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.
what do you want to make those
Emile Ford & The Checkmates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If they don't mean what they say
They make me glad, they make me sad
They make me want a lot of things that I never had
You're fooling around with me now
Well you lead me on and then you run away
Well that's all right, I'll get you alone some night
So what do ya wanna make those eyes at me for
If they don't mean what they say
What do ya wanna make those eyes at me for
If they don't mean what they say
They make me glad, they make me sad
They make me want a lot of things that I never had
You're fooling around with me now
Well you lead me on and then you run away
Well that's all right, I'll get you alone some night
And baby you'll find, you're messing with dynamite
So what do ya wanna make those eyes at me for
If they don't mean what they say
If they don't mean what they say
The song "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For" by Emile Ford & The Checkmates is a classic rock and roll song with playful and flirty lyrics. The lyrics explore the confusion and excitement of trying to interpret someone's intentions when they are giving mixed signals. The singer is trying to understand why the person is making eyes at them if they don't truly mean what they say. The eyes of the person are having quite an impact on the singer, making them feel happy, sad and wanting things that they don't yet have.
The lyrics describe the singer being led on by this person who is now playing with their emotions. The singer is not discouraged by this, in fact they are excited to be alone with this person, and suggest that they will be playing with fire. The song captures the feelings of youth, uncertainty and flirting in romantic and playful terms. Emile Ford and The Checkmates band's performance and delivery of the song was energetic and dynamic, which further adds to the playful and light-hearted nature of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
What do ya wanna make those eyes at me for
Why are you giving me flirtatious looks if you don't actually mean them?
If they don't mean what they say
If your eyes aren't conveying your true feelings, why bother making them at all?
They make me glad, they make me sad
Your eyes stir up a range of emotions in me - happiness and sadness, depending on the situation.
They make me want a lot of things that I never had
Your eyes make me yearn for things that I have never experienced before.
You're fooling around with me now
You are playing games with me, leading me on and then running away.
Well that's all right, I'll get you alone some night
I may let you continue your games for now, but eventually I will confront you.
And baby you'll find, you're messing with dynamite
You will face the consequences of toying with my emotions - it will not end well for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWARD E JOHNSON, JAMES V. MONACO, JOSEPH MC CARTHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheOldrecordclub
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@margaretricketts5487
Love this song and the singer. Remember going to see him at Clacton one year in the early days. I've managed to get his autograph and a kiss off of him on the staircase of the back door of the theatre. Lovely memories. I was just looking this up because I wanted to show a picture of him to my friends as we have just been listening to this on my playlist.
@johnflanagan7653
A classic throughout the ages. No doubt about that.
@adrianshelton591
I'd forgotten just how good the songs were in my youth. Great to hear it again
@ediekennedy7699
I love Emile Ford I saw him in Belfast in 1960 it was a fantastic show loved it.I play his songs regularly brings back so many beautiful memories for me when I listen to them awesome👌💖
@davekochanski8756
This was number 1 in England on the day I was born! 19th December 1959 , makes me 64 this year ! 😭😭
@tinzabeenz
LOVE this song. We just had it played at my Dads funeral.
@patriciawarren7556
we played slow boat to China at Mums
@itsTheo_0
🕊♾🕊
@anagarvan1491
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