Ricky Valance

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Ricky Valance

Ricky Valance (born 10 April 1939) is a Welsh singer. He is best known for the number one

List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK)

This is a list of the number one singles on the UK Singles Chart, during the 1960s. The source for this decade up until March 1960 is the New Musical Express chart, and after that it is the Record Retailer....
single

Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
, "Tell Laura I Love Her

Tell Laura I Love Her

"Tell Laura I Love Her," a teenage tragedy song written by Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh, was an United States Record chart popular music hit for singer Ray Peterson in 1960 in music on RCA Victor Records, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100....
", which sold over a million copies in 1960.

David Spencer in Ynysddu

Ynysddu

Ynysddu is a small village located in the River Sirhowy of south-east Wales. It is part of the district of Caerphilly within the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire ....
, Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen Historic counties of Wales of Wales and a former Administrative divisions of Wales....
, near Wattsville

Wattsville

Wattsville is a small South Wales Valleys village in the River Sirhowy , 8 miles north west of Newport, the county capital, in south-east Wales, within the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire ....
, South Wales

South Wales

South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west....
, he was the eldest of seven children. Times were tough, and upon leaving school he tried various jobs before joining the RAF

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
at the age of 17.

After being discharged

Military discharge

A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from his or her obligation to serve....
, he decided to pursue a career in singing.

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Encyclopedia

Ricky Valance (born 10 April 1939) is a Welsh singer. He is best known for the number one

List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK)

Single (music)

Tell Laura I Love Her

Life and career

Born David Spencer in Ynysddu

Ynysddu

Ynysddu is a small village located in the River Sirhowy of south-east Wales. It is part of the district of Caerphilly within the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire ....
, Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen Historic counties of Wales of Wales and a former Administrative divisions of Wales....
, near Wattsville

Wattsville

South Wales

Royal Air Force

Military discharge

A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from his or her obligation to serve....
, he decided to pursue a career in singing. After performing in local clubs

Nightclub

A nightclub is a Alcoholic beverage, Dance and entertainment Music venue which does its primary business after dark. People who frequent nightclubs are known as clubbers....
for a couple of years, Valance was discovered by an A&R

A&R

Artists and Repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and the artistic development of recording artists....
representative from EMI Records

EMI Records

EMI Records is a record label, founded by EMI in 1972 in music as the successor label to the Columbia Graphophone Company label. The global success that EMI enjoyed with pop music in the 1960s also exposed trade mark issues as EMI only had the rights to some of its trade marks, most notably His Master's Voice and Columbia, in parts of the wo...
and placed in the hands of record producer

Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
Norrie Paramor

Norrie Paramor

Norrie Paramor is best known as a record producer, but was also a composer, arrangement, and Conducting. Paramor was one of EMI's top producers in pop music and rock and roll through to the end of the 1960s....
. At the first recording

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
session, Valance was given the chance to cover

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song.In its current use, it can sometimes have a pejorative meaning — implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive version, usually in the sense of an "authentic" rendition, and all...
Ray Peterson

Ray Peterson

Ray T. Peterson was an United States pop music singer.Ray Peterson was born in Denton, Texas on April 23, 1935. As a boy he had to overcome polio....
's American

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
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 , Nightclub, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings....
, "Tell Laura I Love Her". He was rewarded with a number 1 hit in September 1960, thanks to airplay on Radio Luxembourg

Radio Luxembourg (English)

Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
. The Guinness Book of Hit Singles states that his name was changed to Ricky Valance to remind fans

Fan (person)

A fan, aficionado, or supporter is someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking and enthusiasm for a sporting club, person , group of persons, company, product, work of art, idea, or fashion....
of Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens was an singer, songwriter and guitarist of Mexican origin born in the U.S.A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted only eight months....
who died with Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley, known professionally as Buddy Holly was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll. Although his success lasted only a year and a half before his The Day the Music Died, Holly is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll." His works and...
and The Big Bopper

The Big Bopper

Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. , called JP by his friends but commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an United States disc jockey, singing, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star....
in the Iowa

Iowa

The State of Iowa is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It is bordered by Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Nebraska and South Dakota to the west, and Missouri to the south....
snow a year and a half earlier. However, this information is incorrect and the writer who wrote the listing for the GBHS did not do any research into his submission and did not contact Ricky Valance directly about stating the connection between Richie Valens and Ricky Valance, prior to this submission. Ricky Valance chose the name Valance himself after hearing the horse race trainers name of Valance and this there is not a connection to any other artist. At the launch party of the 20th edition of the Guinness Book of Hit Singles, Ricky Valance directly confronted David Roberts about this matter and it has yet to be changed for future editions.

He bucked the trend prevailing at the time by the BBC to almost automatically deny airplay to death rock sings like "Tell Laura I Love Her." Mark Dinning

Mark Dinning

Mark Dinning was an United States, teen idol, pop music singer.Dinning was born Max E. Dinning near Drury, Oklahoma but grew up on a farm outside of Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee....
's "Teen Angel

Teen Angel (song)

"Teen Angel" is a teenage tragedy song written by Jean Dinning and her husband, Red Surrey, and performed by both Jean's brother, Mark Dinning, and Alex Wharton in 1959....
" had already sunk without a trace, whilst other American

United States

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
.

First Welshman at Number One

Ray Peterson

Ray T. Peterson was an United States pop music singer.Ray Peterson was born in Denton, Texas on April 23, 1935. As a boy he had to overcome polio....
's original version of "Tell Laura I Love Her" was considered for release in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Decca Records

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
decided that the song was in "bad taste", and the records were ordered destroyed. EMI subsequently arranged for Valence to cover the song, which was co-written by Jeff Barry

Jeff Barry

Jeff Barry is an United States popular music songwriter, singer, and record producer.Barry was born Joel Adelberg in Brooklyn, New York City....
. Valance thus became the first Welshman

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 withdrawal from Britain, although Celtic languages seem to have been spoken in Wales far longer....
to reach the top spot - Shirley Bassey

Shirley Bassey

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom singer. She performed the theme music to the James Bond films Goldfinger , Diamonds Are Forever , and Moonraker ....
being the first Welsh person.

After topping the UK Singles Chart, Valance appeared in the 1961 A Song For Europe competition, hoping to represent the UK in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest

United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961

The United Kingdom held a national preselection to choose the song that would go to the Eurovision Song Contest 1961. It was held on February 15, 1961 and presented by Katie Boyle....
. His song, "Why Can't We?", placed third out of the nine entries. the winner was "Are You Sure?" performed by The Allisons.

He released several follow-ups songs including "Movin' Away", "Jimmy's Girl" and "Six Boys", but none of them were hits in the UK. However, over 100,000 copies sold of "Jimmy´s Girl", and "Moving Away" made it to number one in Austria and Scandinavia, with 150,000 copies sold. Valance carved out a career singing on the cabaret

Cabaret

Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance being introduced by a master of ceremonies, or MC....
and nostalgia circuit. Then, following a bout of severe depression and a nervous breakdown he became a born-again Christian.

In being unable to replicate his initial UK Chart chart

Record chart

Record chart are a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success, he thus remains a one-hit wonder

One-hit wonders in the UK

A One-hit wonder has been defined by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles as an artist who has achieved a No.1 hit in the UK Singles Chart and has never had another hit....
.

Valance now lives in Cabo Roig on the outskirts of Torrevieja

Torrevieja

Torrevieja in Spanish language or Torrevella in Valencian language is a seaside city and municipality located on the Costa Blanca in the Alicante , in south-eastern Spain....
on the Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca refers to the over 200 kilometres of coastline belonging to the Alicante province in Spain. The name "Costa Blanca" was devised as a promotional name used by British European Airways when they launched their air service between London Gatwick Airport and Valencia Airport in 1957....
in Spain

Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
, where he still performs on a regular basis.

UK singles

Columbia

DB4493 - "Tell Laura I Love Her
Tell Laura I Love Her

"Tell Laura I Love Her," a teenage tragedy song written by Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh, was an United States Record chart popular music hit for singer Ray Peterson in 1960 in music on RCA Victor Records, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" / "Once Upon a Time" (1960)
DB4543 - "Movin' Away" / "Lipstick on Your Lips" (1960)
DB4586 - "Jimmy's Girl" / "Only the Young" (1961)
DB4592 - "Why Can't We" / "Fisherboy" (1961)
DB4680 - "Bobby" / "I Want to Fall in Love" (1961)
DB4725 - "I Never Had a Chance" / "It's Not True" (1961)
DB4787 - "Try to Forget Her" / "At Times Like These" (1962)
DB4864 - "Don't Play No.9" / "Till the Final Curtain Falls" (1962)

Ricky Valance

Life and career

First Welshman at Number One

UK singles

Columbia

Decca

Crystal

See also

External links