(Rudy Clark)
Australia
#29 Melbourne
Single on W&G label.
The Strangers: Melbourne band, formed in 1961, started out playing instrumentals after the fashion of The Shadows but went through several stylistic and personnel changes until breaking up in the mid-70s. The Strangers backed numerous local and Australian artists, notably Colin Cook with whom they released the LP Colin Cook and the Strangers (1964). In 1966 they became resident backing band on the TV pop show Go!!.
See also Cry Of The Wild Goose (1963, an early instrumental), Looking Through The Eyes Of A Beautiful Girl (1970) and Mr President (1970). For more background on the late period Strangers, see Western Union (1967), Happy Without You (1968) and Melanie Makes Me Smile (1970).
(Rudy Clark)
USA
Original version
#22 USA #2 Adelaide
Single on Caprice label by New York singer with a gospel background.
James Ray also recorded the original version of another Rudy Clark song, I've Got My Mind Set On You (1961), best known through George Harrison's hit version, Got My Mind Set On You (1987).
Other Rudy Clark compositions include Fool Fool Fool (Ray Brown's Australian hit), The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) (Betty Everett and others) and Good Lovin' (The Young Rascals, The Olympics).
Further reading: See The Originals for further versions.
(Rudy Clark)
UK
#3 UK
>Single on Columbia by popular Brit Invasion group from Manchester led by the bespectacled zane Freddie Garrity.
(Rudy Clark)
UK
Single on Oriole by West London-based beat group group that released several singles 1963-1965 before evolving into The Simon Raven Cult. Nick Simper, an early member of Deep Purple by way of Johnny Kidd’s Pirates, was a Regent.
Further reading: 1. Discography at 45-rpm.org.uk. 2. Buddy Britten has inspired an idiosyncratic tribute page which manages to spell his surname two ways. 3. Nick Simper’s biography and career discography at
NickSimper.com includes his Regents-Simon Raven Cult years.
Version alert from Terry Stacey.
(Rudy Clark)
UK
On Decca album Art Gallery by R&B band led by Art Wood, brother of Ron Wood.
Further reading: 1. Singles discography at 45-rpm.co.uk. 2. Artwoods biography at All Music Guide.
(Rudy Clark)
USA
#63 USA
Single on Wand by critically acclaimed soul-R&B-pop singer with a gospel background (b. 1932) whose mainstream chart success was modest. Like many other underrated soul singers of the past, Maxine Brown has been given more recognition in recent years.
Further reading: Maxine Brown biography at All Music Guide by Stephen Thomas Erlewine who suggests that the Wand label focused much of their attention on Dionne Warwick, leaving Maxine Brown to toil in semi-obscurity.
(Rudy Clark - L. Beretta - M. Del Prete)
Italy
#2 Italy
Italian-language version (The More Important Problem) of If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody.
The #5 Italian single for 1964, as listed by HitParadeItalia.it.
(Rudy Clark)
USA
On 1962 Liberty album What's A Matter Baby by highly regarded Italian-American soul-oriented singer (1941-2004) whose reputation grew in later years through the Northern Soul movement and CD reissues. Timi Yuro had three nationally charting singles in the US 1961-1963, the biggest of which was Hurt (1961, #4 USA).
Further reading: 1. Timi Yuro biography at All Music Guide. 2. Timi Yuro Wikipedia entry.
(Rudy Clark)
UK
Track 3 on 1963 Decca album Twist And Shout.
Track 2 was 20 Miles, an Australian hit for
Ray Brown & The Whispers (1965). Also on the album was Over The
Mountain, recorded in Australia by Johnny O’Keefe (1958)..
Version alert from Terry Stacey.
Further reading: Brian Poole & The
Tremeloes bio and discography at British Beat Boom.
Pop Archives
Australia's premier song history site since 2004
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…