Duffy -- 11th Welsh act to reach #1 ... who were the others?

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:38 am

You really did well with this quiz!

Here is the same list as Marian's with the indexed number of #1 songs. I've never heard some of these songs.

Am I missing anything? My favourites are 189, 259, 517, 1007, and 1068. Maybe I'll add the Manics songs after I listened to my new CD. I'm not sure I knew Bonnie Tyler is from Wales. Is she still singing?

81 Shirley Bassey : As I Love You
107 Ricky Valance : Tell Laura I Love Her
125 Shirley Bassey : Reach for The Stars/Climb Every Mountain
189 Tom Jones : It's Not Unusual
227 Tom Jones : Green Green Grass of Home
259 Mary Hopkin : Those Were The Days
266 Amen Corner : If Paradise Is Half as Nice
294 Dave Edmunds : I Hear You Knocking
477 Shakin' Stevens : This Ole House
483 Shakin' Stevens : Green Door
493 Shakin' Stevens : Oh Julie
517 Bonnie Tyler : Total Eclipse of The Heart
562 Shakin' Stevens : Merry Xmas Everyone
799 Manic Street Preachers : You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
845 Manic Street Preachers : Masses Against the Classes
1007 Stereophonics : Dakota
1068 Duffy : Mercy

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:45 am

Bonnie Tyler is still singing as she sang on a record that I bought last year called "Over the rainbow" which was a charity record, based on the show hosted by Anneke Rice.

She sang "I don't know how to love him"--and I just hated it.

But on saying that, I have never like Bonnie Tylers voice.

Gray · Post by **Gray** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:40 am

Yes, Marian, I agree, I'm not a massive fan of Bonnie Tyler's either.

Show's you what a sheltered life I've led, I had no idea Ricky Valance was Welsh.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:54 am

Neither did I Gray, and I grew up in South Wales.

Marian

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:16 am

I thoughgt Ricky Valance was American--or am I thinking of someone else? i obviously must be.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:53 am

Probably Richie Valens, who was sadly killed in the plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
Marian.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:42 pm

Funnily enough, I was going to mention that--but I realised that it could not be the same person--just their names are very similar !

jon · Post by **jon** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:25 am

I've heard the Duffy album, "Rockferry", a few times now (haven't actually bought it but have heard in the shops and on headphones). At first I couldn't decide if I liked it or not; the Dusty Springfield comparisons are apt, though she has a grittier and less pure voice than Dusty, but this is no bad thing, and I particularly like the crack in her voice, especially on the fifth track in, "Syrup and Honey". The soaring, purer vocals on the final track, "Distant Dreamer", are impressive. Favourite track? Not sure I have one, though "Stepping Stone" or "Rockferry" come close. I'm going to hold off on buying the album for the moment, though, as with a lot of flavour-of-the-month pop music I'm not sure whether my liking for it will last and that I'll ignore it after a few weeks. Is Duffy a flash-in-the-pan or something more enduring? We'll see.

Incidentally Rockferry itself is a suburub of Birkenhead on the Wirral pensinsula, about 10 miles from Wales and 3 miles from Liverpool. Duffy herself is from Nefyn on the Llyn peninsula.

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:50 pm

Thanks for the review, Jon. I think Duffy is the real deal, but time will tell. The album will be released in the US in May and I'll be buying it then. My favourites (that I've heard on Radio 1 and 2) are Rockferry, Warwick Avenue, and Mercy.

So Rockferry is in England and not Wales.

I guess it doesn't sound like a Welsh name. Apparently she passed the town every week on the train from Nefyn to London to meet with her manager. But she never visited the town.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:17 pm

I did look far and wide for Rockferry in Wales Paul, but could only find it in The Wirral Merseyside, which is where it turned out to to be.

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:11 pm

Ricky Valance's version of 'Tell Laura I love her' is so much better than the US original, by Ray Peterson. While Ricky had a deep and Elvis-like tone, Ray Peterson sounded like he was being strangled, especially at the chorus!

Its amazing to hear the variety of artists that Wales has bred. Chris Evans has been trying to establish credibility for Shakin Stevens as a serious artist by playing him a lot on his drive-time show on R2. This was to commemorate the fact that Shaky is now actually 60 years old!

Not heard much from Bonnie Tyler of late, she did some great tracks in the 80s with the legendary Jim Steinman. My favourite of these was the epic 'Loving you's a dirty job but somebodys got to do it!'

Chris Kelly · Post by **Chris Kelly** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:44 pm

Lena & Harry Smith wrote:Amen Corner's No 1 " If Paradise is Half As Nice" in 1969 apart from Andy Fairweather Low..from Hengoed.. all from Wales. Neil Jones..Llanbradach...Clive Taylor..Cardiff, Derek Weaver...Cardiff, Allan Jones...Swansea and Mike Smith...Neath.

Hey H and L, I'm impressed. I'm considering seeing Andy F.L. this month as he is on tour with his band. He now plays in Eric Claptons live band too. Derek Weaver AKA "Blue" Weaver later went on to play in one of my favourite groups, Mott the Hoople, before joining the Bee Gees just before the "Saturday Night Fever" days. Good move!

As for Duffy, she is brilliant and her dad is a scouser too!

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:21 pm

You'll no doubt have a good time Chris. Should be a good tour, and Andy Fairweather has had a good career. The Bee Gees music has always been popular, and we still look at their videos now and again.

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:39 am

Hi Everyone,

Duffy is certainly amazing isn't she? Just love "Steppin' stone" another great single taken from her wonderful CD.
Her voice is lovely - I know it has been said before but she sounds so like Dusty and Bonnie but at the same time, she also has her own unique voice and style.

jon · Post by **jon** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:27 am

Anyone see the Duffy concert from LSO St Luke's on BBC1 last night? I enjoyed it, though the audience seemed rather underwhelmed by the whole thing, as if they'd been roped in for the sake of it. Duffy has a distinctive voice, and it was interesting to hear her new record, sung at the end. I haven't got her album but this may just have persuaded me to get it.