Groupe vocal Pop Britannique des années 50 comprenant Johnny Gray, Bob Brown, June Marlow, David Carey & Fred Dachtler.

Formed in 1949, the Stargazers developed into Britain’s most popular vocal group in the early 50s. The original line-up comprised Dick James, Cliff Adams, Marie Benson, Fred Datchler and Ronnie Milne. They first attracted attention on radio programmes such as The Derek Roy Show and The Family Hour, later moving to Top Score, the Goon Show and Take It From Here. The Stargazers began recording towards the end of 1949, working for a variety of labels, including Decca Records, HMV Records, Columbia Records and Polygon, backing artists such as Steve Conway and Benny Lee, and later, Dennis Lotis and Jimmy Young. Their own releases included ‘Me And My Imagination’, ‘Red Silken Stockings’, ‘A-Round The Corner’ and ‘Sugarbush’. In April 1953, they became the first British act to reach number 1 in the infant New Musical Express chart, with ‘Broken Wings’. Almost a year later, they hit the top spot again, with Meredith Willson’s ‘I See The Moon’. They continued to record into the late 50s, and made the UK chart with ‘The Happy Wanderer’, ‘Somebody’, ‘The Finger Of Suspicion’ (with Dickie Valentine), ‘The Crazy Otto Rag’, ‘Close The Door’, ‘Twenty Tiny Fingers’ and ‘Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)’.
They worked constantly in radio, and their own series, The Stargazers’ Music Shop, opened for business on Radio Luxembourg in 1952, crossing to the BBC nearly five years later. The group also had a regular radio slot on the BBC’sShow Band Show with Cyril Stapleton, and toured the UK variety circuit. Their first permanent personnel change came in 1953, when David Carey replaced Ronnie Milne. Milne emigrated to Canada and took up a post in the Canadian Army, training young musicians. Two years later, the group appeared in the Royal Variety Performance, and, in the same year, Eula Parker took over from her fellow Australian, Marie Benson, who embarked on a solo career, armed with a two-year contract with Philips Records. Parker herself was later succeeded by June Marlow. After being replaced by Bob Brown, Dick James, the Stargazers’ original leader, had solo hits with ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Garden Of Eden’ before becoming a successful music publisher and the proprietor of DJM Records. Cliff Adams went on to devise the radio programme Sing Something Simple in 1959, and he and his Singers have remained with the show ever since. Fred Datchler became a member of the Polka Dots, a vocal group bearing some resemblance to the Hi-Lo’s. Datchler’s son, Clark, was a member of the 80s pop band Johnny Hates Jazz. These Stargazers are not associated with the 80s vocal group the of the same name, who recorded Back In Orbit! on Ace Records in 1991.

http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirs/stargazers.htm

Style musical : Vocals Pop

ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN' (1956)

SHE LOVES TO ROCK (1956)

Years in activity :

1910 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2000 10 20

DISCOGRAPHY

78 t., Singles & EP

1950 78 t. & SP DECCA F9578 (UK) .

Red Silken Stockings / Oh Babe

1952 78 t. & SP DECCA F9897 (UK) .

It's A Long Way (From Your House To My House) / To Think You've Chosen Me

1952 78 t. & SP DECCA F9960 (UK) .

The Day Of Jubilo / Sugerbush

1952 78 t. DECCA M 33432 (NL) . Be My Life's Companion (JOHNSTON BROTHERS) / It's A Long Way (STARGAZERS)
02/1953 78 t. & SP DECCA F10047 (UK) .

Broken Wings / Make It Soon

04/1953 SP LONDON 45-1327 (US) Broken Wings (STARGAZERS) / The Rumbleseat Song (FOUR STARS)
10/1953 78 t. & SP DECCA F10170 (UK) .

Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You) / You You You

11/1953 78 t. & SP DECCA F10213 (UK) . I See The Moon / Eh Cumpari
02/1954 SP LONDON 45-1408 (US) . I See The Moon (STARGAZERS) / Record Hop (Benny LEE with The STARGAZERS)
04/1954 78 t. & SP DECCA F10259 (UK) . The Happy Wanderer / Till We Two Are One
10/1954 78 t. & SP DECCA F10379 (UK) . I Need You Now / 365 Kisses
10/1954 78 t. & SP DECCA F10394 (UK) .

The Finger Of Suspicion (Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers) / Who's Afraid (Not I, Not I, Not I) (Dickie Valentine)

11/1954 SP LONDON 45-1498 (US) . The Finger Of Suspicion (Dickie VALENTINE with The STARGAZERS) / Endless (Dickie VALENTINE)
11/1954 78 t. & SP DECCA F10412 (UK) . Rose Of The Wildwood / Come The Morning
02/1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10437 (UK) . Somebody (STARGAZERS) / My Baby Don't Love Me No More (Sonny Sarrar & His Banjo Band with The Stargazers)
1955 SP LONDON 45-1536 (US) . Somebody (STARGAZERS) / No More (Sonny FARRAR & His BANJO BAND
05/1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10523 (UK) . Crazy Otto Rag / Hey Mr. Banjo
05/1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10529 (UK) .

Roy Smith with The Stargazers - Red Roses (For My Lady Fair) / The Devil's In Your Eyes

08/1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10569 (UK) .

Sonny Farrar & His Banjo & The Stargazers - At The Steamboat River Ball / Love You A Mountain

08/1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10594 (UK) .

The Stargazers with Johnnie Gray - Close The Door / I've Got Four Big Brothers

08/1955 EP DECCA DFE 6279 (UK)

Presenting Dickie Valentine - Dickie Valentine with The Stargazers : The Finger Of Suspicion / Dickie Valentine : A Blossom Fell / Mister Sandman / I Wonder

11/1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10626 (UK) . Twenty Tiny Fingers  An Old Beer Bottle
1955 78 t. & SP DECCA F10668 (UK) .

The Stargazers with Johnnie Gray & His Band Of The Day - (Love Is) The Tender Trap / When The Swallows Say Goodbye

01/1956 78 t. & SP DECCA F10696 (UK) . Zambesi (STARGAZERS) / When The Swallows Say Goodbye (Stargazers with Johnnie Gray & His Band Of The Day)
01/1956 SP LONDON 45-1637 (US) .

Twenty Tiny Fingers (STARGAZERS with Sid DEAN & His BAND) / I Got Somebody To Love (STARGAZERS)

05/1956 78 t. & SP DECCA F10731 (UK) .

The Stargazers with Johnnie Gray & His Band Of The Day - Hot Diggity / Rockin' And Rollin'

1956 SP DECCA D 18 301 (GER) .

The Stargazers mit Johnnie Gray und His Band Of The Day - Rockin' And Rollin' / Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)

08/1956 78 t. & SP DECCA F10775 (UK) . She Loves To Rock / John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith
1956 EP DECCA DFE 6341 (UK) Twenty Tiny Fingers / An Old Beer Bottle / Close The Door / I See The Moon
1956 EP DECCA DFE 6362 (UK) ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN' - Hot Diggity / Rockin' And Rollin' / Zambesi / When The Swallows Say Goodbye
03/1957 78 t. & SP DECCA F10867 (UK) . You Won't Be Around / Mangos
05/1957 78 t. & SP DECCA F10898 (UK) . Honky Tonk Song / Golly
07/1957 78 t. & SP DECCA F10916 (UK) . Who Is It? (It's The Milkman) / Sorry, You'll Have To Wait
1957 EP DECCA DFE 6449 (UK)

Scotland Forever - The Keynotes : Scotland The Brave / Lewis Bridal Song / The Stargazers : The Gathering Of The Clans / A Gordon For Me

12/1957 78 t. & SP DECCA F10969 (UK) . Skiffling Dogs / Out Of This World
05/1958 78 t. & SP DECCA F11034 (UK) . Big Man / Lonely For A Letter
01/1959 SP DECCA F11105 (UK) . My Blue Heaven / Howja Lika
09/1960 SP PALETTE PG9003 (UK) . Three Beautiful Words / Manhattan Spriritual
09/1960 SP PALETTE PZ 5059 (US) .

Secret Star / Three Beautiful Words

10/1960 SP PALETTE PZ 5066 (US) .

Three Beautiful Words / Manhattan Spiritual




Albums

1959 LP 12" DECCA LK.4309 (UK)

South Of The Border - South Of The Border / Kiss Me / Mexicali Rose / Amor, Amor / Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps / Brazil / Green Eyes / Magic Is The Moonlight / Maria Elena / La Paloma / Always In My Heart / Perfidia

1959 LP 12" LONDON PS 127 (US) South Of The Border - South Of The Border / Kiss Me / Mexicali Rose / Amor, Amor / Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps / Brazil / Green Eyes / Magic Is The Moonlight / Maria Elena / La Paloma / Always In My Heart / Perfidia
1999 CD Universal / SPECTRUM 544 168 2 (UK)

Broken Wings - STARGAZERS : I See The Moon / STARGAZERS with Dickie VALENTINE : Broken Wings / STARGAZERS : Twenty Tiny Fingers / The Happy Wanderer / A-Round The Corner / STARGAZERS with The Ray ELLINGTON : Feet Up / STARGAZERS : Somebody / Mangos / Zambesi / STARGAZERS with Jimmy YOUNG : One Moment More / STARGAZERS with Dick JAMES : My Truly Truly Fair / STARGAZERS : The Day Of Jubilo / STARGAZERS with Dennis LOTIS : Look At The Girl / STARGAZERS : Hot Diggity / Who Is It (It's The Milkman) / Sugarbush / Crazy Otto Rag / Close The Door

2006 CD Delta 26531 (UK) Broken Wings - STARGAZERS with Dickie VALENTINE : Broken Wings / STARGAZERS : Sugarbush / I See The Moon / STARGAZERS  with Dennis LOTIS : Look At The Girl / STARGAZERS : The Happy Wanderer / A-Round The Corner / STARGAZERS with Dickie VALENTINE : Finger Of Suspicion / STARGAZERS : Vaya Con Dios / STARGAZERS with Jimmy YOUNG : One Moment More / STARGAZERS : The Day Of Jubilo / STARGAZERS with Dick JAMES : My Truly Truly Fair / STARGAZERS : Make It Soon / STARGAZERS with Ray ELLINGTON : Feet Up / STARGAZERS : Somebody / STARGAZERS with Stanley BLACK & Dick JAMES : Mary Rose / STARGAZERS : Bonnie Bonnie Charlie / I Love Love, Love It / Crazy Otto Rag / Close The Door / Eh Cumpari / The Gathering Of The Clans / Twenty Tiny Fingers / The Tender Trap
05/2007 CD Hallmark 706722 (UK)

Broken Wings - Broken Wings / I See The Moon / Happy Wanderer / Finger Of Suspicion / Somebody / Crazy Otto Rag / Close The Door / Twenty Tiny Fingers / Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) / Make It Soon / Eh Cumpari / (Love Is) The Tender Trap / Around The Corner / Just A Dream Or Two Ago / Look At That Girl / One Moment More / An Old Beer Bottle / Rockin' And Rollin' / Sugarbush / Old Days Of Jubilo / Little Fir Tree / Zambesi

© Rocky Productions 9/02/2019