1958 JOHNNY WORTH ELVIS COVER 78 KING CREOLE / LITTLE STAR UK EMBASSY WB 305 E-
£
20
$
27
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Description
A GREAT ROCKING DOUBLE-SIDER 78 ON THE UK EMBASSY LABEL
JOHNNY WORTH
covering the ELVIS CLASSIC
KING CREOLE
b/w LITTLE STAR
Embassy was Woolworth's own 78 record label and the records were produced by Oriole records.
Les Vandyke/Johnny Worth was born Yani Panakos Paraskeva Skoradalides, on 21 June 1931, in Battersea, South London. In his youth he was usually known as John Skoradalides. After schooling, he began work as a draughtsman prior to his compulsory two years national service -Returning to civilian life, he was determined to become a singer, changing his name for the purpose to Johnny Worth.
Johnny Worth signed up with Oriole and sang cover versions of all the big hits of the day for release on Woolworth's "Embassy" Label, BUT there was more to Johnny Worth than met the eye!
he asked pianist Les Reed to arrange a demo of his song "What Do You Want?". Faith and Barry liked it, and with Barry's arrangements, Faith took the song to number one in the UK Singles chart in November 1959, within which it remained for nineteen weeks. Worth's concern was that as he was still signed to Oriole, he should adopt a pseudonym, and combined Reed's first name with his own telephone exchange, to become Les Vandyke.
He also provided Faith with his follow-up number one "Poor Me", in January 1960. Both of which he did "Cover versions" of for the Embassy label - That is Cover versions of his own songs!?
For the next two years Vandyke penned a further six Top Ten British chart hits for Faith: "Someone Else's Baby"; "How About That"; "Who Am I"; "The Time Has Come"; "As You Like It" and "Don't That Beat All". Worth also wrote another chart-topper "Well I Ask You" for Eden Kane, as well as Kane's two follow up hits, "Get Lost" (reached No. 10 Sept. 1961) and "Forget Me Not" (No. 3 Jan. 1962).
By 1965 Vandyke was working in Australia, writing songs such as "Doin' The Mod" for The Flies, and "Dance Puppet Dance" for Little Pattie. He also wrote music and songs for a number of low-budget movies during the sixties and seventies, including What a Whopper (1961 as Johnny Worth); The Kitchen (1961); Mix Me a Person (1962, as Johnny Worth); Some People; Johnny Cool (1963 as Les Vandyke); Psychomania (1971) and The Playbirds (1978).
Over the years Vandyke has penned songs that were recorded by various aritists, including Petula Clark, Anthony Newley, Bobbey Vee, Herman's Hermits and Shirley Bassey.
UK Embassy WB 305 10" 78rpm (RELEASED OCT 1958) SHELLAC
CONDITION = E- / V+
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT BRITISH ROCK AND ROLL COVER ON AN EMBASSY 78
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