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. 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. 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.
Be My Guest
Emile Ford Lyrics
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Come join the party and meet the rest
Everything is gonna be all right
So be my guest tonight
We're gonna dance to the rock 'n' roll
We're gonna even do the stroll
We're gonna Lindy Hop and Suzy Q
My, my-oh-mine, gee you're so fine
Don't let me down
I'm the king but you can wear my crown
I'm gonna sing, my band gonna play
I'm gonna make you queen for a day
Everything is gonna be all right
So be my guest tonight
My, my-oh-mine, gee you're so fine
Don't let me down
I'm the king but you can wear my crown
I'm gonna sing, my band gonna play
I'm gonna make you queen for a day
Everything is gonna be all right
So be my guest tonight
Emile Ford's song "Be My Guest" is an invitation to a girl to come and join the party. The song is upbeat and lively, encouraging the listener to enjoy themselves and dance to the rock 'n' roll music. The lyrics are an invitation to let go and have fun, with the assurance that everything will be all right.
The song speaks to the confidence of the singer, who is referred to as "the king". He encourages the girl to wear his crown, indicating his willingness to share the limelight and let her be the center of attention. He promises to make her "queen for a day," suggesting that she will be treated like royalty for the duration of the party.
The lyrics make it clear that this is a special occasion, with specific dances planned and a sense of excitement and anticipation. The repetition of the phrase "my, my-oh-mine, gee you're so fine" adds to the playful nature of the song, with the singer expressing his admiration for the girl he wants to be his guest. Ultimately, the song is a celebration of the joy of music and dancing, inviting everyone to come together and have a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on baby and be my guest
I am inviting you to come and join me as the guest of honor and have a good time
Come join the party and meet the rest
You will have the opportunity to meet and socialize with other guests at the party
Everything is gonna be all right
I promise you that everything is going to be fine and you don't need to worry
So be my guest tonight
Please attend the party and be my guest for the evening
We're gonna dance to the rock 'n' roll
We will enjoy dancing to the rhythm of rock and roll music
We're gonna even do the stroll
We will also do the dance move called the stroll
We're gonna Lindy Hop and Suzy Q
We will also dance the Lindy Hop and Suzy Q
It's a special party just for you
This party has been organized specifically to honor and celebrate you
My, my-oh-mine, gee you're so fine
You are incredibly attractive and irresistible to me
Don't let me down
Please don't disappoint me or break my heart
I'm the king but you can wear my crown
I may be the head of this event, but I am willing to give you the spotlight and let you shine
I'm gonna sing, my band gonna play
I will perform a song and my band will play music for everyone to dance to
I'm gonna make you queen for a day
You will be treated like royalty and be the center of attention for the entire party
Everything is gonna be all right
I promise once again that everything will be just fine
So be my guest tonight
I hope you will honor my request and be my special guest at this party for a wonderful evening
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, JOHN MARASCALCO, TOMMY BOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind