Current Playlist

onsdag 28 oktober 2009

Hello again, and welcome to another edition of Golden Oldies Top 40. I’m your host DJ Ceejay, and once again, we’ll be counting down the songs from this week’s chart.

Last week, Dion joined Elvis Presley, Ben E. King and Lesley Gore as the only artists to have multiple songs in the top 2, as The Wanderer wandered up to the #2 slot. Will The Wanderer replace the 1st instrumental #1, Green Onions by Booker T & the MG’s? We’ll find out just a little later on.

4 songs dropped out last week:

Stay by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs ends its stay on the chart after a 15-week stint that took it all the way to #1.
The day has come for Our Day Will Come by Ruby & the Romantics to depart the chart, after peaking at #21.
Long Tall Sally by Little Richard ends its long run after 14 weeks, climbing as tall as #5.
And La Bamba by Ritchie Valens completes its 2nd run, hitting #17 in its 2nd run, after topping off at #23 in its 1st.

That puts 4 new songs in the chart:

Greenfields is the 1st entry for the Brothers Four at #39.
Nat “King” Cole has 2 songs in the countdown this week. His newest is Ramblin’ Rose at #38; it joins Too Young, which slips a notch to #34.
Gene Chandler has his 1st chart hit at #37 with Duke of Earl.
And Connie Francis returns to the chart with the highest debut this week, as Where the Boys Are opens at #36. She previously charted with Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool, which hit #32.

2 songs take 2-digit jumps on the chart this week … and fittingly, they are both Halloween-themed:

Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-kickers levitates 11 places from #39 to #28.
And the biggest mover, taking its magic up 14 spots from #30 to #16 is Witch Doctor by David Seville.

2 new songs join the top 10, both by artists who’ve been there before:
Ricky Nelson can enjoy the riches of his 3rd top 10, as Poor Little Fool climbs from #17 to #10, joining Travelin’ Man (#1) and Hello Mary Lou (#9).
And Peter, Paul & Mary blow their way into the top 10 with Blowin’ in the Wind, up from #13 to #9. PP&M are also in the top 10 at #7 with Puff the Magic Dragon, making them the 1st artist with 2 top 10’s in the same week since Lesley Gore with You Don’t Own Me and It’s My Party in week #22.

And that brings us to the top 4:

Spanish Harlem, a former #1 by Ben E. King, falls from #3 to #4.
Chain Gang by Sam Cooke, also a former #1, slides back up 1 from #4 to #3.
Green Onions by Booker T & the MG’s drops out of the #1 spot after 1 week, dipping to #2.

And that means we have a new #1 … and its singer joins as the only artists to have 2 #1’s on our countdown:


The Wanderer by Dion.

That takes care of another edition of Golden Oldies Top 40. My thanks again to Darryl for all the work he has put into creating this format and compiling the charts, and I hope that he will continue as much as he is able. Until next week, keep your head in the stars and keep reaching for the ground.

fredag 23 oktober 2009

Hello again and welcome to another installment of Golden Oldies Top 40. I’m DJ Ceejay, and I’ll be recapping this week’s action on the hottest chart on the web.

5 songs leave our countdown this week:

Raindrops by Dee Clark splash down this week, after reaching its highest cloud at #14.
Skeeter Davis’s The End of the World fulfills its prophecy this week as it’s the end of the line for the oldest song in last week’s countdown; dropping out after 16 weeks and a peak of #7.
Mr.Excitement, Jackie Wilson's pillow gets a chance to dry off as Lonely Teardrops falls after 8 weeks.
The former #1 Then He Kissed Me by the Crystals gets its kiss off this week, ending a 13 week run.
And another former #1 drops out this week, as Little Sister by Elvis Presley makes way for her big brothers and sisters after 15 weeks.

That means 5 new songs grace our chart:

The first debut at #39 signals that Halloween is just around the corner: Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers.
At #38, the Chiffons, who had previously charted with He’s So Fine, return to the countdown with One Fine Day, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Lou Christie has his 1st hit on our countdown, at #36, Two Faces Have I.
And Lesley Gore, who hit #2 with It’s My Party and followed that up with the #1 You Don’t Own Me, returns to the countdown at #35 with her sequel to It’s My Party, Judy’s Turn to Cry.
And the highest debut this week at #30 is another Halloween-themed song, Witch Doctor by David Seville.

Two songs take double-digit walks up the chart this week, both strolling up 11 steps:

The first, up from #35 to #24 is the 4th chart hit by the 4 Seasons, Walk Like a Man.
The second, up from #17 to #6 is the 2nd top 10 hit for Bobby Vinton, Blue on Blue.

Two other songs enter the top 10 this week:
Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters move up from #18 to #10 with Cry Baby.
And Peter Paul & Mary notch their 1st top 10 with Puff the Magic Dragon, up from #11 to #9.

Now, let’s go to this week’s “GO-40 spotlight”: on artists that have placed at least 3 songs onto the countdown:

There are 5 artists that have each had 3 songs hit the chart:
The Beach Boys
Chuck Berry
The Crystals
The Drifters, and
Lesley Gore

There are also 5 acts that have had 4 chart entries:
Ray Charles
The Everly Brothers
The 4 Seasons
Ricky Nelson, and
Roy Orbison

And there is 1 artist that has had more than 4 chart hits; in fact he has had 13!
Of course, it’s the King, Elvis Presley.

Now let’s run down this week’s top 5:

At #5, shining 5 spots higher than last week’s #10, are the Rays with Silhouettes.
Dropping anchor at #4 after chaining together 3 weeks in the #1 post is Chain Gang by Sam Cooke.
Holding at numero tres again this week is Spanish Harlem by Ben E King.
Wandering up 2 places, from #4 to #2 is the Wanderer by Dion.
And that means we have another new #1. This week, it’s the 1st instrumental to hit #1 on GO-40:


Green Onions by Booker T & the MG’s.

And there you have it; this week’s Go-40 countdown. Log in again next week, when we’ll do it all over again. This is DJ Ceejay signing out. Until next time, keep your head in the stars and keep reaching for the ground.

fredag 16 oktober 2009

Hello again and welcome to DJ Ceejay’s birthday edition of Golden Oldies Top 40. Let’s get right to it:

3 songs drop out:

The Fat Man loses his thrill with Blueberry Hill this week, which just missed the top 10, reaching its summit at #11.
Shed a tear for the Everly Brothers, as Crying in the Rain drops out, after reaching #24.
And the Tennessee Waltz by Pattti Page waltzes out of the chart this week, after dancing for 2 weeks in the #40 spot.

3 new songs join the chart:

And to kick it off, a song ironically timed perfectly to debut on my birthday:
At #40, Happy Happy Birthday Baby by the Tune Weavers.
At #35, the 4 Seasons return to the chart with their 4th chart entry, as Walk Like a Man walks in the footsteps of Big Girls Don’t Cry, Sherry and Candy Girl.
And the highest entry this week is a chart returnee, at #28, Bobby Vee reenters with Take Good Care of My Baby. It peaked at #22 its 1st go around. Will it get higher the 2nd time? We’ll have to just wait and see.

2 songs make double digit moves this week:
Ricky Nelson isn’t fooling around on the charts. He’s already reached the top 10 with 2 hits and this week, Poor Little Fool moves up 11 from #34 to #23. Ricky is also in the chart with It’s Late, which slips from #24 to #31.
And the biggest mover is from another chart veteran, Bobby Vinton, who had a #1 with Blue Velvet. This week another color-themed song from the Polish Prince rises 14 shades, from #31 to #17, Blue on Blue. … Can Roses Are Red be far behind???

Only 1 new song shines its way into the top 10 this week:
It’s the Rays, moving from #16 to #10 with Silhouettes.
Sniffing the top 10 from a cave just below is Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Paul & Mary, up 8 from #19 to #11.

Now to the top 4:

Wandering its way into the top 4, up 5 from #9, is Dion, with the Wanderer.
Down a notch from #3 to #2 is Spanish Harlem, by Ben E King.
Knocking on the door at #2, up from #3 is Green Onions, by Booker T & the MG’s.

And the #1 song on Golden Oldies Top 40 again this week is:


Chain Gang by Sam Cooke.

That “raps” up another episode of Golden Oldies Top 40. I’m DJ Ceejay, signing off, another year older (but none the wiser ). Until next time, keep your head in the stars and keep reaching for the ground.

måndag 28 september 2009

Hello again. DJ Ceejay back with you again for Golden Oldies Top 40. My thanks to Darryl for ghosting in this spot last week. Coming up, a new GO-40 record set by an artist, 1 of whose members died just over a week ago. And a new #1 by an artist who was shot to death nearly 45 years ago. OK, here we go:

7 songs bid farewell to the chart this week:

The Johnny Otis Show has played its last hand with Willie and the Hand Jive,
which made its best stand at #5.
The Beach Boys’ Surfin’ Safari washes ashore this week after cresting at #22 two weeks ago.
You can shed a tear for Julie London, as Cry Me a River reaches its delta this week, after bubbling up to #22.
And there go the Drifters, who are out of the GO-40 for the first time in 30 weeks! They first appeared in week #3 with Up on the Roof, followed by Save the Last Dance for Me in week #17, and this week, There Goes My Baby ends a 9-week run, landing as high as #22.
The chart also loses Barbara Lynn this week, as You’ll Lose a Good Thing drops out, also ending a 9-week run, after a #17 peak.
The countdown also closes its eyes on Curtis Lee’s Pretty Little Angel Eyes, which caught a wink at #28.
And come what may, Roy Orbison’s Blue Bayou can only dream of coming back someday, as it sinks out after rising to #21.

Now onto the 7 new songs:

The Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page waltzes its way in as the week’s first debut, at #40.

Now, in our GO-40 spotlight, until this week (not counting week #1, when songs were based on Billboard chart positions) only 1 artist had 2 songs enter the chart in the same week. That was in week #21, who had a re-entry with Jailhouse Rock at #34 and a new entry with Little Sister at #31, a song that later hit #1.

This week, we have an artist which appears on the chart for the 1st time, and has not 1, not 2, but 3 debuts. On September 16, Mary Travers, a member of the trio Peter, Paul & Mary, passed away. And this week, 3 songs from that trio enter our chart, starting at #39 with a song written by Pete Seeger, If I Had a Hammer.

Bobby Helms makes his first chart appearance a special one, as he enters at #36 with My Special Angel.
Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters enchant our chart at #35 with their debut, Cry Baby.
Blowing in at #33 is the 2nd debut by Peter, Paul & Mary: their version of a song written by Bob Dylan, Blowin’ in the Wind.
And coming up the Cherry Lane at #28 is yet the 3rd song by PP & M to enter the countdown this week, a song co-written by group member Peter Yarrow, Puff the Magic Dragon.
And the highest debut this week casts its shadow at #23, Silhouettes by the Rays.

Only 1 song makes a double digit climb up the charts this week:
Staggering up from #29 to #19 is Stagger Lee by Lloyd Price.

Only 1 song enters the top 10 this week as well:
Thumbing his way into the top 10 is Motown legend Marvin Gaye, with his 1st top 10, Hitch Hike.

Now we’re up to the top 4 … and for the 1st time on our chart all of the top 4 songs have hit #1:

Slipping a notch from #3 to #4 is 16 Candles by the Crests.
Falling out of the #1 spot to #3 is Cry to Me by Solomon Burke.
Holding steady at #2 is Ben E. King with Spanish Harlem.
And the new #1 song is by an artist who was shot and killed by the manager of a Los Angeles motel back in 1964:

Chain Gang by Sam Cooke

And there you have it: this week’s Golden Oldies Top 40. Log in again next week when we’ll count down a brand new chart. Until next time, keep your head in the stars and keep reaching for the ground.

måndag 21 september 2009

Welcome All ! We’re still counting down the greatest hits of the ‘50’s and early ‘60’s on Golden Oldies Top 40. I’m your host, DJ Ceejay.

Last week’s top 3 were:

16 Candles by the Crests at #3
Cry to Me by Solomon Burke at #2, and
Spanish Harlem by Ben E. King at #1.

Will the rose in Spanish Harlem keep blooming or fade away? We’ll find out.

4 songs drop out this week:

Great Balls Of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis, which blazed as high as #6 crashes and burns.

Save The Last Dance For Me by The Drifters, which only waltzed to the #14 spot, leaves the dance floor.

Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson, which greeted the Top Ten once at #9, says Goodbye.

Moon River by Henry Mancini, which only rose to #31, gets the big Moon from some voters.

Get A Job by The Silhouettes worked it's way to #5, but is now unemployed.

That puts 5 new songs in the countdown this week, 4 by Artists making their debut.

Ol' Blue Eyes finally makes it with one of his Classics, All The Way at #37.

The Isley Brothers' Twist And Shout shakes it's way in at #31.

Lloyd Price makes a long overdue entry into the Chart with Stagger Lee at #29, his million selling rework of the old traditional 'Stack - O - Lee'.

One of the Beatles' favorite artists, Larry Williams enters at #26 with Bony Moronie.

And the highest new song this week is from Dion, who previously hit #1 with Runaround Sue (still in our chart at #28). His newest hit at #22 is The Wanderer.

Double figure movers upward in our countdown this week are :

El Paso, Marty Robbins - #27 to #16
Running Scared, Roy Orbison - #28 to #17
It's Late, Ricky Nelson - #36 to #23

NO new songs entered the top 10 this week

#10 Stay - Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
#9 Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals
#8 Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison
#7 Surfer Girl - Beach Boys
#6 Green onions - Booker T. & The MG'S
#5 At Last - Etta James
#4 Chain Gang - Sam Cooke

And now for this week’s top 3:

16 Candles by The Crests still burns brightly at #3.
Spanish Harlem by Ben E King wilts a little to #2.

That brings us to another new #1
CRY TO ME by SOLOMON BURKE.

It's kind of a tribute to the late Patrick Swayze, because this song featured in the momentous love scene between he and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing.

Thank you once again for joining me for Golden Oldies top 40. This is DJ Ceejay signing out. Until next time, keep your head in the stars and keep reaching for the ground.

There she was just a-walkin' down the street, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"

onsdag 16 september 2009

It’s September: time for back to school, football, and … oh yes, we’re still counting down the greatest hits of the ‘50’s and early ‘60’s on Golden Oldies Top 40. I’m you r host, DJ Ceejay.

Last week’s top 3 were: Spanish Harlem by Ben E. King at #3, Cry to Me by Solomon Burke at #2, and16 Candles by the Crests at #1.

Will 16 Candles keep burning or flame out? We’ll find out.

3 songs drop out this week:
Just One Look by Doris Troy, which got just one look at the top 10, when it spent 1 week at #10 in week #23,
Unchain My Heart by Ray Charles, which chained itself to the #4 spot, and
Shake Rattle and Roll by Big Joe Turner, which only shook its way as high as #37.

That puts 3 new songs in the countdown this week, 2 of them by chart veterans:
Ricky Nelson, who had a #1 with Travelin’ Man and a top 10 with Hello Mary Lou, returns this week with It’s Late at #36.
Ruby & the Romantics finally get their day on the chart, debuting with their 1st chart hit at #29 with Our Day Will Come.
And the highest new song this week is from Roy Orbison, who previously charted with the #1 Crying, Only the Lonely, and is also in our chart this week with Blue Bayou at #37. His newest hit at #28 is Running Scared.

2 songs this week make huge leaps in our countdown:
Crying in the Rain by the Everly Brothers cries its way up 15 notches from #39 to #24.
And the biggest mover, up 19 positions from #34 to #15 is Bo Diddley by, who else, Bo Diddley.

One new song enters the top 10 this week:
Kansas City inches up from #11 to #9 to score the 1st top 10 for Wilbert Harrison.

And now for this week’s top 3:
16 Candles’ run at #1 is extinguished after only 1 week, dropping to #3.
Cry to Me by Solomon Burke holds at #2.
That brings us to another new #1, by an artist whose previous hit Stand by Me was a “bridesmaid”, peaking at #2:
Spanish Harlem by Ben E King
Thank you once again fro joining me for Golden Oldies top 40. This is DJ Ceejay signing out. Until next time, keep your head in the stars and keep reaching for the ground.