With the sad news that Doris Day has passed away, at the grand old age of ninety-seven, I thought it would be fitting to remember her two UK chart-toppers. I covered them in my countdown last year, but they are always worth a re-listen (follow the links below to read the original posts…)
Her first was one of the longest running #1 hits in British chart history – ‘Secret Love’, from the soundtrack to her hit movie ‘Calamity Jane’, which spent a whole 9 weeks on top in the spring/summer of 1954.
She followed this up two years later, with possibly one of the best-known songs to ever have topped the charts, ‘Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)’…
Of course, Day’s musical success went far beyond her two chart-toppers. She scored hits throughout the fifties, and she would have had several more had the charts begun before 1952. My favourite of hers, though, is her final UK Top 10, from 1964… ‘Move Over Darling’.
And it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the fact that she got one of the most famous name-checks in one of the most successful movies ever… ‘Grease’ (which is probably where I first heard of her!) She most certainly was not brought up that way… Which was a big part of her charm, and her longevity. In 2011, for example, she became the oldest artist to score a UK Top 10 album featuring new material, aged eighty-nine.
RIP.
I remember her in the seventies as a kid in her TV show…she would be walking down a spiral staircase singing Que Sera Sera. She had a terrific voice and was a beautiful lady.
My son just asked me “Didn’t the Beatles mention her in a song?”
I forgot about that…they did… Dig It… off of Let It Be.
Ah. Good shout. Maybe a Beatles name check beats a ‘Grease’ name check… She had a wonderful voice, with a great giggle in it at times.
I liked the Doris Day show too (she had good fellow celebs from the golden age popping in) but adored her movies, especially the timeless Calamity jane and Move Over Darling. Loved her throughout my life, a pure voice, class, funny, and dramatic. Totally under-rated by her box-office domination Girl next Door reputation.
I did not know that Move Over Darling was from a movie, but I guess most of her hits were…