• 286

    Saturday 23 January 1965, 5.15.-5.40pm


    Panel: Angela Douglas, Virginia Lewis, Wolf Mankowitz, Del Shannon


    Producer: Stewart Morris


    Records played:
    It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones (Decca)
    Somewhere In Your Heart – Frank Sinatra (Reprise)
    See You Later Alligator – Millie (Fontana)
    It’s Gonna Last Forever – Billy J Kramer (Parlophone)
    Nancy’s Theme – Earle Hagen (Colpix)
    Game Of Love – Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders (Fontana)
    No Other Heart – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol)
    Yes I Will – The Hollies (Parlophone)

  • 31

    Saturday 6 February 1960, 6-6.30pm (recorded 30.1.60)


    Chairman: David Jacobs


    Panel: Michael Craig, Wolf Mankowitz, Nancy Spain, Henrietta Tiarks (Recorded 30.1.60)


    Records played:
    I Love a Violin – Petula Clark (Pye)
    Youthful Years – Danny Williams (HMV)
    The Happy Muleteer – Mike Desmond (Top Rank)
    Hit and Miss – John Barry (Columbia) — side set
    He’ll Have To Go – Jim Reeves
    Oh Judy – Jimmy Isle (Top Rank)
    Time and The River – Nat King Cole (Capitol)
    Camera script unused: Sure Fire Love (Billie Anthony)


    Michael Craig was a popular actor; Wolf Mankowitz a writer; Nancy Spain a writer and newspaper columnist; Henrietta Tiarks was a debutante who later, after marriage, became the Duchess of Bedford.

    John Barry was the mystery guest. His record, Hit and Miss by The John Barry Seven plus Four, was voted a hit, and  became the show’s signature tune from the following week onwards.

    On the same day (9.30 to 10.15 p.m.) David Jacobs was hosting the Eurovision UK final. The contestants were Bryan Johnson, Ronnie Carroll, Vince Eager, David Hughes, Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, Marion Keene, Don Lang, Benny Lee, Dennis Lotis, Lita Roza and Malcolm Vaughan.

  • 44

    Saturday 7 May 1960, 6-6.30pm

    (Recorded 30.04.60)


    Chairman: David Jacobs


    Panel: Doug Levy, Nancy Pederson, Karen Post, Ed Robertson


    Records played:
    Et Voila – Frankie Laine (Philips)
    Now Now Now – Jerry Keller (London)
    All I Need – Edna Savage (Parlophone) Side set
    Tamiami – Bill Haley & his Comets (Warner)
    That’s You – Nat King Cole (Capitol)
    My Gal Sal – The Freemen (Parlophone) Side set
    I Love The Way You Love – Marv Johnson (London)
    The Madison Time – Ted Heath & his Music (Decca)
    Got A Girl – Four Preps (Capitol)


    The panel comprised of teenagers from the American School of Independence, Bushey Park, US base in Middlesex. Headmaster gave Russell Turner and Johnnie Stewart 20 possibles and they chose four. All aged 17 to 19.

  • 65

    Saturday 29 October 1960


    Panel: Carmen McRae, Pete Murray, Nancy Spain, Richard Wyler


    Records played:
    Blue Angel – Roy Orbison (London) HIT (3-1)
    Just Call Me – Lloyd Price (HMV) MISS (0-4)
    M1 – The Ted Taylor Four (Oriole) HIT (3-1) (Ted Taylor mystery guest)
    Just As Much As Ever – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) HIT (4-0)
    My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own – Connie Francis (MGM) HIT (4-0)
    Summer’s Gone – Paul Anka (Columbia) MISS (1-3)


    Richard Wyler was “The Man from Interpol”

  • 252

    Saturday 30 May 1964, 5.40-6.05pm


    Panel: Ken Dodd, Pete Murray, Rosemary Nicols, Marjorie Proops


    Producer: Barry Langford


    Records played:
    Alright Baby – Quotations (Decca) HIT
    Hello Dolly – Frankie Vaughan (Philips) HIT
    La-Den-Da-Da –Gene Vincent (Columbia) MISS
    Chapel Of Love – Dixie Cups (Pye Int) HIT
    Ain’t She Sweet – Tony Sheridan & the Beatles (Polydor) HIT
    I Don’t Want To Be Hurt Anymore – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) HIT
    Like Dreamers Do – Applejacks (Decca) HIT


    Ken Dodd: I gave everybody top marks. One thing any entertainer needs is encouragement. That’s why Liverpool and Merseyside has produced so many famous showbiz people. It is a huge list, why, Merseyside audiences always give you a good gee, they applaud you if you look like you are having a go.

    The waxwork dummies of the Beatles prepared by Mme Tussaud’s were displayed on the show.

  • 275

    Saturday 7 November 1964, 5.40-6.05pm


    Panel: Rolf Harris, Portland Mason, Gene Pitney, Margaret Stredder


    Producer: Neville Wortman


    Records played:
    Baby I Need Your Lovin’ – Fourmost (Parlophone) HIT
    Get Away – Maureen Evans (Oriole) HIT
    Playing Around – Eden Kane (Fontana) HIT
    Here Comes The Night – Lulu (Decca) MISS
    L-O-V-E – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) MISS
    Downtown – Petula Clark (Pye) HIT
    Message To Martha –Adam Faith (Parlophone) MISS
    I Will Never Let You Go – UKs (HMV) HIT

  • 201

    Saturday 8 June 1963, 6.35-7pm


    Panel: Liz Fraser, Millicent Martin, Lance Percival, Jimmy Young


    Producer: Neville Wortman


    Records played:
    Hey Mama – Frankie Vaughan (Philips) HIT
    Ain’t That A Shame – Four Seasons (Stateside) HIT
    Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) HIT
    To Give My Love To You – Cloda Rogers (Decca) MISS
    Black Cloud – Chubby Checker (Cameo-Parkway) MISS
    Indian Love Call – Karl Denver (Decca) MISS
    Rondo – Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen (Pye) HIT
    Bobby Tomorrow – Bobby Vee (Liberty) HIT

  • 215

    Saturday 14 September 1963, 6-6.30pm


    Panel: Sam Costa, Louise Dunn, Anne Nightingale, Bruce Prochnik


    Producer: Richard Evans


    Records played:
    The First Time – Adam Faith & the Roulettes (Parlophone) HIT
    Say You Do – Danny Storm (Pye) MISS
    That Sunday, That Summer – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) HIT
    Like I Love You – Eden Kane (Fontana) MISS
    Blue Velvet – Bobby Vinton (Columbia) MISS
    Shindig – Shadows (Columbia) HIT
    Straighten Up Your Heart – Barbara Lewis (London) MISS
    Three Rows Over – Bobby Curtola (Decca) MISS
    Blue Bayou – Roy Orbison (London) HIT
    Everybody – Tommy Roe (HMV) MISS
    One Mile Over, Two Miles Back – Bill Anderson (Brunswick) HIT
    You’d Think He Didn’t Know Me – Sandra Browne (Columbia) HIT
    Jo-Anne – Barron Knights (Columbia) HIT

  • 146

    Saturday 12 May 1962


    Panel: Jean Metcalfe, Harry Rabinowitz, Leila Williams, Harry Fowler


    Producer: Johnnie Stewart


    Records played:
    Hide Nor Hair – Ray Charles (HMV) HIT
    Besame Mucho – Jet Harris (Decca) HIT
    How Can I Meet Her – Everly Brothers (Warner) HIT
    The Right Thing To Say – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) MISS
    Deep In The Heart Of Texas – Duane Eddy (RCA) HIT
    Concerto For Dreamers – Russ Conway (Columbia) HIT
    Crazy Twist – Jack Hammer (Oriole) MISS
    The Green Leaves Of Summer – Kenny Ball (Pye) HIT
    Big Big Baby – Doug Sheldon (Decca) MISS
    C’est Si Bon – Dean Martin (Capitol) MISS


    Spin-A-Disc: Born To Cry, C’Est Si Bon (Dean Martin), How Can I Meet Her

  • 164

    Saturday 15 September 1962


    Panel: Rupert Davies, Dion, Fenella Fielding, Jane Asher


    Producer: Neville Wortman


    Records played:
    Point Of No Return – Gene McDaniels (Liberty) HIT
    There Is No Greater Love – Wanderers (MGM) MISS
    Chattanooga Choo Choo – Xavier Cugat (Mercury) HIT
    House To Let – Eden Kane (Decca) HIT
    A Forever Kind Of Love – Bobby Vee (Liberty) HIT
    Let’s Dance – Chris Montez (London) HIT
    Ramblin’ Rose – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol) HIT
    Don’t You Believe It – Andy Williams (CBS) HIT
    Venus In Blue Jeans – Mark Wynter (Pye) HIT


    Producer Neville Wortman: “I used to see the guests first to make sure that they had an interest in music per se. If they didn’t, there was no point in having them on the panel at all. I remember Rupert Davies brought a different slant on it. We were always trying to cater for the largest possible audience and not just a teenage audience. The audience for Thank Your Lucky Stars was mostly teenagers. The BBC has mostly broadcast programmes for the family.”

  • 102

    Saturday 15 July 1961


    Panel: Paul Hollingdale, Lana Morris, Jimmy Young +1


    Records played:
    Tossin’ And Turnin’
    – Bobby Lewis (Parlophone)
    Adios My Love – Vera Lynn (MGM)
    The Writing On The Wall – Tommy Steele (Decca)
    Charlie Wasn’t There – Barbara Evans (Mercury)
    After You’ve Gone – Emile Ford (Piccadilly)
    Lucy’s Theme from Parrish – George Greeley (Warners)
    Don’t You Know It – Adam Faith (Parlophone)
    Our Little Doggie Ran Away – Rosemary Squires (HMV)
    Take A Fool’s Advice – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol)


    PFTP 130761
    Why do so many people in the audience have such vacant expressions on their faces? It seems as if the records were just another of those background noises, as indeed some of them are. I know that many of the records voted ‘hits’ would never be bought by the majority of us teenagers. A few of the ‘misses’ become favourite pops and soon we are singing them at home and at school.
    If Pick Of The Pops were broadcast at an earlier time, how many more teenagers would be allowed to listen to it. May I congratulate David Jacobs on his excellent compering of these two programmes.
    Anne McNab, 13¾, Glasgow

  • 117

    Saturday 28 October 1961


    Panel: Zsa Zsa Gabor, Bunny Lewis, June Marlow, Jimmy Young


    Producer: Johnnie Stewart


    Records played:
    You’re Only Young Once
    –Fabian (HMV)
    It Was A Lover And His Lass – Cleo Laine (Columbia)
    Bristol Stomp – Dovells (Columbia)
    Let True Love Begin – Nat ‘King’ Cole (Capitol)
    Midnight In Moscow – Kenny Ball (Pye)
    Tall Dark Stranger – Rose Brennan (Philips)
    Take Good Care Of My Baby – Bobby Vee (London)
    I Never Had A Chance – Ricky Valance (Columbia)


    Zsa Zsa Gabor billed as “special guest” – quite a change from Sam Costa
    Spin-A-Disc: Under The Moon Of Love, Let True Love Begin, True True Love (Frankie Avalon) – with Peter West

    Zsa Zsa Gabor insisted that all the men on the show should wear a dinner jacket, and David Jacobs said, off the top of his head, that dinner jackets were never worn before 6.45 at Buckingham Palace.