Big L Fab Forty vs Caroline Countdown
Jon Myer of the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame has very kindly given Radio London permission to compile a comparison between the Caroline Countdown chart on his site, provided by Caroline DJ John Hatt, and the Radio London Fab Forty for the same week in September 1966 – broadcast Sat Sept 24th, on Caroline and Sunday Sept 24th, London. This proved an interesting, though very difficult, exercise. It is hard enough to compare a Top Forty listing against a Top Fifty, let alone an isolated Caroline Countdown against a chart taken from a full set of Fab Forties. There are so many factors to build into the equation that this cannot be regarded as a serious analysis. For instance, Caroline had a Top Fifty, but although the Radio London chart was announced as a Top Forty, it rarely contained only forty singles! Offshore radio fans all know that the Fab Forties are not in any way based on sales of records, whereas Caroline was more likely to have charts (or certainly the top twenty of them) based on those published in music papers such as Melody Maker. There are instances where it cannot be established for certain that a particular single we have listed as being played on either station that week was actually aired. We have mentioned before that typed 'official' lists sent to the ship from the on-shore office are likely to bear little resemblance to what the listeners heard. I am sure this applies equally to Caroline. Alan Field's chart (on which I have based the Fab Forty information given here) comes as close as we are likely to get to what Big L played in this particular week, as Alan listened and wrote it all down at the time. When it came to choosing their playlists, both stations had their own agendas. The entries marked with an asterisk indicate records containing a song (either the A- or B-Side) published by the Radio London-associated music publisher, Pall Mall Music. It should be noted that despite the expected Big L prejudice towards including these releases, the singles are not necessarily being played exclusively by Radio London! However, it does seem that the recording by Freddie Ryder, who just happened to work for Caroline, was being played exclusively by his own station. (See page 2) If we simply regard this as a fun comparison of two station playlists for the same week in 1966, based on the information available, it makes interesting reading and gives a fair indication of how fast singles were dropped from the Big L playlist. The feature has been split into 2 parts for ease of viewing. To see the full-sized Caroline Countdown (left) in its original form, visit the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame. Jonathan continues to add more Countdowns to the PRHoF, as received from Jempi Laevaert and John Hatt and in 2009, acquired a set of Radio City Sixties for the website.
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Key to Colours | ||||
Caroline, going up
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Big L Fab 40, going up
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Going down
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Non-mover
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New entry
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Shaded boxes
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Singles still in the Caroline chart which had previously been on Big L playlist, but had left it on the date given | Singles on this week's Big L list, but not Caroline's | Singles on this week's Caroline list, but not on Big L's and not previously listed by Big L |
Dep
Date |
Chart
comparison: Caroline
Countdown, September 24th, Big L Fab
40, September 25th 1966
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4
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1
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Bend It | Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich | |
27
|
2
|
Walk With Me | Seekers | |
1
|
3
|
I'm A Boy | Who | |
11
|
4
|
Winchester Cathedral* | New Vaudeville Band | |
22
|
5
|
Sunny | Bobby Hebb | |
23
|
5
|
Sunny | Georgie Fame | |
3
|
6
|
You Can't Hurry Love | Supremes | |
11/09
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6
|
Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine | Beatles | |
18/09
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7
|
Too Soon to Know | Roy Orbison | |
8
|
7
|
All I See Is You | Dusty Springfield | |
13
|
8
|
I Don't Care | Los Bravos | |
12
|
9
|
Guantanamera | Sandpipers | |
11/09
|
10
|
All Or Nothing | Small Faces | |
2
|
10
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Little Man | Sonny & Cher | |
11
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Have You Ever Loved Somebody | Searchers | ||
18
|
11
|
Have You Ever Loved Somebody* | Paul & Barry Ryan | |
12
|
I've Got You Under My Skin | Four Seasons | ||
34
|
13
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Another Tear Falls | Walker Brothers | |
14
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Baby Toys | Toys | ||
11/09
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14
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Just Like A Woman | Manfred Mann | |
11/09
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15
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Stop That Girl | Chris Andrews | |
5
|
15
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Distant Drums | Jim Reeves | |
33
|
16
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Dear Mrs Applebee | David Garrick | |
16
|
17
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Lady Godiva | Peter & Gordon | |
31/07
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17
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Sweet Dreams | Tommy McLain | |
44
|
18
|
Light | Finders Keepers | |
19
|
I Struck It Rich | Len Barry | ||
20
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We Love The Pirate Stations* | Roaring 60's | ||
21/08
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20
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Warm and Tender Love | Percy Sledge | |
21
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There Will Never Be Another You | Chris Montez | ||
21
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Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? | Stones | ||
18/09
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21
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Big Time Operator | Zoot Money | |
36
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22
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What A Wonderful Feeling | Lulu & the Alan Price Set | |
23
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Summer Wind | Frank Sinatra | ||
9
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24
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Working In The Coal Mine | Lee Dorsey | |
18/09
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24
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Got to Get You Into My Life | Cliff Bennett | |
11/09
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25
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Cherry Cherry | Neil Diamond | |
11/09
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26
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Step Out of Line | Twice As Much | |
28/08
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28
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More Than Love | Ken Dodd | |
7/08
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29
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So Sad About Us | The Merseys | |
28/08
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30
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Here Today | Robb Storme Group | |
31
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In the Arms of Love | Andy Williams | ||
4/09
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32
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Run | Sandie Shaw | |
19
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25
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Ashes To Ashes | Mindbenders | |
26
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She Drives Me Out Of My Mind | Swinging Medallions | ||
50(?)
|
27
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When I Come Home | Spencer Davis Group | |
28
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Land Of 1,000 Dances | Wilson Pickett | ||
29
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Gotta Get A Hold Of Myself | Zombies | ||
30
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Summertime | Billy Stewart | ||
45
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31
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What Would Your Mama Say Now? | Miki Dallon | |
32
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There's Something About You* | Chantelles | ||
33
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Born A Woman | Sandy Posey | ||
34
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Till Winter Follows Spring | Settlers | ||
SS
|
35
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Dommage Dommage | Engelbert Humperdinck | |
37
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Bossy Boss | Fingers Lee | ||
|
36
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My Strength, Heart And Soul | Johnny Devlin | |
|
37
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The Cost Of Living | Downliners Sect | |
|
37
|
That Loving Feeling* | Honeycombs | |
|
38
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I Can Make It With You | Jackie de Shannon/Pozo Seco Singers | |
|
39
|
Painter Man | Creation | |
|
40
|
Security | Diana Dors | |
|
40
|
Somewhere My Love | Mike Sammes Singers | |
40
|
You Are the Love of My Life | Truly Smith |
Dep
Date |
LW
|
TW
|
Positions
41 50,
Caroline Countdown
only
|
|
42
|
41
|
Off to Dublin | Go Lucky Four | |
4/09
|
45
|
42
|
Money Won't Change You | James Brown |
41
|
43
|
World of No Return | Kenny Damon | |
47
|
44
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Light | Finders Keepers | |
|
45
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What Would Your Mother Say Now | Miki Dallon | |
33
|
46
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Man of the Moment | Freddie Ryder | |
50
|
47
|
It's A Crime | Kirkbys | |
43
|
48
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I Can't Touch the Sun | Julie Felix | |
31/07
|
34
|
49
|
Mama | Dave Berry |
|
50
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When I Get Home | Spencer Davis Group |
Wonderful Feeling | Lulu |
On the Caroline Countdown, this single is listed as above. Brian Long's version of the Fab Forty lists it as 'What a Wonderful Feeling' by Lulu. However, Alan Field heard it announced as "What a Wonderful Feeling by Lulu and the Alan Price Set", who were, indeed, the recording artists. Alan Price also wrote the song.
What Would Your Mama Say Now | Miki Dallon |
According to Brian Long's Fab 40 listings, Field's Fab Forty, and the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide, the correct title of this single was What Will Your Mama Say Now