Our pick of the pops: December 2007

Our pick of the pops

Tiffany with the Thoughts

Find out what’s happening

Tiffany was one of a slew of Merseybeat girls that included Cilla Black, Samantha Jones and Beryl Marsden. She had previously recorded with the Liverbirds and Tiffany's Dimensions before releasing her first solo single in 1965, the Jackie de Shannon-penned Am I dreaming? Our choice was the A side of her only other 45, issued the following year, on which she was backed by the Thoughts.

Caterina Caselli

Cento giorni

Caterina Caselli shot to fame in her native Italy after taking part in the 1966 San Remo song contest with the energetic Nessuno mi può giudicare. Further hits followed, including Perdono and L’uomo d’oro. Her releases offered lively alternatives to the ballads favoured by many of her contemporaries, though, as this 1966 hit proves, she could belt out a ballad with the best of ‘em.

Christie Laume

La musique et la danse

Edith Piaf gave her sister-in-law Christie Laume her big break in music, letting her perform a slot on her live shows. The young singer toiled on after the death of the French musical legend in 1963, and four years later landed a contract with the Odéon label, where she released this exuberant track on her debut EP. It was one of just three releases before she quit the music business.

Marika Kilius

Erst kam ein verliebter Blick

Olympic ice-skating champ Marika Kilius was offered a recording contract in 1964 on the back of her success on ice. Such was her popularity that she managed to ride out speculation that it wasn’t her voice heard on her records. Most of her material was dismissible pap – often performed with her skating partner, Hans-Jürgen Bäumler – but this beat-pop gem from 1965 suggested that she had more to offer than novelty.

Young Sisters

Give him my love

Written by British folk singer Donovan, Give him my love was completely atypical of Dutch duo the Young Sisters’ recordings. The sisters’ first single, Johnny, komm weer hier, was a cover of the 1961 British Eurovision song contest entry, the Allisons’ decidedly cheery Are you sure? Similarly lightweight material followed, which prevented this, their first ‘serious’ record being taken, er, seriously upon its release in 1966.

Dusty Springfield

L’été est fini

Having British artists record their material in other languages was common back in the 1960s, though rarely very successful. This track, a version of Summer is over, was released in France in autumn 1964 as part of an EP that also contained translations of Stay awhile, Losing you and US girl group the Shirelles’ Will you still love me tomorrow. The EP also gained a UK release the following year.