Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 4 December 1963, page 10


Bob Rogers'

POPLINE

Gospel hit for Jimmy

A few weeks ago I reported that gospel music had failed to catch on in Australia. Today, one of the top songs around the country is an old

gospel tune.

SUCH is the uncertainty

of the music world, where anything can hap-

pen.

However, it is not the wild sound of "pop" gos-pel, which as I predicted did not take off in Aus-tralia, but a sincere ballad with a religious feeling called "Royal Telephone."

This song has given Jimmy Little his biggest ever hit, and it is wonder-ful to see this aboriginal boy achieving at last the success he has deserved so long.

Actually, Jimmy owes his hit to the people of Perth, who made the Burl Ives version in the album "The Versatile Burl Ives" such a big hit in the

West.

Festival, realising the tremendous potential of the track, decided that Jimmy should release it as a single.

In only three weeks the record was rising to the top all over Australia, one of the fastest-selling rec-ords of the year.

A religious and yet worldly person, Jimmy's rendition of "Royal Tele-phone" is done in all sin-cerity.

Public reaction has caused a demand for fur-ther releases of this type, so Festival have just re-leased an LP of spirituals by Jimmy under the title "Sing to Glory."

Included are old favor-ites like "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "Old Time Re-ligion."

Incidentally, Jimmy has made recording history by being the first abo-riginal artist to gain such success in the charts.

Other comebacks

JIMMY LITTLE is only

one of a number of

young local artists who have returned to the charts after a considerable ab-

sence. Leo and Doug De Kroo made a big return with "Scarlet," Johnny

JIMMY LITTLE, who has made his biggest hit ever with

a sincere gospel song, "Royal Telephone."

Devlin with "Stomp the Tumbarumba," and Warren Williams with "Just Like a Child." And it's a great thing to see. "Female Elvis"

"THE FEMALE ELVIS"

was the title comedian George Burns bestowed on Ann-Margret when he first saw her perform. The young singer had deliber-ately copied the hip-swivelling gyrations that first made "the Pelvis" famous.

Now after a succession of films in which she has co-starred with several pop-singers, Ann-Margret will next be seen with Elvis Presley in "Viva Las Vegas."

The two stars together create a lot of excitement, and gossip columnists had a great time predicting a

romance between the male Elvis and the female Elvis. All of which was

untrue.

Col. Parker, Elvis' manager, said, "Our boy had one hobby last year. He has the same hobby this year—pretty girls. Ann-Margret's real pretty. But there'll be others to

follow."

The same rumors started when Bobby Rydell and Ann-Margret were work-ing together on "Bye Bye Birdie" and dated a few times. However, both artists are more concerned with their careers than with any immediate ro-mantic plans.

Surf sound

ALL Australia now

knows what a bom-bora is, thanks to The Atlantics and their hit record on C.B.S.

But do you know what a "Free Fall" is? Andy Sundstrom tells me that it is similar to a wipeout, the act of a surfer caught in the heavies diving off his

board.

Andy has used this ex-pression for the title of his new single, which has authentic surfing sound effects on the disc.

Andy claims that in-stead of featuring his balalaika on the disc, as he has on previous releases, he uses a new type of instru-ment called the "bala board."

This, of course, is a combination of surfboard and balalaika which gives you music while you surf. I'll believe it when I see it.

The flipside is the oldie "La Rosita," and it has the real Spanish sound, loaded with guitars and

trumpets.

Challenge to U.S.

ONCE upon a time in

Musicland, U.S.A., bright young American songwriters wrote wonder-ful new tunes which were recorded by top American artists and soon became the big hits all around the world.

That day is past. Not

only have countries like Britain, France, and Aus-tralia come up with their own important pop stars, but they are exporting their records to the U.S. and making vast inroads on the American charts.

Recently we have seen Japan's "Sukiyaki," France's "I Will Follow Him (originally titled "Chariot"), and Australia's "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" become big hits in

America.

Then there is "Maria Elena," which reached the U.S. from Spain via Brazil, and coming up fast from Belgium is the French song "Dominique," by The Singing Nun.

Christmas disc

CHRISTMAS is coming

up and Christmas records are hitting the market once again. With-out a doubt the greatest Christmas album of 1963 will be "A Christmas Gift For You," by the top groups The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love, and the Bob B. Soxx.

The chanters put the finishing touches to the LP only a few weeks ago in Hollywood, and I hear it's really sensational.

Twelve all-time-great Christmas songs have been given the big new treatment without losing any of the beauty that surrounds this type of

material.

Top A. and R. man Phil Spector, who pro-duced the session at a re-ported cost of over £A9000, is the man who is responsible for some of the biggest records on the charts today by the same

artists.

He wrote "Then He

Kissed Me" for The Crys-tals and "Be My Baby" for

The Ronettes.

E.M.I. are hoping to rush-release the album in Australia in time for Christmas.

FLASHES ...

ELVIS wins two leading

ladies in his new film

"Kissin' Cousins," cur-rently in production. He plays a dual role.

Rumored in Nashville— Brenda Lee becomes a mother early in the New

Year.

The Beatles' gift to British members of their fan club for Christmas—a specially recorded disc with a message from the boys and their version of "Good King Wenceslaus."

Jet Harris will definitely return to show business next year.

For the first time in his career Cliff Richard has been toppled from his posi-tion as most popular artist in Britain this year—by

The Beatles!

In a letter from Lon-don Judy Cannon tells me she will be back here for a visit before May next

year.

Gene Pitney is currently on an extended tour of Europe.

Clever title for Gerry and the Pacemakers' first album—"How Do You Like It"!

SURE SHOTS FOR YOUR COLLECTION:

"Drip Drop," Dion DiMuci (C.B.S.); "Bossa Nova Baby," Elvis Presley (R.C.A.); "24 Hours From Tulsa," Gene Pitney (U.A.); "Dominique," The Singing Nun (Philips).