Of course today is a special day of celebration over in Welsh Wales. It's John Gray's birthday. The bunting will be out in the village of Trelawnyd.
Yesterday I wondered what was "top of the pops" on the day that John and his twin sister Janet first appeared in this world. It was Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm".
The British hit parade was first established in 1952, the year before I was born. Having looked up John's birthday hit, I wondered what was number one on the day that I was born. It was "Look At That Girl" by another American artist - Guy Mitchell.
Then I went seeking out this song on "You Tube" and having listened to it a couple of times I must say that in my humble opinion it is bloody awful. Did people really like this kind of stuff back then?
Look at that girl, you see what I see?
Oh look at that girl, she's walking straight to me
That's right, last night I held her tight
Ho ho it happens all the time
I look at that girl, and I can't believe she's mine...
It's like a piece of ancient history. Popular music has come a long way since then. Do you know what was "number one" on the day that you were born? Apologies if you were born before 1952. By the way the American billboard chart was established earlier - in July 1940. Please report back.
A lot of those 1950s songs were just plain silly, but then they were never meant to be taken seriously - they were just entertainment, mostly meant for dancing.
ReplyDeleteBut of course there were some more serious-minded singers and songwriters around, too.
What was the song of the day on March 22nd, 1968?
Here in England the number one on the day you were born was "The Legend of Xanadu" by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich... now off to work young lady!
Deletehttps://tsort.info/music/n1c968.htm
DeleteHave a look at this site, Meike. :)
Dinah Shore's "I'll Walk Alone" was the hit the day I was born...11th November, 1944...as per the US Billboard charts, anyway. Very appropriate...in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn the Australian chart for the month of November, 1944 ...Joe Loss/Vera Lynn's "No Other Love was top of the charts for that month.
You were born on Remembrance Day! That's nice.
DeleteYes, I was, Yorkie...shortly after the 11th hour, too. Around five minutes past 11 am, according to my mother when I asked her about the time of my birth
Delete.
Did you have eleven toes?
DeleteProbably....I can't count past 10.
DeleteDean Martin 'Memories are made of this.'
ReplyDeleteYou came into the world in February 1956?
DeleteIndeed.
DeleteI'm 1950 vintage so I'm clearly prehistoric. I've just googled and discovered "The Third Man theme" and "If I knew you were coming I'd've baked a cake" were popular then. I remember as a small child listening to "I'm a pink toothbrush, you're a blue toothbrush"on Two-Way Family Favourites. They were innocent times, weren't they? Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteSorry to say this ADDY but I don't believe the hit parade was in existence when you were born. Don't cry...
DeleteAll Shook Up by Elvis. I'm quite pleased by that! Not that I had anything to do with my own birth, so I can't take credit!
ReplyDeletePerhaps your mother was "all shook up" after you emerged from your watery nest.
DeleteAccording to Billboard, "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians was No. 1 in the states when I was born. (Hopefully that says nothing about everyone's feelings about my birth.) In the UK, "Reach Out I'll Be There" by the Four Tops was top of the charts.
ReplyDeleteThe Four Tops were imagining the midwives in your birth room, singing to assure you you wouldn't be dropped on the floor!
DeleteWell I was born on the 4th July 1947, apart from America celebrating that day, perhaps you could tell me what was No.1 in this country that day.
ReplyDeleteNo Derek. We didn't have hit parades in England till 1952 but in the USA ( and you were born on US Independence Day!) the Number One on your emergence was "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)" by Perry Como.
DeleteGood old Perry Como, I always liked him, now I know why.
DeleteMarch 23, 1975
ReplyDeleteLabelle - Lady Marmalade
Oh, you mean Patti LaBelle? Yeah, I remember that song on "Top of the Pops" - a good song to be born to!
DeleteSee & listen:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4LWIP7SAjY
Being the compliant type and easily manipulated, I did what you asked. I kid you not, the number 1 hit during the eeek I was born was "Song of the Volga Boatmen" by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, although both before and after that week the number 1 hit was "Frenesi" by Artie Shaw and his Orchestra. Apparently hit songs did not have words in those days.
ReplyDeleteA thousand pardons. There were lyrics too.
DeleteVolga, Volga our pride,
DeleteMighty stream so deep and wide.
Ay-da, da, ay-da!
Ay-da, da, ay-da!
Mighty stream so deep and wide.
Volga, Volga you're our pride.
Yo, heave ho! Yo, heave ho!
Once more, once again, still once more.
Hey, I really liked Guy Mitchell. Now there's no hope for me as I was born in the 1930's. However , there was awesome music in the 30's ...big band stuff!
ReplyDeleteIs it true that the world was in colour when you were born Red?
DeleteLooked mine up.
ReplyDeletePersonality by Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers.
Who?
Never heard of them, that tells you how ancient I am. lol
Briony
x
I like yours better than mine Briony!
DeleteSee & listen:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMTPsumjfTA
Thank you for the big up yp xx
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a nice birthday John.
Delete
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any idea what was the hit song in June, l930?
"A Cottage for Sale" by Ruth Etting from the musical film "Mammy" was very popular in June 1930 but of course there were no official charts back then. Nobody was counting.
DeleteOur little dream castle
With every dream gone
Is lonely and silent
The shades are all drawn
And my heart is heavy
As I gaze upon
A cottage for sale
The lawn we were proud of
Is waving in hay
Our beautiful garden has
Withered away.
Where we planted roses
The weeds seem to say...
A cottage for sale
Thanks...I'll try and locate it on Youtube.
DeleteThis is a sneaky way of getting everybody to admit their age!
ReplyDeleteYes Margaret and your song was "It's A long Way to Tipperary"
DeleteThat was my Granny's favourite song!
DeleteIn Australia, Burl Ives singing Lavender Blue (dilly dilly) was the top of the hit parade on the day of my birth. In 1950.
ReplyDeleteThat song dates back to the seventeenth century Rozzie!
DeleteHeartaches by Ted Weems and his Orchestra. Apropos? Nah!
ReplyDelete