The Avons
Encyclopedia
The Avons were a British
pop
vocal group. Originally composed of Valerie Murtagh
(born 1936, Willesden
, London
) and Elaine Murtagh, (born 1940, County Cork
, Eire
) and known as 'The Avon Sisters', they added Raymond S. Adams (born 1938, Jersey
, Channel Islands
), and changed their name to 'The Avons'.
, London. There they were heard by Norrie Paramor
, who signed them to the UK
's Columbia Records
label
.
Their first recording
was with the Mudlarks on the 'b' side of their 1958 single 'My Granfather Clock', a cover of 'Which Witch Doctor'. Following this they added Ray Adams from Nat Gonella's
band, and changed their name to 'The Avons'.
release in 1959 was a cover version of Paul Evans and the Curls
' Stateside
hit song
"Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)", written
by Bob Hilliard
and Lee Pockriss.http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7304. The record
reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
, and stayed on the chart
for thirteen weeks.
's "Rubber Ball
". The Avons were approached to perform the song "Pickin' Petals" in the UK heat of the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest
, but their participation was cancelled due to a European Broadcasting Union
rule that stated that trio
s could not compete.
In 1962 an instrumental version of a song they had jointly written, "Dance On!", was a UK number 1 instrumental
hit for The Shadows
. The vocal version reached the Top 20 the following year, recorded by Kathy Kirby
. They also wrote "In Summer", a number 5 UK hit for Billy Fury
in 1963.
Between 1963-64 the group also recorded for the Decca
and Fontana
labels, without achieving any more hits. Valerie Murtagh
became a successful songwriter
, and remained involved with the British music industry. With her songwriting partner, Harold Spiro
, she wrote (under the name Valerie Avon) the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1974
, "Long Live Love
", performed by Olivia Newton-John
.
1950s doo-wop
group of this name. Their biggest hit in 1957 was entitled "Baby".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
vocal group. Originally composed of Valerie Murtagh
Valerie Murtagh
Valerie Murtagh - pseudonym Valerie Avon - is an English singer and songwriter. Originally she was a member of The Avons.-Career:...
(born 1936, Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) and Elaine Murtagh, (born 1940, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Eire
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) and known as 'The Avon Sisters', they added Raymond S. Adams (born 1938, Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
), and changed their name to 'The Avons'.
Early days
The two sisters-in-law Valerie and Elaine (sometimes known as Eileen) Murtagh, performed as 'The Avon Sisters' at the 1958 BBC Radio Exhibition, in the Olympia Exhibition Halls, Earls CourtEarls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
, London. There they were heard by Norrie Paramor
Norrie Paramor
Norrie Paramor was a British record producer, composer, arranger, and orchestral conductor.Although the term "producer" was not in circulation at the time Paramor started producing records , he effectively began this role in 1952 when he became Recording Director for EMI's Columbia...
, who signed them to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
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,...
.
Their first recording
Sound 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 with the Mudlarks on the 'b' side of their 1958 single 'My Granfather Clock', a cover of 'Which Witch Doctor'. Following this they added Ray Adams from Nat Gonella's
Nat Gonella
Nathaniel Charles Gonella was an English jazz trumpeter, bandleader, vocalist and mellophonist born in London, perhaps most notable for his work with the big band he founded, The Georgians....
band, and changed their name to 'The Avons'.
"Seven Little Girls"
The Avon's first singleSingle (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...
release in 1959 was a cover version of Paul Evans and the Curls
Paul Evans (musician)
Paul Evans is an American rock and roll singer and songwriter, who was most prominent in the 1950s and 1960s...
' Stateside
Stateside Records
Stateside Records is a British record label which initially released licenced American recordings and is now a reissue label....
hit 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...
"Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)", written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Bob Hilliard
Bob Hilliard
Bob Hilliard was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs; "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", "Any Day Now", "Dear Hearts and Gentle People", "Our Day Will Come", "My Little Corner of the World", and "Seven Little Girls ".-Career:Born in New York City, New York, and after...
and Lee Pockriss.http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7304. The 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...
reached number 3 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 ...
, and stayed on 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....
for thirteen weeks.
Later career
The Avons had three other chart entries in the Top 50 up to 1961, but never achieved the same success as their first record. The charting follow-ups were "We're Only Young Once", "Four Little Heels", and another cover, of Bobby VeeBobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
's "Rubber Ball
Rubber Ball (song)
"Rubber Ball" was an early 1961 hit for Bobby Vee on Liberty Records. In fact, it was the record which made Vee an international star. The song was recorded on August 12, 1960 in a four-song, 3-hour session at United in Hollywood...
". The Avons were approached to perform the song "Pickin' Petals" in the UK heat of the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
, but their participation was cancelled due to a European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
rule that stated that trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
s could not compete.
In 1962 an instrumental version of a song they had jointly written, "Dance On!", was a UK number 1 instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
hit for The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
. The vocal version reached the Top 20 the following year, recorded by Kathy Kirby
Kathy Kirby
Kathy Kirby was an English singer who was reportedly the highest-paid female singer of her generation. She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's "Secret Love" and for representing the United Kingdom in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest, where she came in second place...
. They also wrote "In Summer", a number 5 UK hit for Billy Fury
Billy Fury
Billy Fury, born Ronald William Wycherley , was an internationally successful English singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death...
in 1963.
Between 1963-64 the group also recorded for the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and Fontana
Fontana Records
Fontana Records is a record label which was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records. In the seventies PolyGram acquired the dormant label....
labels, without achieving any more hits. Valerie Murtagh
Valerie Murtagh
Valerie Murtagh - pseudonym Valerie Avon - is an English singer and songwriter. Originally she was a member of The Avons.-Career:...
became a successful songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and remained involved with the British music industry. With her songwriting partner, Harold Spiro
Harold Spiro
Harold Spiro was an English songwriter.- Early days :His interest in music began at an early age, in London's East End, where his uncle regularly took him to the Music hall....
, she wrote (under the name Valerie Avon) the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1974
Eurovision Song Contest 1974
The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the seaside resort of Brighton on the south coast of the United Kingdom...
, "Long Live Love
Long Live Love
Long Live Love is an album recorded by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974 on EMI .-Singles:The song "I Honestly Love You" was her first number one single in the United States, released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know....
", performed by Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
.
Groups with the same name
There was also an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
1950s doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group of this name. Their biggest hit in 1957 was entitled "Baby".