Frankie Laine - Answer Me

Frankie Laine - 'Answer Me'

13th November, 1953 (8 weeks)

I said 'Answer Me' would be back before you knew it! Making its second appearance at number 1, this time recorded by Frankie Laine, making his 3rd appearance in this position for 1953:

Not content with having the biggest selling single of 1953, Mr Rawhide claimed the 1953 Christmas Number 1 as well with his version of the previous number 1 single. The first (but not only) time a number 1 would be removed by another version of the same song.

Which ties in nicely with the common theme of number 1 singles being a snap shot of popularity, not necessarily cultural trends. Multiple versions of the same version of a song appearing in the charts is still going to this day - the best example probably being the battle for Christmas number 1 2008 between Alexandra Burke and Jeff Buckley, which was of course well and truly won by X-Factor's Alexandra Burke. But more on that 'a bit later on'.

As a song though, I much prefer this version to David Whitfield's. Frankie Laine's voice is much rawer and charged with emotion, lending a greater poignancy to the song over the irritating operatic style of Whitfield.

Frankie Laine - Hey Joe

Frankie Laine - 'Hey Joe'

23rd October, 1953 (2 weeks)

Frankie Laine scored his second number 1 with 'Hey Joe' in October 1953.

After the massive success of 'I Believe', this is a slightly less successful number for Frankie Laine. Though that was always inevitable as I Believe was a mega-hit for the man often billed as having 'steel tonsils'. The song itself is an upbeat number, about chasing the same girl his friend is courting. Or whatever term was used in the 1950s. I like the idea that it was courting.

As a side note, Frankie Laine also sang the tune to Rawhide.

Frankie Laine - I Believe

Frankie Laine - 'I Believe'

24th April, 1953 (9 weeks)

3rd July, 1953 (6 weeks)

23rd August, 1953 (3 weeks)

Frankie Laine scored a phenomenal hit with 'I Believe'. Despite not being consecutive, it reigned at the top for 18 weeks. As a comparison, the current record holder, Bryan Adams, is 16 weeks. Without being broken - for a week's length each time - the song would have scored 20 weeks at number 1. It goes without saying then, that this record was the biggest selling single of 1953

In the time that this song was Number 1, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Mount Everest was climbed and, for the first time in 19 years, England won the Ashes.

The song has, of course, since become a well known standard and has been covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and errr.... Robson and Jerome. Though considering the massive success of the song on this, its original UK Charts outing, I guess you can't really blame Simon Cowell for sticking his oar in as well.

In many ways it's a shame that this song didn't reach the full 20 weeks at number 1. That would have been a very impressive standard to set for all future records to follow. It would be easy to say at this point "Oh, it'll never happen again", which would be something I would totally disagree with. I mean, that's a bit insulting to today's youth - it was in 2008 that 'Umbrella' was at Number 1 for 10 weeks, becoming only the 5th song to break 10 weeks consecutively. It just takes the right song.

Clearly this was the right song at the right time, as it will be again.