Book

Author:	Steve Waters
Title:	The British Hit Singles January 1940 - October 1952
Subtitle:	The Missing Charts
Publisher:	RockHistory Ltd.
Country:	UK
Date:	2013
Format:	Hardcover
ISBN13 / Barcode:	9780957688100
Rating:	Rate
Collection:	I Own It I Want It
Community:	7 Own
Price Guide:	Valuation Page
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Official Charts Company
Whether or not you believe a chart is correct, a lot of work and many years of waiting go toward this beautifully compiled 10 by 9 inch hard back. Week by Week of top 30's thought lost.

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Comments and Reviews


Whyperion SUBS 20th Aug 2022		An example might be Gracie Fields - When Our Dreams Grow Old Actually the song had at least 4 other recordings Ambrose And His Orchestra- The Singing Hills / When Our Dreams Grow Old Decca F.7551 940 UK (vocal by Vera Lynn) (versions also by Joe Loss, Monte Rey and Caroll Gibbons&Savoy Dance Orpheans Having said that B Feldman's Sheet Music Features and Credits Gracie Fields with Broadcasting AND Recording the song. Broadcast on Madras 2 at 1010AM on Sat 29th March 1941 with two other songs. Recorded London May 15 1940 . Should be on Regal Zonophone MR 3308 with If I Should Fall In Love Again (which was one of the other tracks Broadcast on the Indian Radio Station. I would suggest that the sheet music feature Gracie Fields because of a possible closer contract connection with B Feldman, OR her being a greater popular star at the time of the publication of the music release ( esp with Vera Lynn only getting a side billing ). So in that sense the "chart" might be unrepresentative. But I agree with pt1966. the discs almost certainly were issued but lost to time (see my forum entries on the likes of Purchase Tax and deletions of records as the UK had other things on its mind). Sheet Music WOULD have sold as the piano in the pub probably stayed a constant through the war. but even then we could be talking relatively low total sales for any one song.



pt1966 SUBS 26th Jun 2022		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.



Robert Goodchild 27th Dec 2021		This book was a really interesting read for anyone who likes the Guiness book of hit singles and wondered what may have been sold before November 1952. There are sheet music charts prior to this date but nothing that gives a consistant record of UK record sales.

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