|
John Carter (English Musician)
John Nicholas Shakespeare (born 20 October 1940), known as John Carter, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. Overview Mainly popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, Carter's craftsmanship can be heard at work with: * Carter-Lewis and the Southerners. * The Ivy League - "Funny How Love Can Be", "That's Why I'm Crying", " Tossing and Turning" * Herman's Hermits - "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" * Brenda Lee - "Is It True?" * The Music Explosion - "Little Bit O' Soul" * Peter and Gordon - "Sunday for Tea" * The Flower Pot Men - "Let's Go to San Francisco" * The First Class - " Beach Baby" * Sacha Distel - "Vite, Cherie, Vite" (French version of "Beach Baby") * Mary Hopkin - "Knock, Knock Who's There?" * Kincade - "Dreams Are Ten A Penny" Biography Carter met his future songwriting partner Ken Hawker at school in Birmingham. They formed a skiffle band in the 1950s called LVI. It was then they began writing songs together: "We began to write real Buddy Holly take-o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Heath, Birmingham
Small Heath is an area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman times, sits on top of a small hill. The slightly elevated site offers poor agricultural land, lying on a glacial drift of sand, gravel, and clay, resulting in a heathland that provides adequate grazing for livestock. The land, therefore, seems to have developed as a pasture or common land, on which locals could graze their animals. However, the site lies directly on the route between Birmingham and Coventry, and so was probably used by drovers transporting animals to and from the two cities, and the livestock markets within each. The Coventry Road itself was first recorded in 1226, leading from the Digbeth crossing of the River Rea. At this time Birmingham was a medieval market town whilst Coventry was a major city of national importance. In 1745, the Coventry Turnpike wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Bit O' Soul
"Little Bit O' Soul" is a song written in 1964 by British songwriters John Carter and Ken Lewis. It was originally recorded by Coventry band The Little Darlings, and released in 1965 on Fontana Records in the UK. The Music Explosion version In 1967, the song was popularized in the United States by garage band The Music Explosion, whose version went to No. 1 on the ''Record World'' 100 Top Pops chart. and reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was the only hit for The Music Explosion. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of one million copies. It appeared on an album of the same name released in August 1967. "Little Bit O' Soul" has been subsequently covered by several bands including The Ramones and 2 Live Crew, who sampled the song’s melody A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's own. Many pseudonym holders use pseudonyms because they wish to remain anonymous, but anonymity is difficult to achieve and often fraught with legal issues. Scope Pseudonyms include stage names, user names, ring names, pen names, aliases, superhero or villain identities and code names, gamer identifications, and regnal names of emperors, popes, and other monarchs. In some cases, it may also include nicknames. Historically, they have sometimes taken the form of anagrams, Graecisms, and Latinisations. Pseudonyms should not be confused with new names that replace old ones and become the individual's full-time name. Pseudonyms are "part-time" names, used only in certain contexts – to provide a more clear-cut separation between ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, it became extremely popular in United Kingdom in the 1950s, where it was played by such artists as Lonnie Donegan, The Vipers Skiffle Group, Ken Colyer, and Chas McDevitt. Skiffle was a major part of the early careers of some musicians who later became prominent jazz, pop, blues, folk, and rock performers, The Beatles and Rory Gallagher amongst them. It has been seen as a critical stepping stone to the second British folk revival, the British blues boom, and the British Invasion of American popular music. Origins in the United States The origins of skiffle are obscure but generally thought to lie in African-American musical culture in the early 20th century. Skiffle is often said to have deve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken Lewis (songwriter)
Kenneth Alan James Hawker (3 December 1940 – 2 August 2015) known as Ken Lewis, was an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of the more successful songwriters of the 1960s as a result of his collaborations with John Carter. His biggest success was "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", which was a 1965 US number 2 hit single for Herman's Hermits. Life and career Early life Kenneth Alan James Hawker was born in Small Heath, Birmingham, England. While still at primary school, Lewis met his future songwriting partner John Shakespeare. They formed a skiffle band in the 1950s called LVI, when they began writing songs together. In 1960 the duo went to London, and presented themselves under their songwriting pseudonyms John Carter and Ken Lewis. Terry Kennedy became their manager and convinced them to start their own band as an outlet for their songs. Career In 1961, the first single by Carter-Lewis and the Southerners was released, "Back on the Scen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kincade (band)
Kincade was an English band that was formed in 1972. In that year, they had their hit single, "Dreams are Ten a Penny", but the band itself did not exist at the time. The song was written by John Carter and his wife Gill. Carter also sang all the vocals and played the guitar on the record. The song was released by the British record producer on the Penny Farthing Records label. Although the record was unsuccessful in the UK, it reached the #2 in Germany, spent six months on the charts there, and sold a million copies. John Kincade " Dreams Are Ten a Penny" eventually got on the charts in Australia, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and South Africa. In order to promote the hit, Penny Farthing Records recruited John Knowles as the frontman for Kincade since Carter was reluctant to tour as the performing artist. Knowles was successful as the frontman for Kincade and went on to change his name to John Kincade. Consequently, Larry Page launched John Kincade as a solo artist, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knock, Knock Who's There?
"Knock, Knock Who's There?" is a song written and composed by John Carter and Geoff Stephens, released on Apple Records. It was originally sung and recorded by the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin and was the 's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, where it came second. The single version was produced by Mickie Most and reached No. 2 on the UK charts. Overview On 7 March 1970, Mary Hopkin sang six songs at the UK National Final, ''A Song for Europe'', which was aired on the television series '' It's Cliff Richard!''. Hopkin was chosen by the BBC to be the United Kingdom's representative for that year, and the winner of a postal vote would determine which of the six songs would progress with her to the finals in Amsterdam. "Knock, Knock Who's There?", the sixth and final song performed that evening, won the postal vote with over 120,000 supporters. At Amsterdam, the song was performed seventh on the night, after 's Guy Bonnet with " Marie-Blanche", and before 's David A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin (born 3 May 1950), credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti from her marriage to Tony Visconti, is a Welsh singer-songwriter best known for her 1968 UK number 1 single "Those Were the Days". She was one of the first artists to be signed to The Beatles' Apple label. Biography Early singing career Hopkin was born into a Welsh-speaking family in Pontardawe, Wales; her father worked as a housing officer. She took weekly singing lessons as a child and began her musical career as a folk singer with a local group called the Selby Set and Mary. She released an EP of Welsh-language songs for a local record label called Cambrian, based in her hometown, before signing to Apple Records, owned by the Beatles, one of the first artists to do so. The model Twiggy saw her winning the ITV television talent show '' Opportunity Knocks'' and recommended her to Paul McCartney. Her debut single, "Those Were the Days", produced by McCartney, was released in the UK on 30 August ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sacha Distel
Alexandre "Sacha" Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004) was a French singer, guitarist, songwriter and actor who had hits with a cover version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in 1970, which reached No 10 in the UK Charts, " Scoubidou", and " The Good Life". He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1997. He had also scored a hit as a songwriter when Tony Bennett recorded Sacha's song for The Good Life in 1963. It peaked at #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and Top 10 on the Easy Listening chart. Career Distel was the son of Russian-French emigre Léonide Distel who was born in Odessa (Russian Empire) and French-Jewish pianist Andrée Ventura (1902–1965), born in Constantinople. His uncle was bandleader Ray Ventura. After Ventura settled in Paris with his orchestra Les Collégiens, Distel gave up piano and switched to guitar. During his career, Distel worked with Kenny Clarke, Jimmy Gourley, Lionel Hampton, Slide Hampton, Bobby Jaspar, Barney Kessel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as CDs replaced LPs as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he researched using metadata to create a music guide. In 1990, in Big Rapids, Michigan, he founded ''All Music Gui ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beach Baby
"Beach Baby" is a song by the British band The First Class. Written by John Carter and his wife, Gillian (Jill) Shakespeare, the song became the band's only substantial hit. The subject of the lyrics is not holiday love, but a broken love relationship between two high school students in Los Angeles in the 1950s. Background Carter and Shakespeare wrote "Beach Baby" in their home in East Sheen, South West London. Shortly afterward, Carter hired lead singer Tony Burrows and session singer Chas Mills to record it under the band name The First Class. Burrows attempts to sing the tune in an American accent, reflecting the song's California setting. Toward the end of the song are two instrumental quotations, both on the French horn: the main theme from the last movement of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony, and the tune of the title line from one of Carter's previous compositions, "Let's Go to San Francisco", a 1967 hit for The Flower Pot Men. The estate of Jean Sibelius filed a lawsuit a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The First Class
The First Class were a British pop music studio-based group, put together by songwriter and record producer John Carter. They are best known for their hit song " Beach Baby," a top 20 hit in both the US and UK. Career The First Class was the studio creation of British singer/songwriter John Carter, who hired singers Tony Burrows and Chas Mills to join him as an outlet for material Carter wrote, with his creative partner and wife, Gillian (Jill) Shakespeare. In the 1960s, Carter had formed the group Carter-Lewis and the Southerners with fellow producer Ken Lewis. That band dissolved when Carter and Lewis began working extensively as studio singers, appearing on the hits "It's Not Unusual" ( Tom Jones), " I Can't Explain" (The Who), "Hi Ho Silver Lining" ( Jeff Beck), "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (Sandie Shaw), "Excerpt From A Teenage Opera" ( Keith West), and " Out of Time" (Chris Farlowe). Concurrently with this session work, Carter was a member of The I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
