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.
Still
Emile Ford & The Checkmates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm still in love with you
Still. still, what else could I do.
Noone can take your place,
Noone ever will,
Oh, my darling, I love you, love you still.
Still, still I miss your magic touch,
Still, still I need you, oh, so much.
Noone ever will,
Oh, my darling, I love you, love you still.
Why did you have to go
And grieve me.
Come back my darling,
And never leave me.
Still, still, my heart still aches for you,
Until it breaks into.
Noone can take your place,
Noone ever will.
Oh, my darling, I love you, love you still.
The Checkmates' song "Still" talks about a difficult situation where the singer is still in love with someone who left them. The song repeats the word "still" throughout, emphasizing the fact that the singer's feelings have not changed despite everything that has happened. The song expresses the depth of the singer's love for this person, and the longing they feel for their return. The lyrics talk about the unique connection they shared, and how no one else can ever take their place.
The singer also expresses their sadness at the fact that this person had to leave them, but their heart still aches for them. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer pleading for this person to come back and never leave them again. The song very skillfully captures the depth of love and longing, the hurt of separation, and the hope for reuniting.
Overall, the song is a beautiful representation of a person's feelings after a breakup. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, with the repetition of the word "still" effectively conveying the strong emotions of the singer. The melody and instrumentation are also well-suited to the theme of the song, with the bluesy feel of the music aptly representing the agony of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm still, still
Despite everything that has happened, I am still the same person and I still feel the same way about you.
I'm still in love with you
My love for you has not diminished in the slightest, even though we're apart.
Still. still, what else could I do.
There is nothing else I can do but continue to love you, even if it hurts.
Noone can take your place,
I have realized that there is no one else who can fill the void you left in my heart.
Noone ever will,
No one else can ever replace the love that we shared.
Oh, my darling, I love you, love you still.
I want you to know that even though we are apart, my love for you remains strong and unwavering.
Still, still I miss your magic touch,
I long for your gentle touch and the way you bring magic into my life.
Still, still I need you, oh, so much.
I realize that my need for you has not lessened, and I still yearn for your love.
Noone shares my embrace,
I am left longing for your embrace as no one else can replace it.
Noone ever will,
I understand that no one else can ever take your place, especially in my arms.
Oh, my darling, I love you, love you still.
I want you to know that my love for you remains constant even though we're apart.
Why did you have to go
I wonder why you had to leave me and break my heart.
And grieve me.
Your absence has caused me so much pain and sorrow.
Come back my darling,
I yearn for your return and hope you come back to me soon.
And never leave me.
I never want to experience the heartache of being without you again.
Still, still, my heart still aches for you,
My heart continues to ache and long for you, despite the time we've been apart.
Until it breaks into.
My heartache is so strong that I fear my heart may break from the intensity of my emotions.
Noone can take your place,
No one can ever take your place in my heart and my life.
Noone ever will.
I understand that there is no one who can replace the love we shared, even if we're apart.
Oh, my darling, I love you, love you still.
I want you to know that my love for you will never cease or falter, no matter what happens.
Writer(s): Dorian Burton, Howard Plummer Jr.
Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@annettemaxwell3816
I remember meeting Emile Ford, in the 1990's, at a boat party along the Thames. I being a child, of the 1970's. Emile wasn't impressed, when I excitedly told him, " Ive grown up, listening to your music. My had all your records", He looked at me, and said "Your mum ?". He then walked off, without saying a thing . I was young and simply said ,the fist thing that came, to my mind. I did think I was insulting him at at. My mum likes his music :)
@peterainscough1837
When I was the resident drummer at Pall Mall club in Chorley, Emile was the act one night and the Hammond B200 organ would not turn on,Emile fixed it for us,what a delightful man and brilliant singer to work with.
@davidgough4152
I'm 71 and have been listening to Emile 's singing off and on since I don't know when - as a teenager. Love his music. The clearest voice ever. RIP.
@whenmusicwasgreat9113
Thanks Emile, for all the great Song's you gave us. RIP.
@norahmckenna1940
When Music Was Great Doris Day
@luckydave328
I only just heard that he died. He was great. I loved all his records.
@peterstanford5535
saw Emile in 1959/60 at the A.B.C. theatre in Blackpool along with the checkmates he was superb the songs were not mimed in those times it was all sung live, it sounded just like his record ,
Adam faith was also appearing and I remember thinking although I liked his records he couldn't sing for toffee, had the good fortune to meet Emile and can honestly say he was a true gentleman, many thanks to you Emile for all the wonderful music, you will be missed, R.I.P
@irenemccann7032
I agree with all you comments, and I thought Adam Faith was a rubbish singer.
@peterstanford5535
@@irenemccann7032 hi IRENE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHERE YOU SAW EMILE, WAS IT A SCOTTISH WEEKEND IN BLACKPOOL, SO MANY THEATRE'S CLOSING DOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD ITS A GREAT SHAME, ALL BECAUSE THERE IS NOT THE PURE TALENT WE HAD IN THE 60S, WE CERTAINLY LIVED IN A GREAT PERIOD OF MUSIC, WHAT WITH EMILE, ELVIS, PJ PROBY, BATCHELORS, DION AND THE BELMONTS, THE SEEKERS, DUSTY, RADIO CAROLINE, SEARCHERS, YOU COULD GO ON FOREVER, GREAT DAYS MET SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE DURING THAT TIME OH! HOW COULD I FORGET THE BEATLES AND THE BEACH BOYS, TIME TO STOP KNOW WONDER WE HAD SO MANY THEATRE'S, KEEP SAFE IRENE, PETE
@irenemccann7032
@@peterstanford5535 hi Pete, I never had the chance to see him live, I’m more of an American music buff, but really liked Emile, and a few other British greats , such as Engelbert Humperdink, Matt Monroe, Ronnie Hilton and Dickie Valentine.👍