Mystery lady of Lace
QUESTION In the 1974 hit Billy Don’t Be A Hero by Paper Lace, a female sings: ‘Don’t be a fool with your life’ during the chorus. Who was this? THIS session singer with a great voice had a pedigree which was without question. She was a cousin of the legendary Madeline Bell, but we knew her only as Joanne
I originally met Madeline when she was with Blue Mink. They were top of the bill at Batley Variety Club, near leeds, a prestigious club which Paper lace played a number of times, supporting people like Cliff richard, Jimmy ruffin and CCS. We once even supported Danny la rue. This was before we had any record success and ourselves topped the bill.
I had the great pleasure of bumping into Madeline by chance at a mutual friend’s surprise birthday party about six years ago. We got chatting about the old days and Joanne’s name came up in the conversation.
Madeline said that Joanne was excited at the time to be singing a part on a new group’s single, which was going to be the next big thing. Madeline also told me that Joanne had died in 1979 from a malignant brain tumour.
Joanne Stone (nee Williams) was best known for her session and backing work and, through the Seventies, she performed backing for a host of artists, including elton John, russ Ballard, Peter Skellern, Demis roussos, Johnny Nash, Johnny Halliday and John Holt.
In 1975, she was working with the James last Orchestra, where she met russell Stone. They married and formed the duo r&J Stone. They had a hit single in 1976 with their self-penned song We Do It which reached No.5 in the UK charts. an album of the same title was released in 1976, but their 1977 follow-up r&J was less successful.
I was taken aback at the news of Joanne’s death and was so sorry she had died young. But I will always remember her, her enthusiasm and her great voice.
Philip Wright, Paper lace, Nottingham. THe band that became Paper lace was formed in 1968 as Music Box. after changing their name in 1970, they took a six-month residency at a Mecca club in rochdale and began recording studio singles, but with no real success.
In 1973, the line-up included Phil Wright, Cliff Fish, Mick Vaughan and Chris Morris, and they competed on Opportunity Knocks, winning the public’s postal vote five times and so appearing on the TV show for six weeks in succession.
They were spotted by hit song writers Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, and their recording career finally took off. In 1974, Billy Don’t Be a Hero, The Night Chicago Died, The Blackeyed Boys, Hitchin’ a ride 74, So What If I am and two albums comprised some 30 million-plus record sales.
Internationally, The Night Chicago Died reached No 1 in the american Charts, giving the band Platinum Disc status for sales in excess of two million in the U.S., winning the title of ‘largest Selling Single of 1974 Worldwide’.
They were subsequently invited to perform for the Queen Mother, in the 1974 royal Command Performance at the london Palladium.
They toured extensively until the mid- eighties, when musical differences led to a parting of the ways. The band reformed a few years ago, including original members Philip Wright and Cliff Fish, with Phil Hendriks, former frontman of the Stiffs, and Paul robinson, a multi-instrumentalist and singer. The band have just returned from a successful tour of New Zealand with eve Graham from the New Seekers.
D. Moore, leicester.
QUESTION A package (containing a reference book on graphic art) sent from the U.S. had a yellow triangular sticker that read: ‘Goods do not meet the requirement of Article 9 and 10 of the contract for the foundation of the European Community’. What does this mean? THe Contract for the foundation of the european Community refers to the 1957 Treaty of rome giving birth to the european economic Community. articles 9 and 10 of the Treaty refer to the free movement of goods.
In general, no VaT or customs duty is payable for items sent within the eU. Outside the eU, customers will have to pay customs duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135 and will have to pay import VaT on goods with a value that exceeds £15.
The yellow sticker is a warning to customs officials that such charges might be applicable. If the reference book cost less than £15, no action would have been taken.
James Morris, Cardiff.
QUESTION Is there a table of Premier league teams showing the number of penalties awarded and converted? IN THe past ten seasons of Premier league football, 866 penalties were awarded, 546 to home and 320 to away teams. Of these, 686 (79 per cent) were converted, 41 (5 per cent) were missed and 139 (16 per cent) saved.
Of the seven teams who have never been relegated from the Premier league:
Manchester United have been awarded 57 penalties, scoring 44 (77 per cent). They have missed five (9 per cent ) and have had eight (14 per cent) saved. They have conceded 26 penalties.
arsenal have been awarded 55 penalties, scoring 45 (82 per cent). They have missed three (5 per cent) and have had seven (13 per cent) saved. They have conceded 38 penalties.
liverpool have been awarded 55 penalties, scoring 42 (76 per cent). They have missed three (5 per cent) and have had ten (18 per cent) saved. They have conceded 35 penalties.
Chelsea have been awarded 53 penalties, scoring 46 (87 per cent). They have missed none and have had seven (13 per cent) saved. They have conceded 29 penalties.
aston Villa have been awarded 49 penalties, scoring 37 (76 per cent). They have missed three (6 per cent) and have had nine (18 per cent) saved. They have conceded 55 penalties.
Tottenham Hotspur have been awarded 44 penalties, scoring 34 (77 per cent). They have missed two (5 per cent) and have had eight (18 per cent) saved. They have conceded 43 penalties.
everton have been awarded 38 penalties, scoring 32 (84 per cent). They have missed one (3 per cent) and have had five (13 per cent) saved. They have conceded 33 penalties. The team with the worst penalty-taking record is Blackburn rovers. Over the past ten seasons, they have been awarded 45 penalties but have failed to convert 16 (35 per cent) of these.
That Manchester United have conceded only 26 penalties in ten years might confirm what many believe: that referees are scared to award penalties against the club.
an alternative view is that they have consistently been the most attacking club, so being awared the most penalties, and have one of the best defences — thanks to the likes of rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Gary Neville and Jaap Stam — so conceding the least.
Chelsea’s high scoring rate (with no outright misses) is down to the prowess of its chief penalty taker Frank lampard.
Several websites offer a complete breakdown of Premiership penalty statistics — try http:// www.myfootballfacts.com/premier_league_penalty_statistics.html. andy Waller, stockport, Cheshire.
QUESTION We no longer have supersonic passenger aircraft. Are there any more cases where we have taken a step backwards in technology? FUrTHer to earlier answers, one of the most retrograde steps taken in modern technology was the change from VHS to DVD.
When VHS cassettes were the norm, no matter how many times a cassette was run one could relax in the knowledge that one’s entertainment would be uninterrupted.
a DVD on the other hand can ‘seize up’ at any time and, apart from the possibility that it will react to being cleaned, there is nothing one can do about it.
I was presented with an expensive three- disc compilation of scenes from classic american musicals, only to find that the second disc invariably seized up at the same place every time and nothing would cure it. Give me good old VHS any day.
Norman Wanstall, Burford, Worcs.