The Early Radio London Fab Forties
Sunday 4th July 1965

An Independence Day celebration for the Byrds who are chasing our other feathered friends, the Yardbirds, up this week's Fab.

Last
This
 
Week
Week
17
1
To Know You Is To Love You Peter & Gordon
13
2
Heart Full Of Soul Yardbirds
11
3
Leave A Little Love Lulu
14
4
Help Me Rhonda Beach Boys
1
5
Got Live If You Want It! (EP) Rolling Stones
3
6
Looking Thru The Eyes Of Love Gene Pitney
2
7
The One In The Middle (EP) Manfred Mann
9
8
She's About A Mover Sir Douglas Quintet
16
9
Mr Tambourine Man Byrds
20
10
Tossing And Turning Ivy League
5
11
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere Who
7
12
Crying In The Chapel Elvis Presley
4
13
Set Me Free Kinks
10
14
On My Word Cliff Richard
8
15
Colours Donovan
18
16
Woolly Bully Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
21
17
In The Middle Of Nowhere Dusty Springfield
6
18
I'm Alive Hollies
12
19
The Price Of Love Everly Brothers
22
20
Strong Love Spencer Davis Group
15
21
Stingray Shadows
28
22
Let The Water Run Down P J Proby
30
23
Voodoo Woman Bobby Goldsboro
23
24
It's Just A Little Bit Too Late Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders
29
25
When Summertime Is Over Jackie Trent
26
26
What The World Needs Now Is Love Jackie de Shannon
38
27
That's The Way Love Goes Charles Dickens
32
28
A Walk In The Black Forest Horst Jankowski
24
29
Incense Anglos
30
In Thoughts Of You Billy Fury
31
He's Got No Love Searchers
35
32
Down In Mexico Boston Crabs
37
33
Hear Me A Drummer Man Phil Wainman
34
Sunshine Lollipops And Rainbows Lesley Gore
35
Cry To Me Pretty Things
36
Everyone's Gone To The Moon Jonathan King
37
This Strange Effect Dave Berry
38
You Got What I Want Boys Blue
39
Sadness Hides The Sun Greta Ann
40
Don't Go Away Mad Bobby Vinton

40
Don't Go Away Mad Bobby Vinton Columbia DB 7628

Don't Go Away Mad was written by Neil Diamond, who had yet to achieve any hits of his own. It was in June 1965 that Neil, Jeff Barry and his wife Ellie Greenwich formed Tallyrand Music, for the sole purpose of publishing Neil's songs. Sadly, Don't Go Away Mad was not one of the many Diamond-penned successes.

Stanley Robert Vinton
was born in Canonsburg, PA in 1935. He achieved an amazing 44 US Hot Hundred entries over twenty years, including four that perched at the top slot. He owns The Bobby Vinton Theatre in Branson, Missouri, which boasts 'Blue On Blue' decor and carpets woven with gold discs, commemorating the accolades he has received for sales of over 75 million records. The stage curtain is made from – what else, but Blue Velvet.

Neil Diamond was eventually to beat Bobby's chart entry record with no less than 56 Hot Hundred entries in twenty years. In the UK, Neil achieved far greater success as a songwriter than a singer, and surprisingly, failed to reach the UK Nationals until the release of Cracklin' Rosie in 1970. By this time, he had entered the US chart 15 times. However, like many other artists of the time, he did fare much better in the Radio London Fab Forty. Neil, who apparently contemplated, and then wisely rejected, the stage names Eice Chary and Noah Cominsky enjoyed his greatest-ever songwriting success with the Monkees' I'm a Believer.

Bobby Vinton, who has been awarded his own bronze star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard, would later return to the subject of his favourite colour, when he covered Neil Diamond's Song Sung Blue.

A song recorded much later by Motley Crüe with an identical title and lyrical sentiment, has no connection to this one.

Climbers:  
The Secret Of My Success Chantelles
I'm Gonna Stand By You Jackie Lynn
Love Will Come Your Way Peter Nelson
After Tonight Jimmy Echo
Disc of the Week:  
With These Hands Tom Jones

Love Will Come Your Way Peter Nelson Piccadilly 7N 35250

Many thanks to Harm Koenders for pointing out an error that explains why no information could be found concerning a climber listed as by Peter Wilson. The correct artist name is Peter Nelson.

Peter Nelson and the Travelers was formed in the early Sixties and they played a month's residency at Hamburg's renowned Star Club where they recorded tracks for the collectable Twist At the Star Club album. When John Schroeder signed the band to the Piccadilly label, he felt a more 'Mod' name would suit them and rechristened them Peter's Faces. Schroeder felt that covering (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet, a US Top Ten smash for the Reflections, would provide the band with a UK hit, but the record flopped.

After several failed releases, the band, which at various times contained Mitch Mitchel and Vic Briggs, split, and Peter launched a solo career with Love Will Come Your Way, but success continued to elude him.

When Let's Go to San Francisco became a hit without a touring band, Peter joined the Flower Pot Men and subsequently, White Plains.

Sadly, Peter died in 2005.

Love Will Come Your Way, features on the 15-track CD of Peter Nelson recordings, Don't Make Promises, with individual tracks also available as downloads.

Full Peter Nelson biography.

After Tonight Jimmy Echo Columbia DB 7629

After Tonight (notice the matrix number is next in sequence after Don't Go Away Mad) was recorded by the father of Harry Hamer; drummer for Chumbawamba. Jimmy recorded the big ballad (and its B-side, Practise What You Preach, when he was only fifteen years old, which means he was aged around forty-four when he featured on Chumbawamba's live album Showbusiness! as vocalist on the track Timebomb.

I'm Gonna Stand By You Jackie Lynn HMV Pop 1443

Brian Long notes in his book The London Sound, that I'm Gonna Stand By You was the first of only two releases containing a Pall Mall Music-published song on both sides - Pall Mall being the Radlon Sales-owned music publishing company. The B was Lonely People and both songs were penned by Keith Mansfield and Dave Nelson and arranged by Alan Tew. This was Jackie Lynn's sole release and sadly, neither being a double-sided Pall Mall release, nor having the songs penned and produced by impressive composers, was sufficient to elevate it into the Fab Forty.
Other Fab Forty acts to benefit from Keith's talents were Tom Jones, The Peddlers and James Royal.

 

This week aboard the Galaxy

Today (July 4th) the first broadcast of a new weekly 30-minute promotional feature, 'Radio London Brides', aired at 1430, immediately before the Fab Forty, offering a chance to win a dream honeymoon plus £100 cash.

Tune in next week for another Big L Fab 40!

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