(Mel Tillis - Johnny Ferguson)
Australia
#20 Melbourne
Single on Astor by Melbourne singer and guitarist who was with The Premiers before going solo. Bobby Cookson had – as Ian McFarlane puts it – "a powerful Roy Orbison-style voice which made him a popular attraction".
Bobby Cookson released nine singles 1961-1965, either solo or with The Premiers. He charted in Melbourne with Flutter Flutter (1961, #20), Timber (1962, #29), I Could Have Loved You So Well (1963, #14) and Rona (1963, #28), all on Astor.
His last single was on the new Go!! label, Funny
Man (1965), the song that was later a hit in Australia for Ross D. Wylie.
The Premiers also recorded under their own name (Mary Had A Little
Lamb, 1963, #37 Melbourne) and backed Betty McQuade, although not at the time of Midnight Bus.
Listen to Bobby Cookson – Flutter Flutter at MPH’s Bobby Cookson page.
References: 1. Gavin Ryan’s Melbourne chart book. 2.
First Wave and Second Wave discographies. 3. Go!! discography at Global Dog. 4. Ian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of
Australian Rock & Pop. 5. Spencer et al, Who’s Who of Australian Rock.
Further reading: 1. Notes on a 2004 Premiers reunion (without Bobby Cookson) at the Peter Doyle website. 2.
Bobby Cookson & The Premiers just squeezing into the Top 100 at
5AD Adelaide December 1961 (ARSA page).
3. Image at State Library of Victoria.
Suggestion from Bruce R.
Gillespie.
(Mel Tillis - Johnny Ferguson)
USA
Original version
Single on MGM by singer best known for charting earlier in the same year with John D. Loudermilk’s Angela Jones (1960, #27 USA).
Co-written by prolific Nashville singer-songwriter Mel Tillis. As well as recording successfully in his
own right, Mel Tillis also wrote, for example, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love
To Town (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition 1969) and co-wrote Detroit City (Bobby Bare 1963, Tom Jones 1967).
References: Kees van der Hoeven’s John D.
Loudermilk site. Mel Tillis biography at All Music
Guide. Mel Tillis repertoire at BMI.
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. 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, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…