Peggy March 1965
January 2nd Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye reaches No 8 on the German Charts and is there for a total of 15 weeks with 5 weeks in the top ten.
February 6th Jimmy Jungerman reporting from Bonn for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes that "RCA offers two new German numbers sung by Peggy March "Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye" b-w "Wer die junge Liebe kennt".
February 13th Billboard report that Peggy is one of the 12 singers competing in the 'Top Tune Tourney in Germany (German Schlager Festival). The other singers are Billy Mo, Siw Malmkvist, Wencke Myhre, Ralf Bendix, Gigliola Cinquetti, the Blue Diamonds, Dorthe, Conny Froboess, the Leismann Sisters, Peter Hinnen and the Medium Terzett.
February 24th Losin’ My Touch is recorded.
February 28th Peggy appears as herself in the Film Ein Ferienbett mit 100PS
March 20th Jimmy Jungerman reporting from Munich for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes that "An international teen-age show offers the Hoer Zu label featuring Roy Orbison, Rita Pavone, John O'Hara, the Rolling Stones, the Astronauts, Drafi Deutscher, Sylvie Vartan, Paul Anka, Manuela and Peggy March."
March 27th Omer Anderson reporting from Hamburg for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes that "Teldec has a spate of new releases (including) Peggy March..." Billboard rates Losin’ My Touch 4 stars in its Singles Review.
April 3rd Billboard reports that KiriI No Naka No Shojyo is No.6. in Japan
April 7th Your Girl is recorded.
April 17th Billboard reports in an item titled, 'RCA, Du Pont Teen Concerts', that "NEW YORK - RCA Victor and Du Pont will launch a joint "Teen Pop concerts" show in August to tour 30 major markets. The back-to-school fashion-musical show aimed at 13 to 18 year olds will star Peggy March and Bennie Thomas in the Western market and the Astronauts in the Eastern markets. Shows will be held in each market's leading department store..." Peggy recalls that she was accompanied on this tour by Concetta Weigner (a friend from school) who had a grand time. Most of the shows took place outdoors. Concetta's remembers
"I accompanied her as her traveling companion on a promotional tour in the summer of 1965. We toured about 10 cities across the United States. We were 17 yrs old, and "good catholic girls" with very limited "street smarts". But Peggy's uncle was her manager at the time and he kept a tight rein on us. We traveled with a band from Milwaukee and the drummer had a Ringo Starr haircut. We flew from city to city. The purpose of the tour was to showcase RCA records new hit recording artist, Peggy March performing her hit record, "I Will Follow Him" with the band, and two dancers from New York. After the musical shows in each city, there was a fashion show with local Department Store models showcasing their new "Mod" line of clothing." Concetta Weigner
May 8th Peggy appears with Benny Thomas on the TV show Upbeat
May 8th Billboard reports in an item titled, 'Popfest Semi Finals May 22', that Peggy will be performing in the German Schlager Festival semi-finals to be held on May 22 in West Berlin's Deutschland-Halle..
May 10/12/19/24th Mit 17 hat man noch Träume, Leibesbriefe, Sechs Tage Lang, and Hee, Hee-Hey, Hey are recorded in Berlin.
May 15th Billboard reports that Peggy served as hostess when RCA Victor executives played host on 3-4 May to 18 record dealers from Japan in New York. Omer Anderson reporting from Cologne for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes that "...Other Teldec recording artists on Bavarian Radio's "Top 12" and Radio Luxembourg's "top Eight" are Drafi Deutscher and Peggy March..."
May 20th/21st Peggy is a guest on The Mike Douglas Show
May 22nd Er schoss mir eine Rose reaches No 23 on the German Charts and is in the charts for a total of 8 weeks.
June 8th Your Girl/Let Her Go is released. The video below must have been recorded soon after this. In 2016 Peggy had no recollection of the event but was impressed with her stamina and still liked the song.
June 12th Peggy wins the fifth German Schlager Festival held in the Kurhaus Baden-Baden with the song Mit 17 hat man noch Träume. This accelerates her success in the German market. Photo with Wencke Myhre (left - 2nd) and Siw Malmkvist (right - 3rd). Peggy reports that she was nervous for this performance, a big contest, remembering the words of a foreign song and everyone around speaking German which she didn’t understand. In the video extract below it clearly takes Peggy 15 seconds or so for the nerves melt away before she then delivers a great performance.
June 26th Billboard reports under a feature titled Peggy March Wins German Song Fest (Photo with Heinz Korn below) Baden Baden-RCA artist Peggy March took a new German song to the top of the fifth annual German Song Festival here (June 12th) to give publisher Hans Gerig of Cologne and his manager Heinz Korn who wrote music and lyrics, a runaway winner by more than 2 1/2 the points awarded to the runner-up...
The Billboard advert taken out by RCA to promote this success.
Below is the Special Limited Edition LP issued just for the contest in Baden-Baden with all songs of the participants.
July 6th Article in BRAVO magazine
July Peggy features on the cover of the TV listings magazine Legauf
July 10th Appears on the TV show Fanfare
July 10th Mit 17 hat man noch Träume reaches No 2 on the German Charts and is there for a total of 17 weeks with 12 weeks in the top ten. It is recorded in English, Japanese French and Italian. Billboard reports that Music-House and International Records, the West German publishing and record company ... already owns the Peggy March copyrights for Germany.
The French release of Mit 17 Hat Man Noch Traume
The Japanese release of Mit 17 Hat Man Noch Traume
July 14th Peggy is a guest on The Mike Douglas Show
July Peggy appears on German TV and performs Mit 17 Hat Man Noch Traume
July 17th Raymond Dobbe reporting from Amsterdam for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes "...The Marvelettes visited Belgium last week to do a TV appearance for the RTB; also Peggy March was here for a TV show. Among the songs she sang, naturally, was her winning song, Mit 17 Hat Man Noch Traume ..."
July19th Losin’ My Touch is released.
July 19th Peggy is on the cover of the German language Mickyvision magazine
July Appears on the cover of Musik Parade
July Article on Peggy in Schweizer Neue Illustrierte
July 24th Raymond Dobbe reporting from Amsterdam for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes "Peggy March is very successful here with her winning song from the Baden Baden Festival "Mit 17 hat man noch Träume" by Peggy March is at the top of all the German top tune (charts)"
July 31st RCA release the LP* In Our Fashion* (RCA LPM/LSP 3408). This album by Peggy and Bennie Thomas has 12 tracks and features duets and solo numbers by both singers.
August 7th Peggy on the front cover of the youth magazine Rasselbande
August 17th Bravo Musik Charts. This is followed by the August Hit-Parade chart from the magazine Leg auf und sieh fern
August Feature on Peggy in a Dutch magazine
August 21st Peggy on the back cover of Bravo magazine
August 28th Billboard's Chart for West Germany has Mit 17 hat man noch Träume in Number 1 position (reporting a position of Number 2 last week)
September 10th Appears as herself in Tausand Takte Ubermut and sings Mit 17 hat man noch Träume (still, poster and video below)
September 16th Heaven For Lovers is recorded.
September 16th Peggy and Benny Thomas sing We're in Fashion on The Lloyd Thaxton Show
September 25th Omer Anderson reporting from Cologne for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes "Gerig Musikverlage's prize-winning number from the Baden Baden Festival "Mit 17 hat man noch Träume" by Peggy March is at the top of all the German top tune (charts)"
September 29th He Couldn’t Care Less is recorded.
September Heaven For Lovers and He Couldn’t Care Less are released.
September 30th Appears as herself in the Film Ich kauf mir lieber einen Tirolerhut and sings Hello Boy
October 2nd Billboard reports, in the article RCA's Jet Set Artists on International Road, that Peggy March will be in Japan from October 26th - December 3rd for concerts and recordings.
October 30th Billboard reviews Peggy's LP "Peggy sings her German hits" RCAVictor FSP-129. "The young American favourite rose to rapid fame throughout Europe and especially in Germany. This exceptional album features her many hits of that country performed in the native tongue. This album is now available in the US as well as throughout Europe."
RCA 47-9655 released with Kilindini Docks (Madi-Madi Song) on the A side and Too Long Away on the B side. On the B side Peggy's singing with the Dutch group The Hunters with Jan Akkerman.
November (?) Peggy appears on the cover of the comic magazine Lupo no 34.
November 13th Die schönen Stunden gehen schnell vorbei reaches No 25 on the German Charts and is in the charts for a total of 8 weeks.
November 20th Junzo Fukunishi reporting from Tokyo for Billboard in the 'Music Capitals of the World' section writes "Peggy March accompanied by Bennie Thomas, a promising young singer arrived (25) to give a series of Performances extending to one month. This is Peggy's second visit, and her record sung in Japanese "Kiri No Naka No Shojyo" (a maiden in fog) is outselling the original disk etched by a Japanese talent...". Billboard also reviews He Couldn't Care Less "This is the fast-paced teen rocker that should put the Peggy March sound back up the charts again. Watch this one! Flip: "Heaven for Lovers"
Peggy spent much of the next year or so appearing as a Duet with Bennie Thomas. She hated this but as a minor had to go along with her manager. Bennie Thomas was also managed by Russell Smith and Peggy thinks it was his idea to improve his earnings. Professionally Peggy is a perfectionist when preparing for any live performance or studio recording but Bennie wasn't. This lack of professionalism caused friction.
The interview below was recorded on this Japanese tour for a leading Teen magazine Teenbeat. Peggy is either very jet-lagged here or bored. Darren Harvey tells me she told him she was bored! I suspect she didn't find the questions very interesting. The interview was distributed as a flexi disk inside the magazine.
November 25th The Pacific Stars and Stripes News reports Peggy sang to Tachi Patients. ( A US forces publication for troops serving in Japan)
LP Tagebuch Einer 17-jahrigen released by RCA Victor LSP 10014
Peggy’s song* Hallo Boy* appears on the compilation LP Die Grosse Star- Und Schlagerparade Decca - BLK 16 318-P
Peggy’s song Mit 17 hat man noch Träume appears on the compilation LP Schlager schlagen ein Hor Zu - SHZT 523
