(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Arty Dunn)
Australia
#3 Sydney #2 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #2 Perth
Co-charted with another Australian version by Digger Revell.
In Sydney, Brisbane and Perth this was a double-sided hit with My Girl Josephine (Dave Bartholomew – Antoine 'Fats' Domino), a remake of Fats Domino's 1960 original (#14 USA, #32 UK), aka Hello Josephine.
Billy Thorpe (1946-2007): British-born singer, guitarist and songwriter whose family emigrated to Brisbane in the 1950s. Based in Sydney from 1963, 'Thorpy', with The Aztecs, had numerous pop hits in a variety of styles, but at the end of the 60s, then in Melbourne, he fronted a loud, rocky, blues-based formation of the Aztecs that contrasted with his earlier pop idol image. Later, his solo and business career took him to Los Angeles, and he wrote two popular autobiographical books, Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy) and Sex And Thugs And Rock'n'Roll [AbeBooks link].
Further reading: Paul Culnane's account of Billy Thorpe's career at Milesago.
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Arty Dunn)
Australia
#3 Sydney #2 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #2 Adelaide
In the same year Digger Revell charted with another song associated with The Platters, My Prayer.
Digger Revell (born Gary Hildred) had a number of hits in 1963-64 as lead singer of Digger Revell and the Denvermen, including My Little Rocker’s Turned Surfie (1964). The Denvermen charted in their own right with a series of surf instrumentals in 1963, including Avalon Stomp and Surfside (#1 Sydney, #6 Melbourne). Digger Revell went on to a successful solo career, moving eventually into the country music scene.
There’s a fine Teenagers Weekly cover shot of The Denverman at Instromania, along with a band history and discography. See also this article at TE Online about a 2003 appearance by Digger Revell in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Arty Dunn)
UK
On live EP on Parlophone, Billy Plays The States, also a US single on Imperial.
Could this recording by a Merseybeat star have have suggested the song to the Aussies? The EP also included Tennessee Waltz, recorded in ’66 by Ray Brown & The Whispers.
Further reading: Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas at British Beat Boom.
Version alert and hypothesis from Terry Stacey.
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Arty Dunn)
USA
#1 USA #3 UK #1 Sydney #2 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #1 Adelaide [5AD] #1 Perth
Co-written in the 1940s by The Platters' manager and producer Samuel "Buck" Ram.
The Platters were a chart-topping black vocal group brought together in 1953 by arranger-composer-manager Buck Ram with lead tenor Tony Williams. Their numerous Top 40 hits began with Only You (1955, #5 USA) and included four #1s: The Great Pretender (1955), My Prayer (1956), Twilight Time (1958) and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
In 1961 Sonny Turner replaced Tony Williams who had left for a solo career. See I'll Never Smile Again (1961).
Reference: Jay Warner, American Singing Groups (2006)
Pop Archives
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2021. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Joop Jansen, More…