Claire and Friends
Encyclopedia
Claire and Friends were a UK
one-hit wonder
, consisting of Stockport
schoolgirl Claire Usher and her friends.
Their one hit single
was with the novelty record "It's 'Orrible Being in Love (When You're 8½)", released by BBC Records
, which entered the UK Singles Chart
on 7 June 1986, and reached #13. The song, about the emotional impact that an infatuation with a fellow school pupil has on an eight and a half year old, consisted of several verses on this theme, with a chorus as follows:
On television performances Claire Usher displayed a scarf bearing the name Stephen, which was borrowed from her brother.
The song was written
by Mick Coleman and produced
by Kevin Parrott (also known as Brian and Michael
, the pair who were responsible for the 1978 #1 hit "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs").
Usher submitted the demo
to a talent-spotting feature on the children's television program
me Saturday Superstore
, where it beat a thousand other entries. This was followed by a second single, "Superman" (which continued the story from the original hit), and an album
, mostly of cover version
s with a few further originals by Coleman, entitled Super Claire, neither of which had the same commercial success.
Claire and Friends' hit was released on both 7" and 12" vinyl
; however in January 1987 chart analyst Alan Jones reported in his Record Mirror
column that only 0.2% of the sales of "It's 'Orrible Being in Love" were on 12 inch, the lowest proportion of any hit single available on the format in 1986. This equated to fewer than 200 copies being sold on the larger format.
In adulthood, Claire Usher obtained a degree in drama and became a dancer, and appeared in the stage show Riverdance
on Broadway
in 2000, and in the show's UK tour. According to a caption on the 2006 TV programme It Started With Swap Shop, she is now working as a teacher and is an Irish dance teacher across North West England
with her husband Jonathan, whom she met while working on Riverdance on Broadway.
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...
one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
, consisting of Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
schoolgirl Claire Usher and her friends.
Their one hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
was with the novelty record "It's 'Orrible Being in Love (When You're 8½)", released by BBC Records
BBC Records
BBC Records is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation founded in the 1960s to exploit the corporation's audio archive for both educational and commercial purposes....
, which entered 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 ...
on 7 June 1986, and reached #13. The song, about the emotional impact that an infatuation with a fellow school pupil has on an eight and a half year old, consisted of several verses on this theme, with a chorus as follows:
- It's 'orrible being in love when you're eight 'n 'arf.
- I got your picture on me wall
- Got your name upon me scarf
- Oh it's 'orrible being in love, 'orrible being in love when you're eight 'n 'arf.
On television performances Claire Usher displayed a scarf bearing the name Stephen, which was borrowed from her brother.
The song was written
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...
by Mick Coleman and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Kevin Parrott (also known as Brian and Michael
Brian and Michael
Brian & Michael are a British music duo best known for their 1978 UK number one hit single, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs". Without further chart entries, they remain one-hit wonders in the UK...
, the pair who were responsible for the 1978 #1 hit "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs").
Usher submitted the demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
to a talent-spotting feature on the children's television program
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...
me Saturday Superstore
Saturday Superstore
Saturday Superstore was a children's television series, broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 until 1987. It was shown on Saturday mornings with presenters including Mike Read, Sarah Greene, Keith Chegwin and John Craven. The show was very similar to its predecessor Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.A regular spot on...
, where it beat a thousand other entries. This was followed by a second single, "Superman" (which continued the story from the original hit), and an 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...
, mostly of 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 with a few further originals by Coleman, entitled Super Claire, neither of which had the same commercial success.
Claire and Friends' hit was released on both 7" and 12" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
; however in January 1987 chart analyst Alan Jones reported in his Record Mirror
Record Mirror
Record Mirror was a British weekly pop music newspaper, founded by Isadore Green and featured, news articles, interviews, record charts, record reviews, concert reviews, letters from readers and photographs. The paper became respected by both mainstream pop music fans and serious record collectors...
column that only 0.2% of the sales of "It's 'Orrible Being in Love" were on 12 inch, the lowest proportion of any hit single available on the format in 1986. This equated to fewer than 200 copies being sold on the larger format.
In adulthood, Claire Usher obtained a degree in drama and became a dancer, and appeared in the stage show Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2000, and in the show's UK tour. According to a caption on the 2006 TV programme It Started With Swap Shop, she is now working as a teacher and is an Irish dance teacher across North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
with her husband Jonathan, whom she met while working on Riverdance on Broadway.