ANNE SHELTON – "Lay Down Your Arms"

The most interesting thing about this stentorian and somewhat atavistic record is that it was Joe Meek’s first number one; the future genius of Holloway Road worked as engineer on this.

great song rousing and the troops were happy to hear Ann sing this during the war

Light entertainment watch: These are some of Anne’s TV appearances that are now missing;

THE BENNY HILL SHOW: with Les Marthys, Anne Shelton, Tony Brent, Los Guarania, Peter Vernon, Dave Freeman, Ronnie Brody, Roger Avon, The George Mitchell Singers, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (1958)

CELEBRITY SQUARES: with Kenny Everett (Voice Only), Derek Batey, Ray Alan and Lord Charles, Katie Boyle, Frank Carson, Diana Dors, Nerys Hughes, Mick McManus, Willy Rushton, Anne Shelton (1978)

THE MIKE AND BERNIE SHOW: with Anne Shelton, Peters and Lee, Los Paraguayos (1973)

SHOWTIME: with Stanley Unwin, David Nixon, Anne Shelton, Lionel Morton (1959)

SHOWTIME: with David Nixon, Anne Shelton, Ron Moody, Ronald Chesney (1961)

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM (VAL PARNELL’S …..): with Bruce Forsyth, The Daily Mirror Disc Festival, Winifred Atwell, Eddie Calvert, Alma Cogan, Lonnie Donegan With His Skiffle Group, Ted Heath, Ronnie Hilton, Ruby Murray, Anne Shelton (1956)

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM (VAL PARNELL’S …..): with Bruce Forsyth, Frankie Vaughan, Anne Shelton, Nadia Nerina, Alexis Rassine, Albert and Les Ward (1957)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Hughie Green, Anne Shelton, The Five Dallas Boys (1961)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen, Anne Shelton, Miki and Griff, The Mudlarks, Clinton Ford, Phil Fernando, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, Barry Alldis (1962)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Adam Faith, Lulu, Rolf Harris, Anne Shelton, Paul & Barry Ryan (1966)

A few programmes do survive;

THE ANNE SHELTON SHOW (1959)

THE ARTHUR HAYNES SHOW: with Anne Shelton (1963)

THE BENNY HILL SHOW: with Henry McGee, Andree Melly, Bella Emberg, Bob Todd, Anne Shelton, The Ladybirds, Lesley Goldie, Jack Wright, Malou Cartwright, John John Keefe (1973)

LOOKS FAMILIAR: with Ted Ray, Anne Shelton, Benny Green (1972)

LOOKS FAMILIAR: with Sammy Cahn, Anne Shelton, Dickie Henderson, Benny Green (1975)

LOOKS FAMILIAR: with Lionel Blair, Frankie Laine, Anne Shelton (1982)

1956 was a pivotal year in the UK, particularly with the fiasco of the Suez invasion (which took place shortly after this song was at number one). Suez was symbolic of Britain’s decline as a world power and empire, although this decline had been happening for some time.

It was also a watershed year for culture with John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger opening in May 1956, the same month that Heartbreak Hotel reached number 2 in the charts. 1956 also saw the chart entries of Blue Suede Shoes, Rock Island Line, See You Later Alligator, Hound Dog, Be-Bop-a-Lula, Blue Jean Bop, Blueberry Hill and Long Tall Sally (Pat Boone version unfortunately), none of which reached number one.

The number ones of 1956 do not reflect a cultural shift, with Frankie Lymon’s Why Do Fools Fall in Love the only representative of the new music. I suppose it can be argued that the success of Anne Shelton and others represents the innate conservatism of the British record-buying public at that time (although they were in no way chauvinistic – 9 of the 12 British 1956 number ones were American).

I am sure that there are many other years in these charts that do not represent the excitement and change of their time, but the 1956 chart is a classic of conservatism.

I’ve spent the last 2 weeks listening to every number one (including all of the ones that Tom hasn’t covered yet) and this was a strong contender for the most downright irritating on every level – lyrics, performance, composition. Absolutely dreadful. Three is more than generous.

I should specify “in 1970” above re. Potter’s ‘Lay Down Your Arms’ (it’s on one of the Network DVDs of his LWT work).

I think we instantly link songs like this with WWII, but as other posters pointed out Korea and Suez were more recent, and national service meant postings away still in 1956. I have to admit I like this, and Anne Shelton’s strident delivery. Even better when she’s trying to sound playful on the pay-off lines, sexy even… She sounds like the Vicar’s wife after a Christmas sherry or two.