Thursday 26 March 2015

Carole Carr born 26 March 1928



Carole Carr (March 26, 1928 – January 8, 1977) was a popular British singer and actress.

She was born in London, England as Carole Anne Carless. Carole took music lessons from the age of 7, and when 14, went to the R.A. for music and dramatic art, but after three months joined Jack Payne’s band. She later sang with Geraldo & His Orchestra from 1945 to 1948.

In 1946 she had a radio programme in the General Overseas Service called “Carole Singing” and appeared in many radio shows.  She was the former 'Forces Sweetheart' of  'Calling All Forces' and then a singer with Jack Payne and mainly Geraldo’s orchestra from 1945 before going solo. Surprisingly she made few recordings as a solo artiste. She is remembered by so many for her lovely richness of tone, and subtle phrasing.






A familiar face on UK Fifties television, glamorous Carole Carr was the first singer to actually appear on-screen when TV transmissions resumed after the Second World War. She was later logically chosen for colour test broadcasts in 1957; with a few minor films also credited to her during the period. She followed in the footsteps of older sister Dorothy Carless who rose to fame as a proficiently popular comedienne, pianist and band singer in earlier times.

In 1959 Carole was asked to record an album for Warner Brothers in Hollywood, “Imported Carr, American Gas” with arrangements by Warren Barker & Pete King. This was her only album and those in the business were quick to recognise her huge talent. 

The legendary US songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen said of her "This is one of the best girl singers I've ever heard - ever".

She was also an actress, known for Down Among the Z Men (1952), Left Right and Centre (1959) and Tin Pan Alice (1963). She was married to Peter Arthur Leuw, an ex RAF Squadron leader from 1949 - 8 January 1997 (her death).



 She died on January 8, 1997 in Devon, England aged 68.. (Surprisingly not much information regarding Carole at all on the web so snippets of info gleaned from numerous sources)


5 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “This Thing Called Love: The Lovely Voice of Carole Carr”…go here:
http://www64.zippyshare.com/v/S8DcdR4u/file.html
The talented Carole Carr will be remembered by so many for her lovely richness of tone, and subtle phrasing. This collection offers twenty of her finest recordings from the forties and early fifties, most of them never before on CD.
1. Gotta Be This or That
2. Getting Nowhere
3. There’s a Small Hotel (with Dick James)
4. What is This Thing Called Love
5. Mocking Bird Lament
6. A Journey to a Star
7. I’m on a See-saw (with Dick James)
8. Can’t You Read Between the Lines
9. Little Yellow Bird
10. Patience and Fortitude
11. The Nearness of You
12. Coax Me a Little Bit
13. Dancing With Someone
14. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
15. Where in the World
16. People Will Say We’re in Love
17. How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
18. Sometimes
19. The Things We Did Last Summer
20. Heart and Soul

Hit Parade said...

Bob,
Please re-up this album. Thank you.

boppinbob said...

Hello HP, Here's the new link

https://www.upload.ee/files/10525220/Carole_Carr.rar.html

Hit Parade said...

Bob,
Thank you for Carole Carr, you wrote a very nice biography considering there is not much information on her. I found the 1959 album "Imported Carr American Gas" at Loadsamusic, please type in "rare LPs by cult girl singers". I would upload it for you except with my server I can only upload single tracks. There may be other girl singers in that folder whom you may wish to feature in the future. Thanks again :-)

Penny said...

I spotted that there is a photo of Carole Carr in the BBC yearbook for 1947 .