Emile Ford was born in Castries, Saint Lucia, in the West Indies. He was the son of Barbadian politician, Frederick Edward Miller, and Madge Murray, a singer and musical theatre director whose father had founded and conducted the St. Lucia Philharmonic Band. His mother married again, taking the name of Sweetnam; some sources erroneously give Emile Ford's birth name as Sweetnam or Sweetman.
He was educated at St Mary’s College, Castries. He moved to London with his mother and family in the mid-1950s, partly motivated by his desire to explore improved sound reproduction technology, and studied at the Paddington Technical College in London.[4] It was during this time that he taught himself to play a number of musical instruments, including guitar, piano, violin, bass guitar and drums. Using an abbreviated form of his name, as Emile Ford, he first entered show business at the age of 20, and made his first public performance at the Buttery, Kensington. His first appearance with a backing group was at the Athenaeum Ballroom in Muswell Hill. His TV appearances in 1958 included outings on The Music Shop, the Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson Show, Oh, Boy!, and Six-Five Special.
He teamed up in January 1959 with his half-brother, bassist George Sweetnam-Ford (born 1 January 1941), electric guitarist Ken Street (born 1943) and drummer John Cuffley to form Emile Ford & the Checkmates. The band appeared on the TV programme Sunday Serenade, which ran for six weeks. They won the Soho Fair talent contest 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?", a song originally recorded by Ada Jones and Billy Murray in 1917, went to number one in the UK Singles Chart at the end of 1959 and stayed there for six weeks. Ford was the first black British artist to sell one million copies of a single.
In January 1960, Ford signed a two-year employment management contract with Leslie Grade. He had several more hits in the UK, and also scored a number one EP in 1960. The readers of the British music magazine New Musical Express voted Emile Ford and the Checkmates as the "Best New Act" in 1960. Ford's debut album was made up of covers. He made several albums, but his last studio recordings were in 1963. His half-brothers George and Dave Sweetnam-Ford were later members of the Ferris Wheel.
As a sound engineer, Ford was responsible for creating a backing track system for stage shows, first used in 1960, which provided a basis for what became known as karaoke. In 1969, he set up a recording studio in Barbados with the help of his father, before moving to Sweden.[6] While there, he further developed a new open-air playback system for stage shows, patented as the Liveoteque Sound Frequency Feedback Injection System.
Counting Teardrops, an anthology including all of Ford's recordings with Pye Records, was released in 2001.
Emile Ford died in London on 11 April 2016.
Them There Eyes
Emile Ford & The Checkmates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life was a beautiful song
Didn't have a care nor worry
Then you had to come along
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle, they bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
Maybe you think I'm all lies
Just because I get romantic when I gaze in
Them there eyes
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle
They bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
In “Them There Eyes,” Emile Ford & The Checkmates sing about falling in love at first sight. The singer describes their contentment in life prior to meeting the person who captured their heart. However, as soon as they met, they fell in love with their “certain lil’ cute way of flirtin’ with them there eyes.” The lyrics describe the way the person’s eyes “make me feel happy, they make me blue,” indicating that the singer is experiencing a wide range of emotions due to their love. Despite the potential danger and trouble that may come from this love, the singer is unable to resist their feelings and is “going in a big way for sweet little you.”
The repeated refrain of “them there eyes” underscores the importance of the person’s gaze in the singer’s experience of love. The lyrics suggest that the person’s eyes are the key to their irresistible charm, and that this charm is both exciting and potentially dangerous. The line “you’d better watch them if you’re wise” acknowledges the potential pitfalls of falling for someone based solely on their appearance, but the singer freely admits that they are willing to take the risk.
Line by Line Meaning
I was just minding my business
I was content with my own thoughts and not seeking any attention or distractions.
Life was a beautiful song
My life was filled with joy and pleasant experiences.
Didn't have a care nor worry
I had no concerns or anxieties.
Then you had to come along
Your presence disrupted my peaceful existence.
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
I fell in love with you instantly when I saw the way your eyes expressed your emotions and personality.
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
You have a charming and attractive way of expressing interest through your eyes.
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Your eyes have a powerful effect on my emotions, leaving me feeling both elated and melancholy. I cannot resist falling deeper in love with you.
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
My feelings for you are intense and uncontrollable. You have initiated a profound emotional response within me.
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle, they bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You should be cautious with the way you use your eyes to express yourself, as they have the potential to lead you into risky situations and cause trouble.
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
You are relying too heavily on your eyes to convey your feelings, which may lead to unintended consequences or even danger.
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
Maybe you think I'm all lies
Just because I get romantic when I gaze in
Them there eyes
You may assume that I am not sincere or honest, or that my romantic expressions are merely flirtatious. However, my emotions are genuine and influenced by the way you express yourself through your eyes.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind