Another look back at the Evolution of The British Invasion ... exactly as it happened ... Fifty Years Ago This Weekend!
March closes out with THE BEATLES holding down the Top Four spots on the chart: SHE LOVES YOU (#1), I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND (still holding on at #2), TWIST AND SHOUT (#3) and PLEASE PLEASE ME (down a spot to #4). GLAD ALL OVER by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE breaks into The Top Ten for the very first time (at #10), followed by NEEDLES AND PINS (#20) by THE SEARCHERS, I SAW HER STANDING THERE by THE BEATLES (#26).
Meanwhile, a brand new BEATLES track (and, in this case a TOTALLY new BEATLES track, finally released in "real time" as all of their other U.S. Hits thus far had been re-releases of material put out in England earlier) was the highest debuting record of the week at #27 … CAN'T BUY ME LOVE which, a week later would make (at that time) the biggest leap EVER to #1, an unheard of feat. (Advance orders for this record topped one million, also another industry first … and, as such, it's the rarest Beatles picture sleeve ever issued … the label didn't need to invest in the additional expense as the record had already pre-sold itself to the eager American public. Quite honestly, it was a bit of a rip-off anyway … they just recycled the exact same photo used on their I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND release!)
Carrying on, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD was at #30 with I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU, followed right behind by THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS with HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE at #31. FROM ME TO YOU by THE BEATLES sat at #50, ALL MY LOVING (another Canadian single making the U.S. charts) premiered at #71, ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN was right behind it at #75, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET debuted at #78 and DUSTY's follow-up hit STAY AWHILE debuted at #80. Meanwhile THE CAREFREES appeared to have a bona-fide hit of their own with WE LOVE YOU BEATLES (a rip-off of the BYE BYE BIRDIE Soundtrack hit, WE LOVE YOU CONRAD), which leaped from #73 to #57.
Here in Chicago (on The WLS Silver Dollar Survey), The Top Ten now includes "Twist and Shout" at #1, "Glad All Over" at #2, "She Loves You" at #3, "Please Please Me" at #6, "It's All In The Game" (by Cliff Richard) at #7, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (backed with "I Saw Her Standing There") at #8 and "Can't Buy Me Love" at #10 (up from #36 the week before.)
Reminder ...
Mike Baker salutes The British Invasion in Part Two of his special radio program ... this Sunday!
The 50th Anniversary Of The British Invasion
Many people have heard the 50th anniversary of The Beatles on American Radio but what followed was the British Invasion. The Animals, The Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many more invaded the American Charts. Be sure to listen Sunday, March 30th, to the British Invasion from noon to 4 pm followed by the History of Rock & Roll’s chapter on the British Invasion.
Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s
