for Sunday 2nd April 1967

Following the previous week's introduction of the Ballad Box, this week saw the arrival of of its companion, the Soul Set.
These two new listings increased this week's Radio London playlist by fourteen tracks.


The Fab Forty goes back to Nature with Ebony Keyes at #17, I Can Hear The Grass Grow, at #18, #19 The River Is Wide, and #33, Ray Of Sunshine, Blossom Dearie and the Four Seasons. After the sun goes down, there's Moonlight Saving Time, and how could we forget Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer. By The Sea or the Sandie Shaw?

Last
This
Presented by Ed Stewart
Week
Week
2
1
Puppet On A String/Tell The Boys Sandie Shaw
2
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You Monkees
6
3
Jimmy Mack Martha & the Vandellas
1
4
Somethin' Stupid Frank & Nancy Sinatra
10
5
Because I Love You Georgie Fame
4
6
It's All Over Cliff Richard
24
7
Beggin' Four Seasons
18
8
Ha! Ha! Said The Clown Manfred Mann
19
9
Bernadette Four Tops
22
10
I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun Cat Stevens
5
11
I'm Coming Home Nashville Teens
16
12
Hi Ho Silver Lining Jeff Beck
40
13
With This Ring Platters
29
14
Humming Bird Jackie Trent
38
15
Auntie Grizelda Magic Lanterns
3
16
You Got What It Takes Dave Clark Five
26
17
Cupid's House Ebony Keyes
18
I Can Hear The Grass Grow Move
8
19
The River Is Wide Forum
11
20
Dedicated To The One I Love Mamas & Papas
9
21
Ciao Baby Montanas
23
22
Sunday For Tea Peter & Gordon
23
One To Seven Gates Of Eden
39
24
Yellow Balloon Jan & Dean
15
25
We'll Talk About It Tomorrow Mindbenders
35
26
At The Zoo Simon & Garfunkel
27
Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad) Alan Bown Set
28
The Return Of The Red Baron Royal Guardsmen
29
Going Home Normie Rowe
13
30
Walk Away Renee Truth
33
31
Because Of You Chris Montez
32
Birds And Bees Warm Sounds
36
33
Ray Of Sunshine Interns
34
Travelin' Man Stevie Wonder
35
Ups And Downs Paul Revere & the Raiders
30
36
Shirl Daddy Lindberg
37
What'll I Do Peddlers
27
38
Pay You Back With Interest Corsairs
39
Tiger Brian Auger
40
Too Many People Bobby Goldsboro

26
17
Cupid's House Ebony Keyes Piccadilly 7N35375

Ebony Keyes, whose real name was Kenrick Des-Etages, had been involved in music throughout his life. He played percussion in steel bands as a teenager in Trinidad before emigrating to the United Kingdom in the Fifties. While working as a welder, he began performing in London pubs and clubs where his strong voice and powerful performances of the rock 'n' roll hits of the day won him numerous talent contests.

(Photo, left, courtesy of Simon Des-Etages)

1964 was when he first took the stage name Ebony Keyes and recorded two singles for Parlophone, but without commercial success. A switch to Pye produced a number of singles and the first of these to feature in the Fab Forty was the ska-influenced Sitting in a Ring, in December 1966. A German show called Beat Beat Beat mistitled the song Sitting in the Rain. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a video clip of Ebony performing Cupid's House.

In 1969, Ebony Keyes signed to United Artists and changed identity to Lee Vanderbilt. He and his friend Biddu, who had arrived in the UK from India in 1967, played major roles in the British disco scene of the Seventies. Lee (who was also an accomplished songwriter) signed to Biddu's production company where he put his many musical skills to good use.

One of the numerous collaborations between Lee and Biddu was when they sang backing vocals on Carl Douglas's hit Kung Fu Fighting - and there is a clip of them doing it on a rather bizarre Dutch comedy show. (Love the hairy chests and medallions, guys! I swear Lee was the model for the Simpson's Disco Stu!)

Carl Douglas (and the Big Stampede) had already been in the Big L Top Twenty at the end of 1966 with Crazy Feeling. He was back again, on April 16th '67, this time in the Soul Set, with Let the Birds Sing.

Many thanks to Kenrick's son Simon who has provided us with the information for this potted history of a life-long musical career. There is a lot more to learn about Kenrick Des-Etages! Simon writes:

I would often surf the web looking for information on my father and was struck at the limited amount of accurate information.  I decided to clear up the record by creating a web page for him in my site. He loved the process and we both went on an amazing emotional journey! Very cathartic for me. Although I may be biased, I really believe that my father was one of the UK's best singers and songwriters and was unfortunate not to have seen greater commercial success.  I am pleased that he is in the Radio London Fab Forty. I called him when I found out, to let him know. #17 isn't bad for the old man!!

Sadly, Kenrick died in February 2015. Simon's website appears now to be only accessible via a login.


39
Tiger Brian Auger Columbia DB 8163

Tiger was released between the break-up of Steampacket and the formation of Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and the Trinity, the Trinity being Roger Sutton, Gary Boyle and Clive Thacker. The single was unusual in that both its A and B sides (B-side, Oh Baby Won't You Come Back Home to Croydon Where Everybody Beedle and Bo's) were published by the Big L-associated Pall Mall Music. Both compositions are credited to Brian Auger and bassist Roger J Sutton.

Brian Auger had played piano since he was three, but he was ten when his brother gave him his old Superheterodyne Ferguson radio. Listening to the American Forces Network in Germany, Brian was introduced to jazz. In 1964, he won the Melody Maker Jazz Piano Poll and was voted the Best New Jazz Artist.

Brian played the harpsichord on the Yardbirds' hit For Your Love (one of the few appearances for this classical instrument on a pop record), and alongside Jimmy Page, backed Sonny Boy Williamson on his album Don't Send Me No Flowers.

In 1965, Brian took up the Hammond organ. Answering the question, 'Who was your main influence and why?' Brian says on his website:

In two words, Jimmy Smith. When I first heard the Back at the Chicken Shack album in 1962, I rushed into the record store to ask them, "What the hell is that instrument he's playing?" They showed me the record cover and I ended up buying a Hammond Organ. Up to that time I played jazz piano in London. Playing the organ changed my life around completely. Thank you, Jimmy Smith! And I must also add that ALL modern organ players owe a debt of gratitude to Jimmy. He was really the Daddy of us all!

Brian's site contains many great photos from the Sixties, the most impressive of all being from 1969. It depicts a stack of pianos, the bottom one played by Fats Domino, the one above, by Little Richard and above him is Jerry Lee Lewis. Perched right on top with his keyboard, is Brian Auger.

Brian now lives in America and is involved with many musical projects, often collaborating with his talented offspring, son Karma and daughters Ali and Savannah.

The late Jimmy Smith was the man who incredibly allowed his precious Hammond to be winched aboard the Mi Amigo in May 1965. Because the instrument proved too large to move any further, Jimmy played for Caroline's audience from the deck. (See our special feature and interview)

29
Going Home Normie Rowe Polydor 56159

Brian Godding, Julie Driscoll's brother-in-law, who penned her climber I Know You Love Me Not (see below) already had a song in the Fab Forty. He wrote I Don't Care (Just Take Me There) the b-side of Going Home by Australian Normie Rowe, who had made the connection with Godding when he'd toured with Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and the Trinity. The A-side was a Graham Gouldman composition. Normie Rowe was Australia’s biggest Sixties pop star and his farewell concert in Melbourne before leaving for the UK caused fan 'Normania'. Unfortunately he proved to be one of many artists who were hugely popular in their home countries, but failed to find success elsewhere. Normie's personal website reveals that he still tours with another Australian legend, Johnny Young. (See Normie's 'Artist Pages' for contemporary photos of Johnny.) There is a comprehensive biography on Wikipedia.



 

Ashore this week

April 8th
The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix and Engelbert Humperdinck appeared at the ABC Chesterfield. Such a line-up might be described as eclectic! Cat Stevenswas the only artist on the bill who was currently riding high in the Fab Forty, but the Big L playlist iself was pretty eclectic mix. It encompassed Europop at #1, Frank and Nancy at #4, the Monkees, psychedelia, novelty, folk and soul, with a liberal sprinkling of Motown.

DJ Climbers:    
You're The Love Sixpence Tony Blackburn
They've All Got Their Eyes On You/I'll Walk To You Chris Andrews Chuck Blair
Don't You Care Buckinghams Pete Drummond
It's Wonderful (To Be In Love) Cash McCall Paul Kaye
You Ain't As Hip As All That, Baby Jay & the Americans Lorne King
The Loser (With A Broken Heart) Gary Lewis & the Playboys John Peel
The Boat That I Row Lulu Mark Roman
What A Woman In Love Won't Do Sandy Posey Keith Skues
Come Back Girl Jackie Edwards Ed Stewart

Besides climbers that were played at the time of the broadcast of the Sunday Fab Forty, Alan kept a note of others he heard later in the week and incorporated them into his list.

Climbers:  
Lazy Fat People Barron Knights
Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen By The Sea David & Jonathan
Fortune Teller's Friend Jerry Page
I Know You Love Me Not Julie Driscoll
The Hand Don't Fit The Glove Terry Reid & Peter Jay's Jaywalkers
Love Is A Beautiful Thing Quik
Here Today And Gone Tomorrow Ken Street
Crystal Ball Guy Darrell / Twice As Much
Out Of The Blue Roger Bloom's Hammer
Count To Ten Wishful Thinking
Moonlight Saving Time Blossom Dearie
Almost Persuaded Crispian St Peters
Maroc 7/Bombay Duck Shadows
Seven Drunken Nights Dubliners
Curly Bluesbreakers
#When Love Slips Away (# see note below) Dee Dee Warwick
# You Win Again (# see note below) Ray Charles
Disc of the Week:  
Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings Tom Jones
Album of the Week:  
Lookin' Back Four Seasons

Lazy Fat People Barron Knights Columbia DB 8161

Lazy Fat People is a Pete Townshend composition, which according to The Who Info site, was unreleased by Pete, except for a Real Audio version that he made available from his Eel Pie website.

I Know You Love Me Not Julie Driscoll Parlophone R5588

Like her friend Brian Auger's Fab Forty single Tiger, Julie Driscoll's I Know You Love Me Not is also a Pall Mall Music publication and was written by Julie's brother-in-law, Brian Godding of Blossom Toes. It is listed in the Pall Mall Music Catalogue in Brian Long's 'The London Sound' as the 'B' side of the single, but there must have been a change of plan, as If You Should Ever Leave Me, penned by Randy Newman, ended up as the 'A'.

'The Face' reported in Record Mirror, 15th April '67, that Brian Auger had bought Julie Driscoll a four-foot-long tiger cub. In 2002, the Radio London website asked Brian if this story was true, and in passing, mentioned that unlike Jimmy Smith, Brian had never taken his Hammond aboard any of the offshore stations. He replied:

Dear Mary, Thank you for your email. No I would never buy a tiger cub or keep any wild animal caged and away from its natural environment. Maybe I'll get a chance one day to sail the Hammond B3 offshore for a broadcast!

Best wishes, Brian Auger

I Know You Love Me Not is available to stream as a single track, but also appears on a 22-track RPM compilation, Dream Babes Vol. 3 - Backcomb 'n' Beat (RPM233) alongside releases by Fab 40 acts the Chantelles, McKinleys, Samantha Juste and Mary 'Perpetual' Langley. (Full track listing here)

One reviewer describes the CD as, "like hearing a radio broadcast from a long lost world". The RPM website states that, "Many of these tracks are highly collectable and 75% of the compilation has never been reissued. Plus bonus: Radio London ad spots by Perpetual Langley."

Unfortunately, in the clip the company has used as an example, Perpetual is giving her thanks to Dave Lee Travis and Radio Caroline, so exactly what 'Radio London ad spots' appear on the CD, is unclear.

Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen By The Sea David & Jonathan Columbia DB 8167

Many Big L listeners, now in their teens, had as infants joined in to sing-a-long-a Max Bygraves, when his version of Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer was played on Uncle Mac's Children's Favourites. David and Jonathan (aka Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway) may have been trying to cash in on the recent 'novelty disc' success of their own composition, 'Kaiser Bill's Batman'.

Ballad Box:
When Love Slips Away (# see note below) Dee Dee Warwick
This Is My Song Harry Secombe
You Came Along (From Out Of Nowhere) Frank Ifield
If You Knew Vince Hill
If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas) Shirley Bassey
Time Alone Will Tell Connie Francis
You Win Again (# see note below) Ray Charles

Soul Set:
Something Good (Is Going To Happen To You) Carla Thomas
Day Tripper Otis Redding
Show Me How You Milk A Cow Real McCoy
Soothe Me Sam & Dave
Sweet Soul Music Arthur Conley
Cry To Me Freddie Scott
Raise Your Hand Eddie Floyd

Fab Notes (by Alan Field and Mary Payne)
The Soul Set was introduced into Radio London's programming for the first time this week. As noted previously, the Ballad Box and the Soul Set were intended to provide additional material that could be played on the station, generally independent of the Fab 40 and official Climber listings, and largely without reference to success (or chance of success) in the national charts. Soul Set tracks were included between 0530 and 0900 and 1500 to midnight.

Exceptionally, Dee Dee Warwick had been Paul Kaye's climber last week and Harry Secombe was currently #2 in the nationals. Interestingly, Arthur Conley's Sweet Soul Music was being aired on Radio London no less than 11 weeks before it would peak at #7 in the national charts. The record had a significant run in the Soul Set, but never made the Fab 40. Five of the seven Soul Set titles were by artists on the current Stax/Volt tour, which had been retitled 'The Otis Redding Show'.

Tony Hall, in his 'My Scene' column in Record Mirror (April 2nd) wrote, "Don't know whether the RM can claim any credit, but since our column on Top 40 radio a few weeks ago, I noticed two significant new sections to Big L's playlist. Apart from the Fab 40 and climbers, there's now a 'Ballad Box' – additional records aimed especially at the housewives and aired between 9.00am and 3.00pm. Plus – of great interest to RM readers – a 'Soul Set', aired during the late afternoon and evening... Personally, I feel this is all a step in the right direction, and I congratulate whoever made the bold decision."

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

Green additions to the climbers indicate singles sourced from 'Monty's Diary'. (See Fab Forty for 010167). Monty has noted that two climbers from last week, Seven Drunken Nights and Curly were retained for a second week.
# When Love Slips Away had been Paul Kaye's climber last week and according to the Curzon Street list, was due to move to the Ballad Box (BB). You Win Again was a fellow BB companion. However, Monty's notes indicate that both records were played this week as climbers. As mentioned last week, a decision to upgrade these singles from the BB may have been taken aboard the Galaxy, the dj could have mis-announced the record or Monty might simply have misunderstood. As we're unable to draw a firm conclusion, we are including the two singles in both the climber list and BB.
Mauve additions to the climbers were kindly contributed by Hans Evers
Alan Field did not hear the records listed in green or
mauve played or announced as climbers.


Tune in next week for another Field's Fab Forty