Pop Archives

Noeleen Batley - Forgive Me (1963)

(Burt Bacharach - Hal David)
Australia 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.

On CD: Raven Records anthology The Rare Bacharach Vol. 1: 1956-1978.

Further reading: Noeleen Batley page at Milesago.
Suggestion from Terry Stacey.


Babs Tino - Forgive Me (For Giving You Such A Bad Time) (1962)

(Burt Bacharach - Hal David)
USA USA
Original version
#117

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, across the river in Pennsylvania. At some stage she apparently lived in Pennsauken Township, located in Camden County but counted as a suburb of Philadelphia.

Her first single (1957) was on Philadelphia label Cameo before she switched to Kapp (1961-63). She appeared often in ads for Camden nightspots during that time, and was billed in 1958 as “Camden’s New Recording Sensation”.

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).

References: 1. Release details at HalDavid.com. 2. Babs Tino discography at 45cat.com. 3. Post by Mike Edwards to Spectropop November 2002 re: Helen Shapiro.
Further reading: For the full extent of the Bacharach oeuvre see, for example, the list of hit recordings and selected discography at BacharachOnline.com.
See also: Jeff PhillipsBaby It’s You at this site.