Frank Chacksfield (9 May 1914 - 9 June 1995) was an English pianist, organi… Read Full Bio ↴Frank Chacksfield (9 May 1914 - 9 June 1995) was an English pianist, organist, composer and conductor of popular light orchestral easy listening music, who had great success in Britain and internationally in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Francis Charles Chacksfield was born in Battle, East Sussex, and as a child learned to play piano and organ. He appeared at Hastings Music Festivals by the time he was 14, and then became deputy church organist at Salehurst. After working for a short period in a solicitor's office he decided on a career in music, and by the late 1930s led a small band at Tonbridge in Kent. At the beginning of World War II he joined the Royal Corps of Signals, and, following a radio broadcast as a pianist, was posted to ENSA at Salisbury where he became the arranger for Stars In Battledress, an armed forces entertainment troupe, and shared an office with comedian Charlie Chester.[1][2]
After the war, he worked with Chester and on BBC Radio as an arranger and conductor. He also worked as musical director for both Henry Hall and Geraldo, and began recording under his own name in 1951 as "Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths". In early 1953 he had his first top ten hit, "Little Red Monkey", on the Parlophone label. This was a novelty recording featuring Jack Jordan on the clavioline, and reportedly the first record featuring an electronic instrument to feature on the UK pop chart.[citation needed] He signed a recording contract with Decca Records in 1953, and formed a 40-piece orchestra with a large string section, the "Singing Strings". His first record release for Decca, Charlie Chaplin's themes for his film Limelight, won him a Gold Disc in the USA, and in Britain, where it reached #2 in the charts, won him the New Musical Express award as Record of the Year. His next 78 single, "Ebb Tide", became the first British instrumental recording to reach #1 in some American charts, providing a second Gold Disc, and he was voted the most promising new orchestra of the year in the US.[1]
He became one of Britain's most well known orchestra leaders internationally, and is estimated to have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.[2] His material was "mood music", similar to that of Mantovani, including ballads, waltzes, and movie themes.[3] In 1954 he began presenting a series on BBC TV, which continued occasionally until the early 1960s. Chacksfield was responsible for the musical arrangement of the first UK entry into the Eurovision Song Contest 1957; "All" by Patricia Bredin.[citation needed] He continued to write music, release singles and albums through the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared regularly on BBC radio.[2]
He continued to record occasionally until the 1990s, from the 1970s primarily on the Phase 4 label.[1] He also developed business interests in publishing and recorded for Starborne Productions, a company supplying "canned music" for use by easy listening radio stations and others. Many of these recordings were made commercially available in 2007. His last album was Thanks for the Memories (Academy Award Winners 1934-55), released in 1991.[1] Chacksfield died in Kent in 1995, after having suffered for several years from Parkinson's Disease.[2]
His song, "Après Ski", was featured in the 2006 video game Saint's Row for the Xbox 360.[4]
Francis Charles Chacksfield was born in Battle, East Sussex, and as a child learned to play piano and organ. He appeared at Hastings Music Festivals by the time he was 14, and then became deputy church organist at Salehurst. After working for a short period in a solicitor's office he decided on a career in music, and by the late 1930s led a small band at Tonbridge in Kent. At the beginning of World War II he joined the Royal Corps of Signals, and, following a radio broadcast as a pianist, was posted to ENSA at Salisbury where he became the arranger for Stars In Battledress, an armed forces entertainment troupe, and shared an office with comedian Charlie Chester.[1][2]
After the war, he worked with Chester and on BBC Radio as an arranger and conductor. He also worked as musical director for both Henry Hall and Geraldo, and began recording under his own name in 1951 as "Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths". In early 1953 he had his first top ten hit, "Little Red Monkey", on the Parlophone label. This was a novelty recording featuring Jack Jordan on the clavioline, and reportedly the first record featuring an electronic instrument to feature on the UK pop chart.[citation needed] He signed a recording contract with Decca Records in 1953, and formed a 40-piece orchestra with a large string section, the "Singing Strings". His first record release for Decca, Charlie Chaplin's themes for his film Limelight, won him a Gold Disc in the USA, and in Britain, where it reached #2 in the charts, won him the New Musical Express award as Record of the Year. His next 78 single, "Ebb Tide", became the first British instrumental recording to reach #1 in some American charts, providing a second Gold Disc, and he was voted the most promising new orchestra of the year in the US.[1]
He became one of Britain's most well known orchestra leaders internationally, and is estimated to have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.[2] His material was "mood music", similar to that of Mantovani, including ballads, waltzes, and movie themes.[3] In 1954 he began presenting a series on BBC TV, which continued occasionally until the early 1960s. Chacksfield was responsible for the musical arrangement of the first UK entry into the Eurovision Song Contest 1957; "All" by Patricia Bredin.[citation needed] He continued to write music, release singles and albums through the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared regularly on BBC radio.[2]
He continued to record occasionally until the 1990s, from the 1970s primarily on the Phase 4 label.[1] He also developed business interests in publishing and recorded for Starborne Productions, a company supplying "canned music" for use by easy listening radio stations and others. Many of these recordings were made commercially available in 2007. His last album was Thanks for the Memories (Academy Award Winners 1934-55), released in 1991.[1] Chacksfield died in Kent in 1995, after having suffered for several years from Parkinson's Disease.[2]
His song, "Après Ski", was featured in the 2006 video game Saint's Row for the Xbox 360.[4]
Bless Your Heart
Frank Chacksfield Orchestra Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Bless Your Heart' by these artists:
aiden gore She said bless your heart I said bless your soul Then she…
Awfbeat Rest In Peace to all these peasants Ain’t no pressure in…
Beach Tiger Just like a cool breeze, Jack She'll take you in But gonna…
chlothegod Back in the day I was so ruthless Maybe I've lost…
Clinton Fearon Nature you're always there for me You're my mama you gave…
Delgado Escribo desde crío, me dejo la piel en esto Y si…
DENM Bless your heart Bless your heart Bless your heart Bless…
Don Albert and His Orchestra Your heart and mine They belong together Just like April wea…
Fit and the Conniptions Oh my girl Don’t believe me She can move She can remove me A…
Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra Your heart and mine They belong together Just like April wea…
Freddie Hart Bless your heart for loving me Ad heaven knows I don't…
Freddy Martin and His Orch. voc. Terry Shand Is the moonlight tonight enchanted, It fills me with longing…
Hamilton Leithauser Our stranger days have come and gone I guess But me…
Karen Taylor-Good You're my delight and my endless discovery The more I behold…
Matt McIntosh You've really made a mess of it / bloodied bruised…
The Fontane Sisters Is the moonlight tonight enchanted, It fills me with longing…
The Isley Brothers Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand…
Worry Dolls So you′re the new girl he's been hanging around I′m sure…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Frank Chacksfield Orchestra:
Be You'd be so nice to come home to You'd be so…
Don Don't worry 'bout me I'll get along Forget about me Just be …
Don't Worry Baby Don't worry 'bout me I'll get along Forget about me Just be …
Ebb Tide First the tide rushes in, plants a kiss on the…
I Will If it takes forever I will wait for you For a…
Lover Come Back to Me You went away I let you We broke the ties that bind I…
My Life I was alone, I took a ride I didn't know what…
Night in Santillion In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Somewhere in the Night In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Still In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Theme from Limelight On a picnic morning without a warning I looked at you…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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