for Sunday 12th February 1967

On February 18th, Disc published the results of its readers' poll. The Big L Fab Forty Show was voted the most popular offshore programme, and came third in the overall Radio Show category. Kenny Everett was for a second time voted the most popular pirate DJ
.
During the month when Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Crystal (15th) Jubilee, this week's Field's Fab Forty has a regal tone. Snoopy Vs The Red Baron by the Royal Guardsmen at #12, James Royal at #13, and Billy Joe Royal, #19. Kaiser Bill and his Batman featured in the Climbers list and (In The) Cold Light Of Day was Lorne King's climber. To wait on their every whim, the titled nobility had (social) climber, Jerry Butler!

Last
This
Presented by Tony Blackburn
Week
Week
1
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever Beatles
1
2
This Is My Song Petula Clark
11
3
Here Comes My Baby Tremeloes
9
4
I've Passed This Way Before Jimmy Ruffin
17
5
Release Me Engelbert Humperdinck
13
6
Get Down With It Little Richard
20
7
The Beat Goes On Sonny & Cher
14
8
Niki Hoeky P J Proby
16
9
There's A Kind Of Hush Herman's Hermits
10
Mellow Yellow Donovan
11
Give It To Me Troggs
5
12
Snoopy Vs The Red Baron Royal Guardsmen
25
13
Call My Name James Royal
10
14
I Won't Come In While He's There Jim Reeves
2
15
I'm A Man Spencer Davis Group
27
16
Indescribably Blue Elvis Presley
34
17
Love, Hate, Revenge Episode Six
18
Detroit City Tom Jones
40
19
Yo-Yo Billy Joe Royal
4
20
Stay With Me Baby Walker Brothers
6
21
Peek-A-Boo New Vaudeville Band
30
22
Reach The Top West Coast Delegation
39
23
The Ways Of A Man Chasers
31
24
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye Casinos
25
Lovin' You Bobby Darin
26
On A Carousel Hollies
8
27
Let's Spend The Night Together/Ruby Tuesday Rolling Stones
28
Just Like A Man Emma Rede
38
29
Just What You Want – Just What You'll Get John's Children
3
30
I've Been A Bad Bad Boy Paul Jones
31
You Got To Me Neil Diamond
32
Mr Hyde Pussyfoot
33
33
Finding You, Loving You Toni Eden
34
Baby I Need Your Lovin' Johnny Rivers
35
She Del Shannon
36
Over The Wall We Go Oscar
21
37
Pretty Ballerina Left Banke
38
Is This What I Get For Loving You? Marianne Faithfull
39
Everybody Dance Now Soul City
40
Peculiar Situation Young Idea

25
13
Call My Name James Royal CBS 202525

The full James Royal story, in his own words, can be found in a supplement to the Fab Forty 13/06/65.

32
Mr Hyde Pussyfoot Decca F 12561

From London, the Pussyfoot line-up was Terry 'Barnyard' Barfield, vcls, David Osborn gtr, David 'Turnip' Townsend, bs, John 'Fingers' Williams lead gtr, and Terry 'Goodmayes' Goodman, drms. Three of them began their musical careers as choristers and the band first called themselves the Soundcasters. Released 10th February, both Mr Hyde and the single's B-side, Hasty Words, were penned by band members Terry Barfield and David Osborn, who were clearly talented songwriters. (Radio London management was probably unaware that the song was about a drug addict.) The Decca producer was Tony Clarke, who became famous for his work with the Moody Blues. Later in 1967, three of the band left and it evolved into Rare Breed with Osborn and Goodman the only original members remaining.

On March 6th, 1967, Pussyfoot played at the Radio London night at the Rhodes Centre, Bishop's Stortford, Herts, hosted by Mike Lennox. The band's manager John Moore has posted a photo taken for 'Jackie' magazine and there are further photos and press cuttings here.

21
37
Pretty Ballerina Left Banke Philips BF 1540

One of my all-time favourite recordings and like its chart companion, Mr Hyde, was another track played regularly during the Radio London RSLs. Left Banke was from New York, although drummer George (Justo Fabio) Cameron was born in London. The band's classically-trained keyboard player Michael Brown (Lookofsky) (d March 2015) wrote Pretty Ballerina which, although not quite as big as their first hit, Walk Away Renee, reached #15 in the US Hot Hundred. The lead singer was Steve Martin, lead guitarist was Rick (Richard David) Brand and Tom (Thomas James) Finn played bass.

Walk Away Renee had been in the Fab in October '66, and the song returned to the Fab Forty in March '67, by the Truth. However, the song did not appear in the Nationals till December '67, when the Four Tops took it to #3.

Read the story behind the song inspired by a girl called Renee Fladen www.tsimon.com/renee.htm

leftbanke.thefondfarewells.com is a dedicated fan site, which contains a wealth of information about Left Banke, personal reminiscences from people who knew them and links to the numerous references to the band which have been discovered on the Internet.

36
Over The Wall We Go Oscar Reaction 591 012

Regarding the strange workings of the Fab, Alan notes:

Oscar makes a reappearance in this week's chart at no 36. Two weeks earlier he'd entered at no 33 then gone straight out again. Two weeks before that he'd been Kenny Everett's climber, but out of the climber list the following week. I remember reading that the DJs hated this record, but were told by Curzon Street they had to play it. This "one-week-on, one-week-off" in the playlist appears to provide evidence of the ongoing struggle.

Over The Wall We Go was a third Fab entry for the artist formerly known as Paul Dean. The full story with Oscar's true identity, a Knees Club connection and the reason why this novelty record can change hands for around £40, is revealed in the Fab Forty for 19th June 1966.

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.

DJ Climbers:    
He Was Really Saying Something Velvelettes Tony Blackburn
Bring Him Back Stella Starr Chuck Blair
Run For Shelter Lesley Dawson Pete Drummond
Go Where You Wanna Go 5th Dimension Kenny Everett
Shingaling '67 Don Covay Paul Kaye
(In The) Cold Light Of Day Gene Pitney Lorne King
So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star Byrds Mark Roman
Come On Down (From The Top Of That Hill) Jackie de Shannon Keith Skues
Love Is Here And Now You're Gone Supremes Ed Stewart
Wish You Didn't Have To Go James & Bobby Purify Norman St John

Climbers:  
Always On My Mind Settlers
You Look Good Together Bats
Pushin' Too Hard Seeds
I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman Whistling Jack Smith
I'll Try Anything Dusty Springfield
Keep It Out Of Sight Paul & Barry Ryan
I've Been Lonely Too Long Young Rascals
Georgy Girl Seekers
I Dig You Baby Jerry Butler
Never Ever Action
Disc of the Week:  
Cousin Jane Barry Benson
Album of the Week:  
Sugar Nancy Sinatra

Always On My Mind Settlers

The Settlers, Mike Jones (gtr, lead vcls), Cindy Kent (tambourine, vcls), John Fyfe(guitar, banjo, vcls) and bass player Mansell Davies were a band whose first single Settle Down issued in 1964, gave them their name. Mansell Davies left the group after their second release in April 1965 and from then on, their bass player was Geoffrey, or Geoff. His surname was Polish (Srodzinski) and was never used in any of their output, where he was billed simply as Geoff.

The band was together from 1963 to 1974, recorded numerous tracks (singles and LPs) and featured regularly in their own well-attended concerts at venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, and others throughout Britain and Europe. They were frequently heard on radio, and made occasional television appearances.

Their only record to enter the best-selling lists was The Lightning Tree in 1971, but Nowhere Man, in particular, scored well on the Big L charts in March 1966. They enjoyed a few entries in the Fab Forty, and their single On the Other Side was chosen as a 'Family Forty' entry over Christmas 1966. Cindy dated Ed Stewart and not surprisingly, a couple of Settlers singles - their covers of Nowhere Man and Peter, Paul and Mary's Early Morning Rain (a previous Fab Forty entry from September 65) – were both picked as Ed's climbers. Unfortunately, as so frequently happened with record companies, especially when they were trying to cash in on Beatle covers, two versions of Nowhere Man were released simultaneously. The other by Three Good Reasons resulted in a split between both in sales and Fab Forty placings. The Settlers were also unfortunate that just as their own musical career got going, The Seekers arrived on the scene from Australia and made an appearance on ITV's popular variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
 
After the Settlers split up in 1974, Mike Jones put together a replacement group under the same name, but this only lasted for a few months.

(left) Cindy Kent pictured at a memorial event for Duncan Johnson's in 2018

Cindy went on to do much radio presenting, becoming involved with the birth of UK commercial radio, working first at LBC and later Radio Hallam and Capital Radio. She then became a parish priest in north London and is now happily retired on the Isle of Sheppey. John Fyffe managed his own hotel in Northumberland for many years, whilst Geoffrey moved to Holland and found employment as a piano tuner. Mike Jones continued to work in the music business, but died from throat cancer in 2008.

Alan Field points out that Always On My Mind is a cover of a Strawbs song written by band-member Tony Hooper. This is not the more famous (You Were) Always On My Mind which came from the pens of Wayne Thompson, Mark James and John Christopher, and brought chart success for Elvis and much later the The Pet Shop Boys. Members of the Settlers shared a house in Hampstead with Tony Hooper and the group included Strawbs' songs in their stage act.

(With thanks to Bob Pritchard for the additional information)


The blue addition to the climbers indicate singles listed in Brian Long's book 'The London Sound' based on information typed in the Curzon Street offices or other sources.
Alan Field did not hear this record played or announced as a climber.

The Caroline 'Countdown Sixty' chart (south ship) for this week is here
This week's Radio 270 Top 40 on the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame is here

Tune in next week for another Field's Fab Forty