Yesterday I tried to answer a few questions. With one of my answers I gave away a snippet from my past. Mention was made of the good old days of Radio Luxembourg. The DJ who joined us for Christmas 1971 in Wiesbaden was Bob Stewart. The stories he told certainly made us laugh and the time passed in a flash. Alas, he had to leave us early on Boxing Day to drive back and open up the Station at 6pm. A tuck box was filled with tasty goodies and there was a special request for some of my Christmas pudding. (I plan to include it for a Food Monday in the autumn.)
In the picture above is Bob Stewart on the left with Mark Wesley and Peter Powell. I think it is from around 1977. The one below of Bob is how I like to remember him.
So what were we listening to all those years ago?
Ernie the Fastest Milkman in the West, Sung by Benny Hill was the No.1 for several weeksaround that Christmas.
Top Twenty August 1 1965, the year I left school.
1. Help! Beatles (Parlophone)
2. You’ve got your troubles Fortunes (Decca)
3. We gotta get out of this place Animals (Columbia)
4. Mr. Tambourine man Byrds (CBS)
5. Catches if you can Dave Clark Five (Columbia)
6. Tossing and turning Ivy League (Piccadilly)
7. There but for fortune Joan Baez (Fontana)
8. Heart full of soul Yardbirds (Columbia)
9. With these hands Tom Jones (Decca)
10. Wooly Bully Sam the Sham (MGM)
11. In the middle of nowhere Dusty Springfield (Philips)
12. Summer nights Marian Faithfull (Decca)
13. Everyone’s gone to the moon Jonathan King (Decca)
14. He’s got no love Searchers (Decca)
16. Zorba’s dance Marcello Minerbi (Durium)
17. A walk in the black forest Horst Jankowski (Mercury)
18. Too many rivers Brenda Lee (Brunswick)
19. Say you’re my girl Roy Orbison (London)
20. I’m alive Hollies (Parlophone)
Weekend Chart New Musical Express (Saturday, July 31, 1965).
And almost a year later:
Top Twenty from Sunday June 26 1966.
1. Paperback Writer Beatles (Parlophone)
2. Strangers In The Night Frank Sinatra (Reprise)
3. Monday, Monday Mama’s and Papa’s (RCA)
4. Sunny Afternoon Kinks (Pye)
5. Don’t Answer Me Cilla Black (Parlophone)
6. River Deep-Mountain High Ike and Tina Turner (London)
7. Nobody Needs Your Love Gene Pitney (Statesite)
8. When A Man Loves A Woman Percy Sledge (Atlantic)
9. Promises Ken Dodd (Columbia)
10. Sorrow Merseys (Fontana)
11. Paint It Black Rolling Stones (Decca)
12. Don’t Bring Me Down Animals (Decca)
13. Over Under Sideways Down Yardbirds (Columbia)
14. Hideaway Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick and Tich (Fontana)
15. Wild Thing Troggs (Fontana)
16. Sloop John B Beach Boys (Capitol)
17. It’s A Man’s World James Brown (Pye Int.)
18. Get Away Georgie Fame (Columbia)
19. Bus Stop Hollies (Parlophone)
20. Lana Roy Orbison (London)
New Musical Express (Wednesday, June 22, 1966).
So how many of these do you remember?