The Early Radio London Fab Forties
Sunday 6th February 1966

Having climbed to #4 in the Radio London Fab Forty in November '65, with their first single, 'Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches', the Ryan brothers were aiming to repeat their Fab Forty success with 'Have Pity on the Boy', but this time they stalled at #12. On Caroline, 'Heartaches' had reached #10, but although the Dutch photosleeve, left, is faintly rubber-stamped with the famous bell and the words 'Radio Caroline. Not for Sale', we do not know how it fared in the station's charts. They are incomplete for the period shortly after the Mi Amigo ran aground.

The twins' mother was no stranger to the charts herself. The well-respected Fifties' vocalist, Marion Ryan, had enjoyed a Top Ten national hit of her own in 1958, with 'Love Me Forever'.

Last
This
 
Week
Week
4
1
Like A Baby Len Barry
6
2
A Groovy Kind Of Love Mindbenders
10
3
Don't Make Me Over Swinging Blue Jeans
7
4
These Boots Are Made For Walkin' Nancy Sinatra
2
5
Love's Just A Broken Heart Cilla Black
12
6
You Didn't Have To Be So Nice Lovin' Spoonful
1
7
Michelle David & Jonathan / Overlanders
5
8
Second Hand Rose Barbra Streisand
9
9
I Can't Express It David Ballantyne
11
10
Midnight To Six Man Pretty Things
20
11
Call Me Lulu
18
12
Have Pity On The Boy Paul & Barry Ryan
27
13
Tomorrow Sandie Shaw
32
14
Sha La La La Lee Small Faces
17
15
Girl St Louis Union / Truth
21
16
This Golden Ring Fortunes
37
17
Uptight (Everything's Alright) Stevie Wonder
8
18
Mirror Mirror Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
23
19
Little By Little Dusty Springfield
3
20
My Girl Otis Redding
22
21
When You Move You Lose Keith Powell & Billie Davis
22
19th Nervous Breakdown Rolling Stones
34
23
A Little Bit Of Soap Craig / Exciters
29
24
Remember You Zombies
19
25
A Must To Avoid Herman's Hermits
25
26
Can't Help Thinking About Me David Bowie & the Lower Third
13
27
Attack Toys
36
28
Cry Cry Cry Riot Squad
29
My Love Petula Clark
38
30
The Same Old Room Bobby Shafto
31
Flowers On The Wall Statler Brothers
32
Barbara Ann Beach Boys
31
33
This Man's Got No Luck Gary Benson
34
You've Come Back P J Proby
35
Baby Don't You Do It Poets
36
Me And You Diane Ferraz & Nicky Scott
37
Land Of 1000 Dances Cherokees
35
38
Teenage Failure Chad & Jeremy
24
39
Keep On Running Spencer Davis Group
40
Something Beautiful Adrienne Poster

10
3
Don't Make Me Over Swinging Blue Jeans HMV POP 1501

The much-recorded Burt Bacharach and Hal David song first appeared on the Big L playlist as Duncan Johnson's climber on 25th April 1965, by Bournemouth brothers the Dowlands. Their version failed to chart, but this week in February 1966, Liverpool's Swinging Blue Jeans (right) took Don't Make Me Over to #3. The band had recorded it in mid-1965 but their producer decided not to release it as a single - possibly because of the Dowland's failure.

In France Don't Make Me Over was covered by 4 brothers and 2 sisters called Les Surfs, (left) under the title T'en vas pas comme ça.

Swinging Blue Jeans website. Le Surfs' website.

37
Land Of 1000 Dances Cherokees Columbia DB 7822

This is the first of a four-week Fab Forty residence for the Cherokees. They had made an earlier appearance in the Caroline Countdown of Oct 3rd 1964, with 'Seven Golden Daffodils' but the simultaneous release of a version by the Mojos meant that a brief battle ensued at the lower end of the listings that nobody won. In June 1966, the band would reappear in the Radio London chart, renamed New York Public Library. See notes for 19/06/66.

DJ Climbers:
Good Hard Rock Ian Whitcomb Dave Cash
There Isn't Anything Gidian Dave Dennis
Let's Get Together We Five John Edward
You Can't Love 'Em All Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers Duncan Johnson
Spanish Eyes Al Martino Paul Kaye
Broomstick Cowboy Bobby Goldsboro Mike Lennox
What Now My Love Sonny & Cher Earl Richmond
Lightnin' Strikes Lou Christie Mark Roman
Under Your Spell Again Johnny Rivers Ed Stewart
Jenny Take A Ride Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Tony Windsor

Fab Alan Field points out: "Unusually, this was Sonny and Cher's second week as a DJ climber. The single was John Edward's pick two weeks ago."

Disc of the week:  
La La La Gerry & the Pacemakers
Album of the Week:  
Michelle Overlanders

The Overlanders' Album of the Week 'Michelle', contains virtually every one of their Pye singles released to date.

The cover photo depicts a quintet, but the album blurb explains, "The group is basically a trio consisting of Lawrie Mason, vocals, percussion, harmonica, etc. Peter Bartholomew, vocals and rhythm guitar and Paul Arnold, vocals and lead guitar, but it is augmented with Terry Widlake, bass guitar and David Walsh, drums, for personal appearances."


There Isn't Anything Gidian Columbia DB 7826

Gidian – a Scottish ex-fridge salesman, whose real name was James Frew Pollock – was discovered by singer and comedian, Ken Dodd.

Despite being heralded as 'Doddy's Discovery of 1966', (right) and despite There Isn't Anything (written by Larry Williams) being voted a 'hit' on TV's Juke Box Jury, Gidian failed to find success. His single was picked as Dave Dennis's climber but did not make the Fab Forty. His follow-up in
May, See if She Cares, shared the same fate, despite once again having been picked as Dave Dennis's climber. Its B-side Fight for Your Love (penned by Gidian) appears on Mix a Fix Floor Fillers Vol 2. Spot the name of the Big L DJ on the sleeve? Yes, it's Mike Quinn, who worked for the station ashore.

Gidian finally made the lower reaches of the Fab Forty in October 66, with his third single, Feeling, (recorded with Irish Showband Chris Lambe and the Universals) for which he had written both the A- and the Pall Mall B-side, Don't Be Sentimental. Sadly for Gidian, it was not a case of 'third time lucky' in the Big L chart and Feeling stalled at #31.

Both There Isn't Anything and Feeling are regarded as Northern Soul collectables.


Clipping, thanks to Brian Long


The PURPLE additions to the climbers indicate information kindly provided by Roy Taylor.

The Caroline 'Countdown Sixty' chart (south ship) for this week is here


Tune in next week for another Big L Fab 40!


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