February 1%2 RECORD MAIL EP ROUNDABOUT Peter Gordeno-the II:* Mervyn Dongla% HALLO AGAIN! The firstrelease of EPs thisyear dis floirkeecast".11.'hheon'sssWhdenio'n'nodf eg dniam,names in dancer turned sing e p forthe Richard, The Shadows, Helen Shapiro. John Leyton, Matt Monro, for the)areall made up of recent top -selling TIME and time again friends told Burma -born Peter Gordeno that he had'singles'. a good singing voice. Peter was a dancer. So successful a dancer, in fact, A Ray Charles foursmne is headed by his "Hit the road that his tally of shows has included such hit musicals as "West Side Story".lack", which went high into the charts, and although the and "Do Re Mi". remaining tracks are less well known, they make ideal The truth was, of course, that the yen to sing had been with Peter for quiteshowcases forthis excitingartiste, some time. Finally, during the run of "West Side Story" he made a demonstration disc. And when he was in "Do Re Mi" he played it to Steve Arlen, who was also HELEN'S HIT PARADE HIT THE ROAD JAC). Helen Shapiro Ray Charts appearing in the show. Steve passed it on to E.M.I recording manager Norman Don't treat me like a child: Ha the road Jack; Who von Newell. You don't know; 14'alkin' back togonna love: Sticks and stones. My And that's how recording contracts are made. own songscalled'Whenes,r 1 happiness; When I'm with vou babe/ Peter made his disc debut inJanuary,1962. on thedreant. and during 'Do Re Mi' 1 COLUMBIA SEG8136 H.M. N' 7E(;8729 gave the disc to Steve Arlen who Parlophone label. The titles - "You're following me" andpassed it on to Norman Newell. WITHOUT a doubt, the bag RAY CHARLES has success- talking point of showbusi- fully combined a mixture of "I got eyes" (45-R4862). Before I knew where / was I wasness last year was the arrival on in in the recording studios... blues and spirituals and produced Peter Gordeno was horn He stayed in "West Side Story" the sceneof young Rangoon, Burma. on June 20, recording an earthy form of pop music for three years and at the end of On BBC -TV Peter Gorden()HelenShapiro. Helen has awhich is graduallyattracting 1939. At the age of three he wasthe third year was also appearing appearedin"The MortSahl evacuated with his mother and glittering future ahead of her, andmore fansinthis country,al- in cabaret at the Don Juan - Show", andpartneredSheilait was recordings like these whichthough he is already in the legen- toCalcutta.inIndia. brother singing and dancing. O'Neilinthe "Summerhouse"put her on the road to success. dary class in America. They managed to get on the last "Ialways wonted to sing.series. Plant out of Rangoon -- after He met with his greatest popu- Actually, friends told me over and Dark-haired. brown -eyed, be larity so far with his catchy "Hit sheltering in Rangoon Post Officeover again that I had quite a goodweighs 11 stone. and is 5 ft.101 while Japanesedivebombers the road Jack", which went high voice and could sing. When 'Westins. He has already achiesed two into the charts, and is the title attacked the city. Soon after theySide Story went on tour 1 did theambitions - promotionto dance left,the Post Office received aGoldersGreenandStreatham pieceonthisEP.The other captain and making a record. An numbers, less likely commercial direct hit, killing everyone inside.dates and then left the show toambition for the future - to sing Peter's family stayed in Calcuttaconcentrate on cabaret at the Don successes, make intensely exciting and dance in a film musical. He listening, nevertheless. after the war. Peter receiving hisJuan." dislikes unprofessionalism, strong education at a school in the hills drink. English weather - and get- at Darjeeling DANCE CAPTAIN ting up in the morning. He likes MA TI'S KIND OF MUSIC then along came the Alaseating,fastcars(heownsa Matt Moore DANCLNG BUG Bygrava show "Do Re Mi"Hillman and an .AustinHealey), Gonna build a mountain,VII "I ..as about 10 when I startedPeter was approachedbythehis hi-fi record player - and dogs. dream of you; Can the, be lose. raking part in amateur concerts at management withanofferto He admires the work of Shirley Why not now school-, says Peter. "1 remember join the chorus, took an auditionBasses.JohnCassasetes,John PARLOPHONE GEP11849 I had a part in 'The Alikado. but - and was made dance captain.Barry and Ray Charles. Ask him that was a straight acting rile. "I made a demonstration record about musical likes and he will of music is Actually my elder brother Derek during 'West Side Story', afterreply "Anything treatise". In his MT'invariably kindmy kind of he's five years older than me - meeting singer Dick Jordan. He spare time he enjos horseback music, too, so Ihave no hesita- was much more talented. He had helped me a lot/ sang one of hi., :end On this EP it is possible to plottion in recommending this one. theleadingrilesinour school the course of Helen's progress so The powerfully swinging treat- productions farand appreciatethateachment of "Gonna build a moun- At the age of 17Peter was 'single'has hadthatessentialtain", one of the songs from the doing "a little of everything" in variety about it.First came the cabaret and clubsinCalcutta. rocking "Don't treat me like a And then the dancing hug really child". followed by the ballad, bit him. "You don't know" and her other "I met a British girl in Calcutta No. I hit"Walkin'backto - Yvonne Scott. She was working happiness", with its Latin- as a dancer and she happened to American influence. ire the show thatI was in and asked me to team up with her. We CLIFF'S HIT PARADE appeared in cabaret in top night- Cliff Richard clubs in Calcutta, Nes, Delhi and I love you: Theme for a dream. Bombay. Lessons? No. I've never A girl like you: When the girl in had any training butI believe your arms is the girl in your heart hair a natural flair for dancing. COLUMBIA SEG8133 Thr time came when 1 felt I could CLIFF RICHARD continues eel no further in my careerin from strength to strength - India so I came to Great Britain. - and on the evidence of these four Peter Gordeno landed at London tracks it is not difficult to sec why. AirportonSt.Patrick'sDa), When they were first released all 1957. With him was his mother - weretop -sellinghits,notjust "to see me settled". (His father because it was Cliff handling the was killed during the wary During vocals,butalsobecausetheyshow "Stop The World I Want theup -hillstruggleto make a were excellent songs in their own name for himself in British show - To Get Off", shows Matt in his right. most dominating form. business, he worked in a plastics The first three numbers have factory - and at a petrol station. accompaniment provided by the The othertracksarcmore faithful Shadows, while the fourthrestrainedand displayMatt's girlin yourconsiderable ability to extract the NO IDEA song, "When the maximum feeling from a ballad. "I didn't know anybods in this arms", presents Cliff, the singer country and, what', more, / just of ballads, accompanied by the had no idea at all about how to Norrie Paramor Orchestra. get into show busine.s, here. Then, JOHN LEYTON after about one and a ludf years, SPOTLIGHT ON THE Wild wind; You took my lose I met a dancer who told me they SHADOWS for granted; Johnny remember me were auditioning dancers for the The Shadows There must be Shirley Basses show, "Blue The frightened city:Kon-tiki; TOP RANK JKP3016 Magic", at the Prince of Hales Peace pipe; The Savage ACTOR turnedsinger John Theatre. I was working in a South COLUMBIA SEG8135 Leytonbecame thenew Kensington coffee bar at the time." VOLLOWING their leaderheart-throbwith two chart - Peter went along to the audi- come TheShadows, whotopping discs in succession, tion - and was engaged. He had have no peers on instrumentals"Johnny Remember Me" and been with "Blue Magic" for three of thiskind. Again the EP is"Wild Wind-. He managed to months when "West Side Story" made up of their hit 'singles' andstrike away from the usual run reached this country. He audi- I expect a fresh surge of populari-of teen beat discs with exciting. tioned for "West Side Story" and ty to result from this release. galloping rhythms and what has was released from his contract by ApartfromMichaelCarr'sbeen turned the "lonely sound". the Prince of Wales 'Theatre so "Kon-tikt", the remaining titlesprovided by CharlesBlackwell that he could take the part of are all compositions by recordingto fitGeoffGoddard'sfine Pepe in the American hit musical. manager Norrie Paramor. compositions..