Judy Cannon - Uptown (1963)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
Australia

Single on CBS, produced by Sven Libaek.

From the late 1950s Judy Cannon sang rock’n’roll with The Thunderbirds at Melbourne dance venues and on record. In 1960 she moved to Sydney where she regularly appeared on prominent TV music shows including Sing, Sing, Sing, Revue ’62, The Bryan Davies Show, and Startime.

In England from 1963, Judy sang in studio sessions, including some for Joe Meek (who also produced her 1965 UK single) and on Jimi Hendrix’s classic Hey Joe (1967, #6 UK, #34 Australia). She met The Beatles and was an acquaintance of Keith Moon who called her the ‘Director of the Grand Order of Lunars’ because she had connections all over town and knew where the best parties were happening (Rare Collections).

She apparently returned to Australia for a while but later lived in the UK. She worked in the London stage revival of Gypsy (1973) as standby for the star Angela Lansbury and in the role of Electra but at some stage she left the entertainment industry. I have seen one online comment saying she now lives in country Victoria, but I cannot verify that.

Sources, further reading: 1. Judy Cannon at ABC Radio National’s Rare Collections. 2. Ian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop, entry on Judy Cannon [digitised copy].
Suggestion from Terry Stacey.

Little Eva - Uptown (1962)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
USA

On Dimension album Llllloco-Motion September 1962 by Little Eva (Eva Boyd, 1943-2003)

Little Eva had one big hit but it became legendary, the Goffin–King song Loco-Motion (1962, #1 USA, #2 UK, #16 Australia, #1 NZ). Do your own research on that one: it seems that just about everything we believed about the genesis of the song turns out to be mythical.

Peter Gordeno - Uptown (1962)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
UK

Single on Parlophone September 1962 by British singer-dancer-actor-choreographer-compere (1939-2008), produced by John Barry.

Further reading: Peter Gordeno at Wikipedia.

Anita Lindblom - Uptown (1962)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
UK

Single on Fontana by Swedish artist (1937-2020).

Produced by the multi-skilled Scot Harry Robinson (Robertson 1932-1996). See more under Chris Rayburn – One Way Ticket.

The Crystals - Uptown (1962)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
USA
Original version
#13 USA

Single on Philles February 1962, arranged and produced by Phil Spector.

The Crystals were regulars on the Phil Spector roster. Their biggest hits were He’s A Rebel (1962, #1 USA, in fact recorded by a stand-in group, The Blossoms), Da Do Ron Ron (1963, #3) and Then He Kissed Me (1963 #6). They were all on Philles, the label formed by Phil Spector and Lester Sill.

Roosevelt Grier - Uptown (1964)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
USA
Later version

On album Soul City by American football star (b.1932) better known as ‘Rosey’ Grier.

He recorded the original version of Ray Brown & The Whispers’ 1965 Australian hit Fool, Fool, Fool.

Joële Gilles - Va-t’en (Uptown) (1964)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil - Monique Aldebert)
France
Later version

On Bel Air EP Tu Fais Très Bien Ce Qui Te Plaît by singer from the Reims area who released three EPs 1964-65, recorded in Paris after she was discovered by rock group Les Champions.

Joële Gilles – Va-T’En

Va-t’en = go away.

French adaptation by Monique Aldebert (1931-2018), French jazz singer and lyricist who moved to the US at the end of the 1960s with her third husband, singer-pianist-composer Louis Aldebert.

Source, further reading: Joële (as Joëlle) Gilles at Reims Punk & Roll.

Merci à Philippe.

The Marvelettes - Uptown (1969)

(Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil )
USA
Later version

On Tamla album Full Bloom by Motown girl group renowned for Please Mr Postman (1961), famously covered by The Beatles in 1963 on With The Beatles and then as a B-side.

Bette Midler - Medley: 1. Uptown 2. Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby) 3. Da Doo Run Run (1973)

(1. Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil 2. Gerry Goffin - Carole King 3. Ellie Greenwich - Jeff Barry - Phil Spector)
USA
Later version

On Bette Midler, her second studio album.

Here, Uptown is combined with Da Doo Ron Ron (earlier a hit by The Crystals, 1963, #3 USA) and Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby) (The Cookies, 1963, #7).

Early issues omitted Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby) from the credits (notes at Discogs.com).

Another later version:
Barry Manilow, on his album This Is My Town Songs Of New York, sings Uptown in a medley with Downtown, the Tony Hatch composition that was a hit for Petula Clark (1964).