Oh dear . . . . . . oh very dearie me! . . . . and yes I DID buy this when it came out and still have it on 7" . . . . . . what can I say? I was 13 . . . . . .despite my precocity and buying Big Bill Broonzy and Leadbelly and 'Stormy Monday' by Chris Farlowe I also bought this . . . . . 

On this day in music history: December 3, 1966 - “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks (non-consecutive). Written and produced by Geoff Stephens, it is the biggest hit for the UK band led by Stephens. The song is composed in the style of a 1930’s Tin Pan Alley pop song, with singer John Carter formerly of The Ivy League singing through a megaphone like singer Rudy Vallée. Stephens, a professional songwriter from London responsible for writing classics such as “The Crying Game” and “There’s A Kind Of Hush”, writes the song as a lark, being a fan of British music hall era songs from the teens and 20’s. The song is a surprise hit on both sides of the Atlantic, first peaking at #4 on the UK singles chart and then breaking big in the US when it is released on Philips’ Fontana Records subsidiary in early October of 1966. Entering the Hot 100 at #66 on October 29, 1966, it zooms to the top of the chart five weeks later. Ironically, “Winchester Cathedral” wins the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (Rock & Roll) Recording over The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” in 1967, which temporarily knocks “Cathedral” from the number one spot on December 10, 1966. “Winchester Cathedral” is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

I blame the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band . . . . .I thought it was going to be like them! . . . that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!