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Frank Ifield

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Frank Ifield
OAM
Background information
Birth nameFrancis Edward Ifield
Born(1937-11-30)30 November 1937
Coundon, Coventry, England
Died18 May 2024(2024-05-18) (aged 86)
Sydney, Australia
Genres
OccupationMusician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1953–1986
Labels
Websitefrankifield.com

Francis Edward Ifield OAM (30 November 1937 – 18 May 2024) was a British-born Australian country music singer and guitarist who often incorporated yodelling into his music.

Born in the United Kingdom, Ifield grew up in rural Australia where he started performing hillbilly music in his teens. He released singles which were successful in Australia and New Zealand. He returned to the UK in 1959 where he had four number-one hits on the UK Singles Chart in the early 1960s with his cover versions of "I Remember You", "Lovesick Blues", "The Wayward Wind" and "Confessin' That I Love You".

In 1986, he contracted pneumonia, which resulted in removal of part of a lung and damage to his vocal cords. He relocated to Sydney in 1988 and was unable to sing or yodel for years as he recovered.

In 2003, Ifield was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown. Ifield was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007. In June 2009, he was presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the arts as an entertainer".

Career

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

Frank Ifield was born on 30 November 1937 in Coundon, Coventry to Australian parents Richard Joseph Ifield (1909–1982) and Hannah Muriel née Livesey (c. 1916–2012), as one of seven sons.[1] His parents had travelled to England in 1936,[2] where his father was an inventor and engineer who created the Ifield fuel pump, used in jet aircraft, for Lucas Industries.[1][3][4]

The Ifield family returned to Australia in January 1948 aboard the liner RMS Orion.[2] They lived near Dural, 50 km (31 mi) north-west of Sydney.[1][5] It was a rural district and he listened to hillbilly music (later called country music) while milking the family's cow.[1] He was given a guitar in 1949 by his grandmother and was self-taught;[5] he also taught himself to yodel, by imitating country stars, including Hank Snow.[1]

The family moved to Beecroft, a Sydney suburb.[5] At the age of 13, he performed his version of Bill Showmet's "Did You See My Daddy Over There?" and appeared on local radio station 2GB's talent quest, Amateur Hour.[5] This track was issued as his first single, in 1953, by Regal Zonophone Records.[6] By November of that year, he appeared regularly on Brisbane radio station 4BK's Youth Parade, playing guitar and singing, where, "All the artists in this programme are under 21 years of age."[7]

His third single was a cover version of "Abdul Abulbul Amir" (September 1954), which was backed by his own composition, "A Mother's Faith".[6][8][9] In 1956, he hosted Campfire Favourites on local TV station TCN-9, which "was the first weekly 'Western' programme by a local artist on Australian television."[10] From that year to late 1957, he recorded six singles with a backing group, Dick Carr Buckaroos.[6]

In 1957, he recorded the track "Whiplash", which was used as the theme song for the British/Australian TV series of the same title from September 1960 to mid-1961.[11] He toured the North Island of New Zealand in early 1959 where his single, "Guardian Angel", reached No. 1 on local radio charts.[10] Ifield had two top 30 hits in that year on the Kent Music Report, with "True" (September, No. 26) and "Teenage Baby" (November, No. 23).[12][13] He returned to the United Kingdom in November 1959.[14]

1960s success

[edit]

Ifield's first UK single, "Lucky Devil" (January 1960), reached No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart.[15] His next six singles had less commercial success, but he had his first UK number-one hit with a cover version of the Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer 1941 composition "I Remember You" (May 1962),[16] which topped the charts for seven weeks.[15] Known for Ifield's falsetto and a slight yodel, it was the second highest-selling single of that year in the UK,[17] and became the seventh million-selling single.[18] It is Ifield's highest charting single on the United States Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 5.[19][20] It also reached No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report.[12][13]

His next single was a double A-side, "Lovesick Blues" and "She Taught Me How to Yodel" (October 1962).[6] "Lovesick Blues", originally sung by Hank Williams, was treated in an upbeat "Let's Twist Again" style. The other track is a virtuoso piece of yodelling with the final verse – entirely yodelling – at double-speed. It also peaked at No. 1 in the UK,[15] No. 2 in Australia,[12][13] and reached No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[20] He had been told by his management not to yodel because it would brand him.[5] Nevertheless, he sang "She Taught Me to Yodel" as an encore for a Royal Variety Performance (November 1962),[21] at the specific request of the Queen Mother for a yodelling song.[5] His next single, "Wayward Wind", made him the first UK-based artist to reach No. 1 three times in succession on the UK charts.[15] The only previous artist to have done so was Elvis Presley.[15] In Australia, it peaked at No. 16.[12][13]

His UK charting singles from 1963 were "Nobody's Darlin' but Mine" (April 1963, No. 4), "Confessin' (That I Love You)" (June, No. 1), "Mule Train" (October, No. 22) and "Don't Blame Me" (December, No. 8).[15] In 1963, he sang at the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by one of his heroes, Hank Snow. Many of his records were produced by Norrie Paramor. Ifield was also featured on Jolly What!, a 1964 compilation comprising eight of his tracks and four by the Beatles, which has been considered an attempt to cash in on Beatlemania.[22][23] (Vee-Jay Records had acquired US distribution rights to the Beatles along with Ifield.) Despite changing trends, Ifield continued to have further top 40 hits in that decade including "Angry at the Big Oak Tree" (April 1964), "I Should Care" (July), "Paradise" (August 1965), "No One Will Ever Know" (June 1966), and "Call Her Your Sweetheart" (September).[6][15]

In 1965, he starred in Babes in the Wood, the London Palladium pantomime, which every year headlined with artists who had achieved popular success in the year.[24]

Ifield twice entered the UK heats for the Eurovision Song Contest. He came in second in the 1962 heat with "Alone Too Long" (losing to Ronnie Carroll).[25] In the 1976 heat he tried with "Ain't Gonna Take No for an Answer", finishing last of 12.[25]

Later years

[edit]

In 1991, Ifield returned to the UK chart when a dance remix of "She Taught Me How to Yodel", renamed "The Yodeling Song" and billed as Frank Ifield featuring the Backroom Boys, reached No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart.[15] In more than 30 years, it became his 16th appearance on the chart. The song was mentioned by Victor Meldrew in the One Foot in the Grave episode, "Love and Death".[citation needed]

In 2003, Ifield was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown.[26] Ifield was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007. In June 2009, he was presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the arts as an entertainer". He was first married to Gillian Bowden (1965–88) and the couple had two children. His second marriage was to Carole Wood (1992 to his death). In 2005, he co-wrote his autobiography I Remember Me: the First 25 Years, with Pauline Halford.[27]

Personal life

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Ifield married Gillian Bowden, a dancer at the London Palladium, on 6 July 1965 at Marylebone Register Office, London.[28] Ifield starred as Dave Kelly, and Bowden appeared as a dancer in the comedy musical film Up Jumped a Swagman (December 1965).[29][30] The couple had two children.[31]

In 1986, Ifield contracted pneumonia and required surgery to remove part of a lung. As a result, his vocal cords were damaged, which meant he could not sing or yodel for years until they recovered.[1] He and Bowden divorced in 1988 and he returned to Sydney to live.[32] In 1992, he married Carole Wood, an airline hostess.[32]

Ifield died in Hornsby Hospital[where?][citation needed] of pneumonia on 18 May 2024, at the age of 86.[33]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Ifield, Frank (1963), Meet Frank Ifield, World Distributors, retrieved 23 July 2018
  • Ifield, Frank; Halford, Pauline (2005), I Remember Me: the First 25 Years, Kempton Marks, ISBN 978-0-7552-0501-1

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
[15] 		US Country
[34]
Yours Sincerely

Released: 1959 Label: Regal Zonophone Records/Columbia (33-OEX 7513) Format: LP Producer:

— —
I Remember You

Released: December 1962 Label: Vee-Jay Records/Columbia (LP-1054, SR-1054/33-SX 1467) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

3 —
Frank Ifield

Released: 1963 Label: World Record Club Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

— —
Born Free

Released: August 1963 Label: EMI/Columbia (33-SX-1534, SCX-3485) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

3 —
Blue Skies

Released: March 1964 Label: EMI/Columbia (33-SX-1588, SCX-3505) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

10 —
Frank Ifield's Greatest Hits

Released: September 1964 Label: EMI/Columbia (33-SX-1633) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

9 —
Portrait in Song

Released: May 1965 Label: EMI/Columbia (33-SX-1723, SCX-3551) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

— —
Up Jumped a Swagman

Released: December 1965 Label: EMI/Columbia (SX-33-1751, SCXO-3559) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

— —
Frank Ifield's Tale of Two Cities

Released: 1966 Label: Hickory Records (LPM 136, LPS 136) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

— 35
Close to You

Released: 1966 Label: Columbia (SX6080) Format: LP

— —
Call Her Your Sweetheart

Released: 1967 Label: Capitol Records (ST 6176) Format: LP

— —
Rovin' Lover

Released: 1967 Label: Hickory Records (LPS 144) Format: LP

— —
You Came Along

Released: 1967 Label: Columbia (SX 6147) Format: LP

— —
The Singer & the Song

Released: 1968 Label: Columbia (SX 6225) Format: LP

— —
Happy Tracks

Released: 1968 Label: Columbia (SX 6276) Format: LP

— —
Frank Ifield

Released: 1970 Label: Decca (SKL 5064) Format: LP

— —
Someone to Give My Love to

Released: 1973 Label: Spark (SRLP 111) Format: LP

— —
Joanne

Released: 1975 Label: Blue Jean Records (BL 16905) Format: LP Producer: Norrie Paramor

— —
Ain't Gonna Take No for an Answer

Released: 1976 Label: Interfusion (L 35813) Format: LP

— —
One More Mile...One More Town

Released: 1977 Label: EMI (EMC.2638) Format: LP

— —
Frank Ifield & Barbary Coast (with Barbary Coast)

Released: 1978 Label: Fi Records Format: LP

— —
Frank Ifield Sings

Released: 1978 Label: Fi Records (FIR 3782) Format: LP

— —
Sweet Vibrations

Released: 1979 Label: Fi Records (FIR 3782) Format: LP

— —
Portrait Of

Released: 1982 Label: PRT (N 146) Format: LP

— —
I Remember These

Released: 1985 Label: Axis (AX260444) Format: LP

— —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Singles

[edit]
List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released
Title
(songwriters) 		Year Peak chart positions
AUS
[12][13][35] 		UK
[15] 		US
[36] 		US Country
[36]
"True"
(Elaine Goddard) 		1959 26 — — —
"Teenage Baby"
(Herman Guidry) 		23 — — —
"Lucky Devil"
(Wally Gold/Aaron Schroeder) 		1960 — 22 — —
"Gotta Get a Date"
(Berry/Ginsbery) 		— 49 — —
"I Remember You"
(Johnny Mercer/Victor Schertzinger) 		1962 1 1 5 —
"Lovesick Blues"
(Cliff Friend/Irving Mills) 		2 1 44 —
"The Wayward Wind"
(Stanley Lebowsky/Herb Newman) 		1963 16 1 104 —
"Nobody's Darlin' but Mine"
(Jimmie Davis) 		41 4 — —
"Confessin' (That I Love You)"
(Doc Daugherty/Al J. Neiburg/Ellis Reynolds) 		24 1 58 —
"Mule Train"
(Fred Glickman/Hy Heath/Johnny Lange) 		95 22 — —
"Please"A
(Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin) 		5 — 71 —
"Don't Blame Me"
(Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh) 		1964 43 8 106 —
"Angry at the Big Oak Tree"
(Paul Hampton/Bob Hilliard) 		32 25 — —
"I Should Care"
(Sammy Cahn/Axel Stordahl/Paul Weston) 		— 33 — —
"Summer Is Over"
(Tom Springfield/Clive Westlake) 		40 25 — —
"Don't Make Me Laugh"
(Bill Giant/Patricia Valando) 		1965 96 — — —
"Lonesome Number One"
(Don Gibson) 		95 — — —
"Paradise"
(Nacio Herb Brown/Gordon Clifford) 		88 26 — —
"No One Will Ever Know"
(Mel Foree/Fred Rose) 		1966 — 25 — 42
"Call Her Your Sweetheart"
(Leon Payne) 		79 24 — 28
"Out of Nowhere"
(Johnny Green/Edward Heyman) 		1967 75 — 132 —
"Up, Up and Away"
(Jimmy Webb) 		81 — — —
"Good Morning, Dear"
(Mickey Newbury) 		1968 — — — 67
"Oh, Such a Stranger"
(Don Gibson) 		— — — 68
"It's My Time"B
(John D. Loudermilk) 		1969 — — — —
"Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast"
(Peter Callander/Geoff Stephens) 		1972 68 — — —
"The Yodeling Song (Remix)"C
(Tom Emerson/Paul Roberts/Van Esther Sciver) 		1991 — 40 — —

Notes

  • A"Please" peaked at No. 39 on the CHUM Charts in Canada.[37]
  • B"It's My Time" peaked at No. 12 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[38]
  • CCredited to Frank Ifield featuring the Backroom Boys

Awards and honors

[edit]

In June 2009, he was presented with a Medal of the Order of Australia, with a citation for "service to the arts as an entertainer."[39]

On 10 June 2012, Ifield joined Paul Hazell on his World of Country show[40] on the community radio station Uckfield FM. He discussed his life in music and forthcoming induction to the Coventry Music Wall of Fame.[41]

Australian Roll of Renown

[edit]

The Australian Roll of Renown honours Australian and New Zealander musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a significant and lasting contribution to country music. It was inaugurated in 1976 and the inductee is announced at the Country Music Awards of Australia in Tamworth every January.[42]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2003 Frank Ifield Australian Roll of Renown inductee

ARIA Music Awards

[edit]

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. It commenced in 1987. Ifield was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.[43][44][45]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Frank Ifield ARIA Hall of Fame inductee

Mo Awards

[edit]

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. It recognised achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Ifield won one award in that time.[46]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
2009 Frank Ifield Hall of Fame inductee

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Donnelly, Marea (30 April 2016). "Australian singer and yodeller, Frank Ifield, once had a support act called The Beatles". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Jet-Propulsion Expert Here". Late Final Extra. The Sun. No. 11, 862. 2 February 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Frank Ifield Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  4. ^ Sheridan, Greg (24 August 1982). "Richard Joseph (Dick) Ifield". The Bulletin. pp. 30, 32. ISSN 0007-4039. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via Frank Ifield Official Website.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Frank Ifield". Australian Country Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Frank Ifield". Rock Productions. 21 September 2014. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  7. ^ Stirling, Joyce (29 November 1953). "Give the Kids a Break". The Sunday Mail. Brisbane, Qld. p. 24. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia. Note: includes a photo of Ifield with a group of fellow performers.
  8. ^ Hampel, John (16 September 1954). "Through the Arts". Barrier Daily Truth. Vol. XLVI, no. 14, 520. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "'A Mother's Faith' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  10. ^ a b Fletcher, Bernard (17 June 1959). "Listen Here: Where It all Began". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. No. 2. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia. Note: includes a photo of Ifield.
  11. ^ Davis, Sharon (2012), Every Chart-Topper Tells a Story: the Sixties, London Mainstream Digital, pp. 1956–57, 1961–62, ISBN 978-1-78057-416-5
  12. ^ a b c d e Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Turramurra, NSW: Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-6464-4439-5. Note: Chart positions back calculated by Kent in 2005.
  13. ^ a b c d e Ryan (bulion), Gary (10 February 2011). "Albums Pre-1989 – Part 4". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  14. ^ Laing, Dave (20 May 2024). "Frank Ifield obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 266. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  16. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 66. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  17. ^ "Chart Archive – 1960s Singles". everyhit.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  18. ^ "Million-Selling Singles". everyhit.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  19. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 121.
  20. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (27 September 1991). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990. Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-089-X.
  21. ^ "1962, London Palladium". Royal Variety Performance. Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  22. ^ "A Bloody Bad Album". snopes.com. 12 November 2000. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  23. ^ "Collector's Corner – "Jolly What! The Beatles & Frank Ifield on Stage:" a Vee Jay 'flop' becomes a highly coveted collector's item". The Beatles Rarity. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  24. ^ "It's Behind You - The Palladium Pantomime". www.its-behind-you.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  25. ^ a b Stanley, Bob. "Sounds of the Sixties – Frank Ifield". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  26. ^ "Roll of Renown". TCMF. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  27. ^ Ifield, Frank; Halford, Pauline (2005). I Remember Me: The First 25 Years. Kempton Marks. ISBN 978-0-7552-0501-1.
  28. ^ "Jul. 07, 1965 – Singer Frank Ifield Weds: Popular singer Frank Ifield". alamy.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  29. ^ Musgrove, Nan (13 October 1965). "Frank is home with his bride". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 33, no. 20. p. 7. Retrieved 23 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ^ Vagg, Stephen (14 July 2019). "Australian Singers Turned Actors". Filmink. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  31. ^ MacKenzie, Vicki (20 January 1982). "Frank Ifield: Coming home to tour the country he loves". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 49, no. 31. p. 6. Retrieved 23 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ a b "Blast from the past; Frank Ifield Whatever happened to the man with the yodel Frank Ifield, asked Mercury reader Mr I. Jones of Broadway, Walsall?". Sunday Mercury. 14 February 1999. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  33. ^ Baker, Glenn A. (20 May 2024). "Australian music icon Frank Ifield dies aged 86". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  34. ^ Allmusic.com – Charts & Awards (albums)
  35. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  36. ^ a b Allmusic.com – Charts & Awards (singles)
  37. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - January 20, 1964". Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  38. ^ "RPM Top 50 Country - November 29, 1969" (PDF).
  39. ^ "Search Australian Honours Name: Ifield, Francis Edward". Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  40. ^ "Country singer, songwriter and yodeller Frank Ifield was in the Uckfield FM studio". Uckfieldfm.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2023.[permanent dead link]
  41. ^ "Backbeat: More stars honoured on Coventry Music Wall of Fame". Coventrytelegraph.net. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  42. ^ "Roll of Renown". Tamworth Country Music Festival. Retrieved 29 October 2020.[permanent dead link]
  43. ^ "Winners by Award: Hall of Fame". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  44. ^ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2007: 21st Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  45. ^ "ARIA Presents the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame" (PDF). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 6 May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008.
  46. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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