45 RPMs 106: Mary Hopkin ~ Those Were the Days

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Mary Hopkin ~ Those Were the Days 

45 RPM record 

photo by Styrous® 
    

    

Today is the birthday of Welsh singer, Mary Hopkin, who bust forth internationally with her wonderful song, Those Were the Days. I was in my early twenties when it did; I remember thinking what a marvelous take on what it must be like to be old and review your life. I danced madly to the bouncy, lively beat of it. I still fondly look back at the song and those early days of my life but now that I am there, I have a totally different perspective on it, my life and my aspirations. As they say, "hindsight is 20/20".      

 

Those Were the Days was composed by Boris Fomin in 1924 but credited to Gene Raskin, who put English lyrics to Fomin's Russian romance song Dorogoi dlinnoyu, which originally had lyrics by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. With Raskin's lyrics, the song is an evaluation of youth and romantic idealism, reminiscing about drinking, singing, and dancing in a tavern, imagining a rosy future which has not been fulfilled. Although it has a joyous feeling, it is wistful and, well, a little melancholy. It conveys the same feeling as the Peggy Lee song, Is That All There Is? I love that song as well. With both I feel, "Then let's keep dancing!"         

 

Hopkin did some backup singing on albums by Tom Paxton, Ralph McTell, David Bowie (Low), Bert Jansch, the Radiators from Space, Thin Lizzy, Carmen, the Sarstedt Brothers, Osibisa, Sparks, Hazel O'Connor and Elaine Paige.      

 

The "B" side of the record is the song Turn, Turn, Turn written by Pete Seeger in 1959.  The lyrics – except for the title, which is repeated throughout the song, and the final two lines – consist of the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The song was originally released in 1962 as To Everything There Is a Season on the folk group the Limeliters' album Folk Matinee, and then some months later on Seeger's own The Bitter and the Sweet album.          

 

 

 

Mary Hopkin ~ Turn, Turn, Turn 

45 RPM record 

photo by Styrous® 

 

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Those Were The Days, written by Gene Raskin - 5:05

Side 2:

B - Turn, Turn, Turn, written by Pete Seeger - 2:48

Companies, etc.

    Mastered At – Capitol Studios, New York City
    Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Scranton
    Manufactured By – Apple Records, Inc.
    Published By – TRO
    Published By – Melody Trails, Inc.

 Credits:

 

      Producer – Paul McCartney

 

Notes:

Scranton Label Variant: "Mfg. by Apple Records, Inc." on 'B Side' label at bottom, and missing from 'A side'.
The reverse Scranton label variant here - Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days

A: T.R.O. Organization
B: Melody Trails Inc. (BMI)

Runouts have a combination of both stamped and etched characters. "[IAM logo]" is stamped.

Barcode and Other Identifiers         

    Rights Society: BMI
    Pressing Plant ID (Stamped in runouts): "IAM" in triangle logo
    Matrix / Runout (Label side A): X46416
    Matrix / Runout (Label side B): X46417
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 1): 45-X46416-P1 #2 45-70293-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 1): 45-X46417-P1 45-46417-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 2): 4̶5̶-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X46416-P1 #3 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 2): 45-X46417-P1#3 45-46417-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 3): 4̶5̶-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X46416-P1 #2 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 3): 45-X46417-P1 [IAM logo] 45-46417-P1
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 4): 45-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X 46416-P1 #4 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 4): 45-4617-T2
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 5): 45-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X 46416-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 5): 45-X46417-P1 45-46417-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 6): 45-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X 46416-P1 #8 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 6): 45-X46417-P1 #7 45-46417-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 7): 45-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X 46416-P1 #8 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 7): 45-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶4-̶P̶1 46417 45-X-46417-P1
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 8): 45-46416-T2 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 8): 45-46417-T2 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 9): 45-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1 45-X 46416-P1 #3 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 9): 45-X46417-P1 #6 45-46417-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 10): 45-7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1̶ 45-X46416-P1#2 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 10): 45-X46417-P1#5 4̶5̶-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶4̶-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 11): 45-7̶0̶2̶9̶3̶-̶P̶1̶ 45-X46416-P1 [IAM logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 11): 45-X46417-P1#5 4̶5̶-̶7̶0̶2̶9̶4̶ -P1 [IAM logo]

Mary Hopkin – Those Were The Days
Label: Apple Records – 1801
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Scranton Pressing
Country: US
Released: Aug 26, 1968
Genre: Rock, Pop, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Chanson, Pop Rock, Folk         

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

        
David Bowie    

Boris Fomin       

the Limeliters         

Hazel O'Connor         

Osibisa          

Elaine Paige       

Tom Paxton  

Pete Seeger         

Sparks       

Thin Lizzy       

         
     
Net links:       

         

         

         

        
     
YouTube links:       
        

Mary Hopkin ~ Those Were the Days         

Sergey Lazarev ~ Dorogoi dlinnoyu (The long road)       
        
         

         

What the hell! Let's keep dancing!

        

Styrous® ~ Sunday, April 3, 2026 

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45 RPMs 105: Jørgen Ingmann ~ Apache

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Jørgen Ingmann
date & photographer unknown

    

    

Today, Sunday, April 26, 2026, is the birthday of Jørgen Ingmann who was born in 1925 in Copenhagen, Denmark and first performed as a guitarist with Svend Asmussen, the jazz violinist, during the 1940s and early 1950s, in a group known as the Unmelancholy Danes.     

 

He was popular in Europe and had a wider international hit in 1961 with his version of Apache which is the song I remember the most from my early years although he did great covers of Tequila, Anna, Zorba the Greek by Mikis Theodorakis and El Condor Pasa by Daniel Alomía Robles. Apache is a wonderful early entry into the world of surf music such as Telestar by The Tornados which came later. Santo & Johnny did a mellower coer of the song.      

 

Ingmann said he was inspired by the sound and invention of the revolutionary guitar legendary guitarist Les Paul invented. Ingmann used his own multi-track home recording studio laying down multiple layers of twang mutated through echo, reverb, speed controls, and his own accompaniment on bass and drums.       

 

Songwriter and composer Jerry Lordan came up with the tune in the late 1950s. Lordan was inspired to write the song after watching the 1954 American western film Apache, saying that he "wanted something noble and dramatic, reflecting the courage and savagery of the Indian Apache warrior Massai," played by Burt Lancaster.   

Jørgen Ingmann ~ Apache 

45 RPM record 

 

 

 

Jørgen Ingmann ~ Echo Boogie 

45 RPM record 

 

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Apache, written by Jerry Lordan - 3:00

Side 2:

B - Echo Boogie, written by Jorgen Ingmann* - 3:13

Companies, etc.

    Record Company – Atlantic Records
    Pressed By – Monarch Record Mfg. Co. – ∆37243
    Lacquer Cut At – Atlantic Studios
    Published By – Francis, Day & Hunter

 

Notes:

Note: Publisher, Francis, Day & Hunter (ASCAP) is on Track A. On Track B all that is noted are the two society rights BIEM an NCB,

A W in the runout A indicates Atlantic Studios used an Audiodisc lacquer blank to cut the record.

An X in the runout B indicates Atlantic Studios used a Transco lacquer blank to cut the record.

MR (combined in circle) and AT on side side B is stamped, all other data is etched.

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

         

    Pressing Plant ID (Stamped in runouts): MR (combined in circle)
    Rights Society (Side A): PRF
    Rights Society (Side A): ASCAP
    Rights Society (Side B): NCB
    Rights Society (Side B): BIEM
    Matrix / Runout (Label A): 60-C-5167
    Matrix / Runout (Label B): 60-C-5168
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A): 45-60C5167-27 AT ∆37243 W MR
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B): 45-60-C-5168-21 AT ∆37243-X X MR

Jorgen Ingmann And His Guitar* – Apache / Echo Boogie
Label: ATCO Records – 45-6184
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Monarch Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Surf

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

         

Anna       

Jørgen Ingmann          
Burt Lancaster         

Jerry Lordan           

Les Paul          

Anthony Quinn            

Santo & Johnny           

Mikis Theodorakis          

The Tornados           
     
Net links:       

         

         

         

        
     
YouTube links:      
         

Anna       
Apache         

Echo Boogie        

      
        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Sunday, April 26, 2026 

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45 RPMs 104: Herman's Hermits – I'm Henry VIII, I Am

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Herman's Hermits ~ I'm Henry VIII, I Am 

45 RPM front cover 
    

    

In 1965, the first of February to be exact, Herman's Hermits recorded my very favorite song by them, I'm Henry VIII, I Am. It is one of the wackiest songs ever written! It's a bouncy high energy tune that roars along like a train out of control and there's some really great guitar work by Derek Leckenby.  

 

I saw the Hermits on the The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965 and thought the lead singer, Peter Noone, was the cutest thing EVER! He was an energetic 18 year old with skinny legs that rapidly bounced in and out to the beat of the tune.     

 

The song was originally a British music hall song written by Fred Murray and R. P. Weston in 1910 and recorded by Harry Champion in 1911. It is so completely different from the Hermits cover that it is a totally different song with three verses. According to one source, Champion "used to fire off [the chorus] at tremendous speed with almost desperate gusto, his face bathed in sweat and his arms and legs flying in all directions." Noone kept that part of the act in. In later versions recorded by Champion, "Willie" is changed to "William" because the former is a British slang term for "penis".          

 

I'm Henry VIII, I Am lyrics 

I'm 'Enery the Eighth, I am,
'Enery the Eighth I am, I am!
I got married to the widow next door,
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an 'Enery
She wouldn't have a Willie nor a Sam
I'm her eighth old man named 'Enery
'Enery the Eighth, I am!

Herman's Hermits ~ The End of the World 
45 RPM back cover 

 

The "B" side of the record is The End of the World which was originally recorded by Skeeter Davis, who was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs.       

 

 

Herman's Hermits ~ I'm Henry VIII, I Am 

45 RPM side 1 

 

 

 

Herman's Hermits ~ The End of the World 
45 RPM side 2 

 

 

                

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - I'm Henry VIII, I Am, written by Murray*, Weston* - 1:49

Side 2:

B - The End Of The World, I Am, written by Kent*, Dee* - 2:57

Companies, etc.

    Published By – Miller Music
    Published By – Summit Music
    Manufactured By – Reverse Producers Corp.
    Record Company – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
    Pressed By – MGM Record Manufacturing Division

 Credits:

 

    Producer – Mickie Most  

 

Notes:

Catalog number appears with a hyphen on the picture sleeve.
Catalog number appears without any spaces on disc labels.
Reverse Productions credit is abbreviated. on labels.

from Album E/SE 4295 "Herman's Hermits On Tour"
A Mickie Most Prod.

Mf'd by Reverse Prod. Corp.

MGM Records--a division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
Made in U.S.A.

Barcode and Other Identifiers         

    Rights Society: ASCAP
    Matrix / Runout (Label side A): 65-XY-453
    Matrix / Runout (Label side B): 65-XY-454
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 1): K13367 65XY453-3
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 1): K13367 65XY454
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 2): K13367 65XY453-2 4 [block S]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 2): K13367 65XY454-3 [block S]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 3): K13367 65XY453-2 [block S]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 3): K13367 65XY454-3 [block S]

 

Herman's Hermits – I'm Henry VIII, I Am / The End Of The World    MGM Records – K-13367, MGM Records – K13367
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM, MGM Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Pop
Style: Rock & Roll, Music Hall 

        

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

        
Harry Champion 

Skeeter Davis     

King Henry VIII         

Derek Leckenby         

Fred Murray 

Peter Noone         
     
Net links:       

         

Fred Murray         

R. P. Weston           
     
YouTube links:      
         

Joe Brown & The Bruvvers ~ I'm Henry the Eighth I Am            

Harry Champion ~ 

         I’m Henry VIII, I Am        

Herman's Hermits ~          

         I'm Henry VIII, I Am (Ed Sullivan Show June 6, 1965)        

         I'm Henry VIII, I Am (live August 10, 1973)        

        

      
        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Saturday, March 28, 2026 

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Skeeter Davis articles/mentions

 ~        

      

     

      

      

      

     

mentions:     

Herman's Hermits ~ 

             I'm Henry the VIII, I am         

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Skeeter Davis     

date & photographer unknown     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

 

 

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Music People

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45 RPMs 104: Beach Boys ~ Surfin' U.S.A.

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On, Mach 4, 1963, the single Surfin' U.S.A. by The Beach Boys was released. Written by Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson. It is a rewritten version of Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen set to new lyrics written by Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love. The song was released as a single on March 4, 1963, backed with Shut Down. It was then placed as the opening track on their album of the same name. The song is part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.    

       

The single peaked at number two on the chart of the Music Vendor trade paper and at number three on the Billboard and Cash Box charts. Billboard ranked "Surfin' U.S.A. the number 1 song of 1963. It has since become emblematic of the California Sound, and the song's depiction of California is emblematic of the genre.       

        

Surfin' U.S.A. uses the comparison of California to the rest of the United States to drive its stereotypical images of California. It uses a recognizable steady, upbeat drum tempo seen in many surf rock songs that seems to “drive” the music forward. The Beach Boys popularized this staccato drum style, and is reminiscent of “a locomotive getting up to speed”. This technique was seen earlier in the Jan & Dean 1963 hit Surf City, which was the first Surf song to achieve the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100.              

 

In the song the following surfing spots are mentioned, mostly in California, as well as one in Hawaii (possibly two) and one in Australia:

• "Del Mar" – Del Mar, San Diego County, California
• "Ventura County Line" – County Line Beach in Ventura County, California
• "Santa Cruz" – Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California
• "Trestles" – San Onofre State Park, San Diego County, California
• "Australia's Narrabeen" – Narrabeen, Australia
• "Manhattan" – Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County, California
• "Doheny" – Doheny Beach, Dana Point, Orange County, California
• "Haggerty's" – Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County, California
• "Swami's" – Swami's Beach, Encinitas, San Diego County, California
• "Pacific Palisades" – Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles County, California
• "San Onofre" – San Onofre State Park, San Diego County, California
• "Sunset" – Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii – or – Sunset Beach, Orange County, California [Could also be Sunset Blvd at PCH in LA County]
• "Redondo Beach, L.A." – Redondo Beach, Los Angeles County, California
• "La Jolla" – La Jolla, San Diego County, California
• "Waimea Bay" – Waimea Bay, Hawaii

 

The Beach Boys - Surfin' U.S.A. 

45 RPM record 

 

 

 

The Beach Boys - Surfin' U.S.A. 

45 RPM record 

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Surfin' U.S.A., written by Brian Wilson - 2:25

Side 2:

B - Shut Down, written by Brian Wilson, Roger Christian - 1:50

Companies, etc.

    Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc.
    Published By – Arc Music Corp.
    Published By – Sea Of Tunes Publishing Co.
    Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Scranton

 

Notes:
 

This version gives a writing credit to Roger Christian on side B (as opposed to this release which does not).

Side A published by Arc Music Corp.
Side B published by Sea Of Tunes Publishing Co

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

         

    Matrix / Runout (Label side A): 45-39181
    Matrix / Runout (Label side B): 45-39180
    Pressing Plant ID (Stamped in runouts): IAM Triangle logo
    Rights Society: BMI
    Other (Labels): 3-43
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, stamped, variant 1): 45-39181-N2#2 IAM
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, stamped, variant 1): 45-39180-N1 15 IAM
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, stamped, variant 2): 45-39181-N2#2 IAM
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, stamped, variant 2): 45-39180-N2 IAM
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, stamped, [etched] - variant 3): 45-39181-N2[#3] IAM
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, stamped - variant 3): 45-39180-N1#4 IAM

Beach Boys* – Surfin' U.S.A.
Label: Capitol Records – 4932
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM, Scranton Pressing
Country: US
Released: Mar 4, 1963
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Surf, Vocal

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

         

Chuck Berry     
Roger Christian          

Jan & Dean         

Mike Love         

Brian Wilson      

      
Net links:       

         

         

         

        
     
YouTube links:      
        
        

        

      
        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Monday, September 7, 2020

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45 RPMs 103: Bill Doggett ~ Honky Tonk Pt. 1 & 2

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Today is the birthday of one of my favorite 50's composers, Bill Doggett. Born on Wednesday, February 16, 1916, in Philadelphia, he was an American pianist and organist. 

 

Doggett and Shep Shepard wrote one of my favorite songs to dance to, Honky Tonk, when I was in my mid-teens in junior high school (that's what it was called back then). It is a moderately paced tune that, depending on your mood and who you're dancing with, can be slow or fast danced to. And of course, Clifford Scott sends me out of this world with his incredible sax work.      

 

The year previously Doggett did an instrumental version of What A Diff'rence A Day Made that he completely knocked out of the park. While he played keyboard he is accompanied by a terrific sax (don't know if it was Scott). Where Dinah Washington sings it slow and dreamy, Doggett rocks it out. And rock hadn´t even been invented yet!          

 

Bill Doggett began his career playing swing music then went into rhythm and blues; he was a pioneer of rock and roll and is known for his instrumental compositions Honky Tonk and Hippy Dippy, He worked with some of the great musicians of the period: the Ink Spots, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Jordan were some of them.              

 

He continued to play and arrange until he died when he was 80 from cancer on November 13, 1996, in New York City.       

 

 

 

Bill Doggett - Honky Tonk 

45 RPM record 

photo by Styrous® 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Doggett - Honky Tonk. parts 1 & 2 

45 RPM record 

photo by Styrous® 

 

 

 

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Honky Tonk (Part 1) - 2:40

Side 2:

B - Honky Tonk (Part 2) - 2:32

Companies, etc.

    Published By – Billace

 Credits:

 

      Written-By – Doggett*, Butler*, Scott*, Shepherd*

 

Notes:

Label variant "High" not italicized
Slightly shorter writers credit line
Runouts are etched

(Billace-BMI)

Instrumental

High Fidelity

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

         

    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (A-side - label): 45—K8767
    Matrix / Runout (B-side - label): 45—K8768
    Matrix / Runout (A-side runout, variant 1): K-45-8767-1
    Matrix / Runout (B-side runout, variant 1): K-45-8768-2
    Matrix / Runout (A-side runout, variant 2): K-45-8767-1
    Matrix / Runout (B-side runout, variant 2): K-45-8768-1
    Matrix / Runout (A-side runout, variant 3): K-45-8767-2
    Matrix / Runout (B-side runout, variant 3): K-45-8768-2

Bill Doggett – Honky Tonk
Label: King Records (3) – 45-4950
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Funk / Soul, Blues
Style: Rhythm & Blues, Instrumental

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

        

Billy Butler        

Bill Doggett        

Ella Fitzgerald         

Wynonie Harris               

The Ink Spots        

Louis Jordan         

Johnny Otis       

Clifford Scott         

Shep Shepard       

Dinah Washington            

 

 

        
         

     
Net links:       

         

         

         

        
     
YouTube links:      
        
        

Bill Doggett ~ Honky Tonk Pt. 1 & 2         

      
        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Monday, February 16, 2026 

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