Thursday, July 15, 2021

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a Turkish referendum approves a new constitution for the country; this replaces the one from 1924 (and will itself be superseded following another coup in 1980.)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


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