Toppermost Of The Poppermost

We close out August of 1964 with more from the Cashbox charts.     Calling out, around the world (or at least the US and UK).      Martha Reeves is Dancing in the Streets, and Roy Orbison is telling us about his pretty woman.    Meanwhile, the Beatles continue steamrolling through the 1964 American charts!    Create your podcast today!  #madeonzencastr

Side three of our four-sided look at August 1964.    Beatlemania returns with a vengeance as the band returns to American shores and their first film hits theatres in the states.     However, Ray Charles, the Little GTO and Tony Bennett and Motown have their own chart hits!    Create your podcast today!  #madeonzencastr

We move through the second two weeks of August 1964 on the UK side.      Two big hits you might not remember, and two more you certainly do!       Create your podcast today!  #madeonzencastr

We are joined by producer Shel Talmy (The Bachelors, The Orchids, The Kinks, The Who) to discuss his work as one of his most memorable earl productions hit the charts.     We also move forward through the first two weeks of the British charts for August 1964.      Create your podcast today!  #madeonzencastr

More of the American charts for July of 1964.     The Beatles, George Martin, Lesley Gore, Solomon Burke, Burt Bacharach/Hal David and more.     Stick around for a supercut that includes the Carpenters, Luther Vandross (duetting with Aretha) and more!    #madeonzencastr.

We start in on the American charts for July of 1964.     Capitol decides to "out-VJ" the VJ label, while Arthur Fiedle and the Hollyridge Strings invade the charts as well.     All this and more!    We keep on playing those instrumental Beatles covers for-ever! #MadeonZencastr

In addition to our look at the British charts for July of 1964, we feature "Rock and Roll Musicals".     From "Jailhouse Rock" to "Summer Holiday", "It's Trad Dad (aka Ring-a-Ding-Rhythm)", through to "A Hard Day's Night" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey".    Hint:    A certain Beatles song ENTERS the chart at number three.    All this, and more Do-Wah-Diddy than you can Diddy-Dum-Diddy-Do to.  #madeonZencastr

WAIT!    Listen to this podcast (wrong Beatle?) on Sunday, July 7 at 11:45 AM localtime!      Kit, Martin and I wish Ringo "All the Best" and "Peace and Love" to the universe in this brief WTWF crossover diversion.       A tiny bit of Ringo Starr's 24th birthday from 1964, but mostly just doing our bit to help spread the good vibes!

We finish June of 1964.    Sie Liebt Dich (Yah! Yah! Yah!), the Valentinos (formerly the Womack Brothers) with a song the stones will cover and make a classic, a not-so-great new one from the Everlys, a banger from Dusty and more from the "artists really were willing to listen to input" in 1964 files.   #madeonZencastr

Our first months of four sides.      The first week of June 1964 on the Billboard Charts.    Irma Thomas (The Soul Queen of New Orleans!), The Girl from Ipanema, the Impressions, Sam Cooke and Johnny Rivers (who might have sold more records than Elvis and the Beatles over some period of time, along with a Bobby Vee song we'd rather forget.    #MadeonZencastr.

Francoise Hardy, Peter and Gordon, Little Richard, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Pretty Things and more versions of "Hello, Dolly!" than you might expect as we continue our four-sided odyssey for June.     #MadeonZencastr

June 1964.     The Beatles are off to the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. when Ringo collapses.     What happens next?     Jim Berkenstadt joins your toppermost crew to discuss Jimmie Nicol, The Bossa Nova and a little bit of ska.     In addition to the feature, we start to cover the British charts.    Why "start?"    Because we simply cannot stop talking about PJ Proby, so June will pass over to four separate sides!    #MadeonZencastr.

More from Cashbox, and more than four by the Beatles!   BB King, Lesley Gore, The Temptations, Terry Stafford, Steve Lawrence and the next smash from the Beach Boys.    #madeonZencastr 

Cashbox Month!     The Beatles still dominate, although they will soon move back to "just" being the hottest band in the States.    Other acts include Brenda Holloway, Skeeter Davis, Tracey Day (why would anyone change their name from Nora Ferrari?), B.B. King, the Rivieras (...and an explanation of why they did a goose step in the warm California sun) and more.     #madeonZencastr

Around the Beatles aired in the UK sixty years ago, so we look at "the other acts" on that show.   (See "When They Was Fab" 2024.17, April 28 for Kit and I talking about the Beatles side of things).       Additionally, the British charts for May 1964.    Amongst other things, we celebrate the 95th anniversary of Burt Bacharach's birth and talk "Baby It's You". #madeonZencastr

The Billboard charts for the final two weeks of April 1964.      Rampant Beatlemania (not starring Terri Hemmert), and a couple of tunes that must be heard to be believed! #MadeonZencastr

The Billboard Charts for the first two weeks of April, 1964.     The Beatles rule the roost, but Motown continues churning out commercial and critical darlings (My Guy), and Burt Bacharach gives Dionne Warwick a song which will become one of the all-time greats of rock and roll.  #MadeonZencastr  #FabFaux #MagicalMysteryCamp

The Beatles have conquered the Billboard charts, so we examine some of the news stories from the month.    Additionally, the British charts for April 1964.    Eden Kane, Shirley Bassey, the Four Pennies, the Undertakers, the Merseybeats and a horn player to be named later! #madeonZencastr

More from March of 1964.     Even more  Beatles on the charts, but figures including Lenny Welch, The Shirelles, Tony Bennett, Bobby Goldsboro and others you may or may not remember continue to make appearances.  #madeonZencastr

Beatlemania, Beatlemania, Beatlemania!!!   (and it hasn't even reached it's Zenith).     Lots and lots of Beatles, but also Jan and Dean (and Mel Blanc) The Four Preps, Dale and Grace, Nino and April and more!  #madeonZencastr

The British charts for March of 1964.      Can't Buy Me Love arrives, while Lennon/McCartney also continue the string with Peter & Gordon and World Without Love.      We also consider the state of "other music" on the British charts. #madeonzencastr

The Beatles continue rampaging the charts, but the Americans also stake some ground.     Two sides from Elvis in the charts (one good, one very bad), The Shoop Shoop Song, a bad Merseybeat knockoff and a Beatles novelty record (about the hair, of course) written by someone you might not expect! #madeonzencastr.

The first two weeks of Billboard, 1964.       Dawn, Fun Fun Fun and more of the Beatles than you can shake a forest at!    #MadeonZencastr

Cilla, Beatles, Stones and a feature on the Ed Sullivan Show.     Side A - the British charts and more!

We roll into the American charts for January 1964.     Marsha Albert, Carroll James, and millions of East Coasters help "I Want To Hold Your Hand" to the Top of the Cashbox charts.   Meanwhile, Capitol cannot keep up with demand as the Ed Sullivan show approaches.

I Want to Hold Your Hand firmly takes control of the American charts, while British bands continue their dominance on the British charts.   To use the lingo of music writers of the time.    "While the Beatles crawl to the top of the Cashbox charts (but not quite Billboard), the Searchers give us a swinging, twisting new deck!"    

1963 draws to a close, and Capitol records decides to celebrate by finallly releasing a little record from across the pond - Frank Ifield covering Bing Crosby!    All this and more, including some thoughts on that other record which would escape on boxing day and make a big splash in January!

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" enters the British charts, "She Loves You" hums along, as does the NEMS crew.      Piers Hemmingsen guests as we spend some time considering the rise of the "British Invasion" in Canada.

The American charts for November of 1963.    Doldrums in the charts that were not improved by the Kennedy assassination at the end of the month.    A lot of filler, with a select few gems.    Steven Allen, Ray Charles (not that one) and Sammy Davis, Jr. too!

The charts roll on.    She Loves You finds it's way back to the top of the charts and we discuss Beatles covers from the first year in honor of the Stones  "I Wanna Be Your Man" #MadeonZencastr

We close out October 1963 with two more weeks that have nothing to do with Eeephing or Ardells.    Somehow we manage a Happy Days reference, and a story about George Greif.   #MadeonZencastr,.

It doesn't matter what we call it, you are going to remember this show for one of two things - eefin' (no, it's not dirty), the Ardells and their successor "The American Beetles".     Dress up as 30-year old high schoolers, moptops or maybe even Alvin and Dave Seville.    We're not done yet though.    Coming soon is our one-sided Bonus EP to finish out the month of October!

The George Martin train rolls on.   Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey and the latest smash hit from Gerry and the Pacemakers.    All this and more on Toppermost of the Poppermost, covering the British charts for the month of October 1963.     #MadeonZencastr Use our special code toppermost at zencastr.com/pricing to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.

The American charts continue their roll - some blues, some soul but precious little rock.     Duane Eddy joins in the surfing craze, Nino and April inspire the name of a future hard roc perennial, while Ray Charles proves that it doesn't matter where you are from if you are "Busted."

":From Me to You" slides down the British charts, but the Beatles have an ace up their sleeve - something new and fresh!    She Loves It, and She Loves You.     We track the new single, see what else the Brits were listening to,  and  look at the first year of the Fabs on the British charts!

Live (on Tape and edited) from the SEATAC room in Chicago, Illinois - it's "Toppermost of the Poppermost" with Ed Chen and Kit O'Toole.     Marv was present in spirit.     So may I introduce to you, the act you've known for all these years (well, at least one!)      If you want the "Rockshow" version rather than the "Wings over America" style presentation, look for the video on YouTube!

Brian Wilson and his love of close harmony (see Freshman, Four) appear, leaders of the surf trend.     Your boyfriend's back, your baby's gone surfin' and neither has grown the Beatle haircut that will become so visibile in less than half a year!

The summer of 1963 rolls on, and the Beatles introduce an unsuspecting audience to their next single "She Loves You".     Meanwhile, the charts roll on, and the acts who will be known as the "British Invasion" a year later are making their presence known in the homeland.

July of 1963 in the United States.     Still no sign of the British invasion, but an interesting selection of songs ranging from terrible to all-time classics.    Danke Schoen, Trini Lopez, Joey Dee and a Surfin Hootenanny!

Mortal Enemies?    Mozart and Salieri?     Mick and Keith, John Paul and George.     A new band is on the charts with a song they are not big fans of, signed to a contract because George Harrison was kind enough to offer them as a recommendation.      Tune in to learn about Andrew Loog Oldham's band, and how they were helped by the "four headed monster"

The Billboard charts for June 1963.    VeeJay is pushing "From Me To You" in the papers, and Del Shannon brings his cover into the world.    All this and more.

June of 1963.     The crossroads of past, present and future.    Paul McCartney turned 21, John Lennon appeared on "Juke Box Jury", and The Beatles compete with Gerry and the Pacemakers for the top of the British charts.

The American charts for May 1963 show almost no sign of the forthcoming British invasion.    Despite that,  new acts are popping, while stalwarts like Dion and Tony Bennett (not to mention Rick Nelson) continue their run.  

The Beatles continue their reign atop the British charts, while other NEMS and George Martin acts look to challenge.  This month: Billy J Kramer with two Lennon-McCartney songs starts his rise.

April 1963!   The Beatles unveil Please Please Me, the George Martin empire starts to take hold, and the old ways start to crumble.     Will Gerry and the Pacemakers overtake the Beatles?     Will any of these guys ever make it in the States?     Stay tuned...

As promised, the B-side of our look at March 1963.     Kit, Ed and Martin dive into the American Charts.     Rick Nelson, Henry Mancini, Motown and more.     

The reigning pop stars of the first half of 1963?    The Beatmakers!    Please Please me was mostly, but not unanimously number one in the UK, but such a question does not exist for "How Do You Do It".        George Martin was correct, the tune from  Mitch Murray and Brian's  "next big thing", Gerry and the Pacemakers  follows on the Beatles Liverpool success with a new chart-topper.      Too much to say for one show, so the American charts for March 1963 will soon be available as a flip-side!

As Please Please Me zooms up the British charts, we look at the other contenders for "the next big thing."   Blue Grass?  Bossa Nova?   Tune in and figure it out!  

A New Year.     The Beatles start traveling the country with headliners such as Helen Shapiro, Chris Montez an Tommy Roe.      The "Please Please Me" single is released and starts its rise while Ross MacManus lead the Joe Loss Orchestra.   

December 1962.     Love Me Do continues its run through the British charts as Motown, the Beach Boys and others prepare for the new phenomenom with their own volleys.