Anita Harris
Encyclopedia
Anita Harris is an English
actress, singer
and entertainer.
Best known in Britain
as a singer and entertainer, Harris sang with the Cliff Adams Singers
, and she then had a number of chart
hits
in the 1960s. She became known as a variety entertainer, and appeared in a number of the Carry On
film
s, notably Follow That Camel
and Carry On Doctor
.
to train as a choreographed
skater in Las Vegas
. She became one of the few ladies to sing with the Cliff Adams Singers, choralists whose appearances on BBC Radio
's Sing Something Simple were extended. Harris was still in her teens when she cut her first recording
- with the John Barry
Seven — a band
who, at that time, were at the most active part of their own pop
chart
career. This early single
, a double A-side
of "I Haven't Got You" and "Mr One And Only", did not succeed.
The late 1960s saw her career at its peak. Her hit, "Just Loving You", was acquired through her friend Dusty Springfield
, from her songwriting
brother
, Tom Springfield
. It was released in June 1967 on the CBS
label, and was her biggest selling single. It peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart
, and sold 625,000 copies in the UK, and 200,000 in South Africa
(where it reached #1) in its first six months: in Ireland the single reached #18. In the United States
, where it was released on Columbia Records
, the record "bubbled under" the Billboard Hot 100
chart, peaking at #120. Cover version
s of the songs "Anniversary Waltz
" and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" followed. In 1968, her album
Just Loving You hit the album charts at number 29. In 1969, she released "Somebody's in my Orchard", a jazz album showing the full range of her vocal and interpretive colour, but this direction in her career was not followed further.
She also made appearances in several British movies
, posed for a nude set in Mayfair
magazine
, and had a popular presence on UK television. She made an appearance at the San Remo
Song Festival in Italy
- something that perhaps one associates with more established stars
like Petula Clark
. In fact she had the same musical arranger
as Clark - Kenny Clayton
.
Harris also co-hosted The David Nixon
Magic Show in the 1970s, and appeared on the Morecambe and Wise
Show in 1971 and 1973. In 1981 Harris was in the line-up for the Royal Variety Performance
, singing "Burlington Bertie
". She was still appearing as herself on programmes
up to 2001, notably Boom Boom: The Best of the Original Basil Brush Show, French & Saunders
, and Bob Monkhouse
: A BAFTA Tribute. She also appeared in the cast of the touring play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners
. In 2006 Harris appeared in Strangers on a Train
at the Churchill Theatre
in Bromley
, co-starring Alex Ferns
, Will Thorp
, Colin Baker
and Leah Bracknell
for a one week run. In April 2009, Harris started at the New End Theatre playing Gertrude Lawrence
in G and I.
On Sunday 5 July 2009, The Mail On Sunday newspaper published a lengthy interview with Harris, in which she claims to be penniless and homeless. She estimates that she and her husband, the sometime TV director and artist Mike Margolis, are £15,000 in debt, although sources close to the couple say this may be a considerable under-estimate. The Daily Telegraph reports that "the couple first suffered a financial setback in 1985 when they lost all their savings in the collapse of a Swiss-based bank."
Her recent stage appearances include the national tours of Stepping Out
in 2010, and in 2011, Five Blue Haired Ladies Sitting On A Park Bench.
"We're All Going On A Tuppeny Bus Ride" - 1968
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...
actress, singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and entertainer.
Best known in Britain
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...
as a singer and entertainer, Harris sang with the Cliff Adams Singers
Cliff Adams Singers
The Cliff Adams Singers was a UK male/female vocal group, known for ballads and novelty songs.-Career:The group was formed by the Southwark, London born Cliff Adams who had formed The Stargazers with Dick James in 1950, and joined the BBC Show Band in 1954...
, and she then had a number of 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....
hits
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...
in the 1960s. She became known as a variety entertainer, and appeared in a number of the Carry On
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, notably Follow That Camel
Follow That Camel
Follow That Camel is the fourteenth Carry On film and was released in 1967. Like its predecessor Don't Lose Your Head, it does not have the words "Carry On" in its original title...
and Carry On Doctor
Carry On Doctor
Carry On Doctor is the fifteenth film in the Carry On series. It is the second in the series to have a medical theme. Frankie Howerd makes the first of his two appearances in the film series. He stars alongside regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw...
.
Career
Harris's musical career began as a child, although her expectations were to become a dancer. Soon after leaving school she left the UKUnited 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...
to train as a choreographed
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
skater in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. She became one of the few ladies to sing with the Cliff Adams Singers, choralists whose appearances on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
's Sing Something Simple were extended. Harris was still in her teens when she cut her first recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
- with the John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
Seven — a band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
who, at that time, were at the most active part of their own 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...
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....
career. This early 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...
, a double A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of "I Haven't Got You" and "Mr One And Only", did not succeed.
The late 1960s saw her career at its peak. Her hit, "Just Loving You", was acquired through her friend 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...
, from her songwriting
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, Tom Springfield
Tom Springfield
Tom Springfield is the brother of Dusty Springfield and an important figure in the 1960s folk and pop music scene...
. It was released in June 1967 on the CBS
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
label, and was her biggest selling single. It peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
, and sold 625,000 copies in the UK, and 200,000 in South Africa
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...
(where it reached #1) in its first six months: in Ireland the single reached #18. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it was released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, the record "bubbled under" 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, peaking at #120. Cover version
Cover 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...
s of the songs "Anniversary Waltz
The Anniversary Waltz
The Anniversary Waltz is a popular song written by Dave Franklin, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1941. It has been covered by Vera Lynn and Connie Francis....
" and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" followed. In 1968, her album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Just Loving You hit the album charts at number 29. In 1969, she released "Somebody's in my Orchard", a jazz album showing the full range of her vocal and interpretive colour, but this direction in her career was not followed further.
She also made appearances in several British movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, posed for a nude set in Mayfair
Mayfair (magazine)
Mayfair is a British adult magazine for men. Founded in 1965, it was designed as a response to U.S. magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse, which had recently launched in the UK. For many years it claimed the largest distribution of any men's magazine in the UK.-Fisk Publishing era:Mayfair was...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, and had a popular presence on UK television. She made an appearance at the San Remo
Festival della canzone italiana
The Festival della canzone italiana di Sanremo is a popular Italian song contest, held annually in the city of Sanremo, in Italy, and consisting of a competition amongst previously unreleased songs...
Song Festival in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- something that perhaps one associates with more established stars
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
like Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
. In fact she had the same musical arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
as Clark - Kenny Clayton
Kenny Clayton
Kenny Clayton is a British music producer, arranger, conductor and jazz pianist.Clayton studied piano at the Trinity College of Music in London...
.
Harris also co-hosted The David Nixon
David Nixon
David Nixon was an English magician and television personality. At the height of his career, Nixon was the best-known magician in the UK.-Early life:...
Magic Show in the 1970s, and appeared on the Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
Show in 1971 and 1973. In 1981 Harris was in the line-up for the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
, singing "Burlington Bertie
Burlington Bertie
"Burlington Bertie" is a music hall song composed by Harry B. Norris in 1900 and sung by Vesta Tilley. It concerns an aristocratic young idler who pursues a life of leisure in the West End of London....
". She was still appearing as herself on programmes
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
up to 2001, notably Boom Boom: The Best of the Original Basil Brush Show, French & Saunders
French & Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
, and Bob Monkhouse
Bob Monkhouse
Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE was an English entertainer. He was a successful comedy writer, comedian and actor and was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host...
: A BAFTA Tribute. She also appeared in the cast of the touring play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners
Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners
Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners is an anthology-style play compiled and written by Carry On... writer Norman Hudis and producer Marc Sinden, who is also the director...
. In 2006 Harris appeared in Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train
Strangers on a Train is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. It was adapted as a film in 1951 by director Alfred Hitchcock.-Plot summary:...
at the Churchill Theatre
Churchill Theatre
The Churchill Theatre in Bromley, south east London was built by the London Borough of Bromley to designs by its borough architect's department.It is carefully integrated into the central library complex overlooking Church House Gardens and Library Gardens...
in Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, co-starring Alex Ferns
Alex Ferns
Alexander "Alex" Ferns is a Scottish actor and television personality, best known for his EastEnders role as Trevor Morgan, "Britain's most-hated soap villain."...
, Will Thorp
Will Thorp
Will Thorp is an English actor.-Early life:Living in Frome as a youngster, Thorp attended a Catholic college in near-by Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He studied at Bath College and joined Musical Youth Theatre Company at an early age. Thorp was also a member of the National Youth Theatre...
, Colin Baker
Colin Baker
Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
and Leah Bracknell
Leah Bracknell
Leah Bracknell is an English actress, best known for her role as Zoe Tate in the long-running soap opera, Emmerdale.-Career:...
for a one week run. In April 2009, Harris started at the New End Theatre playing Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
in G and I.
On Sunday 5 July 2009, The Mail On Sunday newspaper published a lengthy interview with Harris, in which she claims to be penniless and homeless. She estimates that she and her husband, the sometime TV director and artist Mike Margolis, are £15,000 in debt, although sources close to the couple say this may be a considerable under-estimate. The Daily Telegraph reports that "the couple first suffered a financial setback in 1985 when they lost all their savings in the collapse of a Swiss-based bank."
Her recent stage appearances include the national tours of Stepping Out
Stepping Out (play)
Stepping Out is a play written by Richard Harris in 1984. It was produced in the West End, London, where it received the Evening Standard Comedy of the Year Award, and on Broadway, New York.-Plot:...
in 2010, and in 2011, Five Blue Haired Ladies Sitting On A Park Bench.
Singles
"I Don't Know Anymore" - 1965- "Just Loving You" - 1967 - UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#6 - "The Playground" - 1967 - UK #46
"We're All Going On A Tuppeny Bus Ride" - 1968
- "Anniversary WaltzThe Anniversary WaltzThe Anniversary Waltz is a popular song written by Dave Franklin, the lyrics by Al Dubin. The song was published in 1941. It has been covered by Vera Lynn and Connie Francis....
" - 1968 - UK #21 - "Dream a Little Dream of Me" - 1968 - UK #33
Albums
- Just Loving You - 1968 - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#29 - Love To Sing - 1976
- The Essential - 2003 - compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
External links
- Anita Harris biography
- Mail On Sunday interview 5th July 2009
- "ROLLING STONES" RECEIVE AWARD ON THE THAMES 1965 British Pathe footage of Anita Harris presenting an award to the Rolling Stones.