Pop Archives

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Love Letters (1965)

(Heyman - Young)
Australia Australia
#2 Sydney #2 Melbourne #6 Brisbane #3 Adelaide #3 Perth

Double-sided hit in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth with Dancing In The Street.

Billy Thorpe (1946-2007): British-born singer, guitarist and songwriter whose family emigrated to Brisbane in the 1950s. Based in Sydney from 1963, ‘Thorpy’, with The Aztecs, had numerous pop hits in a variety of styles, but at the end of the 60s, then in Melbourne, he fronted a loud, rocky, blues-based formation of the Aztecs that contrasted with his earlier pop idol image. Later, his solo and business career took him to Los Angeles, and he wrote two popular autobiographical books, Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy) and Sex And Thugs And Rock’n’Roll [AbeBooks link].

Further reading: Paul Culnane’s account of Billy Thorpe’s career at Milesago.


Ketty Lester - Love Letters (1962)

(Heyman - Young)
USA USA
Influential version
#5 USA #4 UK #8 Sydney #15 Melbourne #12 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #8 Perth

Singer born in Hope, Arkansas, formerly with Cab Calloway’s Orchestra and Ziegfield Follies.

Single on Era label.


Dick Haymes - Love Letters (1945)

(Heyman - Young)
USA USA
Original vocal version

Originally the theme to the movie Love Letters. Haymes?s vocal version was the hit recording.


“love Letters”: Soundtrack - Love Letters (1945)

(Heyman - Young)
USA USA
Original version: soundtrack

Theme from the movie  starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotton.  Dick Haymes had the hit recording


Elvis Presley - Love Letters (1966)

(Heyman - Young)
USA USA
#19 USA #6 UK #24 Sydney #29 Melbourne #30 Brisbane #14 Adelaide #29 Perth

Double-sided hit in Sydney with Come What May.


Frankie Miller - Love Letters (1977)

(Heyman - Young)
UK UK
#26 Adelaide

British soul singer and songwriter, born in Glasgow.


He had a Top 5 hit in Australia in 1979 with Darlin’ (not the Beach Boys’ Darlin’).