Category: Monthly

We’re nearly half way through 1956 as The Scovells find themselves able to enjoy a weekend out in the “real world” in 2021 for the first time in a couple of weeks, so it’ll be a short but sweet journey through June, 1956…

The songs of June, 1956

“A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl” – Teresa Brewer*
“A Tear Fell” – Teresa Brewer
“Allegheny Moon” – Patti Page*
“Be-Bop-A-Lula” – Gene Vincent*
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Carl Perkins
“Born To Be With You” – Chordettes*
“Can You Find It In Your Heart” – Tony Bennett
“Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds*
“Glendora” – Perry Como*
“Graduation Day” – Rover Boys*
“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley
“Hot Diggity” – Perry Como
“I Almost Lost My Mind” – Pat Boone*
“I Want You I Need You I Love You” – Elvis Presley*
“I Want You To Be My Girl” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
“I’ll Be Home” – Pat Boone
“I’m In Love Again” – Fats Domino
“It Only Hurts For A Little While” – Ames Brothers*
“Ivory Tower” – Cathy Carr
“Ivory Tower” – Gale Storm
“Ivory Tower” – Otis Williams
“Kiss Me Another” – Georgia Gibbs*
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle
“Long Tall Sally” – Little Richard
“Long Tall Sally” – Pat Boone
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – George Cates Orchestra
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – Morris Stoloff
“More” – Perry Como*
“My Blue Heaven” – Fats Domino*
“My Little Angel” – Four Lads*
“On The Street Where You Live” – Vic Damone*
“Picnic” – Mcguire Sisters
“Poor People Of Paris” – Les Baxter
“Rock Island Line” – Lonnie Donegan
“Roll Over Beethoven” – Chuck Berry*
“Standing On The Corner” – Dean Martin*
“Standing On The Corner” – Four Lads
“The Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds
“The Happy Whistler” – Don Robertson
“The Magic Touch” – Platters
“The Wayward Wind” – Gogi Grant
“Transfusion” – Nervous Norvus*
“Treasure Of Love” – Clyde Mcphatter*
“Walk Hand In Hand” – Tony Martin
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

* = 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

It won’t be Elvis news all of the time for the next few years, but expect more of it.. This month he appears on The Milton Berle Show, singing “Hound Dog”. It notably the first time Presley has appeared on screen without a guitar, and the resulting performance attracts widespread criticism because of his “suggestive” movements… oo-eer!

Born on June 5th this year is Kenny G, US saxophonist, in Seattle, Washington. A definite hero of mine as a young saxophone player in the ’90s…

As Russia tries to push its way west in 2022 we look back to 1956 when US dramatist Arthur Miller is called before the House Un-American Activities Committee of the United States House of Representatives, but declines to name suspected Communists, resulting in his conviction for contempt of court

And to round out the month, 20th Century Fox’s film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1951 stage musical The King and I, starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, is released in the US, becoming the most successful film version of any of their musicals up to that date. See the trailer below…

What’d Sadie think?

Elvis manages to stay atop the chart with another 3 weeks with “Heart Break Hotel” before “The Wayward Wind” by Gogi Grant takes it for the last 2.

Loved it

“Roll Over Beethoven” – Chuck Berry

“My Blue Heaven” – Fats Domino

“Be-Bop-A-Lula” – Gene Vincent

Liked it

“A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl” – Teresa Brewer

“It Only Hurts For A Little While” – Ames Brothers

“Allegheny Moon” – Patti Page

“I Almost Lost My Mind” – Pat Boone

“Standing On The Corner” – Dean Martin

“On The Street Where You Live” – Vic Damone

“My Little Angel” – Four Lads

“More” – Perry Como

“I Want You I Need You I Love You” – Elvis Presley

“Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds

“Kiss Me Another” – Georgia Gibbs

“Glendora” – Perry Como

Leave it

“Transfusion” – Nervous Norvus

“Treasure Of Love” – Clyde Mcphatter

“Born To Be With You” – Chordettes

“Graduation Day” – Rover Boys

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

A weekend in February, 2022 in which we find ourselves stuck indoors again so a perfect time to escape back to May, 1956 to hear what it sounded like…

The songs of May, 1956

“A Tear Fell” – Teresa Brewer
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Carl Perkins
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Elvis Presley
“Can You Find It In Your Heart” – Tony Bennett*
“Eddie My Love” – Chordettes
“Eddie My Love” – Fontane Sisters
“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley
“Hot Diggity” – Perry Como
“I Want You To Be My Girl” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers*
“I’ll Be Home” – Pat Boone
“I’m In Love Again” – Fats Domino*
“Ivory Tower” – Cathy Carr
“Ivory Tower” – Gale Storm
“Ivory Tower” – Otis Williams*
“Juke Box Baby” – Perry Como
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle
“Long Tall Sally” – Little Richard
“Long Tall Sally” – Pat Boone*
“Molly-O” – Dick Jacobs Orchestra
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – George Cates Orchestra
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – Morris Stoloff
“Mr. Wonderful” – Peggy Lee
“No Not Much” – Four Lads
“Picnic” – Mcguire Sisters*
“Poor People Of Paris” – Les Baxter
“Rock & Roll Waltz” – Kay Starr
“Rock Island Line” – Lonnie Donegan
“Standing On The Corner” – Four Lads*
“The Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds*
“The Happy Whistler” – Don Robertson*
“The Magic Touch” – Platters*
“The Wayward Wind” – Gogi Grant*
“Theme From Man With The Golden Arm” – Richard Maltby Orchestra
“Walk Hand In Hand” – Tony Martin*
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Diamonds
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Gale Storm

* = 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

May, 1956 was apparently the first time in the history of Billboard magazine when five singles have appeared in both the pop and R&B Top Ten charts. “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard, “Magic Touch” by The Platters, and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. All on our playlist this week of course!

Also this month, John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger receives its première at the Royal Court Theatre in London. A press release describes the dramatist as an “angry young man”, a phrase that would come to describe a British working-class literary movement. See the trailer for the 1959 film based on the play below:

In notable, and timely, births we have Bob Saget, American comedian and actor, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania born on 17 May, 1956 – who died recently.

In the United States, NBC’s peacock logo is used for the first time, to indicate the quality of its colour television broadcasting. Which I had vaguely assumed was the reason for its design but its interesting to hear that confirmed and see the evolution of it below:

What’d Sadie think?

It was inevitable as soon as it hit the charts… “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley is number one for the whole month. But what else was there to delight our ears?

Loved ’em

“Can You Find It In Your Heart” – Tony Bennett

“I’m In Love Again” – Fats Domino

Liked ’em

“I Want You To Be My Girl” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

“Long Tall Sally” – Pat Boone

“Ivory Tower” – Otis Williams

“The Magic Touch” – Platters

“The Wayward Wind” – Gogi Grant

“Walk Hand In Hand” – Tony Martin

“Standing On The Corner” – Four Lads

Lose ’em

“Picnic” – Mcguire Sisters

“The Church Bells May Ring” – Diamonds

“The Happy Whistler” – Don Robertson

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

A weekend celebrating my birthday here in 2022, but we still found time to zip back to 1956 to hear what April of that year sounded like…

The songs of April, 1956

“A Tear Fell” – Teresa Brewer
“Band Of Gold” – Don Cherry
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Carl Perkins
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Elvis Presley*
“Bo Weevil” – Teresa Brewer
“Eddie My Love” – Chordettes
“Eddie My Love” – Fontane Sisters
“Eddie My Love” – Teen Queens
“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley
“Hot Diggity” – Perry Como
“I Was The One” – Elvis Presley
“I’ll Be Home” – Pat Boone
“Innamorata” – Dean Martin
“Ivory Tower” – Cathy Carr*
“Ivory Tower” – Otis Williams*
“Juke Box Baby” – Perry Como
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle
“Long Tall Sally” – Little Richard*
“Lovely One” – Four Voices*
“Magic Touch” – Platters*
“Memories Are Made Of This” – Dean Martin
“Molly-O” – Dick Jacobs*
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – George Cates Orchestra*
“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” – Morris Stoloff*
“Moritat” – Dick Hyman Trio
“Mr. Wonderful” – Peggy Lee
“No Not Much” – Four Lads
“Poor People Of Paris” – Les Baxter
“Poor People Of Paris” – Russ Morgan
“R-O-C-K” – Bill Haley & The Comets*
“Rock & Roll Waltz” – Kay Starr
“Rock Island Line” – Lonnie Donegan*
“See You Later Alligator” – Bill Haley & The Comets
“The Great Pretender” – Platters
“Theme From Man With The Golden Arm” – Richard Maltby Orchestra*
“To You My Love” – Nick Noble
“Tutti Frutti” – Pat Boone
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Diamonds
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Gale Storm
“Wild Cherry” – Don Cherry*

* = 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

He’s already got multiple songs in the chart after debuting just a couple of months ago, so with his star in ascendence in April, 1956, aged just 21, Elvis Presley signed a three-picture contract with Paramount Pictures. His first film, “Love me Tender” would come out in November.

A regular on these charts for a number of years, Nat King Cole, has his concert in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, interrupted by three Ku Klux Klan members, who push Cole from his piano stool. All are later tried and convicted, but Cole would never again perform in his home state.

Back in 2021 we’re big fans of “PoolTogether”, which is the crypto version of “Premium Bonds” which the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Harold Macmillan, launched in the United Kingdom this month in 1956.

And finally in April, US actress Grace Kelly marries Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in a civil ceremony at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco. See footage below:

What’d Sadie think?

We don’t love it, but the people of 1956 did as “Poor People Of Paris” by Les Baxter is at number 1 for the whole month.

Elvis Presley comes along with a cover of the already great “Blue Suede Shoes” and nails it of course. It’s only at this point I wonder – with covers so common in the 1950s, did people hang out hoping their favourite acts would cover a song they liked before they bought it? I think we’d need an actual time machine to answer that one.

Here’s Elvis performing Blue Suede Shoes on (colourised) TV that year.

“Ivory Tower” by Otis Williams has a certain charm to it. But it’s nothing against “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard which is really rockin’ with a particularly great sax piece. The latter reached number one on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart, staying at the top for six of 19 weeks, while peaking at number six on the pop charts we’re listening to this week.

“Lovely One” by Four Voices and “Molly-O” by Dick Jacobs are both a tad boring. And “Magic Touch” by the Platters is not their best effort of late. Nor is “R-O-C-K” by Bill Haley & The Comets who have been blowing up the charts of late.

“Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” is a romantic medley of a song from 1933 and 1955 by Morris Stoloff which featured in the 1956 movie, Picnic starring William Holden and Kim Novak.

“Man With The Golden Arm” is another film starring Kim Novak, this time alongside Frank Sinatra. It recounts the story of a drug addict who gets clean while in prison, but struggles to stay that way in the outside world. The theme song is by Richard Maltby … and for an instrumental it has got some kick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_37-0ScCbw

“Rock Island Line” is a folk song from 1929 by Lonnie Donegan and is a fun number.

Lastly, a weird one, “Wild Cherry” by Don Cherry. The lyrics go, “cherry, one day you’ll be mine…” – is he singing about himself? We assume not but it’s a confusing one for sure if you overthink it.

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

A three day weekend here in 2021 to commemorate Waitangi Day in New Zealand. So plenty of time to enjoy the sounds of March, 1956…

The songs of March, 1956

“11th Hour Melody” – Al Hibbler*
“A Tear Fell” – Teresa Brewer*
“Angels In The Sky” – Crew-Cuts
“Are You Satisfied” – Rusty Draper
“Ask Me” – Nat King Cole*
“Band Of Gold” – Don Cherry
“Band Of Gold” – Kit Carson
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Carl Perkins*
“Bo Weevil” – Teresa Brewer*
“Chain Gang” – Bobby Scott
“Dungaree Doll” – Eddie Fisher
“Eddie My Love” – Chordettes*
“Eddie My Love” – Fontane Sisters*
“Eddie My Love” – Teen Queens*
“Go On With The Wedding” – Patti Page
“He” – Al Hibbler
“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley*
“Hot Diggity” – Perry Como*
“I Was The One” – Elvis Presley*
“I’ll Be Home” – Pat Boone
“Innamorata” – Jerry Vale*
“It’s Almost Tomorrow” – Dream Weavers
“It’s Almost Tomorrow” – Jo Stafford
“Juke Box Baby” – Perry Como*
“Lipstick And Candy And Rubbersole Shoes” – Julius Larosa*
“Lisbon Antigua” – Mitch Miller*
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle
“Lullaby Of Birdland” – Blue Stars
“Mack The Knife” – Louis Armstrong*
“Memories Are Made Of This” – Dean Martin
“Moritat” – Dick Hyman Trio
“Mr. Wonderful” – Peggy Lee*
“Ninety Nine Years” – Guy Mitchell
“No Not Much” – Four Lads
“Poor People Of Paris” – Les Baxter
“Poor People Of Paris” – Russ Morgan*
“Rock & Roll Waltz” – Kay Starr
“See You Later Alligator” – Bill Haley & The Comets
“Seven Days” – Crew-Cuts
“Sixteen Tons” – Tennessee Ernie Ford
“Teenage Prayer” – Gale Storm
“The Great Pretender” – Platters
“The Tender Trap” – Frank Sinatra
“Theme From A Threepenny Opera” – Richard Hayman & Jan August
“To You My Love” – Nick Noble*
“Tutti Frutti” – Pat Boone
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Diamonds*
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Gale Storm*



* = New to the chart this week.

A good selection of new songs on the main charts but its a long weekend so let’s throw in a top 10 R&B chart as well:



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

This month in history

The 9th of March, 1956 was a sad day in New Zealand when “Opo the friendly dolphin” was found dead in Hokianga harbour after entertaining beach goers for a year. For some reason his is a story that has stuck around in the decades since and I remember seeing the statue made for him as a child.

It’s always interesting leafing through (err clicking through?) the relevant issues of Billboard magazine as I write each month up. I thought this article about how stage actors were flocking to do work on this new fangled TV thing was interesting – in particular how many were doing TV on Sunday as that was their day off from the stage…

Speaking of TV, this month saw the movie King Kong aired in New York. What’s interesting about this is the movie is from 1933. It has already been revived at the Cinema a few years earlier, and after a very popular run across a week on TV they cancelled plans to show it on other TV stations across the USA and instead brought it back to the cinema for the 3rd time in two decades. Who needs remakes?

What’d Sadie think?

The semi-ironic “Rock & Roll Waltz” by Kay Starr had grown on us and made it to number 1 for 3 weeks in March, 1956. With the remaining two going to “Poor People Of Paris” by Les Baxter which doesn’t grab us as much.

Interesting to see the growing amount of cross-over between R&B charts and the mainstream with “Why Do Fools Fall in love” by the Teenagers, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, “Great Pretender” by The Platters, “Eddie, My Love” by the Teen Queens all in both lists.

Love ’em

The big news for the month of course is Elvis Presley hitting the top charts with “Heartbreak Hotel”. And what an excellent debut it is.

Coincidentally, also on the charts is the original version of “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, a great tune even before Elvis covered it later this year.

The other real classics this month are Louis Armstrong’s “Mack The Knife” and “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” by the Diamonds. Great tunes!

But then we also liked,

“Eddie My Love” by Teen Queens

“Lipstick And Candy And Rubbersole Shoes” by Julius Larosa

“Drown in my own tears” by Ray Charles

“Bo Weevil” by Fats Domino

Like ’em

“11th Hour Melody” – Al Hibbler

“A Tear Fell” – Teresa Brewer

“Ask Me” – Nat King Cole

“Bo Weevil” – Teresa Brewer

“I Was The One” – Elvis Presley

“Innamorata” – Jerry Vale

“Juke Box Baby” – Perry Como

“Mr. Wonderful” – Peggy Lee

“Poor People Of Paris” – Russ Morgan

“Don’t Blame it on Me” by Fats Domino

“Ain’t that lovin’ you, baby?” by Jimmy Reed

“Devil or Angel” by The Clovers

“Hey, Doll Baby” by The Clovers

Leave ’em

“Hot Diggity” – Perry Como

“Lisbon Antigua” – Mitch Miller

“To You My Love” – Nick Noble

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

We’re nearly in month synchronicity as we find ourselves listening to the sounds of February, 1956 on the last day of January back here in 2022. Let’s see what it sounds like…

The songs of February, 1956

“A Woman In Love” – Frankie Laine
“Angels In The Sky” – Crew-Cuts
“April In Paris” – Count Basie
“Are You Satisfied” – Rusty Draper
“Autumn Leaves” – Roger Williams
“Band Of Gold” – Kit Carson
“Band Of Gold” – Don Cherry
“Chain Gang” – Bobby Scott
“Cry Me A River” – Julie London
“Dungaree Doll” – Eddie Fisher
“Go On With The Wedding” – Patti Page
“Great Pretender” – Platters
“He” – Al Hibbler
“He” – Mcguire Sisters
“I Hear You Knocking” – Gale Storm
“I’ll Be Home” – Pat Boone
“It’s Almost Tomorrow” – Dream Weavers
“It’s Almost Tomorrow” – Jo Stafford
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle
“Love And Marriage” – Frank Sinatra
“Lullaby Of Birdland” – Blue Stars
“Memories Are Made Of This” – Dean Martin
“Memories Are Made Of This” – Gale Storm
“Moments To Remember” – Four Lads
“Moritat” – Dick Hyman Trio
“Ninety Nine Years” – Guy Mitchell
“No Not Much” – Four Lads
“Only You” – Hilltoppers
“Only You” – Platters
“Poor People Of Paris” – Les Baxter
“Rock & Roll Waltz” – Kay Starr
“See You Later Alligator” – Bill Haley & The Comets
“Seven Days” – Crew-Cuts
“Seven Days” – Dorothy Collins
“Sixteen Tons” – Tennessee Ernie Ford
“Speedoo” – Cadillacs
“Teenage Prayer” – Gale Storm
“Teenage Prayer” – Gloria Mann
“The Great Pretender” – Platters
“The Tender Trap” – Frank Sinatra
“Tutti Frutti” – Little Richard
“Tutti Frutti” – Pat Boone
“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” – Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

* = 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 February 11, 1956 British spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean appear in the Soviet Union, five years after vanishing from the UK. The “Cambridge Five” spies would live on in infamy for the next half century and more…

Not yet high enough for it to appear on our playlists but this was also the month that Elvis Presley enters the United States music charts for the first time, with “Heartbreak Hotel”.

It’s a literary kind of month with one of my favourite authors, Michel Houellebecq, being born on the 26th of February.

And then on the 27th Poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath meet for the first time, in Cambridge, UK at the St. Botolph’s Review launch party. It was held in the meeting-room of the University’s Women’s Union, a venue which had assured the magazine editors a large female attendance and was described by Hughes thus: “all drank, more women than men, we left the place smashed, windows out, polished floor like a dirt-track.” Quite the party then!

And at the Golden Globes, “Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical” went to the musical, “Guys and Dolls”.

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for Dean Martin’s excellent “Memories Are Made Of This” before two weeks for the truly great, “The Great Pretender” by the Platters.

“April In Paris” is a great jazz classic from the album of the same name by Count Basie.

“Chain Gang” by Bobby Scott is not the song of the same name, from 1960, that most people will know. It’s kind of weirdly catchy but nothing as good as the latter.

“Go On With The Wedding” is a classic Patti Page and has a nice sway to it.

“Lullaby Of Birdland” by the Blue Stars is one of those, fairly rare, songs with nothing about them online. It’s a nice jazzy number to ‘baddum baddum’ along to.

“Moritat” by Dick Hyman Trio is apparently, the “Theme from The Threepenny Opera” and is a whistled “mack the knife”? It’s a nice listen.

“Ninety Nine Years” by Guy Mitchell is mostly notable for the lyrics,

“Ninety nine years in the penitentiary
Ninety nine years, baby, baby, wait for me
Around twenty fifty five
Well get together dead or alive”

We’ll take another listen in 2055. Actually maybe a few times before as its rather catchy in a weird James Bond-esque way.

“No Not Much” by the Four Lads is an ironic love song. Apparently it was subsequently frequently covered, including in 1969 when in the Vogues’ version the lyric line: “Like a ten-cent soda doesn’t cost a dime”, was replaced by the lyric: “Like the song I’m singing doesn’t mean a rhyme,” because the former lyric line was considered outdated. Inflation… something 2022 knows about. It’s a bit dull in this version.

“Poor People Of Paris” is the english language version of a french song by Les Baxter, that was popularised originally by Edith Piaf. It’s yet another song with a whistle in it.

“See You Later Alligator” by Bill Haley & The Comets is a rock ‘n’ roll version of an R&B song originally by Bobby Charles. It is is what it is, quite fun of course.

“Haley’s arrangement of the song is faster-paced than Guidry’s original, and in particular the addition of a two-four beat changed the song from a rhythm and blues “shuffle” to rock and roll. “

“Seven Days” by the Crew-Cuts is one of two versions charting and its a another nice cut from the Crew.

Oh gosh, Pat Boone what did you do to Little Richard’s classic “Tutti Frutti”? Well what he did was introduce it to mainstream USA in a very insipid form. Pass! His other song on the charts is “I’ll Be Home”

“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers is the original and reached number 1 on the R&B charts before it charted in the pop charts, and yeah its great. The origin story is interesting, though the original name (still a lyric in the song) wouldn’t have aged as well,

“In late 1955, The Teenagers (at that time calling themselves The Premiers) auditioned a song called “Why do Birds Sing So Gay?” for George Goldner, recording producer and owner of Gee Records. Herman Santiago, tenor of the group, had written the song based on a line from some love letters given to the guys by a tenant in bassist Sherman Garnes’ apartment building.“

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

Hey folks, it’s been a while! 2 whole weeks, or 2 months depending on what time scale you’re using. Quite forgot to send out the email from December, 1955 – alas these things don’t send themselves it turns out. (Apparently the hard bit is copying from the blog to substack to email you all…)

Anyway, Xmas was a big month for new music – so you can click here to go see that post and listen to the playlist. Before finding your way to January of 1956…

The songs of January, 1956

“A Woman In Love” – Four Aces
“All At Once You Love Her” – Perry Como
“Angels In The Sky” – Crew-Cuts
“Are You Satisfied” – Rusty Draper
“Autumn Leaves” – Roger Williams
“Band Of Gold” – Don Cherry
“Band Of Gold” – Kit Carson
“Burn That Candle” – Bill Haley & The Comets
“Cry Me A River” – Julie London
“Daddy O” – Fontane Sisters
“Dungaree Doll” – Eddie Fisher
“He” – Al Hibbler
“He” – Mcguire Sisters
“I Hear You Knocking” – Gale Storm
“It’s Almost Tomorrow” – Dream Weavers
“It’s Almost Tomorrow” – Jo Stafford
“Lisbon Antigua” – Nelson Riddle*
“Love And Marriage” – Frank Sinatra
“Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” – Four Aces
“Memories Are Made Of This” – Dean Martin
“Memories Are Made Of This” – Gale Storm
“Moments To Remember” – Four Lads
“Nuttin’ For Christmas” – Art Mooney Orchestra
“Nuttin’ For Christmas” – Joe Ward
“Only You” – Hilltoppers
“Only You” – Platters
“Rock & Roll Waltz” – Kay Starr*
“Sixteen Tons” – Tennessee Ernie Ford
“Teenage Prayer” – Gale Storm
“Teenage Prayer” – Gloria Mann*
“The Great Pretender” – Platters
“The Shifting Whispering Sands” – Randy Draper
“The Tender Trap” – Frank Sinatra*
“White Christmas” – Bing Crosby

* = New to the chart this week.

A quiet month for new releases after a massive Xmas, so we’ll add an R&B chart from the month to our mix:

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

This month in history

A quiet month until… on January 28 Elvis Presley makes his first appearance on US national television on The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show. Watch it below:

And then on January 31st we see English children’s writer A. A. Milne pass away aged 74 and John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon, English singer born on the same day. Probably not a case of reincarnation? It’ll be a couple of decades before we hear from Lydon in the form of the Sex Pistols.

What’d Sadie think?

Still a huge hit in our house, “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford stays at number 1 for another week before “Memories Are Made Of This” by Dean Martin rules the roost for the rest of the month.

“Lisbon Antigua” by Nelson Riddle is based on a Portuguese popular song that was originally written in 1937. It’s chill.

“Rock & Roll Waltz” by Kay Starr is yet more evidence that the expression was popular before the musical style because this ain’t rock. It’s kinda fun though.

“Teenage Prayer” is another version of the song, this time by Gloria Mann and we like her style

“The Tender Trap” by Frank Sinatra -was written for the 1955 film The Tender Trap, where it was introduced by Debbie Reynolds and Sinatra, who each sing the song separately. It’s sometimes hard to have an opinion on songs that are so part of the fabric of music history – there’s reasons why they are. And this belter is no different.

“Tutti Frutti” was Little Richard’s first major hit record and a major influence on the upcoming rock ‘n’ roll onslaught. And yeah, it’s great.

“Combining elements of boogie, gospel and blues, the song introduced several of rock music’s most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume and vocal style emphasizing power, and its distinctive beat and rhythm. The beat has its roots in boogie-woogie, but Richard departed from its shuffle rhythm and introduced a new distinctive rock beat. He reinforced the new rock rhythm with a two-handed approach, playing patterns with his right hand, with the rhythm typically popping out in the piano’s high register. The song’s new rhythm became the basis for the standard rock beat, which was later consolidated by Chuck Berry.”

“Poor Me” by Fats Domino isn’t a song about how his hit “ain’t that a shame” got covered and made famous by Pat Boone…but it could be. Good tune but not as great as the latter.

“Hands Off” by Jay McShann is notable as the last single to hit number one on the R&B chart without making the Billboard pop charts until 1976. It’s OK but not great, so maybe that’s why!

“Seven Days” by Clyde McPhatter and Steamboat by the The Drifters are both great songs. As is the way with R&B hits of the time, unless they crossed over, there’s not much more info on them online alas.

“Speedo” by The Cadillacs tells the story of a man who acquired the nickname “Speedo” because, when it comes to his pursuit of pretty girls, “he don’t believe in wastin’ time” and “he don’t never take it slow”. Oh boy…

To round it out, “Witchcraft” by the Spiders and “Feel So Good” by Shirley & Lee both have great sax parts and you know how much we love that. A great way to end this week’s chart.

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