This Week's Top 10 Chart

A gracious good Friday to one and all.

Ok, I have to admit last week's chart did not go anywhere near as I expected. I was thinking that there might be some discussion of the Blackout, a few recommendations or condemnations of boomboxes, and more importantly, I was expecting a mention or two of Woodstock. Instead things deteriorated into a sort of bubblegum food fight and a lesson in forum etiquette. Boy, was I off the mark! On the other hand it got probably the most his and surely the most responses of any chart post yet. Just like in the tabloids controversy builds readership.

In deference to our host, I will ask that in the future all posts end with the following disclaimer:
"The oppinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Steve Hoffman or the Steve Hoffman forum"

Seriously, I think most everyone knows that when someone disses a song or artist in any discussion it's purely opinion. I think what upsets folks is when you make it seem like an attack on their intelligence or dismiss an entire genre without factual backing.
Personally, I'm not going to change my mind about the stuff I like no matter what I read here.

That said, I want to encourage one and all to keep posting your views, memories and opinions of these songs and charts. I look forward to Ed's post on this week's chart.

This week's charts are from August 24, 1959

Code:

 1. The Three Bells.......................[B]The Browns[/B]
 2. Sea Of Love...........................[B]Phil Phillips With Twilights[/B]
 3. Lavender-Blue.........................[B]Sammy Turner[/B]
 4. A Big Hunk O' Love....................[B]Elvis Presley[/B] 
 5. My Heart Is An Open Book..............[B]Carl Dobkins, Jr.[/B]
 6. What'd I Say (Part I).................[B]Ray Charles[/B]
 7. There Goes My Baby....................[B]The Drifters[/B]
 8. Sleep Walk............................[B]Santo & Johnny[/B]
 9. What A Differnce A Day Makes..........[B]Dinah Washington[/B]
10. I Want To Walk You Home...............[B]Fats Domino[/B]


This Week's Top 10 Album Chart

There is no Top Album Chart this week. 
(The charts begin August 17, 1963)

 

A pretty nice chart. #2, 6, 7 and 8 are all-time classics, #3 and 9 are classy adult-standards entries, and #4 and 5 are lost rockabilly gems. #10 isn't my favorite Fats song, and I have to confess I've never heard #1, but all in all this was a pretty solid week for pop.

 

As a nine year old little kid I thought #'s 3 & 5 were pretty wimpy and still do. I liked #1 although now I don't know why. I liked everything else and still do, my favorites being #'s 6 & 7. My tastes haven't changed much in over 40 years.

 

Love #8! Jeff Beck does a great version too!

 

It's really scary if you can sing #8!!!

 

Well, I was referring to the version on Dave's chart, natch.

 

Not a bad week at all. A lot of classic recording that week. Although I was only 5 at the time of this chart. I know and like most of the songs on there. "The Three Bells" by The Browns I am not familiar with. What I have heard over the years of Dinah Washington I like, great talent, but I'm not familiar with "What A Differnce A Day Makes" either.

 

I was minus 5!

 

And a gracious good Friday to you, Dave.

Yes, the previous TT was interesting, wasn't it? I do love the way you phrased that: "Bubblegum food fight"! Yes, well.....no point beating that one to death.

Well, can't see how this chart can get me in much trouble, it's one of the best and most consistent ever presented here:

1. B+
2. A+
3. B
4. B+
5. B+
6. A+
7. A+
8. A+
9. A
10. A

a 10.5....from A- to near A level. Great!

All I can say is WOW, just loaded with classics....Phil Phillips, with that offkey bass singer and all; Ray Charles at his absolute best during his Atlantic tenure, which is saying something(but of course who could resist spinning Part II?); the Drifters, after Clyde, come into their own; Santo & Johnny's instrumental is still almost beyond category; Dinah is around her peak, Fats takes a surprising side street here, the sound not normally associated with him(the guitar licks, for one thing). The Browns' classic rendition remains a strange mix of upbeat sound but depressing subject matter--a life distilled to birth, marriage and death in three minutes, as if nothing much had gone on beyond that; but for all that, very melodic and hard to resist(Chet Atkins' influence, maybe?) Elvis isn't at his peak, but this one really cooks; Dobkins' biggest hit might have gotten lumped in with the teen idols, but it's smoother, well produced(by Owen Bradley?)and the kind of teen record anyone could like. That leaves only Sammy Turner, and while it's a good performance, it's the least memorable entry here, maybe because the song itself isn't anything to brag about.

But a wonderful chart that makes me wish I had a time machine.

ED

 

Dave & Friends,

Another great chart. No Tommy Roe?

I like everyone of these hits. I will admit that #3 is my least favorite but it is a part of history. Sure wish we had the 'DJ 45' of #6 on CD! I love the full-length version as mastered by Steve but, I'd like the 'hit' single version as well. #4 is one of the 'Elvis in the service' hits that just seemed like 'a bit' lessor material to me. Steve, The Browns were popular on both the Country and Pop charts and they followed this hit up with 'The Old Lamplighter'. Can you sing that? I believe that #'s 1 and 5 were recorded in Nashville and I prefer # 5 in MONO. #9 is timeless and I still hear it often today usually at restaurants on their background music programs. #7 was the first song I heard on Radio (played as an oldie), the day that JFK was assassinated. That is something I will never forget. Every time that I hear this track I am reminded of that fateful day in November 1963.

Bob

 

Based on #2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10, I would put this chart up against any Top Ten in the last 40 years (with the exception perhaps of that week in 1964 when the Beatles were the Top 5). Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with #1, 3, 5 and 9. Gonna have to get myself educated!

Jim W.

 

Well, somebody had to be...

 

I am familiar with all but #1 & #3. I never even heard of those two until this thread.

I was -3 at the time.

That's all for me this week.

 

Good chart ... Dave ... thanks.

The reason that it sounds like a kid's song is that it is a kid's song ... it is from the '49 Disney movie So Dear to My Heart ... sung by Burl Ives ... nominated for an Academy Award (Gene Autry & The Cass Country Boys sang it on Oscar night) ... 4 different versions of the song made the top 20 in '49 (Sammy Kaye - #4, Dinah Shore - #9, Burl Ives with Captain Stubby & The Buccaneers - #16 and Jack Smith & The Clark Sisters - #17).

... and BTW ... I like Sammy Turner's version ... even more than Tommy Roe's "Dizzy".

 

Like Grant, I was -3 years old. I also know all of these off the top of my head except for #1, 3, and 5 (though I expect I'd recognize 5 at least).

My favorite on the list would have to be the Drifters tune, followed closely by "What'd I Say." "Sleep Walk" is positively sublime, as is the Dinah Washington, though I much prefer her jazz and blues recordings. I believe "What a Difference" was her breakout pop vocal for Mercury.

 

Hey Mike,

Ya want REALLY scary.............. listen to Ed sing it!

-Jeffrey

 

... there are lyrics ...

"Sleep walk
Instead of dreaming
I sleep walk
'Cause I lost you
And now what am I to do
What to do
Can't believe that we're through
I don't care how much you tell me

Sleep talk
'Cause I miss you
I sleep talk
While the memory of you
Lingers like a song
Darling, I was so wrong
But I'll be right someday

The night
Fills my lonely place
I see your face
Spinning through my brain
I know
I miss you so
I still love you
And it drives me insane

Sleep walk
Every night
I just sleep walk
And when you
Walk inside the door
I will sleep walk no more

Sleep walk
Every night
I just sleep walk
And when you
Walk inside the door
I will sleep walk no more
I will sleep walk no more
I will sleep walk no more"

... and there is a 45 (Betsey Brye on Can-Am 106 from '59) ... that can be found on a Canadian CD of questionable heritage.

 

Cool Cat, interesting!

mud-

 

I'm surprised too that there was no discussion of the blackout. I was thinking of starting a thread along the lines of "What were you listening to when the lights went out?" (For me, it was My Generation Deluxe Edition). Was it a Woodstock anniversary last week?

Anyway 6 great songs in this chart (although I haven't heard some of the others) and the Elvis Presley song is my least favourite among those six! Sleep Walk is a great instrumental. I really like the way it was used in the Buddy Holly movie. Sea of Love was immortalized for me on the Guess Who "Rockin'" album, What'd I Say, well what more can you say, it's Ray Charles at pretty well his peak, There Goes My Baby has been described as the first soul song as opposed to R&B, due at least in part to its "sophisticated" string arrangement and Fats just rocks and rolls steadily with that New Orleans beat.

 

I do a pretty mean Screamin' Jay Hawkins-meets-Arthur Brown bit that'll bring down the house....perhaps literally.....


ED

 

-Jeffrey

 

I remember my older brother playing the hell out of "What I'd Say". It's still a great song.