Jump to content

Billboard's #1 Pop Singles


Max

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 891
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

I really did not know much about this issue, Alphanguy. Thank you for shedding some light on this.

Nicely said.

One of the most successful teen idols of all-time was Bobby Vinton. The first of his four chart-toppers was "Roses Are Red (My Love)," which spent four weeks at number one: the weeks ended 7/14/62, 7/21/62, 7/28/62, & 8/4/62.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G7AoDh2kVLQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Stanley Robert Vinton, Jr. was born on April 16, 1935 in Canonsburg, PA. (Bobby's father had changed the family last name from Vintula to the Americanized Vinton.) Surprisingly, Bobby's childhood ambition was not to become a singer, but rather to follow in his father's footsteps as a big band leader. To this end, he formed a band while in high school and also played the trumpet during his stint in the Army.

Vinton signed with Epic Records in 1960. While he first tried to concentrate on big band tunes, the label showed little interest in that genre. Then, Bobby actually sang some songs, yet those records also failed to chart. Epic was ready to drop Vinton altogether, but the company was contractually obligated to record and release two more Vinton recordings. One of these songs was the romantic "Roses Are Red (My Love)," a record that Epic felt had zero potential (for any artist).

After "Roses Are Red" became Vinton's first hit (as well as the first Epic tune to go to #1), "The Polish Prince" followed up with "Rain Rain Go Away," which peaked at #12. A couple of disappointing chart showings came afterwards, and then Bobby had another smash hit in July 1963 with the #3 "Blue on Blue." The next Vinton single to be released--another "Blue" song--would be his second chart-topper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Roses are Red is a very pretty song. Slightly treacly, but suited for the era. My favorite songs of his are probably "Mr. Lonely" and "Please Love Me Forever," even if they are also treacly.

Wikipedia talks about the long efforts and controversies with his hometown.

Off topic, but I found an old Connie Francis article (1960) I will post here if you want to see it, Max.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Carl, I would love for you to post that Connie Francis article. Thank you so much for offering to do so.

Those stories about Vinton and his hometown of Canonsburg (which was also the birthplace of Perry Como) are fascinating. Bobby was never loved as much as Perry because the former would claim that he was from Pittsburgh, while the latter proudly talked about his Canonsburg heritage. To Vinton's credit, however, he stopped Canonsburg officials from building a $100,000 statue of himself, arguing that the money could be much better spent on other things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Carl, thank you again for taking the time to post that fascinating article. Your magazine collection is beyond impressive. If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to collect all these great, old magazines? (Please feel free not to answer this question if you'd prefer.)

One of my favorite artists of rock and roll's first decade happens to be Neil Sedaka. The recordings of his that I most enjoy are "Calendar Girl," "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen," and the chart-topping "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," which spent two weeks at number one: the weeks ended 8/11/62 & 8/18/62.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XnQdNrhFNaU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Neil Sedaka was born in Brooklyn on March 13, 1939. At the age of thirteen, Neil was introduced to neighbor Howard Greenfield (three years Sedaka's senior); the two boys began a prolific songwriting partnership that would reach its heyday during the Brill Building (an edifice located at the intersection of Broadway and 49th Street in Manhattan) glory years of the early-60s. (Besides penning nearly all of Sedaka's hits of the 50s and 60s, this famed duo wrote "Stupid Cupid" and "Where the Boys Are" for Connie Francis.)

While Neil Sedaka was a popular name in rock, many people are often surprised to learn that he is a brilliant pianist, having once been enrolled in Juilliard. Despite initially wanting to take up classical music, Neil embarked upon a rock and roll career instead. One of his first exposures to the industry came when he was a member of the first incarnation of the Tokens in the mid-50s. Sedaka's first solo efforts failed to chart, but a change in fortune came when "The Diary" peaked at #14 in early 1959. Interestingly, "The Diary" was a Sedaka/Greenfield composition written for Little Anthony & the Imperials; Neil only recorded it because he was disappointed with that group's rendition of the song.

After "The Diary," the smash hits kept on coming for Sedaka:

"Oh! Carol" (#9, 1959) [A song about Carole King]

"Stairway to Heaven" (#9, 1960) [A tune completely different from the Led Zeppelin record of the same name]

"Calendar Girl" (#4, 1961)

"Little Devil" (#11, 1961)

"Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" (#6, 1962)

Despite the hits, Neil had yet to reach the top of the Hot 100. He finally did so with "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," a song that Allmusic aptly described as "two minutes and sixteen seconds of pure pop magic." It should be noted that the most memorable line of the record--"Comma, comma, down-doo-be-doo-down down"--was a last minute addition because Sedaka felt something special had been misssing from the tune.

Neil's follow up to "Breaking Up," the very similar sounding "Next Door to an Angel," also did really well, reaching #5 in late 1962. Unfortunately, 1963 proved to be a big disappointment for the singer, as just three songs (the most successful of which peaked at #17) hit the top 40. (After that, Sedaka did not reach the top 40 for over a decade.) Though it sure seemed as if the British Invasion killed Sedaka's career, he made a very unexpected comeback in 1975, scoring two more #1 hits: "Laughter in the Rain" and "Bad Blood." The following year, Neil took a slow, adult contemporary version of "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" to #8 on the Hot 100.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Some I bought, some belonged to relatives and were just laying around with no one interested in them.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do is one of those songs which is tailored so well around a somewhat annoying vocal tone. It has such a great beat and is so easy to remember.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I love the slow version of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.... when he released the slow version, it was nominated for a Grammy for song of the year. It didn't win, but here is the incredibly wonderful presentation of the award from 1976:

Please register in order to view this content

Howard Greenfield, Neil's co writer on the song, unfortunately died of AIDS in 1986.

British duo the Marbles released a cover version in 1970 as a follow up to their moderate hit single "The Walls Fell Down", but it didn't go anywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I remember years ago seeing Gary US Bonds perform, and he claimed that it was he who first sang "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" slowly, and once he did that, Sedaka rerecorded it. My father, who took me to see the show and the perfect age to remember those things, said Bonds was right. No idea what the real story is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Greenfield was openly gay (in the early-60s), which was almost unheard of back then.

Qfan, Sedaka mentioned in an interview that it was Lenny Welch who first sang the slow version of "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." (He took the song to #34 in 1970.) However, it is possible that Neil's recollection was incorrect (celebrity recollections often are) and that Gary "U.S." Bonds holds this distinction.

In my previous post, I mentioned that the Sedaka/Greenfield duo was one of the legendary songwriting teams of the Brill Building. However, no Brill Building songwriters amassed more hits than Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Their third chart-topping single, "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva, spent one week at number one: the week ended 8/25/62. (Unfortunately, WMG has blocked one from watching this video here at SON. After you press "play," you will have to click on the link to go to YouTube.)

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5oyAc4p63EI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Goffin & King had originally written "The Loco-Motion" with Dee Dee Sharp in mind. When Sharp's producers passed on the record, the duo turned to Eva Boyd, a teenager they had hired to babysit their infant daughter, Louise. A common myth states that Goffin and King turned to Eva out of sheer desperation; the fact of the matter was that the duo realized she had singing talents and were eventually planning to write songs just for her.

During the recording session, the Cookies (who introduced Eva to Goffin & King) and Carole King herself sang back-up. (The Cookies were a girl group that provided uncredited vocal support on a number of records, including "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." This group would go on score two top 20 hits of their own with "Chains" and "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby).") "The Loco-Motion" was a record that was perfectly suited to the dance mania of 1962, a year that also saw three dance tunes peak at #2: "Mashed Potato Time" by Dee Dee Sharp, "The Wah-Watusi" by the Orlons, and "Limbo Rock" by Chubby Checker.

Sadly, Little Eva's success was short-lived, as she managed to place only three more songs on the top 40:

"Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" (#12, 1962)

"Let's Turkey Trot" (#20, 1963)

"Swinging on a Star" (#38, 1963) [This was duet with Big Dee Irwin.]

In sharp contrast to its artist, "The Loco-Motion" proved to have incredible longevity: Grand Funk took the tune to #1 again in 1974, and Kylie Minogue's version hit #3 in 1988. In my opinion, the original is the best, and Eva herself said that she disliked Minogue's rendition of the song. Despite her feelings about how Kylie performed the tune, the huge airplay that version garnered ironically made Eva popular again at oldies concerts. (Previously, she had spent much of the 70s and 80s in poverty.) On April 10, 2003, Eva died of cervical cancer at age 57.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm really sorry that when you press "play" on the video for Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion," it forces you to go to YouTube to listen to it. I tried to replace the original clip with several others, yet the same problem still arose. It is sad--but hardly surprising--that the folks at WMG are choosing to be pricks. (At least there is a way we can actually listen to the original version; dealing with this inconvenience is far better than having nothing at all to listen to.)

"The Loco-Motion" was succeeded at #1 by "Sheila" by Tommy Roe, which held the peak position for two weeks: the weeks ended 9/1/62 & 9/8/62.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EDWcUa7-Gxo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Tommy Roe was born (on 5/9/42) and raised in Atlanta. While Tommy was part of a band in high school, he opted to pursue a career as a technician working for General Electric.

In 1960, Roe recorded "Sheila," a tune he wrote that was very reminiscent of Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue." Although the record flopped, Tommy re-recorded this song two years later (on a different record label), and it became his first hit. (It should be noted that I am not 100% sure that the hit version of "Sheila" was a re-recording, but I am pretty sure that was the case. In any event, the tune I posted above was the version that reached #1.) Once "Sheila" became a smash, Roe left his $70 a week job at GE in exchange for a $5,000 advance (from ABC-Paramount Records) to tour the world.

Tommy's next major hit came when "Everybody" rose to #3 in late 1963. Roe's career then stalled, but not because of the British Invasion; rather, his declining chart fortunes were the result of a stint in the Army. After his time in the Army ended (in 1966), Roe's career picked up right where it left off, with the #8 "Sweet Pea." That song would be the first of four top ten hits he would amass over the next four years; also included among this bunch was Tommy's biggest hit ever, the chart-topping "Dizzy" (1969).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The Four Seasons (another one of my favorite artists) scored five chart-toppers. Among them was the group's very first hit, the magnificent "Sherry," which spent five weeks at number one: the weeks ended 9/15/62, 9/22/62, 9/29/62, 10/6/62, & 10/13/62. (Unfortunately, WMG has blocked one from watching this video here at SON. After you press "play," you will have to click on the link to go to YouTube.)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AapxXRlsdwA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Four Seasons were/are a vocal group (whose songs--like those of the Beach Boys--really can't be considered doo-wop tunes because of a lack of so-called nonsense syllables) from Newark, NJ. For many, it seemed that this group came out of nowhere to become an instant sensation. Truth be told, however, lead singer Frankie Valli (born 5/3/37 as Francis Castelluccio) had been struggling for years.

Way back in 1955, Valli formed a singing group with Hank Majewski and brothers Nick and Tommy DeVito, and called themselves the Variatones. A year later, after changing their name to the Four Lovers, the quartet scraped the bottom portion of the chart with "You're the Apple of My Eye." Many more name changes came over the next five years, but success was not to be. However, when Valli's group appeared with the Royal Teens (who had a #4 smash with "Short Shorts" in 1958), Valli met Bob Gaudio (who was then a current member of the Royal Teens).

By 1961, the most successful line-up of Valli's group was in place: Valli himself, Tommy DeVito, Gaudio (who was the eventual replacement for Nick DeVito), and Nick Massi (the eventual replacement for Majewski). Soon afterwards, Valli & Co. auditioned in a lounge located inside a NJ bowling alley, and they were rejected yet again. Fortunately, something positive came out of that experience, given that the group decided to rebrand itself after the name of the bowling alley: the Four Seasons.

An ironic twist of fate was that despite the very long time these Jersey boys had to wait for success, "Sherry" was written by Gaudio in all of 15 minutes. And, the song hit #1 just four weeks after it debuted on the Hot 100. The Four Seasons' second chart-topper would be just around the corner as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • According to the French Santa Barbara site the Andrades had a house in the early episodes.  I thought I remembered scenes in their home. The Andrade house
    • I always wondered if the Andrades lived at the Capwell Mansion?  Certainly they could've had a living room in their space or wherever they went on days off. But, I felt like it was never clear whether Santana visited Rosa when Kelly and Eden were young, or if she actually lived in the servant's quarters (one hopes modern developers have found a euphemism for that space).  I always imagined that Rosa, Santana, and Reuben lived with CC up until Channing was murdered, and then they found their own place because the kids were mostly over 18 (and Santana was pregnant). I like the idea of Rueban and CC being close until Santana got pregnant.  And then Reuben would've hated the adoption of Brandon.  Which would have meant he hated CC, and would've only continued to work for him to try to get info on whatever happened to his grandson. With regard Ava Lazar, having recently rewatched the pilot for the millionth time, I find her captivating to watch, but her line delivery is so dull. 
    • I liked the original 4 family set up.  The families were all different from each other and were intertwined.  They should have been given equal airtime. I felt that Lockridges were perfectly cast with the exception of Laken.  She should have been quickly recast.   I liked all 4 of the actors cast as the Andrades and wish they would have been given better writing.  I really thought Ava Lazar (Santana) would have been one of the breakout stars if she had not been replaced. My only issue with the casting of the Perkins family was Robert Alan Browne as John and as much as I liked Mark Arnold he was the wrong actor to recast Joe Perkins. And of course it was ridiculous how badly they screwed up the casting of CC. The other Capwells were well cast.
    • This late 1976 stuff doesn't sound as bad as it has in other versions I've read (weekly recaps from Jon-Michael Reed and SOD synopses). I am surprised that there is a variation of Ian - Meg - Arlene - Tom playing out this late in the game, but it doesn't sound half bad. Ian's involvement with Beaver Ridge and how it impacts Rick and Cal's future also intrigued me  more than I expected. Even the Carrie - Betsy connection having Carrie watch Suzanne while Ben is visiting was a nice surprise. I feel like this all falls apart pretty quickly with the arrival of Mia Marriott, Michael Blake, and a slew of other half baked characters under Upton.  
    • Too bad she ended up on Y&R. Actress Valarie Pettiford might've been "Sharon" because she sings too and does it pretty well.

      Please register in order to view this content

    • @NothinButAttitude thanks for sharing the rough draft. I had bought "Shadows on the Wall" from Kathryn Leigh Scott's website probably 20+ years ago. It's a fascinating read into a very different version of what the show could have been. 
    • @Efulton That's the quote I was refering to. In the bible, at almost the beginning, Rueben and C.C. were compared as being similar as two fathers wanting everything for their children, or something along those lines. I do think the Andrades were intended to have more of a role, but they never even garnered a family set (just Santana's apartment). In 1991, they added the Capwell kitchen which seemed to be a domestic space for Rosa, but clearly not solely Rosa's. I feel like I remember Rosa confronting Santana about her feelings for C.C. being an attempt to recreate her grand fantasy with Channing, Jr. in the kitchen, but more likely that was the bedroom Santana was redecorating (C.C.'s master suite) utilizing the designsshe had envisioned for herself and Channing, Jr.  
    • On the French Santa Barbara site Ismael Carlo did not hold back about how he felt about the Dobsons. http://santabarbara-online.com/index2.htm How did you start in Santa Barbara ? My recollection is that I auditioned for the role. After a couple of weeks of contract negotiations I was told that all was in order and that I would start work in a couple of weeks or so. But that's when the sh*t hit the fan. In her high petulant way she (Bridget Dobson) commenced to tell me how all her South American workers were beholding to her. How she treated them, "like children". I said to her, "I'm not a child". She got upset and started to cry. I told her that if she did not want me on the show, all she had to do was break the contract and pay me. It never happened. The Dobsons, who were the producers, where a pair of what you would call in your country aristocrats in their minds. I almost quit just before I started. But like any actor at the time I stuck it out all because of the work. I don't think I will ever sell my soul again. I was also able to perform with the lead actor and director in a production of his: Romeo & Juliet. I played Papa Capulet.
    • It's kismet – I was just thinking about Azure C the other day and revisited some of the press from that era. Reading it now, it’s undeniably cringeworthy how often the articles emphasized that the actress was a cisgender woman. It wasn’t framed as a critique of The City for not casting a trans actress—it felt more like a reassurance to viewers that, yes, the storyline involved transgender themes, but they weren’t actually going to show anything. ABC ran an ad in TV Guide that teased that Azure would confess her past – that she “was once a he” – to her love interest Bernardo (similar to the onscreen headline in their tabloid). Rather than focusing on thoughtful representation, the press framed the twist as a dramatic surprise for audiences, to capitalize on shock value.  It was clearly not treated like other social issues had been on ABC Daytime.  They were usually more respectful, and pedantic toward the audience, where this was just about revealing a secret. Of course, the irony is that the only actual protests came from GLAAD over ABC's ignorance, rather than anyone from the right, as they had feared.
    • Having seen what Long did with Mason and Julia on SB, I can't see Long ever being able to write a fun/lightweight story for Nola and Quint. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy