Category: Monthly

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.

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.