Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is an English pop singer, jazz … Read Full Bio ↴Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is an English pop singer, jazz singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".
Shapiro was born at Bethnal Green Hospital in the East End district of Bethnal Green, London. Her early childhood was spent in a Clapton council house in the London borough of Hackney, where she attended Northwold Primary School and Clapton Park Comprehensive School until Christmas 1961. She is the granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants; her parents, who were piece-workers in the garment industry, attended Lea Bridge Road Synagogue. The family moved from Clapton to the Victoria Park area of Hackney, on the Parkside Estate, when she was nine. "It was, and remains, a beautiful place," she said in a 2006 interview.
Although too poor to own a record player, Shapiro's parents encouraged music in their home (she had to borrow a neighbour's player to hear her first single). Shapiro played banjolele as a child and sang with her brother Ron occasionally in his youth club skiffle group. She had a deep timbre to her voice, unusual in a girl not yet in her teens: school friends gave her the nickname "Foghorn".
Aged ten, Shapiro was a singer with "Susie and the Hula Hoops," (with her cousin, 60s singer, Susan Singer) a school band which included Marc Bolan (then using his real name of Mark Feld) as guitarist. At 13 she started singing lessons at The Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing, based in London's Baker Street, after the school produced singing star Alma Cogan. "I had always wanted to be a singer. I had no desire to slavishly follow Alma's style, but chose the school merely because of Alma's success", she said in a 1962 interview. Burman's connections eventually led her to a young Columbia Records A&R man named John Schroeder, who recorded a demo of Shapiro singing "Birth of the Blues".
In 1961, aged fourteen, she had a UK No. 3 hit with her first single, "Don't Treat Me Like a Child" and two number one hits in the UK, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness". The latter did not top the UK chart until 19 October 1961, by which time Shapiro had reached 15, on 26 September. She had a No. 2 in 1962 with "Tell Me What He Said", achieving her first four single releases in the top three of the UK Singles Chart. Most of her recording sessions were at EMI's studios at Abbey Road in north west London. Her mature voice made her an overnight sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK.
Shapiro's final UK Top Ten hit single was with the ballad "Little Miss Lonely", which peaked at No. 8 for two weeks in 1962. Shapiro's recording manager at the time was Norrie Paramor.
Before she was sixteen years old, Shapiro had been voted Britain's "Top Female Singer". The Beatles first national tour of Britain, in the late winter/early spring of 1963, was as one of her supporting acts. During the course of the tour, the Beatles had their first hit single and John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song "Misery" for her, but Shapiro did not record the composition. In 1995, during a This is Your Life highlighting her life and career, Shapiro revealed, "It was actually turned down on my behalf before I ever heard it, actually. I never got to hear it or give an opinion. It's a shame, really." Shapiro lip-synched her then-current single, "Look Who It Is", on the British television programme Ready Steady Go! with three of the Beatles (John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison).
In 1962, Shapiro appeared as herself in the Billy Fury film Play It Cool, and played the lead female role in Richard Lester's movie, It's Trad, Dad!, which co-starred another early 60s hitmaker, Craig Douglas. On 31 December 1969, Shapiro appeared on the BBC/ZDF co-production Pop Go The Sixties, singing "Walkin' Back to Happiness".
By the time she was in her late teens, her career as a pop singer was on the wane. With the new wave of beat music and newer female singers such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and Lulu, Shapiro appeared old-fashioned and emblematic of the pre-Beatles, 50s era. As her pop career declined, Shapiro turned to cabaret appearances, touring the workingmen's clubs of the North East of England. Her final cabaret show took place at Peterlee's Senate Club on 6 May 1972, where she announced she was giving up touring as she was "travel-weary" and had had enough of "living out of a suitcase". Later, after a change of mind, she branched out as a performer in stage musicals, and jazz (being her first love musically).
She played the role of Nancy in Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver! in London's West End and appeared in a British television soap opera, Albion Market, where she played one of the main characters until it was taken off air in August 1986.
Between 1984 and 2001, she toured extensively with legendary British jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band, whilst still performing her own jazz and pop concerts. Her one-woman show "Simply Shapiro" ran from 1999 to the end of 2002, when she finally bade farewell to show business.
Her autobiography, published in 1993, was entitled Walking Back to Happiness. She appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4's 'The Reunion' in August 2012. In March 2013 she appeared on BBC Radio 3's 'Good Morning Sunday'
Helen Shapiro has been married since 31 August 1988 to John Judd (real name, John Williams), an actor with numerous roles in British television and cinema.
Shapiro was born at Bethnal Green Hospital in the East End district of Bethnal Green, London. Her early childhood was spent in a Clapton council house in the London borough of Hackney, where she attended Northwold Primary School and Clapton Park Comprehensive School until Christmas 1961. She is the granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants; her parents, who were piece-workers in the garment industry, attended Lea Bridge Road Synagogue. The family moved from Clapton to the Victoria Park area of Hackney, on the Parkside Estate, when she was nine. "It was, and remains, a beautiful place," she said in a 2006 interview.
Although too poor to own a record player, Shapiro's parents encouraged music in their home (she had to borrow a neighbour's player to hear her first single). Shapiro played banjolele as a child and sang with her brother Ron occasionally in his youth club skiffle group. She had a deep timbre to her voice, unusual in a girl not yet in her teens: school friends gave her the nickname "Foghorn".
Aged ten, Shapiro was a singer with "Susie and the Hula Hoops," (with her cousin, 60s singer, Susan Singer) a school band which included Marc Bolan (then using his real name of Mark Feld) as guitarist. At 13 she started singing lessons at The Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing, based in London's Baker Street, after the school produced singing star Alma Cogan. "I had always wanted to be a singer. I had no desire to slavishly follow Alma's style, but chose the school merely because of Alma's success", she said in a 1962 interview. Burman's connections eventually led her to a young Columbia Records A&R man named John Schroeder, who recorded a demo of Shapiro singing "Birth of the Blues".
In 1961, aged fourteen, she had a UK No. 3 hit with her first single, "Don't Treat Me Like a Child" and two number one hits in the UK, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness". The latter did not top the UK chart until 19 October 1961, by which time Shapiro had reached 15, on 26 September. She had a No. 2 in 1962 with "Tell Me What He Said", achieving her first four single releases in the top three of the UK Singles Chart. Most of her recording sessions were at EMI's studios at Abbey Road in north west London. Her mature voice made her an overnight sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK.
Shapiro's final UK Top Ten hit single was with the ballad "Little Miss Lonely", which peaked at No. 8 for two weeks in 1962. Shapiro's recording manager at the time was Norrie Paramor.
Before she was sixteen years old, Shapiro had been voted Britain's "Top Female Singer". The Beatles first national tour of Britain, in the late winter/early spring of 1963, was as one of her supporting acts. During the course of the tour, the Beatles had their first hit single and John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song "Misery" for her, but Shapiro did not record the composition. In 1995, during a This is Your Life highlighting her life and career, Shapiro revealed, "It was actually turned down on my behalf before I ever heard it, actually. I never got to hear it or give an opinion. It's a shame, really." Shapiro lip-synched her then-current single, "Look Who It Is", on the British television programme Ready Steady Go! with three of the Beatles (John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison).
In 1962, Shapiro appeared as herself in the Billy Fury film Play It Cool, and played the lead female role in Richard Lester's movie, It's Trad, Dad!, which co-starred another early 60s hitmaker, Craig Douglas. On 31 December 1969, Shapiro appeared on the BBC/ZDF co-production Pop Go The Sixties, singing "Walkin' Back to Happiness".
By the time she was in her late teens, her career as a pop singer was on the wane. With the new wave of beat music and newer female singers such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and Lulu, Shapiro appeared old-fashioned and emblematic of the pre-Beatles, 50s era. As her pop career declined, Shapiro turned to cabaret appearances, touring the workingmen's clubs of the North East of England. Her final cabaret show took place at Peterlee's Senate Club on 6 May 1972, where she announced she was giving up touring as she was "travel-weary" and had had enough of "living out of a suitcase". Later, after a change of mind, she branched out as a performer in stage musicals, and jazz (being her first love musically).
She played the role of Nancy in Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver! in London's West End and appeared in a British television soap opera, Albion Market, where she played one of the main characters until it was taken off air in August 1986.
Between 1984 and 2001, she toured extensively with legendary British jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band, whilst still performing her own jazz and pop concerts. Her one-woman show "Simply Shapiro" ran from 1999 to the end of 2002, when she finally bade farewell to show business.
Her autobiography, published in 1993, was entitled Walking Back to Happiness. She appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4's 'The Reunion' in August 2012. In March 2013 she appeared on BBC Radio 3's 'Good Morning Sunday'
Helen Shapiro has been married since 31 August 1988 to John Judd (real name, John Williams), an actor with numerous roles in British television and cinema.
He Knows How To Love Me
Helen Shapiro Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Helen Shapiro:
A Teenager in Love Each time we have a quarrel It almost breaks my…
Are You Lonesome To-Night? Are you lonesome tonight Do you miss me tonight? Are you sor…
Are You Lonesome Tonight Are you lonesome tonight, Do you miss me tonight? Are…
Baby It's You Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
Basin Sreet Blues Won't you come along with me To the Mississippi We'll take a…
Because They're Young Lover's dreams come true because they're young Lover's drea…
Beyond the Sea Somewhere beyond the sea Somewhere waiting for me My lover s…
Beyond the Sea (La Mer) Somewhere beyon the sea Somewhere waiting for me My lover st…
Cry My Heart Out I could cry my heart out for you But what good…
Don't Threat Me Like a Child Well just because I'm in my teens And I still go…
Don't Treat Me Like a Child (1998 Remaster) Well, just because I'm in my teens And I still go…
Don’t Treat Me Like a Child Well just because I'm in my teens And I still go…
Fever Never know how much I love you Never know how much…
Find Me Love Tonight you're mine, completely You give your soul so sweetl…
Goody Goody Da dum dum da da da da Doo doo da da…
He's A Rebel See the way he walks down the street Watch the…
I You gone and found somebody new And let me lonely I go…
I Apologise Wow ow ow ow I apologise I apologise For the…
I Don You gone and found somebody new And let me lonely I go…
I Love You Your love means more to me than All the apples hanging…
I Say a Little Prayer I say a little prayer for you The moment I wake…
I Walked Right In Your lips were so warm But your kisses were cool I saw…
I Want To Be Happy I want to be happy But I won't be happy Till I…
I Wish I You gone and found somebody new And let me lonely I go…
It Look who it is Look who it is Well, look who it…
It Might As Well Rain Until September What should I write? What can I say? How can I tell…
It's In His Kiss Does he love me I wanna know How can I…
It's My Party It's my party and I'll cry if I want to Cry…
Keep Away from Other Girls A hundred times or more You used that line before You gave…
Keep Your Hands Off My Baby We've been friends for oh, so long I let you…
Kiss 'N' Run Ever since this funny old world began Ever since a woman…
Let Let's talk, let's talk, let's talk about love If you've got…
Let's Talk About Love (2003 Remaster) Let? s talk Let? s talk Let? s talk about love If you…
Lets Talk About Love Let's talk, let's talk, let's talk about love If you've got…
Lipstick On Your Collar When you left me all alone at the record hop…
Little Devil Woh who who who yeah yeah yeah Hey little devil Woh who…
Little Miss Lonely Oh I cried last night How I cried last night For I…
Little Miss Lonely (2003 Remaster) Oh, I cried last night, how I cried last night. For…
Look Over Your Shoulder Where you got nowhere to go And your pockets They ain't got…
Look Who It Is Look who it is Fancy you meeting you suddenly Well look who…
Move Over Darling Our lips shouldn't touch (Move over darling) I like it too…
My Guy Nothing you could say could tear me away from my…
Please Mr Postman Wait, oh yes wait a minute mister postman Wait, wait mister…
Queen for Tonight Just being here with you tonight. I'm a queen on a…
Shop Around When I became of age my mother called me to…
St Louis blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
St. Louis blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Stay Stay (hhhmm) just a little bit longer Oh,well,a please,pleas…
Sweet Nothin's My baby whispers in my ear Sweet nothin's He knows the thing…
Tell Me What He Said I've lost him but I don't know how He's going…
Tell Me What He Said (2003 Remaster) I lost him but I don? t know how He? s going…
The Day the Rain Comes The day that the rains came down Mother Earth smiled again N…
The End Of The World Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea…
Tip Toe Through the Tulips Tiptoe to the window, by the window that is where…
Walk On By If you see me walking down the street And I start…
Walkin Funny, but it's true What loneliness can do Since I've…
Walkin' Back to Happiness (2003 Remastered Version) Funny but it's true what loneliness can do Since I've been…
Walkin'Back To Hapiness Funny but it′s true what loneliness can do Since I've been…
Walking Back to Happines Funny, but it's true What loneliness can do Since I've bee…
Walking Back to Happiness Funny, but it's true What loneliness can do Since I've…
When I Whoa whoa whoa Yeah yeah yeah Whoa yeah Well there's…
When Im With You Whoa whoa whoa Yeah yeah yeah Whoa yeah Well there's…
Who Is She Look who it is Look who it is Well, look who it…
Will You Love Me Tomorrow Tonight you're mine, completely You give your soul so sweet…
Woe Is Me Its me How can it be I never thought that you will…
You Don Woah, woah, woah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah Woah, woah, woah, oh…
You Don't Know (1998 Remastered Version) Woe, woe, woe Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah (twice) Although I love …
You Don’t Know Woah, woah, woah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah Woah, woah, woah, oh…
You Got What It Takes Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
You Gotwhat It Takes Some boys say they like your eyes I heard some boys…
You Mean Ev You are the answer to my lonely prayer You are an…
You Mean Ev'rything to Me You are the answer to my lonely prayer You are an…
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Steve Ray
Helen was a wonderful songstress back in the day and this, in my opinion, is her best. Superb upload!
souldon casinosoul
Brilliant, managed to get a copy recently. This was regularly played at the Twisted Wheel, Manchester, back in the day! Timeless.
John Robertson
honestly mate
David Overholt
Still the voice back in the day!
CARPE DIEM
Great piece. It remembers me sixties in my childhood...
Tina Davies
Absolutely brilliant!!
Douglas Holland
you cant beat a lovely bit of helen shapiro, shame fever isn't on here, it was the other day but the gremlins have removed it :(
Ronald Nock
Always loved this song
James Carson
RareSoulie, thanks for sharing this one, it's not an easy record to find. The other side was "Shop Around"
On Discogs, I found both Dutch and Nigerian releases
Dutch - https://www.discogs.com/Helen-Shapiro-Shop-Around/release/6054935
Nigeria - https://www.discogs.com/Helen-Shapiro-Shop-Around/release/14444275
LiverpoolSoul
Wonderful isn't it