Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
60s Teener / Pop Vocal - Featured in The Columbia movie director by Richard Lester, "It's Trad, Dad! (1962), known in the U.S. as Ring-A-Ding - including songs by artists such as:
Helen Shapiro, Craig Douglas, John Leyton, The Brook Brothers, Chubby Checker, Del Shannon,
Gary U.S. Bonds, Gene Vincent, Gene McDaniels, The Paris Sisters, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen among others ...
"Rainbows" !s written by Bunny Lewis & Norrie Paramor.
Craig Douglas (born Terence Perkins, 12 August 1941, Newport, Isle of Wight)
is an English pop singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Craig Douglas wasn't really a rock & roll singer, his diction being too good and his delivery too straight-ahead for that designation.
His early records call up images of Ricky Nelson but, like a lot of young British singers of his era,
he quickly aimed for a more mature audience.
His singing was very emotive but also very clean.
He was obviously more comfortable with dignified pop music, such as "Time," than with the more rocking numbers like "Ring-A-Ding" that he was occasionally called upon to record, with its slurred lyrics, honking saxes, and loud electric guitars (although Douglas acquitted himself well in that setting).
Voted "Best New Singer" in 1959 in the British music magazine, NME.
Douglas went on to record eight cover versions of former American hit songs, in his total of nine Top 40 UK singles.
Amongst that tally, Douglas had a Number One single in 1959 with "Only Sixteen", who as sold more copies in the UK than Sam Cooke's original version.
It was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road studios, with whistling by Mike Sammes, and released through Top Rank records.
Douglas had four consecutive Number 9 placings on the UK Singles Chart.
He topped the bill on the Beatles' first major stage show, although their emergence ultimately spelt the end of Douglas's chart career.
And the end of his collaboration with Top Rank Records in 1962.
His final chart entry #36 came in February 1963 with "Town Crier" for Decca Records UK.
Always for Decca he recorded in 1963 a cover of the theme of the movie James Bond originally sung by Matt Monro "From Russia with Love" youtube.com/watch?v=_MXb5bVDCcA&ab_channel=BenBop1965
He continued doing cabaret, cruise ships and other bookings.
Indeed, well into the 1990s, Craig had an annual month-long booking in Hong Kong, until 2010.
Craig toured in the venues across the UK, including the Medina Theatre on the Isle of Wight.
He appeared at the Amersham Rock 'n' Roll Club on 11 December 2010, an event in his benefit.
John Leyton, Mike Berry and the Flames all took part, while Jet Harris and other celebrities attended.
Craig sang three songs from his wheelchair at the close of the concert.
He suffers from a rare condition that affects his legs.
On 18 April 2011, a rare Douglas recording, saw a limited 7" vinyl reissue of "Don't Mind If I Cry", on the UK-based Spoke Records label.
His latest appearance is with The Bachelors feat. John Stokes at Windsor, Royal Theater in UK in 2015.
#british #popvocal #rockAndRoll
60s Teener / Pop Vocal - Featured in The Columbia movie director by Richard Lester, "It's Trad, Dad! (1962), known in the U.S. as Ring-A-Ding - including songs by artists such as:
Helen Shapiro, Craig Douglas, John Leyton, The Brook Brothers, Chubby Checker, Del Shannon,
Gary U.S. Bonds, Gene Vincent, Gene McDaniels, The Paris Sisters, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen among others ...
"Rainbows" !s written by Bunny Lewis & Norrie Paramor.
Craig Douglas (born Terence Perkins, 12 August 1941, Newport, Isle of Wight)
is an English pop singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Craig Douglas wasn't really a rock & roll singer, his diction being too good and his delivery too straight-ahead for that designation.
His early records call up images of Ricky Nelson but, like a lot of young British singers of his era,
he quickly aimed for a more mature audience.
His singing was very emotive but also very clean.
He was obviously more comfortable with dignified pop music, such as "Time," than with the more rocking numbers like "Ring-A-Ding" that he was occasionally called upon to record, with its slurred lyrics, honking saxes, and loud electric guitars (although Douglas acquitted himself well in that setting).
Voted "Best New Singer" in 1959 in the British music magazine, NME.
Douglas went on to record eight cover versions of former American hit songs, in his total of nine Top 40 UK singles.
Amongst that tally, Douglas had a Number One single in 1959 with "Only Sixteen", who as sold more copies in the UK than Sam Cooke's original version.
It was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road studios, with whistling by Mike Sammes, and released through Top Rank records.
Douglas had four consecutive Number 9 placings on the UK Singles Chart.
He topped the bill on the Beatles' first major stage show, although their emergence ultimately spelt the end of Douglas's chart career.
And the end of his collaboration with Top Rank Records in 1962.
His final chart entry #36 came in February 1963 with "Town Crier" for Decca Records UK.
Always for Decca he recorded in 1963 a cover of the theme of the movie James Bond originally sung by Matt Monro "From Russia with Love" youtube.com/watch?v=_MXb5bVDCcA&ab_channel=BenBop1965
He continued doing cabaret, cruise ships and other bookings.
Indeed, well into the 1990s, Craig had an annual month-long booking in Hong Kong, until 2010.
Craig toured in the venues across the UK, including the Medina Theatre on the Isle of Wight.
He appeared at the Amersham Rock 'n' Roll Club on 11 December 2010, an event in his benefit.
John Leyton, Mike Berry and the Flames all took part, while Jet Harris and other celebrities attended.
Craig sang three songs from his wheelchair at the close of the concert.
He suffers from a rare condition that affects his legs.
On 18 April 2011, a rare Douglas recording, saw a limited 7" vinyl reissue of "Don't Mind If I Cry", on the UK-based Spoke Records label.
His latest appearance is with The Bachelors feat. John Stokes at Windsor, Royal Theater in UK in 2015.
#british #popvocal #rockAndRoll
