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A day late with the post this week – which is fitting as we were a day late making our way back from Europe to New Zealand this week after a lovely spot of Spring up north for a wedding. Cold back here in New Zealand, but not quite northern hemisphere winter cold, which would make this month’s crop of Xmas tunes feel more timely at least! Let’s head back to the end of 1961 to hear what it sounded like…

Songs of the month

“A Wonder Like You” – Rick Nelson
“Big Bad John” – Jimmy Dean
“Bristol Stomp” – Dovells
[new] “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley
“Crazy” – Patsy Cline
[new] “Fool No.1” – Brenda Lee
“Goodbye Cruel World” – James Darren
[new] “Gypsy Woman” – Impressions
“Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” – Neil Sedaka
“Heartaches” – Marcels
[new] “I Don’t Know Why” – Linda Scott
[new] “I Know” – Barbara George
“I Love How You Love Me” – Paris Sisters
“I Understand” – G-Clefs
“In The Middle Of A Heartache” – Wanda Jackson
[new] “Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
“Let There Be Drums” – Sandy Nelson
[new] “Let’s Twist Again” – Chubby Checker
“Moon River” – Henry Mancini
“Moon River” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Peppermint Twist” – Joey Dee And The Starlighters
“Please Mr. Postman” – Marvelettes
[new] “Revenge” – Brook Benton
[new] “Rock-A-Hula Baby” – Elvis Presley
“Run To Him” – Bobby Vee
“Runaround Sue” – Dion
“September In The Rain” – Dinah Washington
“The Fly” – Chubby Checker
[new] “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – Tokens
“The Twist” – Chubby Checker
[new] “There’s No Other” – Crystals
“This Time” – Troy Shondell
[new] “Til” – Angels
[new] “Tonight” – Ferrante & Teicher
“Tonight” – Ferrante And Teicher
“Tower Of Strength” – Gene Mcdaniels
[new] “Unchain My Heart” – Ray Charles
“Walk On By” – Leroy Van Dyke
[new] “Well I Told You” – Chantels
[new] “When I Fall In Love” – Lettermen
[new] “When The Boy In Your Arms” – Connie Francis
[new] “White Christmas” – Bing Crosby
“You’re The Reason” – Bobby Edwards
[new] “Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night” – Kenny Dino

[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 4th President Kennedy authorized the U.S. Department of Defense to commence of Operation Ranch Hand, the defoliation of the jungles of South Vietnam. The first run was on January 12, 1962, and the last in February 1971…

On the 30th, more than 25 years after it had been written, the Fourth Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich was first performed. The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Kirill Kondrashin, played the symphony at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. The original score had been destroyed during World War II, but was reconstructed from sources discovered in 1960.

No video of that but in the in the video below American composer Leonard Bernstein thanks Shostakovich in 1959 while on a tour in Russia with the NY Philharmonic. (the bit where he calls “1941 the first year of the war” really galls!)

Then on the 31st, a favourite author and coiner of the term, “Generation X”, Douglas Coupland, is born at a NATO base in Baden-Söllingen, West Germany.

What’d Sadie think?

One more week for “Big Bad John” – Jimmy Dean before “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes has a single week at the top. Then it’s two for the classic “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by the Tokens. Sadie loves to sing-a-long to that one naturally!

Loved ’em

• “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley
• “Fool No.1” – Brenda Lee
• “I Know” – Barbara George
• “Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Rydell & Chubby Checker
• “Let’s Twist Again” – Chubby Checker
• “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – Tokens
• “Unchain My Heart” – Ray Charles

Liked ’em

• “Gypsy Woman” – Impressions
• “I Don’t Know Why” – Linda Scott
• “Peppermint Twist” – Joey Dee And The Starlighters
• “Revenge” – Brook Benton
• “Rock-A-Hula Baby” – Elvis Presley
• “There’s No Other” – Crystals
• “Til” – Angels
• “Tonight” – Ferrante & Teicher
• “Well I Told You” – Chantels
• “When I Fall In Love” – Lettermen
• “Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night” – Kenny Dino

Leave ’em

• “When The Boy In Your Arms” – Connie Francis

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

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.

Songs of the month

[new] “A Wonder Like You” – Rick Nelson
[new] “Big Bad John” – Jimmy Dean
“Big Cold Wind” – Pat Boone
[new] “Big John” – Shirelles
“Bless You” – Tony Orlando
“Bristol Stomp” – Dovells
[new] “Candy Man” – Roy Orbison
“Crying” – Roy Orbison
“Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour” – Lonnie Donegan
[new] “Don’t Blame Me” – Everly Brothers
[new] “Dreamboat” – Connie Francis
[new] “Everlovin’” – Rick Nelson
[new] “Fool No.1” – Brenda Lee
[new] “Foot Stomping” – Flares
[new] “He’s My Dreamboat” – Connie Francis
[new] “Heartaches” – Marcels
“His Latest Flame” – Elvis Presley
“Hit The Road Jack” – Ray Charles
[new] “I Love How You Love Me” – Paris Sisters
[new] “I Really Love You” – Stereos
[new] “I Understand” – G-Clefs
“Let Me Belong To You” – Brian Hyland
“Let’s Get Together” – Hayley Mills
“Little Sister” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Look In My Eyes” – Chantels
“Mexico” – Bob Moore
“Michael” – Highwaymen
[new] “More Money For You & Me” – Four Preps
“My True Story” – Jive Five
“One Track Mind” – Bobby Lewis
[new] “Runaround Sue” – Dion
[new] “Sad Movies” – Sue Thompson
[new] “So Long Baby” – Del Shannon
[new] “Stick Shift” – Duals
[new] “Sweets For My Sweet” – Drifters
[new] “Take Five” – Dave Brubeck
“Take Good Care Of My Baby” – Bobby Vee
“The Astronaut” – Jose Jimenez
[new] “The Fly” – Chubby Checker
“The Mountain’s High” – Dick And Deedee
[new] “The Way You Look Tonight” – Lettermen
“This Time” – Troy Shondell
[new] “Tower Of Strength” – Gene Mcdaniels
“When We Get Married” – Dreamlovers
“Who Put The Bomp” – Barry Mann
“Without You” – Johnny Tillotson
[new] “Ya Ya” – Lee Dorsey
[new] “Ya-Ya” – Lee Dorsey
“You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby” – Bobby Darin
[new] “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

The most important historical event in some time happened on the first of the month… advertising executive Lester Wunderman coined the phrase “direct marketing” in a speech in New York to the Hundred Million Club, an organization of businesspeople using direct mail.

On October 3 “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, starring Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam, was shown for the first time. Although the show would go on to become very popular, the initial telecast attracted so few viewers that it was not even among the Top 70 most popular programs that week

On the 22nd Chubby Checker performed his 1960 #1 hit, “The Twist” on The Ed Sullivan Show, reigniting the popularity of both the dance and the record. The song returned to the Top 100 three weeks later, and became the first and only hit single to reach #1 twice.

What’d Sadie think?

One more week at the top for “Take Good Care Of My Baby” by Bobby Vee before Ray Charles tells it to “Hit The Road Jack” which has prime position for two weeks. “Runaround Sue” by Dion rounds out the month with a week at the top.

Loved ’em

Two songs about a “Big John” new to the charts this week. “Big John” by the Shirelles isn’t bad, but it’s “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean that is a personal favourite of mine since childhood and which I’ve been annoying Sadie by singing along to her this week. My father was a “Big” John and Sadie has recently learnt he passed away some time ago so it’s an interesting one to have dredge up memories. Either way a great story song that won the 1962 Grammy Award for “Best Country & Western Recording” and spent weeks at number 1.

• “Big Bad John” – Jimmy Dean
• “Fool No.1” – Brenda Lee
• “Runaround Sue” – Dion
• “Stick Shift” – Duals
• “Sweets For My Sweet” – Drifters

Liked ’em

• “A Wonder Like You” – Rick Nelson
• “Big John” – Shirelles
• “Candy Man” – Roy Orbison
• “Dreamboat” – Connie Francis
• “Everlovin’” – Rick Nelson
• “Foot Stomping” – Flares
• “He’s My Dreamboat” – Connie Francis
• “Heartaches” – Marcels
• “I Love How You Love Me” – Paris Sisters
• “I Really Love You” – Stereos
• “Look In My Eyes” – Chantels
• “So Long Baby” – Del Shannon
• “Take Five” – Dave Brubeck
• “The Fly” – Chubby Checker
• “The Way You Look Tonight” – Lettermen
• “Tower Of Strength” – Gene Mcdaniels
• “Ya Ya” – Lee Dorsey
• “You’re The Reason” – Bobby Edwards

Leave ’em

• “Don’t Blame Me” – Everly Brothers
• “I Understand” – G-Clefs
• “More Money For You & Me” – Four Preps
• “Sad Movies” – Sue Thompson

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

Finally some sunshine here in 2023 as we hit mid-May. Let’s zip back to September, 1961 to hear what it sounded like…

Songs of the month

[new] “A Little Bit Of Soap” – Jarmels
“Amor” – Ben E. King
“As If I Didn’t Know” – Adam Wade
[new] “Big Cold Wind” – Pat Boone
[new] “Bless You” – Tony Orlando
[new] “Bristol Stomp” – Dovells
“Crying” – Roy Orbison
“Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour” – Lonnie Donegan
“Don’t Bet Money Honey” – Linda Scott
[new] “Frankie And Johnny” – Brook Benton
[new] “His Latest Flame” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Hit The Road Jack” – Ray Charles
“Hurt” – Timi Yuro
“I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven” – Tex Ritter
“I Fall To Pieces” – Patsy Cline
“I Just Don’t Understand” – Ann-Margaret
“I Like It Like That” – Chris Kenner
[new] “I’ll Never Smile Again” – Platters
“I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door” – Eddie Hodges
[new] “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” – Ike And Tina Turner
“Last Night” – Mar-Keys
[new] “Let Me Belong To You” – Brian Hyland
“Let The Four Winds Blow” – Fats Domino
[new] “Let’s Get Together” – Hayley Mills
“Little Sister” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Mexico” – Bob Moore
“Michael” – Highwaymen
[new] “Missing You” – Ray Peterson
[new] “More Money For You And Me” – Four Preps
“My True Story” – Jive Five
[new] “Nag” – Halos
[new] “One Track Mind” – Bobby Lewis
“Pretty Little Angel Eyes” – Curtis Lee
“School Is Out” – Gary Us Bonds
“Sea Of Heartbreak” – Don Gibson
“Take Good Care Of My Baby” – Bobby Vee
[new] “The Astronaut” – Jose Jimenez
[new] “The Mountain’s High” – Dick And Deedee
[new] “This Time” – Troy Shondell
“Tossin’ And Turnin’” – Bobby Lewis
[new] “When We Get Married” – Dreamlovers
“Who Put The Bomp” – Barry Mann
“Without You” – Johnny Tillotson
“Wooden Heart” – Joe Dowell
“You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” – Ral Donner
[new] “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby” – Bobby Darin

[new] = New to the chart this week.

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

This month in history

On September 6 a secured telephone line between the White House in Washington, D.C., and the Admiralty House in London, was set up in order for the U.S. president and the British prime minister to communicate directly, in real time, with their conversations scrambled. President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan would use the line for the first time in October.

On september 12 all 77 people on Air France Flight 2005 were killed when the Caravelle jet crashed in fog on the approach to Rabat in Morocco at the end of its flight from France. Which I raise as not a specifically interesting air crash but one of many I have read of in the past few years of reading monthly histories. I’m not sure how people braved it back then, the late ’50s early ’60s seemed to have significant crash on the regular. As the graph below shows – things have improved markedly.

On September 24th Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color premiered on NBC, with “An Adventure in Color”, introduced by Walt Disney himself, who in turn introduced Professor Ludwig Von Drake, the first animated Disney character created for television. The show was credited with doubling the sale of colour television sets within its first year, as well as presenting educational and informative programming.

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks a piece for “Michael” by the Highwaymen “Take Good Care Of My Baby” by Bobby Vee at the top of the charts for the month.

Loved ’em

• “A Little Bit Of Soap” – Jarmels
• “Bristol Stomp” – Dovells
• “Hit The Road Jack” – Ray Charles
• “Nag” – Halos
• “One Track Mind” – Bobby Lewis
• “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby” – Bobby Darin

Liked ’em

• “Big Cold Wind” – Pat Boone
• “Bless You” – Tony Orlando
• “Frankie And Johnny” – Brook Benton
• “His Latest Flame” – Elvis Presley
• “I’ll Never Smile Again” – Platters
• “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” – Ike And Tina Turner
• “Let’s Get Together” – Hayley Mills
• “Mexico” – Bob Moore
• “Missing You” – Ray Peterson
• “The Mountain’s High” – Dick And Deedee
• “This Time” – Troy Shondell
• “When We Get Married” – Dreamlovers

Leave ’em

• “Let Me Belong To You” – Brian Hyland
• “More Money For You And Me” – Four Preps
• “The Astronaut” – Jose Jimenez

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

The rain continues unabated here in Auckland of May, 2023 so lets escape back to 59 years before Sadie is born and listen to the tunes of August, 1961…

Songs of the month

[new] “Amor” – Ben E. King
[new] “As If I Didn’t Know” – Adam Wade
[new] “Crying” – Roy Orbison
“Cupid” – Sam Cooke
[new] “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour” – Lonnie Donegan
[new] “Don’t Bet Money Honey” – Linda Scott
“Dum Dum” – Brenda Lee
“Hats Off To Larry” – Del Shannon
[new] “Hurt” – Timi Yuro
[new] “I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven” – Tex Ritter
[new] “I Fall To Pieces” – Patsy Cline
[new] “I Just Don’t Understand” – Ann-Margaret
“I Like It Like That” – Chris Kenner
“I’ll Be There” – Damita Jo
[new] “I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door” – Eddie Hodges
[new] “I’m Telling You” – Jerry Butler
“Last Night” – Mar-Keys
[new] “Let The Four Winds Blow” – Fats Domino
“Let’s Twist Again” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Little Sister” – Elvis Presley
“Michael” – Highwaymen
“My Kind Of Girl” – Matt Monro
[new] “My True Story” – Jive Five
“Never On Sunday” – Chordettes
[new] “One Summer Night” – Diamonds
“Please Stay” – Drifters
“Pretty Little Angel Eyes” – Curtis Lee
[new] “Princess” – Frank Gari
“Quarter To Three” – Gary Us Bonds
[new] “Quite A Party” – Fireballs
[new] “Right Or Wrong” – Wanda Jackson
[new] “Runaround” – Regents
“Sacred” – Castells
“San Antonio Rose” – Floyd Cramer
“School Is Out” – Gary Us Bonds
[new] “Sea Of Heartbreak” – Don Gibson
[new] “Take Good Care Of My Baby” – Bobby Vee
“That’s What Girls Are Made For” – Spinners
“The Boll Weevil Song” – Brook Benton
“The Fish” – Bobby Rydell
“Together” – Connie Francis
“Tossin’ And Turnin’” – Bobby Lewis
[new] “Who Put The Bomp” – Barry Mann
[new] “Without You” – Johnny Tillotson
“Wooden Heart” – Joe Dowell
“Yellow Bird” – Arthur Lyman Group
“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 August the 7th the famous Milgram Experiment began on the campus of Yale University, as psychologist Stanley Milgram tested the willingness of test subjects to administer torture to other people, rather than to disobey rules. The study, which would continue until March 1962, used a machine that was labeled “Shock Generator, Type ZLB” and “Output 15 Volts— 450 Volts”. Unaware that they were the study subjects, volunteers were given the role of “teacher” to assist the experimenter and given a mild shock to show what the “shock generator” was capable of, then pressured by the experimenter into giving increasing amounts of voltage to a “learner” on the other side of a window.

Then on the 13th the construction of the Berlin Wall began at 2:00 a.m. Central European Time, with the erection of a barbed-wire fence along the line between East Berlin and West Berlin, the digging of trenches along streets at the border, and the closure of railroad lines.

On the 15th Conrad Schumann, a 19-year-old East German border guard, defected to the West by jumping over a section of the barbed-wire fence that would soon be replaced by the cinderblocks of the Berlin Wall, crossing at Bernauer Street from East Berlin into West Berlin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDPG4zTdm-w

And on the 19th the ’60s got a bit more ’60s like when Professor Timothy Leary, a lecturer in psychology at Harvard University, delivered his paper “How to Change Behavior” at the Fourteenth International Congress of Applied Psychology, held in Copenhagen, describing use of the hallucinogen LSD, legal at the time, as the most efficient way of expanding consciousness.

What’d Sadie think?

Three weeks at the top for “Tossin’ And Turnin’” by Bobby Lewis before Joe Dowell’s “Wooden Heart” takes the spot.

Loved ’em

Number 69 on Rolling Stone’s list of “top 500 songs ever” is released this month, the great “Crying” by Roy Orbison.

As well as Barry Mann’s, “Who Put the Bomp” – which as many times as I’ve heard it over the years (perhaps I’ve just heard the chorus lots)… I finally understand. As wikipedia puts it, “In this song, Mann sings about the frequent use of nonsense lyrics in doo-wop music, and how his girl fell in love with him after listening to several such songs.”

I guess I’ve just never noticed the opening lyrics,

I’d like to thank the guy
Who wrote the song
That made my baby
Fall in love with me

Very meta. Other great tunes from the month:

• “I Fall To Pieces” – Patsy Cline
• “I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door” – Eddie Hodges
• “I’m Telling You” – Jerry Butler
• “Little Sister” – Elvis Presley
• “Take Good Care Of My Baby” – Bobby Vee

Liked ’em

• “Amor” – Ben E. King
  “As If I Didn’t Know” – Adam Wade
• “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour” – Lonnie Donegan
• “Hurt” – Timi Yuro
• “I Dreamed Of A Hill-Billy Heaven” – Tex Ritter
• “I Just Don’t Understand” – Ann-Margaret
• “Let The Four Winds Blow” – Fats Domino
• “One Summer Night” – Diamonds
• “Princess” – Frank Gari
• “Quite A Party” – Fireballs
• “Right Or Wrong” – Wanda Jackson
• “Runaround” – Regents
• “Sea Of Heartbreak” – Don Gibson
• “Without You” – Johnny Tillotson

Leave ’em

• “Don’t Bet Money Honey” – Linda Scott
• “My True Story” – Jive Five

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

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xJ-23B27uI

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.