TRAGIC NEWS: Helen Shapiro recently passed away.
Helen Shapiro, one of the greatest pop and jazz vocalists in Britain, recalls, “It was difficult to form a band—just me and two school friends.” “The only instrument that anyone could play was my four-string plastic guitar, which I played by tuning it like a ukulele. We were all around ten years old when my friend Steven brought a friend, a plump little boy named Marc Feld, who asked if we might join his group. Since he was only nine, we were a little hesitant. He did, however, appear to have something, and he undoubtedly had a large quiff that he said he could comb over his face. We used to perform Elvis songs together when he joined us.
Helen was discovered earlier by assistant A&R man John Schroeder, who played the recording to his EMI supervisor Norrie Paramor after hearing a rendition of Birth of the Blues that was influenced by Sammy Davis Jr. Unaware of the singer’s identity and tricked by her rich, strong voice, Paramor said, “He’s good, isn’t he?” Don’t Treat Me Like A Child, her debut single, which was written by Mike Hawker and John Schroeder, was a success.
We recorded that in Studio One on Abbey Road, which was huge and used philharmonic orchestras for all of the movie music. I recall seeing all of those amazing players, the majority of them were with the Ted Heath Band, when I entered the studio. An absolutely amazing experience.
