ELVIS PRESLEY – "Return To Sender"

I kind of view RTS as part of Elvis’ departure from Rock ‘n’ Raunch, to something much more wholesome and Middle-America. He’d been out of the Army for 2 years, so all that youthful vim & vigour had departed. His mother had passed, and I guess from a certain perspective, RTS represents that missing female influence. A hole that Priscilla struggled to fill.

All those Army boys in Germany faithfully writing away to their sweethearts, fruitlessly waiting for the Red Machine to march. Only their sweethearts had moved on, the letters returned unanswered. And so to the red light district to console themselves amid its dubious delights (perhaps a grotty little club, with some greasy Liverpudlians making a racket).

Of course, Elvis was long gone by then, only to be replaced by another phalanx of fresh-faced All-Americans, whose younger brothers would be bound for a god-forsaken jungle in South-East Asia. How many of THEIR letters home would go unanswered?

Critic watch:

Bruce Pollock (USA) – The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 (2005)
Dave Marsh & Kevin Stein (USA) – The 40 Best of the Top 40 Singles by Year (1981) 21
John Peel (UK) – Peelenium: Four Tracks from Each Year of the Last Century (1999)
Q (UK) – The Ultimate Music Collection (2005)
Giannis Petridis (Greece) – 2004 of the Best Songs of the Century (2003)

Here are my notes & rates for the #1s of 1962

CLIFF RICHARD AND THE SHADOWS – “The Young Ones”
It’s hard to hear this now and not immediately think of the 1980s sitcom that borrowed its title. It starts off like any number of the Shadows’ other hits, but what follows is a patchwork of styles that make this a kind of 3-minute ‘1962 in miniature’. On balance I like it, but it’s not something I’ll be listening to much once I’ve moved past the year in question 6

ELVIS PRESLEY – “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”
Solid love ballad that effectively showcases Elvis’ vocal range. The less said about the other side of the double-A, ‘Rock A Hula Baby’, the better. For ‘Can’t Help Falling’, 5

THE SHADOWS – “Wonderful Land”
For me the best of the Shadows’ instrumental number ones, this wonderfully atmospheric string-plucking tune was good for eight weeks at #1 and scores the same 8

B BUMBLE AND THE STINGERS – “Nut Rocker”
Rock ‘n’ roll returns to the top, in the form of a drums-and-piano instrumental that insists you move your feet. This is good dancey fun without really making a lasting impression 7

ELVIS PRESLEY – “Good Luck Charm”
An uninspired workout, it’s doubtful that any other performer would have taken this humdrum track to the top 4

MIKE SARNE AND WENDY RICHARD – “Come Outside”
I was surprised how familiar this call-and-response comedy track sounded given that I didn’t really know anything about it before starting this project – Wikipedia provided the answer, it was covered in a by-now largely forgotten episode by a collection of celebrities for Children In Need 1991. It seems a strange choice, this must have been naff in 1962, never mind 29 years later. That said, the response “But I wan’ another twist” surely wouldn’t have sounded half as out of place on the original! 4

RAY CHARLES – “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
The contrast from the previous record could scarcely be greater – this is a dreary, mournful country croon. The skip button beckons well before its near 5 minute runtime is reached 2

FRANK IFIELD – “I Remember You”
Yodelling Ifield is one of the more puzzling musical success stories of the early 60s. Musically this isn’t at all bad, with its upbeat guitar melody and harmonica interludes – for me at least, it’s a vast improvement on the tedium of the previous track. The vocals, though, are devoid of appeal. 5

ELVIS PRESLEY – “She’s Not You”
Another one of ‘the King”s more forgettable outings 4

THE TORNADOS – “Telstar”
The third instrumental number one of 1962 is deservedly the most celebrated of the year’s chart-toppers (and my highest-rated). Seldom has a record been released that encapsulated its time so perfectly. Telstar transmitted the first transatlantic TV signal to the UK, and the overwhelming sense that you get from listening to this record more than 50 years later is that this was the moment that, for the public at large, the future had arrived. There was no going back from here. 9

FRANK IFIELD – “Lovesick Blues”
It’s actually originally from a 1920’s musical, but his could have been written to showcase Ifield’s talents. Despite the downbeat lyrics, this is enjoyable enough fluff 6

ELVIS PRESLEY – “Return To Sender”
The fourth of Elvis’ number ones this year is by far the best, a breezy, catchy tune that bounces along and pulls you in. Just don’t over-think the slightly silly lyrics 8

An enjoyable single from the King imho. 7/10 for me.