1963 Popular Songs Poll; Tribeca 2023 and the current situation with “Irish Jesus of Fairview” on Monday Morning Diary (June 26)

by Sam Juliano

The 2022-2023 school year concludes today, Monday, June 26.  I will once again be teaching a Creative Writing/Reading Enrichment summer school class for grade schools from this coming Wednesday, June 28 until Friday, July 28.  The one month class will be followed by the August break, when we hope to take a short seashore vacation, and I hope to make some serious progress with my third novel, Roses for Saoirse.  Speaking of novels, right now everything remains frozen with Irish Jesus of Fairview.  For those who might be wondering why I have not reached out to you for review blurbs nor even for some proofreading (I approached people for both last time around, and a few delivered superlatively for me!) this time my hands are tied.  The full manuscript is in the hands of my second-stage editor, Bill, who right now has his own hands full, what with his retirement and a theatrical work he is working on.  Unlike the situation with Paradise, he chose this time  to make proofreading corrections right off the original manuscript, rather than to send on corrections so I could do them myself.  The help from others on Paradise was terrific and invaluable, but this time I am not yet able to share the manuscript until the initial edit is complete.  Adding to the impasse is my reluctance to bother people again for any reason.  I am frankly mortified to intrude upon the busy lives of those who have plenty to do, without being bothered with my book-related tasks.

I am off to a slow start on the virtual Tribeca Film Festival this year, mainly because of end-of-school demands, the novels and my time-consuming role as a FB pollmeister.  The latest insane venture is the first year of a planned continuing project on the best pop songs from the rock era (and the years preceding it).  Anyone wishing to cast a Top 10 ballot (in order or in no order) can do so in the comment section below.  Here is the way I presented the poll on FB, where about 70 people have already participated.  I allowed a two week window, which ends on or around Friday of this coming week):

FAVORITE POP SONGS OF 1963

(Either in numerical order OR listed in all equal value; Depending on how you vote, the tabulation will connect with that)

This is an experiment. It may well fail and prove I have finally overstepped my poll-taking bounds once and for all. If so, this will be the one and only year I will attempt in this planned project. I honestly think it will fail, but I’ll give it a shot. Why 1963? No special reason other than I have exceedingly fond nine-year-old memories of that year and of WABC AM radio, which I have chosen to be the maiden year for those who decide to engage. Participants are asked to name their TEN FAVORITE POP SONGS OF 1963 in no particular order OR in numerical order. Voters do NOT have to choose from this Top 100, though I would imagine this is the list that will provide the vast majority of the final choices. BILLBOARD lists are most fine too! However, the songs MUST be singles, NOT album songs that never charted on the singles lists. The poll will run for TWO WEEKS (14 days). When the two weeks are over I will attempt (with the complicity of over-worked Tabulator D’Arminio to add up the ballots. We are seeking a NUMBER 1 winner, but also a final Top 10. As I say this may be pushing the envelope, but many of us are just as fond of music as we are of films. MY TOP TEN FAVORITES ARE:

Be My Baby (Ronettes)

Hey Paula (Paul & Paula)

The End of the World (Skeeter Davis)

Blue Velvet (Bobby Vinton)

In Dreams Roy Orbison)

Rythm of the Rain (Cascades)

Go Away Little Girl (Steve Lawrence)

She Loves You (Beatles)

If You Wanna Be Happy (Jimmy Soul)

Blowin’ in the Wind (Peter, Paul & Mary)

If this first polling tanks, I will not post again, however if it shows promise, I will come back in TWO WEEKS with the results and then………….1962. Thank you for your consideration. (In high school, I ran a weekly poll of the top hits in 1969 to 1972. One song, “Love Can Make You Happy” by Mercy stood at the top of the chart for nine weeks, which was the longest run. Funny, how I remember that!) Anyway, some voters may opt to wait several days before responding and that is quite fine as well.

WABC AM RADIO’S TOP 100 SONGS OF 1963 (in order)

1 “I Will Follow Him”…………………………….Little Peggy March

2 “Be My Baby”…………………………………..The Ronettes

3 “He’s So Fine”…………………………………The Chiffons

4 “Our Day Will Come”…………………………….Ruby and The Romantics

5 “Easier Said Than Done”…………………………The Essex

6 “So Much In Love”………………………………The Tymes

7 “My Boyfriend’s Back”…………………………..The Angels

8 “Hey Paula”……………………………………Paul and Puala

9 “Fingertips Part 2″…………………………….Little Stevie Wonder

10 “Go Away Little Girl”………………………….Steve Lawrence

11 “Blue Velvet”…………………………………Bobby Vinton

12 “Sugar Shack”…………………………………Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs

13 “If You Wanna Be Happy”………………………..Jimmy Soul

14 “Washington Square”……………………………The Village Stompers

15 “Walk Like A Man”……………………………..The Four Seasons

16 “Walk Right In”……………………………….The Rooftop Singers

17 “It’s My Party”……………………………….Lesley Gore

18 “Candy Girl”………………………………….The Four Seasons

19 “Deep Purple”…………………………………Nino Tempo and April Stevens

20 “Foolish Little Girl”………………………….The Shirelles

21 “I’m Leavin’ It Up To You”……………………..Dale and Grace

22 “Surf City”…………………………………..Jan and Dean

23 “Hello Stranger”………………………………Barbara Lewis

24 “Denise”……………………………………..Randy And The Rainbows

25 “She’s A Fool”………………………………..Lesley Gore

26 “Dominique”…………………………………..The Singing Nun

27 “It’s All Right”………………………………The Impressions

28 “Donna The Prima Donna”………………………..Dion

29 “Surfin’ U.S.A.”………………………………The Beach Boys

30 “You Can’t Sit Down”…………………………..The Dovells

31 “Tell Him”……………………………………The Exciters

32 “Da Doo Ron Ron”………………………………The Crystals

33 “The End Of The World”…………………………Skeeter Davis

34 “Heat Wave”…………………………………..Martha and The Vandellas

35 “Rhythm Of The Rain”…………………………..The Cascades

36 “Baby Workout”………………………………..Jackie Wilson

37 “Blame It On The Bossa Nova”……………………Eydie Gorme

38 “Blowin’ In The Wind”………………………….Peter Paul and Mary

39 “The Monkey Time”……………………………..Marjor Lance

40 “Up On The Roof”………………………………The Drifters

41 “I Can’t Stay Mad At You”………………………Skeeter Davis

42 “Puff The Magic Dragon”………………………..Peter, Paul and Mary

43 “El Watusi”…………………………………..Ray Barretto

44 Then He Kissed Me”…………………………….The Crystals

45 “Cry Baby”……………………………………Garnet Mimms and The Enchanters

46 “Sukiyaki”……………………………………Kyu Sakamoto

47 “Mockingbird”…………………………………Inez and Charlie Foxx

48 “Ruby Baby”…………………………………..Dion

49 “Can’t Get used To Losing You”………………….Andy Williams

50 “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight”……………..Barry and the Tamerlanes

51 “Just One Look”……………………………….Doris Troy

52 “Wipe Out”……………………………………The Surfaris

53 “Pepino The Italian Mouse”……………………..Lou Monte

54 “The Gypsie Cried”…………………………….Lou Christie

55 “Killer Joe”………………………………….Rocky Fellers

56 “Sally, Go ‘Round The Roses”……………………The Jaynetts

57 “South Street”………………………………..The Orlons

58 “Come And Get These Memories”…………………..Martha and The Vandellas

59 “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me”………………..The Miracles

60 “If I Had A Hammer”……………………………Trini Lopez

61 “Talk To Me”………………………………….Sunny and The Sunglows

62 “Louie Louie”…………………………………The Kingsmen

63 “Cast Your Fate To The Wind”……………………Vince Guaraldi Trio

64 “Till Then”…………………………………..The Classics

65 “I Have A Boyfriend”…………………………..The Chiffons

66 “Unchained Melody”…………………………….Vito and The Salutations

67 “Telstar”…………………………………….The Tornadoes

68 “Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby)”………….The Cookies

69 “Watermelon Man”………………………………Mongo Santamaria

70 “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!”…………………..Allan Sherman

71 “One Fine Day”………………………………..The Chiffons

72 “Limbo Rock”………………………………….Chubby Checker

73 “Hey, Girl”…………………………………..Freddie Scott

74 “Mickey’s Monkey”……………………………..The Miracles

75 “Remember Then”……………………………….The Earls

76 “Bobby’s Girl”………………………………..Marcie Blane

77 “Mama Didn’t Lie”……………………………..Jan Bradley

78 “Blue On Blue”………………………………..Bobby Vinton

79 “From A Jack To A King”………………………..Ned Miller

80 “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport”…………………..Rolf Harris

81 “Have You Heard”………………………………The Duprees

82 “Pride and Joy”……………………………….Marvin Gaye

83 “More”……………………………………….Kai Winding and Orchestra

84 “The Love Of My Man”…………………………..Theola Kilgore

85 “Wild Weekend”………………………………..The Rebels

86 “Walking The Dog”……………………………..Rufus Thomas

87 “Down The Aisle (Wedding Song)”…………………Patti Labelle and The Bluebelles

88 “Swinging On A Star”…………………………..Big Dee Irwin and Little Eva

89 “Pipeline”……………………………………The Chantay’s

90 “There! I’ve Said It Again”…………………….Bobby Vinton

91 “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes”…………………Bobby Vee

92 “What Will Mary Say”…………………………..Johnny Mathis

93 “On Top of Spaghetti”………………………….Tom Glazer

94 “Another Saturday Night”……………………….Sam Cooke

95 “Zip A Dee Doo Dah”……………………………Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans

96 “Linda”………………………………………Jan and Dean

97 “If You Need Me”………………………………Wilson Pickett

98 “My Summer Love”………………………………Ruby and The Romantics

99 “He’s Sure The Boy I Love”……………………..The Crystals

100 “Two Faces Have I”……………………………Lou Christie

PLEASE NOTE WELL: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” and “Please Please Me” are eleigible for this poll as well. They released in the fall of 1963. Of course they had their greatest sales in 1964.

ALSO NOTE WELL: This is from Lee Price: I hope people realize that Blue Bayou, In My Room, and Ring of Fire are 1963! On Broadway – The Drifters, too (even if it just missed my list).”