Getting done with '61.
20 - "Barbara Ann," The Regents
The second half opens with yet more doo-wop, courtesy of four guys from the Bronx. This ode to a lady who causes "rockin' and a-reelin," was the biggest of their two hits. Of course, it became even bigger four years later when the Beach Boys took a cover to #2. And I have to say, the later version is the better one.
19 - "Girl of My Best Friend," Ral Donner
Chicagoan Donner (the "Ral" is short for Ralph) had a voice that sounded remarkably like Elvis', so it's perhaps fitting that his first hit was a cover of a track from Elvis' first post-Army LP. If you'd told me this was Elvis himself singing about longing for a buddy's girl, I'd have had no trouble believing it. It's even got Jordanaire-soundalike backup singers. When you listen real close, you can tell it's not The King, but I don't think many of the impersonators that have followed in Donner's wake have nailed the voice better.
18 - "Portrait of My Love," Steve Lawrence
Another hit from Mr. Lawrence, this one about a girl that no one would be able to paint a picture of. And he means that in a good way, because "Anyone who sees her soon forgets the Mona Lisa." Steve's sincere enough, but this still sounds like romantic cheese to me.
17 - "I've Told Every Little Star," Linda Scott
Scott, born in Queens and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, was just 16 when she scored her first and biggest hit, this version of a song written in 1932 by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. It's sweet little teen pop about being able to tell anyone about being in love except the person you're actually in love with. If you like a lot of Lesley Gore's hits, you'll like this one too.
16 - "Hello Mary Lou," Ricky Nelson
The son of bandleader Ozzie Nelson and his group's vocalist, Harriet Hilliard Nelson, little Ricky's showbiz debut came at the age of nine, playing himself on his parents' radio sitcom. The show moved to TV in 1952, and in 1957, Ricky began singing on the show, and that became the basis of a successful recording career. The B-side of one of his biggest-selling singles was this chugging rockabilly number about a girl so attractive that he immediately falls in love, or as he puts it, "goodbye, heart." Given his background and his pretty-boy looks, it's easy to dismiss him, but the man clearly had talent and chops. But what of the A-side, you ask? Stay tuned.
15 - "Raindrops," Dee Clark
Arkansan Delectus Clark had his last and biggest pop hit with this ballad about how the water falling from his eyes must be from "a cloud in his head" because "a man ain't supposed to cry." A fantastically written and performed heartbreak song, with the ending howls and thunderclaps providing a stirring coda.
14 - "Moody River," Pat Boone
Ah, Pat Boone, the white-buck-shoe-wearing sanitizer-for-square-America's-protection of many early rock and R&B classics. His very name evokes images of bland conformity and strained repression. But on this, his last #1 hit, he gives a fine, passionate performance on this melodrama about a man who goes to meet his girlfriend under a tree by a river, only to find that she has left behind one of her gloves and a note that told him she'd drowned herself because of her guilt over cheating on him. This is high-quality teen-tragedy pop, and easily the man's best work. It's not nearly enough for me to forgive him being a homophobe and a birther, but it's a better song than I thought he was capable of.
13 - "Stand By Me," Ben E. King
The ex-Drifters soulful declaration of loyalty hit #4 this year, then returned to the Top Ten 25 years later after its use in Rob Reiner's movie about childhood, mortality, and mailbox baseball. I covered it during the 80s run, and there's no more to say except it's brilliant.
12 - "Hello Walls," Faron Young
Louisianan Young was a steady presence on country radio from 1952 to 1978, racking up dozens of Top 40 hits on that chart. But the only time he reached that level on the pop list was with this classic about a man so lonely after his lover leaves him that he starts talking not only to the walls of his home, but the window and the ceiling as well. Also notable is the fact that this was one of the first major successes for its songwriter, a young tunesmith named Willie Nelson, who I just learned turned 80 last month. Wow. It really is funny how time slips away.
11 - "Little Devil," Neil Sedaka
Neil's seventh Top 40 was this peppy pop song about his desire to capture a flirtatious, capricious young lady and "make an angel" of her. And no, I don't think that means he wants to kill her. I should hope not, at least.
Is this the Top Ten? Is this just fantasy?
10 - "Tragedy," The Fleetwoods
This vocal trio from Olympia, Washington were originally named Two Girls and a Guy, because that's what they were. The truth in advertising approach. Eventually they changed it, and shortly afterward, they scored two #1 smashes in 1959 with "Come Softly to Me" and "Mr. Blue." Their third and final Top Ten was this cover of a 1959 hit by Thomas Wayne and the DeLons. It's a wistful take on heartbreak, more resigned than sad. They did what they did well, but at least in this case, it's not for me.
9 - "I Feel So Bad," Elvis Presley
A year after his release from the Army, Elvis was still chugging along with hits like this cover of a 1954 Chuck Willis R&B hit that compares a down mood to "a ballgame on a rainy day." It has a very gritty and authentic bluesy feel. Another Willis hit "C.C. Rider," would later provide Presley with a signature show opener during the 70s.
8 - "A Hundred Pounds of Clay," Gene McDaniels
McDaniels, from Omaha, Nebraska, scored his first and biggest pop hit with this alternative version of how God created Eve: not from one of Adam's ribs, but from a much more earthy substance. Cool little bit of R&B/pop
7 - "Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart," Connie Francis
Connie's run of big hits continued with this turn into country. Her natural predisposition for sad songs meant that this weepie fit her like a glove. Later, Debby Boone would score a minor country hit with a cover version. No, I'm not gonna bother tracking that down.
6 - "Runaway," Del Shannon
Michigander Shannon's first and biggest hit was this rock classic about the girl who left him. We all know it. Del's rasp and falsetto "why why why why"s on the chorus were enough to make him an instant legend. And that spacey sound between the two choruses was provided by something called a Musitron, an early version of the synthesizer. A true pop essential.
5 - "Mother-In-Law," Ernie K-Doe
New Orleans native Ernest Kador, Jr. had his only major pop hit with this #1 smash (written by legerndary jazz and blues composer Allen Toussaint) about "the worst person I know" who, inconveniently, is also the woman who gave birth to his wife. All the stereotypes are here: she's meddlesome, she's judgmental, and just all-around evil. Not having had a mother-in-law, I have no basis to go on, but I imagine Mr. K-Doe was being a tad harsh. Still, it's fun, danceable, and irresistable.
4 - "Mama Said," The Shirelles
One of the few 60s girl groups to be associated with neither Motown nor Phil Spector, these four ladies from Passaic, New Jersey scored their third Top Five with this bit of maternal advice that even if things aren't going well today, they will get better at some point. Simple pop-soul, and oh so nice.
3 - "Running Scared," Roy Orbison
Texan Orbison was led to Memphis and Sun Records after meeting Johnny Cash in 1955, and he was part of Elvis' social circle during Presley's rise to megastardom. But it wasn't until the sixties that he started to have major success, and his fourth Top 40 and first #1 came in the form of this operatic ballad about being afraid that if his current lover's old boyfriend returned and wanted to get back with her, she'd say yes. In the end, this does happen, but in a happy twist, the woman decides that she's happy with Roy, thank you very much. That voice is as distinct and gorgeous as always, and contributes greatly to the drama. One of the great singers in pop, period.
2 - "Daddy's Home," Shep and the Limelites
We've come across this song in both the 70s and 80s, in versions by Jermaine Jackson and Cliff Richard, and now we encounter the original, the only hit for these Queens doo-wop practitioners. And yes, of course, it's the best of all. By quite a bit. Rat-a-tat.
And 52 years ago, the big song in the U.S.of A. was...
1 - "Travelln' Man," Ricky Nelson
Ricky's second and final charttopper was this pop-rock ditty about a guy who gets around, both in the sense that he's "made a lot of stops all over the world" and the one where he's romanced "at least one lovely girl" everywhere he's been. The five he mentions here are a "pretty senorita" in Mexico, a "cute little Eskimo" in Alaska, a "sweet Fraulein" in Berlin, a "China doll" in Hong Kong, and a "pretty Polynesian baby" in Waikiki. One would assume there are many more, but then again, maybe not at that point. Ricky was only 21 at the time. Not exactly politically correct, but a sweet little performance by a true talent.
Another break, then on to '62. See you then.
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