Hi again! I'm Joyce Martin.
I'm sure you
remember me
from last year's
post here at
Shady's Place.
As you recall, I'm a good girl breaking bad...
falling under the influence of the
mean girl gang known as the
I'm just trying
to fit in, but
ever since I
got mixed-
up with the
Hellcats, my
grades have
been slipping
and my folks
have been in
my face and
on my case.
Not knowing which way to turn for help, I found a friend
in Professor Shady Del Knight who offered to be my private
tutor and help me bring up my grades. To earn extra credit,
I am doing a special research project for Professor Knight
in Professor Shady Del Knight who offered to be my private
tutor and help me bring up my grades. To earn extra credit,
I am doing a special research project for Professor Knight
and hosting this new blog series at Shady's Place called
Joyce Martin's a Gold Digger!
In each volume I will display vintage top tunes surveys,
the hit parades distributed by radio stations in the 50s
and 60s. Next I'll go digging for gold - picking a
favorite song from each list and playing it for
your listening and dancing pleasure.
I'm lucky to have this
chance to make good,
so... if you're ready...
let's dig some gold!
WAEB - ALLENTOWN, PA
This edition of my series features radio station
play lists from across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Let's begin with the survey
in green above, issued by WAEB 790 in
Allentown. It's the week of May 23, 1960,
and I'm poring over the station's list of the
"Top Tunes in the Lehigh Valley." I think
I'll play #23, "Young Emotions," a song
by Ricky Nelson, a cool guy I dated!
"Young Emotions" - Ricky Nelson
(May/June 1960, highest chart pos.
#11 Cash Box/#12 Hot 100, scene from
The Adventures of Ozzie And Harriet)
WFBG - ALTOONA, PA
Courtesy of PopBopRocktilUDrop
Our next stop is Altoona, PA, and radio station
WFBG 1290 - "The Voice of the Alleghenies."
It's the week of June 8, 1963, and I'm picking
#17 on the survey, Connie Francis, one of the
most popular female singers of the late 50s
and early 1960s, beginning to struggle a bit
on the chart by mid 1963 when this rock 'n'
roll style record, "If My Pillow Could Talk."
missed the top 20 on the Billboard chart.
"If My Pillow Could Talk"
Connie Francis (June 1963, highest
chart pos. #16 Cash Box/#23 Hot 100)
WLAN - LANCASTER, PA
Courtesy of PopBopRocktilUDrop
We now head southeast to Professor Shady's
old stomping ground and a visit to Lancaster,
home of AM station WLAN 1390. My choice
from the LAN Tunivac Top 60 for the week
of November 25, 1961, is #6, "Heartaches"
by The Marcels, a group from Pittsburgh.
"Heartaches" was recorded in 1933 by
bandleader Ted Weems, but his version
didn't catch on and become a hit until
a DJ revived it in 1947. It has since
been waxed by many artists. This
version, by The Marcels, made
a run at the top 5 on Billboard.
"Heartaches" - The Marcels
(Nov./Dec. 1961, highest chart pos.
#7 Hot 100/#16 Cash Box/#19 R&B)
WJET - ERIE, PA
I'm digging this gold and I hope you are,
too. We now travel all the way back up
to the far corner of the state, Erie, and
another station with a top 60 instead
of a top 40 format. It's "The Jet" -
WJET 1400. We're revisiting the
week of May 22, 1961, and the
tune I've selected from Erie’s
Original Top 60 Music Survey -
The Jet Sixty is #14, the neato
girl pop song "Triangle" by
one-hit wonder Janie Grant,
real name Rose Marie Cosili
of Paterson, New Jersey.
"Triangle" - Janie Grant
(May/June 1961, highest chart pos.
#23 Cash Box/#29 Hot 100)
WSBA - YORK, PA
Next we travel all the way back across
the state to Shady's hometown, York,
and a top tunes list issued by WSBA
"The Nifty 910"... later known as
"The Mighty 910." It's the week
the state to Shady's hometown, York,
and a top tunes list issued by WSBA
"The Nifty 910"... later known as
"The Mighty 910." It's the week
of July 29, 1961, and I'm gonna
play #5 on the survey "I Like It
Like That," a major crossover
play #5 on the survey "I Like It
Like That," a major crossover
hit for New Orleans R&B
great Chris Kenner!
great Chris Kenner!
"I Like It Like That, Part 1"
Chris Kenner (July/Aug. 1961,
highest chart pos. #2 Hot 100
#2 Cash Box/#2 R&B)
KDKA - PITTSBURGH, PA
From station KDKA Pittsburgh, here above is a survey listing the top hits
of 1964. I'm spinning the #22 song that year, a Four Seasons record that
would have topped the chart if not for The Beatles and their two smash
hits "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" which held the
#1 and #2 spots and for three weeks in a row prevented the Seasons'
record from rising higher. Here now are The Four Seasons doing
their best to fend off Beatlemania with-- "Dawn (Go Away)."
would have topped the chart if not for The Beatles and their two smash
hits "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" which held the
#1 and #2 spots and for three weeks in a row prevented the Seasons'
record from rising higher. Here now are The Four Seasons doing
their best to fend off Beatlemania with-- "Dawn (Go Away)."
"Dawn (Go Away)" - The 4 Seasons
(Feb./Mar. 1964, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
I hope you
dug this gold.
Please join me
for volume 2 of
Joyce Martin's
a Gold Digger.
a Gold Digger.
coming soon!
