Apolgies first, this apparently didn't work on Tuesday. Hope it does now. This is a belter, the first number one for an all-girl singing group on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of pop and R&B, especially Doo-wop and smooth uptown soul that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences.

Though The Chantels preceded them by several years, their international success was unprecedented, paving the way for legions of imitators; their inviting musical blueprint had an enduring influence not just on their immediate followers, but on future generations of female pop singers, who often updated their songs without losing their initial appeal.

In addition, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy.

Like Chuck Berry, who played the Maryport Blues Festival this year, Jerry Lee Lewis is also one of rock and rolls great characters.

Scandal was never far away from his career though.

He married Jane Mitcham, his second wife, 23 days before his divorce from his first wife was final.

Lewis' turbulent personal life was hidden from the public until a May 1958 British tour where Ray Berry, a news agency reporter at London Airport (the only journalist present), learned about Lewis' third wife, Myra Gale Brown. She was Lewis' first cousin once removed and only 13 years old. (Brown, Lewis, and his management all insisted she was 15.) Lewis was nearly 23 years old. The publicity caused an uproar and the tour was canceled after only three concerts.

Next month, Jerry Lee Lewis returns to the UK, almost exactly 50 years after his ill-fated first tour that saw the scandal with Myra. He will be appearing at two London shows: a special private show at the 100 Club on October 25th and at the London Forum on 28th with Wanda Jackson and his sister, Linda Gail Lewis.

This is one of his most famous recordings.

Apart from the Andrews Sisters and the Beverley Sisters this was the first all girl group I can remember. Great sound they had and I think this is one of the better number ones of the 60's.

The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock and roll era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. They were also the first all girl group to have a number one on both sides of the Pond.

They also did one called Soldier Boy if I remember correctly which did rather well for them although sadly the group appears to have become defunct after 1962.

Johnny Preston (born John Preston Courville, August 18, 1939, Port Arthur, Texas) was off Cajun ancestry, and originally sang in high school choral contests throughout the state of Texas.

He formed a rock and roll band called 'The Shades', before recording his No. 1 hit single "Running Bear." The song was written by J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, who had died the previous year in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

Preston quickly followed up with a minor hit called "Cradle of Love," (Billboard number7) and made several other records during the early 1960 that met with modest success.

"Cradle of Love" however, was a big hit in Athens, Greece in the early 60s.

This is certainly one that I would be happy to tackle on the karaoke, although the end product mught by a fair bit off key. Good, singalong stuff.

It was the year1974 and we didn't know it at the time but the Swedish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest were to go on and become suyperstars.

This was the song that started it all and I think it's still one of their best, although they have made some good ones over the years.

Just for those who didn't realise the band comprised Benny Andersson (Sweden), Björn Ulvaeus (Sweden), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Norway), and Agnetha Fältskog (Sweden). They topped the charts worldwide from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. The name "ABBA" is an acronym formed from the first letters of each of the group member's given name (Agnetha, Björn, Benny, Anni-Frid.

This was a hit in 1960 for Johnny as it went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and topped the UK Singles Chart.

A "crossover" artist, several of Tillotson's songs were successful on both the country music charts and pop charts. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for another of his own compositions, "It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin," which was a U.S. number three hit, and also for the song "Heartaches by the Number," nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965.

He also appeared in the 1963 film Just for Fun and sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy Gidget. He had his last Top 10 U.S. hit in 1964 with "Talk Back Trembling Lips", which reached number seven.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Tillotson has recorded 26 singles that made it onto Billboard's charts, and performed at venues across the United States and other places around the globe.

He was featured in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield, Jack E. Leonard, Phyllis Diller, Brian Donlevy and Jordan Christopher & the Wild Ones. This film was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made .

Still performing atthe age of 69 he has just returned from Malaysia where he performed at the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Sultan of Kedah, Malaysia, one of the longest reigning monarchs in the world. He has his own website http://www.johnnytillotson.com/

Time for some more Creedence - great band, described in several places as the top band in America from 1968-72. This is one of their most popular and I can always remember Barry Jennings finishing off with this when he used to do a bit in Workington Legion. Not as good as this of course but a brave effort.

Creedence Clearwater Revival were somewhat unfashionable in rock circles during their heyday because they concentrated on tightly-focused, well-crafted, and short songs created to appeal to everyone.

Unlike most other rock artists of the day, they eschewed drug use and did not contribute significantly to progressive activism—although they were all against the war in Vietnam, and they contributed substantial money to the American Indian Movement.

Even in the immediate years after breaking up, Creedence's stature as one of the great American rock bands was secure. The music went on to influence entire genres such as heartland rock, country rock, alt-country, and even punk and heavy metal musicians revere the band.

Decades later, CCR's music remains in heavy rotation on oldies and classic rock radio stations. Fogerty's songs, considered classics of the rock form, have been covered by multiple artists, and many artists express both admiration and envy over Creedence's mastery of the two-and-a-half minute hit single.

"Fortunate Son" in particular has become a universal anthem against war, class privilege, and jingoism. Creedence songs frequently appear in films and on television, and indeed the band continues to attract young fans born long after the broke up.

One of those funny ones that used to pop up now and then in the charts. Great name, daft song but always recognisable.

Robert George Pickett was born in Somerville, Massachusetts. His father was a theatre manager, and as a 9-year-old he watched many horror films. He would later incorporate impressions of them in his Hollywood nightclub act in 1959. Pickett was a United States Army veteran, who served in Korea.

Pickett co-wrote "Monster Mash" with Leonard Capizzi, featuring impersonations of veteran horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (the latter with the line "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"). It was passed on by every major label, but after hearing the song, Gary S. Paxton agreed to produce and engineer it; among the musicians who played on it was pianist Leon Russell. T

he single became a million seller, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks before Halloween in 1962. It was styled as being by "Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers". The track re-entered the U.S. charts twice, in August 1970, and again in May 1973, when it reached the 10 spot.

In Britain it took until October 1973 for the tune to become popular, peaking at #3 in the UK Singles Chart.

A Christmas-themed follow-up, "Monster's Holiday," was also released in 1962 and reached 30 in December that year. Another of his songs, "Graduation Day", made 80 in June 1963. Pickett also recorded a novelty spoof on Star Trek called "Star Drek" with Peter Ferrara, again performing some of the various voices, which was played on Dr. Demento's radio show.

In October 2005, Pickett protested inaction on global warming by releasing "Climate Mash," a new version of his hit single.

In 1967, Pickett and television author Sheldon Allman wrote the musical I'm Sorry the Bridge Is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night. It has been produced by local theatres around the USA. They followed it up later with another musical, Frankenstein Unbound.

In 1995 the co-writers of Disney's Toy Story, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolov, produced a movie of it, originally entitled Frankenstein Sings, but later released in the US under Monster Mash the Movie.

Pickett starred in it with Candace Cameron, Jimmie Walker, Mink Stole, John Kassir, Sarah Douglas, Anthony Crivello, Adam Shankman and Carrie Ann Inaba. On ABC-TV, he appeared on guest segment of "The Long Hot Summer," with Roy Thinnes and Nancy Malone, August 1967.

In 2005 Pickett published his autobiography through Trafford Publishing. It was called Monster Mash: Half Dead in Hollywood.

Pickett died at the age of 69 on April 25, 2007 in Los Angeles, California, due to complications from leukemia. His daughter Nancy Huus was at his side when he died.

Released in September 1961 this classic was at number in theUnited States bythe beginning of November and went on to win Dean the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording.

Elvis Presley's backing group The Jordainares sang backup on this record and popular pianist of the day  Floyd Cramer was to play piano backup but suggested that a hammer hitting steel would be better!

Of course he should not be confused with James Dean (nickname Jimmy) the movie star of the 50's.

Interestingly in 1969 Jimmy Dean founded the Jimmy Dean Sausage Company with his brother Don and James M Dean grandson of Sam E Dean (Deans Milk Co.). Despite ups and downs (some revolving around his problems with his partner-brother Don Dean), the company did well, in part due to Dean's own extemporized, humor-themed commercials.

Its success led to its acquisition in 1984 by Consolidated Foods, later renamed the Sara Lee Corporation. Dean remained involved in running the company but the new corporate parent eventually began phasing him out of any management duties, a period that took a toll on his health. In January 2004, Dean said that the Sara Lee company had dropped him as the spokesman for the sausage brand.

And what about this little known fact - his most notable character he played as an actor was Willard Whyte in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.

I thought it was entirely appropriate to give you a blast of It Bites - the Egremont band who were recorded live in 1989 at the Town and Country Club, London performing their biggest hit Calling all the heroes.

Re-formed, signing a new record deal and with a new album on release shortly they are back in the spotlight and apparently went down well on a recent visit and concert in west Cumbria.

We have a piece on their record deal in our news section.