Today in 1963, having scored sales of 60 million records, Fats Domino quits Imperial Records to sign with ABC Paramount but The Fat-Man only manages a few minor hits for the new label.
The Hollies successfully audition at EMI’s Abbey Road studios on the 4th.
On the 8th, John Lennon’s wife Cynthia gave birth to son Julian Lennon who would have a successful career in the 80s. On the 11th, Gerry & The Pacemakers went to number one in the UK with their first record “How Do You Do It?”, a song recently turned down by The Beatles.
Cliff Richard & The Shadows appear on the Ed Sullivan Show on the 14th. They performed “Summer Holiday” but it failed to make any impact on the American public. In fact it was not until 1976 that Cliff Richard would crack the Billboard Top 40 with “Devil Woman”, even then only reaching number 38.
19-year-old Andrew Loog Oldham becomes manager of The Rolling Stones on the 18th.
On the 21st, The Beatles performed at the annual New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert and later they met up with up and coming rock band The Rolling Stones at The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond.
The NME Pop Poll results for 1963 were:
World male singer – Cliff Richard
UK male singer – Cliff Richard
World Female Singer – Brenda Lee
UK female singer – Kathy Kirby
Instrumental Personality – Jet Harris
Large band/orchestra – Joe Loss
World Musical personality – Elvis Presley
UK musical personality – Joe Brown
New singer – Gerry Marsden
Jazz band – Kenny Ball Jazzmen
Top single – She Loves You, The Beatles
Disc jockey – David Jacobs
World vocal group – The Beatles
UK vocal group – The Beatles
Riding high with the surfing craze in Australia, The Chantays go to number one for five weeks with “Pipeline”. They were five high school friends from Santa Ana High School, California. “Pipeline” was to be their only hit but it also reached number 4 on the Billboard charts and number 16 in the UK. Other big surfing themed hits in Australia were “Bombora” by The Atlantics; “Wipe-out” by The Surfaris; “Surf City” by Jan & Dean; “Surfside” by Digger Revell’s Denvermen; “Tamoure” by Bill Justis and “Hangin’ Five”by The Delltones. Surf music was mainly a Sydney phenomenon due to the nationally popular Sydney produced Bandstand TV show.
The number ones in Australia in April 1963
6th – Walk Like a Man – The Four Seasons
13th, 20th – In Dreams – Roy Orbison
27th – Pipeline – The Chantays
In the USA
6th, 13th, 20th – He’s So Fine – The Chiffons
27th – I Will Follow Him – Little Peggy March
In the UK
6th – Summer Holiday – Cliff Richard & The Shadows
12th, 20th, 27th – How Do You Do It? – Gerry & The Pacemakers
The top 10 in Australia in April 1963
Which of these songs brings back the best memories for you? What do you remember of 1963?