pt1966 - 45worlds - All Comments

pt1966 - 45worlds - All Comments

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
pt1966 SUBS 26th Jun 2022		Book Steve Waters - The British Hit Singles January 1940	Dear Mike Regarding your comments about some of the missing 1940 records. I do have several of them such as the Hutch recording, Oscar Rabin, Issy Bonn etc. However, I have yet to find a copy of Dreaming by Beryl Davis and My Daddy by Phyllis Robins. The catalogues say they were supposedly available. I suspect they sold in very small numbers and were swallowed up by the recycling of shellac at the time, or as you say, they may never haven actually been issued. I don’t know if any information is available regarding that? I think we can take some of the entries, or at least their chart positions, with a large pinch of salt. Have you seen a copy of “I almost lost my mind” by Nat King Cole on an English Capitol 78? Yet the chart from the book says it was very popular. There should be quite a few knocking around! Can’t say I have ever seen one. As you say, the book’s foundation appears to be a little suspect. I also note they stopped in late 1952. I venture this is because the chart didn’t tally with the new NME chart (which also should be taken with a pinch of salt!) and the deficiencies would have been there for all to see. However, I do feel it gives an insight into what were likely the most popular versions of the sheet music chart songs, as well as providing a record of the instrumental and novelty numbers which were popular at the time. I therefore do recommend the book, despite these reservations. I just wouldn’t take the chart positions as a given.