DJ Climbers:
Rhyme Boy, Rhyme	Roulettes	Tony Blackburn
Show Me	Joe Tex	Chuck Blair
The First Cut Is The Deepest	P P Arnold	Pete Drummond
Don't Go Home (My Little Darlin')	Susan Maughan	Paul Kaye
Nick Knack	Zoot Money's Big Roll Band	Lorne King
Say You Don't Mind	Denny Laine	John Peel
New York Mining Disaster 1941	Bee Gees	Mark Roman
Sometimes	Rockin' Berries	Keith Skues
I Can Fly	Herd	Ed Stewart

The First Cut Is The Deepest

P P Arnold

Immediate IM047

With Cat Stevens at #4, here comes another of his compositions, which became the second solo single from former Ikette, PP (Pat) Arnold. Pat had arrived in the UK with the Ike and Tina Turner Review in 1966, when they toured the country with the Stones. Recognising Pat's potential as a solo artist, Andrew Loog Oldham signed her to his Immediate label. The First Cut Is The Deepest was to bring Pat a #18 in the Nationals. Pat is still living in the UK and continues to work hard in the music business. News of Pat's current musical projects can be found on her website.

Six years later, The First Cut Is The Deepest brought ex-Caroline DJ Keith Hampshire a Canadian #1 (US #70), and in 1977, Rod Stewart took it to #1 in the UK (US #21).

The Cat Stevens scrapbook has a collection of all his lyrics.

New York Mining Disaster 1941

Bee Gees

Polydor 56161

Town Of Tuxley Toymaker

Billy J Kramer

Reaction 591 014

As new boys in town, the Manx-born, but Australian-raised Bee Gees were making a big impression. Their ship literally came in in February when they were signed by Robert Stigwood to Brian Epstein's NEMS agency, which Stigwood was managing at the time. This signing occurred practically at the moment they stepped ashore from the Fairsky, after their return sea voyage from Down Under. The Gibb brothers' early recording career had centered around the St Claire recording studio, a former butcher's shop storeroom in Hurstville, a suburb of Sydney. Studio owner Ossie Byrne came with them to England and produced their Bee Gees First album.

New York Mining Disaster was about a fictional event, but the Gibb brothers say the song's inspiration was a real disaster. On 21st October 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, had died when a coal waste tip engulfed the Welsh village of Aberfan.

Barry, Robin and Maurice not only had two songs 'wot they wrote' in this week's climber list, but their vocals enhanced Town Of Tuxley Toymaker, which was released on Stigwood's Reaction label. (Unlike Craise F(r)inton Kirk, the Bee Gees did not issue their own version of the song.)

NEMS stablemate, Billy J Kramer, had previously enjoyed huge success during the 'Merseybeat' era, with former instrumental group the Dakotas, recording several Lennon/McCartney songs and enjoying six national Top Twenty hits, two of which hit #1. Born William Howard Ashton, Billy picked his stage name 'Kramer' from the phone book. The addition of the 'J' was suggested by John Lennon, in honour of his mother, Julia and son, Julian. Hits were drying up by the end of the Mersey boom and Billy J split with the Dakotas to go solo in 1966. Unfortunately, his Bee Gees collaboration did not bring him fame and solo success continued to elude him.

Ballad Box:
No One's Gonna Hurt You Anymore	Kathy Kirby
Almost Persuaded	Crispian St Peters
It Must Be Him	Vikki Carr
Our Song (La Musica È Finita)	Ornella Vanoni
You Win Again	Ray Charles
Making Memories	Frankie Laine

Soul Set:
Something Good (Is Going To Happen To You)	Carla Thomas
Day Tripper	Otis Redding
Show Me How You Milk A Cow	Real McCoy
Soothe Me	Sam & Dave
Sweet Soul Music	Arthur Conley
Cry To Me	Freddie Scott
Raise Your Hand	Eddie Floyd
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby	Sam & Dave
Hip Hug Her	Booker T & the MGs

Fab Notes (by Alan Field)
Vikki Carr's It Must Be Him begins its first of two separate runs in the Ballad Box this week. The record eventually peaked at #2 in the national charts 16 weeks later, at the end of July, but never featured in the Fab 40, although it was frequently played on Radio London.

Ornella Vanoni's Our Song was also issued as a solo single by an 18-year-old Robert Plant in his pre-Led Zeppelin days, but his version was not picked up by Radio London.

Sam and Dave have two songs in the Soul Set. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby is actually their follow-up to Soothe Me, both on Stax.

---

Back to Fab Forty Index

Home