131 Songs - Numbers 8, 9, 10 and 11

Number 8 - Somethin' Else by Eddie Cochran

Recorded in 1959, this was one of the earliest songs that I can remember from listening to Radio Luxembourg. Eddie made some great records in his short career including Summertime Blues, C'mon Everybody andThree Steps to Heaven. Any one would have made my list, but the raw energy of Somethin' Else makes it my choice. Eddie was killed on the A4 in Wiltshire in 1960 at the young age of 21. He was in a taxi that hit a tree and Eddie went through the windscreen. The taxi driver (who went to prison), his girlfriend and Gene Vincent survived the crash. His impounded guitar was found by a young police constable who used it to learnt how to play. It was Dave Dee (see my posting of 10th January). If Eddie had survived, who knows how big a star he would have become. He was an excellent songwriter and musician. Paul McCartney taught John Lennon the chords to Eddie's Twenty Flight Rock at that famous picnic where The Quarrymen were playing.

Number 9 - Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson

Although for me, this has song has not stood the test of time, Ricky Nelson was one of my favourite singers of the very early sixties. When I was 15 or 16, I listened to Radio Luxembourg whenever I could. I used to write down the playlists from shows such as Jack Jackson's Jukebox. There is not a single entry of that name when I searched on Google, but I remember it well. Other dj's included David Jacobs, Alan Freeman and Jimmy Saville. The latter campaigned heavily for Elvis to tour the UK, but failed entirely to persuade his manager Colonel Tom Parker.

Radio Luxembourg was the only place you could hear popular music programmes in the early sixties, many back to back, most sponsored by a record label. Jackson's was Decca. It was the forerunner of pirate radio that started in 1964. And Ricky was one of the big American stars that we listened to. Between 1957 and 1962 he had thirty hit records. When he toured England in 1985, I went to see him at the Albert Hall. Little did I know that later that year he would die in a plane crash. So I am glad I saw him perform when I did.

Number 10 - Runaway by Del Shannon

Also on the same bill as Ricky Nelson was Dell Shannon. His everlastingly popular number one single Runaway from 1961 was the highlight of the show and the best received. It is probably the famous organ solo that made this record stand apart. It certainly was one of my favourite songs from that year and frequently on my playlist. It stills sounds good today.

Number 11 - Sea of Heartbreak by Don Gibson

This used to be The Wanderer by Dion, but listening to the lyrics the other day, I realised that they would be fiercely derided today.
"Oh well I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name
They call me the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around".
 There were other great records that nearly made the list. Bobby Vee's Rubber Ball was a big favourite, as were Freddie Canon's Palisades Park and Johnny Burnett's Dreamin. And I have missed Jimmy Jones, whose Handyman reminds me of our first year in Braintree. My friend David Hume played it on his parent's radiogram.