Barbara Dickson
Encyclopedia
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE
(born Dunfermline
, Fife
, 27 September 1947) is a Scottish
singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well
" and "January February
". Dickson has placed fifteen album
s in the UK Albums Chart
from 1977 to date, and had a number of hit singles, including two which reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart
.
She is also a two-time Olivier Award
-winning actress
, with roles including Anita Braithwaite in TV's Band of Gold
and she was the original Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell's long-running musical Blood Brothers.
. Previously she lived in "Dolly Town", which no longer exists as it was demolished in the early 1970s. Her father was a cook on a tugboat at Rosyth Dockyard
and her mother was from Liverpool
. She went to Camdean Primary School
. An exhibition was held at Rosyth Parish Church, Fife, which had a section from Camdean concerning Dickson attending Camdean Primary School.
was in 1968. Her early work included albums with Archie Fisher
, the first of which, The Fate O' Charlie, a collection of songs from the Jacobite
rebellions, was released in 1969. Her first solo album was Do Right Woman
in 1970.
. He showed Dickson the first draft of what later became the award winning musical, John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert
, and asked her to perform the music. The combination of fine writing, a superb cast of young unknowns, (including Antony Sher
, Bernard Hill
and Trevor Eve
), and Dickson’s idiosyncratic interpretation of Beatles
songs made the show hugely successful.
The show’s co-producer, Robert Stigwood
, signed Dickson to his record label
, RSO Records
, where she recorded the album Answer Me
, arranged and produced by Junior Campbell
, the title track becoming a Top 10 hit
in 1976. This led to her guest residency on The Two Ronnies
, which brought Dickson’s singing to the attention of more than ten million BBC Television
viewers every week.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
and Tim Rice
also spotted Dickson in John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert, and invited her to record "Another Suitcase in Another Hall
" from their new musical Evita, which became her second hit in 1977. She contributed two tracks to Scouse the Mouse
a children's album (1977) with Ringo Starr
and others. Other hits including "Caravan
" and "January February
", followed in 1980. During the late 1970s, Dickson also contributed backing vocals
to two best-selling albums by the Scottish singer-songwriter
, Gerry Rafferty
: City to City
(1978) and Night Owl
(1979).
in 1984. She has reprised the role many times, the latest being 2004 at the Liverpool Empire Theatre
.
Later that year, Tim Rice approached Dickson to take part in the cast album recording of the musical Chess
, which included the song "I Know Him So Well
", a duet sung with Elaine Paige
. The song was a worldwide hit, and remained at number one in the UK Singles Chart
for four weeks. It is still cited in the Guinness World Records
as the best-selling female duet of all-time.
, Band of Gold
and The Missing Postman
. The writer and director Chris Bond created a stage show for Dickson in 1996 called The Seven Ages of Woman, which won her the Liverpool Echo
'Actress of the Year Award'. It premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse
and toured extensively in 1997 and 1998.
In 1999, Dickson starred in Spend Spend Spend
, a new musical by Steve Brown
and Justin Greene. The show, based on the rollercoaster life story of pools winner, Viv Nicholson
, played in the West End
to capacity audiences. For her portrayal of Nicholson, she was awarded ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ at the 2000 Laurence Olivier Awards
. She went on to star in the UK tour of the show.
Further theatre work followed in Friends Like This, the Heather Brothers musical A Slice of Saturday Night
and Fame
. During 2006, Dickson appeared as the Timekeeper in Alan Ayckbourn
and Denis King
’s fantasy musical play Whenever
for BBC Radio 4
. She has returned to TV recently in the BBC daytime drama series Doctors and her episode, "Mama Sings The Blues", was broadcast in March 2008.
, was produced and arranged by Troy Donockley
, and saw Dickson returning to her folk roots. In 2006, she issued a collection of the songs of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, Nothing's Gonna Change My World.
Dickson's twenty fourth studio album, Time and Tide, was released in January 2008 featuring a mix of contemporary and folk songs, including "Palm Sunday", which marked Dickson's return to songwriting after a break of almost twenty years. A live DVD
, Into the Light, was released to coincide with the release of Time and Tide and included, as well as some of her best-loved hits, several tracks from her new album. A double live CD, Barbara Dickson In Concert, was released in April 2009 and was followed later in the year by her autobiography, A Shirtbox Full of Songs. Between February and March 2011, Dickson undertook a tour of the UK and Ireland to promote her new studio album, Words Unspoken. Arranged and produced by Troy Donockley, the album included tracks such as "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Jamie Raeburn" and "The Trees They Do Grow High".
. She was awarded an O.B.E.
in the Queen's New Year Honours
in 2002 for her services to Music and Drama.
Solo albums
Singles
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, 27 September 1947) is a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well
I Know Him So Well
"I Know Him So Well" is a song from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing...
" and "January February
January February
January February is a song by Barbara Dickson released on 25 January, 1980 by Epic Records. It reached #11 in April 1980, spending 10 weeks in the charts and became one of Dickson's biggest hits. It also made the Top 20 in the German and South African charts....
". Dickson has placed fifteen album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
from 1977 to date, and had a number of hit singles, including two which reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
She is also a two-time Olivier Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
-winning actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, with roles including Anita Braithwaite in TV's Band of Gold
Band of Gold (TV series)
Band of Gold is a television drama series written by Kay Mellor and produced by Granada Television. It wasoriginally shown on ITV between 1995 and 1997...
and she was the original Mrs. Johnstone in Willy Russell's long-running musical Blood Brothers.
Early years
Dickson went to Woodmill HighWoodmill High School
Woodmill High School is a local authority run High School in Dunfermline, Scotland. It is one of four High Schools in the town.The school opened in 1958, to serve the expanding estates of Abbeyview, Touch and Garvock. The name Woodmill comes from the former purpose of the land it was built on. It...
. Previously she lived in "Dolly Town", which no longer exists as it was demolished in the early 1970s. Her father was a cook on a tugboat at Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which primarily undertakes refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels.-History:...
and her mother was from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. She went to Camdean Primary School
Camdean
Camdean is a small village in Rosyth, Fife, Scotland. It was renowned for being a hot spot with the local police for youth disorder and anti-social behaviour back in 2005 - 2008, as well as being well-known for its young team, the "Troops of Camdean."...
. An exhibition was held at Rosyth Parish Church, Fife, which had a section from Camdean concerning Dickson attending Camdean Primary School.
The 1960s
Dickson's singing career started in folk clubs around her native Fife in 1964. Her first commercial recordingSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
was in 1968. Her early work included albums with Archie Fisher
Archie Fisher
Archie Fisher MBE is a Scottish folk singer and song writer.-The early years:Archie Fisher was born in Glasgow on 23 October 1939 into a large singing family. His sister Cilla Fisher is also a professional singer, as was his late sister Ray. In 1960 he moved to Edinburgh and appeared regularly at...
, the first of which, The Fate O' Charlie, a collection of songs from the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
rebellions, was released in 1969. Her first solo album was Do Right Woman
Do Right Woman
Do Right Woman is the debut solo album by Barbara Dickson.Barbara Dickson's first two solo albums were on Decca Records. They won critical praise but poor sales. They show the repertoire that she had at that time as a singer in folk clubs...
in 1970.
The 1970s
She became a well-known face on the British folk circuit of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but changed her career course after meeting Willy Russell. He was at that time a young student running a folk club in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. He showed Dickson the first draft of what later became the award winning musical, John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert
John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert
John, Paul, George, Ringo...& Bert is a 1974 musical by Willy Russell based on the story of The Beatles. It premiered at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool in May 1974 where it ran for eight weeks and later moved to the Lyric Theatre in London in August 1974, where it ran for a year and was later...
, and asked her to perform the music. The combination of fine writing, a superb cast of young unknowns, (including Antony Sher
Antony Sher
Sir Antony Sher, KBE is a double Olivier Award winning South African-born British actor, writer, theatre director and painter.- Early years :...
, Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill is a British actor of film, stage and television. In a career spanning thirty years, he is best known for playing Yosser Hughes, the troubled 'hard man' whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking 1980s TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff...
and Trevor Eve
Trevor Eve
Trevor John Eve is a British film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC television drama Waking the Dead.-Early life:Eve was born in Sutton Coldfield,...
), and Dickson’s idiosyncratic interpretation of Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
songs made the show hugely successful.
The show’s co-producer, Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
, signed Dickson to his record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, RSO Records
RSO Records
RSO Records was a record label, formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood in 1973. The "RSO" stands for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. The company's main headquarters were at 67 Brook Street, in London's Mayfair...
, where she recorded the album Answer Me
Answer Me
"Answer Me" is a popular song, originally written by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman in 1952....
, arranged and produced by Junior Campbell
Junior Campbell
Junior Campbell is a Scottish composer, songwriter and musician. He was a founding member, lead guitarist, piano player, and singer with the Scottish band Marmalade and co-wrote and produced some of their biggest successes, including "Reflections of My Life", "I See The Rain" and "Rainbow".He...
, the title track becoming a Top 10 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1976. This led to her guest residency on The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
, which brought Dickson’s singing to the attention of more than ten million BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
viewers every week.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
also spotted Dickson in John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert, and invited her to record "Another Suitcase in Another Hall
Another Suitcase in Another Hall
"Another Suitcase in Another Hall" is a song from the musical Evita with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The song was first a hit in the UK for Barbara Dickson in 1977...
" from their new musical Evita, which became her second hit in 1977. She contributed two tracks to Scouse the Mouse
Scouse the Mouse
Scouse the Mouse is a children's album, released in Great Britain in 1977, that featured the vocals of Ringo Starr and others. Starr appears as the album's main character, Scouse the Mouse, who emigrates from Liverpool to the United States. Scouse is a word for things from Liverpool. Other...
a children's album (1977) with Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
and others. Other hits including "Caravan
Caravan
-Specific automobile models:*Dodge Caravan*Nissan Caravan*Opel Omega Caravan*Opel Astra Caravan*Chevrolet Caravan -Airplane models:*Cessna Caravan, a utility airplane*C-76 Caravan, an American 1940s medium military transport aircraft-Other:...
" and "January February
January February
January February is a song by Barbara Dickson released on 25 January, 1980 by Epic Records. It reached #11 in April 1980, spending 10 weeks in the charts and became one of Dickson's biggest hits. It also made the Top 20 in the German and South African charts....
", followed in 1980. During the late 1970s, Dickson also contributed backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
to two best-selling albums by the Scottish singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, Gerry Rafferty
Gerry Rafferty
Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty was a Scottish singer songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", "Days Gone Down", "Night Owl", "Get It Right Next Time", and with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in...
: City to City
City to City
City to City is an album by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. It was Rafferty's first solo release in six years - and first release of any kind since 1975 - due to his tenure in the band Stealer's Wheel and subsequent legal proceedings which prevented Rafferty from releasing any new solo...
(1978) and Night Owl
Night Owl (album)
Night Owl is a 1979 album by Gerry Rafferty. It was released a year after Rafferty's Platinum-selling album City to City. While not quite performing as well as its predecessor, Night Owl still managed enough sales to achieve Gold status in North America and the United Kingdom. The title song...
(1979).
The 1980s
In 1982, Russell invited Dickson to star in his new musical Blood Brothers in the pivotal role of the mother, Mrs. Johnstone. Although at first reluctant to accept, having never acted before, she garnered critical acclaim as well as 'Actress of the Year in a Musical' from the Society of West End TheatresThe Society of London Theatre
The Society of London Theatre is an umbrella organization for West End theatre in London.- TKTS, Half-Price Theatre Ticket Booth:...
in 1984. She has reprised the role many times, the latest being 2004 at the Liverpool Empire Theatre
Liverpool Empire Theatre
Liverpool Empire Theatre is located on the corner of Lime Street and London Road in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The theatre is the second to be built on the site, and was opened in 1925. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in Britain and can seat 2,350 people...
.
Later that year, Tim Rice approached Dickson to take part in the cast album recording of the musical Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
, which included the song "I Know Him So Well
I Know Him So Well
"I Know Him So Well" is a song from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing...
", a duet sung with Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
. The song was a worldwide hit, and remained at number one in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for four weeks. It is still cited in the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the best-selling female duet of all-time.
The 1990s
During the 1990s, Dickson appeared in various television dramas including TaggartTaggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
, Band of Gold
Band of Gold (TV series)
Band of Gold is a television drama series written by Kay Mellor and produced by Granada Television. It wasoriginally shown on ITV between 1995 and 1997...
and The Missing Postman
The Missing Postman
The Missing Postman is a two-part comedy drama originally broadcast on BBC One on the consecutive evenings of 29 March and 30 March 1997. Adapted from the Mark Wallington novel, it received the award for Best BBC Comedy Drama at the British Comedy Awards in 1997.-Synopsis:When Clive Peacock is...
. The writer and director Chris Bond created a stage show for Dickson in 1996 called The Seven Ages of Woman, which won her the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
'Actress of the Year Award'. It premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse
Liverpool Playhouse
The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actresses, some of which went on to achieve...
and toured extensively in 1997 and 1998.
In 1999, Dickson starred in Spend Spend Spend
Spend Spend Spend
Spend Spend Spend is a musical with a book and lyrics by Steve Brown and Justin Greene and music by Brown.In 1961, Yorkshire housewife Viv Nicholson won £152,319 in the football pools. When a reporter asked her what she planned to do with her new fortune, she replied, "I'm going to spend, spend,...
, a new musical by Steve Brown
Steve Brown (composer)
Steve Brown is a British composer.He wrote the book and lyrics and composed the score for Spend Spend Spend, which chronicled Viv Nicholson's rise and fall after winning a fortune in the football pools in the early 1960s....
and Justin Greene. The show, based on the rollercoaster life story of pools winner, Viv Nicholson
Viv Nicholson
Vivian Nicholson became publicly known overnight within Great Britain in 1961 when she received £152,319 in a football-pools win and announced to the press that she was going to "spend, spend, spend"...
, played in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
to capacity audiences. For her portrayal of Nicholson, she was awarded ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ at the 2000 Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
. She went on to star in the UK tour of the show.
Further theatre work followed in Friends Like This, the Heather Brothers musical A Slice of Saturday Night
A Slice of Saturday Night
A Slice of Saturday Night is a musical with book, lyrics and music by The Heather Brothers: Lea, Neil, Charles and John. The songs are a nostalgic pastiche of 1960s music, and the story tells a tale of teenage dreams and young love set around 1964 in a nightclub called Club-a-Go-Go.The Heather...
and Fame
Fame (musical)
A stage musical based on the 1980 musical film Fame has been staged under two titles. The first, 'Fame – The Musical' conceived and developed by David De Silva, is a musical with a book by Jose Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The musical premiered in 1988 in Miami,...
. During 2006, Dickson appeared as the Timekeeper in Alan Ayckbourn
Alan Ayckbourn
Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their...
and Denis King
Denis King
Denis King is an English Ivor Novello award-winning composer, singer and actor.As a writer he composed music for the British television series The Adventures of Black Beauty, Within These Walls, Lovejoy and Worzel Gummidge amongst others. He also composed the theme to the 1992 series The New...
’s fantasy musical play Whenever
Whenever (play)
Whenever is a 2000 children's musical play with words Alan Ayckbourn and music by Denis King, that was shown as the Stephen Joseph Theatre's Christmas production. It is loosely derived from The Wizard of Oz, and it is about a young Victorian girl named Emily to travels back and forth in time to...
for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. She has returned to TV recently in the BBC daytime drama series Doctors and her episode, "Mama Sings The Blues", was broadcast in March 2008.
The 2000s
In 2003, Dickson worked with Russell again, providing backing vocals for his album Hoovering the Moon. In 2004 The Platinum Collection, featuring some of her most successful recordings, reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart. Her 2004 album, Full CircleFull Circle (Barbara Dickson album)
Full Circle is an album by Barbara Dickson.Full Circle was Barbara Dickson's 2004 studio album which, as the title suggests, saw her returning to her first love - folk music. The album also marked the beginning of her musical partnership with Troy Donockley who arranged and produced the album...
, was produced and arranged by Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of uillean pipes.- Early life and career :...
, and saw Dickson returning to her folk roots. In 2006, she issued a collection of the songs of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, Nothing's Gonna Change My World.
Dickson's twenty fourth studio album, Time and Tide, was released in January 2008 featuring a mix of contemporary and folk songs, including "Palm Sunday", which marked Dickson's return to songwriting after a break of almost twenty years. A live DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, Into the Light, was released to coincide with the release of Time and Tide and included, as well as some of her best-loved hits, several tracks from her new album. A double live CD, Barbara Dickson In Concert, was released in April 2009 and was followed later in the year by her autobiography, A Shirtbox Full of Songs. Between February and March 2011, Dickson undertook a tour of the UK and Ireland to promote her new studio album, Words Unspoken. Arranged and produced by Troy Donockley, the album included tracks such as "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Jamie Raeburn" and "The Trees They Do Grow High".
Awards
Married with three sons, Dickson lives in LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. She was awarded an O.B.E.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the Queen's New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
in 2002 for her services to Music and Drama.
Selected discography
Archie Fisher and Barbara Dickson- The Fate o' Charlie (also with John MacKinnon) (1969)
- Thro' the Recent Years (1970)
Solo albums
- Do Right WomanDo Right WomanDo Right Woman is the debut solo album by Barbara Dickson.Barbara Dickson's first two solo albums were on Decca Records. They won critical praise but poor sales. They show the repertoire that she had at that time as a singer in folk clubs...
(1970) - From the Beggar's MantleFrom The Beggar's MantleFrom the Beggar's Mantle ... Fringed with Gold is an album by Barbara Dickson."The Morning Lies Heavy on Me" by Allan Taylor is a soldier's farewell to his family. Dickson had met the folk singer Daisy Chapman in 1968, and had learned "The Orange and the Blue" directly from her. It is a longer...
(1972) - Answer Me (1976)
- Morning Comes Quickly (1977)
- Sweet Oasis (1978)
- The Barbara Dickson AlbumThe Barbara Dickson AlbumThe Barbara Dickson Album is a 1980 album released by Scottish singer Barbara Dickson.The album was released following her return to the top 20 with the single "January February". Produced by prolific songwriter Alan Tarney, the album was a success, reaching No.7 in the UK Charts and remaining in...
(1980) - You Know it's MeYou Know it's MeYou Know it's Me is a 1981 album released by Scottish singer Barbara Dickson.This was the second album by Dickson to be produced by Alan Tarney, following the success of the previous one. You Know it's Me wasn't as big a hit however, reaching No.39 in the UK charts and failing to produce a hit...
(1981) - All for a SongAll for a SongAll for a Song is a 1982 album by Barbara Dickson. The album was made up of mostly new recordings but included four of her past hits.- Background :...
(1982) - Here We Go (1982)
- Tell Me It's Not True - Blood Brothers mini-album (1983)
- Heartbeats (1984)
- GoldGold (Barbara Dickson album)Gold is a 1985 album by British singer Barbara Dickson. It featured her No.1 single "I Know Him So Well", which was a duet with Elaine Paige...
(1985) - The Right Moment (1986)
- After Dark (1987)
- Coming Alive Again (1989)
- Don't Think Twice It's Alright (1992)
- Parcel of Rogues (1994)
- Dark End of the Street (1995)
- The 7 Ages of Woman (1998)
- For The RecordFor the RecordFor the Record is a two-disc, 44-track greatest hits package released by the American country music band Alabama.The album chronicles the biggest hits from Alabama released between 1980 and 1998. The lineup includes all 33 of their Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks No...
(2002) - Full CircleFull Circle (Barbara Dickson album)Full Circle is an album by Barbara Dickson.Full Circle was Barbara Dickson's 2004 studio album which, as the title suggests, saw her returning to her first love - folk music. The album also marked the beginning of her musical partnership with Troy Donockley who arranged and produced the album...
(2004) - Nothing's Gonna Change My World (2006)
- Time and Tide (2008)
- Barbara Dickson In Concert (2009)
- Words Unspoken (2011)
Singles
- "Here Comes the SunHere Comes the Sun"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...
" (1974) - "Blue Skies" (1975)
- "Answer MeAnswer Me"Answer Me" is a popular song, originally written by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman in 1952....
" (1976) - "People Get ReadyPeople Get Ready (song)"People Get Ready" was a 1965 single by The Impressions, and the title track from the album of the same name. The single is today the group's best-known hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard R&B Chart and number 14 on the Billboard Pop Chart...
" (1976) - "Out Of Love With Love" (1976)
- "Another Suitcase in Another HallAnother Suitcase in Another Hall"Another Suitcase in Another Hall" is a song from the musical Evita with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The song was first a hit in the UK for Barbara Dickson in 1977...
" (1977) - "Lover's Serenade" (1977)
- "I Could Fall" (1977)
- "City To City" (1978)
- "Fallen Angel" (1978)
- "Come Back With The Same Look In Your Eyes" (1979)
- "Caravan Song" (1979)
- "January FebruaryJanuary FebruaryJanuary February is a song by Barbara Dickson released on 25 January, 1980 by Epic Records. It reached #11 in April 1980, spending 10 weeks in the charts and became one of Dickson's biggest hits. It also made the Top 20 in the German and South African charts....
" (1980) - "In the Night" (1980)
- "It's Really You" (1980)
- "Only Seventeen" (1981)
- "My Heart Lies" (1981)
- "Run Like the Wind" (1981)
- "Take Good Care" (1982)
- "I Believe In You" (1982)
- "Greatest Original Hits - 4 Track E.P" (1982)
- "Here we Go" (1982)
- "Stop in the Name of Love" (1982)
- "Tell Me It's Not True" (1983)
- "Keeping My Love for You" (1984)
- "I Don't Believe in Miracles" (1984)
- "I Know Him So WellI Know Him So Well"I Know Him So Well" is a song from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing...
" (with Elaine PaigeElaine PaigeElaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
) (1985) - "Still in the Game" (1985)
- "If You're Right" (1986)
- "Time After Time" (1986)
- "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" (1987)
- "Only A Dream In Rio" (1988)
- "Coming Alive Again" (1989)
- "All I Ask Of You" (with Jose CarrerasJosé CarrerasJosep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...
) (1989) - "Tears Of Rage" (1991)
- "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" (1992)
- "Blowin' In The Wind" (1992)
- "Love Hurts" (1995)