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.
Send for Me
Emile Ford & The Checkmates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A true lover
Send for me...send for me
You'll never want
Any other
Send for me...send for me
I promise you
I'll be true
Anytime just tell me
Your problems
And you'll find out, baby
I'll solve 'em
If you're late one mornin'
Don't hurry
If you've got big trouble
Don't worry
Just depend
On your friend
Send for me...send for me
A-mornin', noon and night
In the early bright
Don't you fret, my pretty pet
I'm gonna treat you right
Don't you dare
Raise a hair
I'm gonna share
Your every care
Anywhere
Oh, yeah
Send for me...I'll be there
Anything
That upsets you
Send for me...send for me
I'll be there
To protect you
Wait and see...wait and see
Don't delay
Right away
Send for me...send for me
It's gonna be
Twiddle-deee
Yes sirree
You and me
Faithfully
Send for me
The lyrics to Emile Ford & The Checkmates's song Send for Me is a love song that features the singer offering himself as a true lover to the one he loves. He tells the listener that whenever they need a true lover, they should send for him, and he promises to be true to them. He also assures them that they will never want another person apart from him. He encourages them not to worry about their problems and to depend on him as a friend whenever they need him. He promises to be there to protect them and share their every care.
The song conveys the message of love and availability, reassuring the listener that the singer will always be there for them regardless of their situation. The lyrics' repetition emphasizes the importance of the message in the song and the singer's commitment to being a true lover. Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of romantic love, with the singer offering their love and protection to their beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
When you want
Whenever you desire
A true lover
A loyal romantic partner
Send for me...send for me
Call upon me to fulfill that role
You'll never want
You will never need, desire or seek out
Any other
Any alternative alternative romantic partner
I promise you
I guarantee that
I'll be true
I will be honest and faithful
Send for me...send for me
Ask me for help and affection whenever you need it
Anytime just tell me
At any moment, just communicate with me
Your problems
Your challenges, distress or difficulties
And you'll find out, baby
You will discover
I'll solve 'em
I will fix or overcome them
If you're late one mornin'
If you run behind schedule in the morning
Don't hurry
Don't rush or stress
If you've got big trouble
If you face significant or overwhelming problems
Don't worry
Don't fear or feel anxious
Just depend
Rely upon, lean on
On your friend
On me, who is your companion or confidant
Send for me...send for me
Call me to your side in those challenges
A-mornin', noon and night
At any time of the day or night
In the early bright
During the morning hours
Don't you fret, my pretty pet
Don't you worry, my attractive and beloved partner
I'm gonna treat you right
I am going to treat you well
Don't you dare
Do not even think about
Raise a hair
Getting upset or worried
I'm gonna share
I am going to feel or bear together with you
Your every care
Each single worry and anxiety that you have
Anywhere
At any location or circumstance
Oh, yeah
Absolutely, positively
Send for me...I'll be there
Call me, and I will be physically and emotionally present
Anything
Any situation or circumstance
That upsets you
That makes you feel troubled or uneasy
Send for me...send for me
Ask me for my emotional support and aid immediately
I'll be there
I will come to you and will be present for you
To protect you
To keep you out of danger and secure
Wait and see...wait and see
Just patiently expect
Don't delay
Do not postpone or wait too long
Right away
Immediately, without waiting
It's gonna be
It will become
Twiddle-deee
An easy and pleasant result
Yes sirree
Absolutely yes
You and me
Our duo
Faithfully
Loyally and consistently
Send for me
Call me to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Henry Ollie Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind