Cat. No. VV 1044: EMILE FORD AND THE CHECKMATES ~ EMILE. PYE NEP 24119.
USED VINYL RECORD. PART OF A COLLECTION NOW UP FOR SALE.
EMILE FORD (MICHAEL EMILE TELFORD MILLER) WAS BORN IN SAINT LUCIA, BRITISH WINDWARD ISLANDS. HE MOVED TO ENGLAND IN THE MID-1950s WITH HIS FAMILY AND STUDIED SOUND ENGINEERING. EMILE'S MOTHER WAS A SINGER AND A MUSICAL THEATRE DIRECTOR SO MUSIC RAN IN THE FAMILY. ONCE IN ENGLAND EMILE STUDIED AT A TECHNICAL COLLEGE BUT IN HIS SPARE TIME TAUGHT HIMSELF TO PLAY A NUMBER OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING GUITAR, PIANO, VIOLIN, BASS GUITAR AND DRUMS. IN 1959, HE FORMED THE CHECKMATES COMPRISING TWO OF HIS HALF BROTHERS GEORGE SWEETNAM-FORD AND DAVID SWEETNAM-FORD ALONG WITH KEN STREET AND JOHN CUFFLEY.
THE BAND APPEARED ON THE TV PROGRAMME "SUNDAY SERENADE", WHICH RAN FOR SIX WEEKS. THEY WON THE SOHO FAIR TALENT QUEST IN JULY 1959, BUT TURNED DOWN A RECORDING CONTRACT WITH EMI BECAUSE THE COMPANY WOULD NOT ALLOW FORD TO PRODUCE THEIR RECORDS, AND INSTEAD AGREED TO A DEAL WITH PYE RECORDS. THEIR FIRST SELF-PRODUCED RECORDING, "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE EYES AT ME FOR?" WENT TO NUMBER 1 IN THE UK SINGLES CHART AT THE END OF 1959 AND STAYED THERE FOR SIX WEEKS. FORD WAS THE FIRST COLOURED BRITISH ARTIST TO SELL ONE MILLION COPIES OF A SINGLE.
THIS 7" EP, HIS FIRST EP, WAS RELEASED IN 1961 AND ON IT EMILE COMBINES SOLID ROCK NUMBERS WITH A SPECIAL, MODERN TREATMENT OF OLDIES. BOTH THE SLEEVE AND RECORD ARE GRADED NEAR MINT WITH ALMOST NO SIGNS OF WEAR.
TRACK LISTING: Side 1 - Red Sails In The Sunset / Move Along. Side 2 - Send For Me / Heavenly.
7" VINYL RECORD