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Post by Milliways on Jan 21, 2015 2:11:07 GMT 1
For anyone wondering what happened to my 'says something about every UK #1 2005-09' project ( link) - well, I've set that aside in favour of something much grander in scale. Starting – somewhat arbitrarily I concede – at 1961, I'm planning to listen to and rate out of 10 every UK #1, with the aim being to get to 2015 by the end of 2015. Also, in the interest of keeping the quantity of tracks manageable, where there has been a double A-side at #1 I have in most cases only rated one of the tracks. I've been comparing my thoughts on each song with those of Tom over at Freakytrigger's ' Popular' project Index of years covered (links to posts): 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969Here's the first set... 1961JOHNNY TILLOTSON - "Poetry In Motion"I have to mention 'Popular' again already, as I cannot better the way my main takeaway from this simple pop song is expressed there: "an aw-shucks glee at the female form". This is no classic, but it has an unlikely charm that leads me to give it 7ELVIS PRESLEY - "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"This classic needs no introduction, but what's easy to forget about if you've only been hearing this from clips played on the TV is how the spoken-word parts make the song. I'm seeking to balance personal preference and musical merit in the ratings - I concede that if I was aiming for objectivity this would be at least two points higher than the preceding track, but since I'm not: 7 PETULA CLARK - "Sailor"After an uncharacteristically bright start, we begin to discover why 1961 isn't regarded as a classic year in the history of pop music. This tedious plodder cannot be recommended to anyone, anywhere. 2THE EVERLY BROTHERS - "Walk Right Back"This isn't much better. By far the best moment in this otherwise entirely unremarkable ditty is the first line of the chorus, and that's primarily because it anticipates a far better song that we'll be coming to in just a few years' time! 4 ELVIS PRESLEY - "Wooden Heart"To my knowledge the only Elvis #1 to feature an accordion (as well as some German lyrics). I probably need to have seen the film it came from ( GI Blues) to really get it. It's not the unlikeliest #1 of the year, though I still doubt it would have achieved the feat had anyone other than 'The King' been involved. It's sufficiently endearingly daft for me to stretch to a 5THE MARCELS - "Blue Moon"The one #1 of this year that compels me to get out of my chair and move my feet. The "Bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom ba ba bom ba ba bom ba ba dang a dang dang" intro is an all-time great, and the remainder of the song lives up to it. A little more oomph in the instruments and at such an earlier stage the top rating would have been irresistible; as it is, this still stands as the undisputed champion of this year's number ones. 9FLOYD CRAMER - "On The Rebound"This jolly piano instrumental is a surprisingly energising, pleasant listen. 6THE TEMPERANCE SEVEN - "You're Driving Me Crazy"It's a thoroughly peculiar listen that somehow sounds far more dated than any other of this year's #1s. Again, 'Popular''s write-up is enlightening; apparently Temperance Seven's stock-in trade was "pastiche of 1920s dance-band music". Worth listening to for the experience but unlikely to be making a comeback anytime soon. 5ELVIS PRESLEY - "Surrender"This, on the other hand, sounds surprisingly modern - musically, anyway, until Elvis' characteristic overblown vocals take centre stage. Despite the passion he does his best to imbue this with, the end product doesn't work too well and it's deservedly one of his less celebrated #1s. 4DEL SHANNON - "Runaway"Of all the 1961 number ones I think this is the one I'd heard the most before the project thanks to its radio play and inclusion on various compilations. It's not a song I'd ever thought that deeply about before - it was just there, an "oldie". It's actually a rather peculiar composition, ahead of its time, with one of the earliest uses of a synthesiser-like gadget that I am reliably informed was called a "Muzitron". Once again I find myself agreeing with Tom's rating: 7THE EVERLY BROTHERS - "Temptation"The Everlys aren't a name associated with musical innovation, but this too is a surprisingly futuristic-sounding piece of music. Not that, in this case, that's a recommendation. I took an instant dislike to this track, and in particular the wails of "I'm just a slave, only a slave". My biggest discrepancy in rating from Tom's 2EDEN KANE - "Well I Ask You"Cruise-ship pop that doesn't invite much comment either good or bad, so it's no surprise that the name of Eden Kane has faded into the mists of pop history 4HELEN SHAPIRO - "You Don't Know"A decent unrequited love ballad. If (like me before this project) the only song of hers you knew is the upbeat pop number that appears a few songs down, you might be surprised by the quality of the vocals on this. Other than that, the most striking this about this song is the "chirp chirp" string flourishes that seem at odds with the rest of the song. Still, probably deserves a bit more airplay than it gets 6JOHN LEYTON - "Johnny Remember Me"There was an odd fashion for songs about lovers who died young around this time, and this is one of those so-called 'death discs'. Its sound is by now, inevitably, dated, and its singer's name is by-now long forgotten - but, this is more than deserving of a listen 7SHIRLEY BASSEY - "Reach For The Stars"Awful ballad that gets hard to listen to towards the end. So dire that despite being a #1 hit it has never been covered. Easily the worst #1 of the year and it's not as though there wasn't competition 1THE SHADOWS - "Kon-Tiki"Another instrumental, not one of their most memorable outings. 4THE HIGHWAYMEN - "Michael"This is the 'Michael, Row The Boat Ashore' song that you may well have sung in assembly or at Sunday school. What it's doing at #1 goodness only knows, though it's far from the last such track we'll encounter. I gave it an extra point for the whistling bit at the end 4HELEN SHAPIRO - "Walkin' Back To Happiness"Starts off slow, but the highlight of the song at 0:16 ("I have loved you more each day") kicks it up several notches into the most upbeat bubblegum #1 of the year. This should be right up my street, but somehow it doesn't quite work and I cannot recommend it other than as a period piece. 6ELVIS PRESLEY - "(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame"A simple, catchy, foot-tapping pop song which lacks the overblown vocals of Elvis' previous #1, in fact it's almost understated and I like it for it 7FRANKIE VAUGHAN - "Tower Of Strength"Musically and vocally, the title give you a very good idea what to expect. Though I marked down 'Surrender' earlier on for its overblown vocals, here they make the song, which announces its presence immediately and doesn't let up for the (just over 2-minute) duration. Though the instrumentation is unmistakeably jazz, the overall impression is of a slice of rock ahead of its time 8DANNY WILLIAMS - "Moon River"Probably best known for being performed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's, confusingly this song was first recorded by Andy Williams (no relation). This is one, of probably many songs still to come, that would mean a lot more if I was around at the time, or if the film was meaningful to me. 6Other hits worth a mentionI've actually sought to listen to the top 5 hits of each year, though only those that stand out in some particular way will get a mention here. Though there were some strong tracks among the #1s of 1961, the remainder of the top 5's were unremarkable in the main. Hence, just three songs get a mention here: Bobby Vee - "Rubber Ball" - best of the bubblegum hits of 1961 Jimmy Dean - "Big Bad John" - spoken-word story song, primarily of historical interest but sufficiently out of the ordinary to be worth a listen Temperance Seven - "Pasadena" - I prefer this to their #1, perhaps because it brings to mind Patrick & Eugene's "Don't Stop"
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 21, 2015 2:47:52 GMT 1
What an interesting project. I'll be following this with interest.
Have to say that I don't think you've been especially generous with your scoring so far, but you're right that 1961 wasn't a vintage year.
My 3 favourite #1s from the year:-
(1) Everly Brothers - Walk Right Back. Simple song, great harmonies, and a guitar hook which I love.
(2) John Leyton - Johnny Remember Me. Very atmospheric. I imagine that this song caused quite a stir at the time - it was probably way ahead of its time. It was an early Joe Meek production, which explains its ground-breaking appeal.
(3) Helen Shapiro - Walking Back To Happiness. Remarkably, she was only 14 when this was recorded. Helen's vocals are those of a much more mature woman. But let down by the shrill backing vox.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Jan 21, 2015 11:19:24 GMT 1
Hm, so you're sticking with Record Retailer? You're going to miss some fantastic chart-toppers that way. From this year, The Allisons' Eurovision entry "Are You Sure" was better than most of these. Plus I'd bet my left ball on "On The Rebound", for instance, never really being a no. 1. 1961 was one of those pause years, when everyone tries to work out what's going to be big next. Rock & roll had faded away and it seemed to be a battle between guitar instrumentals and trad jazz. Melody Maker for example was a big pusher of the latter. The three Bs of Barber, Ball and Bilk all had ginormous hits and of course The Temperance Seven were part of that movement. It also had links with the Angry Young Men movement - jazz as a whole was seen as something outre and underground - and as politics began to modernise, Gaitskell seemed set to take over from the Edwardian Macmillan, so did culture. Obviously nobody had really sussed what was happening on the Reeperbahn... And if anyone had a quick look at pics of Danny Williams, you could see that he was indeed no relation to Andy. Best no. 1 of the year? "Runaway". Probably would have been "Walk Right Back" had it been longer.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jan 22, 2015 16:40:16 GMT 1
John Leyton - Johnny Remember Me. The UK #1 the week Carol was born and the week my parents got married (which was 6 days later).
My favourite #1s of the year though are the very first one "Poetry In Motion" and Del Shannon's "Runaway". This was the first year of Jimmy Savile's Old Record Club for me although there was a run of 1959 the following year with 1962 ditched. The consequence was that 1962 post the switch and 1963 were rather obscured years for me, a shame as it's when the Beatles first emerged. Of course I knew their songs but Frank Ifield was pretty much off the map for me.
At a time when songs were written then recorded by loads of different singers, having the Marcels put a completely new rendition on Blue Moon was an interesting concept, and for me it works really well. I actually like their version better than the original. Showaddywaddy's version was a copy of theirs.
Shirley Bassey: yes I agree the weakest #1 of the year. Double A-side with "Climb Every Mountain". Now put the two titles together and we can make that all into one uptempo pop song from 2000...
Elvis Presley: 4 number ones. Marie's The Name definitely the best. King of rock n roll, so give him rock n roll to sing. It's what he does best.
My top 20 book that uses Record Mirror does have the Allisons at #1, it doesn't have 3 of those reaching the top: On The Rebound is nowhere near, Shirley Bassey doesn't make it there with John Leyton having an uninterrupted run. "Sailor" also doesn't get to #1. I think Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care Of My Baby" might also have been #1 in that list though. It does give Lawrence Welk a #19 hit with "Calcutta", a US #1 instrumental hit, and not listed at all in RR even though it has a top 50. From the top 50 itself, the best #50 hit of the year would be Brook Benton "Fools Rush In".
My favourite hit of the entire year though is Clarence Frogman Henry - But I Do. The song was a top 75 hit again I think in 1993 when it was used in a commercial and I considered charting it then but didn't. Probably should have done.
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Post by Milliways on Jan 23, 2015 19:27:37 GMT 1
Hm, so you're sticking with Record Retailer? You're going to miss some fantastic chart-toppers that way. From this year, The Allisons' Eurovision entry "Are You Sure" was better than most of these. Plus I'd bet my left ball on "On The Rebound", for instance, never really being a no. 1. I did consider this (and will come back to the subject a couple of years further down the line), but as I am aiming to get to 2015 by the end of the year and therefore won't be on the sixties for long I have stuck with the 'canonical' chart as used by the Official Charts Company as well as the 'Popular' project. I'm listening to the songs that complete the top 5s, rather than just the #1s, so I will hear these missing chart-toppers but in most cases they won't be covered in the posts - do of course feel free to add them in yourself!
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Post by Milliways on Jan 25, 2015 3:15:08 GMT 1
1962
CLIFF RICHARD AND THE SHADOWS - "The Young Ones" It's hard to hear this now and not immediately think of the 1980s sitcom that borrowed its title. It starts off like any number of the Shadows' other hits, but what follows is a patchwork of styles that make this a kind of 3-minute '1962 in miniature'. On balance I like it, but it's not something I'll be listening to much once I've moved past the year in question 6
ELVIS PRESLEY - "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" Solid love ballad that effectively showcases Elvis' vocal range. The less said about the other side of the double-A, 'Rock A Hula Baby', the better. For 'Can't Help Falling', 5
THE SHADOWS - "Wonderful Land" For me the best of the Shadows' instrumental number ones, this wonderfully atmospheric string-plucking tune was good for eight weeks at #1 and scores the same 8
B BUMBLE AND THE STINGERS - "Nut Rocker" Rock 'n' roll returns to the top, in the form of a drums-and-piano instrumental that insists you move your feet. This is good dancey fun without really making a lasting impression 7
ELVIS PRESLEY - "Good Luck Charm" An uninspired workout, it's doubtful that any other performer would have taken this humdrum track to the top 4
MIKE SARNE AND WENDY RICHARD - "Come Outside" I was surprised how familiar this call-and-response comedy track sounded given that I didn't really know anything about it before starting this project - Wikipedia provided the answer, it was covered in a by-now largely forgotten episode by a collection of celebrities for Children In Need 1991. It seems a strange choice, this must have been naff in 1962, never mind 29 years later. That said, the response "But I wan' another twist" surely wouldn't have sounded half as out of place on the original! 4
RAY CHARLES - "I Can't Stop Loving You" The contrast from the previous record could scarcely be greater - this is a dreary, mournful country croon. The skip button beckons well before its near 5 minute runtime is reached 2
FRANK IFIELD - "I Remember You" Yodelling Ifield is one of the more puzzling musical success stories of the early 60s. Musically this isn't at all bad, with its upbeat guitar melody and harmonica interludes - for me at least, it's a vast improvement on the tedium of the previous track. The vocals, though, are devoid of appeal. 5
ELVIS PRESLEY - "She's Not You" Another one of 'the King''s more forgettable outings 4
THE TORNADOS - "Telstar" The third instrumental number one of 1962 is deservedly the most celebrated of the year's chart-toppers (and my highest-rated). Seldom has a record been released that encapsulated its time so perfectly. Telstar transmitted the first transatlantic TV signal to the UK, and the overwhelming sense that I get from listening to this record more than 50 years later is that this was the moment that, for the public at large, the future had arrived. There was no going back from here. 9
FRANK IFIELD - "Lovesick Blues" It's actually originally from a 1920's musical, but his could have been written to showcase Ifield's talents. Despite the downbeat lyrics, this is enjoyable enough fluff 6
ELVIS PRESLEY - "Return To Sender" The fourth of Elvis' number ones this year is by far the best, a breezy, catchy tune that bounces along and pulls you in. Just don't over-think the slightly silly lyrics 8
Other hits worth a mention
Bobby Darin - "Multiplication" and Adam Faith - "As You Like It" - I'm bracketing these two otherwise unrelated songs together because my thoughts on them are very similar. They're both delightfully daft, feather-weight pop songs whose performers sound like they were having great fun recording them. In fact - and maybe I'm hearing things - but in both of these songs the perfomer sounds to me as though he catches a laugh at one point: in the former in the line "You'd never guess that one little yes could start a butterfly collection" at 0:39, and in the latter in the first line of the song ("If you don't like the kooky way I comb my hair for you"). Del Shannon - "The Swiss Maid" - I talked about Frank Ifield's yodelling already of course, but couldn't leave '62 without a mention of this singular example. It'll be a while before we encounter anything quite as cheesy as this, definitely one for the connoisseur of naffness!
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 25, 2015 15:19:30 GMT 1
"Nut Rocker" was written and produced by Kim Fowley, who died last week. In the late 50s Fowley worked with both Berry Gordy and Phil Spector.
Beyond "Nut Rocker", his other two lasting musical credits are:- (I) for discovering and managing the Runaways (best known for "Cherry Bombs"), who featured Joan Jett and Lita Ford; and (II) for persuading the audience to greet John Lennon onto stage in 1969 with their cigarette lighters waving in the air, thus inventing one of the most annoying live music experiences.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 25, 2015 15:26:34 GMT 1
Of this rather second-rate collection of #1s, I have to disagree with your verdict, and proclaim my support for Elvis' "She's Not You", which lovingly showcases his rich vocal talents.
Am I right in saying "Telstar" was the first British single to reach the top of the US charts, beating the Beatles by a few months ?
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Jan 25, 2015 16:10:54 GMT 1
Am I right in saying "Telstar" was the first British single to reach the top of the US charts, beating the Beatles by a few months ? Mr. Acker Bilk beat them both. In the pre-Hot 100 days, Laurie London, Vera Lynn and the Ray Noble Orchestra all topped one (or more) Billboard charts. If one goes pre-Billboard quite a few British acts had big US hits; one of the biggest names of the 1900s was Lancashire lass Ada Jones. In the multi-chart era, "Wonderful Land" was one of the two most successful singles pre-BMRB; it had 9 weeks on top of the NME charts (one shared with B Bumble), 8 on top of Melody Maker, Record Retailer and BBC charts (one of the BBC weeks shared with Kenny Ball) and 7 weeks on top of Disc. Strangely it was the generally more MOR Disc chart that stopped the atrocious Ifield beating that, by having Pat Boone spend a fortnight on top. The other record for which you could make a case is "Cathy's Clown", which had three lots of 9 and two lots of 7. It did have the longest run at no. 1 in every possible chart with 8. The BBC kept it on top even though it was deposed in both Disc and Record Retailer. The instrumental no. 1s of 1962 far outshine the songs, especially if one includes "Stranger On The Shore", which absolutely, 100% was a definite bona fide chart-topper at the start of the year. Record Retailer simply got it wrong. And inexcusably wrong. The best vocal I'd say is the Sarne/Richard one, where Wendy's involvement came because Joe Meek, when producing, said "you know, Mike, I can just hear some girl talking back to you through the chorus...why don't we get one in?"
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Post by Earl Purple on Jan 25, 2015 18:54:15 GMT 1
By the way I don't know what you have against Rock-A-Hula Baby. One of my favourite Elvis songs. Far better than Can't Help Falling In Love.
Nut Rocker was written by Tchaikowsky. It is the part of the Nutcracker Suite. "The March of the Wooden Soldiers".
Adapting classical music seemed to be a popular thing at the time. Elvis had several hits based on classical or operatic works. "It's Now Or Never", Surrender" and my favourite "Tonight Is So Right For Love" are examples.
These were all out of copyright other than "Tonight Is So Right.." (Offenbach) that had issues of copyright law being different in the UK than in the USA (at least at the time) so they made a different song from the UK based on Strauss's "Tale From Vienna Woods" which was out of copyright by this point.
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Post by Milliways on Jan 28, 2015 2:12:23 GMT 1
1963CLIFF RICHARD - "Bachelor Boy"This was #1 as a double A-side with the insipid 'The Next Time' - for the first time I have departed from the list of songs reviewed over at 'Popular'. Unlike that one, the simple, catchy 'Bachelor Boy' came to be one of Cliff's signature songs and indeed to define the man himself, though he couldn't have known it back when he recorded this! 6THE SHADOWS - "Dance On!"It's strange to imagine it now, but I guess this kind of thing must have been the 'dance music' of its day. It's not the most striking of the Shadows' #1s, but the bass guitar rhythm has its appeal 5JET HARRIS AND TONY MEEHAN - "Diamonds"At least at first, this interlude follows on nicely from the previous track, given that Jet and Tony are both former shadows (bass guitarist and drummer, respectively). It's also notable as the first hit to feature Jimmy Page, who provided rhythm guitar on the studio recording. Unfortunately, despite these assets I find it hard to recommend the track itself, which sounds rather incoherent to me 4FRANK IFIELD - "The Wayward Wind"Before I talk about Frank Ifield's third #1, I have to take an aside (that's been pre-empted by an earlier comment by vastar iner) to talk about charts. The list of #1s I have used for this project is based upon the Record Retailer chart, which was used by Guinness Hit Singles and subsequently by the Official Charts Company whose chart archives I am using to identify top 5 singles. Unfortunately, the Record Retailer chart has a few foibles, not least of which is the fact that the Beatles' "Please Please Me" is recorded as a #1 hit at this time by all of the other charts published at that time aside from the Record Retailer chart that is now canonical, in which - in perhaps one of the two most infamous 1-2's of all time - it stalled at #2 behind "The Wayward Wind". For the record, "Please Please Me" is, for me, perhaps the strongest of the Beatles' early singles and would have scored 9. As for "The Wayward Wind" - even as the hits of these early 60s years go, this is a country cover that is very difficult to place into context looking back. It sounds as though it should derive from a film soundtrack but that's not, in fact, the case. Ifield's trademark yodelling is much less prominent here than on the 1962 #1s, and indeed it is perhaps the most accessible of his four to the modern listener without making a lasting impression 5CLIFF RICHARD AND THE SHADOWS - "Summer Holiday"This, on the other hand, has remained relevant up until the present day - though the destinations change through the years (as we'll see time and again as this project progresses), the underlying sentiments do not. Everybody dreams of a summer holiday, particularly as the winter drags on 7THE SHADOWS - "Foot Tapper"It may be a last hurrah - it'll be a while before we see another instrumental #1 - but it's certainly a pleasurable one. It's not especially original and it won't blow your mind - there's an element of 'does what it says on the tin' here - but this simple guitar-and-drums instrumental hits the right notes for me 7GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS - "How Do You Do It?"With my note three songs earlier in mind - officially, at least, this is the turning point. The first Merseybeat chart-topper, and from here on in (a brief retro interlude aside) the top of the charts wouldn't be the same again. I don't think there's another year in pop history in which the shape of the singles charts changed so abruptly: over the course of just a few months, the music of English beat groups went from occasional interloper to become indisputably the dominant sound. "How Do You Do It?" isn't the most striking example of the genre, indeed its most remarkable feature is how genre-typical it is, but I guess listening to it with the benefit of hindsight and experience is unlikely to do it any favours 5THE BEATLES - "From Me To You"So here we have it - the Beatles' third release is their first 'canonical' #1 (and, as I've discovered, the accepted right answer to said question in a pub quiz). In the context of their later releases it's rather pedestrian, fitting in with the trends of the time (in the harmonica melody, for instance), but it's not hard to see how it turned heads at the time 7GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS - "I Like It"One-track and up-front, this stomping tune makes it hard for me to resist making the obvious remark here, despite its lack of depth 8FRANK IFIELD - "I'm Confessin"Dull cover of a 1930s jazz standard. Ifield's other 3 number ones all have something about them that makes them worth a listen, even if purely for the sake of edification, but this one's a skipper 2ELVIS PRESLEY - "(You're The) Devil In Disguise"Even Elvis seems to trying to get in on the Beat sound with this song - and mostly succeeding. This is classic pop rock with a straightforward, effective quiet-loud dynamic 7THE SEARCHERS - "Sweets For My Sweet"While I had of course heard quite a few of these songs at various times in my life before embarking on this project (some, of course, were completely new to me), I didn't grow up with any of them. Sixties music, when I was young, was defined by a single short compilation cassette that I think came from a petrol station - and the standout song on that cassette for young me was "Sweets For My Sweet". I hadn't listened to it for a long time before this, so it seems quite odd to revisit it in this context. But, I think it stands up well on the whole. If anything, the main vocals are the weakest part of the song; time hasn't done them any favours - but I still love the "woo-oo-ooh" backing and that jangly guitar bridge 8BILLY J KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS - "Bad To Me"Aside from the beat, the other aspect of the Merseybeat sound that sets it apart from more recent pop-rock adaptations is how prominent the vocals are in most of these songs. In this particular instance, that is very unfortunate. The lyrics are terribly corny and the vocals grate, particularly when Billy sings the titular words 3THE BEATLES - "She Loves You"More than any song discussed so far, this project has given me a new perspective on "She Loves You". While I was aware of it earlier than any other song bar the aforementioned "Sweets For My Sweet" (I have a dim memory of my primary school music teacher, Mr Storey, playing it in a lesson), I'd never rethought it and, with only the "She loves you, yeah yeah yeah" refrain of the chorus in mind, thought of it as little more than a simple sing-along song reflective of how undeveloped pop was in the early 60s. As the saying goes, context is everything, and revisiting "She Loves You" here brings out just how much innovation went into it. The instrumentation, the harmonies and the lyrics (the latter, in particular, may sound odd in retrospect, but less so in an era where pop lyrics were almost exclusively on the "boy meets girl / boy loses girl" theme) were like little that went before and much that came after. I realise I'm not sticking my neck out too far by labelling this my #1 of the year (of the canonical set, anyway – see my note on "The Wayward Wind" above) 8BRIAN POOLE AND THE TREMELOES - "Do You Love Me?"Of the series of six chart toppers that form the closing segment of this most notable of years, "Do You Love Me" is an exception in but one key respect: Brian Poole & The Tremeloes hailed from London, rather than Liverpool. Other than that, the sound is clearly of its time. Together with the insistent rhythm and excitable vocals, the lyrics identify this as a 'floorfiller' of its day. I had to look up "mashed potato" (which also shows up in "Let's Dance", a much-covered 1962 hit originally by Chris Montez) – apparently it's a variation on the twist 7GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS - "You'll Never Walk Alone"What I said about 1962's first #1, "The Young Ones", goes 10 times as much here: "You'll Never Walk Alone" is by now inextricably linked with Liverpool FC and with the football tragedies of the 1980s, and we'll revisit it in that context later on. I was, however –given the Merseyside origins of the group, its being a cover of a Carousel showtune, and its sounding nothing like either of G&TP's other chart-toppers – surprised to read that Liverpool fans' adoption of the song occurred subsequently to its release. It's a capital-letters Big Ballad, a lighter-waver from before lighter-waving was invented 4 THE BEATLES - "I Want To Hold Your Hand"By now the Beatles were well established as UK superstars, but with this they also achieved their first US #1 – the start of the "British invasion". It's difficult to say much that hasn't been said many times before about "I Want To Hold Your Hand", a perfectly-crafted pop song 7Other hits worth a mentionThe Crystals - "Da Doo Ron Ron" - If I hadn't already been including this section I would have had to add it for this record. Way ahead of its time, this early Phil Spector production is an exhilarating listen from start to finish that still sounds great today. Looking back over the hits of '63, it could perhaps be said that this song (together with the Crystals' other hits and those of the Ronettes, particular "Be My Baby") have had at least as much influence on pop over the intervening 50+ years. It only reached #5, but had it been a chart-topper it would undoubtedly have been awarded the first 10 score of the project. Freddie & The Dreamers - "I'm Telling You Now" - F&TD are unfortunate among the celebrated Merseybeat groups in never having a canonical #1. This is the closest they came, reaching #2 behind Billy J Kramer. Like that song, "I'm Telling You Now" suffers from slightly grating vocals in places but aside from that this is a neat, catchy tune. Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - "I'll Never Get Over You" - Had I gone back one more year and started in 1960, I am almost certain that my choice for #1 of the year would have been Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' only chart-topper, "Shakin' All Over'. Like Brian Poole and co, the band moved away from rock 'n' roll and adopted a Merseybeat-aping sound for this #4 hit. Heinz - "Just Like Eddie" - An interesting fusion of rumbling proto-hard rock guitar and early 60's pop melody, this tribute to Eddie Cochran is – IMO undeservedly – one of Joe Meek's less celebrated productions. Surfaris - "Wipe Out" - Perhaps understandably given the relative popularity of the pursuit in the two nations, surf rock took a while to cross the Atlantic. The Beach Boys' first UK hit, "Surfin' USA" only reached #34 in the UK but was a #3 hit in the US. The sole surf-related UK top 5 hit in '63 was this frenetic instrumental. Of all the instrumental hits of this and the preceding year, "Wipe Out" has perhaps made the most lasting impression.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jan 28, 2015 12:56:06 GMT 1
If you look at the list of chart toppers there are no female singers whatsoever, and Wendy Richard's few spoken comments were the only female vocals on any #1 singles in 1962.
The last #1 to have a proper female vocal was Helen Shapiro's "Walking Back To Happiness" in 1961. The next would be Cilla Black early in 1964.
"Shakin' All Over" is my favourite #1 from 1960, and I have considered doing retro charts beginning with that year (because that's when we start having a top 50).
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Post by Milliways on Feb 2, 2015 0:58:53 GMT 1
1964 is coming shortly - and it will feature my first 10 score of the project.
Any guesses for what the song in question might be...?
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Post by Earl Purple on Feb 2, 2015 5:31:38 GMT 1
1964 is a good year, the Beatles have Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Days Night and I Feel Fine. Roy Orbison has 2 #1s I reckon you'd more likely go for Pretty Woman than It's Over.
However I reckon your 10 score might be "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Feb 2, 2015 14:52:28 GMT 1
If I had to pick one for me, it would be "Have I The Right". I absolutely adore that stompy Joe Meek production. Legend has it that that and the early Dave Clark 5 hits were banned in some dance halls for fear of people damaging the floor by stamping with the drumbeats.
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Post by Milliways on Feb 2, 2015 21:03:34 GMT 1
1964 THE DAVE CLARK FIVE – “Glad All Over”The beat groups from London brought a still more assertive, up-front sound to the early 60s charts than their North-West contemporaries. This brash, stomping tune seems tailor-made for terrace chanting and so it remains a fan favourite at Crystal Palace 7 THE SEARCHERS – “Needles And Pins”This is another one of those songs that, in one respect, has become an epitome of the sixties 'golden oldie', but in another hasn't been done many favours by the passing of the time. The backing instrumentation on the original version sounds very muddy to these ears - particularly once the continuous cymbal tapping starts around the half way point - and makes it hard to like. But, still, the strength of the songwriting manages to shine through and goes somewhere to explaining the number of times the song has been covered (though this version is the only one to top the UK charts) 6THE BACHELORS – “Diane”It feels as though we've stepped back a few years (and not for the last time in 1964). Not surprisingly, as this was originally a 1920s silent movie theme. Bachelors are an early entry in a timeline, stretching all the way into the current decade, of insipid Irish male pop groups 3CILLA BLACK – “Anyone Who Had A Heart”Liverpool's sale-rail answer to Shirley Bassey gets her first number one with a cloying song that sounds as though it was written just for her - I was surprised to read that it was in fact originally recorded by Dionne Warwick and indeed was a US Top 10 hit for her. I still it a pretty dire record: its self-important lyrics, Cilla's grating vocals, and the peculiar instrumentation (listen out for the 'irritated car horn' impression at 1:37) 2BILLY J KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS – “Little Children”This song, like most of its time, is less than 3 minutes long, but 3 minutes seems like an awful long time while it is playing. Even if we're being more charitable about the lyrics than was Tom over at Popular, musically it is a plodding exercise in tedium. Good only for skipping past on Merseybeat compilations 1THE BEATLES – “Can’t Buy Me Love”In comparison with the previous three #1s, this is a diamond of a record; however, in comparison with the Beatles' other singles of the time it is decidedly average in all respects. Perhaps "money can't buy me love" was profound in each day whereas it seems terribly cliched now. In spite of this, I know if it weren't the Beatles I'd have scored it higher, but you and I both know that even back then they were capable of so much better than this 5 PETER AND GORDON – “A World Without Love”This takes elements of Merseybeat and subtracts all the energy and enthusiasm. What results is bland, monotonous and forgettable 3THE SEARCHERS – “Don’t Throw Your Love Away”Another one from the file marked 'surprising covers' - this is originally by US girl group The Shirelles, whose 1960 UK#4 hit "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" may well have merited a mention in that year's post had I gone back that far. I suspect that many don't realise exactly how many of the Merseybeat hits were covers, more often than not of songs first performed by US artists. Because of this, I'm intentionally avoiding comparing the covers with the original recordings unless these were also major UK hits. In the case of this song, that's a little unfortunate because the only aspect of it that warrants discussion is the lyrics - in particular the line "go out and have your fun / you'd better have your fun with anyone / but don't throw your love away" 4THE FOUR PENNIES – “Juliet”Of all the artists who show up in this year's list, I'm willing to bet that the one the fewest people will have heard of is the Four Pennies. This soporific ballad was a single-week number one which, ironically, kept one of the year's most distinctive pop songs – Millie's 'My Boy Lollipop' – off the top spot 2CILLA BLACK – “You’re My World (Il Mio Mondo)”Oh no, Cilla's back again. And so, puzzlingly, are those chirruping strings from that Helen Shapiro #1 back in '61. This starts pleasantly enough, but before long the vocal theatrics start and it becomes a chore to listen through to the end. I feel I must point out: the vocals aren't actually bad, and there's clearly an element of 'just not to my taste' here. At the same time, this kind of thing has been done many times over and to much better effect than "You're My World" achieves 3ROY ORBISON – “It’s Over”It seems strangely fitting that this follows "You're My World", in that the previous song ends with "If your love ceases to be / then it's the end of my world". In "It's Over", that is precisely what has happened: "Your baby doesn't love you any more". Lyrically and vocally, this is easily the strongest song of the year so far. A breakup song effective like few others, perhaps it's too downbeat in sentiment to receive much retrospective attention? 8THE ANIMALS – “House Of The Rising Sun”From a song that has been, undeservedly, largely forgotten, to a ubiquitous classic that just about everyone will instantly recognise. For a song that started out as a traditional American folk ballad and was recorded by a touring rock group from Newcastle, that fact pays testament to the strength of the arrangement 9THE ROLLING STONES – “It’s All Over Now”With the odd exception (which we'll come to in time), the appeal of the Rolling Stones has always passed me by. Though, in 1964 context, the freshness of their sound – at least in terms of what was around on the UK pop scene – is apparent, many of the songs themselves seem like means to an end. "It's All Over Now" is a case in point, a vehicle for Jagger's distinctive voice with little depth. As you may have guessed, this is yet another cover version to reach the top spot this year – it was written by Bobby Womack 5THE BEATLES – “A Hard Day’s Night”Of all the Beatles' early hit singles, this one must just be the most instantly recognisable. After the single-chord intro, it's remarkable just how many elements they managed to fit into this two-and-a-half minute recording. It sounds like they were having great fun recording it, and that exuberance shines through on the record 9MANFRED MANN – “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”The sequencing didn't do Manfred Mann any favours here: this song is never going to stand up well to critical comparison with the songs either side of it. This is, however, the first of many songs of its type that we wil encounter: jolly, lightweight, simple sing-along pop that never goes out of fashion largely because it was never in fashion to begin with. My biggest discrepancy in score from Tom so far, but I ain't feeling guilty for enjoying this 8THE HONEYCOMBS – “Have I The Right?”I alluded to this record in one of my first group of write-ups, and it's the first one I've really looked forward to reaching. What could have been an enjoyable but unremarkable floorfiller along similar lines to earlier chart-toppers from the Dave Clark Five and the Tremeloes instead became, thanks to Joe Meek's production, a one-of-a-kind pop masterpiece. There are 51 more years of #1s to come, but we won't encounter many that are as thrilling as this 10THE KINKS – “You Really Got Me”From a record that stands alone, as a pinnacle of its time, to one that's way ahead of it. "You Really Got Me" has a justifiable claim to being the first metal hit single. Its distorted riff is unlike anything else we've come across up to now – it will be a good while before we encounter a single as influential as this. In a year of timeless records, this is arguably the most important of them all 10HERMAN’S HERMITS – “I’m Into Something Good”On revisiting this song I was convinced that I remembered it from being a TV ad from my childhood; however, Googling has turned up a blank, aside from an awful (and too recent) mutilation for Halifax. Maybe it just seemed as though it had to have been so: the first line "Woke up this morning feeling fine / there's something special on my mind", together with the simple, bouncy melody and handclaps seem purpose-built. This is impossible not to like, but hard to love 7ROY ORBISON – “Oh, Pretty Woman”Perhaps because my first musical awareness occurred around the same time as the release of the film that shares its title with this song, but this song was one of those 'oldies' that always seemed to be on the radio when I was a kid. Perhaps at least in part as a result, I find it really hard to take seriously. Perhaps it's not meant to be taken so – the "growl" just after the minute mark suggests not, but otherwise it's not all that much fun to listen to. I realise this is one of those songs that some people rave about, but for me it's a meh record 6SANDIE SHAW – “Always Something There To Remind Me”This is the first female-sung #1 for a while, and stylistically a return to past sounds. I like it that much more than either of Cilla Black's chart-toppers, largely because unlike her Sandie doesn't overrun a subtle song with overpowered theatrical vocals. This well-written lost love song is that much more compelling as a result 7THE SUPREMES – “Baby Love”Finally, the first #1 for a US girl group. It's a shame that superior songs from the Crystals and the Ronettes didn't make it, but "Baby Love" is far from bad if a little too sickly sweet for repeated listening 7THE ROLLING STONES – “Little Red Rooster”This really is a baffling #1, sounding nothing like anything else that was anywhere near the top of the '64 charts. As I suspect you'll guess if you listen to it, this lackadaisical number is indeed an old Delta blues standard reinterpreted by the Stones. I have no personal affinity for this song whatsoever, and suspect I'm not alone in that as it's certainly not among their retrospectively best-regarded recordings 3THE BEATLES – “I Feel Fine”The sound of a band at the top of their game and completely in their stride. The lyrics do seem particularly uninspired, however (not something that will often be said about later Beatles, it has to be said) 6Other hits worth a mentionThe Beach Boys - "I Get Around" - Another Billboard Hot 100 #1 that didn't quite make it over here. A shame, as this has a strong claim to being the Boys' greatest single. The Swinging Blue Jeans - "The Hippy Hippy Shake" and The Fourmost - "A Little Loving" - By name, two of the less-remembered Merseybeat bands, but these two upbeat dancing tunes are among the most recognisable of the genre. Mary Wells - "My Guy" - What I said about "Oh, Pretty Woman" goes also for this song, which was inescapable when I was young perhaps as a consequence of its appearance in Sister Act. A number one in the US, but alas Motown had to wait a little longer on this side of the Atlantic. Millie - "My Boy Lollipop" - Early reggae single that came oh so close to giving the genre its first UK #1 but was denied by the bland Four Pennies.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Feb 2, 2015 23:49:07 GMT 1
Boo ya. "Juliet" was one of those flipped b-sides. Pennies dreadful though. What's interesting about 1964 to me is 2 things; one, there's quite a variety there on the quiet; two, there is a distinct change. Herman's Hermits and The Bachelors were safe choices, but by the end of the year you've got "Little Red Rooster", a fairly extreme blues sound. It's perhaps the first time since Bill Haley that record buyers were making a definitive shift away from the conventional. "House Of The Rising Sun" runs to nearly 5 minutes. Their manager told pluggers it lasted 3 minutes 30, but it was so good it was worth going over the unwritten 3 minute curfew. Had he told the truth it may never have taken off. Both Eric Burdon (with War) and Alan Price (with his Set) had hits outside the group; Chas Chandler became a manager. Manfred Mann incidentally were, according to my dad, student favourites. Proto-Levellers? Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon was the brother of Jane Asher, who was going out with McCartney at the time, and got a Beatles cast-off as a present. Not the slightest soupcon of a chance of success without that link. Another girlfriend borrowing a hit was Marianne Faithfull, but at least "As Tears Go By" was as gorgeous as she was. One other hit to mention is The Rockin' Berries' "He's In Town"; Brumbeat band known more for their on-stage comedy than their music, they gained a deserved top five with this one
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Post by Shireblogger on Feb 3, 2015 10:46:45 GMT 1
That sequence of chart toppers from "It's Over" to the end of the year must be one of the longest run of brilliant #1s ever. Not a weak track amongst them.
I've always thought the Searchers deserved to be remembered more fondly and frequently than they are. Certainly better than Gerry & the Pacemakers, who would probably come second in any "name a Merseybeat group" quiz.
If I had to pick one from 1964 it would be "House Of The Rising Sun". But "Baby Love", "I'm Into Something Good" and "Oh Pretty Woman" are all at least 9/10 tracks.
Can't deny the importance of "You Really Got Me", but it is one of my least favourite Kinks singles.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Feb 3, 2015 22:42:26 GMT 1
As a quick aside, look how much the chart changed in a scant 3 years. The NME top 10 for Christmas 1961 had Danny Williams, Acker Bilk, Frankie Vaughan, Pat Boone, Kenny Ball, Sandy Nelson, Bobby Vee, Neil Sedaka, Billy Fury and Bobby Darin. Two groups, and even those with strong front me, one drummer, and otherwise all male vocalists. And mostly looking backwards. There wasn't anyone "contemporary" there.
By December 1964, it was the Stones, Supremes, Kinks, Rockin' Berries, Mindbenders, Petula Clark, Pretty Things and Dusty Springfield. Pet had moved with the times somewhat, so the only throwback acts were Gene Pitney and Jim Reeves - the latter benefitting from a 2pac approach to releases.
Almost overnight, the carefully-groomed, carefully-trained housewife-appeal vocalists had been overthrown by the erberts selling to the teens.
It's an indictment today that we are pretty much back to the pre-sixties right now. Sam Smith and Adull would sit well alongside Dickie Valentine and Alma Cogan.
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Post by Earl Purple on Feb 4, 2015 21:20:45 GMT 1
vas and I were both right in predicting your 10 votes and we predicted different songs
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