Personal top ten - September 1963 to April 1964

By September, 1963, the airwaves were buzzing with so many great records that it was impossible to squeeze them all into my personal top ten. Every week there was yet another classic released which still sounds great today. The tragedy was that few of these actually made into the official UK top ten. Still, I, and a few others, knew there was great music to be heard.
List 289, for example saw the new Crystals record come straight in at number one, while the Angels' 'My Boyfriend's Back' came in at number 3, with the latest Sam Cooke release also entering. List 290 had Major Lance's 'Monkey Time' entering. List 291 had new ones by Roy Orbison, Bobby Comstock and Bobby Vinton, and 292 had 'Pretty Thing' by Bo Diddley and 'Mickey's Monkey' by the Miracles entering.

In list 295 there were new entries by Dion and both sides of a Chuck Berry classic. 294 had the flip side of Roy Orbison's latest enter; the Jaynetts had a new entry in list 295 and list 296 saw the first entry, a future number one, by the Ronettes, and others by Ray Charles and the Everly Brothers.

There were some great new entries in list 297 by the Drifters, Jan and Dean and Little Eva. List 298 saw new ones by the Chiffons, the Cookies and Fats Domino. List 299 had new entries by Nino Tempo and April Stevens and Dee Dee Sharp. Number 300 had a future number one by Rufus Thomas, a new entry by Del Shannon (now somewhat in decline) and a re-entry by Ray Charles.

Into November now and there were new entries by the Shirelles and Sunny and the Sunglows in list 301. 302 had new entries by Dion, Dale and Grace, Big Dee Irwin and the Impressions. There was a new one by Mary Wells in 303 and in list 304 there were new entries by Bo Diddley and Gene Pitney.

December now and list 305 had new entries by Chuck Berry ('Run Rudolph Run' on its way to number one) and Darlene Love. There was a new one by Sam Cooke in 306 and a new one by Major Lance in 307. List 308 had a Christmas record by Big Dee Irwin and Little Eva and an obscurity by the Lockets ('Don't Cha Know' - a copy of which I've yet to find).

Christmas 1963 saw Chuck Berry at number one and a new entry by the Miracles in list 309. The New Year (1964) saw brilliant records by the Ronettes, Marvin Gaye and the Four Pennies (US version) in 310. The Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie' crashed in to list 311 on its way to number one, also a new one by Nino Tempo and April Stevens. List 312 had new ones by Jan and Dean, the Shirelles, Jerry Butler and a first entry for the Supremes.

There was a new entry by the Cookies in 313 and probably the last new entry by a British artist with Georgie Fame's 'Do The Dog' (Rufus's version not having been released in the UK). Major Lance and the Exciters had new entries in list 314; Dionne Warwick and the Impressions were new in list 315 and in 316 Chuck Berry's 'Nadine' came in at number one while the Tams also had a new entry.

In list 317 there was a new one by the Crystals ('I Wonder') which didn't do much in the UK charts for some reason and a new one by Bo Diddley. List 318 had new entries by Sam Cooke, Freddie Cannon, Roy Orbison and Fats Domino, and there was a new one by Gene Pitney in 319. Tommy Tucker (on his way to number one) and the Rivieras had new ones in list 320.

There was a new one by Big Dee Irwin in 321 and by the Beach Boys in list 322. For some reason an old Gary (US) Bonds record ('New Orleans') also entered that week. Maybe it was re-released, List 323 had new ones by Dion and Jerry Lee Lewis, with its B side entering in list 324.

The final batch sees Dionne Warwick's 'Walk On By' enter on its way to number one in list 325, along with new ones by the Everly Brothers and the Four Seasons. Betty Everett's 'Shoop Shoop Song' entered in 326 on its way to number one and Lazy Lester's 'I'm A Lover Not A Fighter' also entered. Terry Stafford had a new entry in 327 and list 328 saw new entries by the Shirelles, Jan and Dean, the Miracles and Major Lance.