The Early Radio London Fab Forties
Sunday 6th March 1966

Not running, but leaping – a twenty-place Fab 40 jump for Kiki Dee, to #18, with 'Why Don't I Run Away From You'. Kiki probably had to leap from the tender when she came aboard the Galaxy later in the year to film 'Dateline Diamonds'.

(Our feature including full cast list, and photos taken during the filming, and at the preview, is here. Click on the photo (left) to buy the DVD.)

Sadly, there was to be no National chart entry either for Kiki, or this Bert Burns song, until the Seventies, when, retitled 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You', it became a Top Ten hit in 1971 for Tami Lynn. Tami's version was subsequently reissued in 1975, when it entered the Nationals for a second time.

Last
This
 
Week
Week
21
1
I Can't Let Go Hollies
6
2
Lightnin' Strikes Lou Christie
8
3
Backstage Gene Pitney
7
4
Hold Tight Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich
18
5
Woman Peter & Gordon
5
6
Jenny Take A Ride Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
13
7
Make The World Go Away Eddy Arnold
28
8
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Walker Brothers
3
9
Barbara Ann Beach Boys
22
10
Shapes Of Things Yardbirds
29
11
Elusive Butterfly Bob Lind
-
11
Elusive Butterfly Val Doonican
30
12
Nowhere Man Three Good Reasons / Settlers
1
13
Sha La La La Lee Small Faces
9
14
Me And You Diane Ferraz & Nicky Scott
40
15
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion Kinks
39
16
I Met A Girl Shadows
4
17
This Golden Ring Fortunes
38
18
Why Don't I Run Away From You? Kiki Dee
15
19
Blue River Elvis Presley
2
20
Uptight (Everything's Alright) Stevie Wonder
21
Norwegian Wood Frugal Sound
10
22
19th Nervous Breakdown Rolling Stones
27
23
Hide And Seek Sheep
17
24
What Now My Love Sonny & Cher
25
Invitation A Band Of Angels
35
26
Something I've Got To Tell You Glenda Collins
27
Pop-Art Goes Mozart Tornados
28
Working My Way Back To You Four Seasons
29
Homeward Bound Simon & Garfunkel / Quiet Five
30
Love Me With All Your Heart/The Sound Of Silence Bachelors
16
31
You Don't Love Me Gary Walker
32
I Got You (I Feel Good) James Brown & the Famous Flames
33
In My Room Julie Rogers / Verdelle Smith
37
34
There'll Be Another Spring Frank Ifield
19
35
Tomorrow Sandie Shaw
26
36
Stop Breaking My Heart Tom Jones
37
Super Girl Graham Bonney
38
So Much In Love Herd
11
39
You've Come Back P J Proby
40
Baby Never Say Goodbye Unit 4 + 2

No less than five 'doubles' in this week's Radio London playlist, with two versions each of Nowhere Man, Elusive Butterfly, In My Room, Ballad of the Green Berets and Homeward Bound and 44 singles in the Fab 'Forty'.

35
26
Something I've Got To Tell You Glenda Collins PYE 7N17044

A mint-condition copy of Something I've Got To Tell You can command a price tag of around £75. In fact, all of Glenda's Joe Meek-produced singles are highly collectable. Like most Meek recordings, the backing would have been provided by either the Outlaws or the Tornados. The Outlaws usually comprised Ritchie Blackmore (gtr); Chas Hodges (bass); Ken Lundgren (gtr) and Mick Underwood (drm) with Nicky Hopkins, or sometimes Paul Goddard, on piano.

(Click on the picture for a link to information about the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide)

Scan of promo single courtesy of Bert Bossink


6
2
Lightnin' Strikes Lou Christie MGM 1297

The former Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco started singing as a choirboy in Glenwillar, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Renamed Lou Christie, he reached #24 in the US Hot Hundred with his first single, The Gypsy Cried, in 1963.

Lightnin' Strikes, Lou's fourth release, was a US #1 and just missed the UK national Top Ten. The follow-up, Rhapsody in the Rain, was a Radio London climber for one week only (3rd April 1966). The song received restricted airplay due to its 'couplemaking-out in the car' lyrics being deemed too suggestive for sensitive radio audiences.

Post-Big L, I'm Gonna Make You Mine (#2 in 1969) proved the biggest UK Lou Christie hit, although it peaked lower on the other side of the pond, at #10. Lou penned virtually all his releases with songwriting partner Twyla Herbert.

(Right) On a visit to England, Lou contemplates whether lightnin' ever strikes Nelson's Column.

Lou's website is here.

DJ Climbers:
He Fought The Law She Trinity Dave Cash
If You've Got A Minute Baby Freddie & the Dreamers John Edward
I Put A Spell On You Alan Price Set Duncan Johnson
Let's Run For Cover Zoot Money's Big Roll Band Paul Kaye
Song Without End Barbara Ruskin Mike Lennox
Ballad Of The Green Berets Staff Sgt Barry Sadler / Alan Moorhouse Orchestra Earl Richmond
If It Don't Work Out West Five Ed Stewart
Up And Down McCoys Tony Windsor

Climbers:
That's Nice Neil Christian
Substitute Who
Summer Love Sounds Orchestral
Tijuana Taxi Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
Call My Name Them
Ja-Da Bunnies
Ready Steady* Clockwork Oranges
Disc of the Week:
Blue Turns To Grey Cliff Richard & the Shadows

*Svenn Martinsen in Norway noted hearing Ready Steady by the Clockwork Oranges played by Paul Kaye as a climber this week. It had been Mike Lennox's pick for the previous week, 270266.

Svenn also noted hearing GTO by Ronnie and the Daytonas on several occasions, remarking that he believed Paul Kaye played it more than the other DJs. As the single was released in 1964, it was probably played on Big L as a Revived 45. By the sound of it, particularly favoured by Paul Kaye.

The PURPLE additions to the DJ climber information are kindly provided by Roy Taylor.

The Caroline 'Countdown Sixty' chart (south ship) for this week is here

This week's Radio City 'City Sixty' on the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame is here

Tune in next week for another Big L Fab 40!


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