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They
were the best of times: they were the
worst of times ...
SONG TITLE ARTIST WEEKS @ 1 WHEN?
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Poetry
in Motion
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Johnny Tillotson
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2
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12
Jan
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Are
you lonesome tonight?
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Elvis
Presley
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4
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26
Jan
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Sailor
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Petula
Clarke
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1
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23
Feb
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Walk
Right Back
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Everly
Brothers
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3
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2
Mar
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Wooden
Heart
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Elvis
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6
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23
Mar
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Blue
Moon
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The
Marcels
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2
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1
May
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On
the Rebound
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Floyd
Cramer
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1
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18
May
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You’re
driving me crazy
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Temperence
Seven
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1
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25
May
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Surrender
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Elvis
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4
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1
June
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Runaway
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Del
Shannon
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3
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29
June
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Temptation
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Everly
Bros
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2
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20
July
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Well
I ask you
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Eden Kane
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1
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3
Aug
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You
don’t know
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Helen
Shapiro
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3
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10
Aug
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Johnny
Remember Me
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John
Leyton
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4
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31
Aug
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Climb
Every Mountain
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Shirley
Bassey
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1
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21
Sept
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Kon
Tiki
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Shadows
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1
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5
Oct
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Michael,
row the boat ashore
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The
Highwaymen
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1
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12
Oct
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We
had nothing! There was rampant
unemployment and great poverty. But we
had music. And what music!
Just
to list the Number One Hits of 1961 brings so many memories flooding back. The memories will vary between individuals,
so we’ll stick to the songs and the artists, in our comments here.
Every
song here, you could sing along with! Every word is clear. Every tune
is catchy. There were the old timers
from the 50’s, like the Everlys, the Marcels, even Elvis, whose boom time was
just happening!
There
were hark-backs to a former age, Floyd Cramer’s tinkling ivories reminding us
of the Winifred Atwell days – and the Temperance Seven of the age of Trad
jazz. Imagine any more modern group
boasting of its “temperance”!
There
was room for all the exciting new, young voices, like Del Shannon (one of my own
favourites), Helen Shapiro, John Leyton and Eden Kane.
Even
for the gospel folk of the Highwaymen, at the top spot too! And for the song from the stage show, with
Shirley Bassey rendering Climb Every Mountain.
Petula
Clarke’s Sailor is even yet a great cabaret favourite. And the Shadows were out-selling their leader
Cliff Richard.
The
Beatles and the Stones hadn’t yet been heard of.
AHH! If only we could go back ….
And
spare ourselves all our former mistakes ….
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