tin music

Presley, Elvis. “Good Luck Charm.” Good Luck Charm. Capital...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:08:00 -0400

Presley, Elvis. “Good Luck Charm.” Good Luck Charm. Capital Records, 1962.

Hot 100 #1 for 2 consecutive weeks: April 21st and April 28th, 1962.

Elvis transcends. 1962 is a few short years after his military service, wherein he started his amphetamine habit and engaged in a relationship with 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu (whom he later married). It also was the start of him staring in as many as 3 movies a year and before the collapse of his (initial) career.

Lynn, Patti. “Johnny Angel.” Johnny Angel. Fontana,...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 12:00:58 -0400

Lynn, Patti. “Johnny Angel.” Johnny Angel. Fontana, 1962.

Patti Lynn covered Shelley Fabares’s Johnny Angel for the UK market, but did not mirror the same level of success. Her version topped at #37 on the UK Singles chart.

Fabares, Shelley. “Johnny Angel.” Shelley!. Colpix,...

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:02:19 -0400

Fabares, Shelley. “Johnny Angel.” Shelley!. Colpix, 1962.

Hot 100 #1 for 2 consecutive weeks: April 7th and April 14th 1962.

Shelley not only was a charted musician, she also has a long history of acting in Television and Film. She was on the Donna Reed show, playing the role of Mary Stone for no less than 7 years. In 1994 she was awarded the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award by the Young Artist Foundation.

Smith, Margo. “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:05:06 -0400

Smith, Margo. “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.” Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You. Warner Brothers, 1977.

Margo Smith went on to cover Connie Francis’s song, which topped the Hot Country Singles chart in February of 1978. It also crossed over to the Easy Listening Chart, peaking at #40.

Francis, Connie. “Don’t Break The Heart That Loves...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:05:05 -0400

Francis, Connie. “Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You.” Don’t Break The Heart That Loves you. MGM Records, 1962.

Hot 100 #1 for one week: March 31st, 1962.

This was Connie’s 3rd and final chart-topper on the Hot 100, this style of music was shortly supplanted by the British Invasion. Connie was also involved with Bobby Darin for a time, they had met to write some songs together. They quickly started dating, against the behest of her father. Reportedly, her father even chased Darin away at gunpoint once after Darin had suggested that him and Connie should elope.

Francis supported Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential candidacy by recording a TV ad for him. She was also appointed by Ronald Reagan to head up a task force on violent crime.

Channel, Bruce. “Hey! Baby.” Hey! Baby. Smash Records, 1962. Hot...

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Channel, Bruce. “Hey! Baby.” Hey! Baby. Smash Records, 1962.

Hot 100 #1 for 3 consecutive weeks: March 10th, March 17th and March 24th, 1962.

Channel topped at #2 in the UK and while on tour in Europe was actually supported by the then unknown Beatles at one gig. The device of a sustained first-note with a rhythmic background was later utilized by the hits “Sherry” by The Four Seasons (1962) and “I Should Have Known Better” by The Beatles (1964).

Chandler, Gene. “Duke of Earl.” Duke of Earl....

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:06:00 -0500

Chandler, Gene. “Duke of Earl.” Duke of Earl. Vee-Jay Records, 1961.

Hot 100 #1 for the weeks of February 17th, February 25th and March 3rd, 1962.

Much like MBube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight), this song originated from a warm-up exercise by the Dukays, a vocal group which included singers Gene Dixon and Earl Edwards. It started with singing, “do” in different keys. Over time the warm-up turned into, “Du..du..du..Duke of Earl” to include Earl’s name.

Joey Dee & The Starliters. “Peppermint Twist - Part...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Joey Dee & The Starliters. “Peppermint Twist - Part I.” The Peppermint Twist. Roulette, 1961.

Hot 100 #1 for 3 consecutive weeks: January 27th, February 2rd, and February 10th, 1962.

The Twist dance craze continues. As of 2010, there is a street corner in their hometown of Passaic, NJ dedicated to the band. It is located at the corner of Washington Place and Columbia Ave.

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. “The Twist.” ...

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. “The Twist.” Teardrops On Your Letter. King, 1959.

Hank Ballard’s original version of, “The Twist.”

Songs about performing “The Twist” or perhaps “The Double Twist” date back to the 1800s wherein “The Double Twist” implied both sex and dancing.

Chubby Checker’s version of the song became popular after it was popularized on a Baltimore area Television Show hosted by DJ Buddy Dean.

Checker, Chubby. “The Twist.” The Twist. Parkway...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Checker, Chubby. “The Twist.” The Twist. Parkway Records, 1960.

Hot 100 #1 for two consecutive weeks: January 13th and January 20th, 1962.

The song was originally written and released by Hank Ballard in 1959 and gave birth to one of the most popular, pervasive and shocking dance crazes of all time. Parents at the time considered the shaking of ones hips in public to be provocative and inappropriate.

The Evening Birds. “MBube.” MBube. Gallo Record...

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

The Evening Birds. “MBube.” MBube. Gallo Record Company, 1939.

The first recorded version of “MBube,” more popularly known as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

The writer, Solomon Linda, only ever received a paltry royalty check, whereas Gallo Records earned upwards of $15 million in royalties off licensing.

The Tokens. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The Lion Sleeps Tonight....

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

The Tokens. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The Lion Sleeps Tonight. RCA, 1961.

Hot 100 #1 for 3 consecutive weeks: December 18th, December 25th, and January 6th, 1962.

Originally recorded by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It was written in the 1920s by Salomon Linda and was named “Mbube.” He was a cleaner and record packer for Gallo Record Company.