Allow myself to introduce.....myself.
I'm Austin Powers, super secret spy,
international man of mystery,
bon vivant, swinging playboy
and irresistible babe magnet.
bon vivant, swinging playboy
and irresistible babe magnet.
London is my home, shag is my bag,
planet earth is my playground and
danger is my middle name, baby.
Your regular emcee, Shady, couldn't be here today to host the annual
Valentine's dance. On Saturday night, the poor chap got himself
cuffed and carted off to the clink. Seems our boy dipped into
his mum's cooking sherry earlier in the day, got himself
daft bonkers sloshed and crashed a wedding reception
completely starkers. Mr. Knight was charged with
indecent exposure but... when the magistrate
caught a glimpse of the Shadster's Mini-Me,
the case was dismissed forthwith due to
"insufficient evidence."
Valentine's dance. On Saturday night, the poor chap got himself
cuffed and carted off to the clink. Seems our boy dipped into
his mum's cooking sherry earlier in the day, got himself
daft bonkers sloshed and crashed a wedding reception
completely starkers. Mr. Knight was charged with
indecent exposure but... when the magistrate
caught a glimpse of the Shadster's Mini-Me,
the case was dismissed forthwith due to
"insufficient evidence."
Gotcha, mate - that was a gag!
You should have seen your face
just then, luv... your expression
was priceless!
You should have seen your face
just then, luv... your expression
was priceless!
Whilst Shady is rotting in a jail cell, I will fill in for him and
play a stack of groovy Brit girl records. These thrushes are
Tops of the Pops so Ready Steady Go!
play a stack of groovy Brit girl records. These thrushes are
Tops of the Pops so Ready Steady Go!
LULU
Joining the English sparrows performing at this year's
V-day dance is Scottish singer, songwriter, actress and
fashion model Lulu, best known for singing the theme
and appearing in the movie To Sir With Love. In 1965
Lulu released her debut UK album entitled Something
to Shout About. In the fall of the year, Lulu streeted a
single with one of the songs from the album, "Tell Me
Like It Is," on the A side and "Stop Fooling Around"
as the killer bee. Lulu wowed the crowd singing
that fab flip along with "Call Me" on English
comedian Arthur Haynes' popular TV show.
"Stop Fooling Around"/"Call Me" - Lulu
(Oct. 1965, B side of "Tell Me Like It Is",
live perf. on 1966 ep. of The Arthur Haynes Show)
JACKIE TRENT
Lyricist and singer Yvonne Burgess derived her
stage name, Jackie Trent, from her birthplace
Stoke-on-Trent. With her boyfriend and later
husband Tony Hatch, Jackie formed a very
successful composing team that wrote hits
for Petula Clark and other UK artists.
stage name, Jackie Trent, from her birthplace
Stoke-on-Trent. With her boyfriend and later
husband Tony Hatch, Jackie formed a very
successful composing team that wrote hits
for Petula Clark and other UK artists.
In 1964, at the height of Spectormania,
Hatch amd Trent collaborated on a
castanet clacking stormer with an
arrangement similar to recordings
made by Phil Spector girl groups
The Crystals and The Ronettes.
Prepare to bask in Spectorian
Splendor as Jackie Trent
sings "If You Love Me."
"If You Love Me" - Jackie Trent
(March 1964)
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
Now here's smoky voiced Dusty Springfield. In September, 1964,
Dusty released in the UK a self-titled four song EP that contained
her hit "Wishin' And Hopin'" along with the number you are about
to hear. Stateside "All Cried Out" brushed the top 30 on Cash Box
and just missed the top 40 on Billboard. The following year Dusty
appeared live on The Ed Sullivan Show and demonstrated her
greatness with this stunning live performance.
"All Cried Out" - Dusty Springfield
(Oct. 1964, highest chart pos. #41 Hot 100/#31 Cash Box,
live perf. on May 2, 1965, ep. of The Ed Sullivan Show)
LOUISE CORDET
The song "Around And Around"
was penned and first waxed in
1958 by Chuck Berry. in 1964
three British boy bands covered
Chuck's recording - The Rolling
Stones, The Swinging Blue Jeans
and The Animals. English one hit
wonder Louise Cordet beat them
all to it, releasing her version of
the song in May 1963. Here again
the B side is the focus as Louise
performs "Which Way The Wind
Blows" in the British musical
comedy film Just For Fun!
"Which Way The Wind Blows" - Louise Cordet
(May 1963, B side of "Around And Around,"
scene from June 1963 film Just For Fun)
PETULA CLARK
Petula Clark racked up a string of U.S. hits
thanks to her own talent, beauty and poise
and, as previously mentioned, the quality
songs supplied to her by the composing
team of Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent.
In 1966 Pet Clark was 33 years of age,
but had no problem clicking with the
teenage dancers on The Lloyd Thaxton
Show as she performed a lip sync to her
international hit from the previous year.
Here's Pet doing "I Know A Place."
"I Know A Place" - Petula Clark
(Apr. 1965, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100/#2 Cash Box,
perf. on April 1, 1966 ep. of The Lloyd Thaxton Show)
perf. on April 1, 1966 ep. of The Lloyd Thaxton Show)
HELEN SHAPIRO
Here's more proof that Brit girls love to cover
American hits. In the spring of 1964, Motown
songbird Mary Wells achieved the biggest hit
of her career with "My Guy." That year, Brit-
popper Helen Shapiro covered the song on
her album Helen Hits Out! Helen did a
spiffy job of it, too. In this magnificent
live performance, Helen channels Mary
and comes across as an English version
of the sultry soul siren!
"My Guy" - Helen Shapiro
(from 1964 album Helen Hits Out!)
I hope these super sounds put you in
a shagadelic mood, baby. Oh behave!
This is your old chum Austin Powers
international man of mystery
(and music history)...
saying ciao for now.
Let's do it again real soon, baby...
You know you want to... YEAH!
Dusty and Jackie … yeah baby Shady … Petula not so much as shows as Video Not Available … What's up with that, hmmm? Anyway, greetings from "balmy" Alberta. c.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteThanks for being the early bird this time, dear friend!
I'm glad you enjoyed the songs and performances by Brit birds Dusty Springfield and Jackie Trent, both great artists now deceased.
Yessum, I got up early to check the post and discovered that the gremlins struck overnight. All videos played AOK when I went to bed last night, but in the overnight hours the account with the Pet Clark video was suspended. I replaced the vid. Try it again and it should work for you this time.
I appreciate your early visit and glad you liked Austin Powers Swings Again, dear friend cat!
:) Love, cat.
DeleteLUBBINS LUBBINS LUBBINS, cat! :)
DeleteI see Shady left today's post in goofy, but capable hands!(or did he have a choice from his point of incarceration)! Good to see you Austin, and yes, this is a job well done!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see several of my favorite leading lady performers! Lulu is still such a cute girl with dynamic voice that rings such clarity and charm! She had such a mature style at a young age. And, two ladies that had me fooled with their actual ages. Petula and Dusty! These ladies had such an influence on us girls in the early and mid-sixties. We copied every thing we could about them, as dance moves, hair and dress styles. Of course, we loved to sing along with them, and I admire their talents to this day, missing Dusty Springfield!
I never much thought of who was writing these songs, I always felt the singer was telling his or her own story! That's how great they are! Jackie Trent exhibits a very strong voice with "If You Love Me". This is a good song, and would have been very appropriate for one of the girl groups during that time.
Everyone of these ladies made strong contributions to the industry! They may appear to be similar, but in their own rights, each one is unique. Austin, you took me back! A great post!
Tell Shady, I'll see him when he is released! I Guess he will come up with some lame excuse for his indiscretions! It's cold and wet in Texas! We could use a dusting of pretty snow. Have a great week! ♫
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteThanks for coming over on a Sunday, dear friend. I'm pleased to see you!
I'm glad you enjoyed Austin Powers' annual Valentine's Day special featuring the best of the Brit birds plus a song by a Scottish lassie by the name of Lulu. I agree that Lulu has aged very well. She's 70 now. Can you believe it? This rare clip of Lulu performing on an English TV show does indeed show how poised she was at the tender age of 17. That 1966 appearance probably coincided with Lulu's shooting schedule as she prepared to make her acting debut in the movie To Sir With Love which was released the following year. Lulu had already appeared the previous year in the British fantasy film Gonks Go Beat, but only as a musical performer.
Yessum, Pet and Dusty were considerably older than the teenagers who listened to them sing on the radio, watched them perform on television and bought their records. Pet and Dusty brought poise and an air of confidence to their performances. They were a joy to watch. Pet will be 87 later this year!!!
Like Dusty, Jackie Trent is another great talent who is dead and gone and missed. Jackie, who passed away four years ago, was responsible for writing several of the 60s songs we love including the Pet Clark hits "Colour My World" "Don't Sleep In The Subway" "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "Sign Of The Times." As you heard in this post and have already noted, Jackie was also an excellent singer with a husky voice. She is one of my favorite Brit pop vocalists.
Shady only intended to take a little nip of his mum's cooking sherry, but one sip led to another and, before he knew it, the bloke was off to the races. :)
Cold and wet in Texas? It is a very pleasant day here in Central Florida and we have the air conditioner running.
Thank you again for your early visit and great comments, dear friend Suzanne. Take care and please make a note to join me next Saturday for a very important time sensitive post. Thank you, dear friend!
Some pretty ladies with fine voices.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people look at those 45 records and wonder what on earth is that?
Hi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for joining the fun as Austin Powers Swings Again!
I think there was a scene in the first Austin Powers movie in which he encounters a compact disc for the first time, assumes it is meant to be played the same way you would play a vinyl single, places it on a turntable and lowers the tone arm and needle onto it.
I'm delighted to know you enjoyed the warbling of these English sparrows and Scottish thrush Lulu.
Thanks again for dropping in and have a wonderful week, good buddy Alex!
I honestly don't remember any Petula Clark song other than Downtown, which I loved. Actually, this one has the same sound to it. It's good, but not as good as Downtown!
ReplyDeleteDusty Springfield has a wonderful voice.
Hi, Kelly!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for coming!
Few people realize that Petula Clark began her recording career in 1953 and released 17 singles over a dozen year period before achieving her breakthrough hit "Downtown." The song Pet sings in this clip lifted from The Lloyd Thaxton Show, "I Know A Place," was her follow-up to "Downtown" and does sound similar. I actually like "I Know A Place" a little more than "Downtown" because it reminds me so much of the Shady Dell.
Dusty Springfield turned in some amazing live performances including the one in this post, as she sang for the huge American audience watching The Ed Sullivan Show. When the stakes were high and it counted most, Dusty nailed it, the mark of a great entertainer. It was a tremendous loss when she died young, at age 59, 20 years ago next month.
Thank you again for your visit and comment, dear friend Kelly!
Great visit to Swinging London. I forgot just how many talented women vocalists there were in that scene back then.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for popping over, good buddy!
You are correct, sir. The Swinging London scene was brimming with musical talent of both genders, and the ladies in this post are only a few of the English songbirds that made great recordings during the period. There's a site called Ready Steady Girls! that provides bios and song facts on dozens and dozens of female artists of the 60s from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and other countries:
http://www.readysteadygirls.eu/
I have used that site as a reference source for the last ten years.
Thanks again for coming by, good buddy Kirk!
Groovy, Austin and Shady! I've only heard Petula Clark and My Guy, the rest were a great especially after the Chinese New Year.
ReplyDeleteI have my soundtrack for Monday morning!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for coming, dear friend! I'm sure you recall seeing these V-day posts hosted by Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery (and music history) in years past.
I am especially impressed with the "My Guy" cover by Helen Shapiro. It is my favorite recording by Helen, a classic in its own right. I'm glad you got some new items for your Monday morning play list.
Have a wonderful week, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI most certainly do! You don't disappoint this year. :)
Me too! I love Mary Wells, but Helen Shapiro's cover is on point! I might have to Google Helen Shapiro and give her other songs a listen.
It'll be wintry here this week, but I enjoy winter. Have a great week ahead as well, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteYou will find on YouTube a Helen Shapiro video in which she serenades three of the four Beatles. Look for it!
Yessum, my friends In York and Lancaster tell me they are preparing for more snow and freezing rain in the coming hours. Stay safe up there and enjoy more of your northern winter. It will soon be over if we are to believe the groundhog.
Thanks again for coming, dear friend JM, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Hi Shady,
DeleteTuesday was interested to say the least. I was going to take off, but ended up going in late to the FT job and the library was opened too.
I think tomorrow calls for a musical celebration! Was a difficult week.
Happy Thankful Thursday and Valentine's Day!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteHappy T.T. and V-day to you as well, dear friend. My next set of songs for a musical celebration is coming in my next post less than 24 hours from now, so please stay tuned!
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend JM!
Now Shady, you know I'd bake you cake with a knife in it to get out of the slammer! I was enjoying the songs tonight from some of my favs...Dusty and Petula but my very fav has to be Lulu..I love the movie "To Sir With Love" and her voice is so good. When I heard Jackie Trent I thought she sounded like the voice from the movie "Goldfinger". I don't know, that's just my opinion! Anyway, good tunes and I hope you have a wonderful Valentines day! P.S...stay out of trouble! Ha!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThank you very much for coming by, dear friend. I'm happy to see you! Over the years you have been following my blogs, I'm sure you have seen at least three or four of these Brit bird salutes hosted by Austin Powers. I can't wait to taste the cake you bake to get Shady out of the pokey. With his luck, he'll forget what it's for and slice his lip on the embedded knife. :)
I'm thrilled that you got so much enjoyment from these English songbirds. I have developed a greater appreciation of Lulu over the years. On songs like "Shout" and other recordings she made as a teenager, she rocks and rolls with the best of them and, as we know from "To Sir With Love," she can shift gears and do a superb job singing a tender ballad. In addition she is an artist of longevity, still recording, performing live shows and working as an actress in the 2010s.
Good observation, YaYa! Jackie Trent does indeed sound like Shirley Bassey, the Welch singer who recorded the theme songs of the James Bond films Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker.
Thank you again for joining the fun, dear friend YaYa. I wish you and Jack a very happy Valentine's Day. Take care!
I remember many of these English singers/songs. I loved the swinging London, outfits, hair and of course music.
ReplyDeleteLove the 1950 button down "BBC" type of reporter/announcer with (the great voice) all the teen girls around him as he announces the singer. What a hoot !
cheers, parsnip
Hi, Gayle!
DeleteWelcome back to Shady's Place, dear friend. I'm very happy to see you!
Thank you for pointing out some of the reasons why the videos in this post are worth examining closely. Several of them include scenes showing teenagers of the 60s, American and British. It is educational to note their hair and clothing styles, their manner and their dance moves. The BBC announcer in that 1963 Britpop exploitation film Just For Fun is indeed a hoot. He seems to have the teenagers enthralled, hanging on his every word, as he introduces the latest teen singing sensation Louise Cordet who, as it turns out, went into the music history books as a one-hit-wonder, her only success being the 1962 single "I'm Just A Baby."
I'm delighted that these Brit birds entertained you, dear friend Gayle. Thanks again for coming and have a safe and happy week ahead!
Good old Lulu in her husky voice coming from such a young gal..I love it when she pops up in the tv show Absolutely Fabulous. The voices here are so sultry except Louise Cordet who has a sweet voice. I always love Petula Clark but what a bad lip sync but...who cares when you can listen to her wonderful voice. The castanet lady almost sounds like a man to be honest..a feminine man but , who cares when she sings so sultry..there is that word again. Oh..behave!
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteThank you very much for hustling back here to see me again, dear friend. I appreciate it!
You seem to like the thrushes introduced by Austin Powers at his annual V-Day party. Lulu can sing 'em sweet and she can sing 'em sassy. She's a versatile, multi-talented entertainer, and one who has kept her career going longer than many of her contemporaries. Louise Cordet was touted as the next big thing but, unfortunately, her recording career stalled, and that goofy British popsploitation film didn't help. Yessum, musical guests always lip synced on The Lloyd Thaxton Show, as I recall, and the teenage dancers in the background looked stiff and conservative compared to the kids that danced on similar programs of the 60s. Jackie Trent's voice reminds me of Ethel Merman's. Do you hear the similarity? I don't fancy Helen Shapiro's husky "sultry" voice, but she kills on that rendition of the Mary Wells hit "My Guy."
Thank you again for your kind visit and great comments, dear friend BB!
I'm beginning to think Austin Powers has thing for Blondes. I mean all of his feature female voices have fair hair (probably from a bottle) with the exception of two. I know your Brit spotlight singers Lulu, Dusty, and Petula. The others are introductions which I enjoyed listening to for the first time. I enjoyed most of the three unknowns Jackie Trent. Thanks for new ear candy. Have a boogietastic week!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cathy!
DeleteI am delighted to see you, dear friend! Thanks so much for dropping in to catch the antics of Austin Powers as once again he subs for Shady and hosts the annual Valentine's Day bash.
I know for a fact that the only things Austin Powers likes as much as blondes are brunettes and redheads - bottle or no bottle. :) I'm pleased to know you are familiar with three of the featured artists in the post. They are the ones with the biggest names and most successful careers on both sides of the pond. The late Jackie Trent has sung in a few of my previous posts and she will be back again at some point along with most of these others. I'm happy to know you enjoyed the show.
Thank you again for being here today and enjoy your week, dear friend Cathy!
Tom,
DeleteWell, I sorta thought perhaps you might have shared Jackie Trent in the past but couldn't swear to it. I'm sure I liked her in your previous posts and am happy that you have slated to use her in upcoming posts. I'm sure you're right Austin Powers loves all women regardless of hair color. lol As Austin Powers' might say, 'Have groovy day, Baby!" 🤣
Hi again, dear Cathy!
DeleteThanks for returning to chat, my friend!
Yessum, Jackie Trent is one of my favorites. She was primarily a songwriter, but made some fine recordings. However they weren't well received stateside. Jackie released nearly a dozen singles in the U.S. on four different labels, yet the one in this post, "If You Love Me, Really Love Me," is the only one that reached the chart, and it merely Bubbled Under, peaking at #106 in April 1964. I should have included that data in the post but forgot.
Thanks again for visiting, dear friend Cathy, and enjoy the rest of your week!
I love the husky raspy voices. I am a huge fan of Janis Joplin, Melissa Ethridge, etd. Jacki's voice fits in with her voice. I really enjoyed these songs. Of course , one of my favorite songs by Dusty is Son of a preacher man which is one of the most popular.
ReplyDeleteAustin Powers can be such a cheeky monkey!!
Hi, Holliberry!
DeleteThank you very much for taking a peek at the post, dear friend! I'm sure you remember the randy British spy Austin Powers as blog host for Valentine's week in previous years.
I will add Wanda Jackson, Lorrie Collins and the raspy, Rod Stewartish vocal style of Kim Carnes to the list you started. I love Jackie Trent's singing as much as her songwriting. Cher Bono is yet another woman with powerful pipes, and I have in the pipeline a little known American female singer who sounds a lot Cher. I will be posting that mystery artist's best known record, but don't want to be a spoiler at this point. Stay tuned.
Thanks again for coming by, dear friend Holli. Take care and have a wonderful week!
Those artists and their music brought back many sweet memories.
ReplyDeleteHi, Arleen!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thank you very much for coming over to meet and greet Austin Powers - Int'l Man of Mystery! :)
I'm delighted to learn that these artists and songs triggered happy memories for you. Mission accomplished! Stay tuned for more great sounds of the 50s and early 60s coming up this weekend.
Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Arleen. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Fun! Austin Powers was the perfect host for Valentines Week. I didn't know those artists, but I knew the song, My Guy. Sounds a little different with Helen singing it.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Hi, Sherry!
DeleteThanks for dropping in, dear friend! I'm glad you enjoy these guest hosting appearances by Austin Powers for Valentine's week.
I'm surprised you never heard of Lulu, Dusty Springfield or Pet Clark. All three were big names on this side of the Atlantic. I like Helen Shapiro's version of "My Guy" as much as the Mary Wells original.
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Sherry, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Shady,
ReplyDeleteAustin was very offensive to you and your ”mini me”— how rude!!!
I was very familiar with Lulu, Dusty and Petula! I actually can remember my favorite song in kindergarten,”Downtown “! The other ladies were new to me! I did enjoy Jackie Trent’s strong voice in, ”if you love me”!
Please tell Austin to behave! Keep the laughs and hits coming, Shady!
Hi, Toni!
DeleteThank you very much for dropping in, dear friend. I'm always happy to see you!
I also thank you for coming to Shady's defense, but you really shouldn't kill the messenger. Guest host Austin Powers was simply reporting the facts of the case. Shame on Shady for falling off the wagon, getting into his mum's cooking sherry and making a spectacle of himself. Now he's going to miss this year's V-Day party at Shady's Place.
It boggles my mind to know you were in kindergarten when "Downtown" was topping the chart. I was in my mid teens! Helen Shapiro was a major recording artist in the UK, but I honestly don't remember her from my youth. I discovered Helen only recently when I caught Brit pop fever and bought dozens of various artists CDs of the genre. I'm happy to know you appreciate the powerful vocals of singer/songwriter Jackie Trent.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend Toni, and enjoy the rest of your week!