Julie Grant

Last updated

Julie Grant
Birth nameVivien Foreman
Born (1946-07-12) 12 July 1946 (age 75)
Blackpool, Lancashire, England
GenresPop music
Occupation(s)Singer
Years active1960s
Labels Pye Records

Julie Grant (born 12 July 1946) [1] is an English pop music singer, who was mainly active during the 1960s. She had three hits on the UK Singles Chart with "Up on the Roof", "Count on Me" (both 1963) and "Come to Me" (1964). [2] She also recorded a cover version of "Every Day I Have to Cry" (1964).

Contents

Grant was a contemporary of Petula Clark and Cilla Black, and Allmusic journalist, Richie Unterberger, noted "she had a strong, versatile voice" but was hindered by "her inability to carve out a recognizable stylistic niche". [1] [3]

Early life

Julie Grant was born Vivien Foreman in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. When Grant was aged 16 months her family – besides her parents she had an older brother and sister – relocated to Cape Town where at age four Grant won a local talent contest: her prize was the opportunity to perform a concert with a local orchestra who invited Grant to sing with them regularly over a period of some two years. Grant subsequently lived with her family for brief periods in Johannesburg and Victoria Falls, then returning with her family to England, first living in London where Grant attended the Italia Conte music conservatory and at age 9 appeared onstage at the Drury Lane Theatre in The King and I . Grant then moved with her family to Leeds, where Grant trained in dance and opera, vocalising with a local orchestra on weekends.

Recording career

At age 15 Grant was discovered by Frankie Vaughan and signed by Vaughan's agent Eric Easton who arranged for Grant to audition for Pye Records. Pye signed Grant who was still known as Vivien Foreman: as the label requested she adopt a stage name Grant formed "Julie Grant" from the name of her father's accountant Julian Grant. The debut single by Julie Grant, "Somebody Tell Him", was released in March 1962 and was the first of fifteen singles all produced by Tony Hatch [1] the fourth of which, a cover of The Drifters' US hit, "Up on the Roof", gave Grant her chart debut. Despite being beaten by a rival UK cover by Kenny Lynch, which reached No. 5 compared to the No. 33 peak of Grant's version, Grant was able to use the relative success of "Up on the Roof" to gain a series of television guest spots, plus star billing on a package tour which also featured The Rolling Stones, The Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley. [4] [5] Grant's profile was maintained by her follow-up single, the March 1963 release "Count on Me", which became her best chart placing in the UK at No. 24.

After five intervening single releases Grant was afforded a third and final UK chart hit with the August 1964 release "Come to Me", an orchestral ballad (as opposed to Grant's earlier Merseybeat-style hits) which reached No. 31. Grant had no further single releases until January 1965. It has been alleged that Grant turned down the opportunity to record the Tony Hatch composition, "Downtown", recorded by Petula Clark on 16 October 1964 to become an international hit. [1] However, Hatch has said that he only completed the lyrics of "Downtown" after Clark had heard the melody and asked to record it, and also said that prior to Clark's involvement he had thought to place the song with the Drifters: "it never occurred to me [originally] that a white woman could even sing it." [6] From January 1965 Pye issued four singles by Grant with the fourth: "Stop" released 17 September 1965, bringing Grant's Pye Records tenure to a close. [7] Tony Hatch would later recall: "I thought Julie Grant was great and I’m sorry I never managed to help her achieve her full potential. No doubt I was producing too many artistes at this time, especially girls. In those years, in-house producers often faced this problem and I could never give her the attention she deserved." [8]

Later career and life

In 1967, Grant's manager suggested that she join the Zaras, a Spanish-based lounge act who, prior to Grant's recruitment, comprised the Zaratiegui family: four brothers and two sisters from Tafalla. Grant first toured Europe with the Zaras under the aegis of the USO: in 1969 the Zaras accepted an offer for a three-month engagement in the United States where subsequent engagements resulted in the group's members including Grant making Las Vegas their home base from 1970, which year Grant married Marino Zaratiegui of the Zaras with whom she has a daughter. [9] Until 1975 Grant performed as female lead for the Zaras throughout the Caribbean, Canada, and the US, playing casinos, resorts and cruise ships.

From 1975 Grant performed as a solo act at the behest of David Connelly the road manager for the Carpenters whom Grant had met while performing in Toronto with the Zaras: Grant and Connelly formed a personal relationship – eventually marrying – and also a professional one as Connelly became Grant's manager. A 1988 article which described Grant as "performing on the Las Vegas/Atlantic City resort circuit since the late 1970s" quoted her as saying: "Until last year, I was on the road fifty weeks a year. But I was to the point where I said: 'It's time for myself and my family'" (Grant was also described as "the mother of three teen-agers"). [10] In 1994, Grant retired from performing to work as a booking agent and she, and her husband, are still running their own talent agency. [1] [7] [11]

Grant, who was featured on recordings by the Zaras, also recorded in 1985 for Estate Records, a label headed by Paul Leka. In 2010, Grant self-released a live album that had been recorded at the Hilton Hotel in Springfield, Virginia, in 1978. [4]

She currently lives in Gilford, New Hampshire. [4]

Discography

Chart singles

YearTitle
Songwriters		 UK Singles Chart [2]
1962"Up on the Roof"
(Gerry Goffin / Carole King)		Number 33
1963"Count on Me"
(Tony Hatch)		Number 24
1964"Come to Me"
(John Beveridge / Charles Pryor)		Number 31

Compilation albums

YearTitleNote
1994 [12] Count on Me (RPM Records)Come to Me has the same track listing and order as Count on Me
2004 [13] Come to Me: The Pye Anthology (Castle Music)

Related Research Articles

Petula Clark British actress and singer

Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE is a British singer, actress, and composer.

Downtown (Petula Clark song)

"Downtown" is a song written and produced by Tony Hatch which, as recorded by Petula Clark in 1964, became an international hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. Hatch received the 1981 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

This Is My Song (1967 song) 1967 single by Petula Clark

"This Is My Song" is a song written by Charlie Chaplin in 1966, and performed by Petula Clark.

Jackie Trent English singer-songwriter and actress

Jackie Trent was an English singer-songwriter and actress. She was best known for co-writing the theme tunes to the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 1985.

Tony Hatch English composer

Anthony Peter Hatch is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer.

My Love (Petula Clark song) 1965 single by Petula Clark

"My Love" is a 1965 single release by Petula Clark which, in early 1966, became an international hit, reaching No. 1 in the US: the track continued Clark's collaboration with songwriter and record producer Tony Hatch.

Sign of the Times (Petula Clark song) 1966 single by Petula Clark

"Sign of the Times", also known as "A Sign of the Times", is a song performed by Petula Clark and released from her album My Love in March 1966. It was the follow-up to her #1 US hit "My Love," which had been the title selection from the aforementioned album, and it continued her association with writer/producer Tony Hatch and songwriter Jackie Trent. However, "A Sign of the Times" had a more percussive sound than had been evident on Clark's previous singles, or than would become evident on her later ones. Clark discussed the song with Carl Wiser for Songfacts.com in 2013. "I loved it. It had a slightly different feel. 'A Sign of the Times,' I suppose you might expect some big political statement or something, but it was just a straight-ahead love song. I think Tony rather liked finding titles that made you think, like 'Don't Sleep in the Subway.' People would think, is it about drugs? Is it about this? And these were just straightforward songs. I like 'Sign of the Times.' I think it's a good song."

Round Every Corner 1965 single by Petula Clark

"Round Every Corner", with words and music by Tony Hatch, is a single release by Petula Clark recorded in July 1965 at the Pye Studios in Marble Arch. The personnel on the session, produced by Hatch, included guitarist Big Jim Sullivan.

I Know a Place 1965 single by Petula Clark

"I Know a Place" is a song with music and lyrics by Tony Hatch. It was recorded in 1965 by Petula Clark at the Pye Studios in Marble Arch in a session which featured drummer Bobby Graham and the Breakaways vocal group.

I Couldnt Live Without Your Love 1966 single by Petula Clark

"I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" is a 1966 single written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent and recorded by Petula Clark. It was inspired by the affair the songwriters were having at the time. Clark has cited "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" along with "Don't Sleep in the Subway" as her favorites of her hits. “I still love that one; I do it onstage with great joy,” Clark told the "Montreal Gazette" in 2017.

Colour My World (Petula Clark song) 1966 single by Petula Clark

"Colour My World" is a song written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent, and recorded by Petula Clark in 1966.

<i>Call Me</i> (Petula Clark song)

"Call Me" is a song composed by Tony Hatch for an original recording for Petula Clark. It was later an easy listening standard via a hit version by Chris Montez.

Youre the One (Petula Clark song)

"You're the One" is a song by Petula Clark with lyrics by Tony Hatch, recorded in 1965. It was later also included on the 1965 album I Know a Place. "You're the One" was a Top 30 hit on the UK Singles Chart for Clark, but was more successful as a top ten US single release by The Vogues.

<i>Downtown</i> (Petula Clark album) 1965 studio album by Petula Clark

Downtown is an album by Petula Clark following the success of her single of the same title. The album's tracks were all produced, arranged and conducted by Tony Hatch and were recorded at the Pye Studios in Marble Arch with the session personnel including drummer Bobby Graham, guitarist Big Jim Sullivan and the Breakaways vocal group; the "Downtown" track included guitarists Vic Flick and Jimmy Page in addition to Sullivan. Most of the album's tracks pre-dated the title cut, with almost all of the sides Hatch had produced from their inaugural collaboration: the 1963 single "Let Me Tell You Baby", being included.

<i>I Know a Place</i> (Petula Clark album) 1965 studio album by Petula Clark

I Know a Place is the second album release by Petula Clark, which in the USA charted at #42. In the UK, the album was released as The New Petula Clark Album, a name which was dropped during later re-releases to prevent confusion among record-buyers.

<i>My Love</i> (Petula Clark album) 1966 studio album by Petula Clark

My Love is an album released by Petula Clark; her first album to feature recording done in the United States, My Love was produced, arranged, and conducted by Tony Hatch. In the US, it was her fourth album licensed to Warner Bros. Records. After the single release of "A Sign of the Times" charted, new pressings of the album were titled A Sign of the Times/My Love.

<i>These Are My Songs</i> 1967 studio album by Petula Clark

These Are My Songs is a 1967 album released by Petula Clark. In a break with longtime collaborator Tony Hatch, Clark joined forces with producer Sonny Burke and arranger/conductor Ernie Freeman for this release.

Kiss Me Goodbye (Petula Clark song) 1968 single by Petula Clark

"Kiss Me Goodbye" is a Les Reed/ Barry Mason composition recorded in 1968 by Petula Clark.

<i>Petula</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Petula Clark

Petula is a 1968 Pye Records album release by Petula Clark leased to Warner Bros. in the USA.

"Sailor" is the title of the English-language rendering of the 1959 schlager composition "Seemann " originally written in German by Werner Scharfenberger and lyricist Fini Busch : featuring lyrics in English by Norman Newell, "Sailor" would in 1961 afford Petula Clark her first UK #1 hit, simultaneously granting Top Ten success to Anne Shelton while also bringing her chart career to a close. Clark was also afforded international success with both her recording of "Sailor" and also with Marin the French-language rendering of the song.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Richie Unterberger. "Julie Grant". Allmusic . Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  2. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 234. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ "Blackpool History". Blackpool4me.com. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 John Koziol (6 July 2010). "'Live' after all these years". Foster's Daily Democrat . Fosters.com. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  5. ↑ Wyman, Bill (1990). Stone Alone: the story of a rock 'n' roll band (1st ed.). London: Viking. p.  262. ISBN   0-670-82894-7.
  6. ↑ Lavin, Christine (2010). Cold Pizza For Breakfast: a mem-wha?? New Haven, Connecticut: Tell Me Press. p.218 ISBN   978-0-9816453-6-0
  7. 1 2 "Julie Grant". 45-rpm.org.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Tony Hatch – The man, the myth, the tacos". Tonyhatch.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  9. ↑ "Julie Grant". Schenectady Gazette (26 October 1970): 16.
  10. ↑ "Julie Grant Revives Cabaret Atlantic City – Morning Call". Articles.mcall.com. 19 June 1988. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "English Wolf Music LLC". Englishwolfmusic.com. 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  12. ↑ Richie Unterberger. "Count on Me – Julie Grant | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Come to Me – Julie Grant | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. 25 January 2005. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.