(Burt Bacharach - Hal David)
Australia
#31 Sydney
Single on Festival by Sydney pop star, known as ‘Australia’s Little Miss Sweetheart’. Noeleen Batley (b.1944) was most popular in Sydney, where she had nine charting singles 1960-1964, but her biggest hit was Barefoot Boy, an original release that was a hit all over Australia. See also Little Treasure From Japan.
Released in 1963, on the Sydney charts January-March 1964.
Further reading: Noeleen Batley
page at Milesago.
Suggestion from Terry Stacey.
(Hal David - Burt Bacharach - Vline-Buggy )
France
On Barclay EP Bobbi Oh Bobbi by singer, dancer and actress Claire Ferval, born Claire Thérèse Ferullo in Marseille, 1939, more often known as Claire Chevalier. Her career included film roles from 1957, twisting and singing from 1961, and releasing this EP in 1963, her first record on Barclay. She continued to record over the years while also working in Spain and – most successfully – in Brazil. She adopted other stage names along the way, notably Claire Chevalier which came after meeting with Maurice Chevalier.
The French lyrics (= tell me again) are by prolific songwriter Liliane Konyn (b. 1929) under the pseudonym Vline Buggy which had also been used by her sister Evelyne (1926-1962): more details at discogs.com.
Further listening: Claire Chevalier channel at YouTube.
Remerciement: Le premier paragraphe est basé sur une recherche de Philippe Edouard.
(Burt Bacharach - Hal David)
USA
Original version
#117 USA [Billboard] #99 USA [Cash Box] #6 Vancouver [CFUN] #9 Toronto [CHUM]
Single on Kapp, produced by composer Burt Bacharach, orchestra conducted by Chuck Sagle.
Little is known about Babs Tino. She was from Camden County, New Jersey, which borders Philadelphia and is part of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. Press notices from 1963 mention her living in Pennsauken Township, Camden County.
Her first record (1957) was on Philadelphia label Cameo before she switched to Kapp (1961-63). She often featured in ads for local nightspots, and was billed in 1957-58 as Camden’s New Recording Sensation. From around 1964 she appeared as Babs Tino And Her Escorts.
Babs Tino recorded the original version of Keep Away From Other Girls (1962), another Bacharach composition (lyrics by Bob Hilliard) that was covered by Helen Shapiro (1962, #40 UK).
Further reading: 1. For the full extent of the Bacharach oeuvre see, for example, the list of hit recordings and selected discography at BacharachOnline.com. 2. Release details at HalDavid.com.
(Billy Hamilton)
UK
Red herring
Same title but not the same song as ‘Forgive Me’ by Noeleen
Batley.
B-side on Philips by Irish showband working in Manchester. This Forgive Me was written by band leader and vocalist Billy Hamilton, also heard on sax and organ.
Further reading: Band details and personnel at Lanky Beat [defunct page, archived here].
Pop Archives
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2025. 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…