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]
This Heart Of Mine
Frank Chacksfield Orchestra Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'This Heart Of Mine' by these artists:
Al T. Joe This love of mine, goes on and on Though life is…
Alan Hull Hull-Phillipson Columbus sailed the ocean, at the age of …
Alan Jackson It don't look like much It's nearly rusted shut But this hea…
Andy Denton Emotions rising up in me Feels like I'm bursting at the…
Bing Crosby Teacher, teacher There's so much I'm longin' to know 'cause …
Brian Lemon Maybe it was the music, or the glamorous sky of…
Castro Jason Under it all, this heart of mine is ready to…
Curley Williams & Group Same things don't bother me No! Some things go over my…
Danny Moss Maybe it was the music, or the glamorous sky of…
Dinah Washington Maybe it was the music, or the glamorous sky of…
Dixie Chicks This heart of mine is made of silver This heart…
Francis Scott and His Orchestra THIS HEcRT OF MINE KRISTIN GREEN - Singer/Songwriter You st…
Fred Astaire Maybe it was the music Or the glamorous sky of blue Maybe…
Ghost Mice I first saw you at a festival And then i…
Jascha Richter Sometimes we bite Sometimes we fight Learning to love the ha…
Jason Castro Under it all, this heart of mine is ready to…
Johnny Mathis Maybe it was the music or that heavenly sky of…
Judy Garland Maybe it was the music Or the glamorous sky of blue Maybe…
Judy Garland & Victor Young and His Orchestra Maybe it was the music Or the glamorous sky of blue Maybe…
Larry Elgart and His Orchestra Your heart and mine They belong together Just like April wea…
Liza Minnelli This heart of mine Was doing very well The world was fine …
Louis Prima One day you may find true love that will last…
Marv Johnson This heart of mine, will surely sing About the joy, honey…
Maxine Sullivan This heart of mine was doing very well The world was…
Michael Feinstein Maybe it was the music Or the glamorous sky of blue Maybe…
Mountain This heart of mine, be ye still You can play with…
Pain I lie awake watching your shoulders Move so softly as you…
Peter Asplund & Aspiration Maybe it was the music Or the glamorous sky of blue Maybe…
Peter Salett Do you want to know If everything glittering Will turn into …
Phantom Planet You can tell I've got alot on my mind Finally noticed…
Sarah Vaughan This heart of mine was doing very well The world was…
Snowy White This heart of mine was doing very well. The world was…
SOJA & Eric Swanson I see this vision somewhere in my mind Humanity and struggle…
Swingtime-Group Same things don't bother me No! Some things go over my…
The Browns It's a January night, there's a cold wind blowin' But it's…
The Foxymorons I've tried to make a million pieces fit To make the…
The Hi-Lo's That's my heart You're standing on Think you should start Mo…
The Red Hot Valentines I'm gonna walk right up to this heart of mine Tell…
The Wailin' Jennys If all is fair in love and war I haven't seen…
The Wailin\' Jennys I have come back to you broken Take me home And my…
Tindersticks I've been watching you play Getting caught And when you turn…
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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