 John Leyton
Born in Frinton-On-Sea, Essex, England, on February 17 1939, John
Leyton started his professional career in the television series
Biggles. His recording career began when he signed a contract with
Top Rank Records even though his voice was not the attraction; rather
his smooth good looks and blonde hair. Nevertheless, Leyton had the
experienced backing of manager Robert Stigwood and, of course, the
dedicated talents of Joe Meek.
Meek was completely responsible for John Leyton's success. He
produced four eerie, echo-filled singles which turned Leyton into a
short lived mega-chart artist. Tell Laura I Love Her was
Leyton's debut single but he lost the battle of the hits when Ricky
Valance took his version of the song to the top of the British charts
during 1960. Girl On The Floor Above was Leyton's next: that
bombed also. A change of composer though, brought a change of luck.
Geoff Goddard wrote Johnny Remember Me, a haunting song that
captured the public's imagination. The single swept to Number 1 in
Britain in September 1961. Much of the song's success, however, was
attributed to the singer's then current television series, Harpers
West One, where his role was one of a singer named Johnny St Cyr,
who regularly sang Johnny Remember Me.
Another Goddard composition followed, Wild Wind, which was
in a similar style to the chart-topper. It gave Leyton a Number 2
British hit in October 1961. His last hit of the year, Son This Is
She, reached the Top 20 and marked his first release on the HMV
label.
During 1962 Leyton enjoyed two Top 40 hits - Lone Rider and
Down The River Nile - and one Top 20 entrant, Lonely City.
By 1963 he could manage only one Top 30 disc, Cupboard Love,
while I'll Cut Your Tail Off struggled into the Top 50, and
upon re-entry into the Top 40. Leyton's recording career was sliding,
and in 1964 he issued his last chart single, Make Love To Me,
which peaked at Number 49 in the British chart.
All was not lost though, because singing had been a side line since
1963 when he decided to move into film work. To this end he appeared
in The Great Escape with Steve McQueen among the star-studded
cast, and in 1965 starred in another war epic, Von Ryan's Express
with Frank Sinatra. Three years later he had a role in Krakatoa,
followed by Schizo in 1977.
It took ten years before John Leyton returned to the studio to
record an eponymous album, produced by Kenny Young. Since that time,
his name has been kept alive via compilation albums, until the man
behind the name took to the stage once more to perform on nostalgia
package tours. His 1996 tour was a UK-wide trek in the company of
Marty Wilde and Eden Kane. |
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