Fiera's 60s Thread Strikes Back. Again.

[Fiera]

I know there's no controversy, I was only wondering whether I could be missing another solo entry by FM... I'm actually quite surprised he hadn't anymore. Did "I'm going slightly mad" chart at all?

[Buck Birdseed]

He actually had five top-ten hits, two-and-a-half of them posthumous (Barcelona reached the #2 spot twice).

I'm Going Slightly Mad in a Queen song, not a Solo FM one. It reached #22 in 1991, well before FM's death in November.

[Tolls]

Did Jackie Wilson get to number 1 with Reet Petite (the one with the claymation video)?

In fact, was he even dead when that was released (mid 80s ish)?

[Buck Birdseed]

Yes, and two years earlier.

Only one left now.

[Tolls]

oops...cross post.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Snapcase
Yes, and two years earlier.

Only one left now.

Has to be Eddie Cochran's "Three Steps To Heaven" in 1960.

Hopefully the extravagant run of Spanish public holidays is now over and Fiera will start going to bed at a normal time and he'll stop hogging the questions!

[Buck Birdseed]

Correct. There, now answer either the longest song title or album title (both somewhere between 68-75).

And come on, give a guess as to the highest-selling non-#1 single.

And let me add a third question in case either of those also gets too boring:

What song has been a charting hit for most artists (easy)? Can you name some of them (harder)?

[finbar]

"Louie Louie" is said to be the most recorded song of all time. Then again, so is "Yesterday". I wonder who keeps these sorts of stats? Anyway, "Louie Louie" wouldn't have charted the most. I'm not sure that "Yesterday" would have either. This is from the top of my head. I'll go away and ferret.

I'm still working on the longest single and album titles. Get off my back!

[finbar]

By my reckoning, "Unchained Melody" has had at least 8 different versions on the British charts. Anywhere close?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Snapcase


"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" only has 30 letters and doesn't even come close to the unbracketed record (54 letters, held by The Charlatans' "I Never Want An Easy Life If Me And He Were Ever To Get There"), let alone the longest title one. The hit in question has 115 letters, not counting punctuation. Early seventies.

You mean there's something longer than the Carpenters' 1977 "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognised Anthem Of World Contact Day)"? Which, using my fingers, tallies 73 letters?

There should be a law against it.

Edit. 20 minutes later. Snappy, do these long title questions pertain to the British charts? Because, for the British charts, I can't find anything longer than the Carpenters' 73 letters. Unless it's not listed in my sources by its full title. And if it's not, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.

Apart from that, my album sources are sadly lacking, so I'll have to concede on the longest album title. I can only assume it was one of those ****ers like Rick Wakeman or ELP.

[Tolls]

Don't think it's Wakeman/Yes...their's tended not to be that long (Fragile, Close to the Edge, Journey to the Center of the Earth).

[Buck Birdseed]

Originally posted by finbar
By my reckoning, "Unchained Melody" has had at least 8 different versions on the British charts. Anywhere close?

That's the one I thought of.

[Buck Birdseed]

Your source must have printed the abridged version of the title of the longest single. Which, of course, is "You Can Make Me Dance Sing Or Anything (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, Fold Away The Ironing Board, Or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings)" by Rod Stewart/The Faces, #12 in 1974.

The longest Album title is "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair, But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows" by what was then called Tyrannosaurus Rex, later known under a more familiar moniker.

[finbar]

M-hm. It's listed as "You Can Make Me Dance Sing (Or Anything)". Understandably.

T-Rex, hm? Oh well, Marc Bolan got his for being a smartypants.

So what's left to answer now? The highest-selling single that didn't hit #1.

I'll get back to you.

[Fiera]

Originally posted by Snapcase
Which, of course, is "You Can Make Me Dance Sing Or Anything (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, Fold Away The Ironing Board, Or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings)" by Rod Stewart/The Faces, #12 in 1974.

And no, the holidays aren't over. In fact, we're having what we call a "bridge", that is, a non-holiday (today) is turned into a holiday so we can have a run of five free days (from wednesday to sunday). And then some people wonder why we Spanish are only know to foreigners for our fiestas...