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The Temperance Seven - "You're Driving Me Crazy"
25 May for 1 week 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDhaZElJ4Ho Sounds like a cross between ragtime and Louis Armstrong and a bit of Glenn Miller big band. Nice enough if you like that kind of music. Oh then the singing starts which puts me off. A great video too, if you're interested in trams. :) |
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Elvis Presley - "Surrender"
1 June for 4 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eup_BgTOWoc An improvement on wooden heart, generally I'm thinking that perhaps Elvis wasn'tall he was cracked up to be. I certainly prefer his pre military service work to this stuff. Who was supplying him with the songs? I suppose he was pretty much guaranteed a number one back then so who cares what he was singing |
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Del Shannon - "Runaway"
29 June for 3 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoRWaNsnAnA I thought Del Shannon was a group. This is nothing special. Why why why why why |
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Everly Brothers - "Temptation"
20 July for 2 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9_kYpkY8-Q I like the drumbeat to kick this off but the twangy guitar grates on the ear pretty quickly. And just kind of goes downhill. The first 3 seconds promised so much - I thought I might become an Everly Brothers convert. Alas no. |
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An heroic journey, this.
Still 24 years before you get to any Huey Lewis. Good luck. |
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Eden Kane - "Well I Ask You"
3 August for 1 week 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh9zHzx9QE4 Eden does have a slightly more rocking voice than many of his clean cut white British contemporaries. This tune is ok. I'm not so smart at deciphering different instruments but there is something in the background during the chorus - de de dedede de de de de - Anyone know what it is? That is the best bit of the song. Might just be a piano. |
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2 years for the beatles though. Will be some crackers coming up. And a few pleasant surprises so far - "The poor people of paris" wins the award for unsung hero so far. Thought that was cracking.
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Helen Shapiro - "You Don't Know"
10 August for 3 weeks 1961 |
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Helen Shapiro - "You Don't Know"
10 August for 3 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I2cG-ed6hw One of the worst ones yet. No nice little chorus, a dull voice, No nothing. Just not a nice song. |
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Just think how much knowledge you'll have by the end of all this!
That said, I once decided to read the wiki entries for every single British monarch, and the only fact I can recall is that one of the Viking Kings hated his predecessor so much that he dug up his body and had it catapulted into the Thames. |
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But can you remember which viking king Sparky?
I know what you mean, a fair chance I will have forgotten a fair bit. But hopefully some of it will stick. |
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Not only that Wisty, you yourself will be the answer to a question that will feature on chit chat quizzes for years to come....
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Well you never know ilnamor.
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It was Harthacnut, which seems appropriate as he wasn't half a cnut.
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John Leyton - "Johnny Remember Me"
31 August for 3 weeks 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e4JXwd7XMo I like the galloping horses backbeat (is that the right word). A slightly spooky sounding song, but many times better than Helen Shapiro's previous godforsaken effort. This is a top song imo. Apparently songs like this had a genre of their own.. "Death ditties". How** |
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v.good sparky:
Harthacnut (Cnut the Hardy, sometimes Harthacanute, Hardicanute, Hardecanute, Brilliant, I thought you might've been having a lend ofme. |
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That was See, En, You, Tea. Bythe way.
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Shirley Bassey - "Reach for the Stars"/"Climb Ev'ry Mountain"
21 September for 1 week 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iouNMIbM0X4 And we have an undisputed winner for worst UK No. 1 to date. Some songs are crap, but it takes really something for a song to be special. Where you dream of being deaf. This could break mirrors, glasses and double glazed windows. Simply and Truly an absolutely awful song sung in an awful fashion. Who listens to this cr.ap for goodness sake |
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My ears are ringing. I need another break. God she is awful. Just checked there are no more no.1s coming from her thank goodness. She only had one top 40 hit in USA (Goldfinger).
America Knew. |
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This is fantastic, please keep it up!
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In fairness to some of the derided records, many of which I like, they really do need 3-4 listenings, to determine whether one likes them or not.
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johnny remember me ..superb record
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quality thread :)
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And we have an undisputed winner for worst UK No. 1 to date.
By "to date" I assume you mean up to 1961. Otherwise you will be in for a shock when you get to 5 December 1993 :0 |
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Great thread BTW :)
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Good thread Wisty! Some top tunes listed up there. Look forward to checking up on progress over the next couple of weeks :-)
Sparkmaster - bought the "Divorced, Beheaded, Died" book just before Christmas which is a run through of all the kings and queens, sounds fairly similar. Not read yet, plan to do it in one go. Anyway, I digress... On with the music my good man! |
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Where we up to?
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Johnny Remember Me , covered by The Phantom Chords (Dave Vanian , lead singer of The Damned).
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Due to overwhelming demand (well, a :) from Gleeman), i will be taking over the task of the unfortunately banned Wisty in listening to every UK No1 in the charts.
Beginning with September 1961 |
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why banned?
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I dont know.
Seems hes been banned before under a different name and Betfair got wind of it. Always seemed like a goodun to me and couldnt believe it when i heard. |
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John Leyton - "Johnny Remember Me"
28th September for 1 week See earlier post by Wisty The Shadows - Kontiki 5th Oct 1961 for 1 week http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUI0tB8R_XI&feature=related One of the Shadows lesser known numbers and I can see why. Got a bit bored half way through, and it only lasts 1:57 secs. The sort of track youd put on the end of an album to fill time. |
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Highwaymen - Michael
12th Oct 1961 for 1 week http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b1uGEYuSC8 Sunday school music. Think most people would have heard this at some time if only on the terraces in the 70s......"Tottenham 1 United 0 Hallelulah" etc. Utter Drivel. |
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Helen Shapiro - Walking back to happiness
19th October for 3 weeks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSg1Z4AwDCw Not bad for a 14 year old, much improved from her earlier No 1. Thought she was American but lived in Hackney. Probably went to school with Big Charlie :) |
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fkd up that Rob is banned again , one of the best posters the Number 1s thread brilliant piece of work , only just went through it
good luck with the rest of it MMM |
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[b]Elvis Presley - Little Sister/His latest flame
9th Nov 1961 for 4 weeks[/b http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnPGt_Cf1z4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jgI7IoD5RM&feature=related Pretty standard Elvis stuff. Prefer His Latest flame. Both written by Doc Pomus and Mort Schuman. Sound like a firm of solicitors! |
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Great work MMM and good luck with the rest of this!
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Frankie Vaughan - Tower of strength
7th Dec 1961 for 3 weeks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA6hHzPlhXM Not his best.Was suprised how many hits he had though. And that hes a scouser. |
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Moon River - Danny Williams
28th December 1961 for 2 weeks (Xmas No 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyX8JAxz-sM Well known song from Breakfast at Tiffanys. Always thought Andy Williams had the big hit with this, and thought Danny was a misprint! Little known fact that Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium. Putting her just above Tin Tin in the famous Belgian list. |
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Fantastic thread, don't let this die. Great to hear some of the early 60's rock and roll/doo ** stuff. These tunes were still going strong into the late 60's, I remember them from back then and I was born in 65.
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