Ken Dodd

Real Name: Kenneth Arthur Dodd Birth Date: 8th November 1927 Birth Place: Knotty Ash, Liverpool

Ken Dodd's career as a comedian began with the advent of television but his act still owed a lot to the traditional stand-up stuff prevalent in the old variety theatre. This meant that he was expected to sing as he neared the end of his act, thus allowing his audience to wind down from the pace of his comic antics. Fortunately, Ken had quite a good voice and his renditions of romantic ballads were good enough for him to be given the opportunity to record. So in 1960 his entry into the UK chart came as no surprise, but his transformation into a romantic balladeer was nevertheless a significant achievement for a buck-toothed comedian.
The EP shown on the right was released while Ken Dodd was probably at the highest point of his lengthy recording career and no doubt well worth the ten shillings and eleven pence asked for it by his many fans. It was recorded in the company of the Geoff Love orchestra- a band that backed many singers of the time and who would have instrumental success in their own right a few years later.
His first single was no 'flash in the pan'. In fact Ken Dodd's success in the 1960s makes a mockery of the claims of many critics and music writers who hold the erroneous- though often quoted- belief that all the old singers were swept away by the Beatles and those in the vanguard of Britain's beat boom. In fact Ken's 1965 hit 'Tears' spent four weeks at #1, longer than the Beatles, The Hollies or the Rolling Stones could manage at about the same time. Not only that, Dodd's pop chart career ran for more than 10 years, a feat few beat groups can match.

1950s & 1960s 45rpm UK Discography Listings include UK 45 singles releases only Collector's Items are shown In Red

Decca F11248	1960	Love Is Like A Violin/ The Treasure In My Heart	#8
Decca F11293	1960	Dream That I Love You/ Jealous Of You
Decca F11355	1961	Once In Every Lifetime/ Just For A While	#28
Decca F11422	1962	Pianissimo/ If My Heart Was A Ship	#21
Columbia DB4872	1962	Come To Me/ More Than Anyone I Know
Columbia DB4937	1962	The Key/ Remember I Love You
Columbia DB7094	1963	Still/ Melodie	#35
Columbia DB7191	1963	Eight By Ten/ I'll Love You Tenderly	#22
Columbia DB7325	1964	Happiness/ All Of My Life	#31
Columbia DB7398	1964	So Deep Is The Night/ On One's Listening	#31
Columbia DB7659	1965	Tears/ You And I	#1
Columbia DB7750	1965	The River (Le Colline Sono In Fioro)/ Someone Like You	#3
Columbia DB7914	1966	Promises/ Thank You For Being You	#6
Columbia DB7976	1966	More Than Love/ I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye To You	#14
Columbia DB8031	1966	It's Love/ House With No Windows	#36
Columbia DB8101	1967	Let Me Cry On Your Shoulder/ I Am Two Kinds Of Fool	#11
Columbia DB8250	1967	Mine/ Then There Was You
Columbia DB8297	1967	The Same Mistakes/ Call Me Mr. Sunshine
Columbia DB8365	1968	Kisses From A Clown/ And You Were There
Columbia DB8444	1968	Sunshine/ I Can't Hold Back My Tears
Columbia DB8543	1969	With You Beside Me/ More Than Ever Now
Columbia DB8600	1969	Tears Won't Wash Away My Heartache/ How Can I Say I'm Sorry	#22
Columbia DB8647	1969	Sweet Memories/ Don't Say A Word

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