Thursday, December 30, 2021

THURSDAY BACKTRACK: Music and news from 60 years ago - week ending 30 December 1961

At #4 this week, Sandy Nelson's 'Let There Be Drums':



Some memorable events (via Wikipedia):

24 December: 'Radio Mecca reported a breakthrough in a move toward democracy in Saudi Arabia, with news that Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud had submitted a proposed new Constitution to King Ibn Saud and his Council of Ministers. The draft, which would have created an elected legislature, was rejected, and three days later, Radio Mecca denied ever broadcasting the news.'

25 December: 'Pope John XXIII issued the papal bull Humanae salutis ("of human salvation") to summon the Second Vatican Council. The announcement surprised everyone, in that the Pope did not consult with advisers beforehand. "Vatican II" would open on October 11, 1962, with participation from Roman Catholic clergy and theologians worldwide.' 
    'The Second Vatican Council, also known as Vatican II, which took place from 1962 to 1965, was one of the most important councils in church history, and it profoundly changed the structures and practices of the church. It sought, in the words of Pope John XXIII, aggiornaménto, “to bring the church up to date,” and many of the council’s decrees did bring the church into the modern world. Although the reforms were welcomed by many, they produced internal disruptions greater than any the church has known since the Protestant Reformation.' https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism/The-church-since-Vatican-II

26 December: 'The Kingdom of Yemen, which had joined Egypt and Syria in March, 1958, to become part of the United Arab Republic, broke ties with the government of Egypt's Gamel Abdel Nasser. The Imam of Yemen had retained his throne while being linked with the UAR under the collective name "United Arab States".'

29 December: 'France's President, Charles de Gaulle, delivered his annual New Year's address on national television and radio, and announced that in the coming year, his listeners "would see the end of French Algeria 'one way or another'" and that with the withdrawal of French Army forces from Africa, 1962 would be "the year the army will be regrouped in Europe". The declaration was a shock to most of the one million French residents of north Africa who had still hoped that their homes would not become part of an Arab Muslim nation; Algeria would be granted its independence seven months later, on July 5.'

30 December: 'Congolese troops captured Albert Kalonji, who had declared the independence of the Congolese province of South Kasai, with himself as President, and later as the King. With South Kasai reconstituted into the Republic of Congo, Kalonji was imprisoned, but would escape on September 7, 1962, making a final, unsuccessful attempt, to set up a new government.'

UK chart hits, week ending 30 December 1961 (tracks in italics have been played in earlier posts)
Some uncertaintty this week; so we refer to Official Charts Dot Com on this occasion

1

Moon River

Danny Williams

HMV

2

Tower Of Strength

Frankie Vaughan

Philips

3

Midnight In Moscow

Kenny Ball

Pye

4

Let There Be Drums

Sandy Nelson

London

5

Johnny Will

Pat Boone

London

6

Stranger On The Shore

Acker Bilk

Columbia

7

Toy Balloons

Russ Conway

Columbia

8

Take Good Care Of My Baby

Bobby Vee

London

9

My Friend The Sea

Petula Clark

Pye

10

Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen

Neil Sedaka

RCA

11

Multiplication

Bobby Darin

London

12

Big Bad John

Jimmy Dean

Philips

13

His Latest Flame / Little Sister

Elvis Presley

RCA

14

So Long Baby

Del Shannon

London

15

I'd Never Find Another You

Billy Fury

Decca

16

Walkin' Back To Happiness

Helen Shapiro

Columbia

17

Don't Bring Lulu

Dorothy Provine

Warner Brothers

18

Mrs Mills Medley

Mrs Mills

Parlophone

19

I'll Get By

Shirley Bassey

Columbia

20

I Understand

The G*Clefs

London


1 comment:

Scrobs. said...

This was a great start for more drum solos, like 'See you in my drums', and 'Little B', by the Shadows!

My favourite is still Gene Krupa belting out 'Fly, fly, fly'...