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{{Short description|English songwriter, composer and singer}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
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|death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|7|24|1934|4|30|df=y}}
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|7|24|1934|4|30|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Paddington]], [[London]], England
|birth_place = [[Paddington]], [[London]], England
|death_place = [[Shrewsbury]], [[Shropshire]]
|death_place = [[Shrewsbury]], [[Shropshire]], England
|genre = [[Popular music]]
|genre = [[Popular music]]
|occupation = Singer, songwriter, composer
|occupation = Singer, songwriter, composer
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}}
}}


'''Jerry Lordan''' (born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan, 30 April 1934&nbsp;– 24 July 1995)<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=978-1-904994-10-7|page=329}}</ref> was an English songwriter, composer and singer. He achieved 3 hit singles on the [[UK Singles Chart]] before focusing purely on songwriting. Amongst his songwriting credits were the chart hits "I've Waited So Long", "[[Apache (instrumental)|Apache]]", "[[Wonderful Land]]", "[[Diamonds (instrumental)|Diamonds]]", and "[[A Girl Like You (Jerry Lordan song)|A Girl Like You]]".
'''Jerry Lordan''' (born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan, 30 April 1934&nbsp;– 24 July 1995)<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=978-1-904994-10-7|page=329}}</ref> was an English songwriter, composer and singer. He had three hit singles on the [[UK Singles Chart]] before focusing purely on songwriting. Amongst his songwriting credits were the chart hits "I've Waited So Long", "[[Apache (instrumental)|Apache]]", "[[Wonderful Land]]", "[[Diamonds (instrumental)|Diamonds]]", and "[[A Girl Like You (Cliff Richard and The Shadows song)|A Girl Like You]]".


==Career==
==Career==
Born as '''Jeremiah Patrick Lordan''' in [[Paddington]], [[London]], England, Lordan taught himself to play piano and guitar as a child. He attended [[Finchley Catholic High School]] and went into [[National Service]] in the [[Royal Air Force]] as a [[radar]] operator. On leaving the RAF in 1955, he held a number of jobs including comedian, singer and in [[advertisement|advertising]].
Born as Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in [[Paddington]], [[London]], England, Lordan taught himself to play piano and guitar as a child. He attended [[Finchley Catholic High School]] and went into [[National Service]] in the [[Royal Air Force]] as a [[radar]] operator. On leaving the RAF in 1955, he held a number of jobs including comedian, singer and in [[advertisement|advertising]].
<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=770|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=770|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>


He began song-writing, and in 1958, with the help of contacts made in the advertising business a demo of one of his songs was heard by a record producer. The song, "A House, A Car and a Wedding Ring" was [[sound recording and reproduction|recorded]] by [[Michael Preston|Mike Preston]] on [[Decca Records]].<ref name="Larkin"/> It did not sell well, but the song was successfully [[cover version|covered]] by the American [[rockabilly]] [[celebrity|star]], [[Dale Hawkins]], on the [[Checker Records|Checker]] label. A later song, "I've Waited So Long" was recorded by the young [[Anthony Newley]] on Decca and got to number 3 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in May 1959.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums 2">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=978-1-904994-10-7|page=393}}</ref> He was signed as a singer to [[Parlophone]] and had three [[record chart|charting]] [[single (music)|singles]] in 1960,<ref name="Larkin"/> the most successful being "Who Could Be Bluer?", produced by [[George Martin]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
He began song-writing, and in 1958, with the help of contacts made in the advertising business a demo of one of his songs was heard by a record producer. The song, "A House, A Car and a Wedding Ring" was [[sound recording and reproduction|recorded]] by [[Michael Preston|Mike Preston]] on [[Decca Records]].<ref name="Larkin"/> It did not sell well, but the song was successfully [[cover version|covered]] by the American [[rockabilly]] [[celebrity|star]], [[Dale Hawkins]], on the [[Checker Records|Checker]] label. A later song, "I've Waited So Long" was recorded by the young [[Anthony Newley]] on Decca and got to number 3 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] in May 1959.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums 2">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=978-1-904994-10-7|page=393}}</ref> He was signed as a singer to [[Parlophone]] and had three [[record chart|charting]] [[single (music)|singles]] in 1960,<ref name="Larkin"/> the most successful being "Who Could Be Bluer?", produced by [[George Martin]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>


He found real fame as a composer with the [[instrumental]], "[[Apache (instrumental)|Apache]]". It was originally recorded by [[Bert Weedon]], but Lordan did not like the version. Weedon's label, [[Top Rank]], did not release it immediately. On [[concert tour|tour]] with [[The Shadows]], Lordan demonstrated the tune to bass player [[Jet Harris]], reportedly picking out the tune on a [[ukulele]] as confirmed by the Shadows on BBC Radio 2 documentary, ''Out of the Shadows''. When the rest of the band heard it, they agreed to record it. It was released in July 1960 and hit [[chart-topper|number one]] in August, staying at the top for five weeks. The Shadows' version was voted Top Record of 1960 in the ''[[NME|New Musical Express]]'' Readers' Poll.<ref name="Joe Marchese 2012">{{cite web |url=http://theseconddisc.com/2012/10/16/in-the-shadow-of-the-shadows-songwriter-jerry-lordan-remembered-on-all-my-own-work |title=In The Shadow of The Shadows: Songwriter Jerry Lordan Remembered on "All My Own Work" | last=Marchese | first=Joe | date=16 October 2012 | publisher=Theseconddisc.com | access-date=8 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Jerry Lordan Biography">{{Allmusic | class=artist | id=mn0000331177 | tab=biography | label=Jerry Lordan Biography | first=Bruce | last=Eder | accessdate=8 March 2015}}</ref> The tune was also recorded by the Danish guitarist [[Jorgen Ingmann]], who took it to number two in the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in 1961.<ref name="Larkin"/>
He found real fame as a composer with the [[instrumental]], "[[Apache (instrumental)|Apache]]". It was originally recorded by [[Bert Weedon]], but Lordan did not like the version. Weedon's label, [[The Rank Organisation|Top Rank]], did not release it immediately. On [[concert tour|tour]] with [[the Shadows]], Lordan demonstrated the tune to bass player [[Jet Harris]], reportedly picking out the tune on a [[ukulele]] as confirmed by the Shadows on BBC Radio 2 documentary, ''Out of the Shadows''. When the rest of the band heard it, they agreed to record it. It was released in July 1960 and hit [[chart-topper|number one]] in August, staying at the top for five weeks. The Shadows' version was voted Top Record of 1960 in the ''[[NME|New Musical Express]]'' Readers' Poll.<ref name="Joe Marchese 2012">{{cite web |url=http://theseconddisc.com/2012/10/16/in-the-shadow-of-the-shadows-songwriter-jerry-lordan-remembered-on-all-my-own-work |title=In The Shadow of The Shadows: Songwriter Jerry Lordan Remembered on "All My Own Work" | last=Marchese | first=Joe | date=16 October 2012 | publisher=Theseconddisc.com | access-date=8 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Jerry Lordan Biography">{{AllMusic | class=artist | id=mn0000331177 | tab=biography | label=Jerry Lordan Biography | first=Bruce | last=Eder | accessdate=8 March 2015}}</ref> The tune was also recorded by the Danish guitarist [[Jorgen Ingmann]], who took it to number two on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in 1961.<ref name="Larkin"/>


Lordan gave up singing for full-time writing. He wrote the Shadows' UK number one hit "[[Wonderful Land]]" (1962) and their hits "Atlantis" (which reached number two in 1963) and "Mary Anne" (a rare vocal single from the group). He achieved a further number one, "[[Diamonds (instrumental)|Diamonds]]" for the ex-Shadows' [[Jet Harris]] and [[Tony Meehan]] in 1963.<ref name="Larkin"/> Harris and Meehan also recorded his song "[[Scarlett O'Hara (instrumental)|Scarlett O'Hara]]" taking it to number two in the same chart. He wrote other hits for [[Cliff Richard]] ("[[A Girl Like You (Jerry Lordan song)|A Girl Like You]]"), [[Shane Fenton]] and [[Louise Cordet]] ("I'm Just a Baby").<ref name="Joe Marchese 2012"/>
Lordan gave up singing for full-time writing. He wrote the Shadows' UK number one hit "[[Wonderful Land]]" (1962) and their hits "Atlantis" (which reached number two in 1963) and "Mary Anne" (a rare vocal single from the group). He achieved a further number one, "[[Diamonds (instrumental)|Diamonds]]" for the ex-Shadows' [[Jet Harris]] and [[Tony Meehan]] in 1963.<ref name="Larkin"/> Harris and Meehan also recorded his song "[[Scarlett O'Hara (instrumental)|Scarlett O'Hara]]" taking it to number two in the same chart. He wrote other hits for [[Cliff Richard]] ("[[A Girl Like You (Cliff Richard and The Shadows song)|A Girl Like You]]"), [[Shane Fenton]] and [[Louise Cordet]] ("I'm Just a Baby").<ref name="Joe Marchese 2012"/>


By the end of the 1960s, the success was largely over and personal difficulties dogged Lordan through the 1970s.<ref name="Larkin"/> He became involved with the [[Cornwall|Cornish]] band [[The Onyx]] who under his guidance changed their name to Vineyard and released two singles on Decca and Deram in 1974. Later he made a brief foray in acting, appearing in the 1977 [[sex comedy]], ''[[Come Play with Me (1977 film)|Come Play With Me]]''. The film was directed by his neighbour, [[Harrison Marks|George Harrison Marks]]. In the 1980s Lordan [[marriage|remarried]] and started to write again, although his songs were never published.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
By the end of the 1960s, the success was largely over and personal difficulties dogged Lordan through the 1970s.<ref name="Larkin"/> He became involved with the [[Cornwall|Cornish]] band [[the Onyx]] who under his guidance changed their name to Vineyard and released two singles on Decca and Deram in 1974. Later he made a brief foray in acting, appearing in the 1977 [[sex comedy]], ''[[Come Play with Me (1977 film)|Come Play With Me]]''. The film was directed by his neighbour, [[Harrison Marks|George Harrison Marks]]. In the 1980s, Lordan [[marriage|remarried]] and started to write again, although his songs were never published.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Lordan's first marriage was in 1963 to Petrina Forsyth who (credited as Petrina Lordan) wrote [[The Shadows]] hit "A Place in the Sun" (1966) and also, with [[Hank Marvin]], "Love, Truth and Emily Stone" for [[Cliff Richard]] on his album ''[[Tracks 'n Grooves]]'' (1970).<ref name="Rust2010">{{cite book|author=Victor Rust|title=The Cliff Richard Recording Catalogue 1958–2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HyijAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA328|year=2010|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-0-9567384-0-0|pages=328–}}</ref><ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1963, Hampstead, Vol 5c, page 2146.</ref> His second marriage was to Claudine Albus/Hammerschmidt in 1980.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1980, Camden, Vol 14, page 1777.</ref>
Lordan's first marriage was in 1963 to Petrina Forsyth who (credited as Petrina Lordan) wrote the Shadows hit "A Place in the Sun" (1966) and also, with [[Hank Marvin]], "Love, Truth and Emily Stone" for [[Cliff Richard]] on his album ''[[Tracks 'n Grooves]]'' (1970).<ref name="Rust2010">{{cite book|author=Victor Rust|title=The Cliff Richard Recording Catalogue 1958–2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HyijAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA328|year=2010|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-0-9567384-0-0|pages=328–}}</ref><ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1963, Hampstead, Vol 5c, page 2146.</ref> His second marriage was to Claudine Albus/Hammerschmidt in 1980.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1980, Camden, Vol 14, page 1777.</ref>


==Death==
==Death==
Lordan died in July 1995 in Shrewsbury Hospital, [[Shropshire]], from [[acute renal failure]], aged 61. A [[funeral|memorial service]] was held for him at [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]] on 25 October 1995, during which [[Bruce Welch]] of [[The Shadows]] participated.<ref name="Larkin"/>
Lordan died on 24 July 1995 in Shrewsbury Hospital, [[Shropshire]], from [[acute renal failure]], aged 61. A [[funeral|memorial service]] was held for him at [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]] on 25 October 1995, during which [[Bruce Welch]] of the Shadows participated.<ref name="Larkin"/>


==References==
==References==
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*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621175054/http://www.btinternet.com/~shadows_archive/shadows/Lordan/Default.htm |date=21 June 2007 |title=Btinternet.com/#shadows }}
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621175054/http://www.btinternet.com/~shadows_archive/shadows/Lordan/Default.htm |date=21 June 2007 |title=Btinternet.com/#shadows }}
*[http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirj/jerryl.htm 45-rpm.org]
*[http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirj/jerryl.htm 45-rpm.org]
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p99432/songs/songs-composed-by|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic discography – songs]
*[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p99432/songs/songs-composed-by|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic discography – songs]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:English composers]]
[[Category:English male composers]]
[[Category:English songwriters]]
[[Category:English male songwriters]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:English people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Singers from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:People from Paddington]]
[[Category:People from Paddington]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Disease-related deaths in England]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
[[Category:20th-century classical musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century classical musicians]]
[[Category:People educated at Finchley Grammar School]]
[[Category:People educated at Finchley Grammar School]]
[[Category:20th-century male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century British male singers]]

Latest revision as of 03:36, 28 April 2024

Jerry Lordan
Background information
Birth nameJeremiah Patrick Lordan
Born30 April 1934
Paddington, London, England
Died24 July 1995(1995-07-24) (aged 61)
Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
GenresPopular music
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, composer
Years active1958-1995
LabelsParlophone

Jerry Lordan (born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan, 30 April 1934 – 24 July 1995)[1] was an English songwriter, composer and singer. He had three hit singles on the UK Singles Chart before focusing purely on songwriting. Amongst his songwriting credits were the chart hits "I've Waited So Long", "Apache", "Wonderful Land", "Diamonds", and "A Girl Like You".

Career[edit]

Born as Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in Paddington, London, England, Lordan taught himself to play piano and guitar as a child. He attended Finchley Catholic High School and went into National Service in the Royal Air Force as a radar operator. On leaving the RAF in 1955, he held a number of jobs including comedian, singer and in advertising. [2]

He began song-writing, and in 1958, with the help of contacts made in the advertising business a demo of one of his songs was heard by a record producer. The song, "A House, A Car and a Wedding Ring" was recorded by Mike Preston on Decca Records.[2] It did not sell well, but the song was successfully covered by the American rockabilly star, Dale Hawkins, on the Checker label. A later song, "I've Waited So Long" was recorded by the young Anthony Newley on Decca and got to number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1959.[3] He was signed as a singer to Parlophone and had three charting singles in 1960,[2] the most successful being "Who Could Be Bluer?", produced by George Martin.[1]

He found real fame as a composer with the instrumental, "Apache". It was originally recorded by Bert Weedon, but Lordan did not like the version. Weedon's label, Top Rank, did not release it immediately. On tour with the Shadows, Lordan demonstrated the tune to bass player Jet Harris, reportedly picking out the tune on a ukulele as confirmed by the Shadows on BBC Radio 2 documentary, Out of the Shadows. When the rest of the band heard it, they agreed to record it. It was released in July 1960 and hit number one in August, staying at the top for five weeks. The Shadows' version was voted Top Record of 1960 in the New Musical Express Readers' Poll.[4][5] The tune was also recorded by the Danish guitarist Jorgen Ingmann, who took it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.[2]

Lordan gave up singing for full-time writing. He wrote the Shadows' UK number one hit "Wonderful Land" (1962) and their hits "Atlantis" (which reached number two in 1963) and "Mary Anne" (a rare vocal single from the group). He achieved a further number one, "Diamonds" for the ex-Shadows' Jet Harris and Tony Meehan in 1963.[2] Harris and Meehan also recorded his song "Scarlett O'Hara" taking it to number two in the same chart. He wrote other hits for Cliff Richard ("A Girl Like You"), Shane Fenton and Louise Cordet ("I'm Just a Baby").[4]

By the end of the 1960s, the success was largely over and personal difficulties dogged Lordan through the 1970s.[2] He became involved with the Cornish band the Onyx who under his guidance changed their name to Vineyard and released two singles on Decca and Deram in 1974. Later he made a brief foray in acting, appearing in the 1977 sex comedy, Come Play With Me. The film was directed by his neighbour, George Harrison Marks. In the 1980s, Lordan remarried and started to write again, although his songs were never published.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]

Lordan's first marriage was in 1963 to Petrina Forsyth who (credited as Petrina Lordan) wrote the Shadows hit "A Place in the Sun" (1966) and also, with Hank Marvin, "Love, Truth and Emily Stone" for Cliff Richard on his album Tracks 'n Grooves (1970).[6][7] His second marriage was to Claudine Albus/Hammerschmidt in 1980.[8]

Death[edit]

Lordan died on 24 July 1995 in Shrewsbury Hospital, Shropshire, from acute renal failure, aged 61. A memorial service was held for him at St Martin-in-the-Fields on 25 October 1995, during which Bruce Welch of the Shadows participated.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 329. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 770. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 393. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  4. ^ a b Marchese, Joe (16 October 2012). "In The Shadow of The Shadows: Songwriter Jerry Lordan Remembered on "All My Own Work"". Theseconddisc.com. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  5. ^ Eder, Bruce. Jerry Lordan Biography at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  6. ^ Victor Rust (2010). The Cliff Richard Recording Catalogue 1958–2010. Lulu.com. pp. 328–. ISBN 978-0-9567384-0-0.
  7. ^ General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1963, Hampstead, Vol 5c, page 2146.
  8. ^ General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 1980, Camden, Vol 14, page 1777.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Lordan&oldid=1221140323"