My Favourite 45s of the Year: 1963 Quiz

Answer: Martha and the Vandellas

In 1963 Tamla-Motown was very much a minority taste but the label's output was being effectively championed by stars such as the Beatles and Dusty Springfield. I've always loved this track for its energy and excitement, and it sounded completely unlike anything being released in the UK at the time. I love the way the song starts, with three ascending chords before it breaks into the vocals. Quite possibly my "Record of the Year" for 1963.

Martha Reeves had been one of three backing singers for Gloria Williams in a group called The Del-Phis from 1957 to 1962, but following the latter's departure Reeves took over the lead vocalist position and the group was re-named as Martha and the Vandellas. "Heat Wave" was their third single; selling over a million, it reached number four in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart but did not chart in the UK despite some exposure on the pirate radio stations and on "Ready Steady Go" on ITV.

Answer: The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons featured the wonderful falsetto voice of Frankie Valli, and were the only American band to rival the sales figures of the Beatles during the early stages of the "British Invasion". Having scored two US Billboard Hot 100 number ones in 1962 with "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man" was their third major success; it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 in the UK Single Charts. I loved it, especially the dramatic intro.

The American drag queen Divine covered the track in 1985, and it managed to get to number 23 in the UK Singles Charts.

Answer: The Rooftop Singers

This is a classic example of me picking up on something that sounded different to everything else going on in the charts at the time - the very first time I heard it I was captivated by the 12-string guitars being played. These guitars were so rare that the band had to order two from the Gibson Company, a right-handed and a left-handed one.

"Walk Right In" was written in 1929, but was picked up by Erik Darling, a folk singer and songwriter from Baltimore. He formed the trio that became the Rooftop Singers specifically to record it. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number ten in the UK Singles Charts. The band folded in 1967.

Answer: The Ran-Dells

"Martian Hop" by the Ran-Dells was a great record, with strange audio effects produced by a sine wave generator and wonderful doo-wop backing singing. Once heard, never forgotten! The 12-second intro is in fact an uncredited sample from the first 30 seconds of "Moon Maid", a track on a 1962 album called "The Electrosoniks - Electronic Music" by two great Dutch pioneers of electronic music, Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaymakers!

The record got to number 16 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but failed to chart in the UK Singles Charts until it was re-issued in 1980, when it got to number 55.

Answer: Johnny Kidd & the Pirates

Johnny Kidd & the Pirates were a great band, notable for the pirate costumes they wore. However they also had quite a bit of musical credibility, having had a number one hit on the UK Singles Charts in 1960 with "Shakin' All Over". Their guitarist, Mick Green, developed a style of playing incorporating alternating lead and rhythm guitar figures that bridged the gap between British rock'n'roll and British beat.

"I'll Never Get Over You" was released in the summer of 1963 and reached number four in the UK singles chart. I have a very vivid memory of seeing the band perform this song on the wonderful Friday evening ITV pop show "Ready Steady Go". Checking the records of the programme, the very first edition was screened on 9 August and "I'll Never Get Over You" had dropped out of the charts by September 1963, so they must have appeared on one of the first three episodes of the programme. Music history in the making.

Johnny Kidd was killed in a car crash in 1966 and the band folded, but Mick Green reformed them in 1976. A hard-working band R&B band, they released four albums over the next few years and were popular with Punk/New Wave fans as well as with more traditional music fans.

Answer: Heinz

The legendary British record producer Joe Meek employed a group of musicians to back his stable of solo singers, especially Billy Fury. The group came to be called The Tornados (or The Tornadoes in the US), and in 1962 they had a massive world-wide hit with a Joe Meek instrumental composition, "Telstar" which reached number one on both the UK Singles Charts and the US Billboard Hot 100.

In the summer of 1963 Joe Meek persuaded the group's bass guitarist Heinz Burt to quit the band in order to go solo. Despite his poor singing, Heinz's peroxide-blonde good looks made him an attractive proposition in those days, and Joe Meek was in love with him. However audiences took against him, probably because of his German parentage, and he was pelted with baked beans when appearing on stage. Despite this, his second single "Just Like Eddie" (a tribute to Eddie Cochrane) reached number five in the UK Singles Charts. Further success eluded him, however, and he died in 2000 at the age of (ironically) 57; he continued playing until the end; he performed his last set sitting in a wheelchair two weeks before he died.

I loved the twangy guitar sound on the record, but his vocals were dire!

Answer: The Hollies

The Hollies were put together by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in the Manchester area in 1962, and soon attracted attention due to their excellent three-part harmonies. They were spotted by a Parlophone assistant producer playing in the Cavern Club in Liverpool in January 1963, and he signed them for the label.

Their first single, "Ain't That Just Like Me" peaked at number 25 in the UK Singles Chart, with "Searchin'", their second single, reaching number 12 - I remember seeing them perform it on "Ready Steady Go"! But as far as I'm concerned their outstanding release that year was the next single, "Stay", which reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart. Wonderful harmonies, wonderful falsetto vocals from Graham Nash and a brilliant tune.

Despite losing Graham Nash to the Californian lifestyle in 1968 the Hollies continued to record and tour for many years. Altogether they had 30 singles on the UK Singles Charts and 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Their two number one hits on the UK Singles Charts were separated by 23 years! They also had the awesomely good taste in 1973 to record "Jesus Was a Crossmaker", written by the very wonderful Judee Sill.

Answer: The Searchers

The Searchers grew out of a skiffle band formed in Liverpool in 1957, and during the early 60s trod the familiar Cavern Club and Star-Club in Hamburg path. Their debut single "Sweets for My Sweet", produced by Tony Hatch, got to number one in the UK Singles Charts but failed to chart in the US; in fact throughout the band's career their chart placings in the US were disappointing compared to their success in the UK (including two more number ones, "Needles and Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away".

I loved the jangly guitar sound of the Searchers and their wonderful harmonies. My favourite track of theirs was the UK number 20 hit, "Take Me for What I'm Worth". The band kept touring for many years with varying membership; their final farewell tour took place in 2019, although at time of writing (June 2023) there are rumours of yet another farewell tour!

Answer: The Rolling Stones

Back in the 60s you were either a Beatles fan or a Rolling Stones fan, and this debut release from the Rolling Stones made up my mind for me! A great slice of genuine R&B originally released by Chuck Berry two years previously, it was wild and earthy with great harmonica playing from Brian Jones and precise bass guitar from Bill Wyman - I loved it! Sadly it wasn't as popular with the record-buying public as it should have been, reaching only number 21 in the UK Singles Charts and not charting at all in the US.

Despite this, the Rolling Stones went on to be quite successful.

Answer: Dave Berry and the Cruisers

Dave Berry and the Cruisers picked up this genuine R&B track from Chuck Berry, who'd released it in 1959 when it had reached number 37 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. When this version started to show some chart potential, Chess Records re-released Chuck Berry's version in direct competition. The result? - Dave Berry's cover version stalled at number 19 in the UK Singles Charts while Chuck Berry's original recording got to number six. I actually preferred the Dave Berry version, but what do I know?

Dave Berry had quite a strange performance technique, often hiding behind the stage curtains and so coming across as a disembodied voice. He scored a number five hit in 1964 with "Little Things", but then his career faded in the UK. However he became massively popular in Belgium and the Netherlands when he recorded a song written by Ray Davies of the Kinks called "This Strange Effect" which was a massive number one hit there. The song was later recorded by Bill Wyman, Squeeze and the Undertones!