1965: George's Singles Jukebox

 

(Record Mirror 1 January 1966)

    As mentioned in the previous post, all four Beatles acquired KB Discomatic portable singles jukeboxes in 1965. In his column in Record Mirror's first issue of 1966 (1 January 1966), Tony Hall gave us a list - a snapshot  - of what George Harrison's favourite singles were right at the end of 1965. Tony Hall (who lived at 6 Green Street) was neighbours with The Beatles (mainly George and Ringo) when they lived in Mayfair (57 Green Street) and, despite being 12+ years their senior, became a close acquaintance. Tony Hall had a long and varied career in the music industry that included working in the promotions department at Decca Records (where he also headed Coral Records), hosting a show on Radio Luxembourg, writing a regular column for Record Mirror, compèring at The Flamingo Club, and on and on for seven decades!

    What follows is Tony Hall's list of George's 'Fab 40'. Tony Hall, on a visit to 'Kinfauns' in Esher, was impressed with George's selection, which even included several American records not yet available in the UK. Says George: 'It’s so much easier to have all my favourite records on the juke box at once. It saves me going through piles of records to find the ones I want. Then when I get sick of them, I just throw them out and put some new ones in.' I have added the UK year of release and record label information. 

1. 'Harlem Shuffle' - Bob And Earl (1963, Sue Records) (George told Hall that Bob and Earl were rumoured to be Bobby Day and Ben E King. While this is not true, Earl Nelson's original partner was Bobby Day until he split to have solo success with 'Rockin' Robin' [1958]. The Bob on this record was Bobby Relf, who co-wrote the song with Nelson)

2. 'Good Things Come to Those Who Wait' - Chuck Jackson (1965, US release on Wand [no UK release])

3. 'Be My Lady' - Booker T & The MGs (1965, Atlantic)

4. 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?' - Bob Dylan (1965, US release on Columbia [not released in the UK until 1966 on CBS]) (Hall notes that this is a collectors item because it was meant to be a sample pressing of 'Positively 4th Street' [as seen on John's jukebox!] but 'the wrong tape was used!')

5. 'Baby, You're My Everything' - Little Jerry Williams (1965, US release on Calla Records [not released in the UK until 1966])

6. 'Back Street' - Edwin Starr (Not released in US until 1966 [no UK release; George must have received an advance pressing])

7. 'Work, Work, Work' - Lee Dorsey (1965, Stateside)

8. 'The Little Girl I Once Knew' - The Beach Boys (1965, Capitol)

9. 'My Girl Has Gone' - The Miracles (1965, Tamla Motown)

10. 'I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)' - Little Richard (1965, Fontana) (The two sides were Parts 1 and 2, George preferred the second)

11. 'I Can't Turn You Loose' - Otis Redding (1965, US release on Volt [not released in UK until 1966 on Atlantic])

12. 'My Girl' - Otis Redding (1965, Atlantic) (also on John's jukebox)

13. 'I Believe I'll Love On' - Jackie Wilson (1965, Coral)

14. 'Plum-Nellie' - Booker T & The MGs (1963, London) (B-Side of 'Chinese Checkers' and a track on Soul Dressing)

15. 'Everything Is Gonna Be Alright' - Willie Mitchell (1965, London)

16. 'A Sweet Woman Like You' - Joe Tex (1965, Atlantic)

17. 'Something About You' - The Four Tops (1965, Tamla Motown)

18. 'I Got You (I Feel Good)' - James Brown & The Famous Flames (1965, Pye International)

19. 'Ain't That Peculiar' - Marvin Gaye (1965, Tamla Motown)

20. 'Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)' - The Byrds (1965, CBS) (George and Tony Hall couldn't understand why this wasn't a big hit in the UK)

21. 'See Saw' - Don Covay (1965, Atlantic) (variations on different pressings have the title written as 'See-Saw' or 'Seesaw')

22. 'I'm Comin' Through' - Sounds Incorporated (1965, Columbia) (George commented on how much better the recording sounded having been done in an American studio. The Beatles had known Sounds Inc since 1 July 1962 when they shared the bill with them [backing Gene Vincent] at The Cavern, Liverpool)

23. 'Don't Fight It' - Wilson Pickett (1965, Atlantic)

24. 'Boot-Leg' - Booker T & The MGs (1965, Atlantic) (also on John's jukebox)

25. 'I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore' - The Young Rascals (1965, Atlantic) (Paul McCartney went to see The Young Rascals two nights in a row at two different clubs for their London debut on 30 November and 1 December 1966)

26. 'Respect' - Otis Redding (1965, US release on Volt [not released in UK until 1967 on Atlantic])

27. 'Try Me'/'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag' - James Brown (1965, Philips) (Both sides are instrumentals with James Brown playing organ)

28. 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' - Otis Redding (1965, US release on Volt [no UK release])

29. 'All Or Nothing' - Patty LaBelle & The Blue Belles (1965, Atlantic)

30. 'Pretty Little Baby' - Marvin Gaye (1965, Tamla Motown)

31. 'Oo Wee Baby, I Love You' - Fred Hughes (1965, Fontana)

32. 'The Tracks Of My Tears' - The Miracles (1965, Tamla Motown) (also on John's jukebox)

33. 'Yum Yum' - Joe Tex (1965, Sue Records)

34. 'Agent Double-O Soul' - Edwin Starr (1965, US release on Ric-Tic Records [not released in UK until 1971 on Tamla Motown])

35. 'Money (That's What I Want)' - Barrett Strong (1960, London) (Released in the US on Tamla in 1959; The Beatles recorded their version in seven takes at EMI Studios on 18 July 1963; also on John's jukebox)

36. 'Some Other Guy' - Richie Barrett (1962, London) (also on John's jukebox)

37. 'It Wasn't Me' - Chuck Berry (1965, Chess)

38. 'Mohair Sam' - Charlie Rich (1965, Philips)

39. 'Let Him Run Wild' - The Beach Boys (1965, Capitol) (B-Side of 'California Girls')

40. 'Do You Believe In Magic' - The Lovin' Spoonful (1965, Pye International) (George and John went to see The Lovin' Spoonful at the Marquee Club, London, on 18 April 1966)

Hall's article and George's record collection have previously been documented in an appendix of Steve Turner's Beatles '66 (2016).