Don Fardon
Encyclopedia
Don Fardon is an English
pop
singer.
of John D. Loudermilk
's "Indian Reservation" (1970, UK
: #3, U.S.
: #20, Australia
: #4). The global sales were estimated at over one million copies. Before his solo success, Fardon was singer with The Sorrows
.
His follow-up single "Follow Your Drum" reached #16 on the Australian Singles Chart
in May 1972.
In 1973 his track "Delta Queen" reached #86 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
. He covered The Kinks
' hit
, "Lola
" in 1974. Fardon also released a cover version of "Running Bear
". In 2006 he re-released his single
, "Belfast Boy", in tribute following the death
of George Best
.
His recording of the song "I'm Alive" (a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells
) has been featured in a UK television advertisement for Five Alive
fruit drinks, and a Dutch Vodafone
commercial. On the back of the success of the latter, "I'm Alive" was reissued in the Netherlands
and in March 2011, it reached the Top 20 of the Dutch singles chart.
Prior to becoming a singer he worked as a draughtsman
for Alfred Herberts Ltd in Coventry.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer.
Career
His biggest success was to be his cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
's "Indian Reservation" (1970, UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
: #3, U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
: #20, Australia
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
: #4). The global sales were estimated at over one million copies. Before his solo success, Fardon was singer with The Sorrows
The Sorrows
The Sorrows are considered perhaps to be the archetypal freakbeat band. They were formed in 1963 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England by Pip Whitcher.-Career:...
.
His follow-up single "Follow Your Drum" reached #16 on the Australian Singles Chart
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
in May 1972.
In 1973 his track "Delta Queen" reached #86 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. He covered The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Lola
Lola (song)
"Lola" is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by The Kinks which details a romantic encounter between a young man and a transvestite he meets in a club in Soho, London....
" in 1974. Fardon also released a cover version of "Running Bear
Running Bear
"Running Bear" is a song written by J. P. Richardson sung most famously by Johnny Preston in 1959. Preston first sang the song in 1959 with background vocals by Richardson and George Jones, who do the Indian chanting of "UGO UGO" during the three verses, as well as the Indian war cries...
". In 2006 he re-released his single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Belfast Boy", in tribute following the death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
of George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
.
His recording of the song "I'm Alive" (a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose period of greatest success came in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover" — and also charted 12 other Top 40 hits, including five in the top ten: "Crystal...
) has been featured in a UK television advertisement for Five Alive
Five Alive
Five Alive is a line of fruit juice blends created by Minute Maid, a sub brand of The Coca-Cola Company. The name refers to the five fruit juices each variety contains...
fruit drinks, and a Dutch Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
commercial. On the back of the success of the latter, "I'm Alive" was reissued in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and in March 2011, it reached the Top 20 of the Dutch singles chart.
Prior to becoming a singer he worked as a draughtsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
for Alfred Herberts Ltd in Coventry.
Albums discography
- Lament of the Cherokee (1968) GNP
- I've Paid My Dues (1970) DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
- Released (1970) Youngblood
- Indian Reservation (1988) GNP
- Line Dance Party (1998) Grasmere
- Indian Reservation (1999) Elap
- I'm Alive (2003) RPM
- Letter (2005) Magic
- Coventry Boy (2006) Castle