Mary Travers, the singer with Peter, Paul and Mary, died Wednesday 16 September 2009, after a battle with leukemia aged 72. I love the quote from the obituary Mark M sent me ...
"Singing protest songs with a strident glamour, a shock of blonde hair shaking to the sounds of righteousness as two bearded folkie types played guitar on either side of her, Travers was the ideal public face for New York's beatnik scene. Prettier than Bob Dylan, less hectoring than Joan Baez, she made the idea of sipping overpriced coffee in a downtown dive, while a guitar player sang songs of freedom seem like the greatest thing in the world."
I remember seeing PP&M at the Auckland Town Hall in 1967? the same year I saw The Seekers. Then, Peter, Paul & Mary were the better act for me but on the respective 25th Anniversary tours I saw both groups again and that time the Seekers had the edge.
An 18th September 2009 update from Judith Durham's website said
"With Mary Travers’ passing, the world has lost the musical gifts of one of the most caring souls on the planet. The Seekers are proud to have shared the folk music …"
One thing with Mary's bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy, the three were 'hair equal'.
Some options for Saturday 19 September
Freda Payne
BAND OF GOLD*. UK#1(6) from 19 September 1970. US#3 in 1970, 20 weeks in Top 100 from 25 April. Detroit born 19 September 1945 and sister of The Supremes’ Scherrie Payne. Attended the Institute of Musical Arts. To New York in 1963. Performed with Pearl Bailey, Duke Ellington and Quincy Jones. First recorded for Impulse in 1965 and hosted the syndicated TV talk show ‘For You Black Woman’ in the early 1970s. Produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland, Payne later made it to #33 with “Deeper And Deeper”, then came “Cherish What Is Dear To You” in 1971 her last UK chart entry. In the US she had one of the major protest songs about the Vietnam War, with “Bring The Boys Home”. * Might be a Coast track but not played on a regular basis that I recall.
Diana Ross
*AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH Motown [USA]. US#1(3) from 19 September 1970, 14 weeks in Top 100. A tremendous success for Diana Ross, who in 1970 became a star solo attraction. The song was written in 1968 by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson (both of who produced the recording) Release was on 8 August 1970 in the US and the song sold over 2 million. British release was on 2 October 1970 and it made UK#6, with 12 weeks in the Top 50.
The Tams
HEY GIRL DON’T BOTHER ME. UK#1(3) from 19 September 1971. US#41 in 1964.
An Atlanta R&B quintet of brothers Charles and Joseph (lead singer) Pope, with Robert Smith, Floyd Ashton and Horace Key. The Tams chart career in their home country of America was a healthy 6 years but was over before their trio of British Hits began. Only sold moderately in New Zealand says music history maestro Mark, who said, "Neither issue was overly popular and The Tams never sold in great numbers in New Zealand."
The Archies
*SUGAR, SUGAR Calendar [USA], US#1(4) from 20 September and UK#1(8) from 25 October 1969 - Monster Hit in N.Z.
Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim and sung by studio singers who remained anonymous with the exception of Ron Dante, who was later named as the lead singer.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
BAD MOON RISING*, UK#1(3) from 20 September and NZ#1(2), 7 & 21 August 1969 - with Tommy Roe's Heather Honey #1 in between. US#2, 14 weeks in Top 100 from 3 May 1969. CCR never made #1 in the US with the #2 hits being; Proud Mary #2(3) from 8 March, Bad Moon Rising #2(2) from 28 June and Green River #2 on 27 September in 1969 and Looking Out My Back Door #2 on 3 October in 1970. Monster Hit in N.Z.
* more a Hauraki track for TRN
Pat Boone
* Love Letters In The Sand, Au#1(5) from 21 September and NZ#1 in August 1957
Bobby Vinton
*BLUE VELVET
US#1(3) from 21 September 1963, 15 weeks in the Top 100
The 2nd million-seller for Bobby with a song written in 1951 - and orchestra conducted by Burt Bacharach. Bobby released another song in late 1963 that also went onto sell a million and become a #1 in 1964 - There! I Said It Again and had been a #1 previously for Vaughn Monroe in 1945. Monster Hit
Anne Shelton
LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS, UK#1(4) from 21 September 1956 and NZ#1 in January 1957
Santo & Johnny
SLEEP WALK, US#1(2) from 21 September (18 weeks in Top 100) and NZ#1 in November 1959 BIG HIT in N.Z. Their sole million-seller. The Million Sellers Encyclopedia says "it owes its appeal to the pulsating slow background beat of Johnny's rhythm guitar and a melancholy, somewhat exotic melody of Santo's steel guitar. The Brooklyn born Farina brothers were aged 21 and 18 at the time.
Shirley Bassey
REACH FOR THE STARS/CLIMB EV’RY MOUNTAIN.
UK#1, 21 September 1961 (1 week), 10 weeks in the Top 20 from 29 July 1961. Shirley Bassey, the most successful solo female artiste in British chart history took three titles to Number One with two hits. “As I Love You” was the first and with her second, it featured on one side , a song written by the man who won the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest for Austria, with English lyrics by Bassey’s producer Norman Newell under the pseudonym David West. The other side was from The Sound Of Music. Despite its fabulous success in album sales and on stage and as a film, ‘The Sound Of Music’ has not supplied as many hits to the singles charts as some other, less successful shows. The only other hit from the show was Vince Hill’s “Edelweiss” which peaked at #2 in 1967. (The Guiness Book of Number One Hits)
From 14 September to 19 October 1961, the British charts had a new No. 1 each week. There were only 5 records in those six weeks on the charts as John Leyton’s “Johnny Remember Me” made #1 twice.
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