fbpx
Wikipedia

Mike Sammes

April 24, 2023

For the similarly named British prisoner, see Michael Sams.

Michael William Sammes[1] (19 February 1928 – 19 May 2001)[2] was an English musician and vocal session arranger, performing backing vocals on pop music recorded in the UK from 1955 to the 1970s.

Mike Sammes
Birth nameMichael William Sammes
Born(1928-02-19)19 February 1928
Reigate, England
Died19 May 2001(2001-05-19) (aged 73)
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Vocal arranger
Session musician/singer
Years active1950s–1980s
LabelsDisneyland Records

Career

Born in Reigate, Surrey, Sammes was the son of pioneer photographer and film-maker Rowland Sammes.[3] He began his interest in music by learning the cello and played in the school orchestra at Reigate Grammar School.[citation needed] He then worked briefly for the music publisher Chappell & Co. in London. He returned to music after national service in the RAF in the late 1940s when he formed a male vocal group called the Coronets at the urging of fellow musician Bill Shepherd. The Coronets did back-up work for the Big Ben Banjo Band and recorded for Columbia Records, releasing some covers of current hits.

After Shepherd withdrew, Sammes persisted. By 1957, he had assembled the core group that would form the Mike Sammes Singers, finding them soon steadily employed, for singers, soundtrack and radio jingles, working sometimes as many as four sessions in a day and up to six days a week. Mike Sammes was Mr Sowerberry on the 1960 soundtrack (World Record Club) of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! and the Michael (sic) Sammes Singers also featured. They appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Show (on 29 January 1966) in the sketch "The Ernie Wise Male Voice Choir".[4][5]

The Mike Sammes Singers performed the title themes for three of Gerry Anderson's shows, Supercar, Stingray, and The Secret Service. The group recorded seven albums between 1962 and 1988. In addition, they performed on numerous albums for Disneyland Records. Among the many hit singles featuring the Mike Sammes Singers are "No Other Love" (Ronnie Hilton), "A Handful of Songs" (Tommy Steele), "Why?" and "Strawberry Fair" (Anthony Newley), "Walkin' Back to Happiness" (Helen Shapiro), "The Last Waltz" (Engelbert Humperdinck), "Green Green Grass of Home" and "Delilah" (Tom Jones) and "Tears" by Ken Dodd.[2]

The singers departed from their usual commercial style when they provided backing vocals for the Beatles' song "I Am the Walrus", which required them to do "all sorts of swoops and phonetic noises" and chant the phrases "ho ho ho, he he he, ha ha ha", "oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper" and "everybody's got one".[6] They also sang on the Beatles' "Good Night",[7] as well as on their last album, Let It Be, at the behest of Phil Spector. Sammes also provided the distinctive basso backing vocals on Olivia Newton-John's early country crossover hits, including "Banks of the Ohio", "Let Me Be There" and "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)". Despite this productivity, his group, the Mike Sammes Singers, have only one entry in The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, for "Somewhere My Love" in July 1967. Sammes rewrote the song "Marianne" with Bill Owen to provide Cliff Richard with a minor hit in September 1968.[citation needed]

The Mike Sammes Singers remained active into the 1970s, producing recordings for television (The Secret Service) and appearing on the small screen (the Val Doonican Show, 1971).[7] By the mid-1970s, though, the demand for backing vocals had faded considerably, due to the introduction of multi-tracking and synthesizers.[2] On "The Last of the Summer Wine", the Mike Sammes Singers contributed the "Summer Wine" song over the opening credits of the Christmas 1983 episode "Getting Sam Home".

Sammes died at the age of 73 in May 2001, several months after a fall from which he never fully recovered.[8] Jonny Trunk, of Trunk Records, was able to recover a number of reel-to-reel tapes from Sammes' house (despite it having been ransacked by house clearance), which he went on to compile as Music for Biscuits, so-named because it featured 1960s/1970s advertising jingles for Tuc biscuits, etc.[citation needed]

The Michael Sammes Singers members included: Mike Sammes, John O'Neill, Irene King, Enid Hurd (Enid Heard), Mike Redway, Ross Gilmour, Valerie Bain, Marion Gay and Mel Todd.[citation needed]

Works

Source[11][better source needed]

References

  1. ^ . Hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Mike Sammes". Spaceagepop.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  3. ^ Reigate History 4 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Reigate History. Retrieved on 24 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Morecambe and Wise with the Mike Sammes Singers". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  5. ^ "British Comedy: Two of a Kind". Listal.com. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  6. ^ "I Am the Walrus: In the Studio". The Beatles Bible. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  7. ^ a b Biography at Allmusic.com
  8. ^ "Mike Sammes". Discogs.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Album cover image". Discogs.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Mike Sammes". IMDb.com. Retrieved 29 July 2020.

External links

  • Mike Sammes at IMDb
  • Trunk Records.com

April 24, 2023
mike, sammes, similarly, named, british, prisoner, michael, sams, michael, william, sammes, february, 1928, 2001, english, musician, vocal, session, arranger, performing, backing, vocals, music, recorded, from, 1955, 1970s, birth, namemichael, william, sammesb. For the similarly named British prisoner see Michael Sams Michael William Sammes 1 19 February 1928 19 May 2001 2 was an English musician and vocal session arranger performing backing vocals on pop music recorded in the UK from 1955 to the 1970s Mike SammesBirth nameMichael William SammesBorn 1928 02 19 19 February 1928Reigate EnglandDied19 May 2001 2001 05 19 aged 73 GenresPopOccupation s Vocal arrangerSession musician singerYears active1950s 1980sLabelsDisneyland Records Contents 1 Career 2 Works 3 References 4 External linksCareer EditBorn in Reigate Surrey Sammes was the son of pioneer photographer and film maker Rowland Sammes 3 He began his interest in music by learning the cello and played in the school orchestra at Reigate Grammar School citation needed He then worked briefly for the music publisher Chappell amp Co in London He returned to music after national service in the RAF in the late 1940s when he formed a male vocal group called the Coronets at the urging of fellow musician Bill Shepherd The Coronets did back up work for the Big Ben Banjo Band and recorded for Columbia Records releasing some covers of current hits After Shepherd withdrew Sammes persisted By 1957 he had assembled the core group that would form the Mike Sammes Singers finding them soon steadily employed for singers soundtrack and radio jingles working sometimes as many as four sessions in a day and up to six days a week Mike Sammes was Mr Sowerberry on the 1960 soundtrack World Record Club of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver and the Michael sic Sammes Singers also featured They appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Show on 29 January 1966 in the sketch The Ernie Wise Male Voice Choir 4 5 The Mike Sammes Singers performed the title themes for three of Gerry Anderson s shows Supercar Stingray and The Secret Service The group recorded seven albums between 1962 and 1988 In addition they performed on numerous albums for Disneyland Records Among the many hit singles featuring the Mike Sammes Singers are No Other Love Ronnie Hilton A Handful of Songs Tommy Steele Why and Strawberry Fair Anthony Newley Walkin Back to Happiness Helen Shapiro The Last Waltz Engelbert Humperdinck Green Green Grass of Home and Delilah Tom Jones and Tears by Ken Dodd 2 The singers departed from their usual commercial style when they provided backing vocals for the Beatles song I Am the Walrus which required them to do all sorts of swoops and phonetic noises and chant the phrases ho ho ho he he he ha ha ha oompah oompah stick it up your jumper and everybody s got one 6 They also sang on the Beatles Good Night 7 as well as on their last album Let It Be at the behest of Phil Spector Sammes also provided the distinctive basso backing vocals on Olivia Newton John s early country crossover hits including Banks of the Ohio Let Me Be There and If You Love Me Let Me Know Despite this productivity his group the Mike Sammes Singers have only one entry in The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles for Somewhere My Love in July 1967 Sammes rewrote the song Marianne with Bill Owen to provide Cliff Richard with a minor hit in September 1968 citation needed The Mike Sammes Singers remained active into the 1970s producing recordings for television The Secret Service and appearing on the small screen the Val Doonican Show 1971 7 By the mid 1970s though the demand for backing vocals had faded considerably due to the introduction of multi tracking and synthesizers 2 On The Last of the Summer Wine the Mike Sammes Singers contributed the Summer Wine song over the opening credits of the Christmas 1983 episode Getting Sam Home Sammes died at the age of 73 in May 2001 several months after a fall from which he never fully recovered 8 Jonny Trunk of Trunk Records was able to recover a number of reel to reel tapes from Sammes house despite it having been ransacked by house clearance which he went on to compile as Music for Biscuits so named because it featured 1960s 1970s advertising jingles for Tuc biscuits etc citation needed The Michael Sammes Singers members included Mike Sammes John O Neill Irene King Enid Hurd Enid Heard Mike Redway Ross Gilmour Valerie Bain Marion Gay and Mel Todd citation needed Works EditJohnny Kidd amp the Pirates HMV 45rpm 45 POP 978 1962 accompanied Hurry on Back to Love and I Want That The Young Ones soundtrack 1962 I May Never Pass This Way Again 1958 with Ronnie Hilton UK 27 9 Come prima 1959 Starry Eyed January 1960 Supercar TV series 1961 When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart 1961 Young Willing and Eager 1961 Stork Talk 1962 85 minute film Summer Holiday 1963 Here Come the Girls TV series 1963 Crow on the Cradle 1963 Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Cliff Richard and the Shadows album 1964 Frank Ifield Sings TV Series 1965 as Mike Sammes Singers A Windmill in Old Amsterdam 1965 song Presenting Johnny Mathis TV Movie 1965 as Mike Sammes Singers The Bed Sit Girl TV Series 1966 Careless Hands song 1967 Don t Lose Your Head 1967 film The Benny Hill Show TV special 1967 I Am The Walrus The Beatles 1967 Good Night The Beatles 1968 Oh Brother TV series 1968 1970 Saturday Stars TV series 1968 as Mike Sammes Singers with Engelbert Humperdinck and Tony Bennett Q TV series 1969 A Song for Everyone UK TV Series 1969 Youth Comes to Britain Documentary short 1970 The Sky s the Limit TV series 1970 Kraft Music Hall Presents The Des O Connor Show TV series 1971 It s Cliff Richard TV series 1972 Patrick Dear Patrick an Evening with Patrick Cargill and His Guests TV movie 1972 Oh Father TV series 1973 Tiffany Jones 1973 film Thomas and the King 1975 stage musical Thrillington Percy Thrills Thrillington 1977 recorded 1971 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Paul Jones Tim Rice Geoff Love Orchestra 10 Last of the Summer Wine TV series 1983 Source 11 better source needed References Edit The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland Hymnsocietygbi org uk Archived from the original on 13 September 2007 Retrieved 29 July 2020 a b c Mike Sammes Spaceagepop com Retrieved 17 November 2016 Reigate History Archived 4 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Reigate History Retrieved on 24 April 2012 Morecambe and Wise with the Mike Sammes Singers YouTube Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 Retrieved 29 July 2020 British Comedy Two of a Kind Listal com Retrieved 29 July 2020 I Am the Walrus In the Studio The Beatles Bible Retrieved 19 November 2013 a b Biography at Allmusic com Mike Sammes Discogs com Retrieved 17 November 2016 Official Charts Company Officialcharts com Retrieved 6 February 2021 Album cover image Discogs com Retrieved 11 February 2019 Mike Sammes IMDb com Retrieved 29 July 2020 External links EditMike Sammes at IMDb Trunk Records com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mike Sammes amp oldid 1093296681, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.