Program for Friday 18th. February

One of the funniest dialogues I have heard in any of the series is to be enjoyed in today's Hancock's Half-hour when Tony and Bill discuss wax effigies and pin-sticking!
Join me after the 3:00 PM news & weather when Tony Hancock, Sid James and Bill Kerr get stuck into "The Waxwork", first broadcast on the 17th. November 1959.

The music in today's program features that which was on air on this date in 1961 - 52 years ago.
The playlist includes the following hits:-

• Stay - Maurice Williams
• You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful (And You're Mine) - Johnny Burnette
• Wheels - the String-A-Longs
• My Girl Josephine - Fats Domino
• Many Tears Ago - Connie Francis
• Baby-sitting Boogie - Buzz Clifford
• Good Time Baby - Bobby Rydell
• I Count The Tears - the Drifters
• Calcutta - Lawrence Welk & Orchestra
• Rubber Ball - Bobby Vee
• There's A Moon Out Tonight - the Capris
• Lonely Teenager - Dion
• Sway - Bobby Rydell
• All In My Mind - Maxine Brown
• North To Alaska - Johnny Horton
• I'll Build A Dollhouse - Donnie Brooks
• Last Date - Floyd Cramer
• Once In A While - the Chimes
• Corrina, Corrina - Ray Peterson
• Calendar Girl - Neil Sedaka
• Where The Boys Are - Connie Francis
• Will You Love Me Tomorrow - the Shirelles
• Please Love Me Forever - Cathy Jean & the Roommates
• You Can Have Her - Roy Hamilton
• Shop Around - the Miracles
• Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea) - Lolita
• Emotions - Brenda Lee
• My Empty Arms - Jackie Wilson
• Exodus - Ferrante & Teicher
• Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King
• At Last - Etta James
• A Thousand Stars - Kathy Young & the Innocents
• Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis Presley
• Wonderland By Night - Bert Kaempfert & Orchestra
• Angel Baby - Rosie & the Originals

For Monday 14th. January

Wow! Here we are, just on halfway through the first month of 2013.
Soon the shops will be featuring promotions for Easter (if they aren't already!)

For today's program I will be having a mix of everything - selections from the 1950s right through the decades to the 1990s, from Tops of the Pops through Easy Listening and the occasional contemporary piece.

 

Playlist will include:-

• Wheels - the String-A-Longs (1961)
• Tall Paul - Annette Funicello (1959)
• A Gal In Calico - Gordon Franks Orchestra
• Besame Mucho - Julie London (1960s)
• Snowbird - Ray Conniff Orchestra & Chorus
• Johnny Angel - Shelly Fabares (1962)
• The Real Thing - the Five Royals (1959)
• The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley (1958)
• Early In Tyhe Morning - the Rinky Dinks, featuring Bobby Darin (1958)
• Wild One - Bobby Rydell (1960)
• A Woman In Love - Frankie Laine (1956)
• California Sun - the Rivieras (1964)
• When - the Kalin Twins (1958)
• Twenty-Six Miles - the Four Preps (1958)
• Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison (1959)
• Eso Beso - Joe Harnell (1963)
• Personality - Ray Price (1959)
• Begin The Beguine - Ray Conniff & Orchestra (1956)
• Are You Looking For A Sweetheart - Kitty Kallen (1953)
• Canson D'Amor - Art & Dotty Todd (1958)
• Lemon Tree - Peter, Paul & Mary (1962)
• Why Can't I - Paula Castle (1955?)
• You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford (1953)
• Wonderland By Night - Bert Kaempfert (1960)
• She Wears Red Feathers - Guy Mitchell (1953)
• Amazing - Alex Lloyd (2001)
• Ebb Tide - Matt Monro (1970s)
• You Win Again - the Bee Gees (1987)
   

 

 

Don't overlook the regular Comedy Spot that follows the 10:00 AM news & weather.
Today will feature another classic Hancock's Half-hour from the 1950s.

Friday 11th. January 2013

Today I will be featuring the Top 20 Hits that were in the charts during the first two weeks of 1964.
Included in that list are such memories as:-

• Do You Love Me - Brian Poole and the Tremeloes
• I Want To Hold Your Hand - the Beatles
• There, I've Said It Again - Bobby Vinton
• Java - Al Hirt
• Forget Him - Bobby Rydell
• Anyone Who Had A Heart - Dionne Warwick
• Wives & Lovers - Jack Jones
• Drag City - Jan and Dean
• I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield
• Louie, Louie - the Kingsmen
• Out Of Limits - the Marketts
• Hey Little Cobra - the Rip Chords
• Whispering - Nino Temple and April Stevens

...................and many others.

Following the 3:00 PM news and weather will be a classic Hancock's Half-hour from the late 1950s, "Agricultural 'Ancock" (February 1957).

Program for Monday 7th. January 2013.

A smorgasbord of music for today's program, from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s - so there should be a little of something for everyone.

The playlist includes the following:-

• Hello, Goodbye - the Beatles (1967)
• I Heard It On The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1968)
• Candy Girl - the Four Seasons (1963)
• A Fool Never learns - Andy Williams (1964)
• Cotton Candy - Al Hirt (1964)
• All Kinds Of Everything - Dana (1970)
• Always Yours - Gary Glitter (1974)
• Apple Peaches Pumpkin Pie - Jay and the Techniques (1967)
• Atomic - Blondie (1979)
• Baby Love - the Supremes (1964)
• Baby, Now That I've Found You - the Foundations (1967)
• Band Of Gold - Freda Payne (1970)
• Surfer Girl - the Beach Boys (1963)
• I Should Have Known Better - the Beatles (1964)
• Begin The Beguine - Julio Inglesias (1981)
• Percolator Twist - Billy Joe and the Checkmates (1962)
• Blue Moon - the Marcels (1961)
• 500 Miles Away From Home - Bobby Bare (1963)
• Can't Give You Anything But Love - the Stylistics (1975)
• Rhythm Of The Rain - the Cascades (1963)
• Pipeline - the Chantays (1963)
• Dance On - the Shadows (1963)
• Diana - Paul Anka (1957)
• Don't Turn Around - Aswad (1988)
• Bristol Stomp - the Dovells (1961)
• Eso Beso - Cliff Richard (1965)
• Eye Level - Simon Park Orchestra (1973)
• Feels Like I'm In Love - Kelly Marie (1980)
• The Final Countdown - Europe (1986)
• Forever And Ever - Demis Roussos (1973)
• Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan (1973
• Have A Good Time - Sue Thompson (1962)
• Sweets For My Sweet - the Searchers (1963)
• The Last Time - the Rolling Stones (1965)
• This Old House - Shakin' Stevens (1981)
• Tiger Feet - MUD (1974)

The Comedy Spot (following the 10:00 AM news)  for today will feature another Hancock's Half-hour, this one from 1959 and entitled "Sid's Mystery Tours".

A Happy New Year! The first show for 2013.......

Well, let's hope that Lucy is totally wrong and that 2013 is a great year for everyone......we'll give it a bit more than a couple of days to make an evaluation, I think!

Kicking off the program for 2013 on Friday between 2:00 and 5:00 PM, I am featuring the Top 20 (more, if time permits) from the first week of 1963 - a return to the Hits of exactly fifty years ago.
The list includes such gems as......................

•   Tell Him - The Exciters
•   Pepino the Italian Mouse - Lou Monte
•   Limbo Rock - Chubby Checker
•   Bobby's Girl - Marcie Blane
•   Telstar - The Tornadoes
•   Up On the Roof - The Drifters
•   Big Girls Don't Cry - The 4 Seasons
•   Go Away Little Girl - Steve Lawrence
•   Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah - Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
•   Two Lovers - Mary Wells
•   Release Me - Little Esther Phillips
•   Everybody Loves a Lover - The Shirelles
•   You Are My Sunshine - Ray Charles
•   Return to Sender - Elvis Presley
•   Loop de Loop - Johnny Thunder
•   Hotel Happiness - Brook Benton
•   Fly Me to the Moon Bossa Nova - Joe Harnell
•   Don't Hang Up - The Orlons
•   Keep Your Hands Off My Baby - Little Eva
•   The Lonely Bull - The Tijuana Brass
•   Popeye (The Hitchhiker) - Chubby Checker
•   You've Really Got a Hold On Me - The Miracles
•   See See Rider - LaVern Baker
•   My Coloring Book - Kitty Kallen
•   All Alone Am I - Brenda Lee
•   Chains - The Cookies
•   Walk Right In - The Rooftop Singers
•   Gina - Johnny Mathis
•   Love Came to Me - Dion
•   (Dance With the) Guitar Man - Duane Eddy
•   Rumors - Johnny Crawford    
•   James, Hold The Ladder Steady - Sue Thompson
•   Happy Guitar - Reg Owen Orchestra
•   Spanish Lace - Gene McDaniels

Note that there is not one Beatles track amongst that lot; they had not yet appeared on the international charts and it wasn't until (approximately) February of this year that "Love Me Do" charted at #17 in Britain.
So this first week of 1963 was Beatles-free. What became known as the "British Invasion" had yet to occur.

The Comedy Spot following the 3:00 PM news & weather will feature Tony Hancock, Sid James and Bill Kerr in a gem from 1959 - "The Elopement".

UPDATE:
In memory of the wonderful Miss Patti Page, who died at age 85 on January 1st., I will be playing two of her hits - from 1950, "Tennessee Waltz" and from 1953, "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window".

I look forward to your company.

New Year's Eve - Monday 31st. December

For this final program for 2012 I thought that I would feature the Top 20 for the year 1962 - a look at what were the most popular hits fifty years ago.
And here is what the DJs were playing and what we were buying back then, counting down from No. 1 to No. 20.......

1. Working For The Man - Roy Orbison
2. Ramblin' Rose - Nat "King" Cole
3. Multiplication - Bobby Darrin
4. Alley Cat - Bent Fabric
5. Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley
6. Wolverton Mountain - Claude King
7. The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
8. Telstar - the Tornadoes
9. Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk
10. The Boys - the Shadows
11. Dance With The Guitar Man - Duane Eddy
12. The Swiss Maid - Del Shannon
13. I've Been Everywhere - Lucky Starr
14. The Cha Cha Cha - Bobby Rydell
15. Midnight In Moscow - Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
16. If I Didn't Have A Dime - Gene Pitney
17. Do You Want To Dance - Cliff Richard and the Shadows
18. Roses Are red (My Love) - Bobby Vinton
19. He's Not A Rebel - Vikki Carr
20. Big Girls Don't Cry - the Four Seasons

In addition to the above, the following were the Top 10 Australian Hits for that year:-

1. I've Been Everywhere - Lucky Starr (included above)
2. Si Senor - Rob E.G.
3. Sing - Johnny O'Keefe
4. Southern 'Rora - the Joy Boys
5. I Remember You - Frank Ifield
6. Wolverton Mountain - Kevin Shegog *
7. Get A Little Dirt On You Hands - the Delltones
8. 5-4-3-2-1-Zero - Rob E.G.
9. Girl From Wolverton Mountain - Dorothy Baker
10. Midnight Bus - Betty McQuade

I will be playing all of the above tracks (* sorry but I don't have this one) during the show, along with other hits from 1962.

I was prompted by a news item last night, in which the Red Cross were appealing for blood donors across the region, to feature a classic Hancock's Half-hour, "The Blood Donor", in the comedy spot following the 10:00 AM news and weather.
If you have not heard this previously, then you'll love it. And if you have heard it before then I'm sure you will enjoy the re-run.

Happy New Year to you all!

Friday 28th. December - Penultimate Show for 2012.

This second-last show for the year will be a mixture of all things Pop and Easy-listening from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s; I will not be focusing at any one decade or year.

The Comedy Spot following the 3:00 PM news and weather is another from the Hancock's Half-hour series, this one entitled "The Threatening Letter", from 27th. May 1958, and featuring all five regulars for this period - Tony Hancock, Sid James, Bill Kerr, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams.

Please join me and spend three hours wallowing in radio-nostalgia!