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Toppermost of the Poppermost - UK Number Ones : part 2 - The 1960s

Started by daf, June 12, 2019, 01:55:00 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

daf

The future's so bright I gotta wear shades, its . . .

108.  Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely



From : 16 – 29 October 1960
Weeks : 2
Flip side : Here Comes That Song Again
No Shades Bonus : Dick Clark Show

QuoteRoy Kelton Orbison was born on 23 April 1936 in Vernon, Texas. The family moved to Fort Worth in 1942 to find work in the aircraft factories.

On Roy's sixth birthday, his father gave him a guitar. His major musical influence as a youth was country music. He was particularly moved by Lefty Frizzell's singing, with its slurred syllables, and also enjoyed Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. One of the first musicians he heard in person was Ernest Tubb, playing on the back of a truck in Fort Worth.

In high school, Orbison and some friends formed a band, the Wink Westerners. They played country standards and Glenn Miller songs at local honky-tonks and had a weekly radio show on KERB in Kermit. The group won a talent contest and obtained their own television show on KMID-TV in Midland, Texas.  Johnny Cash toured the area in 1955 and 1956, appearing on the same local TV show as the Wink Westerners, and suggested that Orbison approach Sam Phillips at Sun Records. but was turned down.

The success of their KMID television show got them another show on KOSA-TV, and they changed their name to the Teen Kings.
Due to the rejection from Sam Phillips, the Teen Kings recorded "Ooby Dooby" (a Hank C. Burnette song Roy heard while at North Texas State College) 1956 for the Odessa-based Je–Wel label. After the local record store owner Poppa Holifield played it for him over the telephone, Sam Phillips offered the Teen Kings a contract.

The Teen Kings went to Sun Studio in Memphis, where Phillips wanted to record "Ooby Dooby" again, in his studio. The song was released in May 1956 climbed to number 59 in the US charts, selling 200,000 copies. The Teen Kings began writing songs in a rockabilly style, including "Go! Go! Go!" and "Rockhouse". The band ultimately split over disputed writing credits and royalties.

Orbison wrote "Claudette"—about Claudette Frady, whom he married in 1957— which was recorded by the Everly Brothers as the B-side of "All I Have to Do Is Dream". The first, and perhaps only, royalties Orbison earned from Sun Records. Increasingly frustrated at Sun, he gradually stopped recording. He toured music circuits around Texas and then quit performing for seven months in 1958.

For a brief period in the late 1950s, Orbison made his living at Acuff-Rose, a songwriting firm concentrating mainly on country music. After spending an entire day writing a song, he would make several demonstration tapes at a time and send them to Wesley Rose, who would try to find musical acts to record them. Only two singles were judged worthy of release by RCA. Wesley Rose brought Orbison to the attention of the producer Fred Foster at Monument Records.

Orbison often took his guitar to his car to write songs. The songwriter Joe Melson, an acquaintance of Orbison's, tapped on his car window one day in Texas in 1958, and the two decided to write some songs together.

In his first session for Monument in Nashville, Orbison recorded a song that RCA had refused, "Paper Boy", backed by "With the Bug", but neither charted. His next single "Uptown", written with Joe Melson reached only number 72 on the US charts.

Experimenting with a new sound, Orbison and Joe Melson wrote a song in early 1960 which, using elements from "Uptown", and another song they had written called "Come Back to Me (My Love)", employed strings and the Anita Kerr doo-wop backing singers. It also featured a note hit by Orbison in falsetto that showcased a powerful voice. The song was "Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)".

"Only the Lonely" shot to number two on the US charts and hit number one in the UK and Australia. Its success transformed Orbison into an overnight star.

Quote"Only the Lonely" was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Orbison's recording of the song, produced by Fred Foster for Monument Records, was the first major hit for the singer. The personnel on the original recording included Orbison's drummer Larry Parks, plus Nashville's regulars, Floyd Cramer on piano, Bob Moore on bass, and Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitars, Joe Melson and the Annita Kerr Singers on backing vocals. Drummer Buddy Harman played on the rest of the songs on the session.

Orbison and Melson tried to pitch it to Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers, but were turned down. They instead recorded the song themselves at RCA's Nashville studio. Sound engineer Bill Porter tried a completely new strategy: building the mix from the top down rather than from the bottom up, beginning with close-miked backing vocals in the foreground, and ending with the rhythm section soft in the background. This combination was to become Orbison's trademark sound.

When Elvis Presley heard "Only the Lonely" for the first time, he bought a box of copies to pass to his friends.

Other Version include :  Don Duke (1960)  / Ronnie Cord (1960)  /  Per Elvis (1960)  /  Glen Campbell (1966)  /  Sonny James (1969)  /  Johnny Tillotson (1969)  /  Arlene Harden (1969)  /  Svenne & Lotta (1973)  /  Jigs (1976)  /  The Boppers (1979)  /  Tracy Huang (1982)  /  The Flying Pickets (1985)  /  Carl Wayne (on Jim'll Fix it)  /  Ty Tender (1993)  /  Chris Isaak (1996)  /  Mike Berry & The Outlaws (1998)  /  Brothers (2001)  / the inevitable Showaddywaddy (2002)  /  Ac Rock (2009)  /  Pete Best's broken karaoke machine (2016)

On This Day :
Quote16 October : Bob Mould, (Hüsker Dü / Sugar), born in Malone, New York
17 October : "Tenderloin" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 216 performances
18 October : News Chronicle & Daily Mail merge and London Evening Star merges with Evening News
25 October : José Padilla, Spanish composer ("La Violetera"), dies at 71

The Culture Bunker

My old man is a fan of the Big O, so I pretty much grew up listening to this song on a regular basis. Not my favourite of his work, but still miles ahead of most of what anyone else knocked out in the period. 

daf


DrGreggles

Fucking voice on that Orbison cunt.

One of the best so far. Maybe THE best.

Captain Z

Quote from: daf on June 25, 2019, 02:00:00 PM
On this day:
25 October : José Padilla, Spanish composer ("La Violetera"), dies at 71

Shame, those Cafe del Mar CDs are legendary.

kalowski

Love this track. I would have loved to hear Elvis give it a go, but the big O is pretty fucking magic. What a set of pipes.

purlieu


Inspector Norse

Orbison holds up so much better than his contemporary rockers 'n crooners. He still soars while they putter and creak. Well done to all involved.

machotrouts

I'll fault his fucking voice. Doesn't do even ONE bird squawk. Not even a chirrup. 0/10

machotrouts

Quote from: buzby on June 25, 2019, 12:51:52 PM
Julian Clary used to do it as part of his Joan Collins Fan Club act (and released it as a single in 1988). A bloke called Steve Edward covered Julian's version on Stars In Their Eyes on March 22nd 1997. Are you really that young?

How not-young do I come across? Was sort of shooting for "rowdy 11-year-old past his bedtime"

If the Ricky Valance death disc is creepy, Joe Meek surpassed it the following year, as we'll see.

Banned records site http://www.classicbands.com/banned.html

I think Cliff is the weak link of the last few entries, like he is already phoning it in.

If the Ricky Valance death disc is creepy, Joe Meek surpassed it the following year, as we'll see.

Banned records site http://www.classicbands.com/banned.html

I think Cliff is the weak link of the last few entries, like he is already phoning it in. However he is on Apache doing percussion uncredited.

Valance paved the way for Tom Jones - Wales, male, #1

Pauline Walnuts

Quote from: Banned records site


1965


After Frank Zappa refuses to change it, MGM Records electronically alters the recording of his song, "Money", because it contains a sexual reference.

lolwut?

daf

Just one falsetto, give it to me,
Delicious high-scream, from Elvis P, it's . . .

109.  Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never



From :  30 October – 24 December 1960
Weeks : 8
Flip side : Make Me Know It

The Story So Far :
QuoteEach of the three Presley singles released in the first half of 1957 went to number one in the US charts : "Too Much", "All Shook Up", and "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear".

Already an international star, he was attracting fans even where his music was not officially released. Under the headline "Presley Records a Craze in Soviet Union", The New York Times reported that pressings of his music on discarded X-ray plates were commanding high prices in Leningrad.

Between film shoots and recording sessions, Presley also found time to purchase an 18-room mansion eight miles (13 km) south of downtown Memphis for himself and his parents: Graceland.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

'Loving You' - the soundtrack to his second film, released in July - was Presley's third straight number-one album.
Recording sessions took place between 15-24 January 1957, at the Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage, and at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

The soundtrack included seven songs composed expressly for the movie Loving You from writers contracted to Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, the publishing companies owned by Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. An eighth song intended for but not appearing in the movie, "Don't Leave Me Now", was included on the album, and a new recording would appear on the soundtrack for his next film, Jailhouse Rock.

The previously released material comprises both sides of the single taken from the soundtrack, Presley's number one hit "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" backed with the film's title track, "Loving You". Producer Hal B. Wallis liked "Teddy Bear" so much that he insisted it be included in the movie.

Songs were added to bring up the running time of the album, including the swing-era favorite "Blueberry Hill", which had been a big hit for Fats Domino in 1956. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" had been done previously by the Sons of the Pioneers, as well as Bing Crosby with The Andrews Sisters. Cole Porter's "True Love", written for the 1956 musical film High Society, also made the album, either to feature a straightforward romantic song, or to give Presley and The Jordanaires an excuse for some close harmony singing. The practice of RCA augmenting soundtrack recordings with extra songs from non-soundtrack studio sessions to bring up the running time of the LP to acceptable lengths would become a commonplace occurrence with Presley soundtracks through the 1960s.

The title track was written by Leiber and Stoller, who were then retained to write four of the six songs recorded at the sessions for Jailhouse Rock, Presley's next film. The songwriting team effectively produced the Jailhouse sessions and developed a close working relationship with Presley, who came to regard them as his "good-luck charm". "He was fast," said Leiber. "Any demo you gave him he knew by heart in ten minutes."

Unlike 'Loving You', a full long-playing album soundtrack was not devised for 'Jailhouse Rock', but released as an EP instead, consisting of :
side one : "Jailhouse Rock"  /  "Young and Beautiful"
side two : "I Want to Be Free"  /  "Don't Leave Me Now"  /  "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"

The sixth soundtrack song "Treat Me Nice" was not included on the EP, but a new recording of the song was instead placed as the B-side to the "Jailhouse Rock" single where it peaked at #18 on the singles chart independently.

Additional original music for the film was composed by producer Jeff Alexander, and the song sung by Mickey Shaughnessy (as the Hunk Houghton character), "One More Day", was by Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Presley undertook three brief tours during the year, continuing to generate a crazed audience response. A Detroit newspaper suggested that "the trouble with going to see Elvis Presley is that you're liable to get killed." Villanova students pelted him with eggs in Philadelphia, and in Vancouver the crowd rioted after the end of the show, destroying the stage.

Frank Sinatra, who had famously inspired the swooning of teenage girls in the 1940s, condemned the new musical phenomenon. In a magazine article, he decried rock and roll as :
"brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious. ... It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. It smells phoney and false. It is sung, played and written, for the most part, by cretinous goons. ... This rancid-smelling aphrodisiac I deplore."
Asked for a response, Presley said :
"I admire the man. He has a right to say what he wants to say. He is a great success and a fine actor, but I think he shouldn't have said it. ... This is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago."

Quote"It's Now or Never" is one of two popular songs based on the Italian song of the Neapolitan language, "O Sole mio" (music by Eduardo di Capua); the other being "There's No Tomorrow", recorded by U.S. singer Tony Martin in 1949, which inspired Presley's version.

In the late 1950s, while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, Presley heard Martin's recording. He told the idea to his music publisher, Freddy Bienstock, who was visiting him in Germany. Mr. Bienstock, who many times found songwriters for Presley, returned to his New York office, where he found songwriters, Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, the only people in that day. The two wrote the new lyrics in half an hour.

Recorded by Bill Porter on 3 April 1960, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, "It's Now or Never" was a number-one record for Elvis Presley, spending five weeks at number one in the US, and eight weeks at the top of the UK charts in 1960, and numerous other countries, selling in excess of 25 million copies worldwide, becoming Elvis Presley's biggest international single ever.

Its British release was delayed for some time because of copyright issues, allowing the song to build up massive advance orders and to enter the UK Singles Chart at number one, a very rare occurrence at the time.

During an eight-week run at the top, Presley was held off strong competition from Shirley Bassey ("As Long As He Needs Me") and The Drifters ("Save the Last Dance for Me").

Due to the single's delayed UK release it's original US B-side, "A Mess of Blues", had already attained A-side status and peaked at No. 2 on 21 September 1960.

"It's Now or Never" would be one of several songs to return to the UK top 40 in the wake of Presley's death, reaching No. 39 on 3 August 1977.

On 5 February 2005, the song returned to the top of the UK charts for one more week as part of a week-by-week reissue series of his former chart-toppers. This gave Presley his 21st UK number one single, his fourth of the new millennium. Overall, "It's Now or Never" has managed 22 weeks in the UK top 40.

A series of television commercials for Cornetto ice cream, broadcast regularly in Britain during the 1980s, used a jingle set to the melody of "'O sole mio" : 1 - Traffic Jam / 2 - Gondola  / 3 - Priest

Other Versions include : 
'O sole mio : Enrico Caruso (1916)  /  Harry Secombe (1957)  /  Joni James (1958)  /  Dalida (1961)  /  Chubby Checker (1962)  /  Tony Bennett (1973)   /  M.I.R.V. (1999)  /  Christopher Lee (2006)  / Ice Cream Van (2016)  / 8-bit (2017)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There's No TomorrowThe Gaylords (1957)  /  Connie Francis (1959)  /  Annette Funicello (1960)  /  Dean Martin (1962)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's Now Or Never : Rikki Henderson (1960)  / Roger Williams (1960)  /  The Johnny Mann Singers (1961)   /  Sharon (1962)  /  Pat Boone (1963)  /  Chuck Jackson (1966)  /  Connie Smith (1967)  /  Vince Eager (1972)  /  Bobby Hachey (1972)  /  Disco Time! Al Martino (1976)  /  Johnny Farago (1977)  /  Roger Whittaker (1984)  /  Renée & Renato (1985)  /  Paul McCartney (1990)  /  Wet Wet Wet (1994)  /  daf's hit-pick : Eilert Pilarm (1996)  /  Willie Logan (1996)  /  The Beegie Adair Trio (2000)  /  Lonnie (2002)  / The Monks of Moramanga (2003)   /  Angel Corpus Christi (2009)  / just one robotto (2019)

On This Day :
Quote2 November : Penguin Books cleared of obscenity for publishing DH Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover"
3 November : Tammy Grimes' "Unsinkable Molly Brown" opens at Winter Garden NYC for 532 performances
5 November : Mack Sennett, director and producer (Keystone Cops), dies aged 80 after slipping on a banana skin
8 November : John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States, defeating Republican Richard Nixon
10 November : Neil Gaiman, writer, born in Portchester, Hampshire
16 November : Clark Gable, actor, dies age 59
17 November : Jonathan Ross, Radio/TV presenter, born in St Pancras, London
18 November : Kim Wilde, singer, born in Chiswick, Middlesex
1 December : Paul McCartney and Pete Best arrested then deported from Hamburg, Germany, accused of attempted arson.
2 December : Paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey discovers 1.4 million year old Homo erectus (Olduvai Hominid 9) in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
3 December : Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner's "Camelot" opens at Majestic Theater NYC - it would run for 873 performances
9 December : 1st Episode of "Coronation Street" broadcast on ITV
10 December : Kenneth Branagh, actor/director, born in Belfast
11 December : Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's musical "Wildcat" with Lucille Ball premieres in New York City
17 December : "La Plume de Ma Tante" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 835 performances
17 December : "Take Me Along" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 448 performances
24 December : Carol Vorderman, TV presenter, born in Bedford, Bedfordshire, Bedfordland, Bedfordwo-o-o-o-rld!!!

purlieu

The ice cream van that covers our area has that as its bloody song and I hate it for that alone.

gilbertharding


machotrouts

Almost makes me miss David Whitfield.

Fun fact: this was one of Jimmy Savile's Desert Island Discs. I'm not saying everyone who likes it is necessarily a serial rapist,

daf

He and his Shadows, its . . .

110.  Cliff Richard and The Shadows - I Love You



From : 25 December 1960 – 7 January 1961
Weeks : 2
Flip side : "D" In Love
bonus : TV Performance

QuoteFollowing his third number one 'Please Don't Tease', he released two soupy solo EPs in July and September 1960 -
Cliff Sings No. 3 : I'll String Along With You  /  Embraceable You  /  As Time Goes By  /  The Touch Of Your Lips
Cliff Sings No. 4 : I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)  /  Little Things Mean A Lot  /  Somewhere Along The Way  /  That's My Desire

Reuniting with the Shadows, he released the top 3 single 'Nine Times Out Of Ten' (b/w 'Thinking Of Our Love') in September, and the album 'Me and My Shadows' in October 1960. Recorded with The Shadows and produced by Norrie Paramor at Abbey Road Studios, it was released through Columbia Records, and reached No. 2 in the UK album chart.

No singles were to be officially released in the UK from the album. A pairing of album tracks "Gee Whiz It's You" and "I Cannot Find a True Love" was pressed as an export single intended for continental Europe but high demand in the UK meant it charted in March 1961 and eventually reached #4 in the UK singles chart. Although very popular for an import, this single broke what would have been a run of 15 consecutive top 3 singles in the UK, although it helped give Richard a record 16 back to back top 5 hits.

The album was the second of only five albums recorded by Richard with exclusive backing by the Shadows during the 1960s. All the others the backing duties were shared between The Shadows and the Norrie Paramor Orchestra.

At the end of November he released the single 'I Love You', and exactly a month later it would replace Elvis ("The American Cliff") at the UK top spot.

Quote"I Love You" is the fourth UK number-one hit single (and the second of the 1960s) by Cliff Richard and the Shadows. It was written by the Shadows' rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch. Released in November 1960, it was a Christmas No. 1 and stayed at the chart summit for two weeks, although it did not carry a traditional holiday theme.

Other Versions include : Dave Monk (2016)  / a robot  (2019) . . . (and thats it!)

On This Day :
Quote26 December : Musical "Do re mi" with Phil Silvers premieres St James Theater in NYC
1 January : Fiona Phillips, TV presenter, born in Canterbury, Kent

purlieu


daf



daf

Fairly sure the sales of sheet music have been overtaken by the actual recording by now - but it was still a legal requirement for the song publishers to "publish" the song - i.e print out the sheet music - and it still is.

I still have a copy of The Shamen's 'Phorever People' sheet music I picked up from a rack in a musical instrument shop in 1993, & here's a few other examples from the 60s, 70s & 90s :

   

- - - - - -
At this point, picture sleeves are generally not used for British singles - (though they are for EPs) - so the sheet music comes in handy to illustrate those - the recent exceptions are either EP covers (Shakin' All Over) or foreign pressings (Apache).

purlieu

Quote from: daf on June 27, 2019, 07:18:49 PM
Fairly sure the sales of sheet music have been overtaken by the actual recording by now - but it was still a legal requirement for the song publishers to "publish" the song - i.e print out the sheet music - and it still is.
I'd love to know how this works for hip-hop and most dance music.

machotrouts

When I searched "cliff richard i love you" on Spotify, it was the third most popular Cliff Richard song with "i", "love", and "you" in the title, which probably about sums up its place in chart history. One day, someone will get "CLIFF RICHARD #1 SINGLES" on the final round on Pointless and, unable to name any Cliff Richard songs, will just invent the title 'I Love You', luck their way into a pointless answer, and win the jackpot.

I am, once again, in awe at Cliff's terrible attempts to flatter his partner.

"Your love means more to me than all the apples hanging on a tree." Okay...? Thanks? Just, never been told I mean more to someone than some apples before. I guess you're a big apple buff or something? "Your love means more to me than all the fishes swimming in the sea." ...excuse me, fishes? I mean more to you than fish, brilliant. Thanks. Love you too. You mean almost as much to me as fish and apples. Sorry Cliff. Just really fucking love fish and apples.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Say what you like about Cliff, but he really was a shit, boring, British version of Elvis.

gilbertharding


famethrowa

Quote from: daf on June 27, 2019, 07:18:49 PM
, & here's a few other examples from the 60s, 70s & 90s :



Makes me think of the prim singing teacher deftly spreading out the sheet music in Great Rock & Roll Swindle

"I'm on a sub-marine mission"

daf

Beautiful Moon, with thy silvery light,
Thou cheerest the Esquimau in the night;
For thou lettest him see to harpoon the fish,
And with them he makes a dainty dish, its . . .

111.  Johnny Tillotson - Poetry In Motion



From : 8 – 21 January 1961
Weeks : 2
Flip side : Princess, Princess

QuoteJohnny Tillotson was born on 20 April 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 0 and in the nude.

Johnny began to perform at local functions as a child, and by the time he was at Palatka Senior High School he had developed a reputation as a talented singer. Tillotson became a semi-regular on TV-4's McDuff Hayride, hosted by Toby Dowdy, and soon landed his own show on TV-12 WFGA-TV.

In 1957, while Tillotson was studying at the University of Florida, local disc jockey Bob Norris sent a tape of Johnny's singing to the Pet Milk talent contest, and was chosen as one of six National finalists. This gave Johnny the opportunity to perform in Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM the Grand Ole Opry, which led Lee Rosenberg, a Nashville publisher, to take a tape to Archie Bleyer, owner of the independent Cadence Records. Bleyer signed Tillotson to a three-year contract, and issued his first single, "Dreamy Eyes" / "Well I'm Your Man" in September 1958. Both songs were written by Tillotson, and both made the Billboard Hot 100, with "Dreamy Eyes" peaking at # 63. After graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, Tillotson moved to New York City to pursue his music career.

From late 1959, a succession of singles – "True True Happiness", "Why Do I Love You So" and a double-sided single covering the R&B hits "Earth Angel" and "Pledging My Love" – all reached the bottom half of the Hot 100.

His biggest success came with his sixth single, the up-tempo "Poetry in Motion". Released in September 1960, it went to # 2 on the US pop charts, and # 1 in the UK in January 1961.

His follow-up record, "Jimmy's Girl" reached # 25 in the US charts and # 43 in the UK; after that, "Without You" returned him to the US Top Ten but failed to make the UK Singles Chart.

Early in 1962, Tillotson recorded a song he wrote, "It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'" inspired by the terminal illness of his father. It became one of his biggest hits, reaching No. 3 in the US pop chart, and was covered by over 100 performers including Elvis Presley and Billy Joe Royal. An album of country standards followed including Hank Locklin's "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)," which also became hit singles.

With the demise of the Cadence label, he formed a production company and moved to MGM Records, starting with his version of the recent country charted No. 1 song by Ernest Ashworth, "Talk Back Trembling Lips" reached # 7 in January 1964 on Billboard's Hot 100. He earned his second Grammy nomination for "Heartaches by the Number" nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965. He also sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy Gidget.

He appeared in the 1966 comedy 'The Fat Spy' starring Jayne Mansfield, which was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46). He also appeared in 'Just for Fun', a British music film.

In the early 1980s he charted briefly with "Lay Back in the Arms of Someone" on Reward Records and it was during the 80s that his hits in South East Asia had him appear in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand on a regular basis with tours in Japan and Hong Kong. In 1990 he signed with Atlantic records and again charted briefly with "Bim Bam Boom".

In 2010, Tillotson released a single "Not Enough" which was a tribute to the Military, Police, Fire, and all uniformed personnel of the United States. It reached No. 1 on the 'indie country' chart. He continues to write and perform in concert.

Quote"Poetry in Motion" was written by Paul Kaufman and Mike Anthony, who said that the inspiration for it came from looking up from their work and seeing a procession of young ladies from a nearby school pass by on the sidewalk outside each afternoon.   

Bill Porter supervised the recording session in Nashville, Tennessee, which featured saxophonist Boots Randolph and pianist Floyd Cramer.

Other Versions include : Don Duke (1960)  /  parody version by Simon Crum as "Enormity in Motion"  (1960)   Bobby Vee (1961)  /  Richard Allen (1961)  /  Pat Henry and His Blue Devils (1965)  /  Ola & The Janglers (1966)  / The Boppers (1978)  /  Gert Lengstrand (1979)  /   Mud (1982)  /  Ultima Thule (1996)  /  Wonderprick (1997)  /  Daniel O'Donnell (2005)  /  Hans Edler (2009)  /  Cliff Richard  (2013)  / Steve Reynolds (2018)  /  Drum Cover (2018)

International Versions include : 
French : "Elle a des yeux d'ange"  by Orlando  /  Milou Duchamp  /  Nancy "Rock" Holloway  /  Francis Linel  /  Franck et Johnny (all 1961)
Spanish :  "Poesía en movimiento" by Dúo Dinámico (1961)
Finnish : "Hän suussa sulaa" by Esa Pakarinen  (1976)
Swedish : "Ett poem om våren" by Sten & Stanley  (1976)
Swedish : "Svärmeri i månsken" by Thorleifs (1974)

On This Day :
Quote10 January : Dashiell Hammett, American detective writer, dies at 66 in the library with a candlestick in Manhattan, New York City
12 January : "Show Girl" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 100 performances
13 January : Julia Louis-Dreyfus, (Seinfeld), born in Manhattan, New York City
13 January : Suggs, (Madness), born Graham McPherson in Hastings, Sussex
15 January : The Supremes sign with Motown Records
16 January : "Conquering Hero" opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 8 performances
20 January :  John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as President of the United States

purlieu