The Early Radio London Fab Forties

Sunday 3rd April 1966
Ben Toney had left the station. Alan Keen took over this week as Programme Director and was now responsible for the

Fab Forties. He wanted the charts to be compiled in
Curzon Street, rather than aboard the
Galaxy.
He also recruited Richard Swainson
(pictured, right, in 2017) as his on-board administrator.


Bang bang, my baby shot me down! Acting out the title of Cher's #12, Elvis takes a bullet from a Beverly Hillbilly in the film Frankie and Johnnie. 'Frankie' is Donna Douglas, who played critter-lovin' Elly May Clampett in the long-running TV series.

The film's title song is new in this week's Fab 40 at #29

'Frankie and Johnnie' is available both on DVD and VHS.

To purchase the film in various formats, click on the image of Elvis looking remarkably cheerful, considering what happens to him!

Most unusually, this week's Fab Forty also sees two Who singles side-by-side in the Top Ten.
'Substitute', at #3, up from #5, meets 'A Legal Matter' at #4, up from #12. The records were near-simultaneous releases by the group's new label, Reaction (Substitute) and their old label, Brunswick (A Legal Matter).
Last
This
 
Week
Week
7
1
Somebody Help Me Spencer Davis Group
3
2
Super Girl Graham Bonney
5
3
Substitute Who
12
4
A Legal Matter Who
8
5
Homeward Bound Simon & Garfunkel
14
6
Someday, One Day Seekers
11
7
Blue Turns To Grey Cliff Richard & the Shadows
6
8
That's Nice Neil Christian
19
9
You Won't Be Leaving Herman's Hermits
9
10
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Walker Brothers
22
11
I Put A Spell On You Alan Price Set
32
12
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) Cher
1
13
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion Kinks
15
14
Love Me With All Your Heart/The Sound Of Silence Bachelors
30
15
My Life Overlanders
35
16
(You Got) The Power Of Love Everly Brothers
27
17
Alfie Cilla Black
2
18
Elusive Butterfly Bob Lind
17
19
Long Live Our Love Shangri-Las
25
20
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Dusty Springfield
16
21
Try Too Hard Dave Clark Five
22
I Think Of You Chantelles
10
23
Shapes Of Things Yardbirds
36
24
Just A Minute Or Two Gene Latter
20
25
I Fought The Law Bobby Fuller Four
20
25
He Fought The Law She Trinity
26
(You're My) Soul And Inspiration Righteous Brothers
27
Run For Your Life Harbour Lites
28
Daydream Lovin' Spoonful
29
Frankie And Johnny Elvis Presley
30
Twinkle Toes Roy Orbison
28
31
The Pied Piper Crispian St Peters
32
You're Holding Me Down Buzz
39
33
Walkin' My Cat Named Dog Norma Tanega
18
34
If You've Got A Minute Baby Freddie & the Dreamers
35
Let's Run For Cover Zoot Money's Big Roll Band
36
Don't Stop Loving Me Baby Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
37
Something On My Mind Chris Andrews
38
Here I Go Again Nita Rossi
37
39
Speak Her Name David & Jonathan
40
40
Walk Away Like A Winner Robert Henry

Spencer Davis, The Who, The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Alan Price Set – all in this week's Fab Forty playlist – are among the artists in this section of Liverpool's Cavern Club Wall of Fame. Every band or artist who played the famous Mathew Street club between 1957 and 1973 has their own brick. (Click on the wall photo, left, to see an enlargement.)

DJ Climbers:
Little Latin Lupe Lu Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Dave Cash
Love Around The World David Ballantyne Dave Dennis
Once Geneveve Duncan Johnson
A Sign Of The Times Petula Clark Paul Kaye
Splendor In The Grass Gullivers People Mike Lennox
Do Anything You Say David Bowie Earl Richmond
How Can I Tell Her Foresters Mark Roman
Communication David McCallum Ed Stewart
Rhapsody In The Rain Lou Christie Tony Windsor

Climbers:
Baby Don't Push Me Alan Bown Set
Come On Home Wayne Fontana
Caroline, No Brian Wilson
Got To Run Echoes
Bo Dudley Peter Cook & Dudley Moore
Disc of the Week:
Pretty Flamingo Manfred Mann
Album of the Week:  
North Country Maid Marianne Faithfull

Sunday April 3rd, was an exciting day for Radio London, as Dateline Diamonds went on general release, supporting Doctor in Clover.

Stephen Chesney recalls:
I remember going to see Dateline Diamonds at the Odeon, Barking when it was a B-feature with Doctor in Clover. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the video, which was a good social history of the period, even though it did not accurately portray how Big L operated, e.g. by suggesting that a DJ would go ashore just for the afternoon!

I was particularly interested to see Earl Richmond on deck, although, as it was such a fleeting glimpse, in order to get a proper look I had to put the picture on a pause long enough to be one of TW's!

Trevor Bailey says:

I remember going to see Dateline Diamonds at the local 'flea pit' when it came out all those years ago. It was a 'second feature' but of course, everyone was at the cinema to catch a glimpse of Big L. I remember being somewhat disappointed that the 'DJ' in the film ('Drew Meredith') wasn't a real DJ but rather a rather unrealistic portrayal by an actor. I always feel that actors are intrinsically incapable of playing DJs, always adopting a rather strange American or mid-Atlantic accent, which absolutely nobody possesses! I also feel that most English actors can't do a realistic American accent (and vice-versa for that matter).

Dateline Diamonds, which is now mostly promoted as a Small Faces film, has its own 2-page supplement, with cast list, musicians and songs performed, an original poster, plus photos taken during the shooting and at the cinema preview. Ben Toney also wrote his own account of the making of the film.

(Click on the photo to buy the film in various formats.)



A busy week for the Knees Club!

On Tuesday, April 5th at Wycombe Town Hall, Dave Dee & Co. Dave Dee (#158), Dozy (Trevor Davies) (#155), Beaky (John Dymond) (#156), Mick (Michael Wilson) (#157), and Tich (Ian Amey) (#160) signed up. Their first major hit Hold Tight had already left the Fab Forty, but was still in the Nationals, where it remained for a total of 17 weeks.

Saturday, April 9th at the Marquee, was a bumper week for recruiting new Knees Club members. According to Brian Long, Roy Orbison was due to have been on this week's bill, but I made no mention of seeing him and if he was there, I failed to enlist him in the KC. I don't doubt I would have taken that opportunity, had it presented itself. Those who did join were:

Spencer Davis (#167) making a solo guest promotional appearance in the week his group reached #1 with Somebody Help Me.

The Alan Bown Set: Alan Bown (#172), Vic Sweeney (#168), John Anthony (#169), Stan Haldane (#170), Peter Burgess (#171), Jess Roden (#173), Jeff Bannister (#192). Alan Bown formed the group in '64 after leaving the John Barry Seven. They were later renamed The Alan Bown, the word 'Set' having been deemed somewhat uncool. (See chart 26th March 1967 )

Herbie's People: Herbie Robinson (#175), Bill Bates (#174), Alan Lacey (#176), Len Beddow (#177). (See chart 19th Feb 1967 and Herbie's People feature.)

Harbour Lites: G McLaren (#178), J Ross (#179) currently in the FF with their cover of the Fab Four's Run For Your Life. The rather formal Mr G McLaren and Mr J Ross (they signed the KC book thus) were from New Zealand and have proved rather difficult to identify. According to the now-defunct Tapestry of Delights website, the Harbour Lites consisted of three band members, all known as John. Their surnames are given as Gibb, Mercer and Ross. There was also a band from Manchester, called the Harbour Lights. (Many thanks to Bruce Welsh in Victoria, BC author of What About Us? A Rocklopaedia Of Britain's Other Recording Groups 1962 – 1966) for the clarification between the two similarly-named bands.

Lewis Rich (#181) Lewis was lead singer with a band called The Preachers, when they changed their name to The Herd. An undated press clipping in my collection from an unknown publication containing a photo of him says, 'The Herd have a lead singer called Lewis Rich, a 22-year-old opera singer you can hear on, I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore." I assume I obtained this clipping around the same time that Lewis joined the KC and that his Marquee appearance was to promote that single, which was released on Parlophone in '66 and appears to have become a Northern Soul collectable. Lewis's previous solo single, Everybody But Me, had come out in '65. According to a feature by Herd leader, Andy Bown, Lewis seems to have been in and out of the band. He's listed as vocalist and keyboard player in the band line-up for 1964 and 65, and part of 66, then his name appears again in the line-up for 1971. The Herd had already taken their third release, a cover of the Stones' So Much In Love into the Big L Fab 40 in March 66.

The Knack: the band already has its own page here.

The Limeys: Gary Gretch (#188), Barry Johns (#193), Tony Skey(#189), Raymond Benot (or Benoit) (#190) and Gearie Kenworthy (#273), who later joined the Knack. The Limeys released two singles on Pye in '65 and two on Decca in '66. There's no sign of them in the Fab Forty, but they were one of the bands that toured on the ill-fated Swingin' Radio England tour.

The Merseys: Tony Crane (#195) and Billy Kinsley (#196), breakaway duo from the Merseybeats, who were a mere 19 days away from entering the chart with their only hit, Sorrow when they joined the Knees Club. This song has proved a successful choice for KC recording stars. The Merseys made #4 in the Nationals, and Bowie's recording was to reach one place higher in 1973.

Fruit Eating Bears: ("Honestly!" as one reviewer of the time put it, referring to the strange name adopted by the Merseys' backing group). Kenny Goodlass (#197), Ken Mundye (#198), Kris Findlay (#199), George Cassidy (#200) and Joey Molland (#201).

Click on either of the April 1966 Marquee schedules (right) to see a legible version. Note that the Radio London Club afternoon is listed merely as 'The Saturday Show', with no mention of Big L at all.


The information coloured PURPLE was kindly provided by Roy Taylor.

The Caroline 'Countdown Sixty' chart (south ship) for this week is here

This week's Radio City 'City Sixty' on the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame is here


Tune in next week for another Big L Fab 40!


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