The FAB 50 TOP TUNES - 3/May/2013 = 3/May/1959

Once again I am fortunate in being able to present exactly what was being played in a "chart week" more than fifty years ago.
Today it is the chart for the week-ending Sunday 3rd. of May 1959 as issued by Sydney radio station 2UW in their Fabulous Fifty Top Tunes (photo of actual chart below).

The list that follows features exactly those songs being played, and records being sold across Sydney, 54 years ago and has been taken from the chart for that week.
Unfortunately some tracks just are not available but that consists of only 5 songs from a total of 70, so I am able to present the vast majority of those hits.

I cannot include all 65 in a three-hour program so what cannot be broadcast in this show will be carried over to Monday 6th. May.

Here is the list, in No.1 down to No.50, then follows the Best New Releases (10) and Up-And-Coming (10):-

FABULOUS TOP FIFTY

• Venus - Frankie Avalon
• Donna - Richie Valens
• All American Boy - Bill Parsons
• Tall Paul - Annette Funicello
• Bigger Than Texas - Jo-Ann King
• Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price
• Problems - the Everly Brothers
• The Little Space Girl - Jesse Lee Turner
• Gotta Travel On - Ray Melton - AUSTRALIAN!
• Goodbye Baby - Jack Scott
• Sixteen Candles - the Crests
• The Ballad Of Paladin - Johnny Western
• Pink Shoelaces - Dodie Stevens
• Nola - Billy Williams
• Blah, Blah, Blah - Nicola Paone
• Morning Side Of The Mountain - Tommy Edwards
• Rip It Up - the Everly Brothers
• Tomboy - Perry Como (No copy was found)
• Light Of Love - the Danleers
• A Fool Such As I - Elvis Presley
• Lucky Lady Bug - Billy & Lily
• The Blob - the Five Blobs
• Come Prima - Tony Dallara
• Philadelphia, USA - the Nu Tornados
• Ambrose (Part 5) - Linda Laurie
• Charlie Brown - the Coasters
• French Foreign Legion - Frank Sinatra
• Go To The Mardis Gras - Professor Longhair
• I Got Stung - Elvis Presley
• Don't Take Your Guns To Town - Johnny Cash
• House Of Bamboo - Andy Williams (the B-side of the next song)
• Hawaiian Wedding Song - Andy Williams (the A-side of the previous song)
• Petite Fleur - Chris Barber's Jazz Band
• Story Of My Love - Conway Twitty
• Yellow Bird - the Mills Brothers
• Madrid - Nat "King" Cole
• The Girl On Page Forty-Four - the Four lads
• Maybe Someday - the Young Lions
• I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra
• Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - the Platters
• My Happiness - Connie Francis
• (All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings - Paul Anka
• Waltzing Matilda - Jimmie Rodgers
• Hibiscus - Artist not known. No information available.
• Night Train - the Stars
• The Children's Marching Song - Cyril Stapleton
• May You Always - the McGuire Sisters
• I Could Have Danced All Night/I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face - Ray Conniff
• The World Outside - the Four Aces
• A House, A Car And A Wedding Ring - Mike Preston

BEST NEW RELEASES

• Bye Bye Baby - Col Joye AUSTRALIAN!
• Come Softly To Me the Fleetwoods
• Luther Played The Boogie - Johnny Cash
• Sweet Violets - the Rover Boys (No copy was found)
• Hip Hop - Ray Charles (No copy was found)
• Valley Of Love - the Harry Simeone Chorale
• Guitar Boogie Shuffle - the Virtues
• As Time Goes By - Johnny Nash
• Dancing In The Streets - the Ames Brothers (No copy was found)
• Only Love Me - Steve Lawrence

UP-AND-COMING

• If I Didn't Care - the Platters (the charted Connie Francis version not found)
• I'm Never Gonna Tell - Jimmie Rodgers
• It's Just A Matter Of Time - Brook Benton
• The Lonely One - Duane Eddy
• I Got A Wife - the Mark IVs
• Ther Must Be A Way - Joni James
• Let's Love - Johnny Mathis
• I'm So Ashamed - Peter Sellers (Yes, that's correct...Peter Sellers!)
• Star Love - the Playmates
• Trade Winds - Billy Vaughn

So please join me at 2:00 PM this Friday, the 3rd. of May 2013, for a nostalgic trip back to Sydney (and, I am sure, the rest of Australia at that time) as we re-live the sounds of the hits from exactly 54 years ago!

Last Program for April - Monday 29th.

For the last program of this month I go back to the same date 50 years ago - that is, 29th. April 1963.
What were we grooving to back then?

Below is the playlist (in alphabetical order) for today's show and it reflects the Top Thirty songs that my generation were listening to on the pop-music radio stations of the day.

Included in the list are the Top Ten best-selling Australian-produced records for that year.

• Ain't That A Shame - the Four Seasons
• Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke
• Baby Workout - Jackie Wilson
• Bombora - the Atlantics (AUS)
• Call Me Irresponsible - Jack Jones
• Can't get Used To Losing You - Andy Williams
• Charms - Bobby Vee
• Come A little Bit Closer - the Delltones (AUS)
• Da Doo Ron Ron - the Crystals
• Don't Say Nothin' Bad about my baby - the cookies
• Fifty-Five Days At Peking - Rob E. G. (AUS)
• Foolish Little Girl - the Shirelles
• Hangin' Five - the Delltones (AUS)
• He's So Fine - the Chiffons
• I Will Follow Him - Little Peggy March
• If You Wanna Be Happy - Jimmy Soul
• Jezebel - Rob E. G. (AUS)
• Killer Joe - the Rocky Fellers
• Losing You - Brenda Lee
• Move Baby, Move - Johnny O'Keefe (AUS)
• On Braodway - the Drifters
• Pipeline - the Chantays
• Proud Of You - Jay Justin (AUS)
• Puff The Magic Dragon - Peter, Paul & Mary
• Reverend Mr. Black - the Kingston Trio
• Royal Telephone - Jimmy Little (AUS)
• South Street - the Orlons
• Still - Bill Anderson
• Surfin U.S.A. - the Beach Boys
• Surfside - Digger Revell & the Denvermen (AUS)
• Take These Chains From My Heart - Ray Charles
• Teenage Heaven - Johnny Cymbal
• Two Faces Have I - Lou Christie
• Washington Square - Frank Traynor & the Jazz Preachers (AUS)
• Watermelon Man - Mongo Santamaria

The Hancock's Half-hour show that will follow the 10:00 news & weather is from January 25th. 1955 and entitled "The House On The Cliff".

Program for Friday 26th. April

Another smorgasbord of music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s....plus a dabble in the waters of the 1990s and 2000s!

Yes - a veritable feast of hits from across the past fifty years and to cap it off, the Comedy Spot which follows the 3:00 PM news & weather will be another classic Hancock's Half-hour.

This one comes from the first TV series, in which Sid James also featured, and is a classic in its own right - "Twelve Angry Men" - a wonderful parody of the 1957 dramatic movie of the same name.

Here's the playlist:-

• Chulu Chululu - Bill & Boyd (1964) *
• Easier Said Than Done - Laurel Lea (1965) *
• 99 Red Balloons - Nena (1983)
• Blowin' In The Wind - Peter, Paul & Mary (1963)
• Come On, Come Out - A Fine Frenzy [Alison Sudol] (2008)
• Daisy Petal Pickin' - Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs (1963)
• Dancing Queen - ABBA (1976)
• Dawn (Go Away) - the Four Seasons (1964)
• Fool, Fool, Fool - Ray Brown & the Whispers (1965) *
• Forget Him - Bobby Rydell (1963)
• GTO - Ronny & the Daytonas (1964)
• Hawaiian Lollipops - the Waikikis (1965)
• I Go To Rio - Peter Allen (1976) *
• I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Dionne Warwick (1969)
• I'm In Love Again - Dinah Lee (1965) *
• I'm Telling You Now - Freddie & the Dreamers (1965)
• Jezebel - Rob E.G. (1963) *
• Judy's Turn To Cry - Leslie Gore (1963)
• Lady Rose - Mungo Jerry (1971)
• Laughing Boy - Mary Wells (1963)
• Mecca - Gene Pitney (1963)
• Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck (1976)
• My Guy - Mary Wells (1964)
• Only You (theme from "The Young Victoria") - Sinead O'Connor (2009)
• Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison (1964)
• Ruby Baby - Dion (1963)
• Silhouettes - Herman's Hermits (1965)
• Stay Awhile - Dusty Springfield (1964)
• Tennessee Birdwalk - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (1970)
• The Way You Do The Things You Do - the Temptations (1964)
• Then He Kissed Me - the Crystals (1963)
• What Now My Love - the Ventures (1967)
• Whispering - Nino Temple & April Stevens (1963)
• Winchester Cathedral - the New Vaudeville Band (1966)

* denotes Australian artist.

So if you love the hits and pops and easy-listening tunes from the golden years of teenage-radio, please join me at 2:00 PM this Friday for another plunge into the nostalgia pool!

 

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ADVANCE NOTICE!

In a similar fashion to the show that I presented back on March 1st., on Friday (3rd. of May) I will present the first part of the 2UW Fabulous Top Fifty chart as at 3rd. May 1959.

 

The Friday program will cover the first 30 of the Top Fifty and on the following Monday (6th. May) I will present the remaining twenty hits PLUS 2UW's ten best "Recent Releases" (i.e, just released that week and too soon to list in the Top Fifty) AND their "Up-And-Coming" top ten picks.

 

The full playlist will be published on the Wednesday or Thursday preceeding the program.

Playlist for Monday 22nd. April

The start of a new week and today I will be presenting a selection of hits from the period 1963 - 1984, with an emphasis on the year 1964.
Included in the playlist are the following tracks:-

• A Summer Song - Chad & Jeremy (1964)
• Abigail Beecher - Freddy Cannon (1964)
• Baby Love - the Supremes (1964)
• Drip Drop - Dion (1964)
• Eso Beso - Cliff Richard (1965)
• Happy Blue Beat - Dinah Lee (1965)* AUS
• Hey There, Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman (1969)
• I Know A Place - Petula Clark (1965)
• It Hurts To Be In Love - Gene Pitney (1964)
• Little Honda - the Hondells (1964)
• Loving You - Francois Hardy (1968)
• Maybe I Know - Leslie Gore (1964)
• Mississippi - Pussycat (1976)
• Mountain Of Love - Johnny Rivers (1964)
• Much Too Late For Goodbyes - Julian Lennon (1984)
• My Aim Is To Please You - the Executives (1967) AUS
• My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small (1964)
• Navy Blue - Dianne Renay (1964)
• One Fine Day - the Chiffons (1963)
• Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw (1967)
• San Francisco (Flowers In Your Hair) - Scott Mackenzie (1967)
• The Last Time - the Rolling Stones (1965)
• Walk On By - Dionne Warwick (1964)
• We Can Work It Out - the Beatles (1966)
• Windy - the Ventures (1967)
• Working In A Coalmine - Lee Dorsey (1966)
• You Can't Do That - the Beatles (1964)

* I have included a track from the debut album recorded by Dinah Lee in 1965, "Introducing Dinah Lee".
This LP was produced following her major success that year with her first hit, "Don't You Know, Yockomo?".

Following the 10:00 AM news & weather I will present another classic in the Hancock's Half-hour radio shows, today's entitled "The 13th. Of The Series" and which first went to air on the 6th. of January 1957.

Program for Friday 19th. April

Today we revisit 1960, with a selection of hit tunes from the charts across the twelve months of that year.

The playlist is as follows (in alphabetical order by song title):-

• Apache - the Shadows
• Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis Presley
• Baby, You've Got What It Takes - Brook Benton & Dinah Washington
• Because They're Young - Duane Eddy
• Boom Boom Baby - Billy "Crash" Craddock
• Cathy's Clown - the Everly Brothers
• C'mon And Take My Hand - Johnny O'Keefe (Australia)
• Corrina, Corrina - Ray Petersen
• Don't Come Knockin' - Fats Domino
• Everybody's Somebody's Fool - Connie Francis
• Green Fields - the Brothers Four
• He Will Break Your Heart - Jerry Butler
• Hucklebuck - Chubby Checker
• I Found A New Love - Lonnie Lee (Australia)
• Last Date - Skeeter Davis
• Little Boy Lost - Johnny Ashcroft (Australia)
• Mission Bell - Donnie Brooks
• Mountain Of Love - Harold Dorman
• Muleskinner Blues - the Fendermen
• Paper Roses - Anita Bryant
• Road Runner - Bo Diddley
• She's My Baby - Johnny O'Keefe (Australia)
• Starlight Starbright - Lonnie Lee (Australia)
• Stuck On You - Elvis Presley
• Sway - Bobby Rydell
• Ta Ta - Clyde McPhatter
• Tie Me Kangarooo Down - Rolf Harris (Australia)
• Walk, Don't Run - the Ventures
• What In The World's Come Over You - Jack Scott
• Wonderful World - Sam Cooke
• Yes Sir, That's My Baby - Col Joye (Australia)
• You Talk Too Much - Joe Jones

The Hancock's Half-hour show to follow the 3:00 PM news & weather will be from 11th. January 1955, entitled "A Trip To France"
It features Tony Hancock, Sid James, Bill Kerr and Moira Lister.

15th. April 2013 = 15th. April 1961

Today's program features music from the Hit Parade of 15th. April 1961 - this is what we were listening to on our trannies and the 45s that we were buying fifty-two years ago today.

Here is the Top Thirty for that week back in 1961:-

•   1. Runaway - Del Shannon
•   2. Blue Moon - The Marcels
•   3. (I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do - Clarence "Frogman" Henry
•   4. Daddy's Home - Shep & the Limelites
•   5. I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott 
•   6. Mother-In-Law - Ernie K-Doe
•   7. Baby Blue - The Echoes
•   8. Tonight I Fell In Love - The Tokens
•   9. A Hundred Pounds of Clay - Gene McDaniels
• 10. Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) - Carla Thomas
• 11. Once Upon a Time - Rochell & the Candles
• 12. Dedicated to the One I Love - The Shirelles
• 13. Trust In Me - Etta James
• 14. (Good Goodbye) So So Long - The Bob Knight Four 
• 15. Think Twice - Brook Benton
• 16. Funny - Maxine Brown
• 17. One Mint Julep - Ray Charles 
• 18. Some Kind of Wonderful - The Drifters
• 19. Pony Time - Chubby Checker
• 20. Tonight My Love, Tonight - Paul Anka 
• 21. Please Love Me Forever - Cathy Jean & the Roommates
• 22. Apache - Jorgen Ingmann & his Guitar
• 23. The Charanga - Merv Griffin
• 24. African Waltz - Johnny Dankworth
• 25. You Can Depend On Me - Brenda Lee
• 26. I Don't Want to Cry - Chuck Jackson
• 27. The Touchables - Dickie Goodman
• 28. I'm In the Mood for Love - The Chimes
• 29. The Watusi - The Vibrations
• 30. Surrender - Elvis Presley

Also included will be the following Top Ten hits from Australian artists for 1961:-

• 1 I'M COUNTING ON YOU ............. Johnny O'Keefe
• 2 DREAM GIRL ............. Bryan Davies
• 3 HOKEY POKEY ............. Johnny Chester (copy not available)
• 4 CAN CAN LADIES ............. Johnny Chester (copy not available)
• 5 NEW ORLEANS BEAT ............. The Thunderbirds
• 6 WILD WEEKEND ............. The Thunderbirds
• 7 YOU'RE THE LIMIT ............. The Delltones
• 8 GOOD LOOKING BOY ............. Patsy Ann Noble
• 9 RIGHT NOW ............. Johnnny O'Keefe
• 10 SKIP TO MY LOU ............. Dave Bridge Quartet

The Comedy Spot following the 10:00 AM news and weather is another in the Hancock's Half-hour radio series from the 1950s, The School Reunion, from 20th. January 1957.

Friday 12th. - Remembering Annette

I was saddened to learn today that one of my "crushes" of the early 60s, when I was but a young teen, passed away yesterday.
Annette Funicello, forever in my mind as a Mouseketeer and then as the singer of  "Tall Paul", had succumbed to the evils of Multiple Sclerosis at age 70.

So in today's show I will be featuring her songs, most of which made it into the Top Ten both in the USA and here in Australia.

The rest of the program will include a mixed selection of 1950s and 1960s music, so please join me for three hours of reminiscing.
The playlist is as follows:-

• A Little Bit Of Soap - Jarmels (1961)
• Beatnik Fly - Johnny & the Hurricanes (1960)
• Billy - Kathy Linden (1958)
• Cimarron - Billy Vaughn (1958)
• Cupid - Sam Cooke (1962)
• Dee Dee Dinah - Frankie Avalon(1958)
• (He's My) Dreamboat - Connie Francis (1961)
• Forget Me Not - the Kalin twins (1958)
• How High's The Moon? - Lola Albright (1958) (From the Peter Gunn TV series).
• I Fall To Pieces - Patsy Cline (1960)
• I Love How You Love Me - the Paris Sisters (1961)
• I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott (1961)
• Jojo The Dog-Faced Boy - Annette Funicello (1959)
• Let The Little Girl Dance - Billy Bland (1960)
• Let's Get Together - Hayley Mills (1961)
• Loving You - Francois Hardy (1968)
• Magic Spell - Annette Funicello (1960)
• Monkey's Uncle - Annette Funicello & Beach Boys (1964) (From the movie The Monkey's Uncle).
• My Blue Heaven - Fats Domino (1956)
• My Heart Is An Open Book - Carl Dobkins Jr (1959)
• O Dio Mio - Annette Funicello (1960)
• Pineapple Princess - Annette Funicello (1960)
• Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) - Sue Thompson (1961)
• Seventeen - the Fontane Sisters (1955)
• Short Shorts - the Royal Teens (1958)
• Sky High - the Champs (1958)
• Standing On The Corner - the Four Lads (1956)
• Talahassie Lassie - Freddie Cannon (1959)
• Tall Paul - Annette Funicello (1959)
• Walking To New Orleans - Fats Domino (1960)
• Witch Doctor - David Seville (1958)
• Yellow Bird - Arthur Lyman (1961)
• You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby - Bobby Darin

Back to the Seventies! - Monday 8th. April

Today's program takes us back to the era of Mission Brown, Burnt Orange, fondue parties, flared pants, body-shirts, mini-skirts edging lower and, of course, discos!

Yep, we are grooving to the sounds from 40 years ago and the playlist for today will feature the following tracks:-

• Ain't Gonna Bump No More - Joe Tex (1977)
• Alone Again, Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972)
• Boom Sha La - Hand Poulson (1970) AUS
• Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel (1969)
• Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - Middle Of The Road (1971)
• Don't Pull Your Love Out On Me Baby - Hamilton & Reynolds (1971)
• Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens (1970)
• Free Me - Uriah Heep (1978)
• Get Dancin' - Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes (1975)
• Gimme Dat Ding - Frankie Davidson (1970) AUS
• Heartbeat, It's A Love Beat - DeFranco Family (1973)
• Hey There Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman (1969/70)
• Hold The Line - Toto (1978)
• In The Summertime - the Mixtures (1971) AUS
• Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas (1974)
• Lola - the Kinks (1970)
• Look What They've Done To My Song - the New Seekers (1971)
• Love Can make You Happy - Mercy (1969)
• Love Will Keep Us Together - the Captain & Tenille (1975)
• Melanie Makes Me Smile - the Strangers (1969) AUS
• Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck (1976)
• Nutbush City Limits - Ike & Tina Turner (1973)
• Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello (1979)
• One Less Bell To Answer - the 5th. Dimension (1970)
• Out Of Time - Chris Farlowe (1966)
• Rock & Roll, Part 1 - Gary Glitter (1972)
• Sarah Smile - Hall & Oates (1976)
• September - Earth, Wind & Fire (1978)
• Shannon - Henry Gross (1975)
• She's Not There - Santana (1972)
• Sky High - Jigsaw (1975)
• Spill The Wine - Eric Burdon (1970)
• Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel (1972)
• Sugar Baby Love - the Rubettes (1975)
• The Last Song - Edward Bear (1972)
• The Other Guy - Little River Band (1982) AUS
• Theme from "Rush" - Brian May & ABC Showband (1974) AUS
• Venus - Shocking Blue (1970)
• You Took The Words - Meatloaf (1977)
• Your Momma Don't Dance - Bootleg Family Band - feat. Brian Cadd (1973) AUS

The Comedy Spot following the 10:00 AM news & weather is another classic Hancock's Half-hour from the 1950s.

Program for Friday 5th. April 2013

Baby-Boomer Radio will be presenting a veritable smorgasbord of memories in today's program, with a mix of hits and easy-listening popular music from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The regular comedy spot following the 2:00 PM news & weather will be yet another in the classic Hancock's Half-hour series.

Please join me for a paddle in the deep end of the nostalgia pool.