Frank Ifield

Frank Ifield

Infobox musical artist
Name = Frank Ifield
Img_capt = Frank Ifield in the 1960s
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Frank Ifield
Born = birth date and age|1937|11|30
flagicon|England Coundon, Coventry, England
Died =
Instrument = Vocals
Guitar
Genre = Country music
Easy listening
Occupation = Singer
Years_active = 1956 – present
Label = Columbia/EMI
Vee Jay (US)
Associated_acts = Roy Orbison
Cliff Richard
URL = [http://www.frankifield.com/ FrankIfield.com]

Frank Ifield (born Francis Edward Ifield, 30 November 1937, Coundon, Coventry, Warwickshire, England) is an Australian-English easy listening and country music singer. He achieved considerable success in the early 1960s, especially in the UK Singles Chart, where he had four #1 hits between 1962 and 1963.

Early years

Frank Ifield moved with his Australian parents to Dural, 50 km (30 miles) from Sydney, about 1946. It was a rural district and he listened to hillbilly music (now called country) while milking the cows. He learned how to yodel in imitation of country stars like Hank Snow. At the age of thirteen he recorded "Did You See My Daddy Over There?", and by the age of 19 was the number one recording star in Australia and New Zealand. He returned to the UK in 1959.

The hits

His first record in the UK was "Lucky Devil" (1960) which got to number 22 in the UK charts. His next six records were less successful, but he finally broke through with "I Remember You" which topped the charts for seven weeks in 1962. Known for Ifield's falsetto and a slight yodel, it became the top-selling single of that year and was one of the first million sellers within the UK alone.

His next single was a double A-side: "Lovesick Blues" and "She Taught Me How to Yodel". "Lovesick Blues" was originally sung by Hank Williams and was treated in an upbeat "Let's Twist Again" style. The other song is a virtuoso piece of yodelling with the final verse - entirely yodelling - sung at double-speed. It also reached number 44 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. His next hit, "Wayward Wind", made him the first UK-based person to reach number one three times in the UK in succession. The only other person to have done so at that point was Elvis Presley.

His other recordings include "Nobody's Darling but Mine", "Confessin'" (his fourth and final UK chart topper), "Mule Train" and "Don't Blame Me". In 1963 he sang at the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by one of his heroes, Hank Snow. Many of his records were produced by Norrie Paramor.

Discography

Albums

* 1963 - "I'll Remember You"
* 1963 - "Born Free"
* 1964 - "Blue Skies"
* 1964 - "Greatest Hits"

Singles

* 1960 - "Lucky Devil"
* 1961 - "I Remember You"
* 1962 - "Lovesick Blues"
* 1962 - "She Taught Me How to Yodel"
* 1962 - "Wayward Wind"

Jolly What!

Ifield toured the UK, supported by The Beatles. While Vee-Jay Records temporarily had the rights to a number of The Beatles' recordings, they released an album called "Jolly What England's Greatest Recording Stars: The Beatles and Frank Ifield on Stage" on 26 February 1964. This consists of four studio recordings, all previously released, of the Beatles plus eight recordings of Ifield. The original pressing has a drawing of a chubby old man with a moustache, and is itself quite rare. However, just before Vee Jay's publishing rights were about to expire on 10 October 1964 they changed the sleeve cover to a drawing of the Beatles. Probably less than one hundred copies were pressed. It is one of the rarest Beatles albums. Three sealed stereo copies were discovered in 1976. The first copy sold for $600, the second for $900 and the third for $1800. One of the three was sold in 1995 for $22,000. [cite web|url=http://www.rarebeatles.com/photospg/ifield.htm|title=Beatles and Frank Ifield] The album has been called a "rip-off", due to its intentional misleading of buyers. Many were quick to point out that the album consisted of solely studio recordings and not "on Stage", that Frank Ifield was, while a moderate success, far from the "Greatest Recording Star" in England, and that all the material by the Beatles had been previously released which the album failed to note. [http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/ifield.asp] The album is also known for a mistake in the liner notes: "It is with a good deal of pride and pleasure that this copulation has been presented." The word "copulation" should presumably have been compilation. [http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/ifield.asp ]

A Song for Europe

Ifield twice entered the UK heat of the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1962 (see: United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962) he came second with "Alone Too Long" (losing to Ronnie Carroll). In 1976 (see: United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976) he tried with "Ain't Gonna Take No For An Answer", finishing last of 12.

More recently

In 1991, Ifield returned to the UK chart when "She Taught Me to Yodel", billed as 'Frank Ifield featuring The Backroom Boys', reaching #40 in the UK Singles Chart. In over thirty years, it is his sixteenth appearance in that list.

References

External links

* [http://www.theofficialcharts.com/ The Official UK Charts]
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3095255 Frank Ifield with autograph seekers, 1962]
* [http://www.music-city.org/Frank-Ifield/discography/ Frank Ifield discography from Music City]
* [http://www.frankifield.com/ Frank Ifield's official website]


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