THURSDAY BACKTRACK: Music and news from 60 years ago - week ending 23 December 1961

  At #2 this week, yet another jazz classic: Acker Bilk's 'Stranger On The Shore':

Some memorable events (via Wikipedia):

17 December: 'The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) was founded by Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo with the goal of eliminating white colonial rule in Southern Rhodesia (which would become, in 1965, Rhodesia and in 1979, Zimbabwe. The two would later become President and Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.'

18 December: 'At 5:15 am, Operation Vijay was launched by the Army and Navy of India, as 30,000 troops invaded the Portuguese colonies at Goa, Damao and Diu... collectively known as Portuguese India... By 5:00 in the afternoon, all but the capital had been taken. [19 December]: At 2:30 pm, Portuguese India's Governor-General Vassalo e Silva signed an unconditional surrender in front of Indian Army Brigadier General K.S. Dhillon, bringing an end to the colony to 451 years of Portuguese rule. Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were incorporated into India as a single Union Territory. In 1987, Goa would become the 25th State of India.'

19 December: 'Indonesia's President Sukarno announced a military campaign that he called "Trikora" (Tri Komando Rakyat, or "Three Commands to the People"): (1) Take over the Netherlands' territory of West Papua and put an end to creation of a republic there (2) Take over the Netherlands' territory of West Irian; and (3) Mobilize all of Indonesia's resources for those purposes.'

20 December: 'UN General Assembly Resolution 1723 (XVI) was passed, declaring that the large-scale exodus of Tibetan people was linked to a violation of its human rights and the suppression of its culture and religion.'

21 December:  'At the U.N. military base at Kitona, in the Congo, Katangan President Moise Tshombe and Congolese Prime Minister Cyrille Adoula signed an 8-point agreement, bringing an end to Tshombe's attempt to create a separate nation out of the mineral-rich Congolese province.' Tshombe would later (in 1964) become 5th President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

UK chart hits, week ending 23 December 1961 (tracks in italics have been played in earlier posts)

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

1	Tower Of Strength	Frankie Vaughan	Philips
2	Stranger On The Shore	Acker Bilk	Columbia
3	Moon River	Danny Williams	HMV
4	Midnight In Moscow	Kenny Ball	Pye
5	Take Good Care Of My Baby	Bobby Vee	London
6	Johnny Will	Pat Boone	London
7	Toy Balloons	Russ Conway	Columbia
8	Let There Be Drums	Sandy Nelson	London
9	Walkin' Back To Happiness	Helen Shapiro	Columbia
10	I'll Get By	Shirley Bassey	Columbia
11	My Friend The Sea	Petula Clark	Pye
12	Take Five	Dave Brubeck	Fontana
13	When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart	Cliff Richard and The Shadows	Columbia
14	Big Bad John	Jimmy Dean	Philips
15	His Latest Flame / Little Sister	Elvis Presley	RCA
16	The Time Has Come	Adam Faith	Parlophone
17	I Love How You Love Me	Jimmy Crawford	Columbia
18	Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen	Neil Sedaka	RCA
19	So Long Baby	Del Shannon	London
20	I Understand	The G*Clefs	London