Previous Feature 45s — Page 2

Sixteen year-old, Tony Orlando from New York City recorded this Carole King and Gerry Goffin song for Epic Records in 1961 with an orchestra conducted by Chuck Sagle and backing vocals by the Cookies and Carole King herself. The British cover version by Billy Fury was a bigger world-wide hit, but neither version made our local Top 40 charts.

With music by George Goehring and words by veteran lyricist Sylvia Dee, the song made No.6 on our Top 40 and stayed in the chart for 15 weeks, this version sharing chart honours with the Connie Francis version. Since 1953 she had many releases using her real name Gayla Peevey but this was the fourth single using the name Jamie Horton.

School teacher, Virgil Johnson wrote the song and sang the lead tenor part with a group he formed from four of his pupils. Tonight, their second release on the Monument label in the U.S.A. was their first release in Australia. The recording failed to make the local Top 40 chart despite airplay on some radio stations.

The Kingston Trio, from the west coast of the U.S.A. recorded this Harlan Howard composition in 1960. It reached No 29 on the 2UE Top 40 (for 4 weeks) and charted for 12 weeks in total. Although intended to be primarily an album group, they eventually released about 20 singles for the Capitol label in Australia, Everglades being their ninth.
--See--Reverend Mr.Black and Stay Awhile.

One of the many parodies of the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, this Irish version, recorded by Ritz records (U.K.) in 1983 made No.1 on our local chart. Frank Kelly studied law, but became an actor in the 1960's and was a regular in the 1990's television series Father Ted.

Written by Frank Adams and Wilbur Jones, the song was recorded for U.S. Decca in October 1956. The label implies Brenda Lee was 9 years old, but she was actually 11. Not until the following year was it released locally, receiving airplay but no listing on our hit parades.
--See--
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.
--and--All Alone Am I

Composed by Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett and Aaron Shroeder for Elvis Presley, this British version, originally an album track with accompaniment by Les Reed, was the second unsuccessful attempt to return Eden Kane to the local charts after his hit single Boys Cry earlier that year.
--See--Well I Ask You.

The song was written by Paul Kaufman and Mike Anthony and recorded in the U.S.A. by Mercury Records at the height of the Twist dance craze. Wally Wiggins was accompanied by the Merry Melody Singers, conducted by Jerry Kennedy and the recording was produced by Shelby Singleton.

Written by Brook Benton and Luchi deJesus and arranged and conducted by Belford Hendricks, this was the second successful duet in the U.S.A. by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton, following Baby (You've Got What It Takes) earlier the same year.

The answer song to the Big Bopper's 1958 smash hit, Chantilly Lace, released on Pappy Daily's Houston-based Dart label in the U.S.A. in October 1959 and distributed in Australia by the Bell Record company.

An Australian composition and performance recorded in Sydney with the Bradley Sisters and orchestra conducted by Franz Conde. It followed the hits Bill Bailey..., Wrong and Someone Else's Roses for the male vocalist Lucky Starr.

This feature is to commemorate the death of Buddy Holly on 3rd Feb 1959. The recording was produced by Stu Phillips and the song was written by manager Norman Petty and two members of the backing group, The Crickets.
--See--Wait Till the Sun Shines....

Written by Bob Hilliard and Burt Bacharach and recorded for the U.S. label Kapp in November 1962 after the Helen Shapiro recording in Britain. The recording was produced for Leiber-Stoller Productions by Burt Bacharach who conducted the orchestra.

This recording, one of many releases to make people aware of the change to decimal currency in February 1966, was sung by Melbourne-born Ian Turpie, at the time, a 20 year-old radio, television and stage performer.

The first Beatles release in Australia. Listed at No.83 on the first 2SM Top 100 (Sydney, 22 Mar 1963), the single soon peaked at No.78 over a 5-week run. Their second release From Me To You began an unbroken run of 177 weekly Top 40 charts with at least one Beatles entry.

Another song about the train robbery near Glendale, Missouri in 1879 involving Jesse James and several desperados, was written by Louisiana-born Howard Hausey (a.k.a. Crockett) and recorded with the Stephen Scott Singers for Mercury Records in the U.S.A in 1962.

Sung by former Disney Mouseketeer, Paul Petersen who, at the time of release of this recording, was an 18 year-old actor playing the part of the son in The Donna Reed Show. This disc followed 4 Pye label singles, the first She Can't Find Her Keys being the most successful.

New music and words were added by Dick Jacobs and Henry Jerome to the traditional "Yellow Rose of Texas" to form a rock and roll version with the chorus and orchestra directed by Henry Jerome.

Twenty one year-old Marv Johnson, from Detroit, Michigan recorded this Berry Gordy composition with the Rayber Voices. It made No.13 on the 2UE Top 40 (16th April 1960), was listed for 7 weeks and followed his hit You Got What It Takes.
For more 'Marv Johnson' see:
Move Two Mountains

After his first local (78 rpm) release, Speedo in 1956, Steve Lawrence followed with eight 45 rpm singles before Footsteps was released. Recorded for Ampar in the U.S. with Don Costa's orchestra and arrangement, it made No.11 on our chart and remained for 9 weeks.
--See--Come Back Silly Girl and
Pretty Blue Eyes.

Locally released as a follow-up single to Let's Have a Party, this recording was originally issued in July 1958 in the U.S. for 20 year old singer and Writer, Wanda Jackson from Oklahoma. The single sold reasonably well in Britain.

The first local Roulette release for Buddy Knox and the Rhythm Orchids, following the previous year's hits Party Doll and Hula Love on the Columbia label. The song was written by Ahmet Ertegün, founder of Atlantic Records.


For more see Three-Eyed Man or
A Lover's Question.

The Bee Gees first record, coupled with The Battle of the Blue and the Grey. The trio of three brothers from the Isle of Man migrated to Australia in 1958 and signed a contract with Festival Records in 1963. Both songs were written by 16 year-old "senior" member Barry Gibb.

For more see:
Everyday I Have to Cry and Peace of Mind.

The true story of a 4-year old boy who was lost in the rugged ranges of northern N.S.W. for four days in February 1960. Johnny Ashcroft collaborated with 2UE disc-jockey Tony Withers in writing the song, and the recording topped the Sydney chart for 5 weeks in April and May 1960.

Written by Paul Vance and Eddie Snyder, the tenth single for Connecticut trio Donny, Morey and Chic – The Playmates, followed three Top 40 hits Don't Go Home, Beep-Beep and Wait For Me. The group disbanded in 1964.

Lyrics by male vocalist Drafi Deutscher who was born in Berlin of Sinti ancestry. In Europe, the recording was issued under its original title Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht and it topped the German charts for four weeks in December 1965, following his 1964 hit Keep Smiling.

Arranged and produced by Stu Phillips for Colpix Records in the U.S.A., this recording was the first local release for the sixteen year-old former mouseketeer, who at the time, was playing the part of Jeff Stone on the Donna Reed Show.
--See--Cheer Leader.

Liberation for the kangaroo? The animal was an object of comedy since earliest European settlement of Australia. This recording by Sydney comedian Joe Martin was not only a send up of the Rolf Harris hit, but more generally of parochial comedy material.

Almost ten years after his first recording, singer and songwriter from Oklahoma, Sammy Masters had a national hit in America with Rockin' Red Wing. The recording made the British Top 40 list and the predictions list for the local 2UE Top 40.

Bob McFadden, a singer from Ohio teamed with Rod McKuen a California poet, who often used the pseudonym "Dor", to record this track for Brunswick Records in 1959. Jack Hansen directed the narration and the orchestra.

One of the recordings The Crests cut with Johnny Maestro after he went solo. Maestro joined the group in 1956 and officially left in 1960. The Crests had previous releases Sixteen Candles, The Angels Listened In, Step By Step and Trouble In Paradise.

Geoffrey and Ricky Brook, brothers from Hampshire, England, formed a skiffle-style duo in 1956 and after signing to Pye records had a hit Warpaint in 1961. Their local follow-up was Married and both recordings were accompanied and directed by Tony Hatch. In August 1962 they had Top 40 success with Double Trouble.

Australian pop group led by American-born Steve Kipner. Steve's father Nat Kipner (producer) and guitarist Carl Groszman wrote the song and it was released on the Everybody's label in November 1965, later re-issued on Spin.

For more see Hinges.

Star of stage, TV and film, Charlie Drake began recording songs in 1958, his first single, Splish Splash making the British Top Ten. His second local Parlophone single, My Boomerang Won't Come Back, topped our charts in 1961. Two follow-ups were released before I Bent My Assegai.

--See--
I've Lost the End of My Yodel.

Dig Richards was born in rural New South Wales and formed a band, the R'Jays in Sydney in 1958 – the first to play live on the local television show Bandstand. The first release I Wanna Love You, partly written by Dig's younger brother, made No.8 on our charts in 1959. Alice (in Wonderland) was another Australian composition and was Dig Richards' tenth single release.

The last single release for this American band, before Dion went solo – a revival of a 1926 song. It followed their hits I Wonder Why and A Teenager in Love. Dion diMucci continued successfully with Runaround Sue, The Wanderer, Ruby Baby and others.

--See-- Donna the Prima Donna
and After the Dance

Louisiana-born Jimmy Clanton released his first record in 1958, Just a Dream which went gold. This week's feature 45 was his sixth local single release and another gold record. Other hits were Go Jimmy Go and Another Sleepless Night.

American singing idol, Johnnie Ray had great success in Australia following the release of Cry in May 1952. His other huge successes were Walkin' My Baby Back Home, Just Walking in the Rain and I'll Never Fall in Love Again. His final local charted hit Springtime in the Rockies was earlier in 1960.

--See--Yes Tonight, Josephine

American country/folk group, The Appalachians received local airplay with this children's song (10 weeks on 2UE Country Top 12). Versions by comedian Soupy Sales and the German teenager Conny Froboss were popular in America and Europe at the time.

From Mira Records (U.S.A.), recorded in Los Angeles, this "one-hit-wonder" peaked at No.8 for two weeks on the local 2UE Top40 chart in its 10-week run. A follow-up single, Trip on Me failed to make the Top40. The Forum was led by Phil Campos one of Les Baxter's Balladeers. He was joined by Riselle Bain and Renee Nole.

A singer from Pennsylvania (USA) who had two singles issued in Australia in 1963, Two Faces Have I and How Many Teardrops (Roulette) and a huge hit, Lightning Strikes (M.G.M.) in 1966. This was the first of his three singles on Colpix.
See I'm Gonna Make You Mine.

From ABC Paramount in the U.S.A. the first of two local W&G singles for dancer turned singer Jo Ann Campbell. Arranged and conducted by Sid Feller, the recording had a 15-week run on the 2UE Top40 peaking at No.5 (8th Oct 1960).

Bob Crewe formed the group and promoted it as a "female Four Seasons". The lead singer was songwriter and musician Jean Thomas, who backed many hits of the sixties. The song was a sequel to the Four Seasons' Rag Doll.

From Del-Fi records in the U.S.A. composed and performed by Jimmy Foster, the recording gained a little popularity in Sydney on a Saturday night request programme through radio 2UW, but failed to chart.

The group from Christchurch, New Zealand took Terry Beale's song to number 1 on the New Zealand and Australian charts, shortly after the original version was released in England by "The Senators". The song topped the Sydney charts for three weeks in October and November 1964 in its 14-week run.

See Till We Kissed
and Cats Eyes.

The first song, locally released, about the trans-atlantic communications satellite Telstar. The song was written by the celebrated veteran writer Ervin Drake of I Believe fame. The recording from Palette Records in the U.S.A. was in our stores a week before the English instrumental written by Joe Meek (Telstar - The Tornados), inspired by the same event.

An Australian cover version of John Leyton's 1962 hit written by Geoff Goddard (keyboard player on The Tornados' hit Telstar). Johnny Noble hailed from Newcastle (N.S.W.) and turned down the job as lead singer with the Aztecs, later taken by Billy Thorpe. His solo recording Lonely City was listed on the 2UE Top40 for 3 weeks.

After two single releases in 1965, John Sebastian's group "The Lovin' Spoonful" finally hit our Top40 charts with Daydream early in 1966, followed by Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind and Summer in the City, all on the local Astor label. Rain on the Roof was their sixth single, the first on Kama Sutra and made No.26 (3 weeks) in its 7-week run.

--See--Nashville Cats.

Roy Orbison and Joe Melson composed the song for The Velvets, featuring tenor Virgil Johnson and the backing band of Bob Moore. The recording was intended as the B side to Laugh, and was the group's second London release, following Tonight. Their initial U.S. release That Lucky Old Sun was eventually issued on local Monument in 1973.

Debbie Burton was best known as the singing voice of Baby Jane Hudson, played by Bette Davis, in the film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The rock and roll duet with Bette Davis was a promotional song not featured in the film, although a slow orchestral version was recorded on the soundtrack.

Simon Crum was an alter ego of Ferlin Husky and was signed to a separate Capitol record contract. The character's first U.S. single was Cuzz Yore So Sweet, not locally released. Country Music is Here to Stay featured an impression of Ernest Tubb and Don't Be Mad and Enormity in Motion were parodies of Don't Be Cruel and Poetry in Motion.

The song written in 1941 by Americans, Walter Kent and Nat Burton to uplift the British who were at war with Germany, became world famous in 1942 with Vera Lynn's recording. The Delltones, a vocal quartet formed from Sydney beach lifesavers, began as a backing band and a live act, later establishing themselves as recording and television stars.

--See--You're the Limit and Walkin' Along..