The Original Checkmates
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They were frequent guests on the popular British music program broadcast on the BBC and there was probably not a single album in the "Before the Beatles" period that didn't include their compositions. . Although they're not too well-remembered today and maybe that's for this reasondifficult to separate their own history from their collaborations with Emile Ford ...
in January 1959 Emile Ford put together a combo called the Checkmates, whose members included his two half-brothers, George Sweetman and Dave Sweetman, on sax and bass, respectively, along with Ken Street, Pete Carter, Les Hart, Alan Hawkshaw, and John Cuffley. As Emile Ford & the Checkmates, they won a talent contest sponsored by Pye Records and were awarded an audition and a contract that resulted in their first single, "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" b/w "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For," which was produced by the legendary Joe Meek. Fortunately for all concerned, Pye's management liked the proposed B-side better and flipped the single before release, and "Why Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For" hit the number one spot in England, immediately establishing the band as a major act.By the end of 1962, however, Emile Ford & the Checkmates found themselves brushing up against the earliest recordings of what proved to be a new wave of British rock & roll, represented by the Beatles, among other acts. Their record of hits and their sound were enough to keep the band going until late 1963, and the Checkmates later recorded on their own for Britain's Decca Records (under Joe Meek) and Parlophone Records, sometimes using the name the Original Checkmates. Founding members George Sweetman and Dave Sweetman (who sometimes billed themselves as Sweetman-Ford to remind people of their familial connection with Emile Ford) and drummer Barry Reeves later formed the core of the psychedelic-soul group the Ferris Wheel, while Hawkshaw ended up working in film music.
The female singers that backed him were originally called The Fordettes. They consisted of Margot Quantrell, Eleanor Russell, Vicki Haseman and Betty Prescott. They spent a year on the road with Ford in 1960, playing one-nighters. Back in London they left Ford to sing backup for Joe Brown who Vicki Haseman was engaged to. They were then known as The Breakaways ==================================================
Emile Ford & The Checkmates - The Golden Years (WEB) @ Flac
CD 1
1. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For? (Remastered) (2:04)
2. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Still (Remastered) (2:23)
3. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - On a Slow Boat to China (Remastered) (2:36)
4. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - You'll Never Know What You're Missing (Remastered) (2:29)
5. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Red Sails in the Sunset (Remastered) (2:02)
6. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Don't Tell Me Your Troubles (Remastered) (2:15)
7. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Counting Teardrops (Remastered) (2:19)
8. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Buona Sera - Version 1 (Remastered) (3:11)
9. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Heavenly (Remastered) (2:21)
10. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home) (Remastered) (2:01)
11. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Over and Over (Remastered) (2:21)
12. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Darling Tell Me Do You Love Me (Remastered) (2:30)
13. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Remastered) (2:23)
14. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Tell Me Who (Remastered) (2:24)
15. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - That Lucky Old Sun (Remastered) (2:50)
16. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano (Remastered) (2:10)
17. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Half of My Heart (Remastered) (2:44)
18. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Move Along (Remastered) (2:35)
19. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Gypsy Love (Remastered) (1:53)
20. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Send for Me (Remastered) (2:20)
21. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - After You've Gone (Remastered) (1:40)
22. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Hush, Someone's Calling My Name (Remastered) (2:08)
23. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Keep A-Loving Me (Remastered) (2:40)
24. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Paralysed (Remastered) (2:36)
25. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - So Many Ways (Remastered) (3:22)
26. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - The Alphabet Song (A-You're Adorable) (Remastered) (2:37)
27. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Fever (Remastered) (2:38)
28. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Always (Remastered) (1:57)
29. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - To Know Her Is to Love Her (Remastered) (2:36)
CD 2
1. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Early in the Morning (Remastered) (2:04)
2. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - I'll Be Satisfied (Remastered) (1:59)
3. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Don't (Stop Me Now) (Remastered) (3:08)
4. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Lonely Weekends (Remastered) (2:25)
5. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Mona Lisa (Remastered) (3:00)
6. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) (Remastered) (3:36)
7. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - My Wish Came True (Remastered) (2:35)
8. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Vaya Con Dios (Remastered) (3:41)
9. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Be My Guest (Remastered) (2:11)
10. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Trouble (Remastered) (2:41)
11. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Endlessly (Remastered) (2:57)
12. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Remastered) (1:54)
13. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - The Joker (Remastered) (2:38)
14. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Wiggle Wiggle (Remastered) (2:40)
15. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Danny Boy (Remastered) (3:14)
16. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Yellow Bird (Remastered) (2:49)
17. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Afraid (Remastered) (2:12)
18. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Buona Sera - Version 2 (Remastered) (3:12)
19. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (Remastered) (2:17)
20. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Them There Eyes (Remastered) (2:32)
21. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Doin' the Twist (Remastered) (2:25)
22. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Question (Remastered) (2:27)
23. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Sazzle Dazzle (Remastered) (2:29)
24. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Dreamboat (Remastered) (2:12)
25. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - White Christmas (Remastered) (2:23)
26. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Am I Gonna Do? (Remastered) (2:33)
27. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Your Nose Is Gonna Grow (Remastered) (2:08)
28. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - A Kiss to Build a Dream On (Remastered) (2:21)
29. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - The Rains Came (Remastered) (2:13)
In 1960. The readers of the British music magazine New Musical Express voted Emile Ford & the Checkmates as the "Best New Act" in 1960.
Ford's debut album was made up of covers.
New Tracks With Emile (1960) @ 256
01. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - I Ran All The Way Home (2:01)
02. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Paralysed (2:36)
03. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - So Many Ways (3:22)
04. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Buona Sera (3:36)
05. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - To Know Her Is To Love Her (2:36)
06. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - I'll Be Satisfied (1:59)
07. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Lonely Weekends (2:25)
08. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Mona Lisa (3:00)
09. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - My Wish Came True (2:35)
10. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Be My Guest (2:11)
11. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Endlessly (2:57)
12. Emile Ford & The Checkmates - Wiggle (2:40)
He made several albums, but his last studio recordings were in 1963
Emile Ford was, by his own account, a reluctant pop star, finding success in the recording studio and on-stage in England from the late '50s into the early '60s, despite his belief that his voice was less than ideal, but he had a good band behind him, and unlike every other rock & roll act in England during this period, the group only used their own sound system -- devised by Ford -- at their performances, rather than the usual PA-system level equipment; as a result, they sounded better than any of most the competition...
The Original Checkmates
1. The Original Checkmates - Hot Toddy (1:59)
2. The Original Checkmates - Tuxedo Junction (1:56)
3. The Original Checkmates - Begin The Beguine (2:50)
4. The Original Checkmates - Canadian Sunset (2:21)
5. The Original Checkmates - The Spy (1:56)
6. The Original Checkmates - Union Pacific (2:44)
7. The Original Checkmates - Checkmate Stomp (2:04)
More information:
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Is it possible to find this album?
Well, and the ultimate dream is this series "TOP OF THE POPS Nos. 24, 32, 48, 95..."
THANK YOU
ReplyDeleteThanks Dmitrich
ReplyDelete"Track 4 in THE ORIGINAL CHECKMATES instrumentals posted here is incorrect. "Checkmate Stomp" is missing from this 6 track collection. The track uploaded here is their version of "Canadian Sunset", which I don't believe was issued at the time. You can hear the missing 'Stomp' track on YT. Also "Begin The Beguine" is the complete studio recording. The issued 45 was shorter, being an edited version from the session tape.
ReplyDelete@ausman Hi
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. You were right. Who would have thought ? The track was taken from the official compilation "Venus In Blue Jeans (Great British Record Labels Pye)" from my collection due to its good sound quality... Besides, "Checkmate Stomp" in the same interpretation is present in the collection "Twang! Instrumental Diamonds '58-'62" A compilers error? I compared the composition Checkmates and The Marketts - I will leave a link, you can listen for yourself - https://pixeldrain.com/u/4iC47KKE
As for "Begin The Beguine", I did not pursue the goal of an excursion through 45s. This is a home collection of what I have at the moment. Thanks again, I have corrected the post. "Checkmate Stomp" is taken from the collection "60's Rockin' Instrumentals" from 2015 and sounds identical to the track from YouTube.
No worries Dmitrich: The 45 version of "Begin The Beguine" runs for 2:07 seconds, quite a bit shorter than the complete version which I have on the Diamonds '58-62 2CD set. I was going to send you a FLAC which I edited down from the was edited, however, not sure how to do that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dmitrich, I was going to send you a FLAC of the 45 version of "Begin The Beguine" which I edited down from the long version on the 'Twang Diamonds' 2CD set to match my vinyl copy, however, I'm not sure how to send.
ReplyDelete@ ausman
DeleteHi
Thank you for your attention and participation. You can leave a link here in the comments field. It's kind of you.
Thanks for these
ReplyDeleteHi Dmitrich. Many Thanks for this post. Unlucky about Golden years, 2 songs are not the good (CD 1 number 1 is red sails in the sunset (twice) and CD 2 (trouble is over and over). Have a nice day....
ReplyDeleteand "Wiggle wiggle" is "Trouble" ...
ReplyDeletethank youuu
ReplyDelete