Growing up in America I never heard of Helen back then but now, in my sixties I discovered her and I absolutely love her. Her unique music and voice just goes together perfectly. She is in a class of her own and to think she was only fourteen when she began all this!
Same here! I am in my sixties and just ran into her songs on RU-vid. She's amazing. I miss the old days when the girl singers had great voices and didn't have to dress like whores. Would a wonderful talent like Helen Shapiro have a chance in today's world?
I was thirteen when i discovered how wonderful she was and met her at the American base in South Ruislip in 1962. Got to know her through her fan club over the years and met her and her husband John many times. I never tire of listening to her and was sorry she never made it big Stateside...couldn't understand why not. It's sad that she has retired to the gospel circuit...she should still be making records. .. given my advancing years i would still buy her music.
Such an awesome singer, first heard her when I was 14, I'm now 72 and still think she is totally awesome. God bless you Helen. Way ahead of your time. Blessings.
*What a rich and resonant voice..., with such soulful phrasing...* *Helen Shapiro..., the last live headlining act that The Beatles ever opened for...* *You go girl!...*
@@jamescarson7532 Helen Shapiro did not open for the Beatles. She continued to close the show although it is undeniable that their star started to rise and hers waned. Happily she branched out successfully into several other aspects of the business and life (as did they) and continues to thrive until this day.
I am in the same boat as you are in. I don't understand why American radio stations don't play her songs? It can't be an anti-British thing because the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc. are played a lot. She has a beautiful voice and was so composed for a teenager back then. We Yanks missed out. Thank God for You Tube!
I had a friend, who was writing a girl from England in 1962. She would send him 45s from English groups we never heard of. These included early Beatles but we nearly wore out those by Helen Shapiro. It's been real frustration as American stations wouldn't play her songs. Thank you, Helen, you have had some real life long Anerican fans since 1962. And, we are grateful for your wonderful talent and beauty.
Who controlled her contracts in England? There were some real thugs in the music business in those days, and the father of Mrs. Osbourne was one of them. Maybe the US distributor corporations wanted none of it?? They had their own "issues".
@@erossinema8797 sad, but true. I was a teen back then and would call local stations requesting her songs but were never played. One jock even laughed and said 'Walking Back' was the worst song ever. Then, I worked for a couple of oldies stations in the '70's and both had her 45's but were mint and unplayed. Plus, despite all the raving about the British Invasion, Helen was usually left out. 'Walking Back to Happiness' debuted at # 100 on the American Top 100 songs for one week in Dec 1961 and then it was gone and it seemed no one cared. Even last year I spoke with the owner of a local oldies station and he flat out refused to play anything by Helen. Sometimes I feel as if this has been a bad dream. I tried for many years to have her music played but its been very frustrating.
@@erossinema8797 THAT was always the question with no easy answers. I'm certainly not one that can answer that. The Beatle overshadowed her; the tabloids in Britain said her career was over at age 16; her record company refused to let her record the song the Beatles had written for her; since the Beatles were friends I hoped she could have toured with them but wasn't to be; the record company tried to market her as a British Brenda Lee, but she wasn't. She appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show but was treated more like a novelty act. She received little publicity in the states even though her best LP was cut in Nashville. And, radio stations aren't going to play 45s by artists that seem to be going nowhere especially if no one is phoning in requests. Other problems, poor management, lack of publicity and had the song by the Beatles been recorded, it may have brought the recognition she deserved. After all, several other British artists benefited from recording Beatle tunes. Sorry this is so lengthy but these are just some of the things I think caused her to be ignored here in the states.
I've loved her voice from the first time I heard it. And just love her more as time goes by. Another American down South who wishes we'd heard more of her back in the '60's.
I'm 76, and I still have her first album from when it was released. How many other albums do I still possess from that era? Only two or three. Danny Williams still does it for me too.
I went to the same school as Helen ,l never through she woul be as big as she is ,but l glad she has made it . Well done Helen, all the best..👍.Maggie.
"Sometime Yesterday" Lovely tune, Beautiful lyrics, by an amazing beautiful singer. Ah.... teenage love, locked in the pages of our memories, that take some of us, way way back, where our hearts ... never forget our first love.
Thank you for bringing her, Helen Shapiro , back to me !! This song brought tears to my eyes, Sounds like she is singing about my life! I appreciate your songs Helen Shapiro !!!
Happy Birthday Helen Shapiro born on September 28, 1946. She is a British pop and jazz singer and actress. While still a teenager in the early 1960s, she was one of Britain's most successful female singers.With a voice described by AllMusic as possessing "the maturity and sensibilities of someone far beyond their teen years", Shapiro recorded two 1961 UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness", when she was just 14 years old. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Shapiro
I just love Helen. She was, and still is, a fantastic singer. I once saw her in a play at the Sheffield Lyceum. It was called 'It's never too late'. God Bless Helen.
Hi Henry. Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately US audiences were denied Helen's great talent from mid 1961 till the end of her UK chart career in late 1963. There was a bias against British acts then in the US until the dam finally broke with the the Beatles. Helen was swept away by the Mersey groups and it is only through RU-vid that many older pop fans are discovering what they missed back then. Happy New Year. Derek
I JUST WAS TURNED ON TO HELEN , FROM WATCHING " CALL THE MIDWIFE " .......HAD TO GOGGLE THE SEASON , TO FIND OUT WHO SUNG THIS . I LOVE HER VOICE.............THANK YOU , FOR SHARING XOXOXO.........
This is a clip from Columbia Pictures 1962 release "IT'S TRAD, DAD!", which had the distinction of being one of the first films showing that week at the cinema where I started my first job as a trainee cinema projectionist aged 15 and a half way back in November, 1962. The Monday to Wednesday show was "A KIND OF LOVING" (x) and "ATTEMPT TO KILL" (u), while the Thursday to Saturday show was "IT'S TRAD, DAD!" (u) and "BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE" (u) in TohoScope and Eastman Color. All fond memories of my mid-teenage years. I was real gone on Helen Shapiro. I thought she was totally gorgeous and such a great performer.
Helen Shapiro is alive and well, we hope, but it is great that she has been archived like this for future generations who will see how great the Sixties were musically.
sorry to say she wouldn't win the X-factor. She is too much of lady, polite, and well mannered............people today appreciate the exact OPPOSIT now-, trashy loose moral, swearing, think drug use is great, free sex...you get the picture
I just discovered another awesome hit by Helen Shapiro, thanks to the “Call the Midwife” show. I grew up in Los Angeles which I thought played all the hits like this. Apparently, the music moguls in the industry didn’t allow for it in the U.S. market. Well f^*k me, I just will have to go back to iTunes and buy another one of her songs. Maybe I’ll just buy her hits album if there’s one.
Helen looks like my cousin Beverly did in 1962 when she was 16. Bev and I are the youngest in the family. I am several years younger; but I do have memories of those priceless days of the early and mid 1960's. Thanks for those awesome memories.
Jeeess you wher my favorit singer on the 60,ties! Your song's are so beautiful and still are! Thank you for your lovely song's You shared whit us!!❤❤❤❤❤
@1962Rebel Yes I have and it's very touching. These artists have a special touch that will never be duplicated. I had the honor of meeting the late Skeeter Davis in Sep of 1973 when she came to Salem Mo. to perform @ our Fall Festival. She was rained out but moved to Salem City Hall. I spoke with her after her performance. The nicest person I have ever met. There is a move to get her inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. We are hoping someday.
The song in this video "Sometime Yesterday" is my very favorite song by Helen Shapiro. I am an american that has a deep appreciation of her enormous talent that she possesses. In the early 1960's we americans were deprived of her talent, so we must make up for lost time. The british people have educated us americans in regard to her talent and for this I am very grateful. God bless Helen Shapiro. Henry W. Pope, Putnam Valley, New York
Never knew Helen in her prime, I was a bit young I guess. But have discovered these great testaments to her sound and talent. Her look and sound, that rare vocal quality is strangely compelling and now I watch these videos regularly. Never too late i guess...great stuff.
Her British label declined to market her in the USA. RU-vid is full of copies of her 1960s hits, which were not released in the USA, mostly this century, until her British label released CD compilations of her work.
The song in this video is my very favorite song by Helen Shapiro, Helen looks very beautiful in this video. Regards: Henry W. Pope, Putnam Valley, New York
