Author: charlesfoster

April 1962: The Spy Who Loved Me

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The-Spy-Who-Loved-Me-by-Ian-Fleming-with-signature-1st-8-e1606992006510

Pic: rareandantiquebooks.com

By the time that The Spy Who Loved Me was published in April 1962, I must have read nearly all the previous James Bond books. I think the first I got hold of was From Russia, With Love, but I can’t be certain. By 1962, there were eight full length novels:
Casino Royale
Live And Let Die
Moonraker
Diamonds Are Forever
From Russia, With Love
Dr No
Goldfinger
Thunderball
plus the short story collection, For Your Eyes Only.

Most would have been borrowed from Gerrards Cross library, then situated in the town’s Memorial Centre. My father would go there at least once a week, and I would tag along. I had moved up from the children’s library by the age of 12, and was allowed to borrow what I wanted. Whether he had any qualms about me reading the “adult” content of the Bond series, or anything else for that matter, I don’t know.
It’s a long time since I read The Spy Who Loved Me, and I don’t now have a copy with which I can refresh my memory, but there is enough online about all the James Bond books (including an individual Wikipedia page for each) to remind me. It purports to be a memoir written by a young woman called Vivienne Michel, whose manuscript somehow arrived on Fleming’s desk.
…..

It’s interesting that the novel was so poorly received that Fleming blocked its publication in paperback, something that must have caused consternation at Pan, accustomed as they were to shifting millions of copies of all the earlier novels. They did eventually publish it in 1967, after Fleming’s death.

More to follow.

With The Beatles

April 1962 started with the Beatles playing 11 gigs in Merseyside area in the first 10 days of the month.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday 10 April, Stuart Sutcliffe died over in Germany. He had stayed on in Hamburg after leaving the Beatles, in order to stay with his fiancée Astrid Kirchherr and pursue his artistic career. But he had been suffering from increasingly severe headaches and blackouts and had collapsed in February. The Kirchherr family suspected a brain tumour, and sent him for X-rays, although nothing was found. He was also seen by two doctors who could find nothing wrong. Then, on 10 April he collapsed again, and Kirchherr rushed home to accompany him when an ambulance was called to take him to hospital. He died in her arms on the way. The cause of death was listed as cerebral paralysis caused by bleeding in the right ventricle of the brain.

The following day, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Pete Best flew from Manchester to Hamburg, for their first residency at the Star-Club. George Harrison was unwell, so flew the following day with Brian Epstein. Lennon, McCartney and Best were met at the airport by Astrid Kirchherr.

The group went on to play 18 gigs at the Star-Club between xx April and the end of the month.

Source: beatlesbible.com

The month’s UK Top Tens

5 April 1962
1. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
2. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
3. Dream Baby: Roy Orbison
4. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
5. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
6. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
7. Twistin’ The Night Away: Sam Cooke
8. Hey! Little Girl: Del Shannon
9. Hole In The Ground: Bernard Cribbins
10. Softly As I Leave You: Matt Monro

12 April 1962
1. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
2. Dream Baby: Roy Orbison
3. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
4. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
5. Hey! Baby: Bruce Channel
6. Twistin’ The Night Away: Sam Cooke
7. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
8. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
9. Hey! Little Girl: Del Shannon
10. Hole In The Ground: Bernard Cribbins

19 April 1962
1. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
2. Dream Baby: Roy Orbison
3. Hey! Little Girl: Del Shannon
4. Hey! Baby: Bruce Channel
5. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
6. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
7. Twistin’ The Night Away: Sam Cooke
8. Theme From ‘Z Cars’: Johnny Keating
9. Never Goodbye: Karl Denver
10. When My Little Girl Is Smiling: Craig Douglas

26 April 1962
1. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
2. Hey! Baby: Bruce Channel
3. Dream Baby: Roy Orbison
4. Hey! Little Girl: Del Shannon
5. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
6. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
7. Twistin’ The Night Away: Sam Cooke
8. Speak To Me Pretty: Brenda Lee
9. When My Little Girl Is Smiling: Craig Douglas
10. Never Goodbye: Karl Denver

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

A Kind Of Loving

H.M.S. Defiant

It’s Trad, Dad!

Source: filmdates.co.uk

March 1962: The Trad Jazz boom

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KB&J 2

Pic: Jazz Archive, Louisiana State University

Text to follow

With The Beatles

On 7 March 1962 The Beatles recorded their radio debut at the Playhouse Theatre, Hulme, Manchester for the show Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go, which was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme the following day between 5 and 5.30pm. The band rehearsed their set from 3.45 pm. In the evening, wearing suits for the very first time, The Beatles performed three cover versions: ‘Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream?)’, ‘Memphis, Tennessee’, and ‘Please Mister Postman’. Together with the other three acts also appearing on the programme, the recording took place between 8 and 8.45 pm.

In addition to this, they also played 37 lunchtime and evening gigs during the month, mainly in the Merseyside area. On the last day of the month, they performed at their first venue in the south of England booked under the auspices of Brian Epstein, the Subscription Rooms in Stroud, Gloucestershire,. They shared the bill with the Rebel Rousers.

Source: beatlesbible.com

The month’s UK Top Tens

1 March 1962

1. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
2. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
3. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
4. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane
5. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
6. Cryin’ in The Rain: The Everly Brothers
7. Walk On By: Leroy Van Dyke
8. March Of The Siamese Children: Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen
9. Little Bitty Tear: Burl Ives
10. I’d Never Find Another You: Billy Fury

8 March 1962

1. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
2. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
3. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
4. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
5. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
6. March Of The Siamese Children: Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen
7. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane
8. Walk On By: Leroy Van Dyke
9. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
10. Cryin’ in The Rain: The Everly Brothers

15 March 1962

1. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
2. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
3. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
4. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
5. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
6. March Of The Siamese Children: Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen
7. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
8. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
9. Walk On By: Leroy Van Dyke
10. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane

22 March 1962

1. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
2. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
3. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
4. March Of The Siamese Children: Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen
5. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
6. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
7. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
8. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
9. Dream Baby: Roy Orbison
10. The Wanderer: Dion

29 March 1962

1. Wonderful Land: The Shadows
2. Tell Me What He Said: Helen Shapiro
3. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
4. Dream Baby: Roy Orbison
5. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
6. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
7. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
8. March Of The Siamese Children: Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen
9. Hole In The Ground: Bernard Cribbins
10. Softly As I Leave You: Matt Monro

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

Flower Drum Song

Source: filmdates.co.uk

February 1962: Pick of the Pops

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Alan Freeman Screenshot

Alan Freeman, as seen in the 1962 film It’s Trad Dad.

Alan Freeman had joined the Light Programme in 1961 with a show Records Around Five. In September of that year, replacing David Jacobs, he began to present Pick of the Pops, then a singles chart feature in a short-lived Saturday evening show called Trad Tavern. In January 1962 Pick of the Pops became a programme in its own right with a regular Sunday teatime slot; produced by Derek Chinnery and presented by Alan Freeman, the show soon became a national institution.

Unit 1 was the Chart Newcomers (later climbers).
Unit 2 was the New Releases
Unit 3 was the Pick of the Pops LP Spot
Unit 4 was the Week’s Top 10

Source for text: https://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/alan_freeman_page.htm

Amazingly, there is a full length recording of the programme broadcast on 11 February 1962 on Mixcloud.

With The Beatles

Text to follow

The month’s UK Top Tens

1 February 1962
1. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
2. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
3. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen: Neil Sedaka
4. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane
5. Stranger on The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
6. Walk on By: Leroy Van Dyke
7. Multiplication: Bobby Darin
8. Let There Be Drums: Sandy Nelson
9. I’d Never Find Another You: Billy Fury
10. Midnight In Moscow: Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen

8 February 1962
1. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
2. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
3. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane
4. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
5. Walk On By: Leroy Van Dyke
6. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen: Neil Sedaka
7. I’d Never Find Another You: Billy Fury
8. Stranger on The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
9. Cryin’ in The Rain: The Everly Brothers
10. Multiplication: Bobby Darin

15 February 1962
1. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
2. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
3. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane
4. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
5. Walk On By: Leroy Van Dyke
6. Run To Him: Bobby Vee
7. Stranger on The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
8. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen: Neil Sedaka
9. Cryin’ in The Rain: The Everly Brothers
10. I’d Never Find Another You: Billy Fury

22 February 1962
1. Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby: Elvis Presley
2. The Young Ones: Cliff Richard
3. Let’s Twist Again: Chubby Checker
4. Forget Me Not: Eden Kane
5. Walk On By: Leroy Van Dyke
6. Run To Him: Bobby Vee
7. Cryin’ in The Rain: The Everly Brothers
8. Wimoweh: Karl Denver
9. Little Bitty Tear: Burl Ives
10. I’d Never Find Another You: Billy Fury

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

Text to follow

Source: filmdates.co.uk

December 1961: The Lucky Stars/Juke Box Jury Saturday night clash

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Pop music began to appear regularly on TV in the late 1950s, with the biggest breakthrough probably being BBC’s Six-Five Special, first broadcast in February 1957. Shortly after we moved to Gerrards Cross in the spring of 1958 (and therefore were within transmission range of an ITV station) Oh Boy started its run on ITV on Saturday nights, in the same time slot as Six-Five Special.

More to follow.

Huge thanks for the information taken from Geoff Leonard’s Thank Your Lucky Stars site and his Juke Box Jury site. Also his other sites:
Oh Boy

More information about the early days of pop music on TV.

BBC TV programmes for Saturday 9 December 1961

With The Beatles

The Beatles carried on performing in various venues, mainly in and around Liverpool throughout December 1961. 
They also made an attempt to play their first UK performances outside the Merseyside area with five consecutive Saturday nights booked in Aldershot, starting on 9 D December. 
The promotor was Sam Leach who had put on numerous Beatles’ gigs in the Merseyside area. He thought that, since no A&R men or record label executives were willing to travel to Liverpool to see the group play, he would take them to the south east instead.
For some reason he settled on Aldershot as a suitable town but, in the end, only one night was played and just 18 people turned up. There is a great account on The Beatles Bible website, with details from the first hand reminiscences of Leach, Terry McCann and Pete Best who were there. Late at night the whole party moved on to the Blue Gardenia club in London, and played an impromptu set there. They got back to Liverpool at 9 on the Sunday morning.

611209_07

Pic: Richard Matthews/Beatles Bible

Richard Matthews took some photographs of the Aldershot event, which well convey the underwhelming nature of the occasion.

The month’s UK Top Tens

7 December 1961

1. Tower of Strength: Frankie Vaughan
2. His Latest Flame/Little Sisters: Elvis Presley
3. Big Bad John: Jimmy Dean
4. Take Good Care Of My Baby: Bobby Vee
6. The Time Has Come: Adam Faith
7. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
8. Take Five: Dave Brubeck
9. Midnight In Moscow: Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
10. I’ll Get By: Shirley Bassey

14 December 1961


1. Tower of Strength: Frankie Vaughan
2. Moon River: Danny Williams
3. Take Good Care Of My Baby: Bobby Vee
4. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
5. His Latest Flame/Little Sisters: Elvis Presley
6. Big Bad John: Jimmy Dean
7. Midnight In Moscow: Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
8. My Friend The Sea: Petula Clark
9. The Time Has Come: Adam Faith
10. I’ll Get By: Shirley Bassey

21 December 1961

1. Tower of Strength: Frankie Vaughan
2. Moon River: Danny Williams
3. Take Good Care Of My Baby: Bobby Vee
4. Johnny Will: Pat Boone
5. Midnight In Moscow: Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
6. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
7. My Friend The Sea: Petula Clark
8. Big Bad John: Jimmy Dean
9. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
10. His Latest Flame/Little Sisters: Elvis Presley

28 December 1961

1. Moon River: Danny Williams
2. Tower of Strength: Frankie Vaughan
3. Midnight In Moscow: Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen
4. Let There Be Drums: Sandy Nelson
5. Johnny Will: Pat Boone
6. Stranger On The Shore: Mr Acker Bilk
7. Toy Balloons: Russ Conway
8. Take Good Care Of My Baby: Bobby Vee
9. My Friend The Sea: Petula Clark
10. Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen: Neil Sedaka

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

The Best of Enemies

Travelling Light

The Young Ones

Petticoat Pirates

The Trojan Horse

Source: filmdates.co.uk

November 1961: Big Bad John reaches Number 2 in Top Ten

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JIMMY_DEAN_BIG+BAD+JOHN+-+3PR-570766

Pic: EIL

Some time in the latter part of 1961 we bought a record player, because from this month on I have a distinct memory of having new singles in the house. These were mostly bought in Brendons, Gerrards Cross’s finest (and only) record shop, which was in Packhorse Road next to Woolworth’s. There is very little about the store on the web, but it has a listing on the British Record Shop Archive website, which is where I found these paper bags and receipts.

brendons_orig cropped

The Francis Frith website has this picture of Packhorse Road from the early 1960s. Brendons and Woolworths were on the left hand side. The shop with the awning may well be Woolworths.

gerrards-cross-packhorse-road-c1965_g228043

Pic: Francis Frith Collection

I believe that the first record I ever bought was, for some reason, Sucu Sucu. This was a folky/dancey number which was a hit in 1961 for several different artistes, including the Laurie Johnson Orchestra and Nina & Frederick. I don’t know which version came into our possession. However, almost immediately afterwards we definitely acquired Big Bad John by the country singer Jimmy Dean, and played that incessantly.

More to follow

With The Beatles

The Beatles carried on performing in venues in and around Liverpool throughout November 1961.
However, a significant event occurred on 9 November when Brian Epstein went to see them play a lunchtime concert at the Cavern Club, and went backstage to meet them. According to this article on the Beatles Bible website he was recognised by the band, with George Harrison opening the conversation by asking: “And what brings Mr Epstein here?”

The month’s UK Top Tens

2 November 1961

1. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
2. Wild Wind: John Leyton
3. When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart: Cliff Richard
4. His Latest Flame/Little Sisters: Elvis Presley
5. Bless You: Tony Orlando
6. You’ll Answer to Me: Cleo Laine
7. Hit The Road Jack: Ray Charles
8. Mexicali Rose: Karl Denver
9. Sucu Sucu: Laurie Johnson Orchestra
10. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby: Bobby Darin

9 November 1961

1. His Latest Flame/Little Sisters: Elvis Presley
2. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
3. When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart: Cliff Richard
4. Big Bad John: Jimmy Dean
5. Wild Wind: John Leyton
6. Hit The Road Jack: Ray Charles
7. The Time Has Come: Adam Faith
8. Take Five: Dave Brubeck
9. Mexicali Rose: Karl Denver
10. Bless You: Tony Orlando

16 November 1961

23 November 1961

30 November 1961

Films released this month

The Helions
King of Kings
Pit and the Pendulum

Source: filmdates.co.uk

October 1961: Private Eye publishes first issue

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1_big

This is the front cover of the first issue of Private Eye, published on 25 October 1961.

More text to follow.

With The Beatles

John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Paris, early October 1961. (Pic: Beatles Bible)
After John Lennon and Paul McCartney returned from their brief holiday in Paris, the Beatles returned to playing lunchtime and evening gigs in the Liverpool area. Between 15 and 31 October 1961 they gave 19 separate performances.
On 28 October a customer, Raymond Jones, went into Brian Epstein’s NEMS record store in Liverpool and asked for a copy of The Beatles’ sincle My Bonnie. This was the event which piqued Epstein’s interest and led to his visit to the Cavern Club the next month to see them play live.

The month’s UK Top Tens

5 October 1961
1. Kon-Tiki: The Shadows
2. Jealousy: Billy Fury
3. Michael: Highwaymen
4. Johnny Remember Me: John Leyton
5. Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev’ry Mountain: Shirley Bassey
6. Wild In The Country/I Feel So Bad: Elvis Presley
7. You’ll Answer to Me: Cleo Laine
8. Together: Connie Francis
9. Hats Off To Larry: Del Shannon
10. Get Lost: Eden Kane

12 October 1961
1. Michael: Highwaymen
2. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
3. Kon-Tiki: The Shadows
4. Jealousy: Billy Fury
5. Johnny Remember Me: John Leyton
6. Together: Connie Francis
7. You’ll Answer to Me: Cleo Laine
8. Wild In The Country/I Feel So Bad: Elvis Presley
9. Hats Off To Larry: Del Shannon
10. You Don’t Know: Helen Shapiro

19 October 1961
1. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
2. Michael: Highwaymen
3. Kon-Tiki: The Shadows
4. Jealousy: Billy Fury
5. You’ll Answer to Me: Cleo Laine
6. Wild Wind: John Leyton
7. Hats Off To Larry: Del Shannon
8. Johnny Remember Me: John Leyton
9. Together: Connie Francis
10. Wild In The Country/I Feel So Bad: Elvis Presley

26 October 1961
1. Walking Back To Happiness: Helen Shapiro
2. Wild Wind: John Leyton
3. Michael: Highwaymen
4. When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart: Cliff Richard
5. Jealousy: Billy Fury
6. Hats Off To Larry: Del Shannon
7. You’ll Answer to Me: Cleo Laine
8. Bless You: Tony Orlando
9. Sucu Sucu: Laurie Johnson Orchestra
10. Kon-Tiki: The Shadows

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

A Matter of WHO

On The Fiddle

What A Whopper

The Queens Guards

Gorgo

Source: filmdates.co.uk

September 1961: ETU expelled from TUC and Labour Party

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All Those cover 800px

I doubt that I read much of the coverage in June and July 1961 of the High Court action against the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) by a couple of its officers, nor indeed of the decisions in September 1961 to expel the union from the TUC and disaffiliate it from the Labour Party. However, in the 1980s my interest in the subject was aroused when I bought a second hand copy of a book about the trial, All Those in Favour by C H Rolph.

More to follow

With The Beatles

The Beatles played 33 separate lunchtime and evening gigs in the Liverpool area between 1 and 29 September 1961. On 30 September, John Lennon and Paul McCartney set off on a holiday trip, financed by the £100 John had been given as a gift in advance of his forthcoming 21st birthday. They intended to hitchhike to Spain, using bowler hats as a gimmick to encourage lifts, but only got as far as Paris.

The month’s UK Top Tens

7 September 1961
1. Johnny Remember Me: John Leyton
2. You Don’t Know: Helen Shapiro
3. Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev’ry Mountain: Shirley Bassey
4. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
5. Well I Ask You: Eden Kane
6. Romeo: Petula Clark
7. That’s My Home: Mr Acker Bilk
8. Marcheta: Karl Denver
9. Quarter To Three: US Bonds
10. Hello Mary Lou/Travelin’ Man: Ricky Nelson

14 September 1961
1. Johnny Remember Me: John Leyton
2. Reach For The Stars/Climb Ev’ry Mountain: Shirley Bassey
3. You Don’t Know: Helen Shapiro
4. Wild In The Country/I Feel So Bad: Elvis Presley
5. Well I Ask You: Eden Kane
6. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
7. Kon-Tiki: The Shadows
8. That’s My Home: Mr Acker Bilk
9. Quarter To Three: US Bonds
10. How Many Tears: Bobby Vee

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

Raising The Wind
What A Carve Up!
The Terror of the Tongs
Source: filmdates.co.uk

August 1961: The A6 murder

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hanratty-murder-scene

Pic: Murderpedia.org/Ron Case/Getty Images

The A6 murder was one of those crimes which gripped the nation for several months in 1961. It started on 23 August with the discovery of the body of a man, Michael Gregsten, in a lay-by on the A6, near the village of Cophill, Bedfordshire. Lying next to him was a semi-conscious woman, Valerie Storie.

More to follow

With The Beatles

The Beatles played 34 separate lunchtime and evening gigs in the Liverpool area during August 1961.

The month’s UK Top Tens

3 August 1961
1. Well I Ask You: Eden Kane
2. You Don’t Know: Helen Shapiro
3. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
4. Temptation: The Everly Brothers
5. Romeo: Petula Clark
6. Runaway: Del Shannon
7. Pasadena: Temperance Seven
8. A Girl Like You: Cliff Richard
9. Hello Mary Lou/Travelin’ Man: Ricky Nelson
10. You Always Hurt The One You Love: Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

Source: filmdates.co.uk

July 1961: The Guns of Navarone on general release

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soundstageheros 960px

I have a definite memory of going to see The Guns of Navarone with my brother George and my cousin David while George and I were staying with David’s family in Wheatley, Oxfordshire. This had become a ritual every summer school holiday, taking the pressure of having five young children off our parents for a few days.

Such is the continuing influence of the film, there are many modern retrospective reviews all over the internet:

Mike’s Take

Gone with the Twins

Many further links on Rotten Tomatoes

More to follow.

With The Beatles

The Beatles played at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg on 1 July, and then travelled back to Liverpool on the following two days. They then took a holiday before their next live performance on 13 July at St John’s Hall in Tuebrook, Liverpool. They played a further 24 gigs in the Liverpool area between then and the end of July,. 

The month’s UK Top Tens

6 July 1961
1. Runaway: Del Shannon
2. Hello Mary Lou/Travelin’ Man: Ricky Nelson
3. Temptation: The Everly Brothers
4: Pasadena: Temperance Seven
5. A Girl Like You: Cliff Richard
6. Surrender: Elvis Presley
7. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
8. But I Do: Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry
9. Frightened City: The Shadows
10. Running Scared: Roy Orbison

13 July 1961

1. Runaway: Del Shannon
2. Hello Mary Lou/Travelin’ Man: Ricky Nelson
3. Temptation: The Everly Brothers
4. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
5. A Girl Like You: Cliff Richard
6. But I Do: Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry
7: Pasadena: Temperance Seven
8. Well I Ask You: Eden Kane
9. Surrender: Elvis Presley
10. Frightened City: The Shadows

20 July 1961
1. Temptation: The Everly Brothers
2. Runaway: Del Shannon
3. A Girl Like You: Cliff Richard
4. Hello Mary Lou/Travelin’ Man: Ricky Nelson
5. Well I Ask You: Eden Kane
6. Pasadena: Temperance Seven
7. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
8. But I Do: Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry
9. You Don’t Know: Helen Shapiro
10. Running Scared: Roy Orbison

27 July 1961
1 Temptation: The Everly Brothers
2. Well I Ask You: Eden Kane
3. Runaway: Del Shannon
4. You Don’t Know: Helen Shapiro
5. A Girl Like You: Cliff Richard
6. Hello Mary Lou/Travelin’ Man: Ricky Nelson
7. Halfway To Paradise: Billy Fury
8. Pasadena: Temperance Seven
9. Time: Craig Douglas
10. Romeo: Petula Clark

Source: officialcharts.com

Films released this month

One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Whistle Down The Wind
The Long Shadow
Source: filmdates.co.uk