1960s British Rock & Pop Chronology |
 |
1956 |
|
||||
| 1 | Memphis, Tennessee. Carl Perkins: "Blue Suede Shoes" [Sun, released] | |||
| 3 | BBC-TV, Ch1: The Petula Clark Show debuts | |||
| 6 | Bill Haley and His Comets: "Rock around the Clock" [Brunswick 05317, RR #1
for 2 weeks] Lonnie Donegan: "Rock Island Line" [Decca F 10647, charts, RR #8, US #6] |
|||
| 10 | Cyprus: Britain sends 1600 paratroopers | |||
| 13 | Frank
Sinatra: "Love and Marriage" [Capitol CL 14503, charts, RR #3] Gary Miller: "Robin Hood" [Nixa N 15020, charts, RR #10] |
|||
| 20 | Tennessee
Ernie Ford: "Sixteen Tons" [RR #1 for 4 weeks] Frank Sinatra: "The Tender Trap" [Capitol CL 14511, charts, RR #2] Dick James: "Robin Hood" [Parlophone R 4117, charts, RR #14] |
|||
| 26 | Decca Records, Nashville, Tennessee: Buddy Holly begins recording sessions | |||
| 27 | Malcolm Vaughan: "With Your Love" [HMV POP 130, charts, RR #18] | |||
| Other January Artifacts | ||||
| Howlin' Wolf records "Smokestack Lightnin'" [US release March 1956, Enters UK charts in June 1964] | ||||
|
||||
| 3 | Frankie Vaughan: "My Boy Flat Top" [Philips PB 544, charts, RR #20] | |||
| 10 | Ronnie Hilton: "Young and Foolish" [HMV POP 154, charts, RR #17] | |||
| 11 | Moscow: Maclean and Burgess appear at press conference | |||
| 16 | London: Introduction of bill to end the death penalty | |||
| 17 | Dean
Martin: "Memories Are Made of This" [RR #1 for 4 weeks] Johnnie Ray: "Who's Sorry Now" [Philips PB 546, charts, RR #17] Max Bygraves: "Ballad of Davy Crockett" [HMV POP 153, charts, RR #20] |
|||
| 18 | Birmingham: Associated British Corporation (ABC) begins broadcasting on weekends in the Midlands. | |||
| 24 | Frank Chacksfield: "In Old Lisbon" [Decca F 10689, charts, RR #15] | |||
| Other February Artifacts | ||||
| Lonnie Donegan: "Diggin' My Potatoes" / "Bury My Body" [no chart action] | ||||
|
||||
| 2 | David Whitfield: "My September Love" [Decca F 10690, charts, RR #3] | |||
| 9 | Eddie Calvert: "Zambesi" [Columbia DB 3747, charts, RR #13] | |||
| 16 | Winifred
Atwell: "Poor People of Paris" [Decca F 10681, charts, RR #1] Jimmy Young: "Chain Gang" [Decca F 10694, charts, RR #9] |
|||
| 21 | Delaware, USA: Carl Perkins and brother Jay crash their car on the way to perform on the Perry Como show. Both are severely injured. | |||
| 23 | Lita Roza: "Jimmy Unknown" [Decca F 10679, charts, RR #15] | |||
| Pakistan: The government declares itself the first Islamic republic (but stays within the Commonwealth) | ||||
| 30 | Alma
Cogan with Desmond Lane: "Willie Can" [HMV POP 187, charts, RR #13] Michael Holliday: "Nothin' to Do" [Columbia DB 3746, charts, RR #20] |
|||
| Other March Artifacts | ||||
| Elvis Presley: "Heartbreak Hotel" [US re, US #1, UK 5/56, RR #2] | ||||
|
||||
| 6 | The
Dreamweavers: "It's Almost Tomorrow" [RR #1 for 1 week] Cyril Stapleton: "The Italian Theme" [Decca F 10703, charts, RR #18] |
|||
| 7 | Melody Maker: Amsterdam Police stop Lionel Hampton show when teenage fans riot | |||
| 13 | Winifred
Atwell: "The Poor People of Paris" [RR #1 for 3 weeks] Lonnie Donegan: "Rock Island Line" [Decca F 10647, re-charts, RR #16] Anne Shelton: "Seven Days" [Philips PB 567, charts, RR #20] Johnston Brothers: "No Other Love" [Decca F 10721, charts, RR #22] Beverley Sisters: "Willie Can" [Decca F 10705, charts, RR #23] |
|||
| 14 | Ampex Corporation demonstrates its first commercial videotape recorder | |||
| 18 | London: Premier Kruschev arrives for talks | |||
| 20 | Ronnie
Hilton: "No Other Love" [HMV POP 198, charts, RR #1] Lonnie Donegan: "Lost John" / "Stewball" [Pye Nixa N 15036, charts, RR #2] Johnnie Ray: "Ain't Misbehavin'" [Philips PB 580, charts, RR #17] |
|||
| 23 | London: Premier Kruschev tells audience the USSR can launch hydrogen bombs on intercontinental missles | |||
|
||||
| 3 | Manchester: Granada Television begins weekday broadcasting in northern England. | |||
| 4 | Ronnie Hilton: "No Other Love" [RR #1 for 6 weeks] | |||
| 5 | Manchester: ABC opens television studios for weekend broadcasting [Melody Maker 12 May 1956, p. 2] | |||
| 8 | Royal Court Theatre, London: John Osborne's play, Look Back in Anger opens | |||
| 11 | Elvis
Presley: "Heartbreak Hotel" [HMV POP 182, charts, RR #2] Lonnie Donegan: "Rock Island Line" [Decca F 10647, re-enters, RR #11] |
|||
| 18 | Carl
Perkins: "Blue Suede Shoes" [London HLU 8271, charts, RR #10] Winifred Atwell and Frank Chacksfield: "Port au Prince" [Decca F 10727, charts, RR #18] Dick James: "Robin Hood" / "Ballad of Davy Crockett" [Parlophone R 4117, recharts, RR #29] |
|||
| 25 | Elvis
Presley: "Blue Suede Shoes" [HMV POP 213, charts, RR #9] Max Bygraves: "Out of Town" [HMV POP 164, charts, RR #18] The Three Kayes: "Ivory Tower" [HMV POP 209, charts, RR #20] |
|||
| Other May Artifacts | ||||
| Fats Domino: "I'm in Love Again" [US release, enters UK charts on 27 July
1956] Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps: "Be-Bop-A-Lula" [rec, re Jun] |
||||
|
||||
| 1 | Cyril Stapleton Orchestra featuring Desmond Lane, penny whistle: "The Happy Whistler" [Decca F 10735, charts, RR #22] | |||
| 3 | Britain: British Railways eliminates 3rd class travel | |||
| 8 | Jimmy
Young: "Wayward Wind" [Decca F 10736, charts, RR #27] Vera Lynn: "Who Are We" [Decca F 10715, charts, RR #30] |
|||
| 13 | Humphrey Lyttelton Band: "Bad Penny Blues" [Parlophone R 4184, charts, RR #19] | |||
| 15 | Pat
Boone: "I'll Be Home" [RR #1 for 5 weeks] Michael Holliday: "Gal with the Yaller Shoes" [Columbia DB 3783, charts, RR #13] |
|||
| 21 | Fox Theater, Detroit, Michigan: Lonnie Donegan plays with The Johnny Burnette Rock ’n’ Roll Trio | |||
| 22 | Johnny
Dankworth: "Experiments with Mice" [Parlophone R 4185, charts, RR #7] Michael Holliday: "Hot Diggity" [Columbia DB 3783, charts, RR #14] Jimmy Young: "Rich Man Poor Man" [Decca F 10736, charts, RR #25] The Stargazers: "Hot Diggity" [Decca F 10731, charts, RR #28] |
|||
| 29 | The Goons:
"I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas" / "Bluebottle Blues" [Decca
F 10756, charts, RR #4] Ronnie Hilton: "Who Are We" [HMV POP 221, charts, RR #6] |
|||
| Other June Artifacts | ||||
| Frank Sinatra: Songs for Swinging Lovers [Capitol LCT 6106, charts, UK LP release] | ||||
|
||||
| 2 | Elvis Presley records "Hound Dog" / "Love Me Tender" | |||
| 6 | Ted Heath:
"The Faithful Hussar" [Decca F 10746, charts, RR #18] Lonnie Donegan: Skiffle Session EP [Pye Nixa 1017, EP charts, UK #20] |
|||
| 10 | London: House of Lords rejects bill abolishing the death penalty | |||
| 13 | Alma
Cogan: "The Birds and the Bees" [HMV POP 223, charts, RR #25] Elvis Presley: "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" [HMV POP 235, charts, RR #14] |
|||
| 20 | The
Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" [RR #1
for 3 weeks] Winifred Atwell: "Left Bank" [Decca F 10762, charts, RR #14] |
|||
| London: Britain rescinds promise to help build Aswan Dam with Egypt | ||||
| 25 | Nantucket, Massachusttes: Andrea Doria collides with the Stockholm (50 killed) | |||
| 26 | Suez: President Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes and nationalizes the canal | |||
| 27 | Ronnie Carroll: "Walk Hand in Hand" [Philips PB 605, charts, RR #13] | |||
| 28 | Melody Maker: Alexis Korner's "Skiffle or Piffle" appears describing the history of skiffle in Britain and complaining about the commercialization of the genre. | |||
| Suez: Britain mobilizes forces | ||||
|
||||
| 1 | Britain,
France, and US hold talks on the Suez Lonnie Donegan: "Bring a Little Water, Sylvie" / "Dead or Alive" [UK release] |
|||
| 4 | Melody Maker: "Tony Crombie forms Rock and Roll Unit" | |||
| 10 | Doris
Day: "Whatever Will Be will Be" [RR #1 for 6 weeks] Alma Cogan: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" [HMV POP 223, charts, RR #22] |
|||
| 11 | East Hampton, New York: Jackson Pollock dies in an automobile accident | |||
| 24 | Anne
Shelton: "Lay Down Your Arms" [Philips PB 616, charts, RR #1] David Whitfield: "My Son John" [Decca F 10769, charts, RR #22] Frank Cordell: "Sadie's Shawl" [HMV POP 229, charts, RR #29] |
|||
| 31 | Ruby
Murray: "You Are My First Love" [Columbia DB 3770, charts, RR #16] Frank Chacksfield: "Donkey Cart" [Decca F 10743, charts, RR #26] |
|||
|
||||
| 7 | The
Platters: "The Great Pretender" / "Only You" [Mercury MT 117,
charts, RR #5] Lonnie Donegan: "Bring a Little Water Sylvie" / "Dead or Alive" [Pye Nixa N 15071, charts, RR #7] |
|||
| 9 | CBS-TV: 54 million Americans watch Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show | |||
| 11 | Portsmouth: Tony Crombie's Rockets premier, "The crowd that issued was sober and sedate, older folk smiling faintly, the younger element contented, perhaps even sated" (Melody Maker, 15 September 1956, p. 9). | |||
| 12 | US, UK, and France announce creation of authority to operate the Suez Canal | |||
| 14 | The Goons: "Bloodnok's Rock 'n' Roll Call" / "Ying Tong Song" [Decca E 10780, charts, RR #13] | |||
| 19 | Suez: Egyptians seize the Canal | |||
| 21 | Anne
Shelton: "Lay Down Your Arms" [RR #1 for 4 weeks] Elvis Presley: "Hound Dog" [HMV POP 249, charts, RR #2] Ronnie Hilton: "Woman in Love" [HMV POP 248, charts, RR #30] |
|||
| 24 | London: Tommy Steele and the Steelmen record, "Rock with the Caveman" | |||
| 25 | First cross-Atlantic phone cable begins service | |||
| 28 | Jimmy
Young: "More" [Decca F 10774, charts, RR #4] Glen Mason: "Glenora" [Parlophone, charts, RR #28] |
|||
| 29 | Melody
Maker: "Scott in R & R Steele Session" [photo] "New
rock 'n' roll singer and guitarist Tommy Steele seen at Decca Studios
on Monday, where he waxed two sides. In the background is tenorist Ronnie
Scott, a member of the all-star accompanying unit.) [p. 1] ——. "Storm over USAF Men in 'No Fee' Band, 'Matter of Principle,' Say MU Members." American servicemen from Sculthorpe US base are playing two nights a week at the Palm Court Bar, King's Lyn. "Hillbilly music" on Tuesdays; Rock 'n' Roll on Thursdays. [p. 2] |
|||
| 31 | David Whitfield" "My Unfinished Symphony" [Decca F 10769, charts, RR #29] | |||
| Other September Artifacts | ||||
| Fats Domino: "Blueberry Hill" [US release, UK release in November] | ||||
|
||||
| 5 | Michael Holliday: "Ten Thousand Miles" [Columbia DB 3813, charts, RR #24] | |||
| 12 | Johnnie
Ray: "Just Walkin' in the Rain" [Philips PB 580, charts, RR #1] George Melachrino Orchestra: "Autumn Concerto" [HMV B 10958, charts, UK #18] |
|||
| 14 | Cheshunt: Harry Webb (eventually Cliff Richard) recieves his first guitar as a birthday present. | |||
| 19 | Frankie
Laine: "A Woman in Love" [RR #1 for 4 weeks] Tony Crombie and His Rockets: "Teach You to Rock" / "Short'nin' Bread" [Columbia DB 3822, charts, RR #25] |
|||
| 23 | Hungary: An anti-Stalinist revolt begins | |||
| 25 | Winifred Atwell: "Make It a Party" [Decca F 10796, charts, RR #7] | |||
| 26 | Tommy
Steele and the Steelmen: "Rock with the Caveman" [Decca F 10795, charts,
RR #13] Vera Lynn: "A House with Love in It" [Decca F 10799, charts, RR #17] Malcolm Vaughan: "St. Therese of the Roses" [HMV POP 250, charts, RR #3] |
|||
| 31 | Liverpool: Paul McCartney's mother, Mary, dies of breast cancer | |||
| Egypt: Israel invades Suez Penninsula, Britain and France attempt to retake canal | ||||
|
||||
| 2 | The Platters: "My Prayer" [Mercury MT 120, charts, RR #4] | |||
| 4 | Hungary: Soviet troops crush the Hungarian Revolution | |||
| 5 | Egypt: British and French attack by air | |||
| 6 | Egypt: British and French cease attacks after rebuke from UN | |||
| Eisenhower wins a second term as President of the United States | ||||
| 9 | Frankie
Vaughn: "Green Door" [Philips PB 640, charts, RR #2] Ronnie Hilton: "Two Different Worlds " [HMV POP 274, charts, RR #13] |
|||
| 11 | Empire Theatre, Liverpool: Lonnie Donegan performs. Paul McCartney is in the audience. | |||
| 13 | Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court strikes laws calling for racial segregation on public buses | |||
| 16 | Johnnie
Ray: "Just Walkin' in the Rain" [RR #1 for 7 weeks] Elvis Presley: "Blue Moon" [HMV POP 272, charts, RR #9] Glen Mason: "Green Door" [Parlophone R 4244, charts, RR #24] |
|||
| Suez: Egyptians block canal | ||||
| 23 | Alma
Cogan: "In the Middle of the House" [HMV POP 261, charts, RR #20] Elvis Presley: "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine" [HMV POP 272, charts, RR #29] |
|||
| 30 | Tony
Brent: "Cindy Oh Cindy" [Columbia DB 3844, charts, RR #16] Johnston Brothers: "In the Middle of the House" [Decca F 10781, charts, RR #27] |
|||
| Other November Artifacts | ||||
| Premier Kruschev informs Western diplomats that "we will bury you" | ||||
|
||||
| 4 | London, Finsbury Park Empire: Tommy Steele makes his Variety debut. "...it seemed little short of a miracle that this 19-year-old youth could receive such a rapturous oration for the little musical talent he displayed" [Melody Maker, 8 December 1956, p. 8]. | |||
| 8 | Melody
Maker: Jeff Kruger (promoter, Tony Crombie): "Since you were
last here three months ago, the income of this office has trebled—and
it's all due to Rock 'n' Roll," claims Crombie has earned £20,000;
"The BBC and ITV can't see further than the ends of their noses.
Rock 'n' Roll has an enormous following here, but neither will give it
a showing. They are just a bunch of stuffed shirts. They and the cinema
managers, who are scared of the name, are not giving the music a fair
deal" [3] ——. "Petrol Ration: Many Bands May Fold" [4] |
|||
| 7 | Dickie
Valentine: "Christmas Island" [Decca F 10798, charts, RR #8] Johnston Brothers: "Join in and Sing (No. 3)" [Decca F 10814, charts, RR #24] |
|||
| 14 | Tommy
Steele and the Steelmen: "Singing the Blues" [Decca F 10819, charts, RR #1] Little Richard: "Rip It Up" [London HLO 8336, first UK chart, RR #30] |
|||
| 21 | Lonnie Donegan: Lonnie Donegan Showcase [Pye Nixa NPT 19012, LP charts, RR #26] | |||
| Cuba: Fidel Castro's forces land, are defeated, and begin campaign of guerrilla warfare | ||||
| 24 | Suez: British and French troops leave | |||
| Other 1956 Artifacts | |||
| Ian Fleming publishes Diamonds Are Forever | |||
| California: First commercial Ampex 8-track tape recorders Los Angeles, California: Rickenbacker introduces its Combo 400 electric guitar Bubenreuth, West Germany: Karl Höfner Company introduces its 500/1 electro-acoustic "violin" bass. |
|||
 |
|||
| 1960s British Rock and Pop Chronology | |||
|
|||
This
site is a living document. I welcome corrections and suggestions. |
