I always thought this was a great song at the time and couldn't understand how it never did better in the UK. I used to do a pop column for the News and Star under the name Stylus and started a Rave Outsiders list - ten records which I thought should be in the charts soon. This was one of the first but it never did as well as I thought it would.

The Essex were originally formed by a group of marines who were still in active service when they had their biggest hit with Easier said than done, which gave them an American number one hit in 1963.

The single also became a minor UK hit although Britain was already gripped by Beatle mania, which hadn't yet crossed the Atlantic. The follow-up single, A walking miracle, nearly made the American top ten but missed the UK charts completely - however, this song eventually made the UK top ten in the seventies via a cover by Limmie and the family cooking. T

The Essex was a racially mixed group - a rarity in 1963 - with a female lead singer (Anita Humes) and three harmony vocalists (Walter Vickers who also played guitar, Rodney Taylor who also played drums, Billie Hill). A fifth member, Rudolph Johnson (vocals, guitar), was posted to a location that forced him to leave the group after completion of the group's first album.

This compilation contains their hits and a selection of tracks from their two albums as well as failed singles and B-sides. Most of the material is original although they recorded a fine cover of Be My Baby (Ronettes).

Among the failed singles, Don't fight it baby and Just for the boy are particularly noteworthy but by the time of their 1964 release, the Beatles had captured the attention of America and nobody was interested in the Essex any more.

Good timin' was at number one in the UK for Jimmy in 1960 and although his subsequent career was low key, it included three more UK chart entries in the following twelve months. The song, "Handy Man", which introduced a rock falsetto singing style to Britain, provided later hits for Del Shannon and James Taylor.

Although Jones had only two million sellers, he was able to keep active in the music indsutry as both a songwriter and recording artist. making personal appearances when he wanted to. His importance on singing can not be overstated as Del Shannon has cited both Jones and The Ink Spots as an influence. Other singers who later used falsetto included Lou Christie and Barry Gibb. In fact the Bee Gee has cited Shannon in turn as an influence for his disco vocalizations with his group.

Incredibly Emile Ford will be 71 in October and this was his only number one, back in 1959. It stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks.

Now then, you trivia people - what about this? The track remains as having the longest question ever asked by a chart-topping disc in the UK and Ford was also the first black British artist to sell one million copies of a seven inch single.

Emile's mother was an opera singer and a self taught musician, he could play the guitar, piano, violin and drums.

Gene Pitney was always a personal favourite, even berfore he made the British charts with 24 Hours from Tulsa. One of the first records I remember by him was called Mecca and this one was another, along with Town Without Pity.

I could never work out why it was never used in the western film of the same name starring John Wayne and James Stewart.

Pitney had a unique voice and has made lots of decent stuff  but sadly died a couple of years ago while touring Britain.

Jackie Lynton was a rocker in the early sixties who never quite made the big time but nevertheless became a cult figure. He could take the most familiar song and treat it differently, with powerful effect. This was one of them although I gather he wasn't too pleased with the production of the record.

If you want to hear all about the career of Jackie Lynton - still going strong with his band at the age of 68 just log onto http://www.onlineonair.com/jl/page1.html and you'll get a flavour of what the man is all about.

Funny how one thing leads to another - especially on a long coach trip! It had been a tedious journey, a poor result and a text from my daughter asked if my 90 year-old father would like Band of Gold. He's a western fanatic and she had the chance of a DVD. It appears it wasn't a western but a war film, so as a former Desert Rat (Seventh Hussars) I knew he wouldn't mind.

Sitting with Reds director Alec Graham I asked "Who recorded band of gold?" - Freda Payne was the reply as Alec burst into song. Well that set me going because at the back of my mind was another Band of Gold song which I used to enjoy, by a complete unknown and I couldn't remember his name - another senior moment I'm afraid!

Google of course provided the answer - a certain James Gilreath and Wikipedia tells us -

Beginning in 1963 with country singer Bill Anderson's inclusion of it on his album "Still", a number of singers covered Gilreath's "Little Band of Gold" hit, including in 1966, popular British singer Vince Hill's inclusion of it on an album named "You're My World." In 1969, it was included on an album of instrumentals recorded by the noted saxophone artist Boots Randolph ("Yakety Revisited"). Also in that year, The Hep Stars group of Sweden released a 45 rpm featuring the song. In 1977, The Tennessee Guitars included it on an instrumental album named "20 Pieces of Country Gold," and in 1978 it was sung by country singer Paul Martin on one of his albums entitled "Great Country Gold." Earlier, in 1975, the well known country singer Sonny James also recorded "Little Band of Gold," and it proved to be a No. 5 hit on the country music record charts. Sonny James also included it on two of his albums, in 1975 and 2002. Thus "Little Band of Gold" was a rare multiple cross-over, Pop, R & B/Soul, and Country. In total, Gilreath wrote or co-wrote the lyrics to at least 25 songs.

In 1972 Gilreath married Kay Long of Saltillo, Mississippi, located a few miles north of the city of Tupelo. They thereafter lived on a farm at Saltillo, where Gilreath died in a tractor accident on September 7 2003 aged 67. He is buried in Lee Memorial Park near Tupelo. He and Kay produced no children.

Hope you enjoy it!

I promised you another Ral Donner track. Remember he was probably the best of those singers who were unfortunately dubbed the next Elvis Presley. I think actually Elvis recorded this song. Not a bad singer, though, our Ral. He played little in the 1970s, recording occasionally, but saw some rekindled interest in his music after Presley's death.

In 1981, he was asked to narrate Presley's voice in the film This is Elvis but he died of cancer on April 6, 1984 aged 41.

I'm going to blame Martin Butcherfor this. He's just back from America and said he'd been staying ijn Tennessee. I said is Tallahassee there and Jimmy Walsh reckoned it was in Florida - it was that kind of night. One thing led to another, Tallahassee lassie got mentioned and the rest is history which is why you've got this one as the Clip of the Day. I thought Palasades Park was about his best so you'll get that some time - maybe when Martin goes back to America.

A resident of Tarzana, California Freddy apparently, now 68, continues to put on performances at assorted concert venues.

Little Anthony and the Imperials are among the great survivors - still going now after starting in the fifties. They have a great, distinctive sound for a doo-wop group and I reckon this is one of their finest recordings.

As of 2008 the Imperials are (along with The Dells), the only doo-wop era groups still touring with the great majority of their original members as most other groups of that era such as The Platters, The Coasters \and The Drifters have very few (if any).

They are also one of the very few 1950s-based groups to successfully re-invent themselves and go on to maintain consistent recording success well into the 60s and 70s.

Got to be honest and say I'd never heard of Kenny Loggins before this record and I've never heard of him since but I honestly thought this was a cracking dance record. I believe it was from the film of the same name. If your feet don't tap to this there's something wrong.