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.
Chacksfield had two giant US hits in 1953, "Ebb Tide" and "Terry's Theme from Limelight". A third single that year, "Golden Violins" appeared in the Cashbox charts (Billboard only ranked to 20 positions at that time.)
By the Sleepy Lagoon
Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra Lyrics
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A sleepy lagoon and two hearts in tune in some lullaby land
The fireflies' gleam reflects in the stream
They sparkle and shimmer
A star from on high falls out of the sky
And slowly grows dimmer
The leaves from the trees all dance in the breeze
And float on the ripples
Of roses and dew
The memory of this moment of love
Will haunt me forever
A tropical moon, a sleepy lagoon
And you
The song "By The Sleepy Lagoon" by Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra paints a picturesque scene of a couple on an island, surrounded by the calming yet enchanting ambience of a sleepy lagoon and a tropical moon. The lyrics describe the beauty of the scenery, as reflected by the gleaming fireflies in the stream, the shining star that falls from the sky and the dancing leaves on the ripples of the lagoon. The nightingales' sweet songs add to the magical atmosphere, as they sing of roses and dew. The moment of love is captured and etched forever in the memories of the lovers.
The song is a timeless classic, originally composed in 1930 by Eric Coates as a tribute to a park located in Essex, England, called the "Jubilee Leisure Park". It was adopted by the BBC in the 1940s as the theme music for their long-running radio show, "Desert Island Discs". The song's serene melody and calming effect made it a popular choice to play during wartime broadcasts, as it helped to ease nerves and provide comfort to listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
A sleepy lagoon, a tropical moon and two on an island
Two people are on an island by a peaceful lagoon and a beautiful moon is shining above them
A sleepy lagoon and two hearts in tune in some lullaby land
The couple's hearts beat together in harmony in this tranquil place that feels like a lullaby
The fireflies' gleam reflects in the stream They sparkle and shimmer
The light from the fireflies dances on the surface of the water, twinkling and shining
A star from on high falls out of the sky And slowly grows dimmer
A shooting star streaks across the sky before fading away
The leaves from the trees all dance in the breeze And float on the ripples
The gentle breeze moves the leaves of the trees, causing them to dance and sway, and the leaves fall onto the water and float along the ripples
We're deep in a spell as nightingales tell Of roses and dew
The couple is under a spell as they listen to the nightingales singing songs about the sweet smells of roses and the fresh dew of the morning
The memory of this moment of love Will haunt me forever
This moment of love is so precious and special that it will stay in the singer's memory and heart for eternity
A tropical moon, a sleepy lagoon And you
The singer is in this tropical paradise with a sleepy lagoon and a lover by their side
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ERIC COATES, JACK LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind