Great Uncle Bulgaria

Jan 31st 40 The Kinks -- Waterloo Sunset 38 The Kinks--All Day And All Of The Night +4 38 The Beach Boys-- God Only Knows -5 35 Barry Ryan--- Eloise 28 The Spencer Davis Group--- Gimme Some Lovin' 05 The Yardbirds---Heart Full Of Soul -1

30/1/24 33 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +1 33 The Kinks — All Day and All Of The Night +3 29 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 27 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 27 Barry Ryan — Eloise 17 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 13 Petula Clark — Downtown 11 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 11 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 09 The Troggs — Wild Thing -6 07 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 05 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown

29.01.2024 35 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night +1 30 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +3 29 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 26 Barry Ryan — Eloise 25 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 19 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 17 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 16 Petula Clark — Downtown 13 The Troggs — Wild Thing -3 13 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 12 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 12 The Who — My Generation 08 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 05 Los Bravos — Black Is Black -3

Danny Bloor out at Welling. I had him in the last round (when he got sacked by Eastbourne) but no one had him this time round.

On checking the remainder of my list, it transpires that Luan Peters was already dead at the start of the game. I assume, given this research failure is attributable to my own incompetence, this means I am therefore 3 down (and out on my own in last place)....

As part of a rather illogical each way bet with my 40/40 list where I picked her to die, Melanie Safka has sadly laid down here to give me my second hit. Look what I did with her life, ma.....

Melanie Safka no 7 in my hit parade - that brand new pair of roller skates not going to do her much good now.

28/1/2024 26 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night +2 25 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 25 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows -3 25 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul -1 25 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 23 Barry Ryan — Eloise 22 Petula Clark — Downtown 19 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 17 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 17 The Who — My Generation 17 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 16 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 12 The Troggs — Wild Thing -1 11 Los Bravos — Black Is Black -1

27/1/2024 26 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +3 25 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night +1 25 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows -3 25 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance  25 The Who — My Generation 23 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul  23 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 23 Barry Ryan — Eloise 22 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 21 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 20 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 19 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 19 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 18 Petula Clark — Downtown 11 The Troggs — Wild Thing -3

26/1/2024 29 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +1 27 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night +2 27 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 27 Petula Clark — Downtown 25 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance +1 25 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 25 The Troggs — Wild Thing 24 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 24 The Who — My Generation 23 Barry Ryan — Eloise 23 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 22 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 20 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 19 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 15 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 06 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 05 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -6

Let's Dance is great. Furthermore a) when one of the young wombles was learning the piano it was something he learned to play early on and I often used to sing it while he played along in the Burrow, so it holds memories.... b) it was in the charts (admittedly not at no 2) when I first appeared on this earth, so I feel some attachment to it. (This makes me older than all of you bar The Old Lady and Toast and I reckon about the same as Time, PB and SC, but I'm sure anyone remotely bothered about such things has long since worked out that I am 'old' already).

25-1=24 27 The Kinks — All Of The Day And All Of TheNight +3 27 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset 26 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance 26 Barry Ryan — Eloise 25 The Troggs — Wild Thing 25 The Who — My Generation 24 Petula Clark — Downtown 24 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 23 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 23 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 22 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 21 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 20 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 19 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 16 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 15 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday 14 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 14 John Leyton — Wild Wind +1 09 Little Eva — The Loco-Motion 04 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John -6 That top 4 looks about right to me but - apart from the twee novelty song at the bottom and Lazy Sunday - everything is in the 'very good' to 'classic' range.

Starrmer might yet not win because he is a dullard. The British people love charisma. The dullard (albeit principled, for a Tory) Theresa May did very badly against the unelectable Jeremy Corbin yet the charismatic (if generally unprincipled) Boris won a landslide against the same person. He also might not yet win because the Tory press will spend the next 6-9 months mercilessly slagging him off. There's an awful lot of people over 70 still believing whatever they read in the daily mail/Torygraph/Sun. Inflation and interest rates will both be lower in 6-9 months too. I don't think a working labour majority is a done deal by any means. It should be but it isn't.

24/1/2024 32 Petula Clark — Downtown 30 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night +2 27 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 26 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 25 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance 24 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 24 The Troggs — Wild Thing 23 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 23 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 23 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday 22 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 22 The Who — My Generations 21 Barry Ryan — Eloise  20 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me  19 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 18 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 18 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 15 Little Eva — The Loco-Motion 12 John Leyton — Wild Wind 09 The Crystals — Then He Kissed Me 07 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John -6

23/1/24 09:43 hrs 26 Petula Clark — Downtown 25 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 24 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 24 Chris Montez — Let’s Dance 24 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 23 The Kinks -- All of the day and all of the night +2 22 John Leyton — Wild Wind 22 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 22 The Troggs — Wild Thing 21 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Lovin’ 21 The Who — My Generation 21 Barry Ryan — Eloise 21 Los Bravos — Black Is Black 20 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday 20 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 20 Little Eva — The Loco-Motion 20 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 19 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 16 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown 15 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John -6 14 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas — Do You Want To Know A Secret? 14 The Crystals — Then He Kissed Me 08 Chubby Checker — Let’s Twist Again 08 Bobby Darin — Lazy River 

This (hopefully) won't matter, but since I'm on a proofreading kick: you've got Tim Bilton at #22 and as your second sub. Oops. well spotted, 2nd sub June Spencer please.

Sorry, I would have voted had I seen the relevant post. Apropos of which, until about 3-4 weeks ago the 8 most active/most recently commented on threads always used to come up below the main list of 50. That suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago, which means I click on activity instead to see the most recent posts but tend not to bother paging back through every post, since I last visited which means I have missed a few things recently. If anyone in power is reading this, could the 8 top threads below the list feature be restored please? Apologies if I have missed a discussion on/explanation of this. Was away last week and for the last week of 2023 which probably hasn't helped.

22/1/2024 61 Barry Ryan — Eloise 41 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 32 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do -3 30 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -3 24 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 21 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World +4 17 The Foundations — Build Me Up Buttercup

Lots of people I've never heard of this year, all of whom I'm avoiding as it usually means lots of you who take this far more seriously than I do know what you are talking about and I should therefore take heed. 1. Joe Biden 2. Donald Trump 3. Michael J Fox 4. Andy Taylor 5. Billy Connolly 6. Ozzy Osborne 7. Janey Godley 8. Phil Collins 9. Clint Eastwood 10. Yoko Ono 11. Willie Nelson 12. Wiliam Shatner 13, Bruce Willis 14. Prunella Scales 15. Robert Wagner 16. Shannen Doherty 17. Roberta Flack 18. Buzz Aldrin 19. Eva Marie Saint 20. David Attenborough 21. Joanne Woodward 22. Tim Bilton 23. Pope Francis 24. Mel Brooks 25. Rupert Murdoch sub Bob Newhart Tim Bilton

21/1/2024 57 Barry Ryan — Eloise 44 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 27 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -3 27 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well +1 27 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World +3 26 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do 23 The Foundations — Build Me Up Buttercup 19 The Edwin Hawkins Singers — Oh Happy Day 16 Stevie Wonder — Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday -3

52 Barry Ryan--Eloise 41 Elvis Presley-- In The Ghetto 33 Fleetwood Mac-- Oh Well 32 The Small Faces-- Lazy Sunday -3 31 The Foundations-- Build me up Buttercup 30 Stevie Wonder-- Yester-Me-Yester-You- Yesterday -3 22 Fleetwood Mac---Man Of The World +2 18 The Edwin Hawkins Singers-- Oh Happy Day 15 Mary Hopkin--- Goodbye +2 14 Nina Simone-- Ain't Got No/Do What You Gotta Do 12 Tom Jones--- Delilah Hopefully fixed above problem now

19/1/2024 44 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 39 Barry Ryan — Eloise 36 The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -2 35 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 31 Stevie Wonder — Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday 24 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition — Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town  21 The Edwin Hawkins Singers — Oh Happy Day 21 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World +2 19 Mary Hopkin — Goodbye +2 18 Tom Jones — Delilah 18 The Foundations — Build me up Buttercup 15 Lou Christie — I’m Gonna Make You Mine 11 The Casuals — Jesamine -2 06 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do -2

18/11 23.57 Back from a week away with no computer just in time to show Mary Hopkin some love. Lazy Sunday is a novelty record, surely... 42 Elvis Presley — In The Ghetto 38The Small Faces — Lazy Sunday -6 35 Fleetwood Mac — Oh Well 35 Barry Ryan — Eloise +2 31 Stevie Wonder — Yester-Me, Yester-You 30 The Foundations— Build me up Buttercup 25 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition — Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town 21 Fleetwood Mac — Man Of The World 21 The Edwin Hawkins Singers — Oh Happy Day 19 Mary Hopkin — Goodbye +2 18 Tom Jones — Delilah 17 Lou Christie — I’m Gonna Make You Mine 15 The Casuals — Jesamine 13 Nina Simone — Ain’t Got No / Do What You Gotta Do

10.01.2024 46 The Kinks — Waterloo Sunset +2 46 The Beach Boys — God Only Knows 43 Los Bravos — Black Is Black -2 43 The Troggs — Wild Thing 41 The Rolling Stones — Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown +2 33 Donovan — Sunshine Superman 29 Traffic — Hole In My Shoe 27 The Lovin’ Spoonful — Daydream 26 The Move — Flowers In The Rain 22 The Spencer Davis Group — Gimme Some Loving 22 The Hollies — I Can’t Let Go 22 The Hollies — Stop Stop Stop 17 The Monkees — Alternate Title (Randy Scouse Git) 11 Cat Stevens — Matthew And Son -4 11 Manfred Mann — Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James 07 The Seekers — Morningtown Ride

I'll play again...