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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 18:46:55 GMT 1
17 The Mar-Keys - Last Night USA #3
This #2 R&B, USA #3 pop hit for the Memphis-based band of studio musicians (including Steve Cropper & Chips Moman) who were the studio session house band for Stax Records. In the UK it is most well known via the jazz ensemble The Bum Notes for the closing credits of the BBC sitcom Bottom in the early 1990s.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 18:51:59 GMT 1
16 The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me USA #5
Having recorded together since 1954, the San Francisco siblings finally hit it big with this intimate USA top 5 hit, produced by Phil Spector. Bobby Vinton would record the song seven years later for one of his all-time best-selling singles stateside.
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Post by rubcale on Jan 23, 2022 18:55:47 GMT 1
Fascinating thread - the only one I've actually known to date is Edith Piaf's Je Ne Regrette Rien.
Didn't even know the Drifters nor Gladys Knight & The Pips ones
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 18:57:09 GMT 1
15 Bobby Lewis - Tossin' & Turnin' USA #1
The 35 year old Indianapolis, Indiana born R&B singer spent 7 weeks at #1 in the USA with the top selling single of the year. It was also featured on the soundtrack for the 1978 film Animal House. It reached #17 in Australia, but did nothing in the UK.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:01:57 GMT 1
14 Shep & The Limelites - Daddy's Home USA #2
The self penned New York doo-wop trio's signature hit was their third release, and first success of three charting singles. It was not a hit outside of North America, who came to know it via the 1972 Jermaine Jackson version; & the saccharine 1981 Cliff Richard version.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:05:42 GMT 1
13 Dee Clark - Raindrops USA #2
The Arkansas soul singer's self penned biggest hit of his 1958-1963 chart career containing 10 top 100 hits, was this Sam Cooke meets Jackie Wilson soul ballad which also reached R&B #3.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:08:53 GMT 1
12 Fats Domino - It Keeps Rainin' USA #23 UK #49
Written by Domino, Dave Bartholomew and Bobby Charles. This was one of his last hits as the rock & roll pioneer charting career was in decline. The UK knows it via Bitty McLean's 1993 UK #2 reggae cover.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:17:06 GMT 1
11 Harry Belafonte - Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora) DNC
This 1961 cover of the 1952 Lord Kitchener original, was not a hit in his home country upon its 1961 single release, as by then his audience bought his albums as it appeared on his USA #3 LP Jump Up Calypso.
It has had a second life, firstly via the 1988 Tim Burton comedy horror film Beetlejuice during the movie's end. This occurrence would later resurface in the Broadway musical stage adaptation in 2019 as the finale. Then, its appearances in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning; & Just Dance 2; as well as being sampled by Pitbull; and danced to on Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing With The Stars on numerous occasions.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:21:48 GMT 1
10 Gene McDaniels - A Hundred Pounds Of Clay USA #3 UK #49
Written by Kay Rogers, Luther Dixon, and Bob Elgin; produced by Snuff Garrett for the Kansas City born singer. It reached #2 in Australia. The UK made do with the #9 version by Craig Douglas www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDE_GONcyYg
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:25:11 GMT 1
9 Curtis Lee - Under The Moon Of Love USA #46
A rare for its time relative flop for producer Phil Spector with this rock & roll track written by Tommy Boyce and Curtis Lee. It would take a Teddy Boy rock & roll revival act from Leicester to turn it into a million selling international hit 15 years later ....
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:32:21 GMT 1
8 The Drifters - Sweets For My Sweet USA #16
The songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, composed this track for the New York R&B/soul group whose line up instability makes the Sugababes U2 like in comparison.
This was their first single with new lead singer Charlie Thomas (their 5th in 8 years!). The track was notable for its 4 female backing vocalists, all of whom would later have hit records, Cissy Houston, Doris Troy, Dionne Warwick, and Dee Dee Warwick.
In the UK we know its via The Searchers 1963 UK #1 & CJ Lewis 1994 UK #3 cover versions.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:36:47 GMT 1
7 Henry Mancini & His Orchestra - Moon River USA #11 UK #44
The Oscar winning instrumental song from Breakfast At Tiffany's also peaked at #6 in Australia. It did little in the UK due to the South African born/British based Danny Williams excellent haunting chart topping vocal cover version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um6U5kOnXD4
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:41:13 GMT 1
6 The Shirelles - Dedicated To The One I Love USA #3
This was a cover version of the 5 Royals minor 1957 US hit. Produced by Florence Greenberg & Stan Greenberg this also reached R&B #2 for the female quartet.
Of course, the song's greatest success occurred half a decade later when it was covered by the Mamas & The Papas.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:46:27 GMT 1
5 The Miracles - Shop Around USA #2
Written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, it topped the USA R&B chart, reached #11 in Canada, and peaked one place lower on the pop chart. It was the Miracles' first million-selling hit record, and the first-million-selling hit for the Motown Record Corporation.
It's B-side was another much covered Robinson composition "Who's Lovin' You".
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:50:44 GMT 1
4 Ben E King - Spanish Harlem USA #10
Written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for the former lead singer of The Drifters. A decade later Aretha Franklin's cover reached USA #2. The UK made do with a far inferior UK #20 cover version by Jimmy Justice.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 19:57:24 GMT 1
3 Patsy Cline - I Fall To Pieces USA #12
This Country & Western chart topper produced by Owen Bradley has become a country standard. It peaked at #13 in Australia. Incredibly, it was first turned down by Brenda Lee.
In case you are wondering her follow up single "Crazy" is not included, after it belatedly became a UK top 40 hit 29 years (UK #14 1990) after it was a hit in the USA.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 20:01:47 GMT 1
2 The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman USA #1
Written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. It is the debut single by the Michigan female vocal trio for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. It also topped the R&B chart.
It did nothing outside of North America, who had to wait for the 1975 cover by the Carpenters. But it was recorded by The Beatles in 1963, and the 2017 song Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man interpolates "Please Mr. Postman".
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 20:15:30 GMT 1
1 Etta James - At Last USA #47
This song was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US Billboard pop music chart.
In 1960, rhythm and blues singer Etta James recorded an arrangement by Riley Hampton that improvised on Warren's melody. James' version (a USA R&B #2) was the title track on her debut album At Last! (1960) and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Celine Dion and Beyoncé also had chart successes with the song.
After one of James' other singles, "Something's Got a Hold on Me", was sampled in two hit singles in 2011 (Avicii's "Levels" and Flo Rida's "Good Feeling"), "At Last" charted in the United Kingdom for the first time at number 69.
In 2012, Christina Aguilera was invited by Etta James' family to sing "At Last" at James' funeral. At the funeral, Aguilera stated that James was her idol and inspiration, and that in honor of James, she performs "At Last" at every concert.
Following James' death in 2012, it rose into the UK top 40 to peak at #39 (51 years after its US success). Which means I'm either going to break or stick to my own rules .... well that's fine as instead .....
1 Etta James - A Sunday Kind Of Love USA #47
Her cover of the 1946 pop & jazz standard has been recorded by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald; Dinah Washington; Dion DiMucci; The Four Seasons ... but with over 95 million streams the 1960 At Last album cut, and double A of the 1961 USA #47 single is the definitive version.
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Post by raliverpool on Jan 23, 2022 20:17:49 GMT 1
Top 25 Non UK Top 40 Hits of 1961
1 Etta James - At Last/ A Sunday Kind Of Love USA #47 2 Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman USA #1 3 Patsy Cline - I Fall To Pieces USA #12 4 Ben E King - Spanish Harlem USA #10 5 Miracles - Shop Around USA #2 6 Shirelles - Dedicated To The One I Love USA #3 7 Henry Mancini & His Orchestra - Moon River USA #11 UK #44 8 Drifters - Sweets For My Sweet USA #16 9 Curtis Lee - Under The Moon Of Love USA #46 10 Gene McDaniels - A Hundred Pounds Of Clay USA #3 UK #49 11 Harry Belafonte - Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora) DNC 12 Fats Domino - It Keeps Rainin' USA #23 UK #49 13 Dee Clark - Raindrops USA #2 14 Shep & The Limelites - Daddy's Home USA #2 15 Bobby Lewis - Tossin' & Turnin' USA #1 16 Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me USA #5 17 Mar-Keys - Last Night USA #3 18 Gladys Knight & the Pips - Every Beat Of My Heart USA #6 19 Shirelles - Mama Said USA #4 20 Timi Yuro - Hurt USA #4 21 Lee Dorsey - Ya Ya USA #7 22 Ray Charles - One Mint Julep USA #8 23 Little Willie John - Leave My Kitten Alone USA #60 24 Brenda Lee - Emotions USA #7 UK #45 25 Carla Thomas - Gee Whiz USA #10
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Post by Whitneyfan on Jan 23, 2022 20:29:06 GMT 1
Some great ones in your 1961 top 10 - I fall to pieces, Spanish Harlem, Dedicated to the one I love, At last, Please Mr. Postman - all classics!
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