Terry (song)
Encyclopedia
Terry is a song written and performed by British
singer Lynn Ripley, AKA Twinkle
. It was her first single, and reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
in December 1964, spending fifteen weeks in the charts
. The track also reached #5 on the Canadian charts, spending 4 weeks in the top 40 in February 1965.
The song is about the death of a young man named Terry, killed in a motorcycle accident. It was banned by both the BBC
, and by ITV
's Ready Steady Go!
on grounds of taste, but despite (or possibly because of) this, it shot up the charts. It was Twinkle's only top ten hit, although her follow-up, Golden Lights (later covered by The Smiths
), reached #21 in the UK.
released a French
version of Terry on his 1965 EP Les Choses De La Maison. In 2010, Anika included a cover of the song on her debut album Anika
.
meets The Shangri-Las
on a rain-slicked English back-road", and said that it "should have set up Twinkle for never-ending fame."
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...
singer Lynn Ripley, AKA Twinkle
Twinkle (singer)
Twinkle is an English singer-songwriter, primarily in the 1960s. Twinkle's most famous songs were "Terry" and "Golden Lights".-Career:...
. It was her first single, and reached number 4 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 ...
in December 1964, spending fifteen weeks in the charts
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....
. The track also reached #5 on the Canadian charts, spending 4 weeks in the top 40 in February 1965.
The song is about the death of a young man named Terry, killed in a motorcycle accident. It was banned by both the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast from August 1963 until December 1966...
on grounds of taste, but despite (or possibly because of) this, it shot up the charts. It was Twinkle's only top ten hit, although her follow-up, Golden Lights (later covered by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
), reached #21 in the UK.
Cover versions
Claude FrançoisClaude François
Claude François was a French pop singer, songwriter and dancer. He wrote "Comme d'habitude," the original version of "My Way."-Early life:...
released a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
version of Terry on his 1965 EP Les Choses De La Maison. In 2010, Anika included a cover of the song on her debut album Anika
Anika (album)
The album received generally favorable reviews. It earned a collective score of 65 out of 100 from Metacritic. Heather Phares from Allmusic stated, "Though the album is mostly covers, Anika imprints her identity on every track...
.
Critique
Allmusic described Terry as "magnificent -- Phil SpectorPhil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
meets The Shangri-Las
The Shangri-Las
The Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 they charted with often heartbreaking teen melodramas, and remain best known for "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember ".- Early career :...
on a rain-slicked English back-road", and said that it "should have set up Twinkle for never-ending fame."