Sharon Tandy
Encyclopedia
Sharon Tandy is a South Africa
n singer who achieved some
success in the United Kingdom
in the 1960s as part of the blue-eyed soul
and freakbeat
movements. In 1966, she recorded some songs at Stax studios, a rarity for a white singer. She also had several chart hits in South Africa in the 1970s.
, Tandy appeared in South Africa's first beat
film, Africa Shakes, and moved to England in 1964 at the suggestion of Frank Fenter
, UK head of Atlantic Records
, whom she later married. She released several singles
between 1965 and 1969, and although none was a hit, she appeared on several contemporary television programmes, such as Beat Club. She has been described by Richie Unterberger
as "blue-eyed soul
singer rather in the mold of Dusty Springfield
, both in terms of her voice and her versatility, blending various shades of soul, British pop, and even some tinges of mod-psychedelia." Her voice has also been compared to those of Julie Driscoll
and Christine Perfect.
In 1966 she recorded tracks at Stax Records
' McLemore Avenue
studios, backed by Booker T. & the M.G.'s
and Isaac Hayes
, and was an opening act on the 1967 Stax/Volt Tour of Europe. That year she also teamed up with another of Fenter's bands, Les Fleur de Lys
and recorded several singles for the Atlantic
label and a session for John Peel
's "Top Gear
". She recorded a single for Polydor in 1967 credited to "Debrah Aire" featuring more pop styled tracks, but this also flopped. However, the combination of lack of commercial success and the breakdown of her relationship with Fenter led to her return to South Africa in 1970.
n boxing
film Brutal Glory as a singer.
After her return to the UK
, nostalgic interest in 2004 resulted in her playing a gig at London's 100 Club
; a reviewer commented
1970s South Africa
Compilations
Guest appearances
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n singer who achieved some
success in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1960s as part of the blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
and freakbeat
Freakbeat
Freakbeat is the name used for rare, collectable, and obscure British Invasion records, particularly from 1966 and 1967. Elements of the freakbeat sound include strong direct drum beats, loud and frenzied guitar riffs, and extreme effects such as: fuzztone, flanging, distortion and compression or...
movements. In 1966, she recorded some songs at Stax studios, a rarity for a white singer. She also had several chart hits in South Africa in the 1970s.
1960s
Based in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, Tandy appeared in South Africa's first beat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
film, Africa Shakes, and moved to England in 1964 at the suggestion of Frank Fenter
Frank Fenter
Frank Fenter was a music industry executive.Fenter was the first Managing Director of Atlantic Records for Europe, where he helped discover and sign to Atlantic late-1960s British Invasion groups including Led Zeppelin and the progressive rock bands Yes and King Crimson...
, UK head of Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, whom she later married. She released several singles
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...
between 1965 and 1969, and although none was a hit, she appeared on several contemporary television programmes, such as Beat Club. She has been described by Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
as "blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
singer rather in the mold of Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, both in terms of her voice and her versatility, blending various shades of soul, British pop, and even some tinges of mod-psychedelia." Her voice has also been compared to those of Julie Driscoll
Julie Driscoll
Julie Tippetts is an English singer and actress, known for her 1960s versions of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", and Donovan's "Season of the Witch", both with Brian Auger & The Trinity...
and Christine Perfect.
In 1966 she recorded tracks at Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
' McLemore Avenue
McLemore Avenue
McLemore Avenue is a 1970 album by Booker T. & the MGs consisting entirely of mostly instrumental covers of songs from the Beatles' album Abbey Road...
studios, backed by Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s is an instrumental R&B band that was influential in shaping the sound of southern soul and Memphis soul. Original members of the group were Booker T. Jones , Steve Cropper , Lewie Steinberg , and Al Jackson, Jr....
and Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, and was an opening act on the 1967 Stax/Volt Tour of Europe. That year she also teamed up with another of Fenter's bands, Les Fleur de Lys
Les Fleur de Lys
The Fleur de Lys were a British band originally formed in late 1964, in Southampton, Hampshire, England. They recorded singles beginning in 1965 in the transitional Beat to psychedelic music genre, later known as freakbeat. The band had varied line-ups; only drummer Keith Guster was a member...
and recorded several singles for the Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
label and a session for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's "Top Gear
Top Gear (radio show)
Top Gear was originally a short-lived pop music show on the BBC Light Programme in the mid-1960s.- Origin and format :It was one of the Corporation's few attempts to compete with the pirate radio stations and Radio Luxembourg, who had attracted large audiences of young British pop music listeners...
". She recorded a single for Polydor in 1967 credited to "Debrah Aire" featuring more pop styled tracks, but this also flopped. However, the combination of lack of commercial success and the breakdown of her relationship with Fenter led to her return to South Africa in 1970.
Later career
As half of various duets, Tandy scored three South African Top Ten hits between 1972 and 1978. However, little success followed these recordings. In 1989, she appeared in the South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
film Brutal Glory as a singer.
After her return to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, nostalgic interest in 2004 resulted in her playing a gig at London's 100 Club
100 Club
The 100 Club is a music venue in London situated at 100 Oxford Street, W1, originally called The Feldman Swing Club.The 100 Club attained legendary status in modern British music, having played host to live music since 24 October 1942....
; a reviewer commented
Singles
1960s UK- 1965 - "Now That You've Gone" / "Hurtin' Me" (Pye RecordsPye RecordsPye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
7N 15806) - 1965 - "I've Found Love" / "Perhaps Not Forever" (Pye 7N15939)
- 1965 - "It's An Uphill Climb To The Bottom" / "Don't Be Proud" (PolydorPolydor RecordsPolydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
NH 58103, withdrawn) - 1966 - "Love Makes the World Go Round" / "By My Side" (Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
MF 898) - 1967 - "Toe Hold" / "I Can't Get Over It" (AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
584 098) - 1967 - "Stay with MeStay with Me (Lorraine Ellison song)"Stay with Me" is a song co-written by Jerry Ragovoy and George David Weiss. It was first recorded in 1966 by Lorraine Ellison, produced by Ragovoy....
" / "Hold On" (Atlantic 584 124) - 1967 - "Our Day Will ComeOur Day Will Come"Our Day Will Come" is a popular song composed by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson which was a #1 hit in 1963 for Ruby & The Romantics.-Ruby & the Romantics:...
" / "Look And Find" (Atlantic 584 137) - 1967 - "This Land Of Mine" / "What The World Needs Now Is Love" (Polydor 56180) credited to "Debrah Aire"
- 1968 - "Fool on the HillThe Fool on the Hill"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1967...
" / "For No OneFor No One"For No One" is a song written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' seventh album, Revolver. A baroque pop song about the end of a relationship, it was one of McCartney's most mature and poignant works upon its release...
" (Atlantic 584 166) - 1968 - "Love Is Not A Simple Affair" / "Hurry Hurry Choo Choo" (Atlantic 584 181)
- 1968 - "You've Gotta Believe It" / "Border Town" (Atlantic 584 194)
- 1968 - "The Way She Looks At You" / "He'll Hurt Me" (Atlantic 584 214)
- 1968 - "Hold On" / "Daughter Of The Sun" (Atlantic 584 219)
- 1969 - "Gotta Get Enough Time" / "Somebody Speaks Your Name" (Atlantic 584 242)
- 1969 - "Two Can Make It Together" / "The Bitter And The Sweet" (Atlantic 584 262)
1970s South Africa
- 1972 - "Hello-A" (duet with Billy Forest), #5
- 1977 - "I Believe in You" (duet with Graham Clark), #9
- 1978 - "Welcome Home" (as Harvest, duet with Dave Ornellas), #10
Albums
Solo CD- 2004 - You Gotta Believe It's (compilation of 1960s UK singles)
Compilations
- 1972 - Formidable Rhythm N Blues, Volume 11 (Atlantic 40 261, France): "Stay with Me"
- 1999 - Here Come the Girls Vol.10 (Sequel): "Hurtin' Me", "Perhaps Not Forever"
- 2002 - Reflections 1965-1969 (Blueprint): Les Fleur de LysLes Fleur de LysThe Fleur de Lys were a British band originally formed in late 1964, in Southampton, Hampshire, England. They recorded singles beginning in 1965 in the transitional Beat to psychedelic music genre, later known as freakbeat. The band had varied line-ups; only drummer Keith Guster was a member...
compilation - 2003 - The Rubble Collection: "Hold On" & "Daughter of the Moon"
- 2006 - The Essential 60s Love Album (Metro METRDCD593): "I've Found Love"
Guest appearances
- 1970 - Five Day Rain (self-titled album)