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.
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
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
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
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
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
Source: filmdates.co.uk
From Chatterley to the Beatles 