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Sorry, forgot to say thank you to EL Wisty for all the effort he has put into this.
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Thanks annie.
I must say I am very happy with all the positive comments I have been receiving. Thought it might just get ignored as a bit of a dullards thread. |
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Here comes Summer..Jerry Keller
Days lying in the long grass in the countryside close to home looking up at an Azure sky... a sense that all was right with the world. |
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The Michael Holliday one was probably the worst record ive ever heard :(
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Quality thread. Made even better by the fact that most are just**ged off after listening.
:^0 A bit of a chore though, surely? |
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That Michael Halliday one was very hard work. It will be a chore LF, but I shall take my time from now on.
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Adam Faith - "Poor Me"
4 March for 2 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rThWY6jsiJ4 It just seems back then we tried to copy whatever America did and did it a lot worse. I think Faith is trying to be Buddy Holly and he is not pulling it off. Poor Me? Poor me, Pour me another drink please. |
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Johnny Preston - "Running Bear"
17 March for 2 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrN2DPN6La8 Written by the late Big Bopper. has a hint of an old native american tune. Old School Rock and Roll, not bad, but I prefer Chantilly Lace. |
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Lonnie Donegan - "My Old Man's a Dustman (Ballad of a Refuse Disposal Officer)"
31 March for 4 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7GeZ3YmONw A novelty song we've all heard I like it, I like sing a long songs you can imagine them all singing round the piano p.ssed up on saturday night. Lonnie Donegan was a legend at the time, the full title suggests that it was a slight p.ss take of political correctness at the time. Was local government in the process of renaming dustmen "Refuse disposal officers"? |
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Anthony Newley - "Do You Mind"
28 April for 1 week 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzEeFdeHwLI Better than some of the dirt I've listened to. And I have a soft spot for Anthony Newley because of Strawberry Fair, here's the link if you fancy it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPmORsSnz1A |
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Everly Brothers - "Cathy's Clown"
5 May for 7 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPSuJfLGKGQ Rock and Roll royalty and a classic tune. Nothing wrong with it to be honest and far far worse has gone before, but I just can't get over Chuck Berry not getting a no1 in this period. I'd stick my neck out and say Maybelline, Roll over Beethoven, Rock and Roll Music, Johnny B Goode and Memphis Tennessee are all better than every single UK number 1 to date. What a shame. |
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Eddie Cochran - "Three Steps to Heaven"
23 June for 2 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHgO7yh06V0 Another rock and roll legend. A classic tune, I like it, even if the lyrics are a bit w.anky. Summertime Blues was one of the ultimate rock and roll tunes, shame that did't reach number 1. Try listening to both tracks and try telling me this is the superior song. He was already dead by the time this hit number one - Before he reached the age of 22. Crashed into a lamppost on the A4 in Wiltshire - I'm not lying. |
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Jimmy Jones - "Good Timin'"
7 July for 3 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmRG0Y5N8lg A slightly noveltyish song with Jimmy's falsetto voice, but a cracking effort and defo one of the best so far. We've all heard of it I'm sure. |
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cochran was a passenger in a taxi which crashed
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Cliff Richard & The Shadows - "Please Don't Tease"
28 July for 1 week 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca3CPoIE-04 To be fair to Cliff he rocked as much as any other UK efforts of the period. And as the UK public (or was it media) seemed to avoid allowing any ofthe genuine US rockers to hit the top of the hit parade (Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Buddy aside) he had as much a right to top the charts as anyone else. (Adam Faith I'm looking at you). A good, mildly rocking, tune. |
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I know canaryboy - I just read the article. I didn't say he was driving.
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indeed, but when you say someone crashed, it should always be pointed out when they weren't the driver
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something like the car or taxi he was travelling in would have been perfect
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Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - "Shakin' All Over"
4 August for 1 week 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOlcfuXd_og Just as I was lambasting the lack of proper rock and roll music, we get arguably the rockingest song to date (in a battle with Great Balls of Fire imo). Some different style guitar playing. One of the best half dozen so far I reckon. |
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My apologies if I have mislead anyone.
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Cliff Richard & The Shadows - "Please Don't Tease"
11 August for 2 weeks 1960 again. |
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The Shadows - "Apache"
25 August for 5 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY-rPDwzM9M An all time great instrumental guitar song. I like it, quite unique. From wikipedia: A 1973 version by the Incredible Bongo Band has been called "hip-hops national anthem".[1] Although this version was not a hit on release, the long percussion break in the middle has been sampled countless times on hip-hop, rap and dance tracks from the 1980s. Who'd've thought a song by the Shadows written by some bloke from Paddington would be such a hit within the hip hop world. Here is the bongo version - craking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjiU2YAlYKY |
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Great read....
how about at the end of each decade you give us your top 10 no 1s of that decade? |
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Thank you for this E L, fantastic read
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OK top 10 from the fifties:
1. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire. All time classic 2. Winifred Atwell -The Poor People of Paris. Have alisten to this, it is brilliant 3. Lord Rockingham's XI - Hoots Mon. A bit odd to put a gimicky song above Elvis and Buddy, but hey 4. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Roc 5. Buddy Holly - It doesn't matter any more 6. Elvis Presley - All Shook Up 7. Buddy Holly - That'lll be the day 8. Cliff Richard - Living Doll 9. The stargazers - I see the moon 10. Rosemary Clooney - This ole house notable mentions to: I Believe, Mambo Italiano, Unchained Melody and Mack the knife (if they'd got someone better to sing them they'd've been right up there), Rose Marie, Cool Water, Rock around the clock, Memories are mae of this, Singin the Blues, Diana, Smoke Gets in your eyes |
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a truly momentous task. Well done.
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Ricky Valance - "Tell Laura I Love Her"
29 September for 3 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5wnfde3ULE A tragi romantic song about the struggles of a young bloke trying to get his end away with "Laura" so far as I can see before he goes and dies in a car crash like a big wally. Poo ba.stard. But done in a 60s crooner style. A decent enough song. I always get Ricky Valance (welsh singer who is still alive) with Ritchie Valens (an American singer who isn't) |
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Roy Orbison - "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)"
20 October for 2 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsZtyPtTI04 OK Roy Orbison is a legend and this is a classic song, but I think i've heard it too many times. Oh sod it it's a brilliant song. By christ did the big "O" have a face for radio. |
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Elvis Presley - "It's Now or Never"
3 November for 8 weeks 1960 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtFN6YQOhj0 Not one of my favourite Elvis songs. Shws off his voice well, but just don' like the song. Giuseppe the Local Ice cream van man played it all the time as he came round the block. Sometimes he'd be singing a long, but like a prat he used to get the words all wrong - sounded nothing like the king. |
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Cliff Richard & The Shadows - "I Love You" 1960
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuD3N1K_Rjg God he can seem so gay when he wants to (watch the vid). I don't recognise this song, but it's ok. listenable to. |
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Johnny Tillotson - "Poetry in Motion"
12 January for 2 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUb9jTdLUu0 We all know this song. A nice tune used to be played in the burnt cabbage pub (mentioned earlier) that I used to go in on a sunday evening as a kid. This and "Magic Moments". A nice tune, nothing groundbreaking. |
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I think you missed Bill Haley from your top 10 of the 50s. If you are going to do it, do it properly ;)
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Bill Haley got a "notable mention". It may be the quintessential rock and roll hit, but I decided there were 10 better no 1s from the 50s.
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Elvis Presley - "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
26 January for 4 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrojFR7jM9E Judging from the picture on the album cover at the start of the vid 21st century footballer's wives do not have the monopoly on "being Orange". I prefer Elvis rock songs to Elvis love songs I'm afraid. Not one of my favourite Elvis tunes. |
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Petula Clark - "Sailor"
23 February for 1 week 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERy5sp3-jf0 Don't like this song at all. Thought i'd've heard of it, but no. Can't stand this harmony stuff. Down Town much better. |
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The above "sailor" song was originally made famous by a 29year old German playing under the name "Lolita". Perverts the whole stinking lot of them.
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Everly Brothers - "Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes"
2 March for 3 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzBUSTVzNWI Oh how they must have laughed at the comedy intro back then. I actually think this song is pretty sh.itty. |
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Elvis Presley - "Wooden Heart"
23 March for 6 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsaD1pzSs58 The video is from the movie. The performance is slightly cringeworthy, and basically is not rock and roll. When you analyse it Elvis did a lot of songs that basically were not rock and roll at all. Schmaltzy, love song ballads. We want, well I want, more rock and roll please. |
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The Marcels - "Blue Moon"
4 May for 2 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-avJPsuArgs babombababombabababamabombabombabombabombabambabambambadangadangadangadindadingaongdinga blue moon. Approximately. Top track. |
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Floyd Cramer - "On the Rebound"
18 May for 1 week 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVVq2mDbjc The first pleasant surprise in a while. A nice little piano tune. I've never heard of Cramer or the song title, so was sure it would be another nothing ballad song. A nice rocking piano instrumental. I'd recommend anyone give this one a go,like I say a pleasant surprise. |