FRANK IFIELD

Francis Edward Ifield was born in 1937 in Coundon, Warwickshire, England, to Australian parents, Richard Joseph Ifield (1909–1982) and Hannah Muriel Ifield (1916–2012), as one of seven sons. His parents had travelled to England in 1936, where his father was an inventor and engineer who created the Ifield fuel pump, for Lucas Industries, which was used in jet aircraft. The Ifield family returned to Australia in January 1948 aboard the Orion. They lived near Dural, 50 km north-west of Sydney. It was a rural district and he listened to hillbilly music (later called country music) while milking the family's cow. He was given a guitar in 1949 by his grandmother and was self-taught; he also taught himself to yodel, by imitating country stars, including Hank Snow.

The family moved to Beecroft, a Sydney suburb. At the age of 13 he performed his version of Bill Showmet's "Did You See My Daddy Over There?", and appeared on local radio station, 2GB's talent quest, Amateur Hour. This track was issued as his first single, in 1953, by Regal Zonophone Records. By November of that year, he appeared regularly on Brisbane radio station, 4BK's Youth Parade, playing guitar and singing, where "All the artists in this programme are under 21 year of age." His third single was a cover version of "Abdul Abulbul Amir" (September 1954), which was backed by his own composition, "A Mother's Faith". In 1956 he hosted, Campfire Favourites, on local TV station, TCN-9, which "was the first weekly 'Western' programme by a local artist on Australian television." From that year to late 1957 he recorded six singles with a backing group, Dick Carr Buckaroos.

In 1957 he recorded a track, "Whiplash", which was used as the theme song for the British/Australian TV series of the same name from September 1960 to mid-1961. He toured the North Island of New Zealand in early 1959, where his single, "Guardian Angel", reached #1 on local radio charts. Ifield had two top 30 hits in that year on the Kent Music Report, with "True" and "Teenage Baby". He returned to the United Kingdom in November 1959.

Frank Ifield's first UK single, "Lucky Devil" (January 1960), reached # 22 in the UK Singles Chart. His next six singles had less commercial success, but he had his first UK #1 hit with a cover version of Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer 1941 composition, "I Remember You" (May 1962), which topped the charts for seven weeks. Known for Ifield's falsetto and a slight yodel, it was the second highest-selling single of that year in the UK and became the seventh million-selling single. It is Ifield's highest charting single on the United States Billboard Hot 100, reaching #5. It also reached #1 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

His next single was a double A-side: "Lovesick Blues" and "She Taught Me to Yodel" (October 1962). "Lovesick Blues" was originally sung by Hank Williams and was treated in an upbeat "Let's Twist Again" style. The other track is a virtuoso piece of yodeling with the final verse – entirely yodeling – at double-speed. It also peaked at #1 in the UK, #1 in Australia, and reached #44 in the US Billboard Hot 100. He had been told by his management not to yodel because it would brand him. Nevertheless, he sang "She Taught Me to Yodel" as an encore for a Royal Variety Performance (November 1962), at the specific request of the Queen Mother for a yodeling song. His next single, "Wayward Wind", made him the first UK-based artist to reach #1 three times in succession on the UK charts. The only previous artist to have done so was Elvis Presley. In Australia it peaked at #16.

His UK charting singles from 1963 were, "Nobody's Darling but Mine" (April 1963, #4), "I'm Confessin'" (June, #1), "Mule Train" (October, #22) and "Don't Blame Me" (December, #8). In 1963 he sang at the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by one of his heroes, Hank Snow. Many of his records were produced by Norrie Paramor. Ifield also was featured on 'Jolly What!, a 1964 compilation comprising eight of his tracks and four by the Beatles, which has been considered an attempt to cash in on Beatlemania. Despite changing trends Ifield continued to have further top 40 hits in that decade including, "Angry at the Big Oak Tree" (April 1964) "I Should Care" (July), "Paradise" (August 1965), "No One Will Ever Know" (June 1966), and "Call Her Your Sweetheart" (September). Ifield twice entered the UK heats for the Eurovision Song Contest. He came in second in the 1962 heat with "Alone Too Long" (losing to Ronnie Carroll). In the 1976 heat he tried with, "Ain't Gonna Take no for an Answer", finishing last of 12.

In 1991, Ifield returned to the UK chart when a dance remix of "She Taught Me to Yodel", renamed, "The Yodeling Song", was billed as Frank Ifield featuring the Backroom Boys, reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart. In more than 30 years, it became his 16th appearance on that list. The song was mentioned by Victor Meldrew in the One Foot in the Grave episode, "Love and Death".

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2007 Ifield was inducted into their Hall of Fame alongside, Hoodoo Gurus, Marcia Hines, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Brian Cadd, Radio Birdman and Nick Cave. He was presented with a Medal of the Order of Australia in June 2009 with a citation, "For service to the arts as an entertainer." On 10 June 2012 Ifield joined Paul Hazell on his World of Country show on the community radio station Uckfield FM. He discussed his life in music and forthcoming induction to the Coventry Music Wall of Fame. He made another appearance on Uckfield FM, talking with Tony Williams, on 16 May 2017. Frank Ifield died in 2024 at the age of 86.

SINGLES

''There's A Loveknot In My Lariat / Did You See My Daddy Over There'' 1953 Regal Zonophone
''A Mother's Faith / Abdul Abulbul Amir'' 1954 Regal Zonophone
''Yellow Roses / Satisfied Mind'' 1955 Regal Zonophone
''No Need To Cry Anymore / Put Me In Your Pocket'' 1958 Columbia

''Kaw-liga / I'll Be Yours'' 1958 Columbia
''I've Got A Feeling / Guardian Angel'' 1958 Columbia
''Chip Off The Old Block / Pale Moon'' 1959 Columbia
''Will I Ever / Teenage Baby'' (#5) 1959 Columbia
''The Ballad Of Ned Kelly / Since You Went Away'' 1959 Columbia
''Haunting Game / These Hands 1959 Columbia
''True (#26) / Sad Am I'' 1959 Columbia
''Lucky Devil / Nobody Else But You'' 1960 Columbia
''Happy-Go-Lucky Me / Unchained Melody'' 1960 Columbia
''Your Time Will Come / That's The Way It Is'' 1962 Columbia
''I Remember You (#1) / I Listen To My Heart'' 1962 Columbia
''Lovesick Blues (#1) / She Taught Me How To Yodel'' 1962 Columbia
''The Wayward Wind (#16) / I'm Smiling Now'' 1963 Columbia
''Nobody's Darlin' But Mine (#41) / You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry'' 1963 Columbia
''I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) / Waltzing Matilda'' (#24) 1963 Columbia
''Mule Train (#95) / One Man's Love'' 1963 Columbia
''Please (#5) / Half As Much'' 1964 Columbia
''Say It Isn't So (#43) / Don't Blame Me'' 1964 Columbia
''Angry At The Big Oak Tree (#32) / Go Tell It On The Mountain'' 1964 Columbia
''I Should Care / Another Cup Of Coffee'' 1964 Columbia
''Summer Is Over (#40) / True Love Ways'' 1964 Columbia
''Don't Make Me Laugh (Don't Make Me Cry) (#96) / Without You (Tres Palabras)'' 1964 Columbia
''I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry / Lonesome Number One'' (#95) 1965 Columbia
''Paradise (#88) / Goodbye Now'' 1965 Columbia
''I Guess / Then Came She'' 1966 Columbia
''There'll Be Another Spring / Don't Be Afraid'' 1966 Columbia
''No One Will Ever Know / I'm Saving All My Love'' 1966 Columbia
''Call Her Your Sweetheart (#79) / All My Daydreaming'' 1966 Columbia
''Out Of Nowhere (#75) / And I Always Will Do'' 1967 Columbia
''Up-Up And Away (#81) / Roses, Moonlight And One Little Bottle Of Wine'' 1967 Columbia
''The Swiss Maid / Baby Doll'' 1968 Columbia
''Let Me Into Your Life / Carnival Day'' 1968 Decca
''It's My Time / I Love You Because'' 1969 Decca
''Hurdy Gurdy / Lonesome Jubilee'' 1972 MAM
''Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast (#68) / Beautiful Love'' 1972 MAM
''The Rise And Fall Of Solly Glick / Lonesome Jubilee'' 1973 MAM
''Paint The World / Why Can't People Be People'' 1973 Interfusion
''Joanne / California Cotton Fields'' 1974 Interfusion
''Excuse Me, Friend / I Remember You (New 1975 Version)'' 1975 Interfusion
''Crystal / Touch The Morning'' 1979 Warner Bro
''Crawling Back / So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)'' 1982 PRT

EPs

'A Mother's Faith' 1960 Columbia
'Frank Ifield's Hits' 1962 Columbia
'Just One More Chance' 1963 Columbia
'Viva Ifield !' 1963 Columbia
'Don't Blame Me' 1964 Columbia
'Lucky Devil' 1964 Columbia
'Blue Skies' 1964 Columbia
'I Should Care' 1964 Columbia
'More Of Frank Ifield's Hits' 1965 Columbia
'Funny How Time Slips Away' 1965 Columbia
'Confessin' 1966 Columbia
'Love Walked In' 1966 Columbia
'Hong Kong Blues' 1966 Columbia
'Give Him My Regards' 1967 Columbia

ALBUMS

'Yours Sincerely' 1959 Columbia
'I'll Remember You' 1963 Columbia
'Born Free' 1963 Columbia
'Blue Skies' 1964 Columbia
'Portrait In Song' 1965 Columbia
'Up Jumped A Swagman' 1965 Columbia
'Close To Me' 1966 Columbia
'You Came Along' 1967 Columbia
'The Singer & The Song' Columbia 1968
'Happy Tracks' 1968 Columbia
'The World Of Frank Ifield' 1969 Decca
'Frank Ifield'm1970 Decca
'Close To You' 1971 MFP
'Frank Ifield' 1973 Interfusion
'Ain't Gonna Take No For An Answer' 1976 Interfusion
'One More Mile- One More Twon' 1978 EMI
'Frank Ifield' 1979 K Tel
'Portrait Of Frank Ifield' 1982 Astor
'Funny How Time Slips Away' 1984

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Ifield

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/