Up-to-dates

It should be the end of May, 2022 but actually it’s the beginning of June as we slipped up on writing the blog for July, 1957. See the August entry for more info. (tl;dr: got busy) but in the meanwhile enjoy the sounds of the month…

The songs of July, 1957

“A Teenager’s Romance” – Ricky Nelson
“A White Sport Coat” – Marty Robbins
“All Shook Up” – Elvis Presley
“Bye Bye Love” – Everly Brothers*
“C.C. Rider” – Chuck Willis
“Come Go With Me” – Dell-Vikings
“Dark Moon” – Gale Storm
“Fabulous” – Charlie Gracie*
“Four Walls” – Jim Reeves
“Freight Train” – Rusty Draper*
“Goin’ Steady” – Tommy Sands
“Gone” – Ferlin Husky
“I Like Your Kind Of Love” – Andy Williams*
“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter” – Billy Williams
“I’m Walking” – Ricky Nelson
“It’s Not For Me To Say” – Johnny Mathis*
“It’s You I Love” – Fats Domino*
“Jenny Jenny” – Little Richard*
“Just To Hold My Hand” – Clyde Mcphatter*
“Little Darlin'” – Diamonds
“Love Letters In The Sand” – Pat Boone
“My Dream” – Platters*
“Old Cape Cod” – Patti Page*
“Over The Mountain Across The Sea” – Johnnie And Joe*
“School Day” – Chuck Berry
“Searchin'” – Coasters
“Send For Me” – Nat King Cole*
“Shangri-La” – Four Coins
“Short Fat Fannie” – Larry Williams*
“So Rare” – Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
“Star Dust” – Billy Ward*
“Start Movin'” – Sal Mineo
“Suzie Q” – Dale Hawkins*
“Teddy Bear” – Elvis Presley*
“Valley Of Tears” – Fats Domino*
“Whispering Bells” – Dell-Vikings*
“With All My Heart” – Jodie Sands*
“Wonderful Wonderful” – Johnny Mathis
“Young Blood” – Coasters

* = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:

This month in history

On July 2nd the 1st submarine designed to fire guided missiles was launched, the USA’s Grayback. Film at 6…

And then on the 6th of July, some chaps we’ve not yet head of in our charts, John Lennon (16) & Paul McCartney (15) meet for the 1st time as Lennon’s rock group Quarrymen perform at St. Peter’s, Woolton’s Parish Church in Liverpool. A fictionalised version of that from a biopic of John Lennon below:

And lastly on July 28th Jerry Lee Lewis makes his 1st TV appearance on the Steve Allen Show. It’s quite awesome how many of these clips are available to watch.

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What’d Sadie think?

It’s 2 weeks at number 1 for “Love Letters In The Sand” by Pat Boone before Elvis’ “Teddy Bear” takes the top spot for the rest of the month. I don’t think i’ve ever heard of the latter to be honest, and it’s definitely not one of my favourite Elvis songs so far. But 1957 were crazy for anything he dropped it seems!

Love ’em

“Bye Bye Love” – Everly Brothers

“Fabulous” – Charlie Gracie

“Jenny Jenny” – Little Richard

“Over The Mountain Across The Sea” – Johnnie And Joe

“Short Fat Fannie” – Larry Williams

“Valley Of Tears” – Fats Domino

Like ’em

“I Like Your Kind Of Love” – Andy Williams

“It’s Not For Me To Say” – Johnny Mathis

“It’s You I Love” – Fats Domino

“Just To Hold My Hand” – Clyde Mcphatter

“My Dream” – Platters

“Old Cape Cod” – Patti Page

“Send For Me” – Nat King Cole

“Suzie Q” – Dale Hawkins

“Teddy Bear” – Elvis Presley

“With All My Heart” – Jodie Sands

Leave ’em

“Freight Train” – Rusty Draper

“Shangri-La” – Four Coins
“Star Dust” – Billy Ward

“Whispering Bells” – Dell-Vikings

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

Here we are half way through 1957 in our journey through pop music history, let’s hear what it sounds like…

The songs of June, 1957

“A Teenager’s Romance” – Ricky Nelson
“A White Sport Coat” – Marty Robbins
“All Shook Up” – Elvis Presley
“Bernadine” – Pat Boone
“Bye Bye Love” – Everly Brothers*
“C.C. Rider” – Chuck Willis
“Come Go With Me” – Dell-Vikings
“Dark Moon” – Bonnie Guitar
“Dark Moon” – Gale Storm
“Empty Arms” – Teresa Brewer
“Fabulous” – Charlie Gracie*
“Four Walls” – Jim Lowe*
“Four Walls” – Jim Reeves
“Freight Train” – Rusty Draper*
“Girl With The Golden Braids” – Perry Como*
“Goin’ Steady” – Tommy Sands
“Gone” – Ferlin Husky
“I Just Don’t Know” – Four Lads
“I Like Your Kind Of Love” – Andy Williams*
“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter” – Billy Williams*
“I’m Walkin'” – Ricky Nelson
“It’s Not For Me To Say” – Johnny Mathis*
“Little Darlin'” – Diamonds
“Love Letters In The Sand” – Pat Boone
“My Dream” – Platters*
“Old Cape Cod” – Patti Page*
“Over The Mountain Across The Sea” – Johnnie And Joe*
“Party Doll” – Buddy Knox
“Rock Your Baby To Sleep” – Lieutenant Buddy Knox*
“Rock-A-Billy” – Guy Mitchell
“Round And Round” – Perry Como
“School Day” – Chuck Berry
“Searchin'” – Coasters
“Shish-Kebab” – Ralph Marterie Orchestra
“So Rare” – Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
“Start Movin'” – Sal Mineo
“Talkin’ To The Blues” – Jim Lowe
“Valley Of Tears” – Fats Domino*
“Why Baby Why” – Pat Boone
“With All My Heart” – Jodie Sands*
“Wonderful Wonderful” – Johnny Mathis
“Young Blood” – Coasters

* = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:

This month in history

While Russia is in all the headlines in 2022, we’ll no doubt keep finding news stories about it from the ’50s particularly salient. In June 1957, US TV interviewed Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev – which I can’t find a video of. But there’s a decent documentary of his visit to the USA two years later below to watch:

Meanwhile, while you were worried about “reds under the beds” killing you, it was only just becoming clear that the cigarettes you were stress smoking to forget about that menace were actually the greater threat. Yes, on June 27 The British Medical Research Council published a report suggesting a direct link between smoking and lung cancer… which didn’t kill of adverts like the one below anytime soon surprisingly!

What’d Sadie think?

One more week at the top spot for Elvis before “Love Letters In The Sand” by Pat Boone takes it for the rest of June.

Love it

“Bye Bye Love” – Everly Brothers

“My Dream” – Platters

“Valley Of Tears” – Fats Domino

“With All My Heart” – Jodie Sands

Like it

“Fabulous” – Charlie Gracie

“Girl With The Golden Braids” – Perry Como

“I Like Your Kind Of Love” – Andy Williams

“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter” – Billy Williams

“It’s Not For Me To Say” – Johnny Mathis

“Old Cape Cod” – Patti Page

“Rock Your Baby To Sleep” – Lieutenant Buddy Knox

Leave it

“Four Walls” – Jim Lowe

“Freight Train” – Rusty Draper

“Over The Mountain Across The Sea” – Johnnie And Joe

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

There’s something nice about the current month, in 2022, matching the year we are listening to – in this case, May, 1957. Let’s listen!

The songs of May, 1957

“A Teenager’s Romance” – Ricky Nelson*
“A White Sport Coat” – Marty Robbins
“All Shook Up” – Elvis Presley
“Almost Paradise” – Roger Williams
“Bernadine” – Pat Boone*
“Butterfly” – Andy Williams
“Butterfly” – Charlie Gracie
“Chantez-Chantez” – Dinah Shore
“Come Go With Me” – Dell-Vikings
“Dark Moon” – Bonnie Guitar
“Dark Moon” – Gale Storm*
“Empty Arms” – Teresa Brewer*
“Four Walls” – Jim Reeves*
“Goin’ Steady” – Tommy Sands*
“Gone” – Ferlin Husky
“He’s Mine” – Platters*
“I Just Don’T Know” – Four Lads*
“I’m Sorry” – Platters
“I’m Stickin’ With You” – Jimmy Bowen & Rhythm Orchids
“I’m Walkin'” – Fats Domino
“I’m Walkin'” – Ricky Nelson*
“Little Darlin'” – Diamonds
“Love Is A Golden Ring” – Frankie Laine
“Love Letters In The Sand” – Pat Boone*
“Lucille” – Little Richard
“Mama Look At Bubu” – Harry Belafonte
“Mangos” – Rosemary Clooney*
“Marianne” – Hilltoppers
“Marianne” – Terry Gilkyson & Easy Riders
“Ninety-Nine Ways” – Tab Hunter
“Party Doll” – Buddy Knox
“Party Doll” – Steve Lawrence
“Pledge Of Love” – Ken Copeland*
“Pledge Of Love” – Mitchell Torok*
“Rock-A-Billy” – Guy Mitchell
“Round And Round” – Perry Como
“School Day” – Chuck Berry
“Searchin'” – Coasters*
“Shish-Kebab” – Ralph Marterie Orchestra*
“Sittin’ In The Balcony” – Eddie Cochran
“So Rare” – Jimmy Dorsey
“Start Movin'” – Sal Mineo*
“Talkin’ To The Blues” – Jim Lowe*
“Teenage Crush” – Tommy Sands
“Who Needs You” – Four Lads
“Why Baby Why” – Pat Boone
“Wonderful Wonderful” – Johnny Mathis*
“Yes Tonight Josephine” – Johnnie Ray*
“Young Blood” – Coasters

* = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:

This month in history

On May 1, very veteran broadcaster Larry King makes his first appearance on radio. As the story goest he manager of a small station, WAHR in Miami Beach, hired him to clean up and perform miscellaneous tasks. When one of the station’s announcers abruptly quit, King was put on the air.

And then, in a big month for media history, on May 6 the Pulitzer prize is awarded to Senator John F. Kennedy for “Profiles in Courage”, a 1956 volume of short biographies describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight United States Senators. Didn’t do his run for President any harm I’m sure.

On May 15 in Operation Grapple, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb near Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. Luckily the threat of nuclear war has waned since…oh wait.

In more war related news, on May 17th at the 10th Cannes Film Festival: “Friendly Persuasion”, a civil war film directed by William Wyler wins the Palme d’Or. Interestingly the film was originally released with no screenwriting credit because Michal Wilson was on the Hollywood blacklist for being a “damn commie”. He continued to write, uncredited for some time, including the screenplay for personal favourite, “Planet of the Apes” (1968).

What’d Sadie think?

It’s Elvis all the time at the top of the charts with “All Shook Up” at number 1 for the whole month.

Love ’em

“A Teenager’s Romance” – Ricky Nelson

“Four Walls” – Jim Reeves

“Goin’ Steady” – Tommy Sands

“Searchin'” – Coasters

Like ’em

“Bernadine” – Pat Boone

“Dark Moon” – Gale Storm

“Empty Arms” – Teresa Brewer

“He’s Mine” – Platters

“I’m Walkin'” – Ricky Nelson

“Mangos” – Rosemary Clooney

“Pledge Of Love” – Ken Copeland

“Start Movin'” – Sal Mineo

“Wonderful Wonderful” – Johnny Mathis

Leave ’em

“I Just Don’t Know” – Four Lads

“Love Letters In The Sand” – Pat Boone

“Shish-Kebab” – Ralph Marterie Orchestra

“Talkin’ To The Blues” – Jim Lowe

“Yes Tonight Josephine” – Johnnie Ray

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

Winter isn’t seeming to be arriving anytime soon back here in May of 2022, so let’s listen to the sounds of April, 1957 as the sun beats down…

The songs of April, 1957

“A Poor Man’s Roses” – Patti Page
“A White Sport Coat” – Marty Robbins*
“All Shook Up” – Elvis Presley*
“Almost Paradise” – Roger Williams*
“Banana Boat Song” – Harry Belafonte
“Banana Boat Song” – Tarriers
“Butterfly” – Andy Williams
“Butterfly” – Charlie Gracie
“Chantez-Chantez” – Dinah Shore*
“Come Go With Me” – Dell-Vikings
“Dark Moon” – Bonnie Guitar*
“Don’t Forbid Me” – Pat Boone
“Gone” – Ferlin Husky
“I’m Sorry” – Platters
“I’m Stickin’ With You” – Jimmy Bowen & Rhythm Orchids
“I’m Waiting Just For You” – Pat Boone
“I’m Walkin'” – Fats Domino
“Just Because” – Lloyd Price*
“Little Darlin'” – Diamonds
“Love Is A Golden Ring” – Frankie Laine*
“Love Is Strange” – Mickey And Sylvia
“Lucille” – Little Richard*
“Mama Look At Bubu” – Harry Belafonte
“Marianne” – Hilltoppers
“Marianne” – Terry Gilkyson & Easy Riders
“Ninety Nine Ways” – Tab Hunter*
“Party Doll” – Buddy Knox
“Party Doll” – Steve Lawrence
“Rock-A-Billy” – Guy Mitchell*
“Round & Round” – Perry Como
“School Day” – Chuck Berry*
“Sittin’ In The Balcony” – Eddie Cochran
“So Rare” – Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra*
“Teenage Crush” – Tommy Sands
“Too Much” – Elvis Presley
“Walkin’ After Midnight” – Patsy Cline
“Who Needs You” – Four Lads
“Why Baby Why” – Pat Boone
“Young Love” – Sonny James
“Young Love” – Tab Hunter

* = New to the chart this week.

We’ll throw in an R&B chart for the month… except this only adds in 2 new songs as the cross-over gets increasingly strong.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:

This month in history

On April 10 the filmic adaption of the 1954 play, “12 Angry Men”, directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring Henry Fonda is released. It’s a classic for a reason…

Browsing through an issue of Billboard for the month I spotted this feature – “charts from the past”. Funny to think of people from a time we are revisiting doing the same. And actually one of those was from a year we’ve been through – 1952.

On April 11 the Ryan X-13 Vertijet becomes 1st jet to take-off & land vertically – which makes for some cool footage in this news reel:

What’d Sadie think?

“Butterfly” by Andy Williams is top of the hit parade for 2 weeks before the inevitable supremacy of “All Shook Up” by Elvis Presley for the rest of the month.

“A White Sport Coat” by Marty Robbins is a great tune. Apparently Robbins recalled writing “A White Sport Coat” in twenty minutes. He is said to have had the inspiration for the song while driving from a motel to a venue in Ohio, where he was due to perform that evening. During the course of the journey, he passed a local high school, where its students were dressed ready for their prom.

And then we have the number 1, “All Shook Up” by Elvis. Seems unnecessary to say it, but yes a great song. According to one account the composer, Blackwell, wrote the song at the offices of Shalimar Music in 1956 after Al Stanton, one of Shalimar’s owners, shaking a bottle of Pepsi at the time, suggested he write a song based on the phrase “all shook up.” But then Elvis apparently claimed otherwise, “I’ve never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe. I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song, ‘All Shook Up’.”

“Almost Paradise” by Roger Williams is film score-esque and takes the energy down to many notches. As does “Dark Moon” by Bonnie Guitar.

“Chantez-Chantez” by Dinah Shore is faux french? Disappointed with her recent chartings, Shore had held “open houses” for composers at her residence to find strong material for her next single and through this process discovered “Chantez, Chantez”.

“Just Because” by Lloyd Price is on both of our charts – mainstream and R&B but to be honest it doesn’t grab us. Frankie Laine’s “Love Is A Golden Ring” doesn’t do much more for us.

“Lucille” by Little Richard is top of the R&B charts as well as on the mainstream and this one definitely deserves a place on both.

“Ninety Nine Ways” by Tab Hunter is a precursor to Jay Z’s “99 Problems”? Maybe not – but it’s a good tune for what it is. Also “Tab Hunter” is a strong name. Google the man, as wikipedia says he was, “known for his blond, clean-cut good looks [and] Hunter starred in more than forty films.”

“Rock-A-Billy” by Guy Mitchell is inane but catchy.

“School Day” is classic Chuck Berry and an ode to the transformative nature of this sound, “Hail, hail rock and roll / Deliver me from the days of old”

“So Rare” by Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra is originally from 1937. Apart from that it’s not very notable.

“C C Rider” by Chuck Willis on the other hand is a great tune with a hella sax part. And by all accounts its relaxed beat, combined with mellow vibraphone backing and chorus, inspired the emergence of the popular dance, “The Stroll”.

Empty Arms by Ivory Joe Hunter ends the charts on a mellow vibe and we like it. Apparently a cover version by chart fave Teresa Brewer became a hit the same month as this but it didn’t make it into our to 20.

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

As it starts to feel a little autumnal down here in New Zealand of April, 2022 we find ourselves chilling out listening to the songs of March, 1957…

The songs of March, 1957

“A Poor Man’s Roses” – Patti Page*
“Ain’t Got No Home” – Clarence Henry*
“Banana Boat Song” – Fontane Sisters
“Banana Boat Song” – Harry Belafonte
“Banana Boat Song” – Tarriers
“Blue Monday” – Fats Domino
“Blueberry Hill” – Fats Domino
“Butterfly” – Andy Williams*
“Butterfly” – Charlie Gracie*
“Can I Steal A Little Love” – Frank Sinatra
“Cinco Robles” – Russell Arms
“Come Go With Me” – Dell-Vikings*
“Don’t Forbid Me” – Pat Boone
“Gone” – Ferlin Husky*
“I Dreamed” – Betty Johnson
“I’m Sorry” – Platters*
“I’m Stickin’ With You” – Jimmy Bowen & Rhythm Orchids*
“I’m Waiting Just For You” – Pat Boone*
“I’m Walkin'” – Fats Domino*
“Jamaica Farewell” – Harry Belanfonte
“Jim Dandy” – Lavern Baker
“Knee Deep In The Blues” – Guy Mitchell
“Little Darlin'” – Diamonds*
“Love Is Strange” – Mickey And Sylvia
“Lucky Lips” – Ruth Brown*
“Mama Look At Bubu” – Harry Belafonte*
“Marianne” – Hilltoppers
“Marianne” – Terry Gilkyson And The Easy Riders
“Moonlight Gambler” – Frankie Laine
“Party Doll” – Buddy Knox*
“Party Doll” – Steve Lawrence*
“Rock-A-Bye Your Baby” – Jerry Lee Lewis
“Round And Round” – Perry Como*
“Since I Met You Baby” – Ivory Joe Hunter
“Singing The Blues” – Guy Mitchell
“Sittin’ In The Balcony” – Eddie Cochran*
“Teenage Crush” – Tommy Sands*
“Too Much” – Elvis Presley
“True Love” – Bing Crosby And Grace Kelly
“Walkin’ After Midnight” – Patsy Cline*
“Who Needs You” – Four Lads
“Why Baby Why” – Pat Boone*
“Wringle Wrangle” – Fess Parker
“You Don’t Owe Me A Thing” – Johnnie Ray
“Young Love” – Sonny James
“Young Love” – Tab Hunter

* = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:

This month in history

Only a few months into the charts and Elvis is already be satirized. On March 5th an episode of the sitcom “The Phil Silvers Show” (aka Sgt Bilko) mocked him as, “Elvis Pelvin”. I can’t find that clip but a later one, after Elvis had joined the army, is below:

On March 12 Random House and Houghton-Mifflin co-publish the classic “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss. Below is a 1970’s animated version:

And speaking of Elvis in the army, on March 23rd the US Army sells its last homing pigeons. Apparently a crucial part of the war effort only a decade prior…

What’d Sadie think?

“Young Love” by Tab Hunter is number one for four weeks before “Butterfly” by Andy Williams takes the top spot for the final week of the month.

Love ’em

“A Poor Man’s Roses” – Patti Page

“Ain’t Got No Home” – Clarence Henry

“I’m Walkin'” – Fats Domino

“Party Doll” – Buddy Knox

“Walkin’ After Midnight” – Patsy Cline

Like ’em

“Butterfly” – Andy Williams

“Come Go With Me” – Dell-Vikings

“I’m Sorry” – Platters

“Little Darlin'” – Diamonds

“Lucky Lips” – Ruth Brown

“Mama Look At Bubu” – Harry Belafonte

“Round And Round” – Perry Como

“Teenage Crush” – Tommy Sands

“Walkin’ After Midnight” – Patsy Cline

“Why Baby Why” – Pat Boone

Leave ’em

“Gone” – Ferlin Husky
“I’m Stickin’ With You” – Jimmy Bowen & Rhythm Orchids

“I’m Waiting Just For You” – Pat Boone
“Sittin’ In The Balcony” – Eddie Cochran

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

It’s 20 years before I’m born – February, 1957 – this week. Let’s take a break from April, 2022 to hear what it sounded like…

The songs of February, 1957

“A Rose And A Baby Ruth” – George Hamilton Iv
“Banana Boat Song” – Fontane Sisters
“Banana Boat Song” – Harry Belafonte
“Banana Boat Song” – Steve Lawrence*
“Banana Boat Song” – Tarriers*
“Blue Monday” – Fats Domino
“Blueberry Hill” – Fats Domino
“Can I Steal A Little Love” – Frank Sinatra*
“Cinco Robles” – Russell Arms*
“Cindy Oh Cindy” – Eddie Fisher
“Don’t Forbid Me” – Pat Boone
“Gonna Get Along Without You Now” – Patience And Prudence
“Green Door” – Jim Lowe
“Hey Jealous Lover” – Frank Sinatra
“I Dreamed” – Betty Johnson
“I Love My Baby” – Jill Corey
“Jamaica Farewell” – Harry Belanfonte
“Jim Dandy” – Lavern Baker
“Just Walkin’ In The Rain” – Johnnie Ray
“Knee Deep In The Blues” – Guy Mitchell*
“Love Is Strange” – Mickey And Sylvia
“Love Me Tender” – Elvis Presley
“Marianne” – Hilltoppers*
“Marianne” – Terry Gilkyson And The Easy Riders*
“Moonlight Gambler” – Frankie Laine
“On My Word Of Honour” – Platters
“Rock-A-Bye My Baby” – Jerry Lee Lewis
“Since I Met You Baby” – Ivory Joe Hunter
“Singing The Blues” – Guy Mitchell
“Too Much” – Elvis Presley
“True Love” – Bing Crosby And Grace Kelly
“Who Needs You” – Four Lads*
“Wringle Wrangle” – Fess Parker*
“You Don’t Owe Me A Thing” – Johnnie Ray
“Young Love” – Sonny James
“Young Love” – Tab Hunter

* = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link or embedded below:

This month in history

On the 16th of the month, the “Toddlers’ Truce”, a mandated television close down between 6 and 7 pm, was abolished in the United Kingdom. Apparently it had been around since the end of the war and was indeed designed to ensure children got off to bed!

It was controversial, aside from the parenting-by-numbers aspect of it, because it didn’t have an impact on the BBC – who were paid for by the government and actually saved money by not having to have programming – but effected the revenue of the newer, commercial, ITV network.

Speaking of controversy, of a much heavier sort, on the 18 February, 68-year-old Whanganui farmer Walter Bolton became the last person to be executed in New Zealand when he was hanged at Mount Eden prison. Well done, New Zealand on ending that barbarism.

Later that month Swedish film classic “The Seventh Seal”, directed by Ingmar Bergman, was released. Watch the trailer below:

Some history

What’d Sadie think?

A bit of chop and change around the number 1 spot this month. “Singing The Blues” by Guy Mitchell holds on for 1 more week before Pat Boone’s “Don’t Forbid Me” hits a high for a week and then “Young Love” by Tab Hunter rounds it out for the last. 2 weeks.

It’s a relatively light, post-Xmas, set of new songs on the charts this week….

Another “Banana Boat Song” cover, this time by Steve Lawrence. Some songs have great covers. But with some songs it’s really just all about the original. Banana Boat Song is one of the latter. So pass on this version.

Meanwhile, “Can I Steal A Little Love” by Frank Sinatra is Frank belting it out at his best. Great stuff!

But then when listening to “Cinco Robles” by Russell Arms we were asleep 4 bars in. Luckily we woke up to listen to “Knee Deep In The Blues” by Guy Mitchell which ain’t bad. Nor is “Who Needs You” by the Four Lads. But neither really grabbed us.

I’m not sure what is going on in “Marianne” by the Hilltoppers, but the lyrics “Leave your fat old mamma home, she never will say yes” are probably the least problematic aspect of it? Apparently it was a traditional calypso song made popular by Trinidadian calypsonian, “Roaring Lion” that was popular in 1945 after V-J day in Trinidad. But I think by 1957 it was all a tad lost in translation. Though wikipedia tells me that it was used as comedy number about my all-time favourite, Cary Grant, which went something like this…

All day, all night, Cary Grant
That’s all I hear from my wife, is Cary Grant
What can he do that I can’t
Big deal, big star, Cary Grant

“Wringle Wrangle” is a song by Fess Parker that is so terrible its borderline great . The name rang a bell, and it turns out he is known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Disney TV miniseries which ran from ’54-55. Which the mere mention of has that song from a few weeks back stuck in our ear.

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