I may have posted this before and said I think it was the first single I ever bought (I was nine years old) and this music brought me alive. I had grown up thus far with a house ringing with classical music from Rossini, Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler and others in house with a piano and an electronic organ but this was for me, MY generation making music for themselves. I had heard many ballads and pop songs of the time on the radio but this shook me awake and was music I identified with . . . . . . something was happening . . . . . .

On this day in music history: December 22, 1962 - “Telstar” by The Tornados hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. Written and produced by Joe Meek, it is the debut single and biggest hit for the London based instrumental quintet. The song (named after the AT&T communications satellite) is recorded by Meek in his home studio located in a small flat above a shop in North London. Released in the US by London Records, the single quickly breaks into the charts following its overseas success. Entering the Hot 100 at #85 on November 3, 1962, it climbs to the top of the chart seven weeks later. It is the first single by a British band to hit number one in the US, proceeding The Beatles US breakthrough with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by nearly fourteen months. “Telstar” is also the subject of a lawsuit from French composer Jean Ledrut who claims that Meek plagiarized the tune from his composition “La Marche d’Austerlitz”. The suit is not settled until three weeks after Meek’s death in 1967. In spite of having produced numerous hits for other artists including Lonnie Donegan and The Honeycombs, by the late 60’s Meek is deeply in debt and suffering from depression. The producer kills his landlady and himself on February 3, 1967. Meek is only thirty years old at the time of his death. “Telstar” is covered by numerous artists over the years, including versions by The Ventures, The Shadows, OMD and The Ashley Hutchings Big Beat Combo. The Tornados’ original version is later featured on an episode the hit 60’s period drama “Mad Men” in 2008.