On 10th November 1955 Elvis Presley attended the fourth Country Music Disc Jockey Convention in Nashville Tennessee. When he returned to his hotel after the Convention Mae Boren Axton played him a demo of a new song she had written with Tommy Durden called “Heartbreak Hotel”. Presley released the track as a single on January 27, 1956. It was his first release on his new record label RCA Victor. The song gave him his his first No.1 one pop record in the USA. It also reached number 3 in Australia and number 2 in the UK. As was common for the times Presley was given a co writing credit simply for agreeing to record the song.
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On 29th September 2012, the UK tabloid press reported that there really was a girl who works down the chip shop and swore she was Elvis’ daughter. This was after Lisa Marie Presley was spotted serving up deep-fried treats on a mobile motor called Mr Chippy. The then 44-year-old donned an apron and cooked battered cod for the locals. Kim Scales, who owned the business, said: “Lisa Marie likes to see how we live and experience British life. We were laughing because the customers didn’t know who she was. She really enjoyed it.” The singer had moved to the quaint village of Rotherfield, East Sussex, in 2010, from Los Angeles. Sadly Lisa Marie is no longer with us after passing away last year.
Also on 29th September, this time in 1989, while travelling on his motorbike from Los Angeles, Bruce Springsteen called in at Matt’s Saloon in Prescott, Arizona, and jammed with the house band. Bruce played a bunch of rock and roll classics, including Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel,” and Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Route 66.” Bruce also donated $100,000 to a barmaid’s hospital bill.
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This is the fourth in what I am sure will be a very long-running series, just like my long-running life, so far at least! I have decided to look at the most popular songs from every year that 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 fourth top ten goes back to my 3rd birthday year, 1962. I don’t remember actually hearing these songs back in 1962, but I have listened to them 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 “Stranger On The Shore” by Acker Bilk. My Mum’s favourite singer Elvis Presley is in the top ten at number 7. The Tornados’ “Telstar” is at number one, this is one of my favourite tunes ever! Did you know that Matt Bellamy off of Muse was in the Tornados? So was possibly the greatest session drummer in history, Clem Cattini. So here is the fourth Rolling Back The Years With Mayhem Chart, for 1962. I reckon this is the best rolling back the year’s top ten so far! Please get on board the Time Machine now, it will be a rough journey so bring a sick bag! If you are too chicken to enter the Time Machine, click here for the playlist! The chart for 1963 will follow soon. The chart listing is below!
1 Telstar – The Tornados 2 Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker 3 Stranger On The Shore – Acker Bilk 4 Nut Rocker – B Bumble & The Stingers 5 Let’s Dance – Chris Montez 6 The Loco-Motion – Little Eva 7 Return To Sender – Elvis Presley 8 It Might As Well Rain Until September – Carole King 9 Sherry – The Four Seasons 10 The Wanderer – Dion
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This is the third in what I hope will be a very long-running series, just like my long-running life, so far at least! 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 third top ten goes back to my 2nd birthday, 1961. I don’t remember actually hearing these songs back in 1961, but I have listened to them many times over the years. I have focused on the UK charts and this time the US bestseller does not feature in my list. It is “Tossin’ And Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis. My Mum’s favourite singer Elvis Presley is in the top ten at number 3. One of my Dad’s favourite songs “But I Do” is at number seven. It isn’t in the top ten but one of my favourite 1961 tunes is “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Until You Lose It” by Ral Donner. So here is the third Rolling Back The Years With Mayhem Chart, for 1961. It has quite a few good tunes I reckon. Please get on board the Time Machine now, it will be a rough journey so bring a sick bag! If you are too scared to enter the Time Machine, click here for the playlist! The chart for 1962 will follow soon.
1 Runaway – Del Shannon 2 Walking Back To Happiness – Helen Shapiro 3 Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Elvis Presley 4 Hello Mary Lou – Ricky Nelson 5 Blue Moon – The Marcels 6 Poetry In Motion – Johnny Tillotson 7 But I Do – Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry 8 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? – Shirelles 9 Take Good Care Of My Baby – Bobby Vee 10 Cupid – Sam Cooke
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On 24th March 2002 Gareth Gates became the second youngest male solo artist to have UK number-one single. with his debut release ‘Unchained Melody’. He was just 17 years and 255 days old and had recently finished second to Will Young on TV’s Pop Idol. This was the fourth time that the song had been at No.1 in the UK. Al Hibbler and Jimmy Young both reached the top with it in 1955 and a rerelease of the iconic Righteous Brothers version hit the top in 1990 after featuring in the mega-successful film ‘Ghost’. For all you fact fans out there, Little Jimmy Osmond is the youngest artist to have a UK number one he was only 9 years and 8 months old when he hit the summit in 1972 with “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool.” The world would be better off without both of these singles in my opinion.
24th March 1998 saw UK singer Mark Morrison, who reached number one in the UK charts with “Return Of The Mack” in 1996 was jailed for a year after trying to con his way out of doing community service. He sent his minder Gabriel Mafereka who wore sunglasses and hid his hair under a hat so he looked like the star. Mr. Morrison, you really were a dick, weren’t you?
At 6:35 a.m. on 24th March 1958, Elvis Presley reported to the Memphis draft board. From there Elvis and twelve other recruits were taken by bus to Kennedy Veterans Memorial Hospital where the singer was assigned army serial number 53310761. Is that when he caught those G.I. Blues?
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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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On 5th March 1953 Air Force Staff Sergeant Johnny Cash (yes, the man in black himself) intercepted a coded message from Russia. The message confirmed that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was dead. Cash enlisted in 1950 after he turned 18 and was assigned to the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile of the US Air Force Security Service at Landsberg, West Germany, where he proved his skill as a Morse Code operator.
5th March 1965 saw an 18-year-old David Bowie feature on the second Manish Boys single, “I Pity The Fool”. It was produced by Shel Talmy, (who also produced The Who and The Kinks). Jimmy Page was Talmy’s regular session musician and played the guitar solo on the track.
In 1955 on 5th March Elvis Presley made his US TV debut by appearing on the weekend show ‘Louisiana Hayride’ on KWKH TV, broadcast from Shreveport Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. There are many different claims for his first hayride appearance, 5th March is the one I have found mentioned most times.
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On January 26th, 1975, the Alan Yentob-directed documentary of David Bowie’s weird travels and travails in America was shown on BBC TV in the UK. It was filmed when Bowie was at the height of his cocaine addiction and magnified his paranoia and probably very fragile mental state. But, for me and many Bowie fans, it remains one of the best documentaries about the former David Robert Jones ever. Another piece of Bowie’s history took place on that date but in 1967. It was the day that he began recording one of his best-loved tunes, “The Laughing Gnome”. 😉
Meanwhile, on January 26th, 1961, Elvis Presley was number one in the UK singles chart with his sixth UK chart-topper, “Are You Lonesome Tonight”. It also hit number 2 in the UK when it was reissued in 2005. It was an old song written in 1926 by Roy Turk and Lou Handman. The Blue Barron Orchestra took the song to the US Billboard Top 20 in 1950. Apparently, Elvis recorded the song following a suggestion made by his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Marie Mott, Parker’s wife had said it was one of her favourite songs. Posting this piece also gives me a chance to once again share the laughing version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight”
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David Bowie, whom the NME cheekily used to refer to as the Dame was born on January 8th, 1947. He would have turned 77 today. Many people know that Elvis Presley was born 12 years before him on the same date in 1935. But did you know that a real Dame was also born on January 8th, but in 1937? Yes, it was Dame Shirley Bassey. On the former David Jones’s 19th birthday in 1966, he played a show at the Marquee Club in London with his band the Lower Third. On January 8th, 1970 Bowie began recording the original single of “The Prettiest Star” with Marc Bolan on guitar. On Bowie’s 66th Birthday Bowie made a spectacular and unexpected comeback by releasing “Where Are We Now” with no advance warning. It is one of his most reflective songs and the lyrics work through his time living in Berlin. He surprised the world again on his 69th birthday by releasing the stunning ‘Blackstar’, sadly he passed away two days later. Incidentally, that album, his 26th studio record, was the first not to feature Bowie on the cover.
This is David Bowie at his daughter’s birthday party
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Other than the Beatles I really hadn’t thought about how many bands have played exclusive gigs on rooftops. But there are quite a few, here is a top ten, but I am not brave enough to rank them, so they are in chronological order. The list includes 4 British acts, 4 US artists, 1 Brazilian and an Irish band. Five of the rooftops, were in the US, four in the UK and one in Brazil. Sadly I never witnessed any of these rooftop shows firsthand, but I have been lucky enough to see six of these acts play live 🙂
1955 Elvis Presley – Porky’s Rooftop, Newport, Arkansas, USA – did the King kick it all off?
1967 Roberto Carlos – Copam Building, São Paulo, Brazil – not the footballer with the same name, this fella was known as the King of Latin Music
1968 Jefferson Airplane – The Schuyler Hotel, Manhattan, NYC, USA – way before they converted to a Starship, they laid the foundations for the city they built on rock ‘n’ roll
1969 – Beatles – Apple Building, Saville Row, London, UK – the last live show the Fab Four ever played. The title of this post is a John Lennon quote from that gig.
1987 U2 – Apple Studios, Los Angeles, USA – part of the ‘Rattle And Hum’ shenanigans I think
2010 Bon Jovi – O2 Arena, London, UK – Jon, Richie and the boys stepped onto the roof of the venue they were playing a residency at
2011 Kasabian – Skylight West, NYC, USA – the Leicester lads play a set to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, or maybe the 40th anniversary of Mulberry, or maybe both!
2012 Madness – Buckingham Palace, London, UK – the Nutty Boys played for Her Maj on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee – Brian May also played the rooftop. Hardly the Pistols riverboat trip back in ’77, but I suppose it’ll do.
2013 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Dick’s Drive In, Seattle, USA – I so wish they had played on the roof of a “Thrift Shop”. This wasn’t their only rooftop gig that year, check out the video below.
2021 Bull – EMI Head Office, Kings Cross, London, UK – one of York’s finest showcased their debut album ‘Discover Effortless Living’ with a fab show which was streamed earlier tonight. A small roof for a band, a giant leap for bandkind! Terrible pun I know, but trust me, Bull really are destined for great things!
Given that it was 1955 and there was no social media there appears to be no footage of Elvis’ roof top gig. Bull’s marvellous set is not on YouTube yet, but click here and it might still be available on their Facebook page 🙂
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