1958   1959   1960   1961   1962   1963   1964   1965   1966   1967   1968   1969   1970   1971   1972   1973   1974   1975   1976   1977
Home Page   List of Acts
List of Songs

 END

 

MIKE SMITH’S HOT HUNDRED UK HITS

1964

 

This year continued from 1963 with the Merseybeat sound dominating the charts.  It was also the year that the Beatles and many other British acts conquered America and started the so-called British Invasion of the USA charts.  However, as the year progressed, so the Merseybeat groups began to wane, and a more general beat group scene emerged.  New British groups that debuted on the charts in this year included Manfred Mann, The Animals, The Kinks, and Herman's Hermits.

1964 also saw the arrival of new female solo artists in the shape of Lulu, Sandie Shaw and Marianne Faithfull.  Whilst the first two enjoyed success throughout the 1960s, unfortunately Marianne Faithfull's career was short lived, not helped by her addiction to drugs.  These girls joined Cilla Black and Dusty Springfield in making the ladies a dominant force in the UK charts.  By contrast there were few new male solo acts, which enabled singers who began several years earlier, such as Cliff Richard and Billy Fury to continue without much competition.

In addition to the new groups, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones tended to dominate the charts, although the Irish trio, the Bachelors achieved five Top 10 hits in this year.  By and large the Americans had little success in the UK in 1964, although surfing group The Beach Boys had their first Top 10 hit, but it was 1966 before they had consistent success in the British charts.  American girl group the Supremes had their first hits, introducing the Motown sound to the British public, although it took another couple of years for other Motown groups to appear frequently in the UK charts. 

A new feature in pop music listening came by way of new pirate radio stations which began broadcasting from ships in the North Sea, to avoid the ban on radio broadcasting on land, apart from the BBC.  The first was Radio Caroline, followed by Radio London ("Big L"), and then by many others around the shores of Britain, some broadcasting from abandoned wartime forts in the North Sea.  They became very popular as they played the new hit records all day long, and introduced American ideas like the personality DJ and station identification jingles - and advertising!  They only lasted until summer 1967 when the government made it illegal to advertise or work on these stations.

These are my personal favourite recordings from this particular year, listed in the order in which they entered the UK hit singles chart.  You may not agree with my choices, but these were UK chart hits* that had plenty of air play on the music radio stations of the day, such as Radio Luxemburg, Radio Caroline and Radio London ("Big L").

* One song not a UK hit.

 


1

Title: Do You Really Love Me Too
Artist: Billy Fury
Writer(s): Mark Barkan & Ben Raleigh
Entered chart 2 Jan 1964; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 10.

Billy Fury (17 Apr 1940 - 28 Jan 1983) was born in Liverpool, England.  He bought his first guitar at age 14, entered talent contests, and by 1958 was writing his own songs.  He was spotted by impresario Larry Parnes, who put him on tour, and arranged a recording contract with Decca.  He also appeared on the TV pop show "Oh Boy!", and released his first record in 1959.  He went on to considerable success, and had amassed 26 hit singles by the end of 1966, including eleven Top 10 entries.  He never achieved a Number One.  Heart problems, which he suffered from childhood, led to surgery in the early 1970s.  He did some touring and recording in the very early 1980s, but his heart problems worsened, and died in London in January 1983, aged just 42.  On 19 April 2003 a bronze statue of Fury was unveiled at the National Museum of Liverpool Life.
# Billy was still standing his ground in 1964, achieving two Top 20 hits and one Top 10.  This despite the large number of new acts that were appearing in the UK charts.


2

Title: Don't Blame Me
Artist: Frank Ifield
Writer(s): Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
Entered chart 9 Jan 1964; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart 13.

Frank Ifield ( 30 Nov 1937 - 18 May 2024) was born in Coventry, England.  After the war, he and his parents went to live near Sydney, Australia.  He enjoyed singing, and by his late teens he was a popular performer in Australia.  He decided to return to the UK in 1959.  His first hit came in 1960 (see year 1960, song 15), but 1961 was blank so far as hits were concerned.  However, in 1962 he made a real chart breakthrough with his million-selling Number One hit, "I Remember You", which remained at Number One for seven weeks.  That record made him a star, and he became famous for his yodeling style of singing.  He had three further chart-toppers and a Top 10 hit by 1964 - all revivals of old songs.  After that the hits tailed off as musical trends changed in the mid-1960s.  He continued as a popular performer, however, for many years, and in 1991 he reached the charts again with a new recording of "She Taught Me How To Yodel", which peaked at number 40 in the UK.  Following a divorce, he returned to Australia in 1988 and remarried in 1992.  He was still occasionally performing in the early 21st century, but he died from pneumonia in Australia during May 2024 at the age of 86.
# This song by Jimmy McHugh (1894-1969) with lyrics by Dorothy Fields (1905-1974) was part of the 1932 show "Clowns in Clover".  It became a USA hit for Nat King Cole in 1948.  It was recorded by the Everly Brothers in 1961, and reached number 20 in the UK as part of a double A-side with "Muskrat" in the autumn of that year (see year 1961, song 75).


3

Title: Baby I Love You
Artist: The Ronettes
Writer(s): Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich & Phil Spector
Producer: Phil Spector

Entered chart 9 Jan 1964; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart 14.

The Ronettes were another of producer Phil Spector's groups (like the Crystals) that he promoted and recorded with his "Wall of Sound" production style which excited the British record buyers.  From New York City, the Ronettes were lead singer Veronica Bennett, later known as Ronnie Spector (10 Aug 1943 - 12 Jan 2022), her older sister Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley.  They had been together since 1961 and had recorded for another company, without success, before signing for Spector.  They had four hit records in the UK by the end of 1964, and toured the UK in that year as well.  From 1965 the Ronettes recorded numerous songs, but the unpredictable Spector refused to release them.  As a result, the group faded from the charts.  Ronnie had become close to Phil Spector and moved in with him in 1964.  They married in 1968, but divorced some six years later.
# This song was their follow-up to "Be My Baby" (1963, song 82) which had reached number four in the UK.  It was their only other Top 20 hit, the following two peaking at 43 and 36 respectively.


4

Title: As Usual
Artist: Brenda Lee
Writer(s): Alex Zanetis
Entered chart 9 Jan 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 15.

Brenda Lee was born on 11 Dec 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  She began singing at a very young age, and by the time she was 10 she was singing on local radio and TV, and at various events.  In 1955 she made her first national TV appearance, and a recording contract followed in 1956.  Her early recordings did not sell very well, but after some minor hits in the USA, her career took off in 1960 with the song "Sweet Nuthins" (her first UK hit), which was a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic in the spring of that year.  She went on to have numerous hits - mostly in a Country-ballad style.  After the pop hits dried up at the end of the 1960s, she successfully moved into mainstream Country Music, and had 33 entries on the USA Country charts.  She is still occasionally recording and performing.
# This was her first hit of 1964, but it turned out to be her final Top 10 entry.  From March 1960 to July 1965 she enjoyed 22 hits in the UK, seven of those reaching the Top 10.  Her most enduring hit is "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree", a number six hit in 1962.  However, it is still heard every December on radio and in shopping centres, and is usually included on Christmas hits CDs.


5

Title: I Think Of You
Artist: The Merseybeats
Writer(s): Peter Lee Stirling
Entered chart 16 Jan 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 17.

This was yet another group from Liverpool that joined all the others that were finding fame and fortune during 1963-64.  This band had begun as the Mavericks in 1961, but changed their name in 1962 when they began appearing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.  The two founding members were Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley.  In 1963 they signed a recording contract with Fontana Records (all record companies were itching to sign new acts from Liverpool), and their first hit came in the autumn of that year.  Their first and only Top 10 hit, "I Think Of You", came along early in 1964.  Unfortunately, Kinsley left in February 1964 to form his own band.  He was replaced, and the group enjoyed two Top 20 chart entries following this hit, but it tailed off after that, and their last appearance on the charts came in 1966.  Just after that last hit, Crane and Kinsley got together again, this time as a duo called The Merseys, and they had one hit, "Sorrow", peaking at number 4 in spring 1966.  See year 1966, song 39.


6

Title: Needles And Pins
Artist: The Searchers
Writer(s): Jack Nitzsche & Sonny Bono (Bono found fame as one half of Sonny & Cher)
Producer: Tony Hatch
Entered chart 16 Jan 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 15.

The Searchers were one of several bands to immerge from the City of Liverpool and the Merseybeat scene.  Their origins go back to 1959 and even earlier, with several members passing through various lineups.  By 1962 the personnel had settled to a four-piece led by Mike Pender.  Live work in Liverpool, England, led to a recording contract with Pye Records who had producer Tony Hatch available.  Their first hit, "Sweets For My Sweet", climbed to the Number One spot in the summer of 1963, and set them on the road to stardom.  They became one of the most successful of the Liverpool bands, scoring three Number One hits and three additional Top 10 entries out of a total of 13 hits by the end of 1966.  Unlike many of the other Merseybeat bands, the Searchers' chart toppers were covers of existing American songs rather than original material.  However, as those songs were largely unheard in the UK, they were greeted as new by the record buyers.
# This was their second of three chart-toppers, and it remained at Number One for three weeks.
# The song was written for and originally recorded by American singer Jackie DeShannon.  Her recording only reached number 84 in the USA, although it went to Number One in Canada.


7

Title: I'm The One
Artist: Gerry & The Pacemakers
Writer(s): Gerry Marsden
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 16 Jan 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 15.

Gerry & The Pacemakers were the second group of Merseybeat acts from Liverpool (after the Beatles) to break into the big time, although they were the first to reach Number One in the UK charts.  They were led by Gerry Marsden (24 Sep 1942 – 3 Jan 2021, born in Liverpool, England).  The four Pacemakers included Gerry's brother Freddie (1940 - 2006) who played the drums.  The group had been performing around Liverpool for some time, and were the second act spotted and signed by manager Brian Epstein.  He arranged a record deal with EMI records, and Beatles producer, George Martin also produced the recordings for Gerry & The Pacemakers.  They went on to enjoy enormous success in the UK and were the first act to see their first three record releases reach Number One.  That feat was not equaled until the 1980s when the band Frankie Goes To Hollywood (also from Liverpool) did the same thing.  Gerry & The Pacemakers went on to have a total of nine hit singles, six of which made the Top 10, including those chart toppers.  Like most other British hit-makers at the time, they also enjoyed much success in the USA.  However, their last hit came in late 1965, and by then their popularity was rapidly declining on both sides of the Atlantic.  They disbanded in October 1966.  However, in 1974, Gerry reformed the band, and they continued to perform at home and abroad in sixties nostalgia shows until 2018.
# After their first three chart hits reached Number One, this, the fourth release, peaked at number two.  It was the first of their hits to be written by Gerry Marsden, rather than other songwriters.  This continued with the releases that followed in 1964.


8

Title: Diane
Artist: The Bachelors
Writer(s): Ernö Rapée & Lew Pollack
Entered chart 23 Jan 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 19.

The Bachelors were an Irish easy-listening harmony trio.  The act comprised Conleth (Con) Cluskey (18 Nov 1941 - 8 Apr 2022), Declan (Dec) Cluskey (born 23 Dec 1942), and John Stokes (born 13 Aug 1940), all from Dublin, Ireland.  They began as The Harmonichords in 1957, and enjoyed much success in their native Ireland.  When they were offered a recording contract by Decca Records in 1960, they were also asked to change the name of the group to the Bachelors.  In this new guise they enjoyed considerable success during the 1960s, achieving 17 hit singles in the UK, eight of which made the Top 10.  They even reached the Top 10 in the USA.  This was all the more remarkable as they were very much a middle-of-the-road act, when the big names in pop and rock, such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and many others were the flavour of the day.  After the hits dried up, they continued successfully as a live act in cabaret and summertime seaside shows until 1984 when the two brothers split from John Stokes.  After the split Con and Dec continued as a duo, billed as Con & Dec - The Bachelors, and were still performing in 2016.  John Stokes has formed a new group called The Bachelors with John Stokes, who also continue to perform in local venues around the UK.
# "Diane" was originally written as a theme song for the 1927 silent movie "Seventh Heaven".  Now regarded as a standard, the song has been recorded by numerous artists over the decades, but the Bachelors version is the only one to appear on the UK singles charts.


9

Title: 5-4-3-2-1
Artist: Manfred Mann
Writer(s): Paul Jones, Mike Hugg & Manfred Mann (band members)
Entered chart 23 Jan 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 13.

The record buyers of 1964 were somewhat confused by the name of this group which had the same name as the founder and leader of the band.  Manfred Mann was born on 21 October 1940 in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He studied music at University in South Africa, and worked as a jazz pianist at a number of clubs in Johannesburg from 1959 to 1960.  In 1961 he moved to the UK and began work as a music journalist, as well as helping form a jazz band, in which he played keyboards.  This evolved into the pop music five-piece which was named after Mann.   In 1964 the group was asked to provide a new theme tune for the TV pop music programme "Ready Steady Go".  This resulted in the song "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of the weekly television exposure, rose to number five in the UK charts.  From 1964 to 1969 they enjoyed 17 hits, 13 of which were Top 10 entries, which included three Number Ones.  The lead singer from 1964 to mid-1966 was Paul Jones, and from mid-1966 to 1969, the lead vocals were taken over by Mike d'Abo.  Despite such a dramatic change, their success continued unabated with more Top 10s and another chart-topper.  Mann decided to disband the group in 1969, so that he could move on to other projects.  He had hits in the 1970s with a group named Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
# In the 1990s most of the original 1960s line-up reformed as the Manfreds, minus Manfred Mann himself, playing the old 1960s hits, often with both Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo as vocalists.


10

Title: Candy Man
Artist: Brian Poole & The Tremeloes
Writer(s): 
Beverley Ross & Fred Neil
Entered chart 30 Jan 1964; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart 13.

This five-piece band, fronted by Brian Poole, who was born on 3 Nov 1941 in east London, England, were a beat group that became very successful, even though they came from London rather than Liverpool.  Most of the line up met at school and formed a band in their teens, whilst the fifth member joined a little later.  They called the band The Tremeloes.  They performed around various London venues and in 1962 gained a contract with Decca Records, who asked them to change their name to Brian Poole and The Tremeloes, as this style of naming was becoming popular.  They had two Top 10 hits in 1963, including the Number One "Do You Love Me" (1963, song 74).  They had a total of eight hit singles, four of which made the Top 10 by the summer of 1965.  In 1966 Poole and the Tremeloes split.  Poole made a few solo recordings but the remaining four, as The Tremeloes, went on to considerable success, scoring ten hits, six of which made the Top 10 including their Number One "Silence Is Golden" in 1967.
# This song was originally recorded by Roy Orbison as the B-side to his 1961 hit "Cryin'".  The song is different to "The Candyman", written in 1971 and sung by Sammy Davis Jr, and also different again to "Candyman", recorded in 2006 by Christina Aguilera.


11

Title: Boys Cry
Artist: Eden Kane
Writer(s): 
Buddy Kaye & Tommy Scott
Entered chart 30 Jan 1964; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart 14.

Eden Kane was born on 29 Mar 1940 in New Delhi, India, where his British parents were working as civil servants.  His father died in 1954, so his mother took the whole family back to England.  Based in Croydon, on the southern border of London, he began entering talent contests during the late 1950s.  He was given a contract with Decca Records in early 1961, and his debut release, "Well I Ask You" (see 1961/43) went all the way to Number One.  He had a further four Top 10 hits, but then no more.  Unusually, he had only a total of five hits, but all were Top 10 entries.  After his chart success in Britain dried up, he moved to live in California, working as a record producer.  He still lives in Los Angeles and is married to journalist Charlene Groman, the sister of actress Stefanie Powers.  However, he still occasionally performs in sixties nostalgia shows in the UK.
# This was the fifth and final hit for Kane, the previous one having been in the summer of 1962.


12

Title: Anyone Who Had A Heart
Artist: Cilla Black
Writer(s): 
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 6 Feb 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 17.

Cilla Black (27 May 1943 - 1 Aug 2015) was born in Liverpool and joined the Merseybeat scene along with the many groups coming from that city in 1963, although she remained a solo performer.  She got a job in the Cavern Club in the early 1960s, where the Beatles and others were performing and soon was able to get singing jobs in different venues in Liverpool.  John Lennon introduced her to the Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who duly signed her up and arranged a recording contract with EMI and producer George Martin.  Her first release peaked at a rather modest number 35 in the UK charts during autumn 1963.  However, her next two releases both went to Number One, and she enjoyed several Top 10 hits throughout the 1960s.  In 1968 she began a TV variety show called "Cilla", which ran for eight series until 1976.  In the 1980s and 1990s she was a TV game show host, and became one of the most popular personalities of the era.  She died following a fall at her holiday home in Spain, aged 72.  On 16 January 2017 a bronze statue of Cilla Black was unveiled on Mathew Street in Liverpool, outside the entrance of the Cavern Club where Black was discovered.
# This song was written by the celebrated American composers Burt Bacharach
 (12 May 1928 - 8 Feb 2023) and Hal David (25 May 1921 - 1 Sep 2012) who had written some hits in the 1950s, but they became famous in the 1960s for a series of love song hits.  This one, like many other
Bacharach and David songs, was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick who enjoyed a USA Top 10 entry with it.


13

Title: I'm The Lonely One
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): 
 Gordon Mills
Entered chart 6 Feb 1964; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart 10.

Cliff Richard was born on 14 Oct 1940 in Lucknow, India, whilst his parents were working in that country.  He returned to England with his family in 1948.  He formed a band in 1957 and a year later he was chosen as a singer for the TV Rock 'n' Roll show "Oh Boy!".  His first hit came in 1958, which started a career that continued into the 21st century, with more than 130 hit singles and over 50 original albums, spanning 50 years plus.  In the early 1960s he also starred in several musical films, notably "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday".  He also achieved a Number One single in five different decades, and is the most successful British recording artist of all time.
# This was Cliff's first of no less than five Top 10 hits that entered the charts during 1964.  His popularity was as strong as ever despite the numerous new groups and artists emerging from Liverpool and elsewhere.


14

Title: Stay Awhile
Artist: Dusty Springfield
Writer(s): 
Mike Hawker & Ivor Raymonde
Entered chart 20 Feb 1964; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart 10.

Dusty Springfield (16 Apr 1939 - 2 Mar 1999) was born in London, England.  She began singing in the late 1950s, first with an all-girl group and then with her brother in the Folk group The Springfields.  The trio enjoyed a couple of Top 10 hits, but in late summer 1963, Dusty went solo and began a very successful career throughout the 1960s, becoming one of the top vocalists of that decade.  From 1963 to 1969 she enjoyed a total of 16 hits, ten of which made the Top 10 including her 1966 Number One "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me".  During the late 1960s she had her own TV series, and she made albums in the USA, where she had achieved three Top 10 hits as well.  Things went quiet during the 1970s although she continued to record and perform.  In 1987 she came back to prominence when she recorded new material with Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys.  The single "What Have I Done To Deserve This" reached number two - her first Top 10 hit since 1968, and the album from which it came reached the Top 20.  She developed breast cancer in the mid-1990s, and died from the disease in 1999, aged 59.
# This was the follow-up to her debut hit of November 1963. In April 1964 her first album entered the album chart, peaking at number 6.


15

Title: Let Me Go Lover
Artist: Kathy Kirby
Writer(s): 
 Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey & Ben Weisman (under pseudonym of Jenny Lou Carson & Al Hill)
Entered chart 20 Feb 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 11.

Kathy Kirby (20 Oct 1938 - 19 May 2011) was born in Ilford, Essex, England.  She took singing lessons at a young age and became a singer with the Ambrose Orchestra in 1956.  In the late 1950s and early 1960s she was a cabaret singer and enjoyed a great deal of success, although recordings made at that time did not enter the charts.  Things changed in 1963 when she signed with Decca Records and began making regular TV appearances.  Her first hit came in August 1963 with a vocal recording of the Shadows instrumental chart topper "Dance On".  She then enjoyed two Top 10 hits over autumn 1963 and spring 1964, followed by two smaller chart entries in 1964 and 1965 respectively.  In 1965 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest where she came second to Luxembourg.  She continued as a live performer on TV and the stage through the 1970s, but retired from the business in 1983 when she was only 45.  She lived a secluded life after that, and died in 2011 from a heart attack at the age of 72.
# This was her second of the two Top 10 entries.
# The song was originally recorded by Joan Weber in 1954.  It was an American Number One in early 1955, and reached number 16 in the UK.  Three cover versions were UK hits in 1955.  They were by Teresa Brewer (reached number 9), Dean Martin (reached number 3), and Ruby Murray (reached number 5).


16

Title: Bits And Pieces
Artist: The Dave Clark Five
Writer(s): 
 Mike Smith & Dave Clark
Entered chart 20 Feb 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 11.

The Dave Clark Five was a beat group from Tottenham, north London, England.  The band's origins go back to 1957, and several personnel changes were made before their hits began.  By the time of this recording, the group had stabilised  to have leader Dave Clark on drums, and Mike Smith on keyboards and lead vocals, plus three others on guitars and saxophone.  Smith was also responsible for writing many of their hits, although Clark was always given joint composing credits.  They became known for their "thump-thump" drumming style, and remained popular throughout the 1960s, with seven Top 10 hits to the end of 1969.  The band also enjoyed success in the USA during the "British Invasion" years, where they had eight Top 10 hits.  Dave Clark was a shrewd businessman, keeping the copyright on his recordings, which he re-released sparingly during the following decades.
# This was their second Top 10 hit, with another following in early summer 1964.


17

Title: Dawn (Go Away)
Artist: The Four Seasons

Writer(s): Bob Gaudio & Sandy Linzer
Producer: Bob Crewe

Entered chart 22 Feb 1964; Highest Position 3 (USA info - not a UK hit).

The Four Seasons is a vocal group, characterised by the falsetto voice of Frankie Valli (born 3 May 1934 in Newark, New Jersey, USA). The group started as the Four Lovers, but they failed to make a breakthrough in the pop charts.  In 1960, they changed their name to the Four Seasons, and began working with record producer Bob Crewe, with Frankie Valli as the lead singer.  The rest of the band was Bob Gaudio on keyboards and tenor vocals (also their songwriter), Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on electric bass and bass vocals.  Their first hit on both sides of the Atlantic was "Sherry", which was an American chart-topper.  Other similar recordings followed and they managed to hit the charts through to 1966 despite the prominence of the British beat groups.  They also had hits during the 1970s, including some solo recordings by Frankie Valli.  The band is still performing (as of 2016), but with Valli as the only original member.
# This classic Four Seasons recording failed to chart in the UK due to the dominance of the British beat groups.  The band got to number two in the summer of 1964, however (song 72).


18

Title: Not Fade Away
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Writer(s): 
 Buddy Holly & Norman Petty
Entered chart 27 Feb 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 15.

The Rolling Stones debuted on the British charts in 1963, and started a career which challenged the Beatles for the "top band" accolade during the 1960s.  The band comprised lead singer Mick Jagger (born 26 Jul 1943), guitarists Keith Richards (born 18 Dec 1943) and Brian Jones (28 Feb 1942 - 3 Jul 1969), bassist Bill Wyman (born 24 Oct 1936) and drummer Charlie Watts (2 Jun 1941 - 24 Aug 2021).  Their early hits were written by others, but Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon began writing their own material, and most of their biggest hits were composed by Jagger and Richards.  Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool during 1969, and was replaced by Mick Taylor, formerly of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.  Taylor left in 1974 and was replaced by Ronnie Wood who remains in the band at the present time.  Bill Wyman left in 1997 and has since toured and recorded with his own band.  The Stones clocked up 15 hits during the 1960s, including eight Number Ones.  Hits continued in the singles and album charts through the following decades up to the present time.  They still embark on world tours in the 21st century, the most recent being a concert tour of Latin America in 2016, 53 years after their first hit.
# This was their first Top 10 hit, and every one of their releases for the rest of the 1960s was a Top 10 entry.  Before their next hit single, their debut album charted, reaching Number One in the UK album chart.
# The song was written by Buddy Holly and his producer in 1957.  It was recorded by Holly, credited to The Crickets, and issued as the B-side of "Oh Boy!".


19

Title: Just One Look
Artist: The Hollies
Writer(s): 
 
Gregory Carroll & Doris Payne
Entered chart 27 Feb 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 13.

The Hollies was a beat group from Manchester, England.  It was formed by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in 1962, and by early summer 1963 they had their first hit.  In the autumn of that year they made their debut in the Top 10 with a recording of a former American chart topper, "Stay".  This started a run of fifteen Top 10 hits by the end of the 1960s, and they continued successfully into the 1970s as well.  At the time of this hit, the other three members were Eric Haydock, Tony Hicks, and Bobby Elliott.  They became one of the most successful bands of the 1960s, although they only reached the top of the UK charts once in that decade.  They finally broke into the USA charts in 1966, and enjoyed six Top 10 hits there.  Some squabbles with their management led to the departure of bass guitarist Eric Haydock in 1966.  Two years later, founding member Graham Nash left the group following the band's rejection of Nash's song "Marrakesh Express".  Clark and the others wanted to continue recording mainstream pop material, so Nash decamped to California where he teamed up with guitarist Stephen Stills (formerly with Buffalo Springfield), and David Crosby (ex-Byrds singer & guitarist) to form one of the first super groups, Crosby, Stills & Nash, which released "Marrakesh Express" as its debut single.  In 1971, Alan Clarke also left to pursue a solo career, but he returned in 1973 when the band was enjoying success in the USA.  With some changes of personnel, the group continued to perform through to the 1990s, mostly in the guise of a sixties revival group.  Clarke finally retired in 2000, but the Hollies still perform on the nostalgia circuit.
# The song was recorded in 1963 by the co-writer Doris Payne, under her stage name of Doris Troy.  It was a Top 10 hit in the USA.


20

Title: Little Children
Artist: Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas
Writer(s): 
 
J. Leslie McFarland & Mort Shuman
Producer: George Martin

Entered chart 27 Feb 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 13.

Billy J Kramer was born on 19 Aug 1943 in Bootle, Liverpool, England.  He began performing after he finished his education, and was soon spotted by Brian Epstein who was building a roster of artists from the Liverpool area, which already included the Beatles.  Kramer had a backing group, but none of them were interested in going professional, so Epstein found another band to back him.  They were the Dakotas from Manchester, who had a Top 20 instrumental hit in the summer of 1963.  The new group was soon signed up with EMI records and producer George Martin.  Their first release was a song written by the Beatles' Lennon and McCartney, and performed by them on their debut album "Please Please Me".  The Beatles' version was not planned to be a single, so it went to Kramer.  Billy J went on to record two further Lennon and McCartney songs which were both big hits during 1963.  This was followed by two more hits in 1964 and one in 1965, after which Kramer did not appear in the singles charts again.  He continued recording and performing on and off during the following decades, and as recently as 2012 he recorded a new album.
# Kramer decided to take break from songs written by Lennon & McCartney and record this track by the American composers.  The gamble paid off - providing him with his second of two Number One hits.


21

Title: Tell Me When
Artist: The Applejacks
Writer(s): 
 Les Reed & Geoff Stephens

Entered chart 5 Mar 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 13.

The Applejacks were a six-piece band from the Birmingham area of England with lead vocalist Al Jackson and female bass player Megan Davies.  The nucleus of the band had formed in 1961, performing as The Crestas, but with new members they became the Applejacks in 1962.  Their debut single "Tell Me When" was an instant hit, but follow-ups proved difficult.  Only two Top 30 hits came after this, with 1965 releases having no success.  In the later part of the decade they performed on cruise ships, but eventually disbanded.
# Al Jackson left the music business and worked his way up to the executive level at Prudential Insurance Company and later ran a fly fishing school in Pembrokeshire. 
Megan Davies obtained a Master of Science degree in epileptology, the study of the treatment of epilepsy, and worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, both located in London.


22

Title: That Girl Belongs To Yesterday
Artist: Gene Pitney
Writer(s): 
 Mick Jagger & Keith Richards

Entered chart 5 Mar 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 12.

Gene Pitney (17 Feb 1940 - 5 Apr 2006) was born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.  He formed a band whilst at high school and learned to play several instruments.  He had a couple of small hits in 1961 and 1962, and had written hits for other performers, such as Bobby Vee, but it was in 1963 that his career took off in the UK.  Pitney went on to considerable success, especially in the UK where he achieved ten Top 10 hits by the end of the 1960s.  By contrast, he only had four Top 10 hits in his American homeland.  His popularity continued through the following decades and he toured extensively.  He never reached Number One until his 1967 recording of "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart" was re-recorded as a duet with British singer Marc Almond, and the result topped the UK charts in 1989.  He was on a tour of the UK in 2006, when he was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales.  His death was deemed to be due to a heart attack.
# This was the follow-up to his debut Top 10 hit "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa".  Two more hits came along in 1964, plus his debut album "Blue Gene" which peaked at number seven in the UK album chart.
# This was one of the first songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.  Pitney had met them on a tour of the UK and heard them composing the song.  He decided to record it, and it became the first Jagger/Richards song to enter the charts.


23

Title: My Boy Lollipop
Artist: Millie
Writer(s): 
 Robert Spencer & Johnny Roberts

Entered chart 12 Mar 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 18.

Millie (Small) (6 Oct 1946 - 5 May 2020) was born on the island of Jamaica in the West Indies.  She won a talent contest in Jamaica when she was twelve, and wishing to pursue a music career, she moved to Kingston, Jamaica as a young teenager, living with relatives.  She began recording in 1962, and came to the attention of Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records, who brought her to London where she recorded this hit song.  TV appearances soon followed and she became a minor star in the UK.  Unfortunately, only two small hits followed, and she was soon forgotten.  She continued to live in London, although in 2012 she briefly returned to Jamaica for a series of concerts.  She died in London from a stroke at the age of 73.
# The West Indian rhythm on this recording is known as Blue Beat which evolved into Ska.

# "My Boy Lollipop" (originally "My Girl Lollipop") was written in the mid-1950s by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs.  It was first recorded in New York in 1956 by Barbie Gaye, where it became a local hit.


24

Title: A World Without Love
Artist: Peter & Gordon
Writer(s): 
 John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Entered chart 12 Mar 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 14.

Peter & Gordon were British duo Peter Asher (born 22 June 1944) and Gordon Waller (4 Jun 1945 - 17 Jul 2009), who enjoyed chart success in the mid-1960s.  Peter Asher (brother of actress Jane Asher) had been a child actor before embarking on a music career.  Asher and Waller met at school and began singing together in the early 1960s.  In 1963 Peter's sister Jane, began dating Paul McCartney.  This brought the duo in contact with the Beatles, and Paul McCartney offered them this song, which he had written some years earlier.  The song was an immediate success, reaching Number One in the UK, the USA and elsewhere.  They enjoyed seven hit singles and one hit album during the years 1964 to 1966.  They disbanded in 1968 and Waller began a solo career which was only partly successful.  He moved to the USA in the 1990s and started a publishing company.  He died there from a heart attack, aged 64.  Peter Asher moved into record production and artist management in the USA.  He has been very successful and has managed and produced many top artists, in particular singer-songwriter James Taylor.


25

Title: I Believe
Artist: The Bachelors
Writer(s): 
  Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl & Al Stillman

Entered chart 19 Mar 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 17.

This was their follow-up to the January chart-topper "Diane" (song 8).  They continued with revivals of old songs, which seemed to please their fans.  The summer saw them issue their first album "The Bachelors and 16 Great Songs", which climbed to number two on the album chart, and remained on the chart for 44 weeks.  Three more Top 10 hits came their way during 1964 - their most successful year in the charts.
# The song was written in 1953 and was commissioned and introduced by American vocalist Jane Froman on her television show.  The big hit recording was by Frankie Laine who saw it reach Number One in the UK.  It retained the Number One spot for 18 (non-consecutive) weeks, from April to August 1953 - an unbeaten achievement.  It peaked at number two in the USA.  The song was revived again in 1995 when British duo Robson & Jerome took their version to Number One in the UK charts during November that year.


26

Title: Mockingbird Hill
Artist: The Migil Five
Writer(s): 
  George Vaughn Horton

Entered chart 19 Mar 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 13.

The Migil Five were a British Rhythm & Blues group whose only significant hit was a Blue Beat version of the song "Mockingbird Hill".  The group began in north London in the early 1960s, and played a mixture of pop, R&B and Jazz music on the cabaret circuit until they were given a recording opportunity with Pye Records.  Their first single, "Maybe", was released in 1963.  Looking to reach a younger audience, they recorded their second single, "Mockingbird Hill", in a style then known as Blue Beat and later as Ska.  It was released the same week as Millie Small's Blue Beat hit "My Boy Lollipop" (song 23).  Their follow-up single, "Near You", reached number 31 on the UK chart, and the band released an album in 1964 as well.  Subsequent singles and an EP failed to make the British charts, and the group finally broke up in 1971.
# The song was written in 1950 and recorded that year by The Pinetoppers, an American Folk group which included the composer in the lineup.  In 1951 the song was recorded by multi-track guitarist Les Paul with his wife, Mary Ford, on vocals.  Patti Page also recorded the song in the same year, and both versions made the USA Top 10.


27

Title: Good Golly Miss Molly
Artist: The Swinging Blue Jeans
Writer(s): 
John Marascalco & Robert Blackwell

Entered chart 19 Mar 1964; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart 10.

The Swinging Blue Jeans is a Merseybeat band from Liverpool.  The group's origins go back to the 1950s, but the members had stablised into a five-piece by 1963 when they were given a recording contract by EMI.  Their first offering peaked at number 30 in the summer of 1963, after which they became a quartet.  The group was fronted by Ralph Ellis and Ray Ennis, and in late 1963 they hit the big time with a recording of an American song from 1959, "The Hippy Hippy Shake" (1963, song 99).  This proved to be their biggest hit, although they did reach number three in the summer of 1964.  After just five hits Ralph Ellis left to try a solo career in 1966, and other personnel changes took place.  They continued performing in cabaret and on the nostalgia circuits well into the 21st century.  In 2010 Ray Ennis announced his retirement from performing.  The band continues but with no original members.
# This was the follow-up to their first Top 10 hit "Hippy Hippy Shake", and only just missed out on a Top 10 placing.
# The song was first recorded by American performer Little Richard in 1956, although it was not released until 1958.  It reached number four in the USA and number eight in the UK (1958, song 24 in these lists).  In 1963, a version by Jerry Lee Lewis reached number 31 in the UK charts.


28

Title: Everything's Alright
Artist: The Mojos
Writer(s): 
Crouch, Konrad, Stavely, James, Karlson (the members of the band)

Entered chart 26 Mar 1964; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart 11.

The Mojos were another Merseybeat group from Liverpool, hoping to break into the big time.  Unfortunately, this was their only significant hit recording.  They had begun in 1962, but there were several personnel changes which did not help them to become an established band.  More changes were made after their three hits, when they were joined by bassist Lewis Collins, who later found fame as the co-star in the TV series "The Professionals".  He was present when they recorded subsequent singles, but none of those charted, and the band split up in 1966. 


29

Title: Can't Buy Me Love
Artist: The Beatles
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin

Entered chart 26 Mar 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 17.

The Beatles were a pop group from Liverpool, England who became the most popular and well-known music group in the world during the 1960s.  They also conquered America, becoming the biggest band there.  The members were John Lennon (9 Oct 1940 - 8 Dec 1980), Paul McCartney (born 18 Jun 1942), George Harrison (25 Feb 1943 - 29 Nov 2001), and Ringo Starr (born 7 Jul 1940).  All four were born and raised in Liverpool, England.  They began with live performances in Liverpool, then Hamburg in Germany.  Brian Epstein saw them, and offered to be their manager.  He arranged a record deal with EMI's Parlophone label, which had producer and arranger George Martin in charge.  During the following seven years, The Beatles and Martin crafted a string of new and innovative singles and albums that kept them at the top of the charts worldwide, and inspired countless other musicians.  They went on to have 21 consecutive Top 4 singles from 1963 to 1970, with 17 reaching Number One - eleven of those consecutive.  On the album front, they had eleven Number One original studio albums, the biggest being the 1967 concept album "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" which remained in the UK album chart for 149 weeks (nearly three years!).  Their success led to more groups from Liverpool hitting the charts, and the phrases Merseybeat and Beatlemania came into everyday use.  However, internal differences between band members led to the band's breakup in April 1970.  All four members went on to have successful solo careers.
# This was their first new hit of 1964, although their December 1963 release, "I Want To Hold Your Hand", was still selling strongly in the first couple months of 1964.  "
Can't Buy Me Love" was featured in the Beatles' first film "A Hard Day's Night".  The title track would be a chart-topper in July 1964 (song 61).
# American Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald covered "Can't Buy Me Love", and her version reached number 34 in the UK charts during May 1964.


30

Title: Juliet
Artist: The Four Pennies
Writer(s): 
Fritz Fryer, Mike Wilsh & Lionel Morton (band members)
Entered chart 2 Apr 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 15.

The Four Pennies was a group from Blackburn, Lancashire, England.  They only came together in 1963, but quickly signed a recording contract with Philips Records.  Their first release stalled at number 43, but their second recording "Juliet", went all the way to Number One.  Unfortunately they were unable to maintain this success.  They followed with three Top 20 hits, two of which rose no higher than number 19.  Their final single came in 1966, peaking at number 32, and the band broke up that year.  They charted with one album, "Two Sides Of Four Pennies", which reached number 13 in the album chart in late 1964.


31

Title: Don't Throw Your Love Away
Artist: The Searchers
Writer(s): 
Jimmy Wisner & Billy Jackson
Producer: Tony Hatch

Entered chart 16 Apr 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 11.

This was their follow-up to "Needles And Pins" (song 6), and was their third of three chart-toppers.  Some minor personnel changes occurred while this track was in the charts, but it did not slow the momentum, as they reached the Top 10 again in the autumn of 1964 (song 78).
# The Searchers continued recycling American R&B hits with great success.  This song was originally recorded by The Orlons from Philadelphia, USA, in 1963, but only appeared as the B-side to a single that peaked at number 55 in the American charts.  So again, a Searchers recording was greeted as new by the fans, even though it was not an original song.


32

Title: Walk On By
Artist: Dionne Warwick
Writer(s): 
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Producer:
Burt Bacharach
Entered chart 16 Apr 1964; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart 14.

Dionne Warwick was born on 12 Dec 1940 in New Jersey, USA.  After completing high school, she went to a music college in Connecticut, and at the same time, she got some work singing backing vocals for recording sessions in New York City. During one session, Warwick met Burt Bacharach, who hired her to record demos of songs written by him and lyricist Hal David.  This led to a recording contract and a unique partnership with Bacharach and David.  Over the next several years 30 of her American Top 40 hits were written by Bacharach and David, which Bacharach mostly arranged and produced.  In the UK much of her output was covered by British singers such as Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and Dusty Springfield.  This limited Warwick to only three Top 20 hits during the 1960s, although she did have more hits in the 1980s.  In the early 1970s Bacharach and David went their separate ways, leaving Warwick to continue with new writers and producers over the next decades.  She was still recording well into the 21st century.
# "Walk On By" has been recorded by several acts since 1964, and have reached the UK charts as follows:  The Stranglers (1978, number 21), the Average White Band (1979, number 46), D Train (1982, number 44), Sybil (1990, number 6), and Gabrielle (1997, number 7).


33

Title: Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)
Artist: Manfred Mann
Writer(s): 
Mike Hugg, Paul Jones, Manfred Mann, Tom McGuinness & Mike Vickers (the band members)
Entered chart 16 Apr 1964; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart 8.

This was their follow-up to "5-4-3-2-1" (song 9), but it just missed out on a Top 10 placing.  However, the band was building momentum, and by the summer of 1964 they were at Number One (song 60).  They were also on concert tours of the UK during 1964.


34

Title: Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
Artist: Gerry & The Pacemakers
Writer(s): 
Gerry Marsden (some record labels also credit other band members)
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 16 Apr 1964; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart 11.

This was the group's second hit of the year, and was another written by Gerry Marsden.  There was a slight downward trend in the chart peak position of their singles, but this is one of their most famous songs.  It was also the song that broke them in the USA, where it reached number four on the charts.
# The song has been recorded by many other singers, including Steve Lawrence (1964), Louise Cordet (1964), José Feliciano (1968), Rickie Lee Jones (1989), Gloria Estefan (1994), and Paul Carrack (2010), but the original is the only one to visit the UK singles charts.


35

Title: A Little Loving
Artist: The Fourmost
Writer(s): 
Russ Alquist (American songwriter, living in London at the time)
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 23 Apr 1964; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart 13.

The Fourmost were a Liverpool group, part of the Merseybeat scene, whose origins went back to the late 1950s, but the four members of the hit making band were in place by the autumn of 1962.  They performed around Liverpool including the Cavern Club, and were seen and signed up by Brian Epstein (Beatles manager) in mid 1963.  He arranged a recording contract with EMI records and producer George Martin.  John Lennon and Paul McCartney had a huge number of songs available, which they had written over several years.  The song chosen for the group's debut ("Hello Little Girl") was written by John Lennon in 1957.  The recording had the right sound for the time, and quickly climbed into the Top 10.  The Fourmost went on to have six chart hits including two Top 10 entries by the end of 1965.  The group continued performing for several decades, although much of the personnel changed several times.  The current touring band has no original members.
# This was their final Top 10 entry.  Their three subsequent hits reached no higher than number 23.


36

Title: It's Over
Artist: Roy Orbison
Writer(s): 
Roy Orbison & Bill Dees 
Entered chart 30 Apr 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 18.

Roy Orbison (23 Apr 1936 - 6 Dec 1988) was born in Vernon, Texas, USA.  He started playing guitar as a child, and formed a high school band, playing mostly Country Music.  The band remained together and, called The Teen Kings", they began playing on local radio stations.  At one of those broadcasts, Johnny Cash was in the radio station, and suggested the group approached Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.  They duly went, and recorded a song called "Ooby Dooby" which reached number 59 in the USA charts.  He struggled with hits after that, and concentrated on songwriting.  In 1960 he signed for Monument Records, and very soon recorded his classic hit "Only The Lonely" (year 1960, song 69 in these lists).  More major hits followed during the 1960s, and he continued to tour during the 1970s and 1980s.  He died from a heart attack in 1988, following which recordings made earlier in the 1980s began reaching the charts, including two Top 10 entries from 1989 to 1992.
#
American performers had difficulty making an impact on the UK charts during the years 1963, 1964 and to a certain extent 1965, owing to the dominance of the British beat groups.  One exception, however, was Roy Orbison who not only hit Number One twice in 1964, and had two other chart entries, but he embarked on sell-out tours of the UK as well.  This was the first of his two chart-toppers in this year.


37

Title: Constantly
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): 
Saverio Seracini (music) & Michael Julien (English lyrics) 
Entered chart 30 Apr 1964; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart 13.

This was Cliff's second of five Top 10 chart entries during this year.  This slow ballad is of Italian origin with the original title of "L'Edera" (the ivy) that was a hit in Italy during 1958. The English lyrics were written especially for Cliff Richard.


38

Title: Someone Someone
Artist: Brian Poole & The Tremeloes
Writer(s): 
Edwin Greines & Violet Ann Petty
Entered chart 7 May 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 17.

This was the follow-up to the group's first hit of the year, "Candy Man" (song 10).  It was also their fourth Top 10 entry, but it would turn out to be their final appearance in the upper echelons of the charts.  Only three smaller hits came after this, their last in 1965.  As mentioned earlier, The Tremeloes without Poole went on to great success in the latter part of the 1960s, starting in 1967.
# The song was originally recorded by The Crickets in 1959, released as the B-side to "Love's Made a Fool of You" in 1960.  The co-composer, Violet Ann Petty was the wife of, Buddy Holly & The Crickets' manager and producer, Norman Petty.


39

Title: You're My World
Artist: Cilla Black
Writer(s): 
Umberto Bindi, Gino Paoli, English lyrics by Carl Sigman
Producer: George Martin

Entered chart 7 May 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 17.

This was her follow-up to "Anyone Who Had A Heart" (song 12), and was her second of two chart toppers.  She went on to have a further eight Top 10 hits during the 1960s, and became one of the most popular singers of that decade.
# This is an Italian song, originally titled "Il Mio Mondo" (my world), and recorded by co-writer Umberto Bindi in 1963, although it was not a hit, even in Italy.  Black's version was a hit in several countries around the world.


40

Title: The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt
Artist: The Shadows
Writer(s): 
Hank B Marvin, Bruce Welch, Brian Bennett & John Rostill
Entered chart 7 May 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 14.

The Shadows were Cliff Richard's backing band, who were at first called The Drifters.  At the time of this hit, the members of the group were Hank B Marvin (born 28 Oct 1941), lead guitar, Bruce Welch (born 2 Nov 1941), rhythm guitar, Brian Bennett (born 9 Feb 1940), drums, and John Rostill (16 Jun 1942 - 26 Nov 1973), bass guitar.  Whilst remaining Cliff Richard's backing band for several years, The Shadows enjoyed considerable success in their own right, and in the early to mid-1960s, were Britain's top instrumental group, achieving five Number One hits plus an additional nine Top 10 entries out of 24 hits in total during the 1960s.  Not content with that, they had more hits in the 1970s and early 1980s.
#
The character Flingel Bunt is an imaginary character invented by the actor Richard O'Sullivan, a friend of the Shadows. The full title was given to the tune after the group had been to see the film "The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond".
# This was the band's final Top 10 instrumental hit of the 1960s.  They enjoyed a vocal Top 10 entry in 1965, and had a couple more (instrumental) Top 10s in the late 1970s.


41

Title: No Particular Place To Go
Artist: Chuck Berry
Writer(s): 
Chuck Berry
Entered chart 7 May 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 12.

Chuck Berry (18 Oct 1926 - 18 Mar 2017) was born in St Louis, Missouri, USA. He started performing in the early 1950s, and in 1955 began his recording career with "Maybellene" which reached Number One on the US R&B chart.  By the end of the 1950s he was an established star, and he had more hits during the 1960s.  He often courted controversy and had two spells in prison.  This never seemed to adversely effect his popularity, and he continued performing into the 21st century.  He died in March 2017 at the age of 90.  In June 2017 a new album, "Chuck", was released comprising new recordings made over a few years, his first album of new material since 1979.
# This was his first Top 10 entry since "Memphis Tennessee" in the autumn of 1963.


42

Title: Shout
Artist: Lulu
Writer(s): 
O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley & Ronald Isley
Entered chart 14 May 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 13.

Lulu was born on 3 Nov 1948 near Glasgow, Scotland.  She started singing at a young age and by the time she was 13 she had a manager and was singing with a band around Glasgow.  Her manager took her to London in early 1964 and arranged a recording deal with Decca Records.  Her debut single, "Shout", was an American R&B song written by the Isley Brothers.  It was an instant hit, and Lulu's career took off from there.  However, some of her recordings with Decca did not sell as well as was hoped and she missed the charts completely in 1966.  So, in 1967 she moved to EMI's Columbia label, and producer Mickie Most.  This gave her a new start, with hits for the rest of the 1960s.  Lulu was given her own BBC TV series in 1968, which ran annually until 1975.  In 1969 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest where she came joint first with three other countries.  She continued to record and tour in the following decades, and in 1993 achieved her first chart-topper when she duetted with boy band Take That on "Relight My Fire".  She was in the Top 10 again in 2002 when she duetted with Ronan Keating with the song "We've Got Tonight".  Recording and touring continued, and she embarked on another concert tour of the UK during the autumn of 2017.
# The song was written and recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1959.  It was not a big hit for them, but in 1962 it was recorded by Joey Dee & The Starlighters who took it to number six in the USA charts.  In 1993, British rap duo Louchie Lou & Michie One saw their version reach number seven in the UK charts.


43

Title: Here I Go Again
Artist: The Hollies
Writer(s): 
Mort Shuman & Clive Westlake
Entered chart 21 May 1964; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart 12.

This was their follow-up to "Just One Look" (song 19), which had reached number two in March 1964.  This was the third recording in a run of seven consecutive Top 10 hits between November 1963 and September 1965.  During May 1964, their debut album, "Stay With The Hollies" was peaking at number two.
# Clive Westlake was a prolific British songwriter, and Mort Shuman was an American composer who wrote many Rock 'n' Roll hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s - several for Elvis Presley.

# This is not the same song as "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake which was a Top 10 hit in 1987.


44

Title: My Guy
Artist: Mary Wells
Writer(s): 
Smokey Robinson
Entered chart 21 May 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 14.

Mary Wells (13 May 1943 - 26 Jul 1992) was born in Detriot, USA.  She was brought up by a single mother, and her early life was difficult.  She also suffered from a number of illnesses before she was twelve.  By the time she was 17 she had decided that a musical career would take out of poverty.  She approached Tamla Motown records which was just starting up in 1960, and she was rewarded with a contract.  Her first single was a moderate success in the USA, but she was then teamed up with Smokie Robinson who wrote and produced several recordings which became USA-only Top 10 hits.  Then in 1964 she recorded "My Guy" which finally introduced her to the UK charts.  The recording went to Number One in the USA and sold a million copies.  Unfortunately, she left Motown later in 1964 over a contract dispute.  She then recorded for a number of different labels, but was never able to match her early success.  In 1990 she was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, and she was forced to retire from singing.  She died from the disease in 1992 at the age of 49.


45

Title: Hold Me
Artist: P J Proby
Writer(s): 
Jack Little, David Oppenheim, & Ira Schuster
Entered chart 28 May 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 15.

P J Proby was born on 6 Nov 1938 in Houston, Texas, USA.  After he graduated from high school, and deciding that he wanted a showbiz career, he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor and recording artist.  He soon had bit-parts in a couple of films.  He was introduced to Liberty Records by Sharon Sheeley (1940-2002) who was a songwriter (wrote songs for Ricky Nelson) and was Eddie Cochran's former fiancée.  His early recordings were unsuccessful, but he did gain experience by recording demos for various stars of the day.  He was later introduced to Jack Good (producer of the British TV show "Oh Boy!"), who took him to London, and produced his first hits in the UK.  His debut was "Hold Me" which climbed to number three in the British charts.  Several hits followed during 1964 and 1965.  However, during two different energetic concert performances he split his trousers, which led to him being banned by theatres and TV organisations.  This obviously restricted his chances of performing new records, and his popularity waned.  Nevertheless, he continued singing and acting back in the USA for several decades with varying degrees of success.  In the 21st century he has been touring with sixties nostalgia shows, and was performing in Scotland during 2017.
# The song was written in 1933 and has been recorded by numerous performers.  The only other version to appear in the UK charts was in 1981 when recorded as a duet by B A Robertson and Maggie Bell.


46

Title: Can't You See That She's Mine
Artist: The Dave Clark Five
Writer(s): 
Mike Smith & Dave Clark
Entered chart 28 May 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 11.

This was their third Top 10 hit and the follow-up to "Bits And Pieces" which had been at number two in March 1964 (song 16).  They were just as popular in the USA as they were at home at this time, and they made numerous American TV appearances.  They were also riding high in the album chart during the early summer of 1964 with their LP "A Session With The Dave Clark Five".


47

Title: You're No Good
Artist: The Swinging Blue Jeans
Writer(s): 
Clint Ballard Jr
Entered chart 4 June 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 13.

This brought them back into the Top 10 after their previous release "Good Golly Miss Molly" (song 27) stalled at number 11.  However, this turned out to be their final Top 10 entry.  Their next hit did not come until early 1966, which peaked at number 31, and was their last visit to the UK charts.
# This American song was first recorded by Dee Dee Warwick (sister of Dionne Warwick) in 1963.  It has been recorded by other artists, including Betty Everett in 1963 also (American hit only), and Linda Ronstadt who reached Number One with it in the USA during 1975.  The Swinging Blue Jeans version is the only one to enter the UK charts.


48

Title: Ramona
Artist: The Bachelors
Writer(s): 
L Wolfe Gilbert & Mabel Wayne
Entered chart 4 June 1964; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart 13.

The Bachelors were specialists in reviving old songs, and this release was no exception.  It was their follow-up to "I Believe" which had reached number two in spring 1964 (song 25).  They were now a major act in the UK with plenty of TV and live appearances, including a summer season in Blackpool during 1964.
# The song was written in 1928 as the theme to the film "Ramona" (based on the novel "Ramona" by Helen Hunt Jackson).  Recordings of the song were made by several artists and bands in that year, and in the decades that followed.  The Bachelors version is the only one to appear in the UK charts.


49

Title: Nobody I Know
Artist: Peter & Gordon
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Entered chart 4 June 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 11.

This was the duo's follow-up to "A World Without Love (song 24) which had been a Number One hit in April/May 1964.  This release only just breached the Top 10 which was probably disappointing.  It was also their last hit of the year, with two releases in late summer and autumn failing to reach the UK charts, although both those singles made the Top 20 in the USA.  However, they bounced back in 1965 with two UK Top 5 hits - both revivals of songs from the 1950s.  (See also song 24).


50

Title: Love Me With All Your Heart
Artist: Karl Denver
Writer(s): 
Rafael Gaston Perez (music) & Michael Vaughn (English lyrics)
Entered chart 4 June 1964; Highest Position 37; Weeks on chart 6.

Karl Denver (16 Dec 1931 - 21 Dec 1998) was born in Glasgow, Scotland.  He worked at sea for some years, then lived in Nashville, USA, where he sang on local radio.  Returning to the UK he began performing at venues in the north of England.  This led to a contract with Decca Records, and this debut hit came along in 1961.  He had a unique style involving much falsetto yodelling.  He achieved four Top 10 hits into 1962, and several smaller hits until mid-1964.  He performed in cabaret after that and made a few albums right up to 1993.  He died from a brain tumour in December 1998, at the age of 67.
# He had enjoyed his four Top 10 hits plus six others before the release of this, his final chart entry.
# The original lyrics were written in the Spanish language by Carlos Rigual and Mario Rigual with the title "Cuando calienta el sol" (when the sun heats up).  The English lyrics are unrelated to the original words.
# In the USA, it was the Ray Charles Singers (nothing to do with the R&B singer) who had the hit version, which reached number three on the American charts.  It has been recorded by many other performers including The Bachelors in 1966, whose version reached number 38 in the USA, Engelbert Humperdinck for a 1970 album, and Agnetha Fältskog for her 2004 album "My Colouring Book".


51

Title: Like Dreamers Do
Artist: The Applejacks
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Entered chart 11 June 1964; Highest Position 20; Weeks on chart 11.

This was the follow-up to their spring 1964 hit "Tell Me When" (song 21).  Despite their Top 10 start, this recording only just managed to reach the Top 20.  This was all the more surprising as the song was written by Paul McCartney.  Their third and final hit peaked at number 23 in the autumn of 1964, and then they were gone from the UK charts.  See song 21 for more info about the band.
# The Beatles had recorded this song as part of their (unsuccessful) audition with Decca Records.  That recording appeared on the Beatles' "Anthology" album in 1995.


52

Title: The House Of The Rising Sun
Artist: The Animals
Writer(s): 
Traditional, arranged by Alan Price
Producer: Mickie Most
Entered chart 25 June 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 12.

The Animals were a five-piece band from Newcastle, England.  Their style was Blues/R&B, and they, together with groups like the Rolling Stones, revived old American Folk and Blues songs, and often reintroduced them to the American record-buying public.  The Animals were formed in 1962 and comprised Eric Burdon (born 11 May 1941)(vocals), Alan Price (keyboards), Chas Chandler (bass), Hilton Valentine (guitar), and John Steel (drums).  They moved to London, and signed with EMI's Columbia label and producer Mickie Most.  They were quickly assimilated into the British Beat music boom and became part of the so-called British Invasion of the USA during the second half of 1964.  Their first release was a modest success, but their follow-up, "The House Of The Rising Sun" was regarded as adventurous, as is was a slow American Folk song running for four and a half minutes.  Despite the length of the recording, and being totally different to the toe-tapping Merseybeat records, it went all the way to Number One in both the UK and the USA.  However, even by 1965, things were changing.  Alan Price decided to leave and form his own successful group.  The remainder of the band were getting unhappy with Mickie Most's choice of songs, so left EMI and signed with MGM in the USA and Decca in the UK, and re-titled themselves Eric Burdon & The Animals, in 1966.  However, Burdon then started recording solo, and the group disbanded that year.  Burdon put together a new band, still called Eric Burdon & The Animals, and they went on to have success in the USA, but the only Top 10 hit in the UK, "San Franciscan Nights", came in 1967.  Various line-ups have reunited over the decades for concerts and tours - the most recent in 2008.  In 2016 Burdon formed another Animals band.  As The Animals, they had six Top 10 hits plus the Number One between 1964 and 1966 in the UK.  As Eric Burdon & The Animals they had six hits, one of which made the Top 10, in the UK between 1966 and 1969.
# In 1970, American Rock band Frijid Pink recorded the song, and saw it reach number four in the UK (number 7 USA).  In 1993, British band Rage peaked at number 41 with their version of the song.


53

Title: Kissin' Cousins
Artist: Elvis Presley
Writer(s): 
Fred Wise & Randy Starr
Entered chart 25 June 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 11.

The King of Rock 'n' Roll (8 Jan 1935 - 16 Aug 1977) was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, USA.  He and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was 13 years old.  Soon afterwards he acquired his first guitar and began playing and singing.  He started his recording career at Sun Records in Memphis, USA.  It took several attempts to get Sun owner Sam Phillips to let Presley record, but eventually a session was arranged with guitarist Scotty Moore and upright bass player Bill Black providing backing.  The resultant track "That's Alright" was soon on local radio in Memphis, and it became a local hit.  Public performances followed, including numerous appearances on the "Louisiana Hayride" radio show which was broadcast to half the USA.  Eventually he became famous enough for RCA records to buy out his Sun contract and take him to Nashville, in 1956.  He rose to be arguably the biggest music star of the 20th century, with world-wide record sales of over one billion.  Also in 1956 Elvis made his movie debut in the film "Love Me Tender".  By the end of 1969 he had completed 31 films.  He made no more movies after that, instead concentrating on live concert performances, including many in Las Vegas.  His home in Memphis, "Graceland", is now a museum and major tourist attraction, and his recordings continue to be heard throughout the world.
# This was his only Top 10 entry of 1964.  Even Elvis was struggling against the beat groups both in the UK and USA.  The situation was not helped by his being locked into a series of low budget films with indifferent songs.  Even so he did get a number of Top 20 hits for the remainder of the 1960s, with a few reaching the Top 10.
# This was the title song from his film "Kissin' Cousins".  The film made a profit but only came 26th in the list of top grossing movies of 1964 in the USA.  The soundtrack album reached number five in the UK.


54

Title: I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
Artist: Dusty Springfield
Writer(s): 
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Entered chart 2 July 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 12.

This was her third hit and the follow-up to "Stay Awhile" (song 14) which charted in February 1964.  She was now becoming established as a major performer in the UK with TV and concert appearances.  She also toured Australia and New Zealand in 1964 along with other British acts of the time.  She enjoyed another Top 10 hit in the autumn of 1964 (song 88).
# Unusually, this
Bacharach & David song had not been recorded by Dionne Warwick at the time.  She did record it two years later in 1966, when it was a modest hit in the USA.


55

Title: It's All Over Now
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Writer(s): 
Bobby Womack & Shirley Womack
Entered chart 2 July 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 15.

The Rolling Stones enjoyed their first Number One with this recording.  It was the follow-up to "Not Fade Away" which had peaked at number three in March 1964.  This began a run of five chart-toppers up to the end of 1965.  They had been touring in the USA during June 1964 and heard this song being played in a radio studio.  Deciding it was just right for them, they immediately recorded the song in Chicago at the Chess studios.  Just one month later it was in the charts.
# This was a cover of the original by The Valentinos, an American group that had Bobby Womack as lead vocalist.  That recording  was a minor hit in the USA in June 1964, and was vastly out-sold in America by the Rolling Stones version.


56

Title: On The Beach
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): 
Bruce Welch, Hank B Marvin & Cliff Richard
Entered chart 2 July 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 13.

This was his third consecutive Top 10 recording of the year.  The song is taken from his 1964 musical film "Wonderful Life", which was his third all-colour film, although it was not as well received as his earlier two, "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday".  Nevertheless, he remained extremely popular at this time, when most of his contemporaries from the late 1950s had fallen by the wayside.
# The film was mostly shot in the Canary Islands.  The soundtrack album reached number two on the UK album chart, and remained on the chart for 23 weeks.
# This was the only Cliff Richard single released from the film soundtrack, although his ballad in the film, "A Matter Of Moments", was on the B-side of "On The Beach".  The Shadows tune "Theme For Young Lovers" which featured in the film was released as a single, and it reached number 12 in the UK singles charts of March 1964.


57

Title: Wishin' And Hopin'
Artist: Merseybeats
Writer(s): 
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Entered chart 9 July 1964; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart 10.

This was their final Top 20 hit - three subsequent releases getting no higher than number 22.  For more info about the band see song 5 above.
#
The song was first recorded by Dionne Warwick but was only the B-side of Warwick's single "This Empty Place", in the spring of 1963.  Dusty Springfield, who had heard the Warwick version, recorded "Wishin' and Hopin'" in January 1964.  However, the single "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" was released instead and that song was in the charts at the same time as the Merseybeats "Wishin' And Hopin'".  However, Springfield's version was released in the USA and reached number six on the American charts.  Springfield sang the song several times on British TV in 1964, and it was included on her album "A Girl Called Dusty".


58

Title: Tobacco Road
Artist: The Nashville Teens
Writer(s): 
John D. Loudermilk
Producer: Mickie Most

Entered chart 9 July 1964; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart 13.

The Nashville Teens were a British group from Weybridge, Surrey, England.  They were formed in 1962 but had numerous personnel changes even before they had their debut hit "Tobacco Road".  Rather like the Beatles and others, they had been performing in Hamburg, Germany, and had also been backing band for several visiting American vocalists such as Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry.  They were spotted by Mickie Most at one of the concerts who had them signed up to Decca Records, and produced their debut single.  It was a success, reaching the Top 10, as did their follow-up.  Unfortunately, only three minor hits followed that before they disappeared from the charts.  They have continued to perform, with more personnel changes, having taken place.
#
The song was written in 1960 by American Country singer John D. Loudermilk, who also made the original recording.  Loudermilk had been in the UK charts in 1962 with "The Language Of Love" (year 1962, song 4 in these lists).


59

Title: I Get Around
Artist: The Beach Boys
Writer(s): 
Brian Wilson & Mike Love
Entered chart 9 July 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 13.

The Beach Boys are an American band formed in California, USA, in 1961.  The group's original lineup comprised brothers Brian (born 20 June 1942), Dennis (4 Dec 1944 - 28 Dec 1983), and Carl Wilson (21 Dec 1946 - 6 Feb 1998); their cousin Mike Love (born 15 March 1941); and their friend Al Jardine (born 3 Sep 1942).  They began as a Surfing Rock group on the west coast of America, with vocal harmonies that promoted the Californian lifestyle of surf, cars and romance in the sunshine.  But with the increasingly complex writing and production of Brian Wilson in the mid-1960s, they became one of the the leading innovators of popular music.  Their first recordings from 1961 did not score in the UK, and many were not even released in Britain.  But in 1963, they had their first hit ("Surfin' USA"), although it peaked at a lowly number 34.  Even their now-regarded classic hits of late 1964 to the end of 1965 only achieved Top 30 status, until "Barbara Ann" of February 1966 started a run of Top 10 hits, helped, no doubt, by the airings given by the all-music pirate radio stations of 1965-67.  Regular hits continued until 1970, with sporadic entries in the following decades.
# Dennis Wilson drowned in 1983 after a heavy drinking session, at age 39.  Carl Wilson died from lung cancer in Los Angeles in 1998, aged 51.  Bruce Johnson (born 27 Jun 1942) joined the band in 1965 to replace Brian Wilson on live performances so that Brian could concentrate on studio production work.  Johnson subsequently became a regular member, performing on their studio albums as well.


60

Title: Do Wah Diddy Diddy
Artist: Manfred Mann
Writer(s): 
Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich (had previously written hits for the Crystals and the Ronettes)
Entered chart 16 July 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 14.

This was their third hit and the first of three chart-toppers in the UK, and it established them as a major music group.  It was also Number One in the USA, which made them part of the "British Invasion" of the American music scene.  Another Top 10 hit came for the group in the autumn of 1964 (song 86).  
# The song was originally recorded by American vocal group The Exciters, but their recording stalled at a lowly number 78 on the American charts in the early part of 1964.


61

Title: A Hard Day's Night
Artist: The Beatles
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 16 July 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 13.

This was the title song from their first film, and their fifth consecutive chart-topper.  The film was a great success, and was regarded as ground-breaking at the time.  It was in a semi-documentary style, following the group through several days of work and running from adoring fans, although it was all scripted.  It was said to be the inspiration for the Monkees' TV show in America.
# The soundtrack album entered the charts at the same time as this single, and it reached Number One on the album chart.  Both the single and album were chart-toppers in the USA.
# In 1965 comedy actor Peter Sellers recorded a spoken-word version of the song in the style of Laurence Olivier in the film version of William Shakespeare's play "Richard III".  The recording reached number 14 in the UK charts.


62

Title: Have I The Right
Artist: The Honeycombs
Writer(s): 
Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley (later wrote hits for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mike & Tich)
Producer: Joe Meek
Entered chart 23 July 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 15.

Just as the Applejacks, with their female bass player, were fading from the charts, along came the Honeycombs with a female drummer.  This excited the press once again and afforded the group useful publicity.  The Honeycombs were a five-piece group, founded in London, England in 1963.  The lead singer was Denis D'Ell (14 Oct 1943 - 6 Jul 2005) from east London.  Singer and drummer, Honey Lantree (28 Aug 1943 - 23 Dec 2018), came from west London.  Honey's brother John Lantree played bass.  The band played in clubs and pubs in north London, and met record producer Joe Meek, along with songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley.  This resulted in Joe Meek recording the band and arranging a deal with Pye Records.  This debut hit went all the way to Number One in the UK charts, and it reached number five in the USA as well.  They then embarked on a long tour of the far east and Australia, which left them unable to promote their next releases.  As a result, singles issued in autumn 1964 and spring 1965 stalled at numbers 38 and 39 in the UK charts.  They did return to the charts in summer 1965 with a final hit that reached number 12.  They continued with live performances after that, although three members left the group and had to be replaced.  They disbanded in 1967.
#
This hit was producer Joe Meek's third and final Number One hit, following successes by the Tornadoes and John Leyton earlier in the 1960s.


63

Title: From A Window
Artist: Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 23 July 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 8.

Kramer decided to return to the songs of Lennon and McCartney for this release, which was the follow-up to his chart-topper of February 1964, "Little Children" (song 20).  This recording just made it to number ten, but it turned out to be his last visit to the Top 10 of the UK charts, only fourteen months after his debut hit reached number two.  Just one more hit came after this, in May 1965, when he reached number 12 with a Bacharach & David song.  His intervening release in autumn 1964 had failed to enter the UK charts, although it did reach number 67 in the USA.  With the Dakotas he issued singles until 1967, but with no success.  He released solo singles from 1968 to 1984, but none were hits.


64

Title: It's Only Make Believe
Artist: Billy Fury
Writer(s): 
Jack Nance & Conway Twitty
Entered chart 23 July 1964; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart 10.

Billy Fury revived this Conway Twitty hit from 1959, and made it back into the Top 10 for the first time since the summer of 1963, although three recordings in between did reach the Top 20.  Only one more Top 10 came after this, in July 1965, followed by three smaller hits until the summer of 1966.  For more info on Billy Fury, see song 1.
# The song was originally a chart-topper on both sides of the Atlantic for co-writer Conway Twitty.  It had entered the charts on 14 Nov 1958, and was at Number One in the UK
from 19 Dec 1958 to 22 Jan 1959 (see year 1959, song 1).  The song has been revived again and become a UK hit twice since Billy Fury's version.  They are by Glen Campbell (1970, number 4), and Child (1978, number 10).


65

Title: The Crying Game
Artist: Dave Berry
Writer(s): 
Geoff Stephens
Entered chart 6 Aug 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 12.

Dave Berry was born on 6 Feb 1941 in Sheffield, England.  His first hit came in 1963 - a cover of a Chuck Berry hit.  It just scraped into the Top 20, but by the summer of 1964 he was in the Top 10, something he did twice more until the summer of 1966.  His stage act was unusual, with him being dressed entirely in black, and writhing his body and caressing the microphone as he sang.  Although his chart career lasted barely three years in the UK, he was very popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, where he performed in concert and saw his recording "This Strange Effect" reach Number One in both countries during 1967.  He has never stopped performing, and has continued concert appearances well into the 21st century.
# The song has been recorded by several other acts, including Boy George, who took his version to number 22 in the UK charts during 1992.


66

Title: It's For You
Artist: Cilla Black
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 6 Aug 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 10.

Cilla had enjoyed two Number Ones earlier in this year, but from now on she had to be content with Top 10 entries.  She had a total of nine such hits through to 1971.  She was busy throughout the remainder of the 1960s with TV appearances and live shows, including a couple of summer seasons in Blackpool.
# This song was written especially for Cilla Black, mainly by Paul McCartney, but with input by John Lennon.


67

Title: You Really Got Me
Artist: The Kinks
Writer(s): 
Ray Davies (the leader of the group)
Entered chart 13 Aug 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 12.

The Kinks were a four-piece band formed in north London, England by the brothers Ray and Dave Davies.  Ray Davies, born 21 June 1944, and Dave Davies, born 3 Feb 1947 were joined by Mick Avory on drums and Pete Quaife on bass to complete the original lineup.  Ray had been at art school in the early sixties and had played guitar with different R&B bands in London.  He joined the Ravens in 1962 which included his brother Dave on lead guitar and drummer Avory.  They signed a contract with Pye Records, but changed their name to the Kinks with encouragement from their management.  Their first two releases failed to chart, but this third single zoomed all the way to Number One in the UK and was a Top 10 hit in the USA.  They went on to enjoy twelve further Top 10 hits in the UK by 1970, including another Number One in 1965 - all written by Ray Davies.  The band continued recording and performing on and off over the following years, albeit with some personnel changes, but finally broke up in 1996.  The Davies brothers have recorded solo albums, and some past members have regrouped for live performances as the Kast Off Kinks, until the present time.


68

Title: As Tears Go By
Artist: Marianne Faithfull
Writer(s): 
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Andrew Loog Oldham
Entered chart 13 Aug 1964; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart 13.

Marianne Faithfull was born on 29 Dec 1946 in Hampstead, north London, England.  She had started singing Folk music in coffeehouses in early 1964, and got herself into the London music scene, where she met Andrew Loog Oldham who was the manager of the Rolling Stones.  He saw her potential, and signed her up, including a recording contract with Decca.  Oldham had been encouraging Jagger and Richards to start writing their own material, and "As Tears Go By", one of their earliest compositions was given to Marianne.  The recording was her debut hit, and it began a run of four Top 10 hits.  However, her career as a hit record artist barely lasted one year.  Her final Top 10 hit came in July 1965, followed by just two small hits that peaked at 36 and 43.  Despite having married in 1965 and given birth to a son, she began an affair with Mick Jagger, and she was soon better known as Jagger's girl friend than a singer.  She became addicted to drugs in 1967, effectively ending her career.  She gradually recovered from the addiction, and in 1979 returned to the lower reaches of the charts with an album and single.  She has continued to record and perform, and she released a new album, backed by a concert tour in 2014.


69

Title: I Wouldn't Trade You For The World
Artist: The Bachelors
Writer(s): 
William Taylor, Bill Smith & Curtis Kirk
Entered chart 13 Aug 1964; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart 16.

The Bachelors were having a great 1964, and this was their fourth consecutive Top 10 entry of the year.  A fifth recording entered the chart at the tail end of the year, and it too became a Top 10 hit.


70

Title: She's Not There
Artist: The Zombies
Writer(s): Rod Argent

Entered chart 13 Aug 1964; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart 11.

The Zombies group was founded in 1961 in Hertfordshire, England.  The two principal members were vocalist Colin Blunstone (born 24 June 1945) and keyboardist Rod Argent (born 14 June 1945), who were joined by three others.  After winning a beat group competition, they signed with Decca Records, and recorded this debut single.  It peaked at number 12 in the UK but reached number two in the USA, selling over a million copies.  In Britain, they were unable to follow their initial  success.  The next release stalled at number 42 in the UK, but again, it was popular in America, where it peaked at number six in 1965.  However, even in the USA their popularity waned and the group broke up in late 1967.  Blunstone went solo, and he had a few smallish hits in the early 1970s.  Rod Argent formed a new band simply called Argent, and he too had success in the early 1970s, in particular the Top 10 hit "Hold Your Head Up".  There have been concert reunions in the 1990s and early 2000s, and Blunstone and Argent recorded a new album together in 2001.  The Zombies reformed for more concerts from 2004; another album was recorded in 2015; and a tour of the USA began in 2017.


71

Title: I'm Into Something Good
Artist: Herman's Hermits
Writer(s): 
Gerry Goffin & Carole King
Producer: Mickie Most

Entered chart 20 Aug 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 15.

Herman's Hermits were formed in Manchester, England in early 1964, with lead singer Peter Noone (born 5 Nov 1947).  (Noone was only 16 years old when this hit entered the charts.)  They quickly acquired a manager who arranged a contract with EMI records and producer Mickie Most.  This, their debut single, a cover of an American song, rose up the charts and was at Number One by the end of September 1964.  It was released in the USA and reached number 13.  They soon became a major band on both sides of the Atlantic.  In the UK they amassed ten Top 10 hits by 1970, and eleven in America by 1967.  In the USA they issued several old music hall style songs, such as "I'm Henry The Eighth I Am", which were very successful there.  Such recordings were not issued in the UK.  Noone left the band in 1971 for a solo career.  The remainder recruited a new lead singer and they have toured for many years.  Peter Noone only had one hit as a soloist, that was in 1971.  Noone now tours as Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone.  The rival group, with only one original member, tours as Herman's Hermits.
#
The song, written by celebrated composers Goffin and King, was originally recorded by American female singer Earl-Jean McCrea (billed simply as Earl-Jean).  Her version reached number 38 in the USA charts.


72

Title: Rag Doll
Artist: The Four Seasons
Writer(s): Bob Crewe & Bob Gaudio
Producer: Bob Crewe
Entered chart 27 Aug 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 13.

After the failure of their previous release to enter the UK charts (song 17), they were back with a number two hit.  They never had the same success in Britain as they did in the USA where they enjoyed 13 Top 10 hits during the 1960s.  The hits dried up in 1967 in both countries, but the group came back in the 1970s with more hits.  The band has gained more popularity in recent years due to the success of the musical "Jersey Boys", which traces their history and features their hit songs.


73

Title: It's Gonna Be All Right
Artist: Gerry & The Pacemakers
Writer(s): Gerry Marsden
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 3 Sep 1964; Highest Position 24; Weeks on chart 7.

This was the group's follow-up to "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", which had reached number six in the spring of 1964.  This recording was back to the toe-tapping catchy songs of Merseybeat, but perhaps the magic was wearing off, as the single stalled at number 24.  This song was featured in the film "Ferry 'Cross The Mersey", staring Gerry & The Pacemakers.  The title song was released in December 1964, and it climbed up to number eight on the charts (see year 1965, song 3).
# The film "Ferry 'Cross The Mersey" was released in January 1965, and also featured Cilla Black.  Most of the songs were written by Gerry Marsden, and production and incidental music was by George Martin.  The film was not an outstanding success, and the soundtrack album appeared in the UK album chart for just one week at number 19.


74

Title: Together
Artist: P J Proby
Writer(s): Ray Henderson, Buddy G DeSylva & Lew Brown
Entered chart 3 Sep 1964; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart 11.

P J Proby had his debut hit in May (song 45), and this follow-up reached the Top 10 of the UK charts as well.  His trousers-splitting episode did not come until January 1965, so he was enjoying concert and TV appearances, and his fan base was growing.  Another Top 10 hit came in December this year (song 99).
# The song was written in 1928 and was a hit in that year for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke.  The song was used in the 1944 movie "Since You Went Away", prompting Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest to record it as a duet.  That was an American hit, peaking at number three.  In 1961 Connie Francis recorded a version which was a Top 10 hit in the UK 


75

Title: Where Did Our Love Go
Artist: The Supremes
Writer(s): Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier & Eddie Holland (known as Holland-Dozier-Holland)
Entered chart 3 Sep 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 14.

The Supremes were the first Tamla Motown group to find lasting success in the charts both in the UK and America.  They epitomised the Motown sound, and became one of the label's biggest acts.  The vocal trio comprised Diana Ross (lead singer, born 26 Mar 1944), Florence Ballard (30 Jun 1943 - 22 Feb 1976) and Mary Wilson (6 Mar 1944 - 8 Feb 2021).  They all came from the Detroit, USA area, where Motown records was based.  They began by providing back up to other performers, but quickly gained a recording contract.  Six single releases between 1961 and 1963 failed to make the charts anywhere, but in 1964 they recorded "Where Did Our Love Go".  The recording went to Number One in the USA and number three in Britain.  They became so successful that their first six releases in the USA went to Number One, and they ended up with eleven chart-toppers there by 1969.  In the UK they only had one Number One ("Baby Love" - song 89), but amassed 18 hits by the end of the 1960s, seven of which reached the Top 10.  However, by 1967, Florence Ballard had developed a drink problem, and she arrived for recordings and live shows too drunk to perform on some occasions.  In that year she was replaced by Cindy Birdsong.  Things continued with this new set up until 1970 when Diana Ross left to pursue a solo career.  She was replaced by Jean Terrell.  This version of the trio did enjoy some success, with five of their recordings hitting the UK Top 10 from 1970 to 1972.  With some more personnel changes, the trio continued recording, after 1972, but with little chart success.  They remained a popular live act, however, continuing to 1977, when they performed their farewell concert (in London), and then disbanded.
# The song has been in the UK charts twice since 1964.  They were versions by American vocalist Donnie Elbert (1972, number 8), and Manhattan Transfer (1978, number 40).


76

Title: Oh Pretty Woman
Artist: Roy Orbison
Writer(s): 
Roy Orbison & Bill Dees 
Entered chart 10 Sep 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 18.

This was the second of two chart-toppers for Roy Orbison in 1964.  "It's Over" (song 36) had reached Number One in June this year, making him the only American to have as many as two Number Ones during 1964.  He was in the Top 10 again from November 1964 with the Christmas song "Pretty Paper".  However, despite his popularity, in the following 1965, Orbison only got as high as number 14 in the UK charts.  1966 saw him have his final British Top 10 entry, although smaller hits continued until 1969.  He did return in the late 1980s and early 1990s with several posthumous hits.  For more info on Roy Orbison, see song 36.
# In 1990 a film called "Pretty Woman", staring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts was released.  It is said that the title of the film was inspired by the song title.  The Roy Orbison recording was featured in the film along with several other hit recordings.  The soundtrack album reached number two on the UK album chart and remained on the chart for 72 weeks.


77

Title: I'm Crying
Artist: The Animals
Producer: Mickie Most
Writer(s): 
Eric Burdon & Alan Price 
Entered chart 17 Sep 1964; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart 10.

This follow-up to their big hit "The House Of The Rising Sun" (song 52) sounds like an old Blues song from the deep south of America given an R&B treatment, but is in fact newly written by two members of the group.  Whilst not achieving the heights of the previous release, this was the first of six Top 10 hits by 1966.  During the autumn of 1964, they were appearing in various concerts along with British and American stars of the time.


78

Title: When You Walk In The Room
Artist: The Searchers
Writer(s): 
Jackie DeShannon
Producer: Tony Hatch
Entered chart 17 Sep 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 12.

The Searchers had been in the charts in July 1964 with a song that peaked at number eleven.  But this recording had them back in the Top 10.  With two chart-toppers, and another Top 20 hit in December (song 97), 1964 was a very good year for them.
# The song had been written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon in 1963, but was only issued as a B-side in the USA.  So yet again, a slightly obscure American track was picked up by the Searchers and turned into a hit.
# The song has been recorded by many acts, and has entered the UK charts as follows: Child (1978, number 38); Paul Carrack (1987, number 48); Status Quo (1995, number 34) and former Abba star Agnetha Fältskog (2004, number 34), taken from her 2004 album "My Colouring Book".


79

Title: Walk Away
Artist: Matt Monro
Writer(s): 
Udo Jürgens with English lyrics by Don Black
Producer: George Martin
Entered chart 17 Sep 1964; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart 20.

Matt Monro (1 Dec 1930 - 7 Feb 1985) was born in London, England. He began singing on talent shows while in the British Army in the early 1950s. He made some records in the mid-1950s, but none met with any success. In 1959 he was asked to record a demo record for EMI, and when producer, George Martin heard the track, he arranged for Monro to record a new song, "Portrait Of My Love". It reached number three on the UK charts and started his international career. He recorded several film themes, but some like "Born Free" failed to enter the charts. He spent some time in America during the mid-1960s, making albums of standards and new ballads, and was hailed as the new Frank Sinatra. He toured the world extensively, especially during the 1970s and early 1980s. He died from liver cancer at age 54.
# The song was originally written and recorded in German by Austrian singer Udo Jürgens.  English lyrics were written by Don Black who collaborated with John Barry to compose several James Bond film themes, as well as other movie themes, including the aforementioned "Born Free".


80

Title: We're Through
Artist: The Hollies
Writer(s): 
Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks & Graham Nash (band members using the pseudonym of L. Ransford)
Entered chart 17 Sep 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 11.

This hit followed their May 1964 Top 5 release "Here I Go Again" (song 43).  They were enjoying considerable success at this time, and were on package concert tours with other hit makers of the day.  For more info about the Hollies, see song 19.
# This was the first Hollies hit written by band members.  The songwriting trio used the pseudonym L. Ransford until 1966, when they began using their real names.


81

Title: (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me
Artist: Sandie Shaw
Writer(s): 
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Entered chart 8 Oct 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 11.

Sandie Shaw was born on 26 Feb 1947 in Dagenham, Essex, England.  She became one of the top British female stars of the decade, and was famous for appearing on stage and TV in bare feet, as well as being something of a 1960s fashion icon.  She won a talent contest in 1963, and was spotted by Adam Faith who recommended her to his agent, who took her on and arranged a contract with Pye Records.  Although her first record failed to enter the charts, she was given this Bacharach & David song as her second release, and it quickly rose all the way to Number One.  She went on to have 17 hits by the end of the 1960s - many of them written by Chris Andrews.  In 1967 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, and became the first British winner of the annual event with "Puppet On A String".  The recording was a chart topper in the UK and seven other countries.  She took a back seat in the music business during the 1970s but returned to the charts in the 1980s with some smallish hits.  Since then she has been involved in various projects and has appeared on TV chat and discussion shows.
# This song was a hit in the USA first for Lou Johnson, although it peaked at number 49.  Shaw's version reached number 52 in America, but was a Number One in Canada.


82

Title: The Twelfth Of Never
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): 
Jerry Livingston & Paul Francis Webster
Entered chart 8 Oct 1964; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart 11.

Cliff was still scoring Top 10 hits in this year, and the revival of this song saw him comfortably in the upper part of the UK charts.  This was his follow-up to "On The Beach", from the film "Wonderful Life", which had entered the charts in July.  He achieved a fifth Top 10 entry in December.  This recording was the 21st in a run of consecutive Top 10 hits that began in 1960.  However, that run came to an end in 1965.
# This song was originally recorded by American balladeer Johnny Mathis in 1957.  However, it was only issued as the B-side to "Chances Are", a USA Top 10 hit in that year.  In 1973, teenage heart-throb Donny Osmond recorded the song, and his version went to Number One in the UK charts (number eight in the USA).


83

Title: Um Um Um Um Um Um
Artist: Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
Writer(s): 
Curtis Mayfield
Entered chart 8 Oct 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 15.

Wayne Fontana (28 Oct 1945 - 6 Aug 2020) was born in Manchester, England.  Fontana had begun his music career in 1961 with a band called The Jets, but that did not develop.  With an ad hoc group of musicians, Fontana performed at the Oasis club in Manchester in 1963, and was promptly offered a contract with Fontana Records, which was just a coincidence.  The band was given the name the Mindbenders, and off they all went to London.  Their first two recordings only just grazed the Top 50, but their third release gave them their first Top 10 entry in the charts, a cover of the American hit "Um Um Um Um Um Um".  This was followed by another Top 10 in early 1965, but the hits fell away after that.  Fontana was somewhat unpredictable, and had walked off stage to leave the band to finish the set on more than one occasion.  The last time this happened, in October 1965, it was the end of the partnership.  However, Fontana continued as a solo act and made some medium-sized hits during 1966, including the number eleven hit "Pamela Pamela" late in that year.  Meanwhile the Mindbenders continued as well, and they enjoyed a number two hit in early 1966, followed by three lesser releases.  Fontana  continued to perform occasionally up to the 2000s, but he died from cancer at the age of 74 in 2020.
# This song, written by the American soul and R&B singer Curtis Mayfield, was originally recorded by American Major Lance, whose version reached number five in the USA and number 40 in the UK.


84

Title: He's In Town
Artist: The Rockin' Berries
Writer(s): 
Gerry Goffin & Carole King
Entered chart 15 Oct 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 13.

The Rockin' Berries are a group formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1950s, and they chose the name as many of the songs they performed were Chuck Berry compositions.  Their leader is guitarist Brian Botfield, and by 1961 the band included six other members.  They embarked on a series of club engagements in Germany that year, but there were several changes of personnel, although Botfield remained.  Upon their return to the UK they secured a recording contract, but early releases failed to enter the charts.  1964 saw a change in fortune when they covered this American song.  It soon reached number three in the UK charts, and they had another Top 10 entry in May 1965.  Only three minor hits followed however, and their final chart appearance came in 1966 with a song that peaked at number 50.  They then developed a cabaret act which included some comedy routines, and they have continued to perform until the present time.  Some 20 musicians have been members of the band over the years, and currently Brian Botfield remains at the helm, with four others.
# This Goffin and King song was a small American hit in September 1964 for The Tokens, who peaked at number 43 with it in the USA charts.


85

Title: Walk Tall
Artist: Val Doonican
Writer(s): 
Don Wayne
Entered chart 15 Oct 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 21.

Val Doonican (3 Feb 1927 - 1 July 2015) was born in Waterford, Ireland.  He was a rich-voiced crooner, who became known for his relaxed personality, his multicoloured sweaters and singing from a rocking chair.  As well as performing ballads and Country music songs, he often sang Irish novelty songs such as "Paddy McGinty's Goat" and "O'Rafferty's Motor Car".  He had left his native Ireland in 1951 and settled in England.  He was part of a vocal quartet to start with but he went solo in 1962 and began appearing on TV.  This led to him having his own TV series which ran annually from 1965 to 1985, and had audiences that reached 20 million on Saturday evenings.  His first hit single came in 1964, followed by 13 hits until 1973, of which five reached the Top 10.  He had five successive Top 10 albums during the 1960s, with more during the following decades.  He retired officially in 1990, but performed occasionally up until 2009.  He died in 2015 at the age of 88.


86

Title: Sha La La
Artist: Manfred Mann
Writer(s): 
Robert Taylor & Robert Mosley
Entered chart 15 Oct 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 12.

Manfred Mann followed their chart-topper "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" with this offering that reached number three.  (Seems they were keen on nonsense titles!)  Their first album, "Five Faces Of Manfred Mann", was also in the charts at this time.  It peaked at number three and remained on the album chart for 24 weeks.  They were still busy with concert appearances during the autumn of 1964.  Their next hit came in January 1965.  See song 9 for more info about the group.
# The song had been a minor hit (number 69) in the USA for American girl group The Shirelles earlier in 1964.  The Manfred Mann version reached number twelve in America.


87

Title: Goldfinger
Artist: Shirley Bassey
Writer(s): 
John Barry, Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley
Entered chart 15 Oct 1964; Highest Position 21; Weeks on chart 9.

Shirley Bassey was born on 8 Jan 1937 in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales. She went on to become an international star with countless hit singles and albums throughout the world.  She began singing professionally in 1953, and performed up and down the UK.  She signed a recording contract in 1956, and had her first Top 10 hit in 1957 ("Banana Boat Song").  She enjoyed a string of hits during the 1960s, and recorded three James Bond movie themes.  She had her own TV series during the 1970s, and continued performing into the 21st century.  By 2015 she had scored 33 hit singles and 39 hit albums.  She was honoured with a Damehood in 2000, and was back in the recording studios in 2014.
# This was the title song of the third James Bond movie, starring Sean Connery.  Shirley Bassey had been chosen to sing the theme by composer John Barry.  Despite the popularity of the Bond movies, this iconic recording peaked at number 21 in the UK.  By contrast, it reached number eight in the USA, and the Top 10 of several European countries.
# Her next significant hit did not come until 1967 - another iconic Bassey song, "Big Spender".  Incredibly, that too peaked at number 21.


88

Title: Losing You
Artist: Dusty Springfield
Writer(s): 
Tom Springfield (Dusty's brother) & Clive Westlake
Entered chart 22 Oct 1964; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart 13.

This was her third Top 10 hit, and the follow-up to "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" which had reached number three in the summer of 1964.  Her next Top 10 hit did not come until July 1965, but her debut album "A Girl Called Dusty" was still in the album charts, where it had reached number six.


89

Title: Baby Love
Artist: The Supremes
Writer(s): Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier & Eddie Holland (known as Holland-Dozier-Holland)
Entered chart 22 Oct 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 15.

The Supremes gained their only UK Number One with this recording.  It was the follow-up to their debut hit "Where Did Our Love Go" (song 75).  This established the Motown sound in the UK which would see several acts from Detroit feature in the British charts over the following few years.  It was a Number One hit in the USA as well, and the second in a run of five chart-toppers for the group in America.  They were back in the UK charts in January 1965.  See song 75 for group info.
# In 1980, British singer and actress, Honey Bane recorded the song which peaked at number 58 on the UK charts.


90

Title: All Day And All Of The Night
Artist: The Kinks
Writer(s): Ray Davies
Entered chart 29 Oct 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 14.

The Kinks saw their follow-up to "You Really Got Me" (song 67), peak at number two in the UK charts.  Like its predecessor, it was a Top 10 hit in the USA as well.  They were back at Number One in early 1965, a year that saw them with three Top 10s in addition.  They were also on a package tour of the UK, along with other bands, during November and early December 1964.
#
The Stranglers recorded a version of the song in 1988 which reached number seven in the UK charts - their first Top 10 entry for five years.


91

Title: I Understand
Artist: Freddie & The Dreamers
Writer(s): Pat Best
Entered chart 5 Nov 1964; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart 15.

This five-piece band was led by Freddie Garrity (14 Nov 1936 - 19 May 2006).  Although they were lumped in with the Merseybeat groups from Liverpool, they actually came from Manchester.  They were good musicians, but were the jokers of the pack amongst the new groups to emerge in 1963, performing silly dances on stage to their songs.  They gained nine hits between 1963 and 1965, four of them making the Top 10.  Although they missed out on a top spot in the UK, they did reach Number One in the USA during 1965.  In the early 1970s Garrity became a TV presenter of children's programmes, but the group remained together (with some personnel changes) and they continued performing until 2000 along with other bands of the sixties.  Garrity retired in 2001 due to health issues, and died in 2006.
#
This was the group's only Top 10 hit of 1964, and their final appearance in the upper part of the charts.  Between this and their previous Top 10 entry in November 1963, three singles had reached positions 13, 16, and 41 respectively.  Only two chart entries followed, peaking at numbers 26 and 44 during 1965, and the group then disappeared from the charts.  Nevertheless, they remained a popular live act, and they continued performing until the 1990s.
# This song, written in 1953, uses the melody from the Scottish New Year's Eve song, "Auld Lang Syne".  Indeed, the Dreamers can be heard singing "Auld Lang Syne" behind Freddy on this recording.  The song was a UK hit in 1961 for American vocal group the G-Clefs, peaking at number 17 in November that year.


92

Title: I'm Gonna Be Strong
Artist: Gene Pitney
Writer(s): Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
Entered chart 12 Nov 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 14.

This was his second Top 10 entry of the year.  A single released in October ("It Hurts To Be In Love") only reached number 36 in the UK charts.  However, this song set him up for three Top 10 hits in 1965.
# In 1995, American vocalist Cyndi Lauper recorded a version which reached number 37 in the UK.


93

Title: Downtown
Artist: Petula Clark
Writer(s): Tony Hatch
Producer: Tony Hatch
Entered chart 12 Nov 1964; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart 15.

Petula Clark was born on 15 Nov 1932 in Surrey, England.  She became a child star at the age of nine when she broadcast on radio for the first time.  This led to numerous singing opportunities on wartime radio.  In 1944 she was given her first film role, and she had appeared in 14 films by 1950.  In the early 1950s she began making records, and her first hit came in the summer of 1954 when she was 21 years old.  Clark went on to become a major international star with numerous world-wide hits, particularly in the 1960s with songs written and produced by Tony Hatch.  In the 1990s and 2000s she went into stage musicals, both in the UK and America.  She  was still recording and performing in the 2010s, and issued a new album in 2016.
# This was her first Top 10 and significant hit for three years.  During that time she had been recording and performing in France most of the time.  But this song brought her back into the limelight in the UK and the USA (where "Downtown" went to Number One), and began a run of hit songs through most of the 1960s.
# In 1988 Clark's recording of "Downtown" was remixed with a modern sythesised dance beat, and the new recording reached number ten in the UK.  That was her last entry in the UK singles charts.
# In 2006, former Spice Girl, Emma Bunton recorded the song for the BBC's charity Children In Need.  It was a more or less note-for-note remake of Clark's original version, but it soared up to number three in the UK charts that year.


94

Title: Little Red Rooter
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Writer(s): Willie Dixon
Entered chart 19 Nov 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 12.

The Rolling Stones achieved their second Number One with this reworking of an American Blues song.  It followed their chart-topper "It's All Over Now" of summer 1964 (song 55).  This was the Stone's last Number One that was not written by Jagger and Richards.  At this time they were on their second American tour (the first was in June 1964) which saw them travel from California in the west to Rhode Island in the east.  They were back at the top of the UK charts in March 1965.
# The song was first recorded by legendary American Blues singer Howlin' Wolf in 1961.


95

Title: I Feel Fine
Artist: The Beatles
Writer(s): 
John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin

Entered chart 3 Dec 1964; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart 14.

This was the Beatles' follow-up to their summer chart-topper "A Hard Day's Night".  The opening guitar sound was created when John Lennon leaned his electric guitar against an amplifier and Paul McCartney played a note on his bass, causing feedback.  They liked the effect, and George Martin agreed to put it at the beginning of the recording.  It is said to be the first time feedback was included on a commercial record.  Their next hit, also Number One, came in spring 1965.


96

Title: No Arms Can Ever Hold You
Artist: The Bachelors
Writer(s): 
Jimmy Nebb & Art Crafer
Entered chart 3 Dec 1964; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart 12.

The Bachelors completed a run of five Top 10 hits during 1964 with this hit song.  In the two years following, things slowed down in the charts for this vocal trio, with only one Top 10 entry in each of the years 1965 and 1966.  Two smaller hits in 1967 rounded off their chart career.  See song 8 for more info.
# This song was first recorded in 1955 by American vocalist Georgie Shaw, whose version reached number 23 on the USA charts.


97

Title: What Have They Done To The Rain
Artist: The Searchers
Writer(s): 
Malvina Reynolds
Producer: Tony Hatch
Entered chart 3 Dec 1964; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart 11.

The Searchers completed the year with a Top 20 hit that was their fifth chart entry of 1964.  Despite such a strong promise, with three Number One hits, 1965 brought just one Top 10 hit, and 1966 saw their final chart appearances with two Top 50 hits.  For more about the band see song 6.
# The song was composed in 1962 by American Folk singer Malvina Reynolds (1900-1978).  It was written as part of a campaign to stop nuclear testing in the atmosphere, which was producing fall-out, resulting in acid rain.  Reynolds appeared earlier in these lists as the lyricist for Lonnie Donegan's hit "Sally Don't You Grieve".  See year 1958, song 64.
  


98

Title: I Could Easily Fall In Love With You
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): 
Hank B Marvin, Bruce Welch, Brian Bennett & John Rostill (The Shadows)
Entered chart 10 Dec 1964; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart 11.

This completed his run of five Top 10 hits during the year of 1964.  This was a remarkable achievement when considering the arrival of so many new acts on the charts, and Cliff had begun his chart career back in 1958.  Things changed a little from 1965 until the end of the decade, when he still managed several Top 10 hits, but some recordings only reached the Top 30.  For more info see song 13.


99

Title: Somewhere
Artist: P J Proby
Writer(s): 
Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim
Entered chart 10 Dec 1964; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart 12.

This was his third in a hat-trick of Top 10 hits in 1964, which was his most successful year.  1965 was bighted early on when  during two different energetic concert performances he split his trousers, which led to him being banned by theatres and TV organisations.  This crippled his career, and although he achieved one Top 10 hit in 1965, he faded away in the UK.  See song 45 for more info.
# The song is from the 1957 Broadway musical "West Side Story" that was made into a film in 1961.  In 1997 British duo The Pet Shop Boys recorded a version that reached number nine on the UK charts.


100

Title: Girl Don't Come
Artist: Sandie Shaw
Writer(s): 
Chris Andrews
Entered chart 10 Dec 1964; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart 12.

Sandie Shaw's follow-up to her debut chart-topper reached number three in the UK charts.  She went on to enjoy considerable success during the remainder of the 1960s, with two more Number Ones as well.  See song 81 for more info.



 

Acts with most appearances in this list:

Cliff Richard: 5
Bachelors: 5
Manfred Mann: 4
Searchers: 4
Beatles: 3
Cilla Black: 3
Gerry & The Pacemakers: 3
Hollies: 3
P J Proby: 3
Rolling Stones: 3
Dusty Springfield: 3

NB: The Beatles only issued three singles in this year, which applies also to most of the others acts with only three entries.

Composers with most appearances in this list:

John Lennon & Paul McCartney: 8
Burt Bacharach & Hal David: 5
Gerry Marsden: 3 (all for Gerry & The Pacemakers)
Hank B Marvin & Bruce Welch: 3 (2 with Brian Bennett and John Rostill; 1 with Cliff Richard)

New Names in 1964
To qualify, new acts must have gone on to have at least three entries in these lists.  One-hit Wonders do not qualify.

Manfred Mann
Lulu
The Animals
The Beach Boys
The Kinks
Marianne Faithfull
Herman's Hermits
The Supremes
Sandie Shaw

 


1958   1959   1960   1961   1962   1963   1964   1965   1966   1967   1968   1969   1970   1971   1972   1973   1974   1975   1976   1977
Home Page   List of Acts
List of Songs


 

Comments and corrections to: mjs@onlineweb.com

Compiled September 2017
Updated 02/10/2024

TOP