Eliza Keil

Last updated

Eliza Keil
Studio portrait of singer Eliza Keil, 1968 - 2 (cropped).jpg
Keil in 1968
Background information
Origin Western Samoa
Genrespop,
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1956– ?
Labels Viking Records, Salem Records, Philips Records, Family Records

Samoan-born Eliza Keil started out singing with her brothers in the popular New Zealand rock & roll group the Keil Isles and would later become a solo artist in her own right with a string of TV appearances and a part in a film.

Contents

Career

1960s

Eliza Keil was the sister of Olaf, Herma and Klaus Keil. She was also the cousin of Freddie and Alphonso. In approximately a ten-year period she had at least five singles released as well as three albums from 1967 to 1973.

In 1966 she and brother Herma appeared in the film Don't Let It Get To You . This film also featured Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Howard Morrison. [1]

In or around 1967 she was a regular resident singer on Television New Zealand's "C'mon" show. She was on the touring spectacular of the show with her brother Herma. She was invited to guest on his farewell tour for New Zealand singing star Mr Lee Grant in 1968. [2]

1970s

In 1970, her album Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, which was arranged by Don Richardson was released on the Philips label. [3] It was reported that year in the March 28 edition of The New Zealand Herald that she and her seven-piece backing group were on a tour, doing a round of the Pacific Islands. She was to perform in Fiji, Western Samoa and American Samoa, doing stage shows and a hotel engagement. [4]

In later years she moved to the United States with her brothers and sisters. [5] Her parents were in the States and her move there in 1972 was partly to gain some overseas experience. [6]

Releases

45

LP

Compilation appearances

Film and television appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. J. Thomas</span> American singer (1942–2021)

Billy Joe Thomas was an American singer widely known for his country, contemporary Christian and pop hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal David</span> American lyricist (1921–2012)

Harold Lane David was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick.

Sharon Lea O'Neill is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with "Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Association of New Zealand charts.

"Duffless" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 18, 1993. Homer gets arrested for drunk driving, and Marge asks him to stop drinking beer for a month. Meanwhile, after Bart ruins Lisa's science fair project, she attempts to get revenge by proving that he is dumber than a hamster.

<i>The Best of Johnny Farnham</i> 1971 greatest hits album by Johnny Farnham

The Best Of Johnny Farnham is the first compilation album by Australian singer Johnny Farnham, it was released on World Record Club in 1971. "Sadie " was first released in November 1967 and peaked at No. 1 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts for five weeks early in 1968. His cover of the B. J. Thomas hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" had been released in November 1969 and peaked at No. 1 for seven weeks in January–March 1970. The album cover was available in a variety of colours including orange, red and blue.

<i>Together</i> (John Farnham and Allison Durbin album) 1971 studio album by Johnny Farnham, Allison Durbin

Together is a studio album of duets by Australian pop singers John Farnham and Allison Durbin, which was released on HMV for EMI Records in September 1971. It peaked at No. 20 on the Australian Go-Set's Albums Chart.

The Keil Isles were a New Zealand-based Rock & Roll group which consisted of the Keil Brothers, Olaf, Herman, Rudolf, Klaus and their cousin Freddie Keil. They were all Samoans with German ancestry.

Herma Keil along with brothers Olaf, Klaus, Rudolf and cousin Freddie Keil formed The Keil Isles in the 1950s which proved to be a popular hit making band. The band at one stage was billed as Herma Keil & The Keil Isles. He was their lead vocalist for six years from 1960 until 1966. He along with sister Eliza left the band to pursue solo careers. He released records under his own name as a solo artist and he and sister Eliza appeared in the musical comedy film Don't Let It Get To You.

Freddie Keil was a musician most notable as a member of The Keil Isles in New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s. The former dry cleaner was born in Western Samoa and was part German. He migrated to New Zealand. In the 1950s he joined cousins Olaf, Rudolf, Klaus and Herma Keil and they became The Keil Isles which went on to become one of New Zealand's most successful groups of the 1950s and 1960s. After having a falling-out with his cousin Herma he left the band and formed his own group The Zodiacs who were to eventually change into Freddie Keil and the Kavaliers.

The Kavaliers were an early 1960s New Zealand rock and roll band that evolved out of a group called The Zodiacs and were fronted by Samoan born lead singer Freddie Keil. They released a string of singles in the 1960s. The band's name would be resurrected in the 2000s by Freddie's younger brother Alphonso Keil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zodiac Records (New Zealand)</span>

Zodiac Records was a New Zealand based label founded in 1950. It was originally owned by Stebbing Recording and Sound, Ltd.(until 1965) then Zodiac Records Ltd., headquartered in Auckland; the company also released both 78s and 45s. Artists that released their records on that label included Howard Morrison, Herma Keil The Keil Isles, Ray Columbus and The Invaders, Allison Durbin, Sandy Edmonds, The Pleazers, The Gremlins. It also had a distributed label, Viscount Records, owned by Gary Daverne, Eldred's cousin.

Don't Let It Get You is a film made in New Zealand and Sydney, Australia in 1966. It is notable for the period it was made in as well as the popular musical acts that featured in it.

<i>Get Together with Andy Williams</i> 1969 studio album by Andy Williams

Get Together with Andy Williams is the twenty-fourth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams which was released on October 6, 1969, by Columbia Records and contained covers of recent hits. The one new song was "You Are", which was written by Mac Davis.

<i>Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head</i> (Andy Williams album) 1970 studio album by Andy Williams

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head is the twenty-fifth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was released in the spring of 1970 by Columbia Records. Williams was less focused on covering recent hits on this project and instead selected several songs from the singer-songwriter genre. The concept for the album came from Mason Williams, who contacted producer Dick Glasser about co-producing an album that would give Williams's fans a medley of songs that did more than just highlight the most familiar parts of popular songs but rather focus on a unifying theme or storyline of songs that were not necessarily hit records. Billboard magazine opined that the album "may well be titled 'A Journey Through Life.' Through carefully selected songs it conveys a message of dreams, hopes, reality, frustrations and ultimate truth."

<i>Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1970 studio album by Johnny Mathis

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on February 25, 1970, by Columbia Records and included several covers of chart hits from the previous year along with 1964's "Watch What Happens" and the 1966 tunes "Alfie" and "A Man and a Woman".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head</span> 1969 song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The uplifting lyrics describe somebody who overcomes his troubles and worries by realizing that "it won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me."

<i>The Very Best of Andy Williams</i> (2009 album) 2009 compilation album by Andy Williams

The Very Best of Andy Williams is a compilation album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released in the UK on October 5, 2009. A note from Williams inside the CD booklet explains that the album "was put together to coincide with my memoir Moon River and Me, published by Orion Press. It includes many of the songs that you made hits. I truly appreciate that, and I hope you enjoy the songs we selected for this CD." This compilation includes recordings that either charted in the UK but not in the US or charted much higher on the UK singles chart than they did on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It entered the UK albums chart on October 17, 2009, and reached number 10 during its six weeks there.

The Loxene Golden Disc was an annual New Zealand music award which ran from 1965 to 1972. It was superseded by the Recording Arts Talent Awards (RATA).

Nash Chase is a former pop singer from New Zealand who recorded for the Ode and HMV labels. He released a string of singles in the early 1970s. He is remembered for "What Greater Love", "Today I Killed a Man I Didn't Know" and "Anderson and Wise".

Donald George Evan Richardson was a musical arranger, producer, bandleader and promoter in New Zealand. As a songwriter, his songs became hits for some well, known New Zealand artists, including Saint Paul for Shane.

References