5/8, 5/9, 5/10, 5/11, 1964:
For the first time in fifteen weeks, THE BEATLES did NOT have the #1 Record in the country. This week, that distinction belonged to LOUIS ARMSTRONG, who was, at this time, a 63 year old jazz singer / trumpet player from New Orleans. His version of HELLO DOLLY displaced The Fab Four, holding them to only the #2, #5, #11, #12, #35 and #64 positions. (Yeah, THAT's showin' 'em , Louie!!!) New on the charts for The Fab Four was P.S. I LOVE YOU, the flip-side of LOVE ME DO, which had now climbed all the way up to #12 on its way to the top of the charts. (P.S. I LOVE YOU debuted at #64). In between you could find DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET (#2), CAN'T BUY ME LOVE (#5), TWIST AND SHOUT (#11) and THANK YOU GIRL (#35).
Other British hits of note: BITS AND PIECES by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE (holding down the #4 spot … THE DC5 now had FOUR chart hits of their own … GLAD ALL OVER was at #14, DO YOU LOVE ME climbed to #32 and I KNEW IT ALL THE TIME sat at #70.) LITTLE CHILDREN by BILLY J. KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS was at #23, NEEDLES AND PINS by THE SEARCHERS was still holding on at #37 as was DUSTY SPRINGFIELD's latest hit, STAY AWHILE, which was perched at #38. DIANE sat at #46 and PETER AND GORDON premiered on the charts with A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE, a tune written by LENNON and McCARTNEY, at #76. SUGAR AND SPICE by THE SEARCHERS sat at #85, GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY debuted at #89 for THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS and THE ROLLING STONES, yet to make much of an impression on the American teenagers, crawled from #98 to #96 with NOT FADE AWAY, their version of an old BUDDY HOLLY tune.
While Louis Armstrong was topping the national chart, here in Chicago it was Jan and Dean's two-sided hit "Dead Man's Curve" / "New Girl In School" that was the #1 Record. ("Hello Dolly" sat at #5.) The Beatles still had the highest charting British Hit with "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You" at #3. It would climb to #1 the following week and stay there for four weeks, only to be replaced by another Lennon and McCartney composition … stay tuned for that one!
Also impacting The Top Ten were "Bits And Pieces" by The Dave Clark Five at #7 and "Thank You Girl" / "Do You Want To Know A Secret" at #10. Right behind it were "Yesterday's Gone" by Chad and Jeremy and another Beatles two-sided winner, "Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That" at numbers 11 and 12 respectively.
The Rolling Stones were at #21 with "Not Fade Away", followed by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas at #22 with "Little Children". Other British hits included "Diane" by The Bachelors (#29), "Good Golly Miss Molly" by The Swingin' Blue Jeans (#30), "Do You Love Me" by The Dave Clark Five, premiering at #32, and "I Only Have Eyes For You" by Cliff Richard at #39.
This week on The Ed Sullivan Show (airing May 10th) we were able to catch appearances by both Dusty Springfield AND Gerry and the Pacemakers!
Dusty sang her first two American Hits, "Stay Awhile" and "I Only Want To Be With You", while Gerry and the Boys performed "I Like It" and "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying".
And, on the same show, former American heart-throb Bobby Rydell performed HIS version of "A World Without Love", a song that looked like a sure-fire hit ... until the Peter and Gordon version hit the airwaves!!!
