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.
That Lucky Old Sun
Emile Ford Lyrics
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But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Up in the mornin' out on the job,
Work like the devil for my pay
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin'
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
The song "That Lucky Old Sun" by Emile Ford is about a man who works hard for his living while the sun seemingly has nothing to do but roll around heaven all day. The song describes the man's daily routine of going to work, providing for his family, and dealing with the hardships of life. The lyrics express the man's longing for a break from his responsibilities and for a chance to escape to paradise.
The song reflects a timeless theme of human struggle and desire for something more out of life. It showcases the idea that life can be difficult and overwhelming, but there is always the hope of a better tomorrow. The lyrics evoke a feeling of nostalgia and longing, as the man yearns for something greater than his mundane, everyday existence.
Overall, it seems that the song is a reflection on the joys and sorrows of life, and the desire for a reprieve from the daily grind. The lyrics express a deep yearning for a more peaceful existence, and the hope that someday, the man will find his way to paradise.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the mornin' out on the job, work like the devil for my pay
I wake up early and go to work, working hard all day to earn money
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
The sun has an easy life, just rolling around in the sky all day without working
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
I work hard to take care of my family, causing me stress and exhaustion
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin' Tears all in my eyes
I am feeling sad and yearning for something more
Send down that cloud with a silver linin' Lift me to paradise
I am asking for a break from the struggles of life and a chance to be happy
Show me that river Take me across and wash all my troubles away
I want a way to escape my problems and find a sense of peace
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
I want an easy life without the burden of responsibilities and stress
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind