The Ultimate Averaged Chart - The BBC Chart Re-Imagined

[MrTibbs]

Great to see this historic project continuing, and that all is well with Mr Tibbs.

First appearance of Peggy Lee. But she'd had hits in the USA since 1941, so is she featured in the Colin Brown book?

Peggy Lee, without a doubt one of the all time greats !
Thanks splodj for the welcome back.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending June 1st 1957

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending June 1st 1957							NME	MM	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	65	25	60	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Butterfly - Andy Williams					1	1	1	4500
3	2	Yes Tonight Josephine - Johnnie Ray					3	2	2	4285
2	3	Rock-A-Billy - Guy Mitchell					2	3	3	4265
4	4	When I Fall In Love - Nat King Cole					4	4	4	4050
10	5	Freight Train - The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group with Nancy Whiskey					5	6	6	3815
5	6	I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen - Slim Whitman					7	5	5	3770
8	7	Too Much - Elvis Presley					6	7	8	3605
6	8	Cumberland Gap - Lonnie Donegan					8	9	9	3365
7	9	Baby Baby - Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers					12	8	7	3250
9	10	Ninety-Nine Ways - Tab Hunter					9	10	11	3155
14	11	Mr. Wonderful - Peggy Lee					10	14	10	3050
NEW	12	Around The World - Gracie Fields					11	11	14	2820
26	13	Around The World - Bing Crosby					14	16	12	2620
11	14	Butterfingers - Tommy Steele					16	13	13	2505
15	15	Chapel Of The Roses - Malcolm Vaughan					13	17	19	2240
20	16	Around The World - Ronnie Hilton					14		15	2065
29	17	I'm Sorry - The Platters					18	19	18	1925
17	18	Long Tall Sally - Little Richard						15	16	1300
16	19	Look Homeward Angel - Johnnie Ray						20	17	1115
25	20	Young Love - Tab Hunter					19	20		1055
12	21	The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte					20	20		990
19	22	The Girl Can't Help It - Little Richard (A)						18	20	985
13	23	Butterfly - Charlie Gracie					17			910
30	24	We Will Make Love - Russ Hamilton					21			650
27	25	She's Got It - Little Richard (B)					29	12		605
NEW	26	Little Darlin' - The Diamonds					22			585
18	26	I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino					22			585
23	28	Mangos - Rosemary Clooney					24			455
22	29	Why Baby Why - Pat Boone					25			390
RE	30	The World Is Mine - Malcolm Vaughan					26			325
		A White Sport Coat - Terry Dene						20		275
		A White Sport Coat - The King Brothers					27			260
		Around The World - Mantovani					27			260
		Streamline Train - The Vipers Skiffle Group					30			65
21		Heart - Max Bygraves
24		Party Doll - Buddy Knox
28		Love Is A Golden Ring - Frankie Laine

[braindeadpj]

Welcome back Mr Tibbs. It looks like there's a rush on people going "Around the World" (x4) wearing "A White Sport Coat" (x2)(At first I read it as sports car would have been more apt - oh well!).

[MrTibbs]

It's good to be back brain doing what I, and you guys enjoy, pouring over the UAC and comparing music paper chart positions

[kingofskiffle]

Really liked Freight Train. Thought the way it was done, her vocals and the washboard, all worked very well.

[MrTibbs]

Really liked Freight Train. Thought the way it was done, her vocals and the washboard, all worked very well.

Yeah it was a gem of a single. My dad a big skiffle enthusiast back then had it on a 78. I was of course too young back then to appreciate the genre but later made up for it collecting that, Lonnie D, and The Vipers .

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending June 8th 1957

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending June 8th 1957							NME	MM	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	65	25	60	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
2	1	Yes Tonight Josephine - Johnnie Ray					1	2	1	4475
1	2	Butterfly - Andy Williams					2	1	2	4375
4	3	When I Fall In Love - Nat King Cole					3	4	3	4175
3	4	Rock-A-Billy - Guy Mitchell					3	3	4	4140
5	5	Freight Train - The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group with Nancy Whiskey					6	6	5	3810
11	6	Mr. Wonderful - Peggy Lee					5	6	9	3635
16	7	Around The World - Ronnie Hilton					7	10	7	3525
6	8	I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen - Slim Whitman					10	5	6	3515
12	9	Around The World - Gracie Fields					8	8	10	3330
13	10	Around The World - Bing Crosby					9	11	8	3310
7	11	Too Much - Elvis Presley					12	12	11	2910
NEW	12	Gamblin' Man / Puttin' On The Style - Lonnie Donegan					11	9	15	2810
26	13	Little Darlin' - The Diamonds					14	18	13	2510
14	14	Butterfingers - Tommy Steele					18	15	12	2385
10	15	Ninety-Nine Ways - Tab Hunter					16	12	17	2290
15	16	Chapel Of The Roses - Malcolm Vaughan					15	19	18	2120
24	17	We Will Make Love - Russ Hamilton					19	14	16	2105
9	18	Baby Baby - Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers					22	19	14	1905
NEW	19	A White Sport Coat - The King Brothers					17		19	1630
8	20	Cumberland Gap - Lonnie Donegan					13	16		1545
NEW	21	A White Sport Coat - Terry Dene					25		20	1050
NEW	22	Around The World - Mantovani					20			715
17	23	I'm Sorry - The Platters					21			650
21	24	The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte					28	17		545
NEW	25	Streamline Train - The Vipers Skiffle Group					23			520
20	26	Young Love - Tab Hunter					24			455
23	27	Butterfly - Charlie Gracie					26			325
28	28	Mangos - Rosemary Clooney					27			260
29	29	Why Baby Why - Pat Boone					29			130
NEW	30	I'll Find You - David Whitfield					30			65
18		Long Tall Sally - Little Richard
19		Look Homeward Angel - Johnnie Ray
22		The Girl Can't Help It - Little Richard (A)
25		She's Got It - Little Richard (B)
26		I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino
30		The World Is Mine - Malcolm Vaughan

[MrTibbs]

The above Top Ten is hugely interesting. Here we are in the depths of a brave new musical era of rock'n'roll and skiffle and yet with the exception of Chas McDevitt's skiffle group we could be looking at a top ten from the early fifties with sing a long pop and romantic ballads.

Nothing wrong with that of course, but the music historians would have us believe that along came rock'n'roll and the old guard were swept away in this new tidal wave of change. Somebody didn't tell Johnnie, Nat, Guy, Peggy, Ronnie, Slim, Gracie or Bing that their time was up.

[brian05]

You can go around the world 4 times and buy 2 white sports coats!

7 Around The World - Ronnie Hilton
9 Around The World - Gracie Fields
10 Around The World - Bing Crosby
22 Around The World - Mantovani


19 A White Sport Coat - The King Brothers
21 A White Sport Coat - Terry Dene

Just noticed the post by @braindeadpj . He beat me to it!

[MrTibbs]

From this week's chart Josephine went Around The World four times wearing two White Sports Coats on the Freight Train to find Mr Wonderful who would be her Young Love. They would marry in the Chapel of The Roses but her Little Darlin' was a Gamblin' Man who spent Too Much in the Rock-A-Billy club. She asked Why Baby Why. He said I'm Sorry and gave her a Butterfly brooch and they returned home again on The Streamline Train by way of the Cumberland Gap singing The Banana Boat Song in Ninety Nine Ways. He told her We Will Make Love she said I'm Walkin' but he said I'll Find You, she asked how will you do that and he replied I will Look Homeward Angel till I find my Baby Baby.

[kingofskiffle]

Wow thats excellent!

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending June 15th 1957

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending June 15th 1957							NME	MM	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	65	25	60	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Yes Tonight Josephine - Johnnie Ray					1	1	1	4500
3	2	When I Fall In Love - Nat King Cole					2	3	2	4325
2	3	Butterfly - Andy Williams					3	2	3	4225
4	4	Rock-A-Billy - Guy Mitchell					4	4	4	4050
7	5	Around The World - Ronnie Hilton					5	5	6	3840
10	6	Around The World - Bing Crosby					6	6	7	3690
13	7	Little Darlin' - The Diamonds					8	7	5	3655
12	8	Gamblin' Man / Putting On The Style - Lonnie Donegan					7		8	3528
6	9	Mr. Wonderful - Peggy Lee					10	9	9	3235
5	10	Freight Train - The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group with Nancy Whiskey					9	8	11	3205
9	11	Around The World - Gracie Fields					10	11	10	3125
11	12	Too Much - Elvis Presley					12	12	13	2790
17	13	We Will Make Love - Russ Hamilton					15	16	12	2555
8	14	I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen - Slim Whitman					14	14	14	2550
18	15	Baby Baby - Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers					17	18	19	1955
16	16	Chapel Of The Roses - Malcolm Vaughan					13		18	1950
14	17	Butterfingers - Tommy Steele					21	15	16	1950
19	18	A White Sport Coat - The King Brothers					16		17	1815
15	19	Ninety-Nine Ways - Tab Hunter					20	17	20	1725
23	20	I'm Sorry - The Platters					18	20		1120
20	21	Cumberland Gap - Lonnie Donegan					19			780
24	22	The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte					25	19		690
21	23	A White Sport Coat - Terry Dene					22			585
22	24	Around The World - Mantovani					23			520
NEW	25	All Shook Up - Elvis Presley					24			455
NEW	26	Fabulous - Charlie Gracie					26			325
30	27	I'll Find You - David Whitfield					27			260
NEW	28	Greenback Dollar - The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group					28			195
NEW	29	Island In The Sun - Harry Belefonte					29			130
25	29	Streamline Train - The Vipers Skiffle Group					29			130
		Gamblin' Man - Lonnie Donegan (B)						10
		Putting On The Style - Lonnie Donegan (A)						13	15
26		Young Love - Tab Hu nter
27		Butterfly - Charlie Gracie
28		Mangos - Rosemary Clooney
29		Why Baby Why - Pat Boone

[Splodj]

45cat says 'All Shook Up' was released on 21st June. If true it is entering the NME chart purely on advance orders, as the first 2 days of sale will not be represented until the chart after next (w/e 29th June).

[brian05]

From NME for 12th July 1957.

It took just three weeks for his latest hit, the breathless, jerky " All Shook Up," to jump up the NME Top Thirty ladder to top place.

Even when dealers were allowed " request only " 45 rpm copies made specially for American Forces in Europe - enough were sold to make the Hit List.

Now that HMV's " Shook Up " is released on both 45 and 78 rpm, record dealers can't get copies fast enough. Listen to the disc and find out why.

So did Elvis make the NME chart on import sales alone?

[MrTibbs]

From NME for 12th July 1957.

It took just three weeks for his latest hit, the breathless, jerky " All Shook Up," to jump up the NME Top Thirty ladder to top place.

Even when dealers were allowed " request only " 45 rpm copies made specially for American Forces in Europe - enough were sold to make the Hit List.

Now that HMV's " Shook Up " is released on both 45 and 78 rpm, record dealers can't get copies fast enough. Listen to the disc and find out why.

So did Elvis make the NME chart on import sales alone?

I believe so guys. It will drop out of the chart surprisingly next week before re-entering again which seems to suggest this week is not based on UK release sales.

[Splodj]

So in a detailed listing a different catalogue number should be applied for this week.

As advanced orders were enormous, this indicates that they were not taken into account by NME then.

[Graham76man]

So in a detailed listing a different catalogue number should be applied for this week.

As advanced orders were enormous, this indicates that they were not taken into account by NME then.

Were not going down that road again

The NME chart was based on them phoning up record dealers, so if the record dealers didn't put a record in the list then it would not register on the chart. It's unlikely that any of the shops put in advanced orders, because the NME was asking for best sellers, not what the shop ordered. The NME staff would not dare put a record in the chart that wasn't actually selling, especially a well known track as the other Music Press would have had a go at them for fiddling the chart.

Fixed release dates were not common at this point so if a record does have a release date it would have been considered important by the Record Label to confirm to shops when they could get it. Most records at this point were still being issued on the first and second week of each month, just like in the Colin Brown book. The switch to the Friday weekly day happened sometime after 1960.
The fact that imports made the chart for a week, and drop out next week, might be due to the NME phoning different shops each week. Brian Epstein's shop is known to be a chart shop in several charts. He always had imports. And that would apply to any shop that was in a port town.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending June 22nd 1957

Here are all '' the uppers, the downers, the just hanging 'arounders '

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending June 22nd 1957							NME	MM	RM	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	65	25	60	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Yes Tonight Josephine - Johnnie Ray					1	1	1	4500
8	2	Gamblin' Man / Putting On The Style - Lonnie Donegan					2		2	4350
2	3	When I Fall In Love - Nat King Cole					3	2	3	4225
3	4	Butterfly - Andy Williams					4	3	5	4015
6	5	Around The World - Bing Crosby					5	6	4	3935
5	6	Around The World - Ronnie Hilton					7	4	6	3735
7	7	Little Darlin' - The Diamonds					6	8	9	3520
4	8	Rock-A-Billy - Guy Mitchell					11	7	7	3340
9	9	Mr. Wonderful - Peggy Lee					10	10	8	3270
11	10	Around The World - Gracie Fields					9	9	10	3240
10	11	Freight Train - The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group with Nancy Whiskey					8	12	12	3110
18	12	A White Sport Coat - The King Brothers					12	14	11	2860
13	13	We Will Make Love - Russ Hamilton					13	13	13	2700
12	14	Too Much - Elvis Presley					14	16	15	2440
17	15	Butterfingers - Tommy Steele					18	17	14	2215
23	16	A White Sport Coat - Terry Dene					18	15	16	2145
14	17	I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen - Slim Whitman					17	18	17	2075
29	18	Island In The Sun - Harry Belafonte					15		19	1760
20	19	I'm Sorry - The Platters					21	19	20	1610
15	20	Baby Baby - Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers					23		18	1300
26	21	Fabulous - Charlie Gracie					16	19		1275
16	22	Chapel Of The Roses - Malcolm Vaughan					20			715
NEW	23	Fire Down Below - Jeri Southern					22			585
NEW	24	School Day - Chuck Berry					24			455
NEW	24	I Like Your Kind Of Love - Andy Williams					24			455
NEW	26	Travellin' Home - Vera Lynn					26			325
24	27	Around The World - Mantovani					27			260
22	28	The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte					28			195
21	29	Cumberland Gap - Lonnie Donegan					29			130
19	30	Ninety-Nine Ways - Tab Hunter					30			65
		Putting On The Style - Lonnie Donegan						5
		Gamblin' Man - Lonnie Donegan						11
25		All Shook Up - Elvis Presley
27		I'll Find You - David Whitfield
28		Greenback Dollar - The Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group
29		Streamline Train - The Vipers Skiffle Group

[kingofskiffle]

I strongly suspect, had Melody Maker combined sides into one listing position, probably pushing it to 4 or even 3 in there chart, that Lonnie Donegan would have been number 1 this week…..

[Robbie]

I strongly suspect, had Melody Maker combined sides into one listing position, probably pushing it to 4 or even 3 in there chart, that Lonnie Donegan would have been number 1 this week…..

It definitely looks that way.

My mother used to own the single, on 10" if I recall.I never cared for 'Puttin' On The Style'. However as that was my introduction to Lonnie Donegan (along with another my mother owned, 'My Old Man's A Dustman') I used to assume he was a novelty act! I remember being surprised when I later found out he had a substantial chart career with non-novelty type songs.

[kingofskiffle]

Yes I think he is perhaps more known as a novelty act. I do wonder what his career or memory would be like had he not done Dustman and Chewing Gum. There are some other novelty ones such as his recording with Max Milker but those are the charting two.

[Splodj]

How could MM placing it at 3 or 4 have made it go up? Surely that would have dragged it down.

[MrTibbs]

Yeah I credited it with an average of 2 from NME and RM so it is unlikely it would be #1 in MM this week, joint 2 at best if combined I think the same as the others.

[MrTibbs]

Yes I think he is perhaps more known as a novelty act. I do wonder what his career or memory would be like had he not done Dustman and Chewing Gum. There are some other novelty ones such as his recording with Max Milker but those are the charting two.

He was really innovative at the time though and well ahead of the game with the vast majority of his material. I don't think the novelties detracted from this as it demonstrated how versatile an artist he was.

[Splodj]

Effectively you had assumed it was 2 in MM, so had it been 3 or 4 in MM - as suggested - that would inevitably have resulted in a lower score.

Going back to that Elvis record for US troops in Europe, NME said that dealers could get them on a 'request only' basis. Presumably this means they requested them from RCA, who provided them to stores through their normal distribition network.