Category: Monthly

It’s feeling very spring like here in 2023 as we turn our ears back to December of 1962 and hear the Four Seasons singing that… “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”!

Songs of the month

“All Alone Am I” – Brenda Lee
“Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Four Seasons
“Bobby’s Girl” – Marcie Blane
[new] “Chains” – Cookies
“Close To Cathy” – Mike Clifford
“Dance With The Guitar Man” – Duane Eddy
[new] “Dear Lonely Hearts” – Nat King Cole
[new] “Desafinado” – Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
“Desafinado” – Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd
“Do You Love Me” – Contours
“Don’t Hang Up” – Orlons
[new] “Eso Beso” – Paul Anka
[new] “Everybody Loves A Lover” – Shirelles
“Gina” – Johnny Mathis
[new] “Go Away Little Girl” – Steve Lawrence
“He’s A Rebel” – Crystals
[new] “Hotel Happiness” – Brook Benton
“I Can’t Help It” – Johnny Tillotson
“I’ve Got A Woman” – Jimmy Mcgriff
[new] “It’s Up To You” – Rick Nelson
“Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” – Litta Eva
[new] “Let’s Go” – Routers
“Limbo Rock” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Love Came To Me” – Dion
[new] “My Dad” – Paul Petersen
“My Own True Love” – Duprees
“Next Door To An Angel” – Neil Sedaka
“Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke
“Only Love Can Break A Heart” – Gene Pitney
[new] “Pepino The Italian Mouse” – Lou Monte
“Release Me” – Esther Phillips
“Return To Sender” – Elvis Presley
“Ride” – Dee Dee Sharp
[new] “Ruby Ann” – Marty Robbins
“Rumours” – Johnny Crawford
[new] “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” – Four Seasons
[new] “Tell Him” – Exciters
“Telstar” – Tornados
“The Cha Cha Cha” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “The Little Drummer Boy” – Harry Simeon Chorale
“The Lonely Bull” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
[new] “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” – Bobby Vee
[new] “The Push And Kick” – Mark Valentino
[new] “Two Lovers” – Mary Wells
[new] “Up On The Roof” – Drifters
“What Kind Of Fool Am I” – Sammy Davis Jr.
[new] “Wiggle Wobble” – Les Cooper And The Soul Rockers
[new] “You Are My Sunshine” – Ray Charles
[new] “Your Cheating Heart” – Ray Charles
[new] “Zip A Dee Doo Dah” – Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
[new] “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” – Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans

[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 14th the U.S. spacecraft Mariner 2 became the first Earth probe to successfully transmit data from another planet, as it flew by Venus. The data showed for the first time the surface temperature of Venus, found to be 482 °C, and revealed “a planet inhospitable to life”, which “dashed hopes for a tropical, watery planet filled with aquatic and amphibious creatures”, in the words of one observer.

On the 22nd for the first time, a song by a British band reached #1 on the American singles chart. More than a year before The Beatles began music’s “British Invasion”, the instrumental song “Telstar” became a hit for The Tornados.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ee6p4z29Q

And on the 30th “Blowin’ in the Wind”, Bob Dylan’s most iconic song, was performed for the first time, as part of a BBC television play called “Madhouse On Castle Street”. Dylan was 21 (having never left America before), when he visited London for the first time in December 1962, to take part in a BBC play. He appeared as “Bobby the hobo” and sang four songs, including the first ever broadcast of “Blowin’ in the Wind”.”

What’d Sadie think?

The Four Seasons classic, and Sadie sing-a-long fave, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” is at the top for 3 weeks this December before the aforementioned “Telstar” by the Tornados rounds out the month with 2 weeks at number 1.

Loved ’em

• “Love Came To Me” – Dion
• “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” – Four Seasons
• “Tell Him” – Exciters
• “Two Lovers” – Mary Wells
• “Up On The Roof” – Drifters
• “You Are My Sunshine” – Ray Charles
• “Your Cheating Heart” – Ray Charles

Liked ’em

• “Dear Lonely Hearts” – Nat King Cole
• “Desafinado” – Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
• “Eso Beso” – Paul Anka
• “Everybody Loves A Lover” – Shirelles
• “Go Away Little Girl” – Steve Lawrence
• “It’s Up To You” – Rick Nelson
• “Let’s Go” – Routers
• “My Dad” – Paul Petersen
• “Ruby Ann” – Marty Robbins
• “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” – Bobby Vee
• “The Push And Kick” – Mark Valentino
• “Wiggle Wobble” – Les Cooper And The Soul Rockers
• “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” – Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
  
  

Leave ’em

• “Chains” – Cookies
• “Hotel Happiness” – Brook Benton
• “Pepino The Italian Mouse” – Lou Monte

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

According to the automated math that gets pre-populated for me here it’s 57 years and 9 months before Sadie is born and 14 years and 3 months before Thomas is as we explore the sounds of November, 1962… but much more importantly, it’s 3 years since Sadie was actually born!

Wow.

Happy birthday Sadie ada Cayce Scovell! You came into our life 5 weeks early, the tiniest most precious wee thing, and are now a full-on threenager who commands everyones attention with her kindness, humour and intelligence and is already out-witting your poor parents. Can’t wait to see what you do next.

And happy birthday to this project – we’ve now covered nearly 13 years of musical history across 155 weekly playlists!

(Also we skipped a week of posting the blog post due to being busy, so here’s a link to October, 1962 for those who want to make sure they listen to everything in order. On that note, we always listen to the playlist no matter what – and these are available on my Youtube account if anyone ever wants to find one easily. Literally just search for month and year and my name and they’ll come up.)

Songs of the month

“All Alone Am I” – Brenda Lee
“Alley Cat” – Bent Fabric
“Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Four Seasons
[new] “Bobby’s Girl” – Marcie Blane
“Close To Cathy” – Mike Clifford
[new] “Dance With The Guitar Man” – Duane Eddy
[new] “Desafinado” – Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd
“Do You Love Me” – Contours
[new] “Don’t Hang Up” – Orlons
“Gina” – Johnny Mathis
[new] “Green Onions” – Booker T. And The Mgs
“He’s A Rebel” – Crystals
[new] “I Can’t Help It” – Johnny Tillotson
“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” – Tony Bennett
“I Remember You” – Frank Ifield
[new] “I Was Such A Fool” – Connie Francis
[new] “I’ve Got A Woman” – Jimmy Mcgriff
“James” – Sue Thompson
[new] “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” – Litta Eva
[new] “Leah” – Roy Orbison
“Let’s Dance” – Chris Montez
“Limbo Rock” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Love Me Tender” – Richard Chamberlain
“Monster Mash” – Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers
[new] “My Own True Love” – Duprees
“Next Door To An Angel” – Neil Sedaka
“Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke
“Only Love Can Break A Heart” – Gene Pitney
“Patches” – Dickey Lee
“Popeye The Hitchiker” – Chubby Checker
“Ramblin’ Rose” – Nat King Cole
[new] “Release Me” – Esther Phillips
“Return To Sender” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Ride” – Dee Dee Sharp
[new] “Rumours” – Johnny Crawford
“Sherry” – Four Seasons
“Surfin’ Safari” – Beach Boys
[new] “Telstar” – Tornados
[new] “That Stranger Used To Be My Girl” – Trade Martin
“The Cha-Cha-Cha” – Bobby Rydell
[new] “The Lonely Bull” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
“Torture” – Kris Jensen
“Warmed Over Kisses” – Brian Hyland
“What Kind Of Fool Am I” – Sammy Davis Jr.

[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 3rd the earliest use of the term “personal computer” by the media was made in The New York Times in a story about John W. Mauchly’s speech the day before to the American Institute of Industrial Engineers. Mauchly, “inventor of some of the original room-size computers” said that “in a decade or so”, everyone would have their own computer with “exchangeable wafer-thin data storage files to provide inexhaustible memories and answer most problems”. Mauchly was quoted as saying, “There is no reason to suppose the average boy or girl cannot be master of a personal computer.” Indeed!

On the same day, which was clearly big for coining terms, “country music” replaced what had been referred to as “country and western”, Billboard magazine renamed its “Hot C&W Singles” chart to “Hot Country Singles” and stopped referring to “western” music altogether.

On the 24th the first episode of the influential British satire show “That Was The Week That Was” was broadcast on BBC Television. No recording of that on Youtube, but here’s one from the next year.

And here in New Zealand Brigadier Sir Bernard Fergusson became Governor-General of New Zealand – not that interesting in and of itself but telling as the last British native to be appointed to that position. More than 70 years later we’re still part of the Commonwealth and have the British monarch as or head-of-state however.

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks a piece at the top for “He’s A Rebel” by the Crystals then the classic “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by the Four Seasons.

Loved ’em

• “Desafinado” – Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd
• “Don’t Hang Up” – Orlons
• “Release Me” – Esther Phillips

Liked ’em

• “Bobby’s Girl” – Marcie Blane
• “Dance With The Guitar Man” – Duane Eddy
• “I Can’t Help It” – Johnny Tillotson
• “I Was Such A Fool” – Connie Francis
• “I’ve Got A Woman” – Jimmy Mcgriff
• “Leah” – Roy Orbison
• “My Own True Love” – Duprees
• “Love Me Tender” – Richard Chamberlain
• “Ride” – Dee Dee Sharp
• “Rumours” – Johnny Crawford
• “That Stranger Used To Be My Girl” – Trade Martin

Leave ’em

• “Telstar” – Tornados
• “The Lonely Bull” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

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

It’s 57 years and 10 months before Sadie is born and 14 years and 4 months before Thomas is. We skipped a post due to a busy week so lets just dive straight into what October, 1962 sounded like…

Songs of the month

“A Wonderful Dream” – Majors
[new] “All Alone Am I” – Brenda Lee
“Alley Cat” – Bent Fabric
“Beechwood 4-5789” – Marvelettes
[new] “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Four Seasons
[new] “Close To Cathy” – Mike Clifford
“Do You Love Me” – Contours
[new] “Don’t Go Near The Indians” – Rex Allen
[new] “Gina” – Johnny Mathis
“Green Onions” –
[new] “He’s A Rebel” – Crystals
“Hully Gully Baby” – Dovells
[new] “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” – Tony Bennett
“I Remember You” – Frank Ifield
“If I Had A Hammer” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
“It Might As Well Rain Until September” – Carole King
[new] “James” – Sue Thompson
[new] “King Of The Whole Wide World” – Elvis Presley
“Let’s Dance” – Chris Montez
“Lie To Me” – Brook Benton
[new] “Limbo Rock” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Little Black Book” – Jimmy Dean
“Monster Mash” – Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers
[new] “Next Door To An Angel” – Neil Sedaka
[new] “Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke
“Only Love Can Break A Heart” – Gene Pitney
“Patches” – Dickey Lee
[new] “Popeye The Hitchiker” – Chubby Checker
“Punish Her” – Bobby Vee
“Rain Rain Go Away” – Bobby Vinton
“Ramblin’ Rose” – Nat King Cole
[new] “Return To Sender” – Elvis Presley
“Sheila” – Tommy Roe
“Sherry” – Four Seasons
“Surfin’ Safari” – Beach Boys
“Teenage Idol” – Rick Nelson
[new] “The Cha-Cha-Cha” – Bobby Rydell
“The Locomotion” – Little Eva
[new] “Torture” – Kris Jensen
“Venus In Blue Jeans” – Jimmy Clanton
[new] “Warmed Over Kisses” – Brian Hyland
[new] “What Kind Of Fool Am I” – Sammy Davis Jr.
“What Kind Of Love Is This” – Joey Dee And The Starliters
“You Beat Me To The Punch” – Mary Wells
“You Belong To Me” – Duprees

[new] = New to the chart this week.

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

This month in history

On October 5th “Dr. No”, the first James Bond film, premiered in UK cinemas.

On the 13th Edward Albee’s first full-length play, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” opened on Broadway.

On October 28th the Cuban Missile Crisis, which for the past month had threatened to spark a nuclear war, came to an end when Radio Moscow broadcast the text of the message from Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev to U.S. President John F. Kennedy. “Dear Mr. President,” Khrushchev’s letter began, “I have received your message of October 27. I express my satisfaction and thank you for the sense of proportion you have displayed and for realization of the responsibility which now devolves on you for the preservation of the peace of the world”

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “Sherry” by the Four Seasons followed by two for my childhood favourite, “Monster Mash” by Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers.

Loved ’em

Some real classics this week!

• “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Four Seasons
• “He’s A Rebel” – Crystals
• “Limbo Rock” – Chubby Checker
• “Next Door To An Angel” – Neil Sedaka
• “Return To Sender” – Elvis Presley

Liked ’em

• “All Alone Am I” – Brenda Lee
• “Close To Cathy” – Mike Clifford
• “Gina” – Johnny Mathis
• “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” – Tony Bennett
• “King Of The Whole Wide World” – Elvis Presley
• “Little Black Book” – Jimmy Dean
• “Nothing Can Change This Love” – Sam Cooke
• “Popeye The Hitchiker” – Chubby Checker
• “What Kind Of Fool Am I” – Sammy Davis Jr.

Leave ’em

“Don’t Go Near The Indians” was slightly less problematic than the title indicated when I got into the lyrics in one sense, but more so in another sense? Make up your own mind!

• “Don’t Go Near The Indians” – Rex Allen
• “James” – Sue Thompson
• “The Cha-Cha-Cha” – Bobby Rydell
• “Torture” – Kris Jensen
• “Warmed Over Kisses” – Brian Hyland

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

It felt positively spring like this weekend in Auckland of 2023, but by the looks of the rest of the week that may have just been a tease. So let’s escape back to the September of 1962 to hear what it sounded like…

Songs of the month

“A Swingin’ Safari” – Billy Vaughn Orchestra
[new] “A Wonderful Dream” – Majors
“Ahab The Arab” – Ray Stevens
[new] “Alley Cat” – Bent Fabric
[new] “Beechwood 4-5789” – Marvelettes
“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” – Neil Sedaka
“Bring It On Home To Me” – Sam Cooke
“Call Me Mr. In-Between” – Burl Ives
[new] “Come On Little Girl” – Belmonts
“Devil Woman” – Marty Robbins
[new] “Do You Love Me” – Contours
[new] “Green Onions” – Booker T. And The Mgs
[new] “Hully Gully Baby” – Dovells
[new] “I Remember You” – Frank Ifield
[new] “If I Had A Hammer” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
[new] “It Might As Well Rain Until September” – Carole King
[new] “Let’s Dance” – Chris Montez
[new] “Lie To Me” – Brook Benton
“Little Diane” – Dion
“Make It Easy On Yourself” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Monster Mash” – Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers
[new] “Only Love Can Break A Heart” – Gene Pitney
“Party Lights” – Claudine Clark
[new] “Patches” – Dickey Lee
[new] “Point Of No Return” – Gene Mcdaniels
[new] “Punish Her” – Bobby Vee
[new] “Rain Rain Go Away” – Bobby Vinton
“Ramblin’ Rose” – Nat King Cole
“Rinky Dink” – Dave Baby Cortez
“Roses Are Red” – Bobby Vinton
“Sealed With A Kiss” – Brian Hyland
[new] “Send Me The Pillow You Dream On” – Johnny Tillotson
[new] “Shame On You” – Bobby Bare
“She’s Not You” – Elvis Presley
“Sheila” – Tommy Roe
[new] “Sherry” – Four Seasons
[new] “Silver Threads And Golden Needles” – Springfields
[new] “Surfin’ Safari” – Beach Boys
[new] “Teenage Idol” – Rick Nelson
“The Locomotion” – Little Eva
“The Wah Watusi” – Orlons
“Things” – Bobby Darin
[new] “Till Death Us Do Part” – Bob Braun
“Twist And Shout” – Isley Brothers
“Vacation” – Connie Francis
[new] “Venus In Blue Jeans” – Jimmy Clanton
[new] “What Kind Of Love Is This” – Joey Dee And The Starliters
“What’s A Matter Baby” – Timi Yuro
[new] “You Beat Me To The Punch” – Mary Wells
[new] “You Belong To Me” – Duprees
“You Don’t Know Me” – Ray Charles
“You’ll Lose A Good Thing” – Barbara Lynn
“Your Nose Is Gonna Grow” – Johnny Crawford

[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 12th U.S. President John F. Kennedy, in a speech at the football stadium of Rice University in Houston, reaffirmed that the U.S. would put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade with a corker of a speech.

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

Then on the 23rd “The Jetsons”— George, Jane, Judy and Elroy— were introduced in a primetime cartoon of the same name on ABC television in the USA. Despite having only 24 episodes, the science fiction show, about a family living about 100 years in the future, would be rerun for 23 years until new episodes were commissioned for a syndicated revival in 1985. A childhood favourite.

Speaking of childhood favourite, on the 26th “The Beverly Hillbillies”, a television situation comedy about a poor Ozark Mountain family who became multi-millionaires after oil was found on their land, began a nine-year run on the CBS network. That theme tune!

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “Sheila” by Tommy Roe then three for “Sherry” by the Four Seasons – so the top of the charts is still sounding quick (late) ’50s. But this is the first chart where it feels like the ’60s are really here in full force to my ears. No doubt helped by classics like “Surfin’ Safari” by the Beach Boys.

Shout out to the gloriously silly “Monster mash” that was a childhood favourite.

Loved ’em

• “Surfin’ Safari” – Beach Boys
• “Do You Love Me” – Contours
• “Green Onions” – Booker T. And The Mgs
• “If I Had A Hammer” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
• “It Might As Well Rain Until September” – Carole King
• “Let’s Dance” – Chris Montez
• “Monster Mash” – Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers
• “Sherry” – Four Seasons

Liked ’em

• “A Wonderful Dream” – Majors
• “Alley Cat” – Bent Fabric
• “Hully Gully Baby” – Dovells
• “I Remember You” – Frank Ifield
• “Lie To Me” – Brook Benton
• “Only Love Can Break A Heart” – Gene Pitney
• “Point Of No Return” – Gene Mcdaniels
• “Punish Her” – Bobby Vee
• “Send Me The Pillow You Dream On” – Johnny Tillotson
• “Silver Threads And Golden Needles” – Springfields
• “Venus In Blue Jeans” – Jimmy Clanton
• “You Beat Me To The Punch” – Mary Wells

Leave ’em

• “Patches” – Dickey Lee
• “Rain Rain Go Away” – Bobby Vinton
• “Shame On Me” – Bobby Bare
• “Teenage Idol” – Rick Nelson
• “You Belong To Me” – Duprees
• “What Kind Of Love Is This” – Joey Dee And The Starliters

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

As we near Sadie’s 3rd birthday in August, 2023 it’s 58 years months before Sadie is born and 14 years and 6 months before Thomas is in the month of August, 1962 that we’re tuning into this week…

Songs of the month

[new] “A Swingin’ Safari” – Billy Vaughn
“Ahab The Arab” – Ray Stevens
“Al Di La” – Emilio Pericoli
“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” – Neil Sedaka
[new] “Bring It On Home To Me” – Sam Cooke
[new] “Call Me Mr. In-Between” – Burl Ives
“Dancin’ Party” – Chubby Checker
[new] “Devil Woman” – Marty Robbins
“Gravy” – Dee Dee Sharp
“Having A Party” – Sam Cooke
“Heart In Hand” – Brenda Lee
“I Can’t Stop Loving You” – Ray Charles
“I Need Your Loving” – Don Gardner And Dee Dee Ford
“I’ll Never Dance Again” – Bobby Rydell
“It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’” – Johnny Tillotson
“Johnny Get Angry” – Joanie Sommers
“Little Diane” – Dion
[new] “Little Red Rented Rowboat” – Joe Dowell
“Made To Love” – Eddie Hodges
[new] “Make It Easy On Yourself” – Jerry Butler
“Palisades Park” – Freddy Cannon
“Party Lights” – Claudine Clark
[new] “Ramblin’ Rose” – Nat King Cole
[new] “Rinky Dink” – Dave Baby Cortez
“Roses Are Red” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “Route 66 Theme” – Nelson Riddle
“Sealed With A Kiss” – Brian Hyland
[new] “She’s Not You” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Sheila” – Tommy Roe
“Speedy Gonzales” – Pat Boone
“The Locomotion” – Little Eva
“The Stripper” – David Rose Orchestra
“The Wah Watusi” – Orlons
“Theme From Dr. Kildare” – Richard Chamberlain
“Things” – Bobby Darin
“Twist And Shout” – Isley Brothers
[new] “Vacation” – Connie Francis
“Welcome Home Baby” – Shirelles
[new] “What’s A Matter Baby” – Timi Yuro
“Wolverton Mountain” – Claude King
[new] “You Don’t Know Me” – Ray Charles
“You’ll Lose A Good Thing” – Barbara Lynn
[new] “Your Nose Is Gonna Grow” – Johnny Crawford

[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 of August, actress Marilyn Monroe took a fatal overdose of Nembutal at her home in Los Angeles. The Nembutal interacted with a dosage of chloral hydrate already in her body and she was in a coma by 10pm.

On the 5th Nelson Mandela was arrested in South Africa, and imprisoned freedom for more than 27 years.

And in cheerier news, on the sixth Jamaica received its independence from the United Kingdom. Princess Margaret of the UK and U.S. Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson were among the dignitaries who watched the lowering of the British flag in Kingston.

What’d Sadie think?

A week at number 1 for “Roses Are Red” by Bobby Vinton before “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” by Neil Sedaka takes the spot for a couple. With “The Locomotion” by Little Eva rounding out the month with a week at the top.

As we began the playlist this week Sadie exclaimed, “this is just the music I need!”.

Loved ’em

• “Bring It On Home To Me” – Sam Cooke
• “Devil Woman” – Marty Robbins
• “Ramblin’ Rose” – Nat King Cole
• “You Don’t Know Me” – Ray Charles

Liked ’em

• “A Swingin’ Safari” – Billy Vaughn
• “Call Me Mr. In-Between” – Burl Ives
• “Make It Easy On Yourself” – Jerry Butler
• “Rinky Dink” – Dave Baby Cortez
• “Route 66 Theme” – Nelson Riddle
• “She’s Not You” – Elvis Presley
• “Sheila” – Tommy Roe
• “Vacation” – Connie Francis
• “What’s A Matter Baby” – Timi Yuro
• “Your Nose Is Gonna Grow” – Johnny Crawford

Leave ’em

• “Little Red Rented Rowboat” – Joe Dowell

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

As we tune in to July, 1962 it’s 58 years and 1 months before Sadie is born and 14 years and 7 months before Thomas is. Let’s hear what it sounded like…

Songs of the month

“A Steel Guitar And A Glass Of Wine” – Paul Anka
[new] “Ahab The Arab” – Ray Stevens
“Al Di La” – Emilio Pericoli
[new] “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” – Neil Sedaka
[new] “Bristol Twistin’ Annie” – Dovells
“Cindy’s Birthday” – Johnny Crawford
[new] “Dancin’ Party” – Chubby Checker
“Gravy For My Mashed Potatoes” – Dee Dee Sharp
“Having A Party” – Sam Cooke
[new] “Heart In Hand” – Brenda Lee
“I Can’t Stop Loving You” – Ray Charles
[new] “I Need Your Loving” – Don Gardner And Dee Dee Ford
“I’ll Never Dance Again” – Bobby Rydell
“It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’” – Johnny Tillotson
[new] “It Started All Over Again” – Brenda Lee
“Johnny Get Angry” – Joanie Sommers
[new] “Johnny Loves Me” – Shelley Fabares
[new] “Little Bitty Pretty One” – Clyde Mcphatter
[new] “Little Diane” – Dion
[new] “Made To Love” – Eddie Hodges
“Palisades Park” – Freddy Cannon
[new] “Party Lights” – Claudine Clark
“Playboy” – Marvelettes
“Roses Are Red” – Bobby Vinton
“Sealed With A Kiss” – Brian Hyland
[new] “Seven Day Weekend” – Gary Us Bonds
“Sharing You” – Bobby Vee
“Snap Your Fingers” – Joe Henderson
[new] “Speedy Gonzales” – Pat Boone
“Stranger On The Shore” – Acker Bilk
“That’s Old Fashioned” – Everly Brothers
“The Crowd” – Roy Orbison
[new] “The Locomotion” – Little Eva
“The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” – Gene Pitney
“The Stripper” – David Rose Orchestra
“The Wah Watusi” – Orlons
[new] “The Wah Watusi” – The Orlons
“Theme From Dr. Kildare” – Richard Chamberlain
[new] “Things” – Bobby Darin
[new] “Twist And Shout” – Isley Brothers
“Walk On The Wild Side” – Jimmy Smith
[new] “Welcome Home Baby” – Shirelles
“Wolverton Mountain” – Claude King
[new] “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” – Barbara Lynn

[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 2nd of July Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store as “Wal-Mart Discount City” in Rogers, Arkansas, United States. By 1970, there would be 38 Wal-Mart stores. After 50 years, there were more than 9,766 stores in 27 countries, and 11,766 by mid-2019

On the 12th The Rolling Stones made their debut at London’s Marquee Club, Number 165 Oxford Street, opening for the first time under that name, for Long John Baldry. Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor and Tony Chapman had played together for the group Blues Incorporated before creating a new name inspired by the Muddy Waters 1950 single “Rollin’ Stone”.

And in high-tech news, on the 13th international telephone calls, via satellite, were inaugurated by AT&T, as company president Eugene McNeely placed a call to the French Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones, Jacques Marette. On Telstar’s next orbit, McNeely spoke with Sir Ronald German, the British General Post Office Director-General.

What’d Sadie think?

A week at the top for the provocatively named, “The Stripper” by the David Rose Orchestra before the next 3 weeks of the month are owned by Bobby Vinton’s “Roses Are Red”.

Loved ’em

A month of big songs that lasted the test of time. Particularly memorable to me is Little Eva’s “The Locomotion” that was famously covered by Kylie Minogue during my childhood in the ’80s. Written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King, it was originally written for R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp, but Sharp turned the song down. Sharp is currently charting for “Gravy For My Mashed Potatoes”…

• “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” – Neil Sedaka
• “It Started All Over Again” – Brenda Lee
• “Party Lights” – Claudine Clark
• “The Locomotion” – Little Eva
• “The Wah Watusi” – The Orlons
• “Things” – Bobby Darin
• “Twist And Shout” – Isley Brothers

Liked ’em

• “Bristol Twistin’ Annie” – Dovells
• “Dancin’ Party” – Chubby Checker
• “Heart In Hand” – Brenda Lee
• “I Need Your Loving” – Don Gardner And Dee Dee Ford
• “Johnny Loves Me” – Shelley Fabares
• “Little Bitty Pretty One” – Clyde Mcphatter
• “Little Diane” – Dion
• “Seven Day Weekend” – Gary Us Bonds
• “Speedy Gonzales” – Pat Boone
• “Welcome Home Baby” – Shirelles
• “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” – Barbara Lynn

Leave ’em

We knew what we were getting in for with the name but “Ahab the Arab” only gets worse as you listen, apologies in advance – or skip if you’d prefer!

• “Ahab The Arab” – Ray Stevens
• “Made To Love” – Eddie Hodges

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