He was born in Battle, East Sussex, England and is remembered by many music lovers and record collectors for his numerous albums and appearances on radio and television during the era following the second world war.
From the 1950s onwards, Chacksfield was one of Britain's most famous orchestra leaders, and his fame spread around the world. Early in his career he was fortunate to have several big sellers in the USA, which firmly established his reputation world-wide.
During his recording career with Decca alone, it is estimated that he sold 20 million copies.
Chacksfield learned to play the piano as a boy and became the deputy organist for the local church. Though his parents discouraged his pursuit of music as a career, he persevered. In the late '30s, when he was in his mid-20s, he was leading small musical bands in Britain. During World War II, he was assigned to the British Army entertainment unit, and after the war he became a regular performer on the BBC.
In 1953, he formed an orchestra he called "The Tunesmiths" and won a contract with Parlophone Records. Within two years, he expanded the group from a traditional big band into an orchestra with strings and released a series of "mood music" albums. His sound was similar to Mantovani and Melachrino. His biggest hits, in both the UK and the US, were "Ebb Tide" and "Limelight."
Chacksfield was also responsible for the musical arrangement of the first ever British entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, "All" by Patricia Bredin in 1957. Only because BBC musical director Eric Robinson insisted on accompanying Bredin to the contest in Frankfurt, Chacksfield did not get the chance to perform as a conductor on this international stage.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Chacksfield recorded a large number of instrumental recordings for Starborne Productions. The recordings were licensed for use by "Easy Listening" radio stations and functional music companies. The vast majority of these recordings were not made commercially available to the general public until 2007 by Starborne Productions.
Laura
Frank Chacksfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream
The lyrics of Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra's song Laura revolve around the theme of nostalgia, longing for something or someone that is beyond reach. The first stanza talks about how sometimes we remember something that never happened, but it feels so real that we can almost touch it. It also talks about recognizing a stranger as if we already knew them from a past life. The second stanza focuses on Laura, who is the embodiment of the unattainable. She is described as a misty figure, with familiar eyes that bring back memories of a first kiss. However, as the last line states, Laura is only a dream, a figment of the imagination that can never be reached.
The song Laura was composed by David Raksin in 1944 for the movie of the same name, which was directed by Otto Preminger. The song became a hit, not only in its original version but also in numerous covers, including one by Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra.
Line by Line Meaning
You know the feeling of something half remembered
You experience the sensation of remembering something only partially
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You recall something vividly, although it never actually occurred
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
You experience the sensation of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Although you haven't met this person, it feels like you have
Laura is the face in the misty light
Laura is someone who is mysterious and ethereal
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
Laura is someone whose presence you can sense, but cannot see
The laugh that floats on a summer night
Laura is someone whose laughter you remember fondly, but cannot quite place
That you can never quite recall
You cannot quite remember Laura in her entirety
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
You catch a glimpse of Laura in a fleeting moment
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
You recognize Laura's eyes, although you are not sure from where
She gave your very first kiss to you
Laura is someone who is associated with your first kiss
That was Laura but she's only a dream
Laura is someone who only exists in your imagination
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
voxdeorum
Laura
Johnny Mercer
(You know the feeling of something half remembered
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well)
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream
Eisen J Eisen
That was a great movie, sharp people , sharp acting great music, and definitely classic ,
José Luis Hernández C.
Bella interpretación del gran Frank Chacksfield. Para todas las Lauras. Excelente video Jymster46. Lo felicito. !!
voxdeorum
Laura
Johnny Mercer
(You know the feeling of something half remembered
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well)
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream
Quantum Leap
What a timeless, lovely tune! No matter which orchestra, band or soloist does this one, it always pleases. Thanks for posting.
maureen1938
A beautiful version of this lovely song and a very beautiful woman. Thank you for sharing this with us on here.
Jymster46
You are very welcome. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for watching and for your comment.
Jim
LoveTheOConnor
Beautiful video, Jim! This is a wonderful version of this classic, and I love all the pictures you used. Such a great movie--now I need to see it again! Thanks so much for sharing, this brightened my day! Have a marvelous weekend, my friend :))
Jymster46
So glad you liked it, Heather! I watched the movie recently, thus the inspiration. I love the movie too. Thank you so much for watching the video. Your comments have brightened my day...Thank You! Wishing you a marvelous weekend too!
Jim
Will Anthony Poeta
Gene Tierney...una de las actrices mas bellas que ha existido.
Edizeu Fonseca
Laura !...A mulher dos Doces Misterios da Vida ....