Month by Month

HISTORY – A MONTH AT A GLANCE

JANUARY

  • 18th, 1960: First UK recording release on Columbia label EMI of Lucky Devil
  • 18th, 1963: The release date for The Wayward Wind in the UK.
  • 24th, 1963: The Wayward Wind entered the UK chart for 13 weeks run.
  • 1st, 1963: Opening night at the Silver Spade Room – Chevron/Hilton Sydney Australia (first return since leaving in 1959).
  • 1963 – Radio 2GB Australia presented Macquarie Tune Table Award for “Outstanding Australian Overseas” (Conductors silver baton – symbolising “Leadership, Discipline & the quest for excellence”.
  • 1962/63 poll. New Musical Express Trophy for top new disc/TV singer & Best British Disc of the year – I Remember You.
  • 9th, 1964: Don’t Blame Me entered the UK pop Charts for a 13-week run, peaking at #8.
  • 1978: Inducted into Hands Of Fame, Tamworth Australia.
  • 2003: Induction into Tamworth’s Country Music Roll of Renown, Australian Country Music’s highest honour.
  • 2004: TIARA (Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards) for Services to Industry Award was given to Frank for his commitment to the nurturing of talent through the International Spur Award and his ongoing involvement in the careers of many emerging artists.

FEBRUARY

  • 21st 1963: Wayward Wind made #1 for 3 weeks holding the Beatles Please Please Me at #2 only to be toppled by stable-mate Cliff Richard with Summer Holiday.
  • 1966: Frank appeared at the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee USA.
  • 1966: The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce designated Frank a member of the ‘Red Carpet Club’ USA.
  • 1966: Received an ‘Honorary Citizenship Of The State Of Tennessee’ from the Governor; Frank Clements.

MARCH

  • 1981: Platinum Award for the album Frank Ifield’s Greatest Hits (K-Tel) for sales in Australia exceeding 100,000 units
  • 2nd 1983: Acuff/Rose ‘Belt Buckle Award’ presented in Nashville Tennessee in appreciation of freindship and support of country music.
  • 14th 1963: Proclaimed by Guinness Book of Records to be the first artist in Britain to achieve 3 consecutive #1’s.

APRIL

  • 5th 1963: Nobody’s Darlin’ But Mine was released in the UK
  • 11th 1963: Nobody’s Darlin’ But Mine made the top ten at #4 remaining in the chart for 16 weeks.
  • 24th 1956: National Service – Holsworthy Army Barracks 13th Artillery Regiment starting as a bombardier in “E” Company; 32 Platoon; Hut 33.
  • 26th 1960: I returned to the recording studios to find a successor to Lucky Devil and recorded Gotta Get A Date.

MAY

  • 5th 2005: I REMEMBER YOU (Stereo Pedal Steel Mix) from the 3-CD compilation FRANK IFIELD – “The Complete A-Sides & B-Sides entered the CHi UK/European chart at No. 3.
  • 27th 1962: Recording session of I Remember You at Abbey Road Studios with Norrie Paramor’s orchestra.
  • 1963: Weekend Magazine Show Business Award for top male vocalist.
  • 1961: Opened in 1st Summer Season in the Showroom of Swansons Hotel Jersey, Channel Isles with comedians – Mike & Bernie Winters.

JUNE

  • 29th 1962: I Remember You was released in the UK.
  • 21st 1963: Confessin’ (That I Love You) was released in the UK
  • 27th 1963: Confessin’ made my fourth #1 for 2 weeks where Elvis toppled me with Devil in Disguise. My single stayed in the chart for 16 weeks.
  • 1963: Silver Disc Award for UK sales in excess of 250,000 presented by DISC Magagazine.

JULY

  • 5th 1962: I Remember You became my first #1 hit where it remained for 7 weeks until toppled by Elvis with She’s Not You. Nevertheless it remained in the chart for 28 weeks. Guinness Book Of Records claimed I was the first artiste to sell in excess of 1 million records in the UK alone.
  • 1981: “International Country Music Award” presented by Country Music Round Up and Mervyn Conn for “Best British Male Vocalist”
  • 1982: International C&W Music Association Award presented in Texas, USA to Frank as “Male Entertainer Of The Year”.

AUGUST

  • 19th, 1962: Frank recorded Lovesick Blues, She Taught Me How To Yodel and I’m Smiling Now
  • 1974: Recieved Gold LP for European album sales of Joanne & Other Top Songs on the Dutch label ‘Blue Jean’

SEPTEMBER

  • 29th 1960: Gotta Get A Date reached #49 in the UK pop charts.
  • 1962: ‘National Record Award’ – Record Retailer & Music Industry for the best pop single record of 1962.
  • 1962: ‘Press Award’ sponsored by Melody Maker – ‘Single Record Of The Year’
  • 2nd Sunday 1995: The first annual ‘Galston Country Music Festival‘ of which Frank is the Patron & Instigator proved a huge success

OCTOBER

  • 19th 1962: Lovesick Blues/ She Taught Me To Yodel was released in the UK
  • 6th to 30th November 1967: The Coventry Theatre celebrated its 30th anniversary with The Frank Ifield Show
  • 25th 1962: Lovesick Blues remained in the chart for 17 weeks and became my second #1 for 5 weeks knocked out by Elvis with Return To Sender
  • 30th 1981: Commemorative Plaque presented by the Mayor Chet Dunbar for appearance in the ‘Neewollah International Festival’ – Independence Kansas, USA
  • 30th 1981: ‘Honorary Lifetime Citizenship of the State of Kansas’ presented by his excellency the Governor John Carlin at the Capitol in Topeka.

NOVEMBER

  • 30th 1937: St Andrews Day. Frank was born under the sign of Saggitarius
  • 4th 1959: Left Sydney for London of the inaugural British Airways Comet flight
  • 5th 1959: Arrived at Heathrow met by British press and welcomed by Tommy Steele
  • 20th 1962: Recorded Wayward Wind
  • 27th 1962: Recorded Nobody’s Darlin’ But Mine
  • 14th 1962: Recorded Confessin’ (That I Love You)
  • 8th 1965: Royal Command Performance at London Palladium

DECEMBER

  • 1953: 1st recording Did You See My Daddy Over There released in Australia on Regal Zonophone 78rpm.
  • 23rd 1959: First recording session at Abbey Road Studios for Columbia EMI UK, including Lucky Devil and Nobody Else But You.
  • 1960: Played the title role of Dick Whittington in 1st Pantomime staged at the Globe Theatre, Stockton Yorkshire supporting ‘The Shadows’ who played the ‘Brokers Men’.
  • 1963: 2nd Pantomime proclaimed a blockbuster for Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre. The show ‘Mother Goose’, co-starred Oscar winning actress Beryl Reid.
  • 22nd 1963: Did video clip on Manly Beach of Wayward Wind for ‘Top Of The Pops’ BBC-TV
  • 27th 1980: The Guinness Book Of Records proclaimed that Frank had by this time, notched up a staggering 158 weeks in the UK Pop Charts and also held #24 in the ‘Top 100 Chart Hits Of All Time