The British Invasion: October 24th, 1964

Terry Black – Canadian Invader!

Terry Black scarcely made a dent on the U.S. Billboard Charts – but just listing to the YouTube post below and you will hear the “Mersey Beat” alive and well.  According to a fan post on YouTube – Terry passed away in 2009.

Canada’s Terry Black with the Invasion Sound

Millie Small

I have also included a YouTube link for Millie Small who entered the U.S. 1964 charts from Great Britain with both “Lollipop” and later “Sweet William”.  Millie was born in Jamaica but established herself in the U.K. as the “Blue Beat Girl”.  She was 16 years old at the time of her first hit record and still in high school.  She had one U.S. released long play pictured below.

Terry Black Performing “Unless You Care”

16 Year-old Millie Small Performing “My Boy Lollipop”

British Invasion on the U.S. Billboard Charts – October 24th, 1964

(Visit Joel Whitburn’s Record Research website presenting Billboard Charts)

Top Invaders:

Number 1 – Manfred Mann – Do Wah Diddy Diddy
Number 4 – Gale Garnett – We’ll Sing in the Sunshine
Number 7 – Chad & Jeremy – A Summer Song
Number 10 – Honeycombs – Have I the Right

Debuts:
Terry Black (Canada) – Unless You Care #130 – Peaks at

Searchers – When You Walk Into the Room – #71
Rolling Stones – Time is On My Side – #65
Herman’s Hermits – I’m into Something Good – #64
Dave Clark Five – Everybody Knows – #25
Peter and Gordon – I Don’t Want to See You Again – #27
Zombies – She’s Not There – #61
Gerry & Pacemakers – I Like It – #26
Kinks – You Really Got Me – #40
Animals – I’m Crying – #24
Dusty Springfield – All Cried Out – #42
Beatles – Matchbox – #52
Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road – #15
Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas – From Window – #50

The British Invasion: October 17th, 1964

The Rolling Stones 4th US chart hit – and the Searcher’s Jackie DeShannon Composition

British Invasion on the U.S. Billboard Charts – October 17th, 1964

(Visit Joel Whitburn’s Record Research website presenting Billboard Charts)
Top Invaders:

Number 1 – Manfred Mann – Do Wah Diddy Diddy
Number 4 – We’ll Sing in the Sunshine – Gale Garnett
Number 7 – A Summer Song – Chad & Jeremy

Debuts:
Searchers – When You Walk Into the Room – #97 – Peaks at #35
Rolling Stones – Time is On My Side – #80 – Peaks at #6

Herman’s Hermits – I’m into Something Good – #79
Dave Clark Five – Everybody Knows – #40
Peter and Gordon – I Don’t Want to See You Again – #48
Rita Pavone – Wait for Me – #119
Zombies – She’s Not There – #87
Animals – The House of the Rising Sun #38
Gerry & Pacemakers – I Like It – #31
Kinks – You Really Got Me – #56
Animals – I’m Crying – #29
Dusty Springfield – All Cried Out – #44
Honeycombs – Have I the Right – #20
Bachelors – I Wouldn’t Trade You For the World – #69
Beatles – Matchbox – #17
Beatles – Slow Down – #39
Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road – #25
Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas – From Window – #27
Shevelles – I Could Conquer the World – #127
Casey Kasem - Letter from Elana – #130

The Beatles – Two Obscure LPs “Hit the Charts” in October

These were the only two Invasion Long Plays to reach the U.S. charts in October of 1964 – with “Songs and Stories” reaching number 63 with an 11 week run and the very obscure “VS. the Seasons” only topping out at 142 with a 3 week abbreviated run.  This one is hard to find – especially in stereo with a purported 750 copies released in the U.S. in stereo format.  Can bring more than $2,000 at auction and if in pristine condition much more – especially with the inclusion of the hard to find Beatle poster.

Enjoy the Rolling Stones on Ed Sullivan performing “Time is On My Side”

Here are the Searchers performing “When You Walk in the Room”

 

The British Invasion: October 3rd, 1964

The Zombies

Enter the Zombies!

The Zombies made their debut onto the American Charts this week with She’s not there.  The veteran group formed around 1959 with Colin Blunstone on lead vocals, Rod Argent (keyboards), Paul Atkinson (guituar), Hugh Grundy (drums) and Paul Arnold (bass).  Arnold would depart prior to the U.S. arrival of the group – and landed with the Overlanders in time for “Yesterday’s Gone”.  Two members of Unit Four Plus 2 and The Roulettes (Adam Faith’s backing group)  - Bob Henrit (drums) and Russ Ballard, would later join the group.

Blunstone and Ballard would both follow Rod Argent into a 70′s group bearing his name “Argent” of “Hold Your Head Up” fame – a 1972 top 10 hit.  Not to be outdone  – Colin Blunstone would form “Blunstone”.

British Invasion 1964 - October 1964

Casey Kasem?

Host of “American Top Forty” radio countdown – Kasem weighed in with his contribution for a single week at 103 with “A Letter from Elaina” – a fan’s response from the Beatles’ 1964 San Francisco performance.  Quite dumb and quite typical for 1964. The George Martin picture sleeve released in October of 1964 shown below is very hard to find and when you do – be prepared to pay in the neighborhood of $800 to $900!  The record was a “two-sided” hit.

The British Invasion October 3rd, 1964

British Invasion on the U.S. Billboard Charts – October 3rd, 1964

(Visit Joel Whitburn’s Record Research website presenting Billboard Charts)

Top Invaders: (Number 1 – Oh Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison – 2nd Week)

Number 2 – Manfred Mann – Do Wah Diddy Diddy
Number 9 – We’ll Sing in the Sunshine – Gale Garnett

Debuts:
Dave Clark Five – Everybody Knows – #66 – Peaks at Number 15
Peter and Gordon – I Don’t Want to See You Again – #84 – Peaks at Number 16
Casey Kasem - A Letter from Elaina – #103 – Peaks at Number 103
Rita Pavone – Wait for Me – #110
George Martin – I Should Have Know Better – #114 – Peaks at Number 111
Zombies – She’s Not There – #116 – Peaks at Number 2
Buchanon & Goodman – The Invasion – #120
George Martin – A Hard Day’s Night – #122 – Peaks at Number 122
Swinging Blue Jeans – Promise You’ll Tell Her – #130 – Peaks at Number 130

Brian Poole – Someone Someone – #111
Animals – The House of the Rising Sun #8
Gerry & Pacemakers – I Like It – #48
Kinks – You Really Got Me – #81
Animals – I’m Crying – #61
Dusty Springfield – All Cried Out – #75
Honeycombs – Have I the Right – #61
Dave Clark 5 – Because – #32
Bachelors – I Wouldn’t Trade You For the World – #76
Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night #24
Beatles – Matchbox – #18
Beatles – Slow Down – #27
Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road – #44
Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas – From Window – #23
Chad & Jeremy – A Summer Song #12
Searchers – Someday We’re Gonna Love Again #4
Cilla Black – It’s for You – #79

The British Invasion: September 26th, 1964

Kinda Kinks

This was a great debut week for the Invasion – in need of a boost – and it got with the hard-driving Kinks.  They came out of London where they formed in the early 1960′s as the Ramrods, then becoming the Ravens.  The original Kink lineup – in 1962 – included brothers Ray Davies (rhythm guitar) and Dave Davies (lead guitar).  Both had been members of the Pete Quaife Four (their bass player) and Mick Avory on Drums.    Avory had been a member of the Rolling Stones for a very brief stint and The Cuckoo’s Nest.  He would also join The Maple Oak around 1966.  Quaife departed the band around 1966 and was replaced by John Dalton formerly of  The Mark Four and Creation.

British Invasion Debuts - September 26th, 1964

British Invasion on the U.S. Billboard Charts – September 26th, 1964

(Visit Joel Whitburn’s Record Research website presenting Billboard Charts)

Top Invaders:
(Number 1 – Oh Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison)

Number 3 – Animals – The House of the Rising Sun
Number 6 – Manfred Mann – Do Wah Diddy Diddy

Debuts:
Gerry & Pacemakers – I Like It – #66 Peaks at #17
Kinks – You Really Got Me – #92 – Peaks at #7
Animals – I’m Crying – #78 – Peaks at #19

Dusty Springfield – All Cried Out – #75
Honeycombs – Have I the Right – #61
Dave Clark 5 – Because – #17
Bachelors – I Wouldn’t Trade You For the World – #76
Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night #19
Beatles – Matchbox – #23
Beatles – Slow Down – #32
Rolling Stones – It’s All Over Now – #37
Shevelles – I Could Conquer the World – #105
Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road – #60
P.J. Proby – Hold Me – #86
Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas – From a Window – #30
Chad & Jeremy – A Summer Song #30
Gale Garnett – We’ll Sing in the Sunshine #14
Brian Poole – Someone Someone – #114
Searchers – Someday We’re Gonna Love Again #34
Cilla Black – It’s for You – #82

The British Invasion: Backbeat #18

The First Beatle Chart Hit Ever!

I walked through a local nearby antique mall last night as I do about once a week.  The mall is usually not an ideal Beat Music hunting ground but I have found some nice items there in the past – an entire set of the Beatle colored wax 45′s released in the 1990′s – Saw a nice mono paste-over Butcher there earlier this year for $700 but already own one so I passed.  At another “thrift shop” this summer I noticed a “VJ” record residing low in the case and upon further examination found it to be a VJ 522 “From Me to You”  b/w “Thank You Girl” – very good condition and paid $10! (see below). This record was the first release to chart in any way in the U.S. arriving on Billboard on August 3rd, 1963 peaking at number 115 with only a three-week run.  The first Beatle record released in the U.S. was VJ 498 “Please Please Me” b/w “Ask Me Why” in February 1963 and failed to chart.  Good luck finding a copy of this one.

VJ 522 - First Beatle Chart Record in the U.S.

Adam Faith and John Barry

Last night I located the trifecta shown below, including the Beatles’ very first charting record anywhere “Love Me Do” on the Parlophone label.  The record  hit the British charts on October 11th, 1962 and reached number 17.

Beatles First Chart Record in the U.K.

Then I picked up these two Adam Faith/John Barry collaborations at the mall last night.  Both are extended plays probably from 1960.  I love the “Beat Girls” cover.  Adam Faith fronted the Roulettes a little bit later on in 1963.  He was backed on these cuts by Brit composer, band leader and front man for the early “John Barry Seven” – John Barry.  Barry would go on to compose many soundtracks for the James Bond series of movies as well as other Hollywood hits (Midnight Cowboy, and later Dances with Wolves).

Early U.K. Adam Faith