Donner

Leave ’em

• “Sacred” – Castells
• “School Is Out” – Gary Us Bonds
• “The Fish” – Bobby Rydell
• “Wooden Heart” – Joe Dowell

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

It’s 59 years and 2 months before Sadie is born and 15 years and 8 months before Thomas is… which makes it June, 1961. Let’s hear what it sounds like!

Songs of the month

“A Hundred Pounds Of Clay” – Gene Mcdaniels
“Barbara Ann” – Regents
[new] “Boll Weevil Song” – Brook Benton
“Breakin’ In A Brand New Broken Heart” – Connie Francis
“Daddy’s Home” – Shep & The Limelites
[new] “Dance On Little Girl” – Paul Anka
[new] “Every Beat Of My Heart” – The Pips
“Girl Of My Best Friend” – Ral Donner
[new] “Hats Off To Larry” – Del Shannon
[new] “Heart And Soul” – Cleftones
“Hello Mary Lou” – Ricky Nelson
“Hello Walls” – Faron Young
“I Feel So Bad” – Elvis Presley
[new] “I’m A Fool To Care” – Joe Barry
[new] “It Keeps Rainin'” – Fats Domino
“Little Devil” – Neil Sedaka
[new] “Little Egypt” – Coasters
“Lullaby Of Love” – Frank Gari
“Mama Said” – Shirelles
“Moody River” – Pat Boone
“Mother-In-Law” – Ernie K-Doe
“Peanut Butter” – Marathons
[new] “Quarter To Three” – Gary U.S. Bonds
“Raindrops” – Dee Clark
[new] “Rama Lama Ding Dong” – Edsels
“Runaway” – Del Shannon
“Running Scared” – Roy Orbison
[new] “San Antonio Rose” – Floyd Cramer
“Stand By Me” – Ben E. King
[new] “Tell Me Why” – Belmonts
[new] “Temptation” – Everly Brothers
[new] “The Writing On The Wall” – Adam Wade
[new] “Those Oldies But Goodies” – Little Caesar
[new] “Tossin’ And Turnin'” – Bobby Lewis
“Tragedy” – Fleetwoods
“Travellin’ Man” – Ricky Nelson
“Triangle” – Janie Grant
[new] “Wild In The Country” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Yellow Bird” – Arthur Lyman Group
“You Always Hurt The One You Love” – Clarence Frogman Henry

[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 of June Carl Jung, 85, Swiss psychiatrist, died ten days after completing his work on the book “Man and His Symbols”. See an interview with him from a couple of years earlier below.

Then on the 8th Bell Laboratories test pilot Harold Graham made the first public demonstration of a jet pack, flying the Bell Rocket Belt at Fort Eustis, Virginia, before a crowd of several hundred military officers and their guests. No footage of that I can find, but a great video from 1961 with some predictions of the future from the labs below.

On the 16th the dance troupe of Russia’s Kirov Ballet was at Le Bourget Airport and waiting to board a flight to London, when the star, dancer Rudolf Nureyev, was pulled aside by KGB agents and told that he was to take a 12:25 pm flight back to Moscow. Sensing that he would never be allowed to leave the Soviet Union again, Nureyev broke away from the escorts and ran over to two French airport policemen (who had been alerted by Nureyev’s friend Clara Bichkova), shouting in English, “Protect me!”. France ultimately granted the defecting Nureyev asylum. See him dancing in 1961 below.

What’d Sadie think?

A mixed lot at number one this month, first “Running Scared” by Roy Orbison
then “Travellin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson are at the top before “Moody River” by Pat Boone and then new-to-chart “Quarter To Three” by Gary U.S. Bonds rounds out the month.

Loved ’em

Song of the week is “Every Beat of My Heart” by Gladys Knight & the Pips. It was originally recorded by Johnny Otis in 1952 though in fact. In 1961, Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded the song for their debut single on the Vee-Jay label. Credited to The Pips, it was the first of eleven releases by the group to make it to #1 on the US Billboard R&B chart. It was also the group’s first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 (the chart we use).

“Every Beat of My Heart” was first recorded for the Huntom label, who later sold the master to Vee-Jay Records. At the time of the song’s release, The Pips were on the Fury label where they re-recorded the song without piano. In an unusual occurrence, the Fury recording of the song also made the top twenty on the R&B chart and also made the Hot 100.

• “Every Beat Of My Heart” – The Pips
• “It Keeps Rainin'” – Fats Domino
• “Little Egypt” – Coasters
• “Tossin’ And Turnin'” – Bobby Lewis

Not a new song but Sadie was loving singing alone to “Barbara Ann” by the Regents this week.

Liked ’em

• “Dance On Little Girl” – Paul Anka
• “Hats Off To Larry” – Del Shannon
• “Heart And Soul” – Cleftones
• “I’m A Fool To Care” – Joe Barry
• “Quarter To Three” – Gary U.S. Bonds
• “Rama Lama Ding Dong” – Edsels
• “San Antonio Rose” – Floyd Cramer
• “Tell Me Why” – Belmonts
• “Temptation” – Everly Brothers
• “The Writing On The Wall” – Adam Wade
• “Wild In The Country” – Elvis Presley

Leave ’em

• “Boll Weevil Song” – Brook Benton
• “Those Oldies But Goodies” – Little Caesar
• “Yellow Bird” – Arthur Lyman Group

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

A week in fiji for Sadie’s Nana’s birthday so we have skipped a newsletter. You can go back to listen to April, 1961 before delving into May, 1961 below.

Songs of the month

“A Hundred Pounds Of Clay” – Gene Mcdaniels
“Apache” – Jorgen Ingmann
“Asia Minor” – Kokomo
“Baby Blue” – Echoes
[new] “Barbara Ann” – Regents
“Blue Moon” – Marcels
[new] “Bonanza” – Al Caiola
“Breakin’ In A Brand New Broken Heart” – Connie Francis
[new] “Bumble Boogie” – B. Bumble & The Stingers
“But I Do” – Clarence Frogman Henry
“Daddy’s Home” – Shep & The Limelites
“Dedicated To The One I Love” – Shirelles
“Don’t Worry” – Marty Robbins
[new] “Flaming Star” – Elvis Presley
“Funny” – Maxine Brown
[new] “Girl Of My Best Friend” – Ral Donner
[new] “Hello Mary Lou” – Ricky Nelson
[new] “Hello Walls” – Faron Young
[new] “I Feel So Bad” – Elvis Presley
“I’ve Told Every Little Star” – Linda Scott
“Just For Old Time’s Sake” – Mcguire Sisters
[new] “Little Devil” – Neil Sedaka
[new] “Lullaby Of Love” – Frank Gari
[new] “Mama Said” – Shirelles
[new] “Mess Around” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Moody River” – Pat Boone
“Mother-In-Law” – Ernie K-Doe
“On The Rebound” – Floyd Cramer
“One Mint Julep” – Ray Charles
[new] “Peanut Butter” – Marathons
“Please Love Me Forever” – Cathy Jean & The Roommates
“Pony Time” – Chubby Checker
“Portrait Of My Love” – Steve Lawrence
[new] “Raindrops” – Dee Clark
“Runaway” – Del Shannon
[new] “Running Scared” – Roy Orbison
[new] “Stand By Me” – Ben E. King
“Surrender” – Elvis Presley
“Take Good Care Of Her” – Adam Wade
[new] “That Old Black Magic” – Bobby Rydell
“Tonight I Fell In Love” – Tokens
“Tonight My Love Tonight” – Paul Anka
[new] “Tragedy” – Fleetwoods
[new] “Travellin’ Man” – Ricky Nelson
[new] “Triangle” – Janie Grant
[new] “What’d I Say” – Jerry Lee Lewis
[new] “You Always Hurt The One You Love” – Clarence Frogman Henry
“You Can Depend On Me” – Brenda Lee

[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 1st of the month betting shops became legal in the United Kingdom, permitting UK residents to place bets, through a bookie, on horse races without going to the track. Classic news archive of the transition from illegal to sanctioned betting below…

Then on the 5th the USA come in second in the space race when at 9:34 am, Alan Shepard became the first American in space as Freedom 7 lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Shepard’s spacecraft, first of the Mercury program, reached an altitude of 115 miles (185 km) without achieving orbit, and was recovered 19 minutes later by the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain.

On the 9th, describing American television as “a vast wasteland”, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newton N. Minow addressed the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, and implied that the FCC might not renew licenses of those entities that failed to upgrade their product,

I invite each of you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland,” said Minow. “You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly, commercials — many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you’ll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it.

So… TV hasn’t changed much then?

What’d Sadie think?

3 weeks at the top for “Runaway” by Del Shannon before “Mother-In-Law” by Ernie K-Doe and new track, “Travellin’ Man”, by Ricky Nelson have a week each.

Loved ’em

Some real classics new to the charts this week!

• “Barbara Ann” – Regents
• “Bonanza” – Al Caiola
• “Hello Mary Lou” – Ricky Nelson
• “Little Devil” – Neil Sedaka
• “Stand By Me” – Ben E. King
• “Travellin’ Man” – Ricky Nelson

Liked ’em

• “Bumble Boogie” – B. Bumble & The Stingers
• “Flaming Star” – Elvis Presley
• “Girl Of My Best Friend” – Ral Donner
• “I Feel So Bad” – Elvis Presley
• “Lullaby Of Love” – Frank Gari
• “Mama Said” – Shirelles
• “Mess Around” – Chubby Checker
• “Moody River” – Pat Boone
• “Raindrops” – Dee Clark
• “Running Scared” – Roy Orbison
• “That Old Black Magic” – Bobby Rydell
• “Triangle” – Janie Grant
• “What’d I Say” – Jerry Lee Lewis
• “You Always Hurt The One You Love” – Clarence Frogman Henry

Leave ’em

• “Peanut Butter” – Marathons
• “Tragedy” – Fleetwoods

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

We were away in Fiji for a family holiday this week back in 2023, so it’s straight into the music of April, 1961…

Songs of the month

[new] “A Hundred Pounds Of Clay” – Gene Mcdaniels
“Apache” – Jorgen Ingmann
“Asia Minor” – Kokomo
“Baby Blue” – Echoes
“Blue Moon” – Marcels
[new] “Breakin’ In A Brand New Broken Heart” – Connie Francis
[new] “But I Do” – Clarence (Frogman) Henry
“But I Do” – Clarence Frogman Henry
[new] “Daddy’s Home” – Shep & The Limelites
“Dedicated To The One I Love” – Shirelles
“Don’t Worry” – Marty Robbins
“Ebony Eyes” – Everly Brothers
[new] “Find Another Girl” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Funny” – Maxine Brown
“Gee Whiz” – Carla Thomas
[new] “Hide Away” – Freddy King
[new] “I’ve Told Every Little Star” – Linda Scott
[new] “Just For Old Time’s Sake” – Mcguire Sisters
“Lazy River” – Bobby Darin
“Model Girl” – Johnny Maestro
[new] “Mother-In-Law” – Ernie K-Doe
“On The Rebound” – Floyd Cramer
[new] “Once Upon A Time” – Rochell & The Candles
[new] “One Mint Julep” – Ray Charles
“Please Love Me Forever” – Cathy Jean & The Roommates
[new] “Please Tell Me Why” – Jackie Wilson
“Pony Time” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Portrait Of My Love” – Steve Lawrence
“Runaway” – Del Shannon
“Spanish Harlem” – Ben E. King
“Surrender” – Elvis Presley
“Take Good Care Of Her” – Adam Wade
“Think Twice” – Brook Benton
[new] “Tonight I Fell In Love” – Tokens
[new] “Tonight My Love Tonight” – Paul Anka
[new] “Trust In Me” – Etta James
“Walk Right Back” – Everly Brothers
“Wheels” – String-A-Longs
“Where The Boys Are” – Connie Francis
[new] “You Can Depend On Me” – Brenda Lee

[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 1st of April television commercials were introduced to New Zealand, which had one station (AKTV2) in Auckland, and on which TV was allowed for 28 hours per week, spread over five days… No film of the first ads but naturally there’s archive of a Rugby game in NZ from 1961 so here that is…

Meanwhile on more varied TV in the USA, singer Barbra Streisand made her national television debut, as a guest on Tonight Starring Jack Paar which you can see below.

On the 12th at 2:07 p.m. local time (9:07 a.m. Moscow, 0607 UTC and 1:07 a.m. in New York), Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched from Baikonur, in the Kazakh SSR, on the Vostok 1 (East 1) rocket and became the first human being to go into outer space. Gagarin made one orbit of the Earth before re-entering, and landed at 10:55 a.m., 15 miles (24 km) southwest of the city of Engels in Russia’s Saratov Oblast

Then, in further proof of the Soviet’s might… The preliminary stage of the Bay of Pigs Invasion commenced as eight Douglas B-26B Invader bombers attacked Cuban airfields at San Antonio de Los Baños, Ciudad Libertad, and Santiago de Cuba airport. As the video below says, “nothing epitomizes the disastrous Cuba policy of the United States better than the abortive, three-day, failed Bay of Pigs invasion conducted by anti-Castro Cuban exiles in April 1962. In the annals of half-assed CIA operations, this debacle ranks close to the top of the list of Agency disasters.”

What’d Sadie think?

Three weeks at number 1 for “Blue Moon” by Marcels before “Runaway” by Del Shannon
takes it for the final week of April.

Loved ’em

• “Daddy’s Home” – Shep & The Limelites
• “I’ve Told Every Little Star” – Linda Scott
• “Mother-In-Law” – Ernie K-Doe
• “Tonight My Love Tonight” – Paul Anka
• “Trust In Me” – Etta James
• “You Can Depend On Me” – Brenda Lee

Liked ’em

• “A Hundred Pounds Of Clay” – Gene Mcdaniels
• “Breakin’ In A Brand New Broken Heart” – Connie Francis
• “But I Do” – Clarence (Frogman) Henry
• “Find Another Girl” – Jerry Butler
• “Funny” – Maxine Brown
• “Hide Away” – Freddy King
• “Just For Old Time’s Sake” – Mcguire Sisters
• “Once Upon A Time” – Rochell & The Candles
• “Please Tell Me Why” – Jackie Wilson
• “Portrait Of My Love” – Steve Lawrence
• “Tonight I Fell In Love” – Tokens

Leave ’em

• “One Mint Julep” – Ray Charles

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

A new feature this month for the intro. Given the primary audience for this whole thing is Sadie, some handy (auto-generated) math for if she ever comes back and reads these later in life…

It’s 59 years and 5 months before Sadie is born and 15 years and 11 months before Thomas is.

Now let’s go back there and listen to March, 1961…

Songs of the month

“All In My Mind” – Maxine Brown
“Angel On My Shoulder” – Shelby Flint
[new] “Apache” – Jorge Ingmann
“Apache” – Jorgen Ingmann
[new] “Asia Minor” – Kokomo
[new] “Baby Blue” – Echoes
“Baby Sittin’ Boogie” – Buzz Clifford
[new] “Blue Moon” – Marcels
[new] “But I Do” – Clarence Frogman Henry
“Calcutta” – Lawrence Welk
“Calendar Girl” – Neil Sedaka
“Dedicated To The One I Love” – Shirelles
“Don’t Worry” – Marty Robbins
“Ebony Eyes” – Everly Brothers
“Emotions” – Brenda Lee
“Exodus” – Ferrante & Teicher
[new] “For My Baby” – Brook Benton
“Gee Whiz” – Carla Thomas
“Good Time Baby” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “Happy Birthday Blues” – Kathy Young & The Innocents
[new] “Hearts Of Stone” – Bill Black’s Combo
[new] “Lazy River” – Bobby Darin
“Little Boy Sad” – Johnny Burnette
[new] “Model Girl” – Johnny Maestro
[new] “On The Rebound” – Floyd Cramer
[new] “Please Love Me Forever” – Cathy Jean & The Roommates
“Pony Time” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Ram-Bunk-Shush” – Ventures
[new] “Runaway” – Del Shannon
“Shop Around” – Miracles
“Spanish Harlem” – Ben E. King
“Surrender” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Take Good Care Of Her” – Adam Wade
[new] “The Watusi” – Vibrations
“There’s A Moon Out Tonight” – Capris
“Think Twice” – Brook Benton
[new] “Utopia” – Frankie Gari
“Walk Right Back” – Everly Brothers
“What A Price” – Fats Domino
[new] “Wheels” – Billy Vaughn Orchestra
“Wheels” – String-A-Longs
“Where The Boys Are” – Connie Francis
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – Shirelles
“Wings Of A Dove” – Ferlin Husky
“You Can Have Her” – Roy Hamilton
[new] “You’re Sixteen” – Johnny Burnette

[new] = New to the chart this week.

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

This month in history

Mon March 5th at a press conference at Andrews Air Force Base, spokesmen for the U.S. Air Force Research and Development command announced that they had developed an atomic clock “so accurate that its biggest error would not exceed one second in 1271 years”, and, at 62 pounds (28 kg), light enough that it could be used on aircraft in place of the existing system of crystal oscillators. Conventional atomic clock units, though more accurate, weighed over 600 pounds (270 kg) and were impractical for flight. A decade later atomic clocks were used on planes in the Hafele-Keating experiment to prove one of Einsteins’ theories.

Speaking of nuclear and 1961, here’s a peak into 1961 via a UK Civil Defence Corps training film.

On March 11 “Ken”, a doll to accompany the popular Barbie that had been brought out by the Mattel toy company introduced on March 9, 1959, was introduced at the annual American International Toy Fair in New York City. Here’s the launch advert…

Then on the 16th “The Absent-Minded Professor”, a Disney comedy science fiction film starring Fred MacMurray, was released in the USA and became one of the most popular movies of the year.

What’d Sadie think?

It’s two weeks at number one for “Pony Time” by Chubby Checker then two for “Surrender” by Elvis Presley.

Loved ’em

Sadie is really starting to listen and sing-a-long to songs. Exemplified by the first loved ’em song this week “Model Girl” by Johnny Maestro. “You’re my model girl” was sung along to as, “you’re my mumma girl!”… undoubtedly in part because her mother was away for the weekend and she was missing her terribly. Too cute.

• “Model Girl” – Johnny Maestro
• “Blue Moon” – Marcels
• “But I Do” – Clarence Frogman Henry
• “Runaway” – Del Shannon
• “The Watusi” – Vibrations
• “You’re Sixteen” – Johnny Burnette

Liked ’em

• “Apache” – Jorge Ingmann
• “Asia Minor” – Kokomo
• “Baby Blue” – Echoes
• “For My Baby” – Brook Benton
• “Happy Birthday Blues” – Kathy Young & The Innocents
• “Hearts Of Stone” – Bill Black’s Combo
• “Lazy River” – Bobby Darin
• “On The Rebound” – Floyd Cramer
• “Ram-Bunk-Shush” – Ventures
• “Utopia” – Frankie Gari
• “Wheels” – Billy Vaughn Orchestra

Leave ’em

• “Please Love Me Forever” – Cathy Jean & The Roommates
• “Take Good Care Of Her” – Adam Wade

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

It’s end of March, 2023 as we tune into the sounds of February, 1961…

Songs of the month

“Ghost Riders in the Sky” – Ramrods
[new] “All In My Mind” – Maxine Brown
“Angel Baby” – Rosie & Originals
“Angel Baby” – Rosie & The Originals
[new] “Angel On My Shoulder” – Shelby Flint
[new] “Apache” – Jorgen Ingmann
“Are You Lonesome Tonight” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Baby Sittin’ Boogie” – Buzz Clifford
[new] “C’est Si Bon” – Conway Twitty
“Calcutta” – Lawrence Welk
“Calendar Girl” – Neil Sedaka
“Corinna Corinna” – Ray Peterson
[new] “Dedicated To The One I Love” – Shirelles
[new] “Don’t Worry” – Marty Robbins
[new] “Ebony Eyes” – Everly Brothers
“Emotions” – Brenda Lee
“Exodus” – Ferrante & Teicher
[new] “Gee Whiz” – Carla Thomas
[new] “Good Time Baby” – Bobby Rydell
“I Count The Tears” – Drifters
[new] “If I Didn’t Care” – Platters
[new] “Jimmy’s Girl” – Johnny Tillotson
“Last Date” – Floyd Cramer
[new] “Little Boy Sad” – Johnny Burnette
“My Empty Arms” – Jackie Wilson
“North To Alaska” – Johnny Horton
“Once In A While” – Chimes
“Pepe” – Duane Eddy
[new] “Pony Time” – Chubby Checker
“Rubber Ball” – Bobby Vee
“Sailor” – Lolita
“Shop Around” – Miracles
[new] “Spanish Harlem” – Ben E. King
[new] “Story Of My Life” – Paul Anka
[new] “Surrender” – Elvis Presley
[new] “The Story Of My Life” – Paul Anka
“There She Goes” – Jerry Wallace
“There’s A Moon Out Tonight” – Capris
[new] “Think Twice” – Brook Benton
[new] “Walk Right Back” – Everly Brothers
[new] “What A Price” – Fats Domino
“Wheels” – String-A-Longs
“Where The Boys Are” – Connie Francis
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – Shirelles
“Wings Of A Dove” – Ferlin Husky
“Wonderland By Night” – Bert Kaempfert
[new] “You Can Have Her” – Roy Hamilton

[new] = New to the chart this week.

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

This month in history

On February 1st the push-button telephone was put into public service for the first time, as Bell Telephone test marketed its “Touch-Tone” service for its customers in the cities of Carnegie, Pennsylvania and Findlay, Ohio. Rural New Zealand was somewhat behind the times in telephonic technology however… when I was 5 in Mangaturoto in the ’80s we still had a crank phone where you couldn’t dial a number manually and had to ask at the exchange. Then in the late ’80s in Sandspit we had a dial-phone on a shard party line where you could listen in on other people’s calls! We didn’t get a push-button phone until the ’90s I believe. 3 decades after this great video…

On February 19th, led by British author and activist Bertrand Russell, the Committee of 100 and a crowd of 5,000 people staged a sit-down protest at the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, London, demanding that the U.K. call off its agreement to bring nuclear missiles to the British Isles. As one author notes, “Somewhat to the distress of Russell … police took no action on this occasion.”

On February 28th, Under United States law, 38 U.S.C. 101 (29)(A), the Vietnam Era began which refers to “The period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on May 7, 1975, in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period.”

What’d Sadie think?

A week at the top for “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by the Shirelles before

“Calcutta” by Lawrence Welk takes it out for two. The month is rounded out by new to the charts, “Pony Time” by Chubby Checker.

Loved ’em

• “All In My Mind” – Maxine Brown
• “Apache” – Jorgen Ingmann
• “Dedicated To The One I Love” – Shirelles
• “Gee Whiz” – Carla Thomas
• “Good Time Baby” – Bobby Rydell
• “If I Didn’t Care” – Platters
• “Little Boy Sad” – Johnny Burnette
• “Pony Time” – Chubby Checker
• “Spanish Harlem” – Ben E. King
• “Walk Right Back” – Everly Brothers

Liked ’em

• “Angel On My Shoulder” – Shelby Flint
• “Baby Sittin’ Boogie” – Buzz Clifford
• “Don’t Worry” – Marty Robbins
• “Ebony Eyes” – Everly Brothers
• “Jimmy’s Girl” – Johnny Tillotson
• “Story Of My Life” – Paul Anka
• “Surrender” – Elvis Presley
• “What A Price” – Fats Domino
• “You Can Have Her” – Roy Hamilton

Leave ’em

• “Think Twice” – Brook Benton

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