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 host, Shady, couldn't be here this week.
He's out of town starring in a one-man show, playing all
sixteen parts in a little theater production of Noises Off.
He's out of town starring in a one-man show, playing all
sixteen parts in a little theater production of Noises Off.
That's a gag, dove. Oh come on now.
I saw you crack a smile just then,
pussycat, admit it - YEAH!
I saw you crack a smile just then,
pussycat, admit it - YEAH!
In his absence, Shady invited me back as emcee of the annual Valentine's party.
There'll be smooches for hours as I, Austin Powers, treat you to another Brit pop
There'll be smooches for hours as I, Austin Powers, treat you to another Brit pop
sock hop featuring records by some of the UK's grooviest thrushes. As an added
bonus, we'll be going Dutch as I play three more songs by a Holland honey who's
the bee's knees, plus a ditty by a girl popper from the USA. The place is packed
with blokes & birds, mods & rockers, stockingtop poppers, backcombed cuties
and punks with cooties. It takes two to tango, and so, without further ado, I'll
put the needle in the groove and we can shag till dawn. Calm yourself, kitten.
Shag is a dance! Every spinner's a winner, so ready - steady - GO!
SUSAN MAUGHAN
In 1962 English singer Susan Maughan scored a top 3 hit in the UK with her cover of
"Bobby's Girl," a song originally waxed by Brooklyn, NY, singer Marcie Blane. In 1963
Susan brushed the top 40 with "Hand a Handkerchief to Helen." In 1964 The Beatles
and other Brit bands put an end to Susan's modest hit streak by rendering her style
old school and uncool. Susan's cover of "Kiss Me Sailor," a hit single in the U.S.
for Diane Renay, failed to chart as did a cover of "Hey Lover," a song composed
by Don Covay and John Berry and originally recorded by 12 year old Debbie
Dovale of Clairton, PA, a Pittsburgh suburb, and released in September 1963
on the Ricky label, a subsidiary of the small Pittsburgh-based Co & Ce
Records - home to The Vogues. Here now is that fetching warbler,
Susan Maughan, in a 1964 live performance of "Hey Lover."
"Hey Lover" - Susan Maughan
(Jan./Feb. 1964)
BONNY ST. CLAIRE
In 1959, American zinger April Stevens had a hit with the sexually suggestive
"Teach Me Tiger." In 1967, Dutch singer Bonny St. Claire (born two days
before Shady Del Knight) was just turning 18 when she released her
debut solo single, a sizzler with a similar name, "Tame Me Tiger."
Background vocals were provided by a group called The Jets.
"Teach Me Tiger." In 1967, Dutch singer Bonny St. Claire (born two days
before Shady Del Knight) was just turning 18 when she released her
debut solo single, a sizzler with a similar name, "Tame Me Tiger."
Background vocals were provided by a group called The Jets.
Looks like Bonny lass lost her balance
and was falling backward off her perch
the moment this publicity photo was
snapped. I hope the poor girl didn't
bust her buns. I fancy this Dutch
thrush. Give her a listen.
and was falling backward off her perch
the moment this publicity photo was
snapped. I hope the poor girl didn't
bust her buns. I fancy this Dutch
thrush. Give her a listen.
GO AHEAD, BABY...
TAME ME TIGER!
"Tame Me Tiger" - Bonny St. Claire
(Nov./Dec. 1967)
(Nov./Dec. 1967)
BONNIE ST. CLAIRE
AND UNIT GLORIA
In the early 70s, Miss St. Claire changed the spelling of her first
name and added a backing group called Unit Gloria. Together
they released half a dozen singles including this one--
"Waikiki Man (do the hula with me!)"
name and added a backing group called Unit Gloria. Together
they released half a dozen singles including this one--
"Waikiki Man (do the hula with me!)"
"Waikiki Man" - Bonnie St. Claire
And Unit Gloria (May/June 1973)
And Unit Gloria (May/June 1973)
Bonnie and her group scored a huge hit in The Netherlands with
the platter I am about to play. Clap your hands and stamp your feet
whilst Bonnie sings-- "Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet!"
"Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet"
Bonnie St. Claire (And Unit Gloria)
Bonnie St. Claire (And Unit Gloria)
(Nov./Dec. 1972)
LINDA SCOTT
Now here's pop songstress Linda Sampson of Queens, New York, better known
as Linda Scott. In the late summer of 1961, Linda followed-up the biggest hit
of her career, the top 3 charting "I've Told Every Little Star," with this
top 10 single, "Don't Bet Money Honey," which crossed over to
the top 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart,
"Don't Bet Money Honey" - Linda Scott
(Aug. 1962, highest chart pos. #3 Adult Contemporary,
#9 Hot 100/#10 Cash Box)
JACKIE TRENT
This next record, "You Baby," is not the hit song by The Turtles. This is the song
written by Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann and Phil Spector and first recorded stateside
in 1964 by Spector's girl group The Ronettes. The song was covered in 1965 by
American pop princess Linda Scott. I'd like you to hear the version released in
1966 by English singer/songwriter Jackie Trent. Here now is Jackie doing a
song that's a favorite among Northern Soul clubbers-- "You Baby!"
"You Baby" - Jackie Trent
(Feb./Mar. 1966)
PETULA CLARK
Songwriter Jackie Trent, the gifted gal you just saw and heard, in collaboration
with her composer/producer husband Tony Hatch, were responsible for many
of Petula Clark's international hits. Just in time for V-Day, were's a song
that Tony alone hatched for Pet, a single that topped the chart
in the U.S. and Canada-- "My Love."
"My Love" - Petula Clark
(Jan./Feb. 1966, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100,
#2 Cash Box/#1 Canada)
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!
Good thing Bonnie was nice to look at - not sure I can say the same for Unit Gloria. Proof it doesn't matter what a guy looks like if he's in a band.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for taking the Early Bird title again this time, good buddy!
You need to remember that Bonnie and her Unit Gloria backing band were from The Netherlands. Unique sounds came from that and other European countries, including bizarre chants like you hear from the Unit Gloria guys. I'm sure you remember Blue Swede chanting "ooga chaka" on their cover of "Hooked On A Feeling." Such sounds can be an acquired taste for music fans on this side of the pond. On their third number, Bonnie and Unit Gloria remind me of early ABBA.
Thanks again for stopping by, good buddy Alex!
With the exception of Petula Clark, all new names and tunes for me today! I recognized My Love, but didn't realize she recorded it.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteWelcome back over to Shady's clubhouse, dear friend!
I suspected most of these tunes would be new to your ears because:
A. They were released in the 60s and early 70s before you developed an awareness of pop music.
B. Most are foreign made recordings from the UK and Netherlands.
Yessum, the V-Day song "My Love" was a solid chart-topping hit stateside for English songbird Pet Clark. I'm glad you remember it.
I'm happy to have introduced you to some new songs. Thanks again for sharing part of your weekend with me and enjoy the rest of it, dear friend Kelly!
None of these are familiar except Petula Clark but the mood is set and I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day! Only 2 more weeks and this cold, snowy month is done. Hopefully Match will be better weather wise. Cheerio!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteHappy Valentine's Day, dear friend! Thanks for coming over to hear this V-Day friendly set of songs presented by Austin Powers. It doesn't surprise me that Pet Clark is the only artist most people know in this batch. I have posted songs by Jackie Trent several times over the years and I'd like you to remember that it was Jackie along with her English songwriting partner and husband Tony Hatch who composed most of Pet's major international hits. Jackie was a gifted songscribe and singer who sadly passed away six years ago at the age of 74.
You might also recall that Linda Scott was a regular on Dick Clark's Where The Action Is.
Looks like the groundhog got it right this winter. Here in Florida we are in a second day of heavy rains, but we need the moisture.
I hope March will be better for all of us EVERY wise.
Thanks again for coming, dear friend YaYa, and have a wonderful week!
Well, my favorite this time is Bonny/Bonnie St Claire and Unit Gloria. She really had an off-the-wall style. Or maybe it just seems off-the-wall to these American ears. She certainly seems to be enjoying herself in that one song.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteHappy V-Day, good buddy, and thanks for swinging by!
I'm glad you're giving props to Bonny (aka Bonnie) St. Claire and her Dutch band Unit Gloria. (Bonny is two days older than Shady. I'd love to travel to Holland and meet her... wooden shoe?) Unique sounds abound in Bonny's recorded catalog. I think you agree it is refreshing to hear the style of music that was being produced in Europe during the 60s and early 70s. I hear a sound similar to that of early ABBA in Bonny and Unit Four's music video hit "Clap Your Hands And Stamp Your Feet," and Bonny could pass for Aggie Faltskog.
Thanks again for joining the fun, good buddy Kirk!
Hey there Shady - The only one of these ladies I am familiar with is Petula Clark. I can remember singing this song in my room as I thought about my current crush, whoever that was at the time - LOL. We are not doing anything spectacular for V-day today as hubby and I both got the Covid vaccine on Friday and while I feel fine, he is having some symptoms. Nothing to worry about, just achy and tired. I'm wondering if he got a reaction because he had already had Covid? I'll have to do some research on that. In any case, I made him breakfast this morning which is something I don't usually do and if he is feeling better, maybe we'll order out tonight. Hope you and the Mrs. have a wonderful day together.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for joining the fun, dear friend, as Austin Powers Smooches for Hours!
I'm a bit surprised that Pet Clark is the only artist in this batch that most readers know. Linda Scott was a big teen pop star in her day, and a regular on Where The Action Is. Yessum, Pet's "My Love" song was a #1 hit in the states, a great V-Day song and one I'm sure millions of young women sang to their sweethearts.
I'm happy to know you and your hubby got your COVID vaccinations. You might be right about your hubby's more pronounced side effects. I wish him better days ahead. Mrs. Shady is a healthcare professional and was therefore among the first in line to get the shots. She got both and suffered a stiff, sore shoulder for several days after her second (Moderna). I received my first dose of Moderna vaccine a few days ago and need to report back Mar. 12 for my follow-up dose.
I hope you order take-out dinner from that favorite restaurant of yours.
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment and happy Valentine's Day, dear friend Janet!
Happy belated Valentine's Day, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteThese songs are new to me. However, you just made a Petula Clark fan! I love her "Downtown" song and you have me hooked on "My Love". I'll have to check out more of her discography. :)
The others are amazing too! I'll have to check out more of their music, and you just made me feel better on this post-Valentine's Day! :)
Have a great Monday, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteHappy V-Day +1 to you as well, dear friend! Thanks for coming over for the annual Valentine's dance hosted by Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (and Music History).
If you are just now delving into Petula Clark's catalog, you're in for a treat, because she was one of the leading ladies of song during the mid 60s with many catchy hit recordings to her credit..
I'm happy to know that Austin's tuneage gave your spirits a lift. Thanks again for dropping in. Take care and have a wonderful week, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI'm returning for the pick-me-up. It's been a long week and I'm struggling with my new role. I haven't had the chance to listen to Petula Clark's catalog since I've been listening to taped trainings. I'll listen this weekend.
Have a great Thankful Thursday dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThat's AOK, dear friend. Your education, training and career come first. There's always time for fun and music afterward, and Shady's is the Place. As you will discover this weekend, Pet Clark cranked out one catchy Brit pop hit after another starting in 1965. Happy listening and happy Thankful Thursday to you, dear friend!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI responded to your comment. :)
Woohoo! I have my spot after work, then! :) I'm looking forward to listening to Pet Clark this weekend. I have to do some cleaning since the rugs and floors have been replaced, so I will groove as I clean.
Have a great evening. :)
Same to you, dear friend JM. Stick around for another set of songs to add to your weekend playlist. Shady Green will be here first thing tomorrow to take you for a ride in his Wayback Machine!
DeleteGood night and see you soon, dear friend!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteWhile you were away the catman Austin Powers played! Your guest DJ brought some smiles and good music to my ear in this Valentine's Day edition. I'm sorry for being late for the party. Linda, Jackie, & Petula are artist names I recognize with Petula being the most well known. Like always, I enjoyed learning about the unknown singers and songs. A lot of these featured songs released when I was really young. Bonnie St. Claire turned out a few in the early 70s but I don't remember her. "Tame Me, Tiger" had a nice sound but so did the other two sung by Bonnie. Thanks for the introduction and music schooling. Have a boogietastic week!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks so much for coming by, dear friend! Austin Powers says cheers! :)
Yessum, Jackie Trent and Pet Clark have both been appeared in other posts back through the years, and both will return in the future. I'm not sure if I posted anything by Linda Scott in the past, but I know she'll be returning too.
I think Bonny aka Bonnie St. Claire and her band have a refreshing Euro sound. "Tame Me Tiger" benefits from Bonny's strong vocal and a bold, brassy backing track. If you listen to the instrumental break from the 1:28 mark you will hear psychedelic overtones similar to those found on "Just Dropped In," the psych record by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition. Kenny's record was waxed in October 1967 and Bonny's single was released the following month. It might be a coincidence or one recording's arrangement might have been influenced by the other.
I'm always happy to introduce you and other friends to mewsic that resonates with me. Thanks again for joining the fun and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Cathy!
Did ya miss me, baby! These songs are quite shagadelic especially the sexy Bonny..er... Bonnie singing Kiss me, Tiger. I do love the background men in Waikiki-very primal and can easily stomp my feet to the last you showcased here about Bonnie. Susan Maughan has such a great voice that she could have done a James Bond song easily. Linda Scott is perky and sweet...not sure she would like the round bed that spins but as for Jackie Trent....her voice is strong and very vixenish...another one who could have sung a Bond song. The only one I know is Petula Clark and I know that one song which was very easy to listen to. What a great line up and gained more knowledge on women who I never heard of and should have. We had a huge winter snowstorm overnight and it looks so pretty but poor hubby was out shoveling for 7 hours! We are a corner lot with a long walk to do plus he does a number of older people's walks as well. Thank good ness for the snowblower.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit! We gotta stop meeting like this, dearie. People gonna talk. :) Thanks for coming to Austin Powers' annual V-day platter party.
DeleteYessum, Bonny (a thrush who is almost exactly Shady's age) and her Dutch backing band dished up some interesting sounds, and I'm pleased that you appreciated their style. This lineup offers three English warblers who pretty much belted their songs: Susan Maughan, Jackie Trent and Pet Clark. I agree that Susan could have sung a theme from one of the 007 films, and so could Jackie. Either sparrow would have been a good fit for an OST song. Jackie Trent was a prolific singer and songwriter, having co-written many of Pet Clark's international hits.
You got a big snowstorm overnight and we got a big rainstorm overnight. It moved in around midnight and kept us awake a couple
of hours with its intensity. This morning, by the dawn's early light, we saw large puddles all around the property. This was our 4th day of heavy rain and those puddles aren't going down any time soon. I hope your hubby took it easy out there. He's a trouper for volunteering to clear the walks of your older neighbors.
Thanks again for reporting in, dear friend BB. Have a great week and I'll see you Thursday, as Siskel & Ebert would have said: "At The Movies."
Hi Austin and Shady. Sorry to be so late for your Valentine special, but I lost power in my home on Sunday, and things have been pretty rough so far this week.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post with some pretty good love songs. I just love Petula Clark, and her performance of "My Love" has always been a popular song. Her audience sure did enjoy her performance.
I remember Linda Scott and "Don't Bet Money Honey". The song is one I always liked.
It's always nice to meet new artists, and you picked some good ones this time. All of these girls are good, especially Bonnie St. Clair. I also like her band, Unit Gloria. "Clamp your Hands, Stomp Your Feet" is probably my favorite of this group.
I hope you had a very nice Valentine's Day Austin. It just comes and goes for me these days. Thank you for this fun post...you do know how to pick 'em!
Shady, hope you are staying safe. Scootie and I had to leave the house on Monday for a motel, and we just got power back today and are home. I'm trying to keep minimal electrical usage and I am typing this on my Chrome Book which is smaller than my PC, but fully charged. It is pretty cold here, but I still love winter. And, I am so glad that I don't have to worry about getting to work anymore. The motels were busy and costly. I hope we don't get an outage tonight. We took our dog, Carly, and she was pretty good. She doesn't like to leave the house either. The three of us toughed it out Sunday all night, because there were only supposed to be rolling outages, but at around 3:00 am, the power never came back on. It's good to be back home. Take care, dear friend!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteI'm very happy to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming to Austin Powers' annual V-Day dance party! You've seen several of these by now, and there's a rumor going around that Austin might be promoted from features reporter to a full blown SPMM deejay. Stay tuned!
I'm very sorry to learn that you lost power and needed to seek warmth and shelter in a motel. I was afraid you were among the hard hit. I'm happy to know your power has been restored and that you were able to return home. I just read that many Texans will need to continue enduring the bitter cold w/o electricity a while longer. I can't imagine what that's like!
Yessum, Pet Clark's songs and vocal style are irresistible. As she performed her hit "My Love" in that clip, the appreciative audience was really getting into it. It's ironic that when she was young, Pet sang adult oriented material. When she was practically a middle aged woman she suddenly became a big hit with younger audiences thanks to great songs like this one provided to her by Jackie Trent and her composing partner Tony Hatch. It's a scenario that is the reverse of that you might expect. Speaking of Jackie Trent, I hope you noticed in her video for "You Baby" the footage of dancers in one of England's Northern Soul clubs. They have a unique style of dancing over there!
I'm glad I found one reader who remembers Linda Scott and this biggie of hers. On "Waikiki man" and "Clap Your Hands," Bonnie and Unit Gloria remind me a little of early ABBA. The latter song reminds of of ABBA's "Does Your Mother Know." If you listen all the way through Bonny's first song, "Tame Me, Tiger," you should be as impressed as I of its complexity and multi-tiered arrangement. It reminds me of two other hit recordings "Nothing But A Heartache" by The Flirtations, and "Just Dropped In" by The First Edition. All three of the above records were released within the span of a year.
Suzanne, thank you for being a trouper and coming to see me in the midst of all the chaos. I appreciate it and hope these songs cheered you up. I also hope your juice stays on for good. You've been through enough. Please know I'll be thinking about you.
Thanks again for joining the fun. Stick around for Shady Green and His Wayback Machine coming up two days from now on Friday. Until then I hope you and Scootie stay safe and warm. God bless, dear friend Suzanne!
The appreciation of Susan Maughan came relatively late to me, as she is one of the more forgotten of the 'Brit Girls' of the Sixties. In the very early years of the new Millennium I went through a phase of going on trips out on the train from Belper to the now-demolished former Central Library in Birmingham, which was the focus of a rather controversial campaign by the Twentieth Century Society to have it saved. That was after I'd discovered that the library had a collection of old 'Radio Times' and 'TV Times' magazines freely available to browse at one's will. I stumbled across many half-forgotten wonders of British vintage television, like the Sixties version of 'Footballers' Wives', 'United!', for example, missing, presumed wiped forever. I also was struck by a photo of Susan Maughan in an edition from the year of 'Hey Lover', where I thought something along the lines of "She's not bad!", 'Hey Lover' being every bit as attractive as its singer! I think that physical collection is no longer as easily publicly available as it was, which is 'progress', I suppose. Some things are just too good!
ReplyDeleteAlthough Bonnie St. Claire is (now) a much more familiar name to me than Susan Maughan might have been in around 1999 'Tame Me Tiger' is new to me. When I saw that the backing came from The Jets I started wondering if that might be Peter Koelewijn's group, Peter Koelewijn doing much of Bonnie St. Claire's production. However, on checking up I was reminded that his group was the very similarly-named The Rockets.
'Waikiki Man' will for me, of course, forever associated with its Czech-language 'coverer', as 'Waikiki znám' ('I Know Waikiki'), Miluška Voborníková. I see that Bonnie St. Claire's final song featured here was shot in a factory. Miluška Voborníková comes from the home of Škoda, Mladá Boleslav. She certainly puts the 'lush' in 'Miluška' and, despite the historically poor reputation of cars from that part of the world, there's nothing wrong with the way her chassis is put together! She was born on the same day as stunning Sissy Spacek, too, making Christmas Day/Miluška-mas/Sissy-mas 1949 spectacular indeed!
https://girlsofthegoldeneast.wordpress.com/2023/08/28/its-the-28th-its-a-bank-holiday-monday-so/
That Linda Scott song, 'Don't Bet Money Honey' had me Doo-Wopping away very pleasantly!
The others embedded here seem to have gone extinct, sadly, but I do love a reference to Jackie Trent as she gets a mention at this 'Girls Of The Golden East' Blog post in connection with Helena Blehárová's eponymous LP of 1976.
https://girlsofthegoldeneast.wordpress.com/2021/03/29/trb-gotge-slovakia-southend-on-sea-follow-up-post/
I was reminded that the video of 'Viac ako milión' ('More Than A Million') linked therefrom was a product of the late, great 'RETRO SLOVAK', Tomáš Hurtešák. When it was uploaded to YouTube twelve years ago it would have seemed strange that Helena Blehárová is still with us and performing past eighty as of June last year while Tomáš Hurtešák is reasonably comfortably over a year gone at just thirty-four.
Hi, Christopher!
DeleteFYI - the fetching Bonnie St. Claire was born exactly two days before me.
So, you were born in the same week-long period between Bonnie St. Claire and the equally fetching Petra Černocká - perhaps best known as the sexy teenage witch, Saxana in 'Dívka na koštěti' ('Girl On A Broomstick') and for performing the theme song, 'Saxana' - then, four days before the latter, to be precise.
DeleteI haven't got any famous female singers born two days before me, but Elizabeth McGovern, who does, like Petra, also sing as well as act, most prominently over on this side of the Atlantic in 'Downton Abbey', was born the day before me.
As you reference Northern Soul in this 'Shady's Place' Blog post and I mentioned 'Footballers' Wives' I should have mentioned one of the most impressive examples of background music I've ever heard in a TV drama in a scene by a swimming pool in what looked like one of those 'Millionaire's Row' mansions somewhere in Cheshire owned by players of the two big Manchester clubs, City and United - The Fascinations' Northern Soul classic 'Girls Are Out To Get You', which always has me on the dance floor! Maybe the producers wanted a song that encapsulated 'Northern Life'.
The words 'Somewhere in Cheshire' actually appear on the sleeve of one of my Northern Soul compilation LPs.
Hi, Christopher!
DeleteNeato that you and Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern were born one day apart. My first exposure to the actress was her appearance in the excellent 1980 film Ordinary People.
I thoroughly enjoyed Curtis Mayfield's "Girls Are Out To Get You." The melody brings to mind "Hold Back The Night" by The Trammps, the popular disco group that evolved from the Philadelphia-based R&B/Soul group The Volcanos. Listen to the arrangements and melodies let me know if you hear a similarity between the two songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpdsuL4XvPY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgX3RRIUH-0
Cheers, Christopher!
Elizabeth McGovern would still have been a teenager at the time of 'Ordinary People', then. When I look back to my 1980 I cannot imagine appearing in a feature film. I was still very young and finding my way in the big, wide world, as you will see in this 'Girls Of The Golden East' post looking back to 1980...
Deletehttps://girlsofthegoldeneast.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/our-tune/
...as the person who actually does share my birthday was appearing on her edition of 'Numéro un' (2nd August 1980) over the English Channel.
https://girlsofthegoldeneast.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/a-slimline-tonica-re-visited/
I note that 'Ordinary People' was Robert Redford's directorial debut, Robert Redford being on the same page as Carene Cheryl in the 'Paris Match' of 13th November 1976, on the set of 'A Bridge Too Far'.
Further on the subject of football - sorry, 'soccer' ;-) - another person born on 18th July 1961 was the player and manager Alan Pardew. I see he went to be the Manager of the Bulgarian club, CSKA Sofia, but departed in protest against racist fans of the club throwing bananas on the pitch at their own club's Black players! It's always disappointing to see such examples of racism in modern-day Bulgaria as I know from these two 'Girls Of The Golden East' posts that Bulgarian girls have got Soul.
https://girlsofthegoldeneast.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/truth-stranger-than-fiction/
https://girlsofthegoldeneast.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/the-bee-gees-via-bg/
As well as those other 'F-ations' the Golden Orpheus Festival also welcomed that Black singer, Salena Jones, who, like Heather Graham out of 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me', also shares Valérie Čižmárová's birthday of 29th January. She just had to appear on the same record as an artist who covered Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny', as did Valinka.
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/30215/salena-jones-and-mieko-hirota-zlatniyat-orfey
I cannot say that 'Hold Back The Night' has ever got me thinking, "That sounds a lot like 'Girls Are Out To Get You'". Yes, it has a similar-ish overall rhythm structure, but that's about as far as it gets. I'm sorry to put a dampener on your assessment of the two songs vis-à-vis each other.
Hi, Christopher!
DeleteOver the years, I have made heavy use of Discogs, both as a reference source and as a marketplace for the purchase of 7-inch platters by Euro artists. One coveted single in my vinyl collection acquired thru a Discogs affiliated merchant is "Superstar" by Danish pop singer Christine Milton, a song successfully covered by UK-based R&B zinger Jamelia. Over the years, I have posted both versions of "Superstar" on my blogs. Are you familiar with both of those gifted songbirds?
I loved the "Pretty Flamingo" cover, enjoyed reading about your post-graduation travels and how you participated in the Crickley Hill archaeological dig. Funny story how the embroidered "TRAINING" top you wore on the dig earned you that nickname. Good selfie prototype, my friend!
Liked the "Be-Bop-A-Lula" cover and loved the Rubettes' cover. On the latter, the lip sync performance was delightfully wooden compared to the abundant excitement heard on the audio track. I tend to appreciate and prefer a bland affect to an overwrought performance, and that goes for acting as well as singing, given that the two are related.
You have identified quite a few artists with birthdays close to yours, close to mine or close to each other. Clearly, you devote an extraordinary amount of time doing research for content on your sites. I applaud you.
I'm pleased that you mentioned The Flirtations in one of the linked posts. Their sig song "Nothing But A Heartache" is 100% pure adrenaline, one of my all-time favorites and another essential in my collection of near mint condition 45s. Add not one, but two surreal conceptual music videos of the girl trio performing the song, my favorite being the one shot on location at the Welsh Tintern Abbey, and my eyes literally roll back in my head as if I had just hit the main line:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tTb6rfulCw
I'm surprised our ears don't match on those two songs I asked you to compare. I have learned that each of us possesses a unique set of filters. Only two or three seconds into "Girls Are Out To Get You," my mind was crying out "Hold Back The Night." Thank you anyhow for giving it a whirl.
Cheers, Christopher!
Yes, Discogs is a fantastic resource, both for research and acquisition purposes. I am certainly not familiar with the former of those two, but I am at least vaguely familiar with the latter. I can't exactly say that I know a great deal off hand about Jamelia's repertoire, however and the same could be said for many artists of more recent decades. I should imagine that you are considerably better-informed about her than I am. There is one thing that seems to stick in my mind, though, about which there will be more over at a comment on the 'Battle of the Bands' post quite shortly.
ReplyDeleteIf only my two summer seasons at Crickley Hill had been 'post-graduation'! I'm afraid that I failed my GCE A-Levels (French, German and Economics) at Sixth Form at Belper High School, so those two years were mostly 'post-failure'. That's why I went to Derby College of Further Education, Wilmorton from late September 1980 to late June 1982, to re-take French and German and, this time, to forget about Economics! I also used it as an opportunity to re-take my GCE English Language O-Level that I'd failed in 1977, while getting a top grade in my CSE, which had a lower-class reputation as it was based on coursework as opposed to the pressure of examinations. At Wilmorton, at the end of my first academic year, I converted that 'Ungraded' to a Grade A, largely thanks to an essay on 'My Favourite Walk', which just came out effortlessly in the examination hall at Queen's Hall, along London Road, Derby from Wilmorton! That could be on one of my Derby tours - "That's where I got a Grade A!" My time at Wilmorton was tremendous and I think failing my A-Levels at school was one of the best things I've ever done. I met a much wider variety of people from numerous backgrounds and races than could have been possible in Belper, including my first Poles, Yugoslavians, Indians, Sri Lankans and Malaysians and my first really personal encounter with British African-Caribbeans, too. That's the thing about Derbyshire. Much of the county is purely White, while the City of Derby is incredibly diverse - almost a different world in the single digits of miles away. The social life was very lively as well and I was a member of the DCFE Student Theatre Group, which met after rehearsals in the nearby Navigation pub and I had several nights out around the night clubs of Derby with fellow students. Barely more than a month after starting there the French and Art students had a totally legendary train and ferry trip to Paris where I took my harmonica along and we had a few sing-alongs, variously at the Hotel Star, Avenue Émile Zola and on the trains there and back, to 60s Rhythm and Blues. My German lecturer had a few Rock 'n' Roll and R&B bands that played around the pubs of Derby so I followed him around quite a lot. My brother pointed something very interesting out to me a few years ago. While he is the fan of the home city football club, Derby County and I have gone and 'adopted' Norwich City he said that he's more Belper while I'm more Derby. His degree is from Nottingham University (History) while mine is from the University of Derby (Geography with German), too!
(I think I'll break the comment there and see you on the other side!)
AOK, Christopher!
DeleteI must say, you have done more traveling and had more interesting encounters and educational life experiences than anyone I ever met, my friend. I envy you and thank you for sharing your anecdotes. I agree that the whole world tends to open up when you expand your horizons beyond your hometown. Same happened to me.
As noted earlier in a reply to one of your other comments, I need to sign-off today and withdraw from the blog circuit, keeping the promise I made to my readers, to Mrs. Shady and to myself. I have personal life responsibilities to address and, in whatever spare time remains, new content to generate if I want to keep Shady's Place afloat, even on a limited basis.
If you have one additional comment coming in today, I will look for it and reply as best I can before pulling the plug. Keep well, my new friend. I look forward to reconnecting with you when I resume blogging Valentine's week next month.
Cheers, Christopher!
(I'm back again!)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed that 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' rendition by that Franco-American pop-up Girl Group! How well are Jeane Manson and Joëlle (Mogensen) known in their native land?
Yes, it was a bit of a mismatch in that 'Sugar Baby Love' cover but as you say, sometimes less is more! I see that The Rubettes were in action on the 29th April 1975 edition of the Bay City Rollers' vehicle, 'Shang-A-Lang', on the revived 'Retro British Television' YouTube channel. I also note that Miki Antony, who co-composed Crackers' 'When Jo Jo Runs' with Ben Findon - covered in Czech as 'Oči nelžou' ('Eyes Don't Lie') by Valérie Čižmárová...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv8CDNq1TXo
...is played (the song, 'Get Your Dancin' Shoes On') while the Him and Us mini-dance troupe dance to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlIkmSnfsVo
On another 29th of the month (January 1977), on the day Valérie Čižmárová hit the quarter-century mark, on 'Supersonic' the artist who was the big guest star on the occasion I actually did graduate, at the 1997 May Ball at the UoD's Kedleston Road campus, Leo Sayer makes an appearance. It was quite a night at 'Keddo/Keddie Road' and I was dancing in the then quite recently-built main concourse - to celebrate its promotion from Derbyshire College of Higher Education straight to university status, without passing polytechnic status on the way - until well into the daylight of the following day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFEjGActep8
Its ever so good that I've re-found RBT in the context of Susan Maughan as she is in a complete edition of 'Sunday Night At The London Palladium' in the month I was at Birmingham Children's Hospital to see if my congenital double hole meant a full heart replacement when I was just four - a rather less pleasant visit to Susan's adoptive home city than to the Central Library! It's good to see The Hollies on as well as I 'played' Bobby Elliott in a role-play at an interview session for tour guides at the 'Coronation Street' set in Manchester, where we had to imagine we were a personality on the Manchester music scene conducting a tour of the city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tN0NFQtBc
With your mention of that Flirtations performance of 'Nothing But A Heartache' at Tintern Abbey - and yes, it was quite a spectacle! - that's how I'd stumbled across the revived RBT channel as I recognised the treatment as similar to an early 1970s various artists Pop Promo video I'd seen some time ago and looked to see if there was that whole edition anywhere on YouTube. There must have been more than one edition as that 'Nothing But A Heartache' performance isn't here...but 'Give Me Love Love Love' is. There's also Mary Hopkin, Lulu and Sally Carr of Middle Of The Road for an aficionado of female singers like yourself to enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XitkBDGtbwY
Like The Flirtations, Miluška Voborníková did a video standing on a pile of logs, too, to 'Báječné ráno' ('Fabulous Morning')!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HJ_iFY8Am8
Hi, Christopher!
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed watching The Rubettes performing on the TV show hosted by The BC Rollers. A couple of years ago, I posted the music video of "Sugar Baby Love" and was surprised when my regular readers gave it a lukewarm response or, in some cases, no response at all. As I mentioned before, each of us has a unique set of filters, and it is actually rare for me to encounter people whose tastes closely match mine. You might be the only friend I have found so far who is as fond of The Rubettes' as I am.
I also enjoyed the roster of artists performing on music variety show from the London Palladium featuring The Hollies and the vivacious Susan Maughan, the latter a female artist who reminds me a lot of our Donna Loren, the famous singing "Dr Pepper Girl." (see my right sidebar, near bottom)
I also especially enjoyed the star-studded pop promo reel featuring Mary, Sally, Gilbert O, Dawn, Marmalade, Hot Choc, Lulu, The Flirtations and two bands led by Tony Burrows: Edison Lighthouse and White Plains. My fave recording by Tony Orlando is "Make Believe." On the 1969 single, Tony is backed by a studio group and they are credited as "Wind."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd49NwjiodE
Miluška Voborníková was a beauty with a voice to match.
Okay, my good friend. It is time for me to say goodbye for now and exit stage left. Our friendship is off to a flying start. It's exciting that we have so much to share with each other and a good bit in common. Take care until we get back together next month around V-Day, and thank you again for taking an interest in what I am doing here at Shady's Place Music & Memories.
Cheers, Christopher!
I'm glad you enjoyed The Rubettes. Like The Bay City Rollers, as time has gone on and there aren't quite the same hang-ups over 'cred' as in one's youth, I've got more and more into them. I was also very impressed with John Richardson's drumming on that 'Shang-A-Lang' edition, complete with twirling a drumstick around!
DeleteThat one who did a Slovak-language cover of 'Sugar Baby Love', Bobina Ulrichová can be seen in action behind Valérie Čižmárová in a video embedded at the 'Bananas For Breakfast' Blog post below. As you will note from the 'Girls Of The Golden East' Blog post linked therefrom, I have discovered another couple of celebrities, who, like Heather Graham, share Valinka's birthday, in Romania, no less. Get Valinka's voice as well as looks, like her friend Miluška's, in that video!
https://bananasforbreakfastblog.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/boldog-72-szuletesnapot-valinka/
Happy fifty-fourth, Heather!
If I don't hear from you immediately I'll quite understand.
Oh...and if I do hear from you reasonably soon, since I made a reference to 'Valéria' in that 'Bananas For Breakfast' Blog post and you make a reference to that Susan Maughan look-alike, Donna Loren amongst the personalities in your selection down the right-hand side, who is this 'Valeria of The V-Team'?
Silly me! I should have mentioned that early bit of Tony Orlando in my last reply.
DeleteThanks for linking that off to me. 'Make Believe' is one of those songs that starts off in a pretty unassuming vein then builds very nicely. I like songs like that!