Alma Cogan - The A-Z of Alma - [3CD Box set](1994)[[email protected]]
ALMA COGAN (By Steve Walker)
Born Alma Angela Cohen, 19 May 1932, Stepney, London, UK
Died 26 October 1966, London
Alma's career spanned an era of British popular music that saw the transfer of
most record purchases go from adults to teenagers. She managed to embrace the
musical tastes of both and survived the dramatic changes taking place in the music
industry better than many of her contemporaries.
She started her singing career while still a teenager and began recording during
1952. After appearing in the stage revues of "Sauce Tartare" and "High Button
Shoes", Alma was spotted by a&r representative Wally Ridley and signed to HMV
records. Her first record was "To Be Worthy Of You"/"Would You?" (HMV 10280). Some
of her early recordings were covers of US hits - Leroy Anderson's "Blue Tango",
Hank's "Half As Much" (although Alma would have heard Rosemary Clooney's Pop
number 1 version), Patti Page's "I Went To Your Wedding", Jo Stafford's "You
Belong To Me" and "Make Love To Me", Les Paul & Mary Ford's "Take Me In Your Arms
And Hold Me", Teresa Brewer's "Till I Waltz Again With You" and "Ricochet (Rick-O
-Shay)", Rosemary Clooney's "If I Had A Penny", "Mambo Italiano" and "This Ole
House", Karen Chandler's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me", Joni James' "My Love, My
Love", Ralph Marterie's "Skokiaan" and The Gaylords' "Little Shoemaker".
Although she began her career as a balladeer, her breakthrough came with the
novelty "Bell Bottom Blues", which entered the UK charts on 19 March, 1954 and
rose to number 4. A cover of Kitty Kallen's "Little Things Mean A Lot" followed
during the summer of 1954 and reached number 11. Then, at Christmas, she took
Patti Page's "I Can't Tell A Waltz From A Tango" to number 6. During this run of
hits, she duetted with Frankie Vaughan on "Do, Do, Do, Do, Do, Do, Do It
Again"/""Jilted".
Her lone UK number 1 occurred in the spring of 1955 with "Dreamboat" and the
following Christmas she was back with the novelty double-sider "Never Do A Tango
With An Eskimo"/"Twenty Tiny Fingers". "Willie Can" was another Top Twenty entry
in the spring of 1956 and a duet with Ronnie Hilton ("It's All Been Done Before")
appeared on the b-side of his chart-topper "No Other Love". Throughout the late
50's she continued to cover contemporary US hits including Jewel Akens' "The Birds
And The Bees", Lavern Baker's "Tweedle Dee", Frank Sinatra's "Love And Marriage",
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", Fats' "I'm In Love
Again", Rusty Draper's "In The Middle Of The House", Charlie Gracie's "Fabulous",
Sal Mineo's "Party Time", Marty Robbins' "The Story Of My Life" and "Stairway Of
Love", The McGuire Sisters' "Sugartime", Dodie Stevens' "Pink Shoe Laces", Bobby
Rydell's "We Got Love" and Annette's "Train Of Love" some of which made the lower
regions of the charts. By the end of the 1950's she had notched up 18 UK chart
entries, more than any female singer of her era.
Alma featured in many radio programmes during the fifties, featuring regularly
with Jimmy Edwards and June Whitfield (the mother on "Absolutely Fabulous") on
"Take It From Here". She guested with Benny Hill and Billy Cotton on television
and starred at the London Palladium in her own right.
She liked to appear as a fun-loving "party girl" rather than the romantic type
portrayed by most other female singers of the era. She frequently wore hooped
skirts, often heavy with sequins, and figure hugging tops. Her gowns were indeed
extravagant and her dress always caught the eye during her many TV appearances
(see a couple of examples at: http://www.pettipond.com/cogan.htm). She exuded a
vivacity which came across in her recordings, and was promoted as "The Girl With
The Laugh In Her Voice".
By the middle of the 60's, Alma was no longer a chart regular. Always a candidate
for the 'cover' game, she cut a bouncy version of "Tell Him" but lost out to
Billie Davis. Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance playing tambourine on the
b-side of one of her singles, and she repaid the compliment by cutting "Eight Days
A Week". It is said that the Beatles were at the recording session. She was
friendly with the boys and it is alleged that Paul McCartney wrote "Yesterday" on
her piano after a party at her home in Kensington. The song was known as
"scrambled eggs" as that was what was being served for breakfast and seemed to fit
the melody. John Lennon nicknamed her "Sarah Sequin", saying that she reminded him
of his mother. "Every time I'm with Alma, it feels right. Julia (Lennon's late
mother) just couldn't cope with me, but Alma can read me like a book." One of the
few videos available of Alma was her appearance on "Ready Steady Go" which was
introduced by the Beatles.
In March 1966, doctors discovered that Alma had cancer. During a period of
convalescence she wrote a number of songs under the pseudonym Al Western,
including Ronnie Carroll's "Wait For Me" and Joe Dolan's "I Only Dream Of You". At
the peak of the "Man From U.N.C.L.E." TV series, she cut a tribute disc to its
star David McCullum. "Love Ya Illya" by the pseudonymous Angela And The Fans
received extensive airplay and narrowly missed the charts in 1966.
She was still popular in other markets and had hits all around Europe. She was
also successful in Japan reaching number 1 with "Just Couldn't Resist Her and Her
Pocket Transistor". She recorded in a number of languages including German,
Japanese and Swedish. That autumn, while working in Sweden, Alma collapsed and was
sent home. On 26 October, 1966, she lost her fight against cancer and died at
London's Middlesex Hospital, aged just 34.
In 1992, she was the subject of a BBC TV documentary as part of "The Lime Grove
Story".
Tracklist
CD 1
01 Red silken stockings.mp3
02 To be worthy on you.mp3
03 Would you.mp3
04 To be loved by you.mp3
05 The homing waltz.mp3
06 Meet me on the corner.mp3
07 Waltz of paree.mp3
08 Pretty bride.mp3
09 Blue tango.mp3
10 I went to your wedding.mp3
11 IFN.mp3
12 Take me in your arms and hold me.mp3
13 Somebody loves me.mp3
14 Happy valley sweetheart.mp3
15 If i had a penny.mp3
16 On the first warm day.mp3
17 Hug me a hug.mp3
18 Sittin'in the sun.mp3
19 If i had a golden umbrella.mp3
20 Mystery street.mp3
21 My love, my love.mp3
22 Wasted tears.mp3
23 Isn't life wonderful.mp3
24 Over and over again.mp3
25 Love me again.mp3
26 Bell bottom blues.mp3
27 Make love to me.mp3
28 Do do do do do do do it again.mp3
29 What am i gonna do ma.mp3
CD 2
01 Skinnie Minnie.mp3
02 Christmas cards.mp3
03 Mrs. Santa Claus.mp3
04 Blue again.mp3
05 Naughty lady of shady lane.mp3
06 More than ever now.mp3
07 Dreamboat.mp3
08 Tika tika tok.mp3
09 Irish mambo.mp3
10 Keep me in mind.mp3
11 Where will the dimple be.mp3
12 Give a fool a chance.mp3
13 Banjo's back in town.mp3
14 Go on by.mp3
15 Hernando's highway.mp3
16 Twenty tiny fingers.mp3
17 Love and marriage.mp3
18 Sycamore tree.mp3
19 Don't ringa da bell.mp3
20 Funny funny funny.mp3
21 Summer love.mp3
22 That's happines.mp3
23 What you're done to me.mp3
24 Love is.mp3
25 Wouldn't it be loverly.mp3
26 With a little bit of luck.mp3
27 Stairway of love.mp3
28 Volare.mp3
29 This little girl's gone rockin'.mp3
30 Once in a while.mp3
31 Musi be santa.mp3
32 Just couldn't resist her with her pocket t.mp3
CD 3
01 Ja-da.mp3
02 Cowboy Jimmy Joe.mp3
03 Keep me in your heart.mp3
04 All alone.mp3
05 Let's face the music and dance.mp3
06 She's funny that way The man I love You.mp3
07 Oom pah pah.mp3
08 I want to wisper something.mp3
09 I love you too much.mp3
10 My one and only love.mp3
11 Baubles bangles and beads.mp3
12 Goodbye Joe.mp3
13 Let me love you.mp3
14 If love were all.mp3
15 Tell him.mp3
16 Just once more.mp3
17 Hava nagila.mp3
18 Tennessee waltz.mp3
19 I knew right away.mp3
20 The birds and the bees.mp3
21 Now that I found you.mp3
22 Snakes and snails.mp3
23 How many nights how many days.mp3
24 Eight days a week.mp3
25 Yesterday.mp3
26 There's a time and place.mp3
27 Hello baby.mp3
Ruby say's if you take it please say thank you.
