Chanteur Anglais né
Reginald Leonard Smith, le 15 avril 1939 Blackheath, London. Marty Wilde a débuté en 1958 et il fut surtout le spécialiste de la "Cover". En fait, il nous laisse qu'un titre original de sa composition, l'inquiétant "Bad Boy" (59) qui fut pour Marty un très grand succès. Il est le père de la chanteuse Kim Wilde.
England in
the late 1950s had its share of rock & roll stars -
Cliff Richard was the most
successful and was still at it in 2004, some 46 years later, with a knighthood
to show for it on top of everything else; and the late
Billy Fury is still revered by those aware
of the music. In between them, chronologically, stands Marty Wilde. Born
Reginald Leonard Smith in Blackheath on April 15, 1939, he grew up in Greenwich,
in southeast London. The son of a professional soldier, he lived in various
parts of England throughout his childhood. He reached the middle of his teen
years living in London, just at the point that
Lonnie Donegan, playing in a jazz band
run by Chris Barber, had jump-started the entire skiffle boom with "Rock Island
Line" which, in turn, fostered the beginnings of a rock & roll boom in England —
an aspiring singer, Smith was a natural prospect as he was already proficient on
the ukulele and simply switched to guitar. By 1957, in the wake of
Tommy Steele's sudden rise to
stardom, London was filling up with would-be rock & rollers, including the 17-year-old
Smith, who was performing at the Condor Club in Soho one night — for a pound a
night plus a meal — where he was spotted by Larry Parnes. Parnes was the most
successful manager on London's newly spawned rock & roll scene, and, among other
attributes, was known for choosing highly expressive stage names for his artists,
intended to insinuate themselves on the audience's memory — he had already
scored with Tommy Steele (aka Tommy
Hicks), Vince Eager, and Duffy Power, among others. Reg Smith was signed up,
renamed Marty Wilde, and proved so popular on the subsequent package tour where
he was booked, that it was no problem getting him on to television, and then
signed to Philips Records. His first single, "Honeycomb," failed to chart, and
it wasn't until "Endless Sleep" in the summer of 1958 that he saw any success.
That record reached the U.K. Top Five in 1958, around the time that
Cliff Richard was cutting his first
single. Wilde became a fixture on England's early rock & roll television
showcases, most notably Oh Boy! and Boy Meets Girl, and he later
did a Royal Variety Performance. He was a major rival to
Cliff Richard for more than a year,
from mid-1958 until the opening months of 1960. Both were powerful singers, but
Wilde had a different kind of voice and presence, with a dark, brooding quality
that came out in his rock & roll ballads — one couldn't imagine Marty Wilde
doing Cliff Richard's light pop
ballad "Living Doll," but it was easy to visualize him doing
Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" or, even
more so, "Woman Love." He went hitless for the rest of 1958, but the following
year, he charted four consecutive hit singles: A cover of
Ritchie Valens' "Donna"; a rendition of
"A Teenager in Love" that eclipsed Dion's
original; and "Sea of Love," each of which made it to Number Three on the charts.
He closed the year with what proved to be his defining hit, "Bad Boy," which he
also wrote — a dark, threatening ballad, it oozed menace and mystery by the
standards of its day, and it became Wilde's biggest single, even reaching the
lower level of the charts in America, where it was released by Epic Records (which
had a licensing deal with Philips) as a single and on an LP. Musically, he had
enough credibility so that his band, the Wild Cats, was called on to back
Eddie Cochran and
Gene Vincent when they toured England,
and he ended up appearing jointly with the two American rock & roll legends. The
Wild Cats were a story unto themselves — recruited in 1958, their original
lineup consisted of Big Jim Sullivan on lead guitar, Tex Makins on bass, Tony
Belcher playing rhythm guitar, Alan LeClair at the piano, and Bobby Woodman on
drums; they were noted for their wild, over-the-top stage act, and this worked
for a few months before the lineup shifted. Finally, with Sullivan and Belcher
remaining, Brian "Licorice" Locking was brought in on bass, and Brian Bennett on
the drums, and that quartet became the most famous version of the Wild Cats, and
the lineup that backed Vincent and
Cochran. Wilde was still at the top of
his game when, while appearing at Birkenhead in 1959, he was approached by a
Liverpool singer-guitarist-songwriter named Ronald Wycherley, who was trying to
get some original songs to Wilde and Parnes for their consideration. Parnes was
impressed with the songs and the playing, but also the good looks of the young
man and his honest, easy charm; soon after Wycherley turned into
Billy Fury, who would ride the British
charts for four years. And late that year, Wilde married Joyce Barker, a member
of the singing group the Vernons Girls — they had their first child, Kim, a year
later. He released two LPs, Wilde About Marty and Showcase, in
1959 and 1960, respectively. By the end of 1960, however, the moment had passed
to Fury, even as Wilde continued to
command the public's attention. He was never able to replicate the success of
"Bad Boy," though he did reach the Top Ten once more, in 1961, with the highly
animated pop/rock novelty tune "Rubber Ball," and had a Number 20 hit in 1962
with the pop standard "Jezebel." He also maintained a top-flight band, whose
members included a young guitarist named Justin Hayward, later of the Moody
Blues, who credited Wilde with teaching him a great deal about music that served
him well in decades to come. Wilde was enough of a star to perform in the London
production of Bye Bye Birdie, but by 1963, when the Liverpool sound came along,
he was effectively regarded as part of music's past. His subsequent recordings
were all-but-invisible, although he enjoyed continued success in an offshoot
field, as a composer: "Ice in the Sun" by Status Quo, "Jesamine" by the Casuals,
and Lulu's recording of "I'm a Tiger" were three of his more notable hits as a
songwriter. Curiously, Wilde did chart once more in America, with the single
"Abergavenny," which he recorded under the pseudonym Shannon, which was released
stateside by the Heritage label. And long after his own era on the charts had
passed, "Bad Boy" was covered by such diverse contemporary talents as
Robert Gordon and Nirvana. In the
early 1980s, Wilde's daughter Kim Wilde emerged as a star vocalist in the
burgeoning new wave field, and has enjoyed two decades of success. Meanwhile,
Wilde himself never entirely gave up performing, and in the 1990s enjoyed a
fresh wave of interest in his music in England, as audiences began to take stock
of their surviving music heroes. In 2003 and 2004, in his mid-60s and backed by
the current lineup of the Wild Cats, he was maintaining a full performing
schedule for half the year, more than 40 years after his last charting single.
Talents : Singer, Guitar, Actor
Style musical : Rock 'n' Roll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9AgioGirsM
BAD BOY
|
|
Années en activité :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 |
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles & EP
| 1957 | SP PHILIPS PB 750 (UK) | . | Honeycomb / Wildcat |
| 01/1958 | SP PHILIPS PB 781 (UK) | . | Afraid Of Love / Love Bug Crawl |
| 03/1958 | SP PHILIPS PB 804 (UK) | . | Oh, Oh, I'm Falling In Love / Sing, Boy, Sing |
| 03/1958 | EP PHILIPS BBE 12164 (UK) |
 |
PRESENTING MARTY WILDE - Wildcat / Honeycomb / Love Bug Crawl / Afraid Of Love |
| 07/1958 | SP PHILIPS PB 835 (UK) | . | Endless Sleep / Her Hair Was Yellow |
| 09/1958 | EP PHILIPS BBE 12200 (UK) |
 |
MORE OF MARTY - Oh, Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again / Sing, Boy, Sing / Her Hair Was Yellow / Endless Sleep |
| 09/1958 | SP PHILIPS PB 850 (UK) | . | Misery's Child / My Lucky Love |
| 11/1958 | SP PHILIPS PB 875 (UK) | . | The Fire Of Love / No One Knows |
| 02/1959 | SP PHILIPS PB 902 (UK) | . |
Donna
/ Love-A Love-A Love-A |
| 05/1959 | SP PHILIPS PB 926 (UK) | . | A Teenager In Love /
Danny
|
| 09/1959 | SP PHILIPS PB 959 (UK) | . | Sea Of Love / Teenage Tears |
| 10/1959 | EP PHILIPS BBE 12327 (UK) |
|
Teenage Tears / Sea Of Love /
Danny
/ A Teenager In Love |
| 11/1959 | SP PHILIPS PB 972 (UK) | . |
Bad Boy
/ It's Been Nice |
| 1959 | EP PHILIPS 425079 (F) |
 |
A Teenager In Love /
Donna
/
Danny
/ Love-A-Love-A-Love |
| 1959 | EP PHILIPS 427432 (F) |
 |
Sea Of Love / Teenage Tears / Down The Line / You've Got Love |
| 1959 | EP PHILIPS 427433 (F) |
 |
Dream Lover / Splish Splash / Are You Sincere ? / Love Of My Life |
| 1959 | EP PHILIPS 427440 (F) |
 |
Bad Boy
/ I Flipped / It's Been Nice / Don't Pity Me |
| 03/1960 | SP PHILIPS PB 1002 (UK) | . | Johnny Rocco / My Heart And I |
| 05/1960 | SP PHILIPS PB 1022 (UK) | . | Johnny At The Crossroads / The Fight |
| 06/1960 | SP PHILIPS PB 1037 (UK) | . | Angry / I Wanna Be Loved By You |
| 10/1960 | EP PHILIPS BBE 12385 (UK) |
|
Please / Alone / Autumn Leaves / Come On A My House |
| 11/1960 | SP PHILIPS PB 1078 (UK) | . | Little Girl / Your Seventeenth Spring |
| 01/1961 | SP PHILIPS PB 1101 (UK) | . | Like Making Love / Rubber Ball |
| 03/1961 | EP PHILIPS BBE 12422 (UK) |
 |
Rubber Ball / Like Makin' Love / Little Girl / Your Seventeen Spring |
| 03/1961 | SP PHILIPS PB 1121 (UK) | . | Your Loving Touch / When Does It Get To Be Love |
| 07/1961 | SP PHILIPS PB 1161 (UK) | . | Hide And Seek / Crazy Dream |
| 10/1961 | SP PHILIPS PB 1191 (UK) | . | Tomorrow's Clown / The Hellions |
| 1961 | EP PHILIPS 427476 (F) |
 |
Rubber Ball / Come On / A My House / Johnny Rocco / Honeycomb |
| 01/1962 | SP PHILIPS PB 1206 (UK) | . | Come Running / Ev'ryone |
| 03/1962 | EP PHILIPS BBE 12517 (UK) |
|
Come Running / Tomorrow's Clown / Hellions / Ev'ryone |
| 04/1962 | SP PHILIPS PB 1240 (UK) | . | Jezebel / Don't Run Away |
| 09/1962 | SP PHILIPS BF 326546 (UK) | . | Ever Since You Said Goodbye / Send Me The Pillow You Dream On |
| 02/1963 | SP COLUMBIA DB 4980 (UK) | . | Lonely Avenue / Brand New Love |
| 02/1963 | EP PHILIPS BBE 433638 (UK) |
 |
MARTY - Jezebel / Don't Run Away / Send Me The Pillow You Dream On / Ever Since You Said Goodbye |
| 03/1963 | SP PHILIPS BF 326579 (UK) | . | No ! Dance With Me / Little Miss Happiness |
| 10/1963 | SP COLUMBIA DB 7145 (UK) | . | Bless My Broken Heart / Save Your Love For Me |
| 01/1964 | SP COLUMBIA DB 7198 (UK) | . | When Day Is Done / I Can't Help The Way That I Feel |
| 05/1964 | SP COLUMBIA DB 7285 (UK) | . | Kiss Me / What A Woman |
| 09/1964 | SP DECCA F 11979 (UK) | . | The Mexican Boy / Your Kind Of Love |
| 1966 | SP PHILIPS BF 1490 (UK) | . | I've Got Used To Loving You / The Beginning Of The End |
| 1968 | SP PHILIPS BF 1632 (UK) | . | By The Time I Get To Phoenix / Shutters And Boards |
| 1968 | SP PHILIPS BF 1669 (UK) | . | Abergavenny / Alice In Blue |
| 1969 | SP PHILIPS BF 1753 (UK) | . | All The Love I Have / Any Day |
| 1969 | SP PHILIPS BF 1783 (UK) | . | Endless Sleep /
Donna
|
| 1969 | SP PHILIPS BF 1815 (UK) | . | Shelley / Jump On The Train |
Albums
| 08/1959 | LP 12" PHILIPS BBL 7342 (UK) |
 |
WILDE ABOUT MARTY - Down The Line / Love Of My Life / Put Me Down / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Dream Lover / You've Got Love / I Flipped / All American Boy / Mean Woman Blues / Are You Sincere ? / High School Confidential / Don't Pity Me / Splish Splash / So glad You're Mine |
| 05/1960 | LP 12" PHILIPS BBL 7380 (UK) |
 |
MARTY WILDE SHOWCASE - Honeycomb / No One Knows / The Fire Of Love / Endless Sleep / A Teenager In Love / My Heart And I / Donna / It's Been Nice / Sea Of Love / Teenage Tears / Bad Boy / Johnny Rocco |
| 06/1960 | LP 12" PHILIPS BBL 7385 (UK) |
|
THE VERSATILE MR. WILDE - Cuttin' Loose / Johnny At The Crossroads / Alone / The Fight / Try A Little Tenderness / Amopola / I Wanna Be Loved By You / Come On-A My House / Is This A Dream ? / Please / To Be With You / Autumn Leaves |
| 1969 | LP 12" PHILIPS SBL 7877 (UK) |
|
DIVERSIONS - The World Stood Up / Any Day / It's So Unreal / Juan The Mexican Boy / Zobo (1871 - 1892) / Learning To Love / Lullaby / Ice In The Sun / Jesamine / Alice In Blue / Felicity / In The Night / Look In My Eyes / Abergavenny |
| 1970 | LP 12" PHILIPS 6308 010 (UK) |
 |
BORN TO ROCK 'N' ROLL -
It's Late / Bad Boy / Young Love / Rock House / Whole
Lotta' Woman / Teenager In Love / Pretend / Running Bear / Blue Suede Shoes / Donna / Bertha Lou / People Will Say We're In Love / Born To Rock 'n' Roll |
| 1974 | LP 12" PHILIPS 6382 102 (UK) |
 |
GOOD ROCKIN' - THEN & NOW - Bring back Rock 'N' Roll / A Teenager In Love / Bad Boy / Endless Sleep / Little Girl / Donna / Rubber Ball / Sea Of Love / Jezebel / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Hound Dog / Summertime Blues / Wake Up Little Susie / Rave On / Lawdy Miss Clawdy / Good Rockin' Tonight / Tragedy / I'm A Hog For You Baby / Long Tall Sally / Long tall Sally |
| 1981 | LP 12" PHILIPS 6381 022 (UK) |
 |
THE WILDCAT ROCKER - Wildcat / Love Bug Crawl / It's Been Nice / Love-A-Love-A-Love-A / Put Me Down / So Glad You're Mine / You've Got Love / Danny / Down The Line / Honeycomb / Bad Boy / Angry / Your Loving Touch / I Flipped / Johnny Rocco / Teenage Tears |
| 1984 | LP 12" PHILIPS TIMELESS TIME 8 (UK) |
 |
THE HITS OF MARTY WILDE - Endless Sleep / Donna / A Teenager In Love / Sea Of Love / Bad Boy / Johnny Rocco / The Fight / Little Girl / Rubber Ball / Hide And Seek / Tomorrow´s Clown / Jezebel / Ever Since You Said Goodbye |
| 1995 | CD SPECTRUM 5517942 (UK) |
 |
THE BEST OF MARTY WILDE - Teenager In Love / Donna / Sea Of Love / Endless Sleep / Bad Boy / Rubber Ball / Put Me Down / Danny / Johnny Rocco / Ever Since You Said Goodbye / Don't Pity Me / Splish Splash / High School Confidential / Wild Cat / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Teenage Tears / Tomorrow's Clown / Little Girl / Are You Sincere / Fight / Hide And Seek / Jezebel / Honecomb / Dream Lover |
| 1995 | CD KARUSSEL KA 506 (D) |
 |
THE BEST OF MARTY WILDE - Teenager In Love / Donna / Sea Of Love / Endless Sleep / Bad Boy / Rubber Ball / Put Me Down / Danny / Johnny Rocco / Ever Since You Said Goodbye / Don't Pity Me / Splish Splash / High School Confidential / Wild Cat / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Teenage Tears / Tomorrow's Clown / Little Girl / Are You Sincere / Fight / Hide And Seek / Jezebel / Honecomb / Dream Lover |
| 10/2003 | CD BEAT GOES ON 594 (UK) |
 |
WILDE ABOUT MARTY / SHOWCASE - Down The Line / Love Of My Life / Put Me Down / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Dream Lover / You've Got Love / I Flipped / All American Boy / Mean Woman Blues / Are You Sincere ? / High School Confidential / Don't Pity Me / Splish Splash / So glad You're Mine / oneycomb / No One Knows / The Fire Of Love / Endless Sleep / A Teenager In Love / My Heart And I / Donna / It's Been Nice / Sea Of Love / Teenage Tears / Bad Boy / Johnny Rocco |
| 03/2007 | CD UNIVERSAL 9847088 (UK) |
 |
THE GREATEST HITS - BORN TO ROCK 'N' ROLL - Endless Sleep / Donna / Teenager In Love / Bad Boy / Sea Of Love / Jezabel / Johnny Rocco / Little Girl / Tomorrow's Clown / Rubber Ball / Ever Since You Said Goodbye / Abergavenny / Danny / Dream Lover / All American Boy / By The Time I Get To Phoenix / It's Been Nice / I'm Leaving It All Up To You (with Roxanne WILDE) / It's Late / Little Sister / Jesamine [live] / Apron Strings / You'll Never Be So Wrong / Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (with Kim WILDE) / Born To Rock n' Roll |
© Rocky Productions 16/10/2009
