Twinkle (singer)
Encyclopedia
Twinkle is an English
singer-songwriter
, primarily in the 1960s. Twinkle's most famous song
s were "Terry
" and "Golden Lights".
" (1964), both teenage tragedy song
s about a girl lamenting the death of her daredevil boyfriend in a motorcycle crash. The record
caused a furore, accusations of bad taste leading to its ban from the BBC
. Only 16 at the time, Twinkle owed her rapid entry into the recording studio
to her then-boyfriend, Dec Cluskey, of the popular vocal group The Bachelors
, who passed on her demo
to his manager
. Jimmy Page
was among the high profile session musician
s who played on "Terry".
"Golden Lights" was covered
by The Smiths
in the 1980s, and appeared on their compilation album
s, The World Won't Listen
, and Louder Than Bombs
. The Smiths' singer, Morrissey
, was a great admirer of Twinkle. "Golden Lights" was written about her by Cluskey, by then her ex-boyfriend. In 1983 Cindy & The Saffrons
covered "Terry".
Twinkle's effort, "A Lonely Singing Doll", is the English language
version of France Gall
's 1965 winning Eurovision Song Contest
song
for Luxembourg
, "Poupée de cire, poupée de son
". The song was originally written by Serge Gainsbourg
. After recording
six singles
for Decca Records
she first 'retired' at the age of eighteen in 1966.
Twinkle's fame faded in the late 1960s, although she continued to record into the early 1980s. Her later recordings appeared under the name "Twinkle Ripley" and she also recorded with her father, Sidney Ripley, as Bill & Coo.
The aunt
of actress Fay Ripley
, Twinkle attended Queen's Gate School
with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
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...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, primarily in the 1960s. Twinkle's most famous song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s were "Terry
Terry (song)
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...
" and "Golden Lights".
Career
In concept "Terry" bore some similarities to the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the PackLeader of the Pack
"Leader of the Pack" is a 1964 pop song recorded by girl group The Shangri-Las. It became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 28, 1964.-Original Shangri-Las recording:...
" (1964), both teenage tragedy song
Teenage tragedy song
The "teenage tragedy song", also known as death rock, "tear jerker" or a "splatter platter", is a style of ballad that was most popular between the late 1950s and early 1960s...
s about a girl lamenting the death of her daredevil boyfriend in a motorcycle crash. The record
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...
caused a furore, accusations of bad taste leading to its ban from 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...
. Only 16 at the time, Twinkle owed her rapid entry into the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
to her then-boyfriend, Dec Cluskey, of the popular vocal group The Bachelors
The Bachelors
The Bachelors are a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:The founding members of the group were Conleth Cluskey , Declan Cluskey , and John Stokes...
, who passed on her 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 his manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
. Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
was among the high profile session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s who played on "Terry".
"Golden Lights" was covered
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...
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...
in the 1980s, and appeared on their compilation album
Compilation album
A 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...
s, The World Won't Listen
The World Won't Listen
-Band:* Morrissey – vocals* Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, bass guitar on "Golden Lights"* Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Shakespeare's Sister" and "Oscillate Wildly"* Mike Joyce – drums...
, and Louder Than Bombs
Louder Than Bombs
Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album by the English rock band The Smiths. It was released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. Its highest chart position was number 63. Popular demand prompted their British record company, Rough Trade, to issue the...
. The Smiths' singer, Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, was a great admirer of Twinkle. "Golden Lights" was written about her by Cluskey, by then her ex-boyfriend. In 1983 Cindy & The Saffrons
Cindy & The Saffrons
Cindy & The Saffrons was an UK vocal group, comprising Joanne Whalley as "Cindy" and Lindsay Neil and Sally Stairs as The Saffrons.In 1982 at Abbey Road Studios, they recorded a cover of the Shangri-Las' song "Past, Present and Future". It peaked at #56 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1983. ...
covered "Terry".
Twinkle's effort, "A Lonely Singing Doll", is the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version of France Gall
France Gall
France Gall is a popular French yé-yé singer.Gall was married to, and had a successful singing career in partnership with, French singer-songwriter Michel Berger....
's 1965 winning Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
for Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, "Poupée de cire, poupée de son
Poupée de cire, poupée de son
"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965. It was performed in French by French singer France Gall, representing Luxembourg....
". The song was originally written by Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
. After 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...
six singles
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...
for Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
she first 'retired' at the age of eighteen in 1966.
Twinkle's fame faded in the late 1960s, although she continued to record into the early 1980s. Her later recordings appeared under the name "Twinkle Ripley" and she also recorded with her father, Sidney Ripley, as Bill & Coo.
The aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
of actress Fay Ripley
Fay Ripley
Fay Ripley is an English actress and recipe author. Born in Wimbledon, London, Ripley is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama . Her first professional role was in the chorus of a pantomime version of Around the World in 80 Days...
, Twinkle attended Queen's Gate School
Queen's Gate School
Queen's Gate School is an all girls' independent school in South Kensington, London.The Good Schools Guide described it as a "Charming popular school, with a mixed intake, which does jolly well by its girls."The school is located in Central London...
with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Singles
- "TerryTerry (song)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 Boy Of My Dreams" (1964), 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 ...
#4 - "Golden Lights" / "Ain't Nobody Home But Me" (1965), UK #21
- "Tommy" / "So Sad" (1965)
- "Poor Old Johnny" / "I Need Your Hand In Mine" (1965)
- "The End Of The World" / "Take Me To The Dance" (1965)
- "What Am I Doing Here With You?" / "Now I Have You" (1966)
- "Micky" / "Darby And Joan" (1969)
- "Days" / "Caroline" (1974, as Twinkle Ripley)
- "I'm a BelieverI'm a Believer"I'm a Believer" is a song composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks,...
" (1982) - "For Sale" (1984)
EPs
- Lonely Singing Doll (1965)
- (It contained the songs "A Lonely Singing Doll", "Unhappy Boy", "Ain't Nobody Home But Me" and "Golden Lights")
Compilations
- Golden Lights (1993)
- Golden Lights:Special Edition (2001)
- Michael Hannah: The Lost Years (2003)
External links
- [ Twinkle biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- Biography and discography at 45-rpm website
- Twinkle (Lyn Ripley), singer (National Portrait Gallery)