Personal top ten - March to September 1961

1961 is generally considered a low point in popular music. The adrenaline rush of rock and roll was just a memory and a clutch of 'Bobbies' dominated the US charts. The soul and blues revolutions, along with the girl group boom and the rise of British groups, were still a long way off. Despite that, there were some excellent records being made and there were some early signs of soul and the emergence into the mainstream (in the US at any rate) of New Orleans R and B.This, the third batch of records that made up my 'hot ten' at the time, includes some classics tracks - plus a few I would rather forget.
The last day of March, list number 81, saw new entries by Johnny Burnette and the Marcels and the first sign of Stax in the form of Carla Thomas's 'Gee Whiz'. List 82 had new entries by Bobby Vee, Sam Cooke, Floyd Cramer and Bob Luman. Number 83 has an instrumental entry by the Hollywood Vines and more proto soul from Maxine Brown, while number 84 includes new entries by the Temperance Seven, Acker Bilk and Johnny Dankworth (not my finest hour).

List 85 includes new entries by Duane Eddy and re-entries by the Marcels, Marv Johnson and Fats Domino. There were more re-entries in list 86 by Gene Pitney and Fats Domino and a new one by the Drifters; list 87 has new entries by Johnny Cash and Adam Faith. List 88 sees the arrival of New Orleans R and B with Ernie K-Doe (a future number one) and Clarence 'Frogman' Henry plus one by Brenda Lee.

There was an important new entry in list 89 by Del Shannon, the first of many, plus a re-entry by Fats Domino. List 90 had an entry by Dick Charlesworth (huh?); list 91 new entries by Bobby Vee (a B side), a Billy Fury cover and Linda Scott; list 92 had new ones by Neil Sedaka, Jerry Lee Lewis (his first appearance), the Ventures and another smash by Roy Orbison.

There was a bit of a lull with just a Billy Fury re-entry in list 93 and a new entry by Lonnie Donegan in 94. Ricky Nelson's 'Travellin' Man arrived in list 95 (its flip side followed soon after), as did a one point entry by Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong (again, huh?), while list 96 saw new entries by Elvis, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker and Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs.

In list 97 Ricky Nelson's 'Hello Mary Lou' entered on its way to number one and there was one by the String a Longs. List 98 had new entries by Della Reese and Johnny Preston; list 99 new ones by Garry Mills, Johnny Horton and Gene Vincent; list 100 had a classic new entry from Freddie Cannon. 'Summertime' by the Marcels was a 'pick'.

List 101 had new entries by Elvis, Eddie Cochran and two sides of an Everly Brothers 45. There were no new entries in 102 and Donnie Brooks and Johnny Cash had new entries in 103. List 104 had new entries by the Temperance Seven and Connie Francis. There was also one - 'Foolin' Around'  - which I attributed to the Miracles, but they didn't have a release of that name. It's likely that I got the wrong name for their second UK 45 Ain't It Baby, unless anyone can suggest otherwise.

Buddy Holly and Fats Domino had new entries in list 105 with 'Baby I Don't Care' going to number one. There were new entries for Johnny and the Hurricanes, Bobby Darin and Jimmy Jones in 106; for Sam Cooke with 'Cupid' and the B side of Johnny and the Hurricanes in 107, while in list 108 there was just one new entry - by Nino and the Ebbtides.

List 109 had new entries by Jackie Wilson and Brenda Lee; number 110 new entries by Clarence Henry, Ray Peterson and the Drifters'; list 111 saw the new Johnny Burnette single go straight to number one plus both sides of a Bobby Vee 45 and one by Adam Faith. In list 112 there were new entries by Gary (US) Bonds and Ernie K-Doe.

Don Gibson had a new entry in list 113 and the Drifters had a re-entry; in 114 there were new entries for Billy Fury and the String a Longs; list 115 had entries by the Belmonts, Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker (several months before 'Let's Twist Again' really took off); and list 116 had appearances by Gene McDaniels and Marv Johnson.

The final batch in this set sees new entries by Gene Vincent, Freddie Cannon, Curtis Lee and Linda Scott in list 117. In list 118 there were new entries by Del Shannon, Ann Margret, Lonnie Donegan and Elvis. List 119 saw the entry of one of the year's biggest point scorers with Roy Orbison's 'Cryin''. Finally, list 120 had new entries by Ral Donner, Chris Kenner (a future number one), Johnny Tillotson, Duane Eddy and Connie Francis. Which takes us into September, 1961. More soon.