Barry Crocker - Susie Darlin’ (1973)

(Robin Luke)
Australia
#25 Sydney #7 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #3 Adelaide

Updated arrangement recorded by lanky singer, actor and variety entertainer from Geelong in Victoria.

In the 70s he famously appeared as Barry McKenzie, the gormless Aussie youth abroad, in two films based on the Private Eye comic strip written by Barry Humphreys.

Tommy Roe - Susie Darlin’ (1962)

(Robin Luke)
USA
#35 USA #37 UK #12 Sydney #6 Melbourne #12 Brisbane #7 Adelaide

Pop singer from Atlanta whose first hit was his own composition, the Buddy Holly-inspired Sheila (1962). His hits tended towards bubblegum, as the titles suggest: Sweet Pea, Dizzy, Jam Up And Jelly Tight.

Tommy Kent - Susie Darlin’ (1959)

(Robin Luke)
Germany

A hit in Germany: #20 for the year. See oldiehitparade.de.

German pop singer Tommy Kent heard Tony Sheridan and The Beatles at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg in 1961 and told his producer Bert Kaempfert about them. Kaempfert went on to produce the Beatles’ first releases, with Tony Sheridan, on Polydor. See the account, citing both Kent and Kaempfert, in From The Mersey to the Elbe 1960-1966, which includes a Tommy Kent discography.

John Laws - Susie Darlin’ (1958)

(Robin Luke)
Australia

Single on Festival.

John Laws (b.1935) was a high-rating Sydney disc jockey in the 1950s and 60s who became a prominent syndicated talk show host over several decades. He regularly released singles and EPs from Susie Darling in 1958 through to the 1970s, some of which included his own compositions.

Thanks to Tony Watson.

Bobby Rett - Susie Darlin’ (1958)

(Robin Luke)
USA

Single on Bell, New York budget label. See the Bell Records website and the label shot at Rockin’ Country Style.

Clyde Beavers - Susie Darlin’ (1958)

USA

Single on Wonder label, Atlanta GA, B-side of Black Knee Socks. Same song? Seems likely.

Chris Howland - Susie Darlin’ (1958)

(Robin Luke)
Germany

Popular British deejay (1928-2013) who lived and worked in Germany from 1948 when he joined British Forces Network Radio in Hamburg. Known as Mr Pumpernickel, he was also a successful comedian, singer and actor. Fellow deejay Jeff Martin recalled: He was on a German radio station playing records and speaking in the most appalling German, but the Germans loved him.

Robin Luke - Susie Darlin’ (1958)

(Robin Luke)
USA
Original version
#5 USA #23 UK #6 Sydney #1 Melbourne #2 Brisbane

Single on International, also known as Bertram International, a small Hawaii label run by Bob Bertram, credited as arranger on the 45. It was also released soon after on Dot.

Robin Luke (b. Los Angeles 1942) was in his mid-teens when he wrote Susie Darling, his only hit (1959 #5 USA), dedicated to his younger sister and recorded in Hawaii where his family was stationed at the time. He co

After music, Luke followed a career as an academic in Business Administration, eventually becoming head of Marketing and Quantitative Analysis at Missouri State University.

See also his Well Oh, Well Oh (Don't You Know) (1960).

References: 1. Biography at RobinLuke.com. 2. Story on Dr Robin Luke (2006) at Missouri State University's website.