“Those Were the Days” was a smash in 1968, topping the charts in the UK and almost (No. 2) in the US, where it was held out of top spot by “Hey Jude” no less. Not sure the song’s ranking in Canada, but it was a pretty big hit in my house and one of the first songs I remember when I was kid.

Besides being top of the pops in all the important places, Mary Hopkins was one of the first artists to be signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records, and “Those Were the Days,” with its the notably nostalgic, old world feel, was produced by Paul McCartney.

It was heady stuff for an 18-year-old from Wales, whose first recordings were Welsh folk songs, and soon to be duplicated the following year with another memorable hit, “Goodbye” (another favourite in our household).

Here’s a performance of the former from the Ed Sullivan Show in ’68.