BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS

DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP

THIS MONTH’S MEETING

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9TH 2:00 PM

HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209

NEXT MEETING, NOVEMBER 13TH 2:00 PM

PAUL OZBURN

Long-time BRC member Paul Ozburn passed away September 12. Paul served as a club officer for years, helped maintain our yearly mailing list and was very active at every BRC record show as a volunteer. He was very soft-spoken but when he had something to say he always had good ideas, comments and opinions. His presence and club participation will be missed.

THIS MONTH’S MEETING

We had a fun time last month comparing charted girl group recordings with uncharted girl group recordings. Everyone had to decide whether they would buy the soon to chart record or the never too be heard of record. Some of the choices were surprising. We will do this again down the road with another genre so be sure to be a part of the fun.

This month’s meeting will be two-fold; part business and part music. The first part of the meeting we will need to make decisions concerning volunteers to help with yearly activities and our annual record show as well as some IT matters. Then we will hear from Bob Friedman as he talks about some rare labels and recordings he came across in Chicago. I’m sure there will be some very interesting group harmony sounds. Be there!

SONGS THAT CHARTED BY DIFFERENT ARTISTS

Recently I was picking out some songs for the BRC Radio Show and it struck me how many times ‘Land Of 1000 Dances’ charted by more than one artists. I decided to see what were some of the songs that charted the most by more than one artist. I used Billboard’s Pop, R&B and C/W charts. Many songs charted as many as 2-6 times by different artists so I narrowed my list to those songs that charted 7 or more. It turned out there were quite a few so to make room I choose songs that are more iconic or those timeless classic rock & roll recordings. I hope I didn’t miss-count, miss-read or any other miss-whatevers as I put these together. I also will use only songs that charted in the top 100 because some songs charted but didn’t crack the top 100. To save space I’ll skip those and also I won’t list all the artists who charted the songs. The number of times I use will include only Billboard’s pop, R&B and C/W charts with the pop charts beginning in 1955 the R&B in 1942 and the C/W in 1944. So, here we go.

‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ brings to mind the Everly Brothers but the song charted by a total of 7 different performers. The Everly Brothers’ version made all three charts, pop, R&B and C/W charting two different times on the pop charts, 1958 & 1961.

When you think of the song, ‘Cry Me A River’, whose version comes to mind? Solomon Burke, Betty Harris, Julie London, Joe Cocker? For me it is Cocker. I remember some of the others but Cocker’s version is my favorite. It charted a total of 7 times with Julie London’s being first to chart. There are over 700 covers of this song.

Did you ever dance in the streets when you listened to ‘Dancing In The Street’? This song, originally charted by Martha & The Vandellas charted a total of 8 times with The Dovells just missing my cut by making it only to 105.

‘Danny Boy’ has been recorded in the traditional slower pace as well as some who recorded it slightly upbeat. It charted 7 times with Al Hibbler charting first in 1950 on the R&B charts. Most of you may remember it best when Conway Twitty charted in 1959 making both the pop and R&B charts.

‘Do You Want To Dance’ first charted by the song’s writer, Bobby Freeman in 1958 and has made the charts 8 times. Which do you prefer, Freeman’s version or The Beach Boys?  Or maybe it was Del Shannon’s cover.  ‘Do You Want To Dance’ Del Shannon 1964 #43.  

One of the classic doo-wop sounds is ‘Earth Angel’ first recorded and charted by The Penguins in 1955. As time went by it would chart a total of 7 times with The Penguins 1960 release making it to 101 so not being counted here. Sorry, guys.

Depending on your age, when I mention the song ‘For Your Love’ you may think of two different songs. For this feature I am using Ed Townsend’s song not The Yardbirds. Townsend’s composition would chart a total of 8 times over a 25 year span of time.

Although written by Willie Nelson, ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ was first charted by Billy Walker on the C/W charts and Willie would not chart with the song until 1980 when he recorded it with Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass. But it is a classic and would go on to chart a total of 8 times.

A song that is to me not quite as remembered for the classic it is was ‘Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)’. Jessie Belvin did the first recording and though it did not make the pop charts it did go to #7 in 1956 on the R&B chart, thank goodness. Great song. It would chart 7 times with Paul Anka doing the best on the pop charts at #27 in 1969.  ‘Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)’ Jesse Belvin 1956 #7 R&B. 

Two great country classics that charted 7 times each are Hank Williams’ ‘I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You) and Don Gibson’s ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ with Gibson’s song making all 3 charts.

‘In The Midnight Hour’ makes the list with 7 charted versions and 4 more versions just below the top 100.

The great song, ‘It’s All In The Game’ is a melody from 1921 but made famous on the pop charts by Tommy Edwards in 1958. The song would have 8 performers chart the song covering all 3 charts.

In last month’s newsletter I used an article about ‘Mack The Knife’. Well, it’s back. The song would chart 8 times with Bobby Darin’s doing the best at #1.

‘Only You (And You Alone)’, was there another version besides The Platters? Yes. The song would make the charts 15 times between 1955-1996.

I hope Del Shannon had good copyrights to his song ‘Runaway’ because it would chart 8 times. His version is most remembered but even Lawrence Welk made the charts with it.

Although Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash before ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’ was released it would be a #1 pop hit, his only pop #1, and would make the charts 8 times one of which would be a group called The Reddings, which were his 2 sons and a nephew. I know he would have been proud of that. Otis and Steve Cropper wrote the song.  ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’ The Reddings 1982 #55.  

Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote one of the classic songs of our time in ‘Stand By Me’. The song was written for King’s wife-to-be and was offered to The Drifters but their manager turned it down. The song would chart 9 times with a Cassius Clay version just missing my cut making it to #102.  ‘Stand By Me’ Cassius Clay  1964 #102. 

Two guys by the names of Alex North (music) and Hy Zaret (lyrics) would put together a song that is probably most remembered as by The Righteous Brothers. ‘Unchained Melody’ went to #4 in 1965 by the guys but it had been a top 10 hit for 3 other artists before them. Les Baxter was first in 1955 (#1 pop) then Al Hibbler (#1 R&B and #3 pop) and then Roy Hamilton (#1 R&B, #6 pop). I guess being used in the movie Ghost helped the Righteous Brothers version being the most popular. It charted a total of 13 times

between 1955 -1997 making all 3 charts.

A classic love song, ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’, or ‘When A Woman Loves A Man’ as Esther Phillips changed it to just two months after Percy Sledge’s version charted took music lovers by storm. What a song. Percy Sledge and Michael Bolton’s versions would go to the top of the pop charts but there would be a total of 7 charted versions of this song.

In 1960 the question asked by The Shirelles was ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow. How many times has that question been asked even before 1960? Well, it is was asked by many artists over the years as it charted 10 times and the song being covered over 500 times.

According to BMI, the group that represents song writers has said that ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’ was the most played song of the 20^th century. It only charted 7 times according to my rules for this feature but has over 300 covers. But after the Righteous Brothers’ version why would an artist even try. Was Casablanca, Gone With The Wind or Godfather ever remade? Just saying.

And here’s one that may surprise you. Sonny James had a big hit with ‘Young Love’ in 1957 which officially hit the charts on December 29, 1956 and just 2 weeks later both Tab Hunter and The Crew-Cuts version’s would officially hits the charts. Sonny James and tab Hunter would have the song go to #1 while The Crew-Cuts version went to #17. It charted a total of 12 times. And one more note. If you are familiar with Ric Cartey’s recordings you may find it interesting that he was a co-writer of this love song. I only know him as a rocker/rockabilly singer. Nice job, Ric.  ‘Young Love’ Ric Cartey (First recording of the song.  It did not chart).  

So, congratulations to all these songs for their longevity on the charts but especially to Buck Ram and his composition, ‘Only You (And You Alone) for charting the most times.

BRC RADIO

Check out our latest shows at birminghamrecord.com. Click on ‘RADIO’ and listen to some long-lost music and even some new sounds. There is a wide variety of music now that we have 4 hosts doing shows which provide a wide-range of musical genres.

See ya,

Charlie