THURSDAY BACKTRACK: Music and news from 60 years ago - week ending 15 July 1961

A new #3 this week, from Cliff Richard:

Some memorable events (via Wikipedia):

9 July: following the coup of 27 May 1960, a Turkish referendum approves a new constitution for the country; this replaces the one from 1924 (and will itself be superseded following another coup in 1980.)
    Members of the ousted government of 1960 (photo above, source) have been put on trial on the island of Yassiada, beginning 14 October 1960, with verdicts eventually pronounced in September 1961; three will be executed including the former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes; in June 2020 the Grand National Assembly of Turkey retrospectively declares the trials null and void.

Image: University of Luxembourg's CVCE.eu website

9 July: Greece and the European Economic Community sign a treaty making Greece the first nation to become an associate member of the Common Market, later becoming a full member in 1981.

15 July: William A. Fitzgerald, alias Nathan Boya, is the fifth person to survive riding over Niagara Falls. 'Interviewed in 2012 for a National Geographic television special about Niagara Falls daredevils, Fitzgerald revealed his reason for his stunt after decades of silence: He had broken off his engagement to a woman that he felt he had wronged, and he performed the dangerous stunt as a form of penance. Niagara Falls had been their planned honeymoon destination.'

   The African-American encased himself in a half-ton, six-foot diameter rubber-coated steel ball and afterwards told the Miami News, 'I have integrated Niagara Falls.' 

   Fitzgerald later moved to Bangkok and wrote novels titled 'Up Against The Wall You Spic Bastard: I'm Going to Blow Your Goddamn Head Off' and 'Wanted by Mafia: Hyawatha Two-Feathers: Either Dead or Alive.'

UK chart hits, week ending 15 July 1961

Htp: Clint's labour-of love compilation https://www.sixtiescity.net/charts/61chart.htm

1	Temptation	The Everly Brothers	Warner Brothers
2	Runaway	Del Shannon	London
3	A Girl Like You	Cliff Richard and The Shadows	Columbia
4	Hello Mary Lou / Travellin' Man	Ricky Nelson	London
5	Well I Ask You	Eden Kane	Decca
6	Halfway To Paradise	Billy Fury	Decca
7	Pasadena	The Temperance Seven	Parlophone
8	Surrender	Elvis Presley	RCA
9	Runnin' Scared	Roy Orbison	London
10	You Don't Know	Helen Shapiro	Columbia
11	Pop Goes The Weasel / Bee*Bom	Anthony Newley	Decca
12	Old Smokie / High Voltage	Johnny and The Hurricanes	London
13	But I Do	Clarence 'Frogman' Henry	Pye
14	Romeo	Petula Clark	Pye
15	Ring Of Fire	Duane Eddy	London
16	Baby I Don't Care / Valley Of Tears	Buddy Holly	Coral
17	Moody River	Pat Boone	London
18	Weekend	Eddie Cochran	London
19	The Frightened City	The Shadows	Columbia
20	Time	Craig Douglas	Top Rank