Friday, June 13, 2014

50 Years Ago This Weekend

PETER AND GORDON's A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE climbs to #2 this week on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart, where it'll stay for a couple of weeks, held out of the #1 spot by CHAPEL OF LOVE by THE DIXIE CUPS.  Meanwhile, LOVE ME DO by THE BEATLES falls to #4 while LITTLE CHILDREN by BILLY J. KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS climbs to #7.

THE DAVE CLARK FIVE have the highest chart debut this week as CAN'T YOU SEE THAT SHE'S MINE premiers at #68.  A brand new BEATLES EP issued by CAPITOL RECORDS (featuring THIS BOY, ALL MY LOVING, ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN and PLEASE MR. POSTMAN) makes Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, selling enough copies to debut at #97.  (The EP features two tracks from each of THE BEATLES' first two Capitol U.S. Albums, MEET THE BEATLES and THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM, both of which are still in The Top Ten on Billboard's Album Chart.)

In between, British acts are represented by DIANE (#11 for THE BACHELORS), DO YOU LOVE ME by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE (#14), THE BEATLES flip-side P.S. I LOVE YOU (#15), DON'T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING by GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS (#20), another flip-side, BAD TO ME, by BILLY J. KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS (#26), YESTERDAY'S GONE (#35, the CHAD AND JEREMY version), BITS AND PIECES by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE (#38), DON'T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY by THE SEARCHERS (#41), GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY by THE SWINGIN' BLUE JEANS (#43), THE SEARCHERS again with SUGAR AND SPICE (#44), another DAVE CLARK FIVE HIT (their fourth this week on the countdown!) I KNEW IT ALL THE TIME (#59), NOT FADE AWAY by THE ROLLING STONES (#78) and THE OVERLANDERS' version of YESTERDAY'S GONE (at #81).




Here in Chicago, Peter and Gordon's "A World Without Love" makes a HUGE comeback this week, jumping from #11 to #1 on The WLS Silver Dollar Survey.  (It is no longer paired with Bobby Rydell's version, which occupies the #13 spot this week.  Most folks today don't even remember it!)  "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You" slips to #2 for The Beatles while "Little Children" / "Bad To Me" by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas climbs a few notches to #4.  The Dave Clark Five's version of "Do You Love Me"  is at #6, "Diane" by The Bachelors is at #9 and "Yesterday's Gone" by Chad and Jeremy sits at #10, giving British Artists six of the Top Ten spots on this week's countdown.  (A couple of weeks ago it looked like they were struggling!)  Factor in a couple of those hit B-Sides and there was most definitely British domination this week in Chicago!

Incredibly "Sie Liebt Dich" (the German version of "She Loves You") climbs from #40 to #20 this week!  The only other British Hit on the charts is the debut of Gerry and the Pacemakers' first U.S. Hit Single "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" which premiers at #35.