The Stargazers (vocal ensemble)
The Stargazers were a British vocal group, jointly founded in 1949 by Cliff Adams and Ronnie Milne.[1] Other original members were Marie Benson, Fred Datchler and Dick James.[1]
The Stargazers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Pop, folk |
| Years active | 1949–c. 1960 |
| Past members | Cliff Adams Ronnie Milne Marie Benson Fred Datchler Dick James Bob Brown Dave Carey Eula Parker June Marlow |
Very shortly after the group made their first broadcasts with BBC Radio on such programmes as Workers' Playtime and The Goon Show, Dick James decided to resume his career as a solo vocalist, left the group, and was replaced by Bob Brown. Ronnie Milne took care of the musical arranging, while Cliff Adams became their manager, in addition to contributing scores for the group. In September 1953, Milne left the Stargazers to emigrate to Canada, and was replaced in the group by Dave Carey. The group served as backing vocalists for Petula Clark on her first recordings.[1]
Commercial success
Recording for Decca, The Stargazers enjoyed considerable commercial success during the 1950s, including two United Kingdom number one hit singles on their own, "Broken Wings",[1] which was the first recording by a native British act to top the UK Singles Chart (all previous number one singles were by American artists),[2] and "I See the Moon", along with a third number one hit with Dickie Valentine on "The Finger of Suspicion", and were much in demand for back-up work and broadcast work.[1][3]
In 1954, The Stargazers recorded "The Happy Wanderer" by F.W. Möller with Syd Dean and His Band, which reached number 12 in April of that year.[1][4] Other UK chart hits included "Close the Door", which reached number 6 in September 1955, and "Twenty Tiny Fingers", which reached number 4 in November 1955.[3] They were voted "most popular vocal group" by readers of the New Musical Express for five years running.
Stargazers' member Fred Datchler went on to form the Polkadots, who enjoyed success in their own right.[1] Beyond their own hit singles and albums, which included a cover version of "April in Paris", the group recorded extensively with Jo Stafford, Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra. One of Datchler's sons is Clark Datchler of Johnny Hates Jazz.[1]
Discography
Albums
- Presenting the Stargazers (Decca, 1954)
- South of the Border (Decca, 1959)
- Songs of Harry Lauder (with George Elrick) (London, 1960)
- The Very Best of the Stargazers (Universal/Spectrum, 1999)
- South of the Border and a Singles Compilation 1953–58 (Vocalion, 2003)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | UK [5] | ||
| 1950 | "Music, Music, Music" (with Petula Clark; Australia-only release) b/w "Blossoms on the Bough" |
— | — |
| "Bamboo" (by The Organ, The Dance Band and Me; vocals by the Stargazers) b/w "The French Can Can Polka" |
— | — | |
| "Brumas Brumas Brumas" (by The Organ, The Dance Band and Me; vocals by the Stargazers) b/w "A Load of Hay" |
— | — | |
| "Ashes of Roses" (with Steve Conway) b/w "Mona Lisa" |
— | — | |
| "The Trouble with Love, Is Love" b/w "Me and My Imagination" |
— | — | |
| "Ferry Boat Inn" (with Benny Lee and Mary) b/w "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat" |
— | — | |
| "Red Silken Stockings" b/w "Oh Babe" |
— | — | |
| "Silver Dollar" (with Petula Clark; Australia-only release) b/w "Talky, Talky, Talky" |
— | — | |
| 1951 | "You're the Sweetest in the Land" (with Petula Clark) b/w "You Are My True Love" |
— | — |
| "Beloved Be Faithful" (with Petula Clark) b/w "Fly Away Peter, Fly Away Paul" |
— | — | |
| "Mary Rose (Bloesem Van Seringen)" (by Stanley Black and His Orchestra; vocals by Dick James, the Stargazers and the George Mitchell Choir) b/w "Eleanor" |
8 | — | |
| "Black Girl" (with Josh White) b/w "On Top of Old Smoky" |
— | — | |
| "The King's Horses" (by Ted Heath and His Music; vocals by Dennis Lotis and the Stargazers) b/w "Trumpet Voluntary" |
— | — | |
| "Silver Dollar" (with Marie Benson) b/w "Look Mamma" |
— | — | |
| 1952 | "Rollin' Stone" b/w "Gleensleeves" |
— | — |
| "I Never Was Loved By Anyone Else (Until I Was Loved By You)" b/w "The Lie-De-Lie Song" |
— | — | |
| "Saturday Rag" (with Les Howard) b/w "Bless Your Heart" |
|||
| "It's a Long Way (From Your House to My House)" b/w "To Think You've Chosen Me" |
— | — | |
| "A-round the Corner (Beneath the Berry Tree)" (with Primo Scala and His Banjo and Accordion Band) b/w "Dance Me Loose" |
— | — | |
| "The Day of Jubilo" b/w "Sugarbush" |
— | — | |
| 1953 | "Broken Wings" b/w "Make It Soon" |
— | 1 |
| "Vaya con Dios (May God Be with You)" b/w "You You You" |
— | — | |
| "I See the Moon" b/w "Eh Cumpari" |
— | 1 | |
| "It's Christmas All Over the World" b/w "The Little Fir Tree" |
— | — | |
| 1954 | "The Happy Wanderer" b/w "Till We Two Are One" |
— | 12 |
| "The Man With the Banjo" b/w "Good Wholesome Beer" |
— | — | |
| "Look at That Girl" (with Dennis Lotis; Australia-only release) b/w "I See the Moon" |
—
2 |
— | |
| "I Need You Now" b/w "365 Kisses" |
— | — | |
| "The Finger of Suspicion" (with Dickie Valentine) b/w "Who's Afraid (Not I, Not I, Not I)" |
3 | 1 | |
| "Rose of the Wildwood" b/w "Came the Morning" |
— | — | |
| 1955 | "Somebody" (with Sonny Farrar and His Banjo Band) b/w "(My Baby Don't Love Me) No More" |
— | 20 |
| "Hey Mr. Banjo" b/w "The Crazy Otto Rag" |
6
10 |
—
18 | |
| "Red Roses (For My Lady Fair)" (with Roy Smith) b/w "The Devil's in Your Eyes" |
— | — | |
| "At the Steamboat River Ball" (with Sonny Farrar and His Banjo Band) b/w "I Love You a Mountain" |
— | — | |
| "Close the Door" b/w "I've Got Four Big Brothers" |
— | 6 | |
| "Twenty Tiny Fingers" b/w "An Old Beer Bottle" |
— | 4 | |
| 1956 | "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" b/w "When the Swallows Say Goodbye" |
— | — |
| "Zambesi" b/w "When the Swallows Say Goodbye" |
— | — | |
| "Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)" b/w "Rockin' and Rollin'" |
— | 28 | |
| "John, Jacob, Jingleheimer Smith" b/w "She Loves to Rock" |
— | — | |
| 1957 | "You Won't Be Around" b/w "Mangos" |
— | — |
| "Honky Tonk Song" b/w "Golly!" |
— | — | |
| "Who Is It? (It's the Milkman)" b/w "Sorry, You'll Have to Wait" |
— | — | |
| "The Skiffling Dogs" b/w "Out of This World" |
— | — | |
| 1958 | "Big Man" b/w "Lonely for a Letter" |
— | — |
| 1959 | "My Blue Heaven" b/w "How Ja Lika" |
— | — |
| 1960 | "Secret Star" (US-only release) b/w "Three Beautiful Words" |
— | — |
| "Three Beautiful Words" b/w "Manhattan Spiritual" |
— | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||
See also
References
- Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 418. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
- Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 28. ISBN 0-85156-156-X.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 524. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- "Chart Log UK 1952-1962: S". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- "STAR GAZERS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 11 March 2021.