David John Harman, who later became Dave Dee of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, and Tich fame was a police constable in 1960. He was one of the first people on the scene of the April 1960 car crash that resulted in the death of American rock and roller Eddie Cochran and a very serious injury to Gene Vincent. He later explained that he began learning to play the guitar using Cochran’s impounded Gretsch guitar over several nights at the police station. Dee joined Cochran in the great gig in the sky in 2009. To remember them here are a couple of videos.
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This is the second in what I hope will be a very long-running series. I have decided to look at the most popular songs from every year I have existed. There will be some artistic licence on my part as I will always seek to include at least a few of my favourites from each year. The format will be a top ten for each year and will cover the music and songs I grew up with, came of age with, and achieved my greatest success alongside music that comforted me in bad times. This second top ten goes back to the year of my first birthday, 1960, I know it is very hard to believe but I really am that old! Obviously, I don’t remember actually hearing these songs back in 1960, but I have heard them all many times over the years. I have focused on the UK charts and this time the US bestseller does feature in my list. It is “Theme From ‘A Summer Place'” by the Percy Faith Orchestra. It is one of my favourite pieces of music. My Dad’s favourite singer Brenda Lee is in the top ten at number 10. So here is the second Rolling Back The Years With Mayhem Chart, for 1960. It has quite a few good tunes I reckon. Please get on board the Time Machine now! If you are too scared to enter the Time Machine, click here for the playlist! The chart for 1961 will follow soon.
1 Apache – The Shadows 2 Running Bear – Johnny Preston 3 Three Steps To Heaven – Eddie Cochran 4 Tell Laura I Love Her – Ricky Valance 5 Shakin’ All Over – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates 6 Only The Lonely – Roy Orbison 7 Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ – Percy Faith 8 When Will I Be Loved – The Everly Brothers 9 Save The Last Dance For Me – The Drifters 10 I’m Sorry – Brenda Lee
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This is the first in what I hope will be a very long-running series. I have decided to look at the most popular songs from every year I have existed. There will be some artistic licence on my part as I will always seek to include at least a few of my favourites from each year. The format will be a top ten for each year and will cover the music and songs I grew up with, came of age with, and achieved my greatest success alongside music that comforted me in bad times. The first top ten goes back to the year of my birth, 1959, yes I really am that old! Obviously, I don’t remember actually hearing these songs in that first year, but I have heard them all many times over the years. One little snippet I can give you is that “It’s Only Make Believe” by Conway Twitty was number one on January 1st, 1959, the day I was born. I have focused on the UK charts, so that year’s US best seller doesn’t feature in my list, but for all you fact fans, it was “The Battle Of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton. So here is the first Rolling Back The Years With Mayhem Chart, for 1959. It has quite a few good tunes I reckon. Please enter the Time Tunnel now! If you are too scared to enter the tunnel, then just click here for the playlist! The chart for 1960 will follow soon.
1 “Living Doll” – Cliff Richard & The Drifters 2 “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” – Buddy Holly 3 “(Now And Then There’s) A Fool Such As I – Elvis Presley” 4 “Mack The Knife” – Bobby Darin 5 “Here Comes Summer” – Jerry Keller 6 “To Know Him Is To Love Him” – The Teddy Bears 7 “What Do You Want?” – Adam Faith 8 “It’s Only Make Believe” – Conway Twitty 9 “Stagger Lee” – Lloyd Price 10 “C’mon Everybody” – Eddie Cochran
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Have you been pestered by teenage carol singers with shite voices yet? I saw some on the way home from work but I think the weather was a tad too inclement for them! But I’m sure the greedy untalented little gits will be back. Greedy, untalented little gits? I could have been talking about the majority of X Factor contestants there couldn’t I? Anyway we really are sliding down the slope towards Christmas now, it’s 20th December! So that means it’s day 20 of the With Just A Hint Of Mayhem Advent posts and you know you’ll be getting two songs with twenty in their titles.
T.Rex are first up with the magnificent “20th Century Boy” a UK number 3 hit from 1973. The song hit the top of the charts in Ireland. It was the penultimate single in a run of 11 UK top 4 hits between 1970 and 1973 which included four number ones. In fact Bolan and T Rex never made the UK top 10 after 1973 let alone the top 5. “20th Century Boy” was not taken from a T Rex album but it was included on a reissue of the ‘Tanx’ album which was originally released in 1973. The song was used as the soundtrack to a Levi’s Jeans ad campaign in 1991. It was re-released to accompany that and made it back into the UK chart where it peaked at number 13. Siouxse and the Banshees, Girlschool, Adam Ant, Def Leppard and Placebo have all covered this T Rex classic. Placebo performed the song live at the 1999 Brit Awards with David Bowie.
From a song featuring the late, great Marc Bolan let me now take you to a song from the late, great Eddie Cochran, “Twenty Flight Rock”. Cochran can be seen performing the song in the 1956 film ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ and it was released as a single in 1957. It was this Cochran song that a 15-year-old Paul McCartney played as part of his audition for John Lennon which led to him becoming one of the Quarrymen. McCartney has said that he thought that what impressed Lennon the most was that he knew all the words. Many artists have covered the song including Robert Gordon, Rolling Stones, the Stray Cats and Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen.
Seven swans a swimming, I’ve been looking forward to this part of my 12 days of Christmas posts as it features two of my favourite songs. Incidentally did you know that the mute swan which is native to the UK has doubled it’s population since 1983? Maybe it’s the royal protection they are afforded which saw to that.
Ride A White Skateboard anyone?
Anyway on to the first of todays songs and this one was an obvious choice. It is “Ride A White Swan” from T. Rex and it is only the second signal released under the shortened name after the band used to be known as Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is also the song that helped kick off what became known as Glam Rock and the screaming adulation given to Bolan in what became known as Trextasy. The song was released in late 1970 and didn’t reach its highest UK chart position of number two until January 1971. It was produced by Tony Visconti as were many of the bands biggest hits. It was released as a maxi single. So named as it featured three and not the customary two tracks. The other tracks were “Is It Love” and a rather interesting cover of Eddie Cochran‘s “Summertime Blues”. “Ride A White Swan” kicked off a run of 10 consecutive UK top 5 hits for the band which lasted from 1971 to 1973 and included four number ones. The song could only manage a very lowly number 76 in the US chart.
The second choice for today was an obvious one for me, but do you know why it’s here? It is the stupendous “Badge” from Cream. The band was effectively an early supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. Interestingly it wasn’t Clapton that played guitar on this track, it was George Harrison. This was a favour in return for Clapton providing guitar on the Beatles track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. It was written by Clapton and Harrison and featured on Cream’s final album ‘Goodbye’. It made number 18 in the UK charts in 1969 and only reached number 60 in the US. Apparently it was a drunk Ringo Starr that gave the pair the line in the song which secured its inclusion in today’s post. Do you know what that line is yet? For contractual reasons George Harrison was listed under a pseudonym in terms of the playing personnel. That name was L’Angelo Misterioso.
T.Rex
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 