FRANK TRAYNOR
Washington Square
(Bob Goldstein - David Shire)
Australia 1963
#1 Melbourne

Co-charted with the original version by The Village Stompers.

Frank Traynor led Melbourne trad jazz band Frank Traynor's Jazz Preachers. See 1965 photograph at State Library of Victoria.

Judith Durham of The Seekers made her first record with Frank Traynor's Jazz Preachers in 1961 when she was 19 (see bio at Barfly Magazine).
THE VILLAGE STOMPERS
Washington Square
(Bob Goldstein - David Shire)
USA 1963
Original version
#2 USA #6 Sydney #1 Melbourne #2 Brisbane #1 Adelaide #3 Perth

Single on Epic label.

The Village Stompers were a New York Dixieland octet. See All Music Guide entry.

The composition is sometimes attributed solely to Bob Goldstein who appears to have been its originator, having written it while still in high school. See his biography (as Bobb Goldsteinn) at the website of 60s folk-rock group The GoldeBriars, of whom he was an associate.

David Shire is a prolific composer, especially for film (The Hindenberg, All The President's Men) and TV (The Virginian, McCloud). See his lengthy filmography at IMdB.

Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, New York City, dates from the 1820s and is distinguished by the Washington Memorial Arch, commemorating the presidency of George Washington.

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