Back in the dark ages of early 1960, I was already a fan of Adam Faith, and had learned enough about the John Barry Seven to know that the skinny guy on the piano was named Les Reed. (I think my own chest size then was no more than 36") 🙂 Although I wasn't as clued up on music facts and details as I am now, I was not surprised to learn that as well as playing piano on Adam's monster #1 hit "What Do You Want", he also performed the same role on one of my then all-time most played pop numbers, "Be Mine" by Lance Fortune, which was the first hit cult music man Joe Meek had as a solo producer. As most of those who know me are aware, Les Reed was soon to become my favourite songwriter!
Fortune, real name Christopher Morris, was one of pop impresario Larry Parnes' stable of male artists that also included Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde and Vince Eager. It was Parnes who gave him the stage name of 'Lance Fortune', having earlier considered it for another of his signings, Georgie Fame! "Be Mine", an English version of Austrian Peter Kraus’s hit “Alle Mädchen Wollen Küssen”, and which faithfully reproduced the original’s arrangement, immediately won favour with me.
I recall exactly when this disc was issued because on the last Saturday of the month I was out with three mates, celebrating my birthday at the Lyceum. Casually looking around as we guys do, I spotted an attractive girl, accompanied by a similar number of friends. One of mine nudged me and said "She keeps looking over at you..." As I glanced again in her direction, I could hear the familiar pizzicato intro to "Be Mine". By then the drinks I'd had that evening were making me feel good and, impulsively, I moved quickly towards her, got down on my knee and sang along in best Lance Fortune fashion. When the song finished with the words "If you will just say you'll be mine", the girl looked down at me, then across to my mates, then at her own friends and then back to me, whereupon she said: "Not even if you could sing!"
Ouch! I may still love "Be Mine" but, perhaps, Adam and Les's next #1 hit, "Poor Me" might have been more appropriate!
8 сен 2024
