Maureen Evans
Encyclopedia
Maureen Evans is a Welsh
pop
singer who achieved fame briefly in the 1960s.
's Gypsy Band in the mid 1950s, mainly doing summer seasons at UK holiday resorts such as Llandudno
.
She released her first singles
in 1958 on the Embassy Records
label. Embassy was Woolworth's
budget price record label
. She reached the UK Singles Chart
in 1960 with the song "The Big Hurt", but her biggest hit
was 1962's "Like I Do", which peaked at #3 in the UK in early 1963.
The song
had been recorded in the U.S.
by Nancy Sinatra
and was based on a piece of classical music
, Dance of the Hours
. The tune was also used for the comedy
record
, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
", by Allan Sherman
and made the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100
. Sinatra's version of "Like I Do", topped the chart
in both Japan
and Italy
.
In 1963, Evans competed in the British trials for the Eurovision Song Contest
with the song "Pick the Petals", but came in third; Ronnie Carroll
represented the UK that year in the competition. She continued releasing singles into the 1960s, as well as one EP
(1963's Melancholy Me, on Oriole Records
) and an album
, Like I Do, also on Oriole (1963).
Evans owned the Maureen Evans Theatre School in West Grove, Cardiff for many years, which taught children aged 6 to 18 years old, how to sing, dance and act. In 2010, however, the Theatre School was shut down.
Oriole Records
CBS Records
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer who achieved fame briefly in the 1960s.
Career
Evans career began as a singer with WaldiniWaldini
Waldini was the stage name of Wallace Bishop, a musician, band leader and impresario born in Cardiff, South Wales, in 1894. His career spanned 6 decades, each providing its own challenges that were met head on by the man known to some as The Great Waldini and to others as Cardiff's Mr...
's Gypsy Band in the mid 1950s, mainly doing summer seasons at UK holiday resorts such as Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
.
She released her first singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1958 on the Embassy Records
Embassy Records
Embassy Records was originally a UK budget record label that produced cover versions of current hit songs that were sold exclusively in Woolworths shops at a cheaper price than the original recordings. As such, Embassy can be seen as the UK equivalent of U.S. labels such as Hit and Bell Records...
label. Embassy was Woolworth's
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
budget price 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,...
. She reached 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 ...
in 1960 with the song "The Big Hurt", but her biggest 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...
was 1962's "Like I Do", which peaked at #3 in the UK in early 1963.
The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
had been recorded in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
and was based on a piece of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Hours is a short ballet from Act 3, Scene 2 of the opera La Gioconda composed by Amilcare Ponchielli. It depicts the hours of the day through solo and ensemble dances. The opera was first performed in 1876 and was revised in 1880...
. The tune was also used for the comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh " is a Grammy Award-winning novelty song by Allan Sherman, based on letters of complaint he received from his son Robert while Robert attended Camp Champlain in Westport, New York. The song is a parody that complains about the fictional "Camp Granada" and is set to the...
", by Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
and made the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Sinatra's version of "Like I Do", topped the chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in both Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In 1963, Evans competed in the British trials for the Eurovision Song Contest
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963
The United Kingdom held a national preselection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1963. It was held on February 24, 1963 and presented by David Jacobs.-Results: Artist Song Place Anne Shelton...
with the song "Pick the Petals", but came in third; Ronnie Carroll
Ronnie Carroll
Ronnie Carroll is a Northern Irish singer and entertainer.-Career:...
represented the UK that year in the competition. She continued releasing singles into the 1960s, as well as one EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(1963's Melancholy Me, on Oriole Records
Oriole Records
Oriole Records may refer to:* Oriole Records * Oriole Records...
) and an 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...
, Like I Do, also on Oriole (1963).
Evans owned the Maureen Evans Theatre School in West Grove, Cardiff for many years, which taught children aged 6 to 18 years old, how to sing, dance and act. In 2010, however, the Theatre School was shut down.
Singles
Embassy RecordsEmbassy Records
Embassy Records was originally a UK budget record label that produced cover versions of current hit songs that were sold exclusively in Woolworths shops at a cheaper price than the original recordings. As such, Embassy can be seen as the UK equivalent of U.S. labels such as Hit and Bell Records...
- 1958 "Stupid Cupid" / "Carolina Moon"
- 1958 "FeverFever (1956 song)"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
" / "Born Too Late" - 1958 "Hula Hoop Song" / "Hoopa Hoola"
- 1958 "I'll Get ByI'll Get By (as Long as I Have You)"I'll Get By " is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk. It was published in 1928 and originally sung by Aileen Stanley. The song was revived to even greater success in 1944, when the 1940 recording by Harry James was re-released...
" / "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"Someday " is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Hodges and was published in 1944.The song has become a standard, recorded by many pop and country music singers.-Charting versions:...
" - 1958 "You Always Hurt the One You LoveYou Always Hurt the One You Love"You Always Hurt the One You Love" is a pop standard, words by Allan Roberts and music by Doris Fisher. It has been performed by many artists over the years, such as The Mills Brothers, Connie Francis , Fats Domino, The Impressions,Frankie Laine, Richard Chamberlain , Peggy Lee, Maureen Evans,...
" / "The Day The Rains Came" - 1958 "Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss Me" / "To Know Him Is to Love HimTo Know Him Is to Love Him"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by words on his father's tombstone. It was first recorded by his first vocal group, the only one of which he was a member, the Teddy Bears. Their recording went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1958...
" - 1959 "May You AlwaysMay You Always"May You Always" is a popular song by Larry Markes and Dick Charles , published in 1959.The biggest hit version in the United States was by The McGuire Sisters ; in the United Kingdom, by Joan Regan . The song was also subsequently covered by Bobby Vinton and Maureen Evans...
" / "Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye" - 1959 "Lipstick On Your Collar" / "What a Diff'rence a Day MadeWhat a Diff'rence a Day Made"What a Diff'rence a Day Made" is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Méndez Grever , a Mexican composer, in 1934. Originally, the song was known as Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado...
" - 1959 "Broken Hearted MelodyBroken Hearted Melody"Broken Hearted Melody" is a popular song first published in 1958. The words were written by Hal David and the music by Sherman Edwards.The song became a major hit for Sarah Vaughan in 1959, peaking at #7 in the Billboard Charts. This version was released by Mercury Records under catalog number...
" / "Plenty Good Lovin'" - 1959 "Among My Souvenirs" / "Happy AnniversaryHappy Anniversary (1959 song)"Happy Anniversary" is a popular song with music written by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman and published in 1959. It was introduced in the movie of the same name. Recordings have been made by The Four Lads, Jane Morgan, Maureen Evans and Joan Regan....
"
Oriole Records
Oriole Records
Oriole Records may refer to:* Oriole Records * Oriole Records...
- 1959 "Don't Want The Moonlight" / "The Years Between"
- 1960 "The Big Hurt" / "I Can't Begin to Tell YouI Can't Begin to Tell You"I Can't Begin to Tell You" is a popular song with music written by James V. Monaco and lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1945.The song was introduced by John Payne and reprised by Betty Grable in the film The Dolly Sisters. A version by Bing Crosby was the best-known recording,...
" - UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#26 - 1960 "Love Kisses and Heartaches" / "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye" - UK #44
- 1960 "Paper RosesPaper Roses"Paper Roses" is a popular song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre which was a hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant with Monty Kelly's Orchestra and Chorus and later for Marie Osmond in 1973....
" / "Please Understand" - UK #40 - 1961 "Mama Wouldn't Like It" / "My Little Corner of the WorldMy Little Corner of the World"My Little Corner of the World" is a 1960 love song with music written by Lee Pockriss and lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was first recorded by singer Anita Bryant in 1960, as "In My Little Corner of the World", and released on the album Hear Anita Bryant in Your Home Tonight!...
" - 1961 "As Long as He Needs MeAs Long as He Needs MeAs Long as He Needs Me is a torch song sung by the character of Nancy in the musical film Oliver!, introduced in the 1960 musical. It is a love ballad about her criminal boyfriend Bill Sikes...
" / "Where Is Love" - 1961 "TillTill (song)"Till" is a popular song with music by Charles Danvers and English lyrics by Carl Sigman, released in January 1957 by Percy Faith. It was derived from the French song "Prière Sans Espoir", released in 1956 by Lucien Lupi on the EP L'Amour Viendra with original French lyrics written by Pierre Benoit...
" / "Why Don't You Believe Me?Why Don't You Believe Me?"Why Don't You Believe Me?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, King Laney, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952.A recording by Joni James reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1952...
" - 1962 "My Foolish HeartMy Foolish Heart (song)"My Foolish Heart" is a popular song that was published in 1949.The music was written by Victor Young and the lyrics by Ned Washington. The song was introduced by the singer Martha Mears in the 1949 film of the same name. The song failed to escape critics' general laceration of the film...
" / "Oh Gipsy Oh Gipsy" - 1962 "Never In a Million Years" / "We Had Words"
- 1962 "Like I Do" / "Starlight Starbright" - UK #3
- 1963 "Pick The Petals" / "Melancholy Me"
- 1963 "Oh What A Guy" / "What a Diff'rence a Day MadeWhat a Diff'rence a Day Made"What a Diff'rence a Day Made" is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Méndez Grever , a Mexican composer, in 1934. Originally, the song was known as Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado...
" - 1963 "As You Love Her" / "Like You Used To Do"
- 1964 "I Love How You Love Me" / "John John" - UK #34
- 1964 "Don't Believe Him" / "He Knows I Love Him Too Much"
- 1964 "Get Away" / "I've Often Wondered"
CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
- 1965 "All The Angels Sing" / "Speak Sugar Speak"
- 1965 "Never Let Him Go" / "Poco Sole"
- 1967 "Somewhere There's Love" / "It Takes A Little Time"
- 1968 "I Almost Called Your Name" / "Searching For Home"