Every week John Hayes takes a nostalgic trip back in time and rediscovers the hits and the headlines.

This week we visit May 1955, 50 years ago.

CHART

NEWS

MUSIC FEATURE

ARCHIVE

THE US HITS

1	The Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes (A favourite on those radio days in the 50's)
2	Unchained Melody - Les Baxter and his Orchestra (Aha - Les doing better than Al this week)
3	Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado (Perez gave it that slightly Cuban feel)
4	Dance With Me - Georgia Gibbs (Who was it she wanted to dance with? Answer for 25 JJBIT points)
5	The Crazy Otto - Johnny Maddox (Covered by many artistes at this time including Petula Clark)
6	Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup - Nat King Cole (Not heard at all very much these days and hard to find on many compilations)
7	Whatever Lola Wants - Sarah Vaughan (Nothing to do with the Kinks' Lola who was a rather different type of character!)
8	Tweedle Dee - Georgia Gibbs (Georgia makes a double appearance in this week's show - once in the UK and once in the US)
9	The Breeze And I - Caterina Valente (A one hit wonder for Caterina - a hit in the UK too - but not this week)
10	Honey Babe - Art Mooney and His Orchestra (Art's first time on John's Journey. Why were so many artistes called Art in early popular music?)
11	Don't Be Angry - The Crew Cuts (Most famous for Sh Boom in Britain….but there was another Crew Cuts song doing well in the UK this week in 55. This one was big in the US)

NEWS HEADLINES

It was May 1955 and the Conservatives were bidding to stay in office in the 1955 General Election. It was scheduled for May 27th and the Tories were led by Sir Anthony Eden. Labour leader Clement Attlee was attempting to scotch Conservative accusations that if Labour won, Aneurin Bevan would become Prime Minister.

The Conservatives said there was a plot in Labour ranks to get Attlee replaced by Bevan but the Labour leader dismissed it as nonsense. Among those fighting for election was the sitting Conservative MP for Woodford. 80-year-old Sir Winston Churchill fought for the seat as if he was in his youth, going from door to door for votes. In the event, the Conservatives won the election, increasing their majority over Labour to 58. The Liberal Party won just six seats.

The countries of the Soviet Bloc in eastern Europe had formed themselves into a military alliance. It was called the Warsaw Pact and was a treaty aimed at counter balancing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Unsurprisingly, the head of the Soviet Union's ground forces would be in charge of the Warsaw Pact, despite seven countries being involved as well as his own. Those seven were Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania and East Germany.

The Soviet Union said the Warsaw Pact would allow a combined military force to react to any aggression within any of the signed up states. The treaty signatories said they would not use force to resolve any international issues and vowed to work for peace and disarmament within twenty years.

The Cold War was cranking up. There was one communist European country to stay out of the Warsaw Pact - Yugoslavia.

MUSIC FEATURE

UNCHAINED MELODY - THE FACTS The song was written by Alex North and Hy Zaret for the American film Unchained. According to First Hits - The Book Of Sheet Music 1946 - 1959 by Brian Henson and Colin Morgan, published in 1989 by Boxtree, this is the chronological order in which they were recorded and became music sheet hits - April 1955 * Todd Duncan - original American version * Jimmy Young - No 1- UK * Al Hibbler - Al's version took off first in 1955. Dick Rowe, a producer at Decca, realised that it would be an ideal song for their new singer Jimmy Young. * Jimmy's version was recorded and overtook Al's in popularity and in sales - Al had to be content with No 2. Jimmy made No.1 for 3 weeks and became an overnight sensation. * Les Baxter and his chorus and orchestra - No.20 UK / No. 1 US * Liberace UK No. 20 May 1955 * Ken Mackintosh, his alto sax and his orchestra * Jean Carson * Crew Cuts * Dick James June 1955 * Fay Brown * Cliff Townsend - alto sax * Leroy Holmes and his Orchestra - whistling by Fred Lowery * Roy Hamilton * Don Cornell * Kingtones 1965 Righteous Brothers - UK No 14 1986 Leo Sayer - UK No 54 1990 Righteous Brothers - UK No 1 1995 Robson and Jerome - UK No 1 2002 Gareth Gates - UK No 1

Join John Hayes for his Journey Back In Time, a nostalgic look back at music and memories from a chosen year, this Sunday from 9am on 103.5 & 95.3FM - BBC Essex.

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