Radio London - Big L Fab Forty 3rd April 1966

Sunday 3rd April 1966

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 DVD 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', on its way down, meets 'A Legal Matter' at #4, up from #12.

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	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

DJ Climbers:
Splendour In The Grass	Gulliver's People	Mike Lennox
How Can I Tell Her	Forresters	Mark Roman

Climbers:
Rhapsody In The Rain	Lou Christie
Do Anything You Say	David Bowie
A Sign Of The Times	Petula Clark
Little Latin Lupe Lu	Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
Love Around The World	David Ballantyne
Communication	David McCallum
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

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 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 DVD. Click here to buy the VHS.)

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 Tapestry of Delights, the Harbour Lites consisted of three band members, all known as John. Their surnames are given as Gibb, Mercer and Ross. There is a track by the band on the 'Ready Steady Win' album, which implies that the band had been a competition finalist.

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 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 Any More." 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. Lewis's previous solo single, Everybody But Me, had come out in '65. According to Herd leader, Andy Bown's website, 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. His name appears again in the line-up for 1971. The Herd had already appeared in the Big L Fab 40 in March 66, with So Much In Love.

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 the Radio London Club afternoon is listed merely as 'The Saturday Show', with no mention of Big L at all.