Fab Forty anomaly: Alan notes that, "Conspicuous by its absence this week is the Four Tops' Standing In The Shadows Of Love: it was a new entry last week at #25, and will be a new entry again next week at #18 (thank you, Mystic Meg), but this week it's nowhere, just forgotten... strange, eh?"

Webmaster's note: On January 21st, Disc magazine made an observation about several records that were still climbing the nationals, but had been dropped from the Fab Forty. The comment 'This week's Radio London Fab 40 laughs: They've dropped Dave Dee, Donavan and even the latest Four Tops', must have concerned this current week's chart, because 'the latest Four Tops' was the mysteriously missing Standing In The Shadows Of Love. (Thanks to Brian Long).

The Tops obviously stood so far back in the shadows that the Big L DJs couldn't see them. Meanwhile, Cliff and his Shadows hit the Top Spot. Boom boom! - Mary

The seventh and last single released by Larry Page prodigies the Riot Squad, was also the final single produced by Joe Meek to be released before his suicide in February of '67. Page had produced their early singles.

The London band is not connected to the Liverpool outfit of the same name, containing Knees Club President Ray Ennis's younger brother, Bill. The Liverpudlians changed their name to The Squad With Rita to avoid confusion with the Londoners.

So many personnel changes occurred in the Riot Squad between 1965 and 67, that it's impossible to say exactly who played on this single. Graham Bonney was with the band in the early stages before becoming a one-hit-wonder with Supergirl in 1966, and David Bowie is reputed to have been a one-time member, but never actually recorded with them. Another famous name associated with Riot Squad was keyboard master Jon Lord, although the Deep Purple website www.deep-purple.com denies that Lord's skills are featured on any of the Riot Squad singles. Drummer Mitch Mitchell, later of the Blue Flames and Jimi Hendrix Experience also enhanced earlier Riot Squad ranks and featured on their first three singles, all released in 1965. Ambiguity over which famous musos might have lent their talents to this single, results in pristine copies changing hands at around £60.

From Paul Kinder, who runs the David Bowie website:

During the Spring of 1967, David played over twenty gigs throughout the United Kingdom with a group named 'The Riot Squad'. The band which consisted of six members included David Bowie (lead vocalist, guitar, tenor saxophone), Rod Davies (guitar), Croke Prebble (bass), Bob Evans (saxophone, flute), George Butcher (keyboards) and Derek Roll (drums).

James Barry Keefer, from Philadelphia, first recorded in 1965 as Keith and the Admirations. Backing vocals for 98.6 and Keith's similar-sounding debut, Ain't Gonna Lie, (US #39, Sept '66) were provided by the Tokens. 98.6, which had been a Top Ten US hit (#7), reached #24 in the UK Nationals. The song title reputedly refers to the happy return to a healthy blood temperature of 98.6, following the reappearance of an absent lover.

Over on Radio Caroline, 98.6 was chosen as this week's Robbie Dale Sure-Shot.

Besides climbers that were played at the time of the broadcast of the Sunday Fab Forty, Alan kept a note of others he heard later in the week and incorporated them into his list.

DJ Climbers:
I Need Somebody	? (Question Mark) & the Mysterians	Tony Blackburn
Summer Of Last Year	Pyramid	Chuck Blair
My Boyfriend's Back	Chiffons	Pete Drummond
Sally	Koobas	Kenny Everett
Baby What I Mean	Drifters	Paul Kaye
Try A Little Tenderness	Otis Redding	Mike Lennox
Good Thing	Paul Revere & the Raiders	Mark Roman
Here Comes My Baby	Tremeloes	Keith Skues
Let It Be Me	Mick Tinsley	Ed Stewart
Life's Not Life	Moody Blues	Norman St John
Let's Spend The Night Together/Ruby Tuesday	Rolling Stones	Tony Windsor

Radio Caroline also picked Here Comes My Baby by the Tremeloes as Tommy Vance's Sure-shot.

I Need Somebody

? (Question Mark) & the Mysterians

Cameo Parkway C441

The follow-up to their March US #1 smash 96 Tears, (#37 UK Nationals, November), I Need Somebody peaked at #22 in the US Hot Hundred but did nothing in the UK Nationals.

Summer Of Last Year

Pyramid

Deram DM 111

The Pyramid were Steve Hiett, Albert Jackson and Ian Pratt-McDonald. More info about Summer of Last Year on the Anorakthing blogspot.

Let It Be Me

Mick Tinsley

Decca F12544

Mick Tinsley remained the vocalist with Hedgehoppers Anonymous throughout three band line-ups, till they split at the end of 1966, after four follow-up singles had failed to emulate the success of It's Good News Week – apart from in the Fab Forty, that is. Let It Be Me was the launch single for Mick's solo career.

Climbers:
It Takes Two	Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
Heartbreak	Sonny Childe & the TNT
But I Don't Care	Claire Francis
Release Me	Engelbert Humperdinck
Peek-A-Boo	New Vaudeville Band
You Only You	Rita Pavone
It Hurts To Say Goodbye	Vera Lynn
Where Will The Words Come From	Gary Lewis & the Playboys
It's Now Winter's Day	Tommy Roe
Ev'ry Street's A Boulevard (In Old New York)	Frankie Laine
Disc of the Week:
I've Been A Bad Bad Boy	Paul Jones
Album of the Week:
Fresh Cream	Cream

Comment: Interesting that nobody seems to have spotted the hit potential of Release Me and picked it as a DJ climber.
The same could be said for It Takes Two, Peek-A-Boo and I've Been A Bad Bad Boy, all of which were to become National hits.
Six of the eleven DJ picks for this week did not fare particularly well.

The green additions to the climbers indicate singles sourced from 'Monty's Diary'. (See Fab Forty for 010167).
Alan Field did not hear these records played or announced as climbers.

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
This week's Radio 270 Top 40 on the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame is here

Tune in next week for another Field's Fab Forty!

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