Sean Dunphy, The Beatles, Elvis – chart toppers in 1969

AS has been customary in this column in January for the past few years, I look back at the hit records, when we had vinyl, of 40 years ago, writes Tom Gillespie.

In both Ireland and the UK we reflected the similar tastes in popular music, with the majority of hits coming from English artists and a handful of US singers.

Just five Irish artists topped the charts in Ireland, with Dubliner Sean Dunphy’s ‘Lonely Woods of Upton’ remaining at the top for eight weeks (January 25 to March 22) - two weeks longer that The Beatles later in the year.

For two weeks (January 11 to 18) The Real McCoy topped with ‘Quick, Joey Small’. The Scaffold’s ‘Lily The Pink’ was the first number one for 1969 on January 4 and ‘Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da’ by The Marmalade was number one on January 25.

After Sean Dunphy’s record run Muriel Day was number one on March 29 with ‘The Wages of Love’.

Peter Sarstedt’s haunting ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)’ topped for two weeks (April 5 to 12).

Scottish singer Lulu reigned from April 19 to 26 with her hit ‘Boon Bang-a-Bang’ and Welsh singer Mary Hopkin held forth on May 3 with ‘Goodbye’.

The Beatles had their six weeks at the top - May 10 to June 14 - with ‘Get Back’.

The Beatles remained at the top for the following four weeks - June 21 to July 12 - with another recording, ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’.

The King himself, Elvis Presley, was number one from July 19 to August 4 with his hit ‘In the Ghetto’.

The Rolling Stones had two weeks at number one - August 16 to 23 - with ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ while Sean Dunphy had another week on top (August 30) with ‘When the Field are White With Daisies’.

‘Saved by the Bell’ saw Robin Gibb on the top spot for two weeks from September 5 to 12.

Zager and Evans, the US rock-pop duo, had two weeks on top with ‘In the Year 2525’ from September 19 to 26, while The Bee Gees spent two weeks on top (October 3 and 17) with ‘Don’t Forget to Remember’. Credence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’ held the October 10 number one.

American country artist Bobbie Gentry had two weeks - October 24 to 31 - with her hit ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’.

Mullingar’s Joe Dolan held pride of place on November 7 with his hit ‘Teresa’ while the American fictional garage band The Archies had a six-week run over the Christmas - November 14 to December 19 - with their hit ‘Sugar Sugar’.

Rolf Harris ended the year (December 26) with the final number one in the Irish charts with ‘Two Little Boys’.

Across the water, the English charts were somewhat similar, with the same artists, excluding the Irish singers, reaching the number one spot.

The Archies had an eight-week run at the top with ‘Sugar Sugar’ from October 19 and Rolf Harris ender the year with six weeks at number one with ‘Two Little Boys’ from December 14.

Going back to the beginning of the year, January 1 saw The Marmalade at number one with ‘Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da’. They hit the top spot again on January 15.

The January 8 number one was The Scaffold’s ‘Lily the Pink’. They were a comedy, poetry and music trio from Liverpool.

Fleetwood Mac, a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967, topped with ‘Albatross’ for one week on January 29. The band have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time.

On February 5 The Move’s ‘Blackberry Way’ was on top while the Welsh rock group Amen Corner, formed in 1966, had two weeks with their hit ‘(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice’. This was followed by four weeks for Peter Sarstedt’s ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)'.

From March 26 for three weeks ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye, the American singer, songwriter and record producer who helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, was the best selling record.

The April 16 number one was ‘Israelites’ by Desmond Dekker and the Aces, while The Beatles ‘Get Back’ sat at the top for six weeks from April 23.

The following week (June 4) saw American artist Tommy Roe at number one with ‘Dizzy’. He was widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late 1960s.

On June 11, for three weeks, The Beatles held top spot with ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’.

Thunderclap Newman, a British rock band that Pete Townsend of The Who and Kit Lambert formed in 1969, had three weeks at the top from July 2 with their hit ‘Something in the Air’.

The Rolling Stones held number one for five weeks from July 23 with their hit ‘Honky Tonk Woman’.

Zager and Evans had thee weeks at the premier spot from August 23 with ‘In the Year 2525’ and Creedence Clearwater Revival held court for three weeks from September 24 with ‘Bad Moon Rising’.

‘Je T’Aime .., Moi Non Plus by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg spent one week at number one on October 14, as did Bobble Gentry on October 12 with ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’.

 

* Read Tom Gillespie's Mayo Outlook column in our print edition every Tuesday