AL MARTINO – “Here In My Heart”
Deep magic from the dawn of pop. Except it’s not really magical, and it wasn’t exactly the dawn, and nowadays this doesn’t even sound like pop. But you have to start somewhere, and the British singles charts started here: a device to sell newspapers that ended up conquering my world. I had never heard Al Martino’s record before I downloaded it on a whim yesterday. It was easy enough to find, easier than it was to listen to twice.
What I’ve often liked about the charts though is their seeming arbitrariness. You can make a good guess at what will be Number One each week but you can rarely get it entirely right - I was surprised (and delighted) that the Black Eyed Peas hit the top this week; I was resigned and appalled when Gareth Gates and the Kumars clung clammily on this spring. So it’s fitting that the first No.1 sounds so overdone and undistinguished - it crashes into life well enough on a surge of strings but Martino’s cornball opera style is baffling to me: this was pop? Um, OK, if you say so.
But the question always has to be - what’s the appeal? Someone (who? why? we can’t really guess) was buying it - what did they like? Martino’s voice is damn versatile - it slides from bellow to purr so slickly over the space of one line, but it never lets the orchestra outshine it. Maybe that was the hook. Maybe what I hear as too-much a 1952 me would have heard as just right. I expect though I’d have thought what I more or less think now - that ‘Here In My Heart’ is OK, just a curio today; just a hit yesterday. And OK seems an OK place to start.
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[...] Here is the first ever UK #1 single – Al Martino’s “Here In My Heart” – and the first entry in the blog. [...]
Haha, surprise and delight at BEP chart-toppers, 2003 feels centuries away.
I guess I might as well be the bore that mentions Al Martino played the crooner in “The Godfather”. Dull as trivia, but potentially interesting as a starting point for discussing the italo-american crooner’s attitudes towards la cosa nostra – anyone catch that Tony Bennent interview in “Mojo” recently where he said “The Godfather” was made to distract the american public from Cambodia and Vietnam?
All (okay most) films are made to distract people from aspects of real life: otherwise people wouldn’t pay to see them and their non real life stylings. That flippancy aside, the italio-american crooner sub-genre is an interesting one, which I know next to nothing about. Would I be right in assuming that there is an Italian crooning tradition, which was then developed by Italian American immigrants which maintained its roots more due to the nationality of its fanbase than necessarily of its singers?
Wither Irish-American croonery.
You would – the venerable Neapolitan-derived bel canto tradition; Nick Tosches is very good on the historical development of this in terms of Italo-American immigration in his Dean Martin biog.
The Italo-American crooners were regarded as gods in the Glasgow of the fifties, but then there was a substantial diaspora of Italian immigrants to West Central Scotland in the post-war years, including my mother, who came over in February 1953. “Here In My Heart” was the first record she bought in Britain.
Irish American croonery: Bing Crosby (at least according to that biography which came out a few years back), who was a Big Dog when it comes to crooners. Possibly The Big Dog. The hollow Big Dog.
That tradition hasn’t really endured, though, has it, except obliquely in certain strands of C&W?
I mean, there was Dick Haymes, but he was Argentinian…
Nothing I can say about this one, having heard maybe a few bars of the song a long time ago, and not being any kind of authority on Italo-American crooners. But I just wanted to say – a great idea to revive old “Popular” entries, Tom. Are you going to link to all the old entries or just selected highlights? (my guess is the latter) Your new arrival must be getting imminent by now – hope your partner’s having a better time of it than mine is!
6 weeks to go, and all well. Good luck with yours Erithian!
I was thinking of doing all of them (well, all up to about 64-65 which is when the current comments surface).
The c&w crooning soon became country ballads right (again speaking from next to no knowledge), and perhaps cowboy story songs which seeme to me to be distunguished initially by a lack of accompaniment – just guitar picking, rathe rthan the orchestrial backing of your Deano’s and Frank’s.
Irish crooning, Joe Loss?
(Glad I checked that and the answer is no – I’ll leave it there though clearly Loss was Russian-English, a world of difference to Irish-American. I blame Hear My Song. Which was about Josef Locke – oi vey – I might just walk away from this one).
Wow: Wikipedia knows NOTHING about Joe Loss: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Loss
Then again, remember who Joe Loss’ lead singer was…
Ah yes. Wow, this stream of consciousness brainstorming has almost led us full circle, what with Elvis Costello’s occasionall foray into what he might regard crooning.
And the rest of us regard as…
Out of interest Tom, what would you have given “I’m A Secret Lemonade Drinker?”
that’s not crooning it’s belting!
(EC’s version of funny valentine is GREBT so bug-off)
re EC, as it ‘appens I was listening to “Tramp The Dirt Down” just last night. What a number one that would have made in 1989!
I note that the last number one of 1989 samples “March Of The Mods” by the Joe Loss Orchestra.
correction: last but one
(off topic: my instinctive reaction to suggestion of possibly doing two #1s in a single post is “Don’t do it, Tom”. But hey, it’s your project)
(Already done it, Jeff – “Tears” and “Get Off Of My Cloud”!
In this case I think you’re right, though the Freda Payne entry will probably read as a continuiation of the Smokey one.)
(This is actually the one problem with doing Popular as a blog – it makes foreshadowing very difficult: my smart commenters will pick up and chew on any loose end I leave well before I can take it up again.)
“All (okay most) films are made to distract people from aspects of real life: otherwise people wouldn’t pay to see them and their non real life stylings.” – Yes, of course. I was just surprised to hear such outright conspiracy theory coming from this hyper-respectable singer; it bordered on the “there is no mafia!” type outbursts that I’d only previously heard from mobster characters in gangster flicks (and even there, Tony Soprano couldn’t tell Meadow that without them both cracking up afterwards.) Is it a popular view amongst italo-americans of Bennet’s age? And getting back to Martino there, if it is/was, how much was Al putting his career (ok, not that much of it left at that point, probably) on the line?
But truly, Tom, I do think that “Band of Gold” deserves its own entry. I mean, how many songs about unconsumated marriages have ever reached #1?
Come to think of it, how many songs about unconsumated marriages even exist?
Just a historical note which may be stating the obvious but what the hell. The singles chart was developed at a time when the main priority was sheet music sales – this continued throughout most of the Fifties. So individual recordings weren’t as important as the songs themselves (which pressumably would then be played by a Mrs. Mills type character in yer local). There were also, of course, no teenagers (ie. they didn’t exist as a marketing entity), as post-war the UK was still in economic recovery (and rationing still existed!). So your record buying public was likely to be quite limited in number and probably aged 25 plus. So to Al Martino. One of a number of versions recorded of the song (others included Vic Damone & Tony Bennet), it was actually Martino’s debut single (Mario Lanza passed on it) so even more impressive that it fought its way into the top spot in both the UK & US. Crooners were at the height of their popularity at this time so its unsurprising that they dominate the first charts – although I’m mystified why this particular recording lasted at number one for so long as isn’t exactly a wonderful song (or version). Is there actually anyone who comments on Popular who is old enough to remember this at the time ? I’d be interested to hear their take on it as it seems a world away even a decade or so later.
My mum confirms that he was pretty much a prototype teen idol and that, at the time, this was his big set closer and it got the girls screaming, etc.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard this in its entirety. Ever.
Admittedly I wasn’t around back then, but even among crooning records I don’t think I’ve ever heard the whole thing. The last time I heard a bit of it was when that guy tried to auction off a complete set of Number Ones.
PS: I presume we should steer clear of commenting on other Fifties entries until they get linked to then?
Don’t really see why we should, Chris.
Nah, jump in if you have something to say – I will single out stuff to lead the discussion but I’m so busy right now I only have time to look at the comments!
Haha god knows why it came up as that particular alias!
Songs about unconnsummated marriage ? How’s about ” Crying in The Chapel” ? I’d have to listen again but all the right noises are there.
BTW : I’ll be in London on on Nov 10 for the Poptimism. Is it an open invite ? ( Can I come , can I come , huh , huh, can I ? )Look forward to meeting some of you then if all goes OK with the business side of my trip.
Yes! It’s an open invite!
Brian–it’s an amusing thought, given the title, but “Crying in the Chapel” is about going there “Just to sing and praise the lord.” Not the Chapel of Love, then, or at least not in the sense that the Dixie Cups would have it. No mention of a girl, and I think the line “The tears I shed were tears of joy” kind of obviates the notion of an unconsummated marriage.
But who knows? Maybe someone could be so relieved they would shed tears of joy about the whole matter…….
Cheers , Tom , I’m looking forward to it.
Doc –
how does on or can one connsummate a marriage to ” The Lord ” ?
Do priests & Nuns , do it ?
Or how about – ‘ She Caught The Katy & Left Me The Mule to Ride ?
Brian-
1) As I recently revealed that I once studied to be a nun, I suppose I should try to answer this, even if I’d prefer not to. The term is overloaded, requires a belief/construction (that I no longer have) of the metaphysical that most human beings would not arrive at without coercion, and really isn’t all that interesting in the long run. I suspect that many who choose that path don’t place a lot in it, as it’s all completely abstract to begin with. A few with a more mystical bent really do get into it–but all I can say about that is that religion and erotic fantasy don’t necessarily obviate one another.
But Elvis wasn’t Catholic and would never think along those lines.
2) I truly don’t know this song–but I know a variation on “Ticket to Ride” called “She’s Got a Chicken to Ride.” Probably not the same thing, though.
s there actually anyone who comments on Popular who is old enough to remember this at the time ?
I’m old enough, but I have no recollection of this song. That doesn’t mean I never heard it–I actually did hear most of these number ones (at least those by US singers) early in life, as there always seemed to be music on radio or television in our household. (It blocked out are ability to talk to each other, which was probably a good thing.) But if I actually have heard it, it must have made no impression on me.
Non-connsummation song : “Dear Doctor” by The Rolling Stones that eventually turns out for the good. He doesn’t want to marry his cousin & she runs off with his cousin.
I was being flip with ” She Caught The Katy ” but it really is a song. An old blues one , covered by many but a gret version by Taj Mahal. Incidentally a ” katy ” is a type ofhorse drawn carriage. And , although not always used at weddings, it could have been. But as the title says , he ends up with the mule ( as opposed to the horse ) and she rides into the sunset.
Just a thought – shouldn’t all this interesting stuff about non-consummation be left until Tom posts on “Band of Gold”? Otherwise we could confuse the hell out of any Al Martino fans who google onto this page in the future!
yes, you’re probably right. I’d hate to confuse both of them.
I remember years ago when I first learned that Al Martino had the first UK number one, because 1952 seemed to be in the far-distant Palaeolithic Era (before I was born, after all) and I was familiar with Al Martino through Spanish Eyes, which wasn’t at all a bad song even if it wasn’t what I called rock ‘n’ roll. I hadn’t (knowingly) heard this song until I started collecting the early number ones as a result of getting hooked on Popular. It’s not in the same league as Spanish Eyes because Martino belts it and his controlled, velvety (and rather sexy) voice is yet to come. I’m not a fan of the belting style of delivery.
The song was written with Mario Lanza in mind but he turned it down. Lindsay Anderson fans should also note that Richard Harris sings it as only Richard Harris could in the film This Sporting Life.
Where can I get c copy of the music for Here in My Heart?
One way of putting Here In My Heart in context is to track down The First British Hit Parade cd on Acrobat – the top 15 as of 14 November 1952, with the other singles that charted in ’52 thrown in for good measure. My reaction was – well, I still don’t rate Here In My Heart beyond Al’s technical ability to go from roar to sexy coo within the opening line.
Just like every chart since there are things lower down which are MUCH better.
Three appearances by Vera Lynn (all backed by what sounds like platoons of returning soldiers) aren’t among them but are a reminder of how much the war hangover must have still dominated everything. No jazz either, unless you include Louis Armstrong’s dire It Takes Two To Tango (he sounds embarrassed) or Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman’s daffy-but-ace Zing A Little Zong (with an arrangement that sounds like a prototype for Brook Benton and Dinah Washington, while Nelson Riddles away behind them). It catches the mythical American “post-war optimism” better than anything else on the list.
Three Bings and Nat King Cole’s brace of entries suggest a considerable appetite for non-belters. Johnnie Ray’s Walkin’ My Baby Back Home has a finger-snapping saunter, is super-catchy, and sounds the most like Modern Pop. Ray Martin’s Blue Tango is a chipper instrumental, something I remember my Gran singing along to with invented words worthy of Homer Simpson (“It’s the blue tango, I’ve got my woolly woofs on”).
Feet Up is the first of a bunch of rip-roaring Guy Mitchell singalong hits – slap that baby’s butt! – and won’t disappoint anyone who has a taste for She Wears Red Feathers. Jo Stafford’s You Belong To Me is soppy but, with a whiff of exotica, is more than respectable (it’s a darn sight more romantic than Matchbox’s revival in 1980). Sugarbush turns out to be Frankie Laine’s nickname for Doris Day, which must have sounded a little suggestive even in 1952.
A proper time capsule, then. For a bit of colour, Oscar nominations that year included Alec Guinness (Lavender Hill Mob), Richard Burton (My Cousin Rachel) and Gloria Grahame (The Bad And The Beautiful) while The Man In The White Suit was up for Best Screenplay: only Glo won. A foreigner scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final: Chilean George Robledo got the only goal for Newcastle against ten-man Arsenal. And Londoners should listen to it all bearing in mind this was lurking outside the window:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/smog.html
I note your diplomatic silence regarding “Cowpuncher’s Cantata” by Max Bygraves.
I was going to say that’s the only track I reeeeally have to skip (even Mario Lanza and Vera Lynn have worn better), but it seemed unnecessarily cruel. And Max is probably the only person in the first ever chart whose offspring made a Junk Shop Glam 45: Anthony Bygraves’ Painted Lady. “Head to toes-ah, you’re a po-sah.” Now THAT’S a ten.
on what site can i get al martino or anyone else singing hear in my heart?
LES.
Tom
I aM AMAZED AT YOUR COMMENTS, WHEN YOU CONSIDER SOME OF THE TRASH THAT IS PUT ON THE RADIO NOW -(besides that rubbish BY BLACK EYED PEAS) Al Martino is still singing & recording. Go to his Web site and get uptodate before any comments. He is on tour in September in the UK (2008) go and see and then tell me what you think
I kind of think I should go and see him really!
Do I still like that BEP song? Wait and see :)
Hey..I was born in 1929, Al was born in 1927. He is still the best “crooner” to us fans. Still makes appearances, and still sells a lot of records and cds…that should tell you something. “Here In My Heart” was his first recording, personally, I think it deserves the praise it received. It’s also in the Guiness Book…look it up!
Dottie
Light Entertainment Watch: Just one appearance from Al, in this surviving programme;
THE DES O’CONNOR SHOW: with Jim Couton and Rex, Jack Parnell and his Orchestra, The Mike Sammes Singers, Phyllis Diller, Lonnie Donnegan, Al Martino, Mireille Mathieu (1970)
Al Martino has been making regular personal appearances in the U.K., Germany, and throughout the states for years. He also sang Nessun Dorma at a tribute to the late Pavarotti in Germany in 2007, (he was then 80!). Check it out on utube.
Dottie
I was reminded this weekend that Richard Harris sings this song in the 1963 film This Sporting Life. Richard Harris’s singing is a matter of some infamy but actually he makes not a bad fist of it in a well-oiled, working men’s club on a boozy Saturday night sort of way.
So it’s farewell, then, Al Martino.
Goodbye. I wish I liked Here In My Heart more – Al had a better hit with the frantic, melodramatic, Frankie Laine-style Rachel in ’53. And Spanish Eyes felt like a no.1 in the 70s even if it only reached no.5. I love it’s surprisingly cavernous drum sound, big enough to encompass his stentorian tenor.
I’ve always had a soft spot for “How much is that doggie in the window?”
In my head.
Al Martino was a baritone…not a tenor! He was not a rock star (thank God), he was a terrific popular vocalist and was still “belting” them out only 11 days before his death. He sang “Here In My Heart” at a 50 year tribute to Mario Lanza on Oct 03 of this year, and received a standing ovation. Al finished a cd recording on Oct 12, the last song he sang was…If Tomorrow Never Comes”.
Just heard he died last week. To be honest, I only remember Al from his role in The Godfather. It’s a shame really, that the younger generations will only regard Al as a mere footnote in music history, if at all. My parents and their generation will feel his loss more.
RIP Al Martino.
I really like this (as I do a lot of the pre rock stuff cant stand early rock n roll as shown by my worst years chartwise so far being 1956-about 63). Emotive performance, quality singer and decent song. I love some of his other stuff too especially his “To The Doors of the Sun” from the mid-70s.
Another one of the legends gone…
Al Martino RIP
Hello. Not really about Al as such, but I hope you don’t mind me posting. I discovered the site when you were drifting somewhere in 1984. Being a bit of a chart nerd it’s right up my street. While I’m pretty familar with everything that hit no. 1 since the late 1970s and probably a lot of the obvious stuff before that, I reached a realisation a couple of weeks ago that I really don’t know most of the 1950s number ones. So I thought I’d make my mark here as I’ve recently started a journey from 1952 onwards. It might take me a while but I’m going to listen to each no.1 just like you did, listening to each of them as I read the comments on here. Should be interesting!
Hi Victoria, feel free to comment on them as you go through as well, we lost a load of comments on the early songs and any excuse to get the new gang posting back in the hinterland of the charts is a great thing.
Yes definitely – welcome to the blog Victoria, comment as much as you like and I hope you enjoy the experience…
al martino was an awsome singer and no one can take that away from him and an awsome stage presence
Al martino was an awsome singer, and had an awsome stage presence
There’s something very comforting about records like “Here in My Heart” – it probably is a little overdone, but to the right ears it isn’t at all offensive.
And I saw him live in 2003 – a fantastic performer indeed.
Fuck you al martino maestro of robotic voice yeck
Admin – time to moderate with extreme prejudice I think.
Yes; the correct spelling is “awesome.”
Yes, that comment was a tad unneccessary, #64.
I agree with one of the earlier comments that Al’s ‘Rachael’ was rather underated. Now if Frankie Laine had recorded it….
The first chart saw the changeover from sheet music sales to record sales; is this the next big quantum leap?
http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1049507
Happy birthday, and a free bus pass, to the charts!
Here’s a piece I wrote about how great the charts are:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/nov/13/sixty-years-uk-charts
Good work, Lino. I’m sure that everyone who loves this site will echo your birthday tidings to the charts. I personally stopped paying close attention to it during the early part of the eighties but can understand why those of you of my vintage kept the faith. Friday’s BBC4 documentary is a must-watch. Or though for me it will be a must-record, as I will be working alas.
What the Swede said.
I disagree with the “trainspotter” tag. That’s not what it’s ever been about.
I mean, it really does piss me off that most of the coverage of this anniversary has been traduced to sad old blokes smugly moaning about how they don’t know who’s in the charts this week and wasn’t it great oho Bowie Starman TOTP SHUT THE FECK UP FECKING JIMMY SAVILE FAN CLUB
No offence.
Glad to see that a Guardian reader set you straight on the “no national pop chart TV show outside Britain” claim, Wichita! The fact that the Australian Countdown‘s run of 1974-1987 coincided with my childhood and teens is almost certainly why I ended up here.
Meanwhile, the revelations of the past month or so have left me very glad that Popular got through the 1970s and 1980s well before now; I shudder to think what the tone of half the posts and discussions would have been had they been written in light of them.
I’ve still got a bit of the seventies and all of the eighties to get through on TPL; no idea how it’s going to turn out*
(*which is in itself a partial bluff because actually I know exactly how it’s going to turn out but there may be unanticipated diversiona slong the way).
#74 – This comic is always relevant – http://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20110522.gif – though of course everyone here is an exception.
Re 73: I hope you enjoyed it up until the last line!
Re the footnote “This article was amended on 14 November 2012. In the original, Clair was described as a song in which a man sings about his desire to marry the girl he babysits”… this line was altered by a sub. I had to point out that Gilbert does nothing of the sort, and that he’s also eagle-eyed and litigious. So the Grauniad add that footnote to make it look like my original mistake. Bah.
Are the Grauniad still using subs then? If they are, they should have read my TPL post on Back To Front which very clearly states that that’s not what the song is about.
#78 at least Record Collector correct stuff with “which was not in the original copy” type corrections.
Re 79 …or just left my copy as it was, which was factually correct! To be honest, the editing at the Guardian improves my copy 95% of the time.
It was good to see our dear Lino’s contribution to this doc, which was largely enjoyable. He was “old enough to remember graphics on the rundown count” and also showed his vulnerability when confessing that he regarded Jive Bunny as “a terrifying cartoon rabbit”. But Wichita notwithstanding, the Swede paricularly liked Shakey doing “Green Door” with the Gals grooving all around him. Sue was just to the side of him and was flashing some very encouraging side glances at the Preststyn-rated cod-rocker. Some guys have all the luck. Oh, and btw, Here in my Heart is tremendous. Way to go, Al!
PAGING LINEMAN… – As Erithian mentioned in another place, there was a rather sweet little doc about a record shop in Stockton-on-Tees, which claimed to be one of the last real record shops in the UK. I am assuming that you, Bob, are well aquainted with the Vinyl Resting Place in Croydon? Is it still going?
If you mean Beano’s, that closed down a few years ago. I never did make it there, Croydon not being ‘on the way’ to anywhere I was ever going. Although I did drive past it once, late-night return from on-site working…
Unless it’s actually called the Vinyl Resting Place, ..
There are still a couple of decent second-hand record shops in Croydon – if only I could remember their names – but Beano’s is indeed gone without so much as a by-your-business-rates-leave.
A search for The Vinyl Resting Place indicates that it’s still there, in Shirley Road. I can’t for the life of me understand why someone would jettison a great name like that in order to call it Beano’s and the fact that Punctum confirms that Beano’s has gone shows that it wasn’t the same place anyway.
The Vinyl Resting Place is a different place entirely, a lot smaller, much less worth going out of your way for than Beano’s used to be. And much less central to boot – I seem to recall it’s in the same parade as shops as a chippie called “The Codfather”: so it clearly is pun city.
There was another one I used to frequent (not solely second hand, but with a decent second-hand section) a couple of blocks (and slightly uphill) from Beano’s, on the High Street, I think.
Reminiscing about Croydon on Freaky Trigger! How alarming.
#86 – “Reminiscing about Croydon on Freaky Trigger! How alarming.”
Not when you’re Sarf London born and bred it ain’t! Readings Records at Clapham Junction was the place I most loved to frequent. They had a wonderful selection in there. And I’ll raise you “Flying Colours” driving school.
Ah, I’m East London/Essex born and bred. Was a decent second-hand place in Romford, on the pedestrianised bit of North Street, but I bet it’s not there any more…
And of course there was the Billy Bragg-endorsed (but in truth not that great) “Low Price Records” on Barking Broadway
I see your “Flying Colours” and raise you “Benders” driving school, late of Grays Thurrock.
“Dub Vendor”‘s the only record shop I’ve ever been in round Clapham Junction way. A quick google suggests that it managed to hold out until last year.
Youth of today, with their MP3 downloads and YouTube, don’t know they’re born. Certainly don’t know the thrill of the first play of a stack of 12″ singles., seeing if there are any secret hidden gems on the B-sides…
Lucky youths. I can recall well the thrill of hearing the song I’d bought. Not so much the whole process of travelling miles to buy it (or waiting days for it to arrive in the post), taking it out of the sleeve, placing it on the turntable, placing the needle on it, realising it was at the wrong speed etc.
#88 – “Benders Driving School?” If I suggested (with my Carry-On hat on) that this might be a company exclusively for those following a particular lifestyle, would I have to get my coat?
In any event, I’ll see your “Benders Driving School” and raise you “Gates Funeral Parlour, Purley”.
Surely ‘Bender’s Driving School’ is an episode of Futurama in waiting? It emerges that Fry has never passed his test …
I don’t suppose anyone remembers Bonapartes in George Street? Just down the road from East Croydon station, was handily located for the trip home from school.
Almost, but not quite…
Episode Sounds: 2ACV19 – The Cryonic Woman
Bender: “Hey, Fry! I’m steering with my ass!”
Fry: “That’s the best thing I ever saw!”
(download 36kb)
Bonapartes vaguely rings a bell…but only vaguely I’m afraid. I do recall a great dance music shop (we’re talking late 80s here) near the bus station at West Croydon – it was kind of grotty-looking, but was the place to pick up yer rare discs of the 45 King or A Guy Called Gerald, acid jazz, and whatever…
I seem to recall another really decent 2nd hand store, a bit later on (the CD era. I guess very late 90s/early 2000s), somewhere behind one of the shopping centres…the Whitgift, possibly.
Basically Croydon struck me as a place that offered rich pickings for record-hunters…and was well worth the cross-Thames travel to get there, for that reason alone…
I have fond musical memories of Croydon – picking up the John Martyn ‘Live at Leeds’ album at Beanos; Tangerine Dream at the Fairfield Hall, and Greenslade and Talking Heads (on separate years/nights) at the Greyhound
Bonapartes had a record label back in the punk years didn’t they?
This backs you up – I don’t know if the label and the shop were part of the same business, but it seems likely. The shop was certainly a better bet than Our Price for 45s of an indie flavour. I bought some Postcard records there, and a run of Associates singles.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8507703.stm
More BBC4 chart-obsessed fun tonite, pop pickers! There’s something about the story of the 7″ single followed by a merry romp through some UK number ones. Cosmic!
Didn’t finish the sentence, so I’ll do so: “There’s something about…that makes me sigh in weary resignation and worry about the future of this country.”
It might have been more interesting if any of us had written it but as such it’ll presumably be the same sad old men blathering on about Starman and God cares what else. Yes, I’m condemning it before it’s even been broadcast. But I suspect I’m probably not far off the mark.
I would have done it in the manner of Kenneth Griffith, striding about and issuing Shakespearean declamations like a right old Donald Wolfit.
Ah, I assume you’ve seen the fan-made documentary regarding a certain TV series of the 60s where they got Mr G to do exactly that?
#98/99 – Make no mistake, there are many here amongst us who indeed would be more than adept at writing and presenting something like this. I would love to see puntum’s Kenneth Grittith. The Swede would do it in the manner of Frank Butcher, wrapped in a sheepskin and donning reactolite rapides:
“Oh ‘ave a word wiv yerself, Ricky! Them Rubettes were just a bunch of pilchards!” Cue Sugar Baby Love..
and I would probably bounce up and down and to the knees like Peter Powell, so don’t ask me…
#100: yes.
#102: Lena thought Peter Powell last night looked like a less Irish Kenneth Branagh.
Many of you may know that Timmy Bannockburn is hosting a show over Christmas on Radio 2, which would be dear to many of our hearts. It is a countdown of our 100 favourite number twos, each of which is accompanied by mention of the beastly record which stopped it getting to the promised land. Plenty of scope for some fun, I think. This and Brenda’s natter. What more could you want whilst you’re trying to scrape globs of congealed brandy butter off the cat?
Would “God Save The Queen” Sex Pistols count as a No2 for these purposes?
Just checked.
The bad news is, you have to choose from a short list of nominated singles.
The good news is, GSTQ is one of them…
‘American Pie’ would’ve been a stone-cold 10 for me on Popular, so I guess I’ll probably go for that, assuming I can be bothered to register. I take it ‘Vienna’s’ in there as well?
The selections are a little odd in that, e.g., Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel counts as two #2s (and God Only Knows being b/w Wouldn’t it be Nice isn’t mentioned) whereas Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields counts as one (and both tracks are mentioned). I’m sure there’s a technical reason for this but the effect is to stack the odds in favor of The Beatles (and voters only get to make one selection).
“Don’t Be Cruel” was never a UK #2 single; “Hound Dog” wasn’t a double A-side in Britain and when “DBC” eventually sloped out as an A-side in 1978 it peaked at #24.
With this level of “expertise” I’m sure I can find far more profitable and engaging things to do of a Christmas afternoon than listen to this ageing creep, for example sleeping.
After the Crimbo din-din the Swede traditionally lowers, I’ll have little choice but to nod off too.
Hurricane Smith’s “Don’t Let It Die”, though for me. Not on the list?..
Since I was mentioning the late Jim Capaldi (with whom I share a birthday) in Another Place I’m going to take a punt on Traffic’s Hole in my Shoe, since I don’t suppose anybody else will. (I had to check that Jim wasn’t involved with the Spencer Davis Group and therefore never had a number one. Unless, as I suspect is the case, somebody knows something I don’t. It isn’t hard.) Coming up on the rails is Kim Wilde (with whom I once shared a school) and Kids in America. Mark Knopfler (once my near neighbour in Notting Hill and fellow customer of Geale’s fish and chip emporium) is making up ground on the outside with Private Investigations.
With one vote only, I was delighted my favourite #2 is most certainly there, and therefore went about voting with a strange rush of enthusiasm. After all, I like a good chart! Since then, I’ve noticed that many of the most interesting contenders have been overlooked, in favour of predictable selections which are already overplayed.
How come I won’t be hearing x or y in the chart? Because “The shortlisted vote options were selected form (sic) the complete list of official Number 2 singles by a panel of music experts and BBC Radio personalities.”
And duly I agree with Punctum – “with this level of “expertise” … “
Radio 2 doesn’t consider me an expert, huh? http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-number-two-thing.html Thanks as ever for reading, back to the rest of ’72 soon!
I went for ‘Groove is in the Heart’ after a toss-up with ‘I Want You Back’ – obviously there’ll be plenty of votes for ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Strawberry Fields’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ etc as it is.
What is it with this drawing up a shortlist by “experts” anyway (what makes them more expert than us punters?) What can’t we just vote from all the number twos?
Is Poppa Piccolino on the list?
No, it isn’t – there’s very little pre-rock on the list, because the experts maybe don’t know the songs (or think anyone listening to R2 knows them either).
What a terrible poll. There a so many selections that I doubt most voters will bother to read past about J or K, meaning even more votes for the Beach Boys and Beatles.
Who’s listening then? ‘American Pie’ at 3, Pogues and Kirsty at 2 … GSTQ was at 19 I think, introduced by TB as “a record I’ve managed to avoid playing for the last 35 years!”
He liked Oasis and The Verve though, so it’s not all about the soul for our Tone.
Gambo on ’60 Years of the Charts’ at 8 tonight on the same station ought to be worth catching, I reckon. Certainly gets my vote over ‘Eastenders’ anyway.
Vienna’s a funny one. Would anyone put it in their all time Top 10? It feels like the oxygen given to Ultravox to air their disappointment is completely out of proportion with the perceived ‘injustice’.
God Only Knows. Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane. Waterloo Sunset. All solidly up there as international Desert Island Discs. But Vienna?
A few personal faves that trounce Vienna… Frankie Laine’s Blowin’ Wild. Excerpt From A Teenage Opera. The Casuals’ Jesamine. Barry Ryan’s Eloise. The Moody Blues’ Question. Groovin’ With Mr Bloe. Slade’s Gudbuy t’Jane. Ballroom Blitz. This Town Ain’t Big Enough. Sir Duke. Church Of The Poison Mind. What Have I Done To Deserve This. Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi. Raving I’m Raving. Set You Free. Milkshake.
I wonder how Blur felt when their own self-conscious epic, Tender, was kept off the top by >>bunnied<<. I bet they whined like billy-o.
Yes, they did wander round for at least seven minutes going “oh whyyyy, oh myyyyy”
Their loneliness must have been killing them…
Inevitably, listened to most of the show – one entry from the ’50s (“Move It”) with no “Heartbreak Hotel” or “Hound Dog.” Suspect that James at #118 is right that most people didn’t bother scrolling through all the choices. Was temporarily wondering whether Queen might bag the top four, knowing what R2 listeners are like, but it didn’t work out that way.
Agree with Rosie at #115 that The Public should just have been left/allowed to pick their own favourite #2.
Re the demise of Chartstats – the OCC seem to now have all the Top 75 chart positions up, by artist. I’m not sure if this was the case before.
Yes that was the case when I first visited OCC when chartstats was killed off. So if you were really determined you could use them to write up your own charts. Just don’t post them on the internet!
Website also has single and album charts from 12/3/60, but only up to the Top 40.
One last thought occurred re the Radio 2 number 2 chart – now that ‘Vienna’ has apparently been given ‘official number 1′ status will Tom have an entry for it?
It hasn’t been given “official number 1″ status; it came top of a radio listeners’ poll. Otherwise you might just as well ask whether Tom will do an entry for David Cameron.
‘Vienna’ was discussed at some length on the ‘Shaddup You Face’ thread, unsurprisingly. Radio 2 themselves styled it an ‘honorary’ number one.
Radio 2, like the BBC in general, are very keen on rewriting history.
Honorary number one my hairy arse. Not that it wouldn’t have been fun to write about.
re:121 I think “My Sex” plus a lot of John Foxxs solo stuff wipe the floor with “Vienna”.
Anyone would think it was an endangered species rather than a slightly silly 30-year old pop epic which has made Midge Ure lots of cash regardless of its chart position.
How much does anyone really like it? Seriously? It never gets oldies airplay/ad usage like, say, Heaven 17′s #2 Temptation.
Well, I have a certain affection for this song.
Basically, my first band’s first public performance was at a Pontin’s holiday camp, we got to borrow the resident band’s equipment and did our number with amplification which we’d never had before. The tape sounds like the Buzzcocks, which was fine, this was 1978 after all.
Any road up, the first bloke on was a cross between Brian Glover and Bill Maynard, and he introduced himself as a ‘pub singer’, a long time before the association that Vic Reeves exploited. Anyway, he chatted a little before producing an acapella performance of this song.
I never heard this original version until a recent BBC documentary that Tony Blackburn hosted. Have to say, it’s good but the bloke was better…
Amusing to read #134 and think that, like #133, it’s about Vienna.
Amusing to read # 133 and think that, like #134, it’s about Here In My Heart.