Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1961 – Part Two

Each week William and I will select two top hits from the charts starting with 1960 for two weeks followed by 1961 etc..through to 1985. We will also include some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time.

We will be sharing the music of the 1960s until the end of May before moving on to the 1970s. Participate in the spin-off shows and share your memories of the music of the 60s. An opportunity to share your work and here are the details: The Breakfast Show 2021

Welcome to our show and we are excited to share decades of music with you in 2021. Here is my second selection of  top 1961 hits which I hope you will enjoy.  William.

News Event: October 18th “West Side Story”, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, the film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical, starring Natalie Wood, is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1962)

Bobby Lewis  –  Tossin’ and turnin’

‘Tossin’ and turnin’ ‘ hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B charts on July 10, 1961 where it spent seven consecutive weeks. Billboard ranked the song as the 27th biggest song of all time in 2008. It was also featured on the soundtrack in 1978 of the film  ‘Animal House’.

News Event: December 11th Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii” album goes #1 & stays #1 for 20 wks

The Miracles – Shop Around

‘Shop Around’, penned by lead singer Smokey Robinson, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of The 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, and was placed by Rolling Stone at #500 on their list of The Greatest Songs of All Time.

News Event: December 13th “The Young Ones” directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring Cliff Richard, Robert Morley and Carole Gray premieres in London

Now time for my picks from 1961 and these are tracks that dominated my teenage years and are still on my playlists today

The Everly Brothers- Walk Right Back

“Walk Right Back” is a 1961 song by Sonny Curtis that was recorded by The Everly Brothers, and went to No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Overseas, the song went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks. Originally it was the B-side, then it was changed to the A-side.

News Event: December 18th Britain’s EMI Records originally rejects the Beatles

Ricky Nelson – Hello Mary Lou

“Hello Mary Lou” is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney first recorded by Johnny Duncan in 1960, and later by Ricky Nelson in 1961.

Nelson’s version, issued as a double A-side with his No. 1 hit “Travelin’ Man”, (Imperial 5741), reached No. 9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961. In the United Kingdom, where it was released as a double A-side with “Travelin’ Man”, it reached No. 2. It was also a hit in much of Europe, particularly Norway, where it spent 14 weeks at No. 1. In New Zealand, the song reached No. 4.

Additional sources: On This Day – Music – Hits of the 60s: Sixties City – Wikipedia

Your Hosts for The Breakfast Show

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Thank you very much for joining us today and we would love you to join us in the spin off shows where we share your memories of the 1960s and your favourite music.. please read how you can take part: The Breakfast Show 2021

 

Next week 1962 Part One.. we hope you will tune in.. as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.