Ray’s Forgotten Singles for Saturday 20 June 2009

A double sided hit, one side being a hit in the UK and the flip-side being the hit in the USA. Both sides were a HUGE HIT in N.Z. and we’re playing the US hit side, US#4 in 1957, 23 weeks in Top 100 from 17 June and NZ#1 in November 1957. This artist died 11 October 2008.

The 5th million-seller for this flamboyant artist again co-written by him, with Enotris Johnson - US#10 in 1957, 20 weeks in Top 100 from 17 June and UK#11 (5 weeks in Top 20 from 13 Sep 1957) MODERATE HIT in N.Z.

The only million-seller for this group of rhythm-and-blues singers. The song is the famous Mitchell Parish (words) and Hoagy Carmichael (music) standard of 1929 and there have been 19 charted versions of the tune in the States.
US#12, with 24 weeks in the USA bestsellers from 17 June 1957, and No 13 with 11 weeks in the British bestsellers. HUGE HIT in N.Z.


UK#1(2) from 19 June 1959, NZ#1 in July for the only solo instrumentalist ever to achieve consecutive #1 hits in the UK - with his 2nd composition to glide to the top, 8 weeks after his earlier hit, that conjured up a riding style for the Queen. MONSTER HIT in N.Z.

The first act in British chart history to score number ones with their first two releases.. UK#1(4) from 20 June and Au#1(1) 5 July 1963 Monster Hit in N.Z.
The second Merseybeat group to be signed by Brian Epstein (after The Beatles) but, they were the first of his acts to make No 1.

And the songs;
1pm, Russ Hamilton – Rainbow
2pm, Little Richard – Jenny Jenny
3pm, Billy Ward & The Dominoes – Stardust
4pm, Russ Conway – Roulette
5pm, Gerry & The Pacemakers – I Like It

Ray’s Forgotten Singles for Saturday 13 June 2009

Monster Hit in N.Z. This song tells the story of a couple’s marriage, their trip to Paris and Amsterdam and their life in general. The singer complains in song of people’s attitude to the events which immediately preceded and followed the marriage in Gibralter. The 14th of this group’s 17 numbers ones to reach the top in the second week on the UK chart and was also No 1 in Germany, Austria, Holland, Norway, Spain, Belguim, Denmark, Malaysia and Australia. No 2 in New Zealand.

US#1(8) from 16 June 1956 and a Huge Hit in N. Z. This artist's 2nd million-seller, after 'Suddenly There's A Valley' from the year before. The singer was almost 80yrs old when she sang this song in 2004
Daphne commented, Also I see a song you are planning for later in June and the artist also sang “Suddenly There’s a valley”
Would that be Gogi Grant? She sure looks great if that’s a picture of her – bet she isn’t nearly 80 then!

UK#1(7) from 13 June 1970, for a group that had no drummer, so the leader was also the group ‘stomper’. The leader of the group had been doing live shows since the age of 14, and his band the Good Earth were a popular live attraction, able to do shows anywhere in the UK at short notice, with a set that ranged from rockabilly to blues and skiffle

And the songs;
1pm, Procol Harum – Whiter Shade Of Pale
2pm, Mungo Jerry – In The Summertime
3pm, Gogi Grant – The Wayward Wind
4pm, Beatles – Ballad Of John And Yoko
5pm, Fleetwood Mac – In Dreams
I think that was the order I played the songs

June 6, 2009, the 65th Anniversary of D-Day

Today a song based on a poem written during the 1st World War by Hans Liep while on his way to the Russian front. Based on the names of two girls, his own and a friends the poem was published in 1937 and picked up by Lale Anderson, then a young caberet actress. A composer friend set the poem to a waltz beat which went down well with audiences but in 1938 composer Shultze, who was favoured by the Nazi Party, met Lale and showed her his arrangment that a record company wanted and so Lale Anderson recorded it to a marching tempo in March 1939. The song did not register until 1940, when the German Soldier Network in Belgrade in occupied Yugoslavia, chose it as their sign-off song.
We’ll also do a comparison with the Anne Shelton version.

Plus a song from a film that received three Academy Awards and was a US#1(3) from 2 June 1956. Later I received an email
"Thanks for the mention re Picnic on youtube .... wonderful scene and music. Hope more enjoy it."

Regards Maria. Sent: Sat 06/06/2009 3:34 PM

Ray’s Forgotten Singles for Saturday 30 May 2009

UK#1(2) from 2 May 1970 and US#3 from February 1970, from a guy born November 1942 in Malden, Massachusetts. Moved to the West Coast in 1965 and formed the psychedelic jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band.

UK#1(4) from 27 May 1955 Originally a French tune by a Spanish composer, it was selected as theme music for the film "Underwater" and this version made #1in the UK the day after Anthony Eden became Prime Minister as leader of the Conservative Party. Big Hit in N.Z.

US#1(2) from 29 May 1965. and peaked at #27 in Britain Big Hit in N.Z. It sold an eventual million globally and became this group's 6th million-seller. For the entire song, the words "get her out of my heart" appears 5 times and the song's title appears 41 times, according to SongFacts.com

US#1(2) from 29 May 1976. Our artist initially resented this new musical movement but eventually agreed to record the song. Davis instructed the song's engineer Russ Terrana to install a strobe light so that the singer could be in the "disco" mindset, and shared a glass of wine with her prior to the recording. As the song changed from ballad to uptempo, she became more comfortable with the material; she hummed, sang bit parts, laughed, danced around and even imitated Billie Holiday. The carefree and sensual nature of her vocals and the music's direction helped to sell the song.

A philosophical song written by Murray Wizell and Irving Melsher in 1957 became the 18th million-seller for this artist but, didn't make the US Top 100! - UK#15, 8 weeks in Top 30 from 30 May 1958 Monster Hit in N.Z.

And the songs;
1pm, Norman Greenbaum – Spirit In The Sky
2pm, Eddie Calvert – Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White
3pm, Beach Boys – Help Me Rhonda
4pm, Diana Ross – Love Hangover
5pm, Perry Como – I May Never Pass This Way Again

Ray’s Forgotten Singles for Saturday 23 May 2009

UK#1, 21 May 1964. The song was written by lead singer, Lionel Morton with two other members of the group. MODERATE HIT in N.Z. This group got their break partly through Marie Reidy of 'Reidy's Home of Music', the place they had count all the four thousand holes, according to the Beatles – A Day In The Life

US#1, 22 May 1961 (14 weeks in Top 100). For a Rythmn & Blues singer/songwriter, born February 1936 in New Orleans. He recorded with the Blue Diamonds in 1954, made his first solo recording in 1955 and this, his first solo chart was followed by 3 others in 1961 and 1 in 1962

UK#1, 19 May 1962, based on Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker Suite' and masterminded by Kim Fowley, LA born in 1942. This instrumental stayed on the British charts for 15 weeks in 1972, #1 for one week, 17 May 1962 - and when re-issued on the Stateside label in 1972, spent another 11 weeks on the chart. For the first time on the British chart an instrumental took over the Number 1 spot from another instrumental, The Shadows – Wonderful Land. (which had an 8 week run at the top from 22 March 1962)

NZ#1 in October 1957 HUGE HIT
A song also covered in the UK by Ruby Murray, although her version didn't show in the UK Top 20 whereas this female artist made UK#5, 13 weeks in from 24 May 1957. (US#14 from March 1956)

Au#1(4) from 24 May 1963 Monster Hit. Probably one of the best selling 45's for the year.

And the songs;
1pm, Four Pennies - Juliet
2pm, Ernie K. Doe – Mother-In-Law
3pm, B. Bumble & The Stingers – Nut Rocker
4pm, Peggy Lee – Mr. Wonderful
5pm, Bill Justis – Tamoure

Ray’s Forgotten Singles for Saturday 16 May 2009

Forgotten Single for 1pm
(Now And Then There's) A FOOL SUCH AS I. UK#1(5) from 15 May and US#2 with 15 weeks in Top 100 from 23 March 1959. Written in 1952, it had been a favourite of Elvis' since 1953 when the song became a #4 Country hit for Hank Snow who at one time had been managed by Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis' manager. (also US#16 chart for Jo Stafford in 1953) For Elvis it became his 23rd million-seller (selling 2 million) and became his first No. 1 (UK) ballad hit.


Forgotten Single for 2pm
ROCK-A-BILLY, UK#1 17 May 1957 for one week HUGE HIT Mitch Miller's 15th UK No. 1 production was also Guy Mitchell's 4th - and final - No. 1 in Britain, and it was a near as Mitch Miller would ever get to acknowledging the existence of rock and roll, skiffle or the blues.

Forgotten Single for 3pm
Girlie, NZ#1, 14 May 1970, 12 weeks in Top 20 from April and UK#34. The Peddlers formed in Manchester in 1964, as a trio of Trevor Morais (born 10 October 1944, Liverpool), Tab Martin (born Alan Raymond Brearley, 24 December 1944, Newcastle upon Tyne) and Roy Phillips (born 5 May 1941, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset).
The trio’s third and final CBS album, Birthday, from 1969, brought two UK Top 40 singles in "Girlie" and "Birth". After the Peddlers, Morais joined Quantum Jump. Roy Phillips moved to live in Christchurch, New Zealand and performs live shows around the country. Martin lives in Portugal
A Peddler's reunion gig is scheduled for 25 May at Skycity in Auckland, New Zealand.
A new Roy Phillips CD “Dancing With The Shadows” was released in September 2007 and contained a “stunning” new version of ‘Girlie’.



Tease for 4pm
US#1(2) from 18 May 1959 with 16 weeks in Top 100. Also NZ#1 in September 1959. The sole million-seller for this artist had been written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952, originally called "K.C. Lovin'" Moderate Hit in N.Z.


Tease for 5pm
US#1(2) from 18 May 1963 with 14 weeks in Top 100, UK#39 and it sold a million for this boy preacher at age 7 who got his name from the church elders who whispered 'He's got soul' whenever he preached. A member of various local gospel groups before he then discovered his forte in singing pop tunes and rock'n'roll. He auditioned with a rock'n'roll combination for a group that had its one week engagement extended into several months. Jimmy then formed his own group and after 'Twisting Matilda' in 1962, came his million seller.

And the songs;
4pm, Wilbert Harrison – Kansas City
5pm, Jimmy Soul – If You Want To Be Happy

Ray’s Forgotten Singles for Saturday 9 May 2009

Tease for 1pm
UK#1(2) from 7 May 1964, US#16 from May 1964 and a MONSTER HIT in N.Z. This cover of the Orlons’ hit came while the group was going through some changes in personnel over tension within the band. The group’s success continued for another 12 months with two classic songs.


Tease for 2pm
US#1, 11 May 1959 (with 17 weeks in Top 100) and NZ#1 in June 1959. This keyboardist/composer worked mainly as a session musician around New York

Tease for 3pm
US#1, 7 May 1977, a UK Top 10 and NZ Top 5 The group’s 2nd million seller, after an earlier single, also from the same album. The album title song.


Tease for 4pm
US#1(2) from 14 May 1955 (# shared date with our 5pm song) Monster Hit in N.Z.
Al Hibbler's version also sold a million in 1955. Even if the movie it came was forgettable the song is well remembered as a hit for a duo in the mid sixties and for later featuring in the Patrick Swayze film "Ghost".

Tease for 5pm
US#1(3) from 14 May 1955 (* shared date with the 4pm featured song) Another Rhythm & Blues cover, also known as "The Wallflower", a revised version of, or 'answer song' to Hank Ballard's "Work With Me Annie". This was our artist's 3rd million-seller and a Big Hit in N.Z.


And the songs;
1pm, The Searchers - Don't Throw Your Love Away
2pm, Dave 'Baby' Cortez - Happy Organ
3pm, Eagles - Hotel California
4pm, Les Baxter & Orchestra - Unchained Melody
5pm, Georgia Gibbs - Dance With Me Henry