By the time 1955 rolled around, people were a bit exhausted from a month of honky tonk madness courtesy of Winifred Atwell. Let’s Have Another Party was toppled by Finger of Suspicion, sung by Dickie Valentine with the Stargazers. The Stargazers had twice before took number 1, with Broken Wings and I See the Moon, but this was Valentine’s first of two that year.
Valentine, born Richard Maxwell, had been a child actor, starring in Jack’s the Boy in 1932 when he was only three years old. he moved into music as a teen, impersonating famous singers, before music publisher Sid Green brought him to the attention of bandleader star Ted Heath. He joined Ted Heath’s band in 1949, singing alongside Dennis Lotis and Lita Roza, who had a number one in 1953 with (How Much is That) Doggie in the Window?. Looking rather like a young Orson Welles, Valentine demonstrated star quality and was voted Top UK Male Vocalist in 1952, and again in 1954. By this point he was a solo artist. Following the success of his Royal Command Performance that November, Finger of Suspicion worked its way to the top.
Written by Paul Mann and Al Lewis, Finger of Suspicion trundles along nicely. At first unassuming, it’s somewhat of an earworm. It’s not a song about crime, unless the crime is taking Valentine’s heart. Yes, the singer is just being a bit of a charmer really. He’s not sleeping well, he’s so in love with this girl, which might explain the song’s stately pace. The Stargazers work well as his backing singers, making up for the abomination that was I See the Moon.
Finger of Suspicion had somewhat of a chart war with Rosemary Clooney and the Mellomen’s Mambo Italiano. She knocked him off the top after only a week, before Valentine took over again for a fortnight, only for Clooney and co. to win out again. 1955 was easily Dickie Valentine’s biggest year of success. with three more top ten hits, before getting the Christmas number 1 spot. The Stargazers had further hits that year, but their time at number 1 was over.
On 23 January, an express train derailed at Sutton Coldfield railway station after taking a curve too fast. 43 were injured, and 17 killed. Four days later, Michael Tippett’s controversial opera The Midsummer Marriage was premiered at the Royal Opera House.
Written by: Paul Mann & Al Lewis
Weeks at number 1: 3 (7-13 January, 21 January-3 February)
Births:
Presenter Kirsty Wark – 3 February
Deaths:
Artist Lamorna Birch – 7 January
Dancer Annette Mills – 10 January
Politician Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams – 29 January
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