(7) Chuck Berry, Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon, Buddy Holly, Coasters - A Keg Of Dynamite

TOP TUNES INFLUENCE: 1959 - 60

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters
Venus - Frankie Avalon
Lonely Boy - Paul Anka
A Big Hunk O'Love - Elvis Presley
*1. Mack The Knife, 2. Fever,
3. Splish Splash - Bobby Darin
Heartaches By The Number - Guy Mitchell
Why - Frankie Avalon
*1. Maybelline, 2. Roll Over Beethoven
3. Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry
1. Great Balls of Fire, 2. Whole Lotta
Shakin' Goin' On - Jerry Lee Lewis
1. Peggy Sue, 2. Oh Boy - Buddy Holly/Crickets
1. Ain't That a Shame, 2. Bluberry Hill - Fats Domino
1. Donna, 2. La Bamba - Ritchie Valens
Sixteen Candles - The Crests
Charlie Brown - The Coasters
Shake, Rattle & Roll - Big Joe Turner

The list shows some of the hits around 1959, the year before the big 60. Chuck Berry, an African/American, shook the world with his rockin' and rollin'; Bobby Darin, of Italian descent, fevered, knifed and splashed us with his jazz renditions (images).

These were the singers that many Singapore 60s music bands could relate to as they grew up with the classics. Many of our local bands covered the songs and many of our singers impersonated the top stars.

So in the last years of the fifties with its vital mix of Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Everly Brothers, The Coasters, Perez Prado, Les Baxter and Elvis Presley, our local boys and girls had the keg of dynamite they needed for the fuse and trigger - Cliff and his Shadows.

"Look out, old Macky's back..."

(This is the last posting in the series: Top Tunes Influence 50s.)

Images: http://www.dancetothesixties.nl/ &

http://www.earyago.com/

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.