Silver Disc awards, 1959 to 1969

[alanultron5]

SILVER DISC AWARDS 1959 – 1969.

"Hi! Again `Pop Pickers` Here are some interesting figures on `Silver Discs` awarded in the period 1959 to 1969.

In 1959 the year old (It commenced in February 1958) music paper Disc instigated a scheme to award specially made silver discs to those records that sold over 250.000 units in the United Kingdom. Editor Gerald Marks set about contacting as many record companies as possible to try to persuade them to join up to the idea by contacting Disc with sales data on successful records passing the quarter of a million sales mark.

It was also decided that in the extremely rare occasion when a record passed one million sales (1.000.000) that specially made gold discs would be presented! Up to 1959 only three records were known to have passed the magic million number; these were “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley, “Mary’s Boy Child” by Harry Belafonte and “Diana” by Paul Anka. Cliff Richard’s `Living Doll` by October 1959, would be the fourth and final million seller of the 1950s.

The Silver disc award was thought to be a pretty rare occasion as only long running number 1 records would possibly qualify.

Extended play discs (EPs) were also awarded silver discs when sales were high enough; especially in 1964-5. Just the Beatles and Rolling Stones qualified due to both group’s high popularity and heavy EP sales.

Only one Long Player (LP) publicly received a silver disc by the paper. This was awarded on 17 February 1962 to Elvis Presley’s `GI Blues`. It is still not known why no more formal announcements of silver disc LP awards was not made by the paper. Silver disc awards to LPs `did` continue though. Proof of this is the Beatles receiving such an award for their `With The Beatles` by their producer George Martin on Thank Your Lucky Stars `Merseybeat` special in December 1963.

It is not known whether the awards were backdated as there is no records are kept by Disc to confirm this. It is unfortunate for Elvis Presley as he would have surely qualified for silver discs if back dating were allowed.

The system relied on the willingness of Record companies forwarding the correct sales figures for the awards to be made. This system as it turned out, would lead to quite a few errors in the scheme. Sometimes Record Companies would be late with their data; R.C.A records often left it more than three months after Elvis Presley records had qualified, before informing Disc.

Only a few Record companies joined in the system in 1959 so data is sketchy especially as notification would be made after the record had dropped from the charts. Some awards were erroneous due to companies providing figures shipped to shops rather that over the counter sales.

The best example is the Archies “Sugar Sugar”. In January 1970 both Disc and Music Echo and Record Retailer published the news along with a photo of Archies producer Don Kirshner being awarded a gold disc by Disc editor David Hughes. It later transpired that “Sugar Sugar” had only sold just over 945.000 copies; the million figure as given was due to RCA records sending just over 1.000.000 units to retailers which not quite all were sold.

This is a problem that has bedevilled the RAAA awards in the United States of America. In theory in the states a record can win Gold or Platinum status solely on units shipped to retailers. If all were returned unsold the award would still stand.

The system was very much on trust and the diligence of Record companies tallying sales figures correctly. Sadly many did not even bother to submit sales data and many hit record which fans were certain should have qualified never got the award.

With gold record awards Disc did not seem to make clear when Gold records were awarded. The silver awards were duly publicised, but when a record went gold as well as silver it was not so well documented. For accuracy sake just the dates of silver awards are given. However, where it is known a record did sell over one million copies a capital G (Bold) mark will be assigned against the title.

There is no certainty of full accuracy as Disc sometimes gave erroneous information. In September 1970 both sides of Stevie Wonders “I Don’t Know why / My Cherie Amour” were awarded separate silver discs. “I Don’t Know why” fared poorly on release, and only when `B` side “My Cherie Amour” was promoted, did the record sell well. It is one of the obvious errors made by the paper.

By 1973 the British Phonographic Industry decided to set up an `official` awards. The BPI insisted on Record Companies giving rather more accurate data for this new scheme and that sales were properly audited. It was decided to mark sales of 500.000 with some type of award too. The BPI would now give a silver disc for 250.000 sales (no change there!) and to award gold for 500.000 sales. The one million sales would now be awarded the new platinum disc award. The first recipient of a Platinum disc was Gary Glitter for his million plus seller “I Love, You Love, Me Love” in late November 1973.

Disc and Music Echo did try to carry on their own awards through 1973, but it was made redundant by the new BPI awards which virtually every record company signed up to. Discs award scheme had never been universally accepted and sadly was error strewn, but it was a superb innovation for its time until a better and more accurate system evolved.



SILVER DISCS AWARDED.


1959.


Date. Record Title (Artist, in Brackets). RecordLabel.

9 May “Side Saddle” (Russ Conway) Columbia

23 May “A Fool Such As I / I Need Your Love Tonight” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
“It Doesn’t Matter Any More” (Buddy Holly) Coral

18 July “A Teenager In Love” (Marty Wilde) Phillips
“Roulette” (Russ Conway) Columbia

8 August “Dream Lover” (Bobby Darin) London

15 August “Living Doll”(Cliff Richard) Columbia

3 October “Only Sixteen” (Craig Douglas) Top Rank

24 October “Here Comes Summer” (Jerry Keller) London
“Mac The Knife” (Bobby Darin) London

21 November “Travellin’ Light” (Cliff Richard) Columbia


26 December “What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For” (Emile Ford) Pye Nixa


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1960.


16 January “What Do You Want” (Adam Faith) Parlophone

30 January “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” (Paul Anka) Columbia
“Little White Bull” (Tommy Steele) Decca
“Snow Coach” (Russ Conway) Columbia

13 February “Starry Eyed” (Michael Holliday) Columbia
“Why” (Anthony Newley) Decca
“Seven Little Girls” (Avons) Columbia

20 February “A Voice In The Wilderness” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

27 February “Rawhide” (Frankie Laine) Phillips
“Heartaches By the Number” (Guy Mitchell) Phillips
“Sea Of Love” (Marty Wilde) Phillips
“Bad Boy” (Marty Wilde) Phillips

12 March “Way Down Yonder In New Orleans” (Freddie Cannon) Top Rank

26 March “Poor Me” (Adam Faith) Parlophone

7 May “Fall In Love with You” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

21 May “Cathy’s Clown” (Everly Brothers) Warner Brothers

11 June “Do You Mind” (Anthony Newley) Decca

25 June “Handy Man” (Jimmy Jones) M.G.M

13 August “Please Don’t Tease” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

3 September “Apache” (G) (Shadows) Columbia

10 September “A Mess Of Blues” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A

24 September “Because They’re Young” (Duane Eddy) London

8 October “Theme From A Summer Place” (Percy Faith) Phillips

15 October “Good Timin’ “(Jimmy Jones) M.G.M
“Tell Laura I Love Her” (Ricky Valance) Columbia

22 October “Nine Times Out of Ten” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

29 October “It’s Now or Never” (G) (Elvis Presley) R.C.A

5 November “As Long as he Needs Me” (Shirley Bassey) Columbia

26 November “My Old Man’s A Dustman” (Lonnie Donegan) Pye Nixa

17 December “He’ll Have To Go” (Jim Reeves) R.C.A


24 December “Rocking Goose” (Johnny and the Hurricanes) London
“Save the Last Dance For Me” (Drifters) London
“I Love You” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

31 December “Little Donkey” (Nina and Frederick) Columbia
“Only The Lonely” (Roy Orbison) London


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1961

* Note! In January 1961 Russ Conway received a special silver disc for LP sales. This is thought to be the only incident of this happening.

7 January “Strawberry Fair” (Anthony Newley) Decca
“Poetry In Motion” (Johnny Tillotsen) London

14 January “Lonely Pup” (Adam Faith) Parlophone
“Goodness Gracious Me” (Peter Sellers and Sophie Loren) Parlophone
“My Heart Has A Mind of Its Own” (Connie Francis) M.G.M

21 January “Man of Mystery” (Shadows) Columbia

11 February “Sailor” (Petula Clark) Pye

18 February “Are You Sure” (Allisons) Fontana
“Walk Right Back” (Everly Brothers) Warner Brothers

8 April “Theme For A Dream” (Cliff Richard)

29 April “F.B.I” (Shadows) Columbia

24 June “Runaway” (Del Shannon) London

5 August “But I Do” (Clarence `Frogman` Henry) Pye

19 August “Halfway To Paradise” (Billy Fury) Decca

26 August “You Don’t Know” (Helen Shapiro) Columbia

2 September “Johnny Remember Me” (John Layton) Top Rank

9 September “Well I Ask You” (Eden Kane) Decca

28 October “Wild Wind” (John Layton) Top Rank

4 November “Walkin’Back To Happiness” (Helen Shapiro) Columbia

11 November “When the Girl in Your Arms, Is the Girl in Your Heart” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

18 November “A Scottish Soldier” (Andy Stewart) Top Rank
“Reach For the Stars / Climb Every Mountain” (Shirley Bassey) Columbia


16 December “Big Bad John” (Jimmy Dean) Phillips
“Tower of Strength” (Frankie Vaughn) Phillips

23 December “Moon River” (Danny Williams) H.M.V
“Take Good care of my Baby” (Bobby Vee) London

30 December “Are You Lonesome Tonight” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
“Wooden Heart” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
“Surrender” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
“Wild In The Country” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
“(Marie’s the Name of) His Latest Flame” (Elvis Presley) R.C.A
“The Time Has Come” (Adam Faith) Parlophone


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1962.

6 January “Midnight In Moscow” (Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen) Pye
“Johnny Will” (Pat Boone) London

13 January “Stranger On The Shore” (G) (Mr Acker Bilk) Columbia
“The Young Ones” (G) (Cliff Richard) Columbia

20 January “Let There Be Drums” (Sandy Nelson) London

27 January “I’d Never Find Another You” (Billy Fury) Decca

17 February “Rocka – Hula Baby / Can’t Help Falling In Love” (Elvis Presley) RCA
“GI Blues” (LP) (Elvis Presley) RCA * Note! This is the only recorded instance of Disc awarding an LP a silver disc. Why no more were officially notified is not known. The paper certainly did award silver (and one gold) discs to the Beatles for their LPs but no actual dates of notification were published by Disc.

24 February “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” (Neil Sedaka) RCA
“Let’s Twist Again” (Chubby Checker) Columbia

31 March “Wonderful Land” (Shadows) Columbia

7 April “Walk On By” (Leroy Van Dyke)

21 April “Tell Me what He Said” (Helen Shapiro) Columbia

5 May “March Of The Siamese Children” (Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen) Pye

19 May “I’m Looking Out The Window / Do You Wanna Dance” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

9 June “Good Luck Charm” (Elvis Presley) RCA

14 July “Come Outside” (Mike Sarne) Parlophone
“A Picture Of You” (Joe Brown) Piccadilly

28 July “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (Ray Charles) HMV
“I Remember You” (G) (Frank Ifield) Columbia

11 August “Speedy Gonzales” (Pat Boone) London

15 September “Roses Are Red” (Ronnie Carroll) Phillipps

22 September “Things” (Bobby Darin) London)
“Guitar Tango” (Shadows) Columbia

13 October “Telstar” (Tornadoes) Decca

3 November “Lovesick Blues” (Frank Ifield) Columbia
“It’ll Be Me” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“The Locomotion” (Little Eva) London

22 December “Bobby’s Girl” (Susan Maughn) Phillips
“She’s Not You” (Elvis Presley) RCA
“Return To Sender” (Elvis Presley) RCA
“Dance On” (Shadows) Columbia
“The Next Time / Bachelor Boy” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“Venus In Blue Jeans” (Mark Wynter) Pye


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1963

5 January “Dance With The Guitar Man” (Duane Eddy) RCA
“Sheila” (Tommy Roe) HMV

2 February “The Wayward Wind” (Frank Ifield) Columbia
“Diamonds” (Jet Harris And Tony Meehan) Decca

9 March “Summer Holiday” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

6 April “Let’s Dance” (Chris Montez) London

13 April “Please Please Me” (Beatles)

27 April “From A Jack To A King” (Ned Miller) London
“Foot Tapper” (Shadows) Columbia
“How Do You Do It” (Gerry And The Pacemakers) Columbia

4 May “From Me To You” (Beatles) Parlophone

15 June “Nobody’s Darlin’ But Mine” (Frank Ifield) Columbia

6 July “I Like It” (Gerry And The Pacemakers)

13 July “Ramblin’ Rose” (Nat King Cole) Columbia
“Deck Of Cards” (Wink Martindale) Decca

3 August “I’m Confessing” (Frank Ifield) Columbia
“Devil In Disguise” (Elvis Presley) RCA
“In Dreams” (Roy Orbison) London

10 August “Atlantis” (Shadows) Columbia

17 August “Take These Chains From My Heart” (Ray Charles) HMV

24 August “That’s What Love Will Do” (Joe Brown) Piccadilly
“Sweets For My Sweet” (Searchers) Pye
“Twist And Shout” EP (Beatles) Parlophone

31 August “Bad To Me” (Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas) Parlophone

7 September “She Loves You” (G) (Beatles) Parlophone

14 September “Lucky Lips” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“The Frightened City” (Shadows) Columbia

19 October “Do You Love Me” (Brian Poole And The Tremeloes) Decca

26 October “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Gerry And The Pacemakers) Columbia
“It’s All In The Game” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

9 November “Then He Kissed Me” (Crystals) London

23 November “Blue Bayou” (Roy Orbison) London

7 December “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (G) (Beatles) Parlophone

14 December “Don’t Talk To Him” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“The Beatles Hits” EP (Beatles) Parlophone
“You Were Made For Me” (Freddie And The Dreamers) Columbia
“I, Who Have Nothing” (Shirley Bassey) Columbia

21 December “Glad All Over” (Dave Clark Five) Columbia


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1964

4 January “Dominique” (Singing Nun) Phillips
“Maria Elena” (Los Indios Tabajaros) RCA
“I Only Want To Be With You” (Dusty Springfield) Phillips
“Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa” (Gene Pitney) United Artists

11 January “Hippy Hippy Shake” (Swinging Blue Jeans) HMV
“Sugar And Spice” (Searchers) Pye

15 January “Diane” (Bachelors) Decca
“Anyone Who Had A Heart” (Cilla Black) Parlophone

22 February “Needles And Pins” (Searchers) Pye

29 February “Bits And Pieces” (Dave Clark Five) Columbia

7 March “I’m The One” (Gerry And The Pacemakers) Columbia

14 March “I Think Of You” (Merseybeats) Fontana
“Little Children” (Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas) Parlophone

21 March “All My Loving” EP (Beatles) Parlophone
“Not Fade Away” (Rolling Stones) Decca
“Can’t Buy Me Love” (G) (Beatles) Parlophone

28 March “Just One Look” (Hollies) Parlophone
“Can’t Buy Me Love” (G) (Beatles) Parlophone

4 April “I Love You Because” (Jim Reeves) RCA

11 April “I Believe” (Bachelors) Decca
“A World Without Love” (Peter And Gordon) Columbia

18 April “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” (Searchers) Pye

2 May “My Boy Lollipop” (Millie) Fontana

23 May “Juliet” (Four Pennies) Phillips
“You’re My World” (Cilla Black) Parlophone

6 June “It’s Over” (Roy Orbison) London

4 July “House Of The Rising Sun” (Animals) Columbia
“Someone, Someone” (Brian Poole And The Tremeloes) Decca

11 July “It’s All Over Now” (Rolling Stones) Decca

18 July “A Hard Days Night” (Beatles) Parlophone

25 July “Hold Me” (P.J Proby) Decca

1 August “Do Wah Diddy, Diddy” (Manfred Mann) HMV

8 August “I Won’t Forget You” (Jim Reeves) RCA

15 August “Call Up The Groups” (Barron Knights) Columbia

29 August “Have I The Right” (Honeycombs) Pye
“I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” (Dusty Springfield) Phillips

12 September “Five By Five” EP (Rolling Stones) Decca

19 September “I Wouldn’t Trade You For The World” (Bachelors) Decca

3 October “I’m Into Something Good” (Hermans Hermits) Columbia

10 October “You Really Got Me” (Kinks)
“The Wedding” (Julie Rogers) Mercury
“Oh Pretty Woman” (Roy Orbison) London
“Rag Doll” (Four Seasons) Phillips
“Where Did Our Love Go” (Supremes) Stateside

24 October “There’s Always Something There To Remind Me” (Sandie Shaw) Pye

21 November “All Day And All Of The Night” (Kinks) Pye

5 December “Baby Love” (Supremes) Stateside
“I Feel Fine” (G) (Beatles) Parlophone

12 December “I’m Gonna Be Strong” (Gene Pitney) United Artists
“Little Red Rooster” (Rolling Stones) Decca

19 December “Walk Away” (Matt Monro) Parlophone
“There’s A Heartache Following Me” (Jim Reeves)
“When You Walk In The Room” (Searchers) Pye
“Walk Tall” (Val Doonican) Decca
“Downtown” (Petula Clark) Pye

26 December “No Arms Can Ever Hold You” (Bachelors) Decca
“Somewhere” (P.J Proby) Decca
“I Understand” (Freddie And The Dreamers) Columbia


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1965


2 January “Yeh Yeh” (Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames) Columbia
“Girl Don’t Come” (Sandie Shaw) Pye
“Pretty Paper” (Roy Orbison) London

9 January “Terry” (Twinkle) Decca
“I Could Easily Fall” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

23 January “Go Now” (Moody Blues) Decca

6 February “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” (Righteous Brothers) London
“Tired Of Waiting For You” (Kinks) Pye
“Cast Your Fate To The Wind” (Sounds Orchestral) Piccadilly

13 February “Long Tall Sally” EP (Beatles) Parlophone

27 February “I’ll Never Find Another You” (Seekers) Columbia

6 March “It’s Not Unusual” (Tom Jones) Decca

20 March “The Last Time” (Rolling Stones) Decca

27 March “Silhouettes” (Hermans Hermits) Columbia

1 May “Ticket To Ride” (Beatles) Parlophone
“The Minute You’re Gone” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

8 May “Pop Go The Workers” (Barron Knights) Columbia

5 June “Catch The Wind” (Donovan) Pye

19 June “He’s In Town” (Rocking Berries) Piccadilly
“A World Of Our Own” (Seekers) Columbia
“Long Live Love” (Sandie Shaw) Pye

26 June “Crying In The Chapel” (Elvis Presley) RCA

31 July “Help” (Beatles) Parlophone

7 August “I’m Alive” (Hollies) Parlophone
“Mr Tambourine Man” (Byrds) CBS

21 August “You’ve Got Your Troubles” (Fortunes) Decca

28 August “I Got You Babe” (Sonny And Cher) Atlantic

4 September “Tossing And Turning” (Ivy League) Piccadilly

11 September “Beatles No 1” EP (Beatles) Parlophone

25 September “I Can’t Get No – Satisfaction” (Rolling Stones) Decca

9 October “Tears” (G) (Ken Dodd) Columbia

16 October “Make It Easy On Yourself” (Walker Brothers) Phillips
“A Walk In The Black Forest” (Horst Jankowski) Mercury

13 November “Get Off My Cloud” (Rolling Stones) Decca
“Yesterday Man” (Chris Andrews) Decca

27 November “The Carnival Is Over” (G) (Seekers) Columbia

4 December “Here It Comes Again” (Fortunes)

11 December “We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper” (G) (Beatles) Parlophone

18 December “Zorba’s Dance” (Marcello Minerbi) Durium
“1, 2, 3” (Len Barry) Brunswick
“My Generation” (Who) Brunswick
“Wind Me Up – Let Me Go” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“The River” (Ken Dodd) Columbia


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label

1966


15 January “Keep On Running” (Spencer Davis Group) Fontana

22 January “A Girl Like You” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

29 January “My Ship Is Coming In” (Walker Brothers) Phillips

12 February “These Boots Were Made For Walking” (Nancy Sinatra) Reprise

19 February “Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown” (Rolling Stones) Decca
“You Were On My Mind” (Crispian St Peters) Decca

26 February “Spanish Flea” (Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass) Pye

12 March “Sha La La La Lee” (Small Faces) Decca

19 March “A Groovy Kind Of Love” (Mindbenders) Fontana

9 April “The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Any More” (Walker Brothers) Phillips

23 April “Make The World Go Away” (Eddy Arnold) RCA

7 May “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” (Dusty Springfield) Phillips

21 May “Pretty Flamingo” (Manfred Mann) HMV

4 June “Constantly” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“Paint It Black” (Rolling Stones) Decca

11 June “Hold Tight” (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Titch) Fontana
“Daydream” (Lovin’ Spoonful) Pye International
“Strangers In the Night” (Frank Sinatra) Reprise

25 June “Paperback Writer” (Beatles) Parlophone

13 August “Wild Thing” (Troggs) Fontana

27 August “With A Girl Like You” (Troggs) Fontana

3 September “Sunny Afternoon” (Kinks) Pye
“Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby” (Beatles) Parlophone

8 October “Distant Drums” (Jim Reeves) RCA

12 November “Reach Out – I’ll Be There” (Four Tops) Tamla Mowtown

3 December “Good Vibrations” (Beach Boys) Capitol
“Green, Green Grass Of Home” (G) (Tom Jones)

24 December “On The Beach” (Cliff Richard) Columbia
“Here It Comes Again” (Fortunes) Decca
“My Love” (Petula Clark) Pye
“What Would I Be” (Val Doonican) Decca
“Morningtown Ride” (Seekers)


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label

1967

7 January “Wheels” (Joe Loss) HMV
“Sloop John B” (Beach Boys) Capitol
“Winchester Cathedral” (New Vaudeville Band) Fontana
“Sunshine Superman” (Donovan) Pye
“Semi Detached Suburban Mr James” (Manfred Mann) Fontana
“Bend It” (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Titch) Fontana

14 January “Gimme Some Loving” (Spencer Davis Group) Fontana
“I’m A Believer” (Monkees) RCA

11 February “Dead End Street” (Kinks) Pye

18 February “This Is My Song” (Petula Clark) Pye

25 February “Lets Spend The Night Together” (Rolling Stones) Decca
“Release Me” (G) (Englebert Humperdink) Decca

4 March “Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane” (Beatles) Parlophone

22 April “Somethin’ Stupid” (Frank And Nancy Sinatra) Reprise
“Puppet On A String” (Sandie Shaw) Pye

13 May “This Is My Song” (Harry Secombe) Phillips
“A Little Bi Me, A Little Bit You” (Monkees) RCA

20 May “I Left My Heart In San Fransisco” (Tony Bennett) CBS

3 June “Silence Is Golden” (Tremeloes) CBS

10 June “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” (Procul Harum) Decca

17 June “There Goes My Everything” (Englebert Humperdink) Decca

22 July “All You Need Is Love” (Beatles) Parlophone

12 August “San Francisco” (Scott McKenzie) CBS

2 September “Just Loving You” (Anita Harris) CBS

9 September “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” (Tom Jones) Decca
“The Last Waltz” (G) (Englebert Humperdink) Decca

21 October “Massachusetts” (Bee Gees) Polydor

25 November “Hole In My Shoe” (Traffic) Island
“Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” (Foundations) Pye

2 December “Hello Goodbye” (Beatles) Parlophone

16 December “Let The Heartaches Begin” (Long John Baldry) Pye

23 December “There Must Be A Way” (Frankie Vaughn) Columbia
“Magical Mystery Tour” EP (Beatles) Parlophone

30 December “If The Whole World Stopped Loving” (Val Doonican) Pye
“Everybody Knows” (Dave Clark Five) Columbia


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1968

6 January “Careless Hands” (Des O` Connor) Columbia
“Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” (Gene Pitney) United Artists

13 January “I’m Coming Home” (Tom Jones) Decca
“Daydream Believer” (Monkees) RCA

20 January “The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde” (Georgie Fame) CBS

3 February “Am I That Easy To Forget” (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
“Everlasting Love” (Love Affair) CBS

24 February “She Wears My Ring” (Solomon King) Columbia
“Judy In Disguise” (John Fred And His Playboy Band) Pye International

2 March “Mighty Quinn” (Manfred Mann) Fontana
“Cinderella Rockafella” (Esther And Abi Ofarim) Phillips

16 March “Legend Of Xanadu” (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Titch) Fontana
“Delilah” (Tom Jones) Decca

30 March “Lady Madonna” (Beatles) Parlophone

20 April “World” (Bee Gees) Polydor

27 April “What A Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong) HMV
“Congratulations” (Cliff Richard) Columbia

18 May “A Man Without Love” (Englebert Humperdink) Decca
“Simon Says” (1910 Fruitgum Company) Pye International

25 May “Young Girl” (Union Gap) CBS

1 June “If I Only Had Time” (John Rowles) MCA

22 June “Honey” (Bobby Goldsboro) United Artists

10 August “Baby Come Back” (Equals) President

24 August “I Pretend” (Des O’ Connor) Columbia

7 September “Help Yourself” (Tom Jones) Decca

14 September “Hey Jude” (Beatles) Apple
“I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” (Bee Gees) Polydor
“Mony, Mony” (Tommy James And The Shondells) Major Minor

5 October “Those Were The Days” (Mary Hopkin) Apple

7 December “The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly” (Hugo Montenegro) RCA

28 December “Lily The Pink” (Scaffold) Parlophone
“Build Me Up Buttercup” (Foundations) Pye


Date Title Artist (Brackets) Record Label


1969

11 January “Ain’t Got No – I Got Life” (Nina Simone) RCA
“One, Two, Three O’ Leary” (Des O’ Connor) Columbia

18 January “Albatross” (Fleetwood Mac) Blue Horizon

1 February “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” (Marmalade) CBS
“I’m The Urban Spaceman” (Bonzo Dog Band) Liberty

22 March “Where Do You Go To” (Peter Sarstedt) United Artists

26 April “The Israelites” (Desmond Decca) Pyramid

3 May “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Marvin Gaye) Tamla Mowtown
“Get Back” (Beatles) Apple

7 June “Gentle On My Mind” (Dean Martin) Reprise

14 June “In The Bad, Bad Old Days” (Foundations) Pye

12 July “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” (Beatles) Apple

2 August “Honky Tonk Women” (Rolling Stones) Decca

16 August “Something In The Air” (Thunderclap Newman) Track

13 September “In The Ghetto” (Elvis Presley) RCA

20 September “In The Year 2525” (Zagar And Evans) RCA

25 October “Bad Moon Rising” (Creedence Clearwater Revival) Liberty

6 December “Saved By The Bell” (Robin Gibb) Polydor
“Don’t Forget To Remember” (Bee Gees) Polydor

20 December “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yester-Day” (Stevie Wonder) Tamla Mowtown
“Sugar, Sugar” (G*) (Archies) RCA * Note! Though awarded a gold disc in January 1970 “Sugar Sugar” did not reach million sales in the UK until `downloads` in the 2000's. RCA submitted shipping figures to shops which tallied over one million. It was errors like this which led to the BPI `official` system in late 1973.

27 December “Two Little Boys” (Rolf Harris) Columbia


© Alan Smith

[steelclaw]

Alan what do you think of this single?
http://www.45cat.com/record/up1188

[alanultron5]

Why you ask Steel?

[steelclaw]

Just wondered really 1967 your favourite year with a tiny bit of Psychedelica thrown in.

[alanultron5]

Oh! well, Steel, I do recall hearing "The Idol" at the time it came out and it didn't really do much for me then. I caught up with it again on You Tube. It's fair (to me) and the chorus reminds me a bit of "If I Needed Someone" I reckon the way it ends is pretty good though!

Probably my two favourite songs that I caught via my cousins transistor back in `67` were "Tiny Goddess" (Nirvana) and "Fakin' It" (S & G) When the latter was eventually promoted as the `A` by CBS! (The fools had pushed "You Don't Know Where Your Interst Lies" in the UK at first-but massive pressure from UK Music Paper reviews changed CBS' corporate minds!) Sadly too late to enter any of the charts! Al.