Peter Viney's Blog

Some People

1962

Directed by Clive Donner
Screenplay by John Eldridge
Music by Ron Grainer
Songs by Johnny Worth
Director of Photography – John Wiolcox

(2nd unit camera – Nicholas Roeg, uncredited)

CAST
Kenneth More – Mr Smith
Ray Brooks – Johnnie
Anneke Wills – Anne, Smith’s daughter
David Andrews – Bill
Angela Douglas – Terry
David Hemmings- Bert
Timothy Nightingale- Tim
Frankie Dymon – Jimmy
Harry H. Corbett – Johnnie’s father
Michael Gwynn – vicar
Cyril Luckham – Magistrate
+
The Eagles – rock numbers played by
Valerie Mountain – singing voice for Angela Douglas

The 60s Retrospective Series

Release dates: UK July 1962, USA June 1964. I guess the two year later US release would be capitalizing on British Invasion “All things British” interest.

There are several unusual features of Some People:

• It was filmed entirely in Bristol.
• The cast were allowed to improvise much of the script.
• It was a teen-focussed movie filmed in colour, which was rare.
• While it features a young rock band, they used actors for all the roles and overdubbed musicians (The Eagles) and vocal (Valerie Mountain).
• Kenneth More was a major star in British cinema.
• It was financed and commissioned to promote the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

It started in Bristol …

British cinema veered between Swinging London, or “It’s grim up North” with dramas filmed in Salford, Sheffield and Nottingham. For centuries, Bristol was one of the three chief cities in Britain but ignored.

Anneke Wills: Some People was commissioned for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme so we had a great team. The music was by Ron Grainer and Nic Roeg was on 2nd Unit! Clive Donner’s directing style of cinéma vérité really helps to give a flavour of authenticity. We arrived in Bristol three weeks before we started shooting to rehearse and soak up the ambience; the boys to learn the accent and ride the bikes and all of us went to youth clubs, dance halls and factories to see what was happening.
(Anneke Wills website)

Those three weeks were effective, because the cast sound authentically Bristolian. Too often in British films and plays, actors deliver “Mummerset” (Mummer + Somerset) accents for anything west from my home in Poole. Bristol has West Country accent features, but it’s distinct and urban. We filmed five video series in Bristol, and it has become a TV production hub subsequently.  It also benefitted because so many actors seem to live in Bath, just a few miles away. For me there was pleasure in recognising bits of Bristol … and Bath’s Theatre Royal too. It was always great for locations because you could find areas to suit any era. We filmed a Robin Hood pastiche in Clifton Woods at the exact tree used in the TV series Robin of Sherwood. It looks like deep Medieval forest but if you turned the camera the other way you could see the road and Clifton Suspension Bridge. In the end, the traffic became too difficult – it had some of the worst traffic jams in the UK.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The propaganda element doesn’t show too much at all. The DoE Award was a scheme started in 1956, and young people have to achieve in four areas: volunteering for community work, physical activity, developing practical skills and undertaking an adventurous expedition. They get the award at bronze, silver or gold level, with the top level taking around a year. The focus in the film is taking three young “tearaways” (the film’s words) and , ahem, setting them on the right path.

Kenneth More

Kenneth More gets top billing. This is undoubtedly unjust to the five younger stars as his part was “supporting role” at best, but then he volunteered to waive a fee, and took only expenses so as to promote the scheme … the film’s profits went to the scheme. For British kids watching in 1962, Kenneth More was the epitome of British pluck. If I had to define ‘plucky’ I’d say, ‘Like Kenneth More.’ Genevieve was Kenneth More in a lovable British comic role, but for my generation he was Douglas Bader, the Battle of Britain pilot with two artificial legs in Reach For The Sky. I expect him to limp bravely (in spite of the severe pain) into shot in any film. He was also a rugged doughty British captain in A Night To Remember and Sink The Bismark! You knew as soon as he appeared on screen in whatever role that this man was fair, courageous, the very best of British. The cuddly woolly cardigan helped here. In fact he met his third wife, Angela Douglas (who played Terry), then twenty, when making the film. He was forty-seven and the affair somewhat dented his public image, although only very temporarily. Thank goodness it wasn’t Anneka Wills who was playing his daughter, Anne, who took his interest!

The Rest

They were on their way up. Ray Brooks went on to Cathy Come Home and The Knack and was in Play It Cool the same year (both reviewed here). David Hemmings is best-known for Blow-up but also appeared in a number of early 60s teen-oriented movies. Angela Douglas went on to become the lead in four Carry On … comedy films. Anneka Wills became Dr Who’s sidekick among many other roles.

Harry H. Corbett got the role of Harold Steptoe in Steptoe and Son while this was being filmed. He was cast in exactly the same role of lead character’s dad in What A Crazy World (also reviewed here) a year later. In this film, it’s a surprise to hear him with a Bristol accent.

Clive Donner had become known with The Caretaker in 1960. His film Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (also reviewed in this series) has parallels in the use of real locations (moving outside the usual London / North setting), improvisation and young people hanging out against a music background.

Music

I bought the EP by Valerie Mountain with The Eagles. Even then, I think the cover design influenced me. No, not “Eagles”whose Greatest Hits  is one of the best-selling albums of all time. The Eagles were a Bristol instrumental group in Shadows / Tornados style. Valerie Mountain was a solo singer. At a time when rock stars were being shoehorned into movies and coming across as wooden, Clive Donner made the wise choice of casting proper actors. The singing was then Angela Douglas miming to Valerie Mountain’s voice, or the lads pretending to play guitars to the sound of The Eagles. As the music was mimed in virtually all these teen films, it made no difference.

Johnnie (Ray Brooks) is seen as proficient on piano, organ, guitar and bass guitar. When they introduce an apparently home-made organ, it’s Tim who plays and Johnnie switches to bass … then guitar … then bass.

The plane

There’s a small sub-plot about the Bristol 188 aircraft or “Flying Pencil” breaking the “double sound barrier” or Mach 2.

Anneka Wills: The 1st unit – Kenny & Clive were at the Control Centre at Bilston (sic) Aerodrome – the ground staff were tickled pink to be “on screen” with Kenny More, who had recently played their hero Douglas Bader in “Reach for the Sky”. The 2nd unit – Nic Roeg (and me) on a specially built platform on the runway – thrilling! The 3rd unit were filming it disappearing into the distance – it was a BIG moment in aviation history!

She means Filton Aerodrome in fact. In the film we see the dial passing Mach 2 in front of Kenneth More, though in fact the fastest it ever flew was Mach 1.88 (Thank you, Wiki). She must be referring to its first test flight, on 14 April 1962 … rather late in the schedule for a film released in July.  I guess they had the opportunity and connections and were there, so showed Kenneth More briefly in his day job at the control tower, with Tim (from the choir) as a co-worker.  I’m surprised they didn’t show Kenneth More piloting the plane … Douglas Bader in Reach For The Sky had lost his legs pre-war after crashing as a test pilot. The plane episode has absolutely nothing to do with the plot.

The plot

It’s centred on three lads, Johnnie (Ray Brooks), Bert (David Hemmings) and Bill (David Andrews). All are rockers though we probably didn’t say that until 1964.  That is they’re motorcyclists with leather jackets.

We see the lads working, then Johnnie at home with his mum and dad (Harry H. Corbett). He’s getting ready to go out. They’re off for a burn-up on the bikes with Terry (Angela Douglas) on the back of Johnnie’s bike. They come off their bikes and are caught for speeding.

In court: Bill (David Andrews), Bert (David Hemmings), Johnnie (Ray Brooks)

In court the magistrate gives them a “good talking to,” bans them from riding for a year and fines them £40 each … probably a month’s wages in 1962. A lot.

Without motorbikes they’re on the bus and go for a wander round the city- there’s a nice picture of them perusing a shop window full of “top shelf magazines.”

They find a church youth club, and it looked just like the youth club I went to when I was fourteen. Table tennis tables and a stage with an old piano. As a friend once said to me (having lost at table tennis in a Holiday Inn in Belgium on a rainy day), “Ability at table tennis is the sign of a misspent youth … in church youth clubs.” Johnnie takes the cover off the piano to make it louder and starts pounding out some rock and roll, whereupon the girls all start jiving and gyrating. The youth club leader storms in to stop such fun and berates Bert (David Hemmings) who wasn’t the one making a noise. There is no justice.

Bert (David Hemmings) gets told off – the girls watch impassively.

At my youth club a bit of piano and twisting was actively encouraged, especially as twisting was a social-distancing dance. So the three wander off and find a late 50s / early 60s “modern” church and wander in. Johnnie goes up to the organ console and starts belting out some tunes … rock fans may recall Frank Zappa sending Ian Underwood up to play Louie Louie on the Royal Albert Hall organ, as recorded on Uncle Meat. That sort of thing. In Johnnie’s case, if he’d never played a church organ it was remarkable that his feet could immediately cope with bass pedals. Bert finds a surplice and minces about the church. Enter the Vicar, and the lads are getting their third telling off from an adult authority figure in short order.

Mr Smith (Kenneth More) and the Vicar (Michael Gwynn)

But Kenneth More to the rescue! He clambers out of the Spitfire cockpit on his metal legs,  walks in wearing a cardie, and is less judgemental. He is Smith, the organist and choir master.

The modern church hall … looks so familiar. We’ve all been in that space.

He invites them to bring their instruments along to the choir practice where his daughter, Anne, is serving tea. He introduces them.

Meet Anne (Anneke Wills)

The next bit shows the lads getting out their guitars … Johnnie on piano, Bert on guitar, Bill on bass guitar. This was SO familiar. When I was sixteen we were allowed the church hall to practise three Saturdays a month (Jumble Sale on the fourth one).

Well, Anne is enjoying it, along with Tim (who works with Mr Smith) and who is a nerd, which can be seen because he’s reading Electronics Weekly. Jimmy (Frankie Dymon) is also watching.

Anne, Tim (Timothy Nightingale) and Jimmy (Frankie Dymon)

One of their tiny amplifiers starts emitting feedback, and the nerdy Tim whips off the back, fiddles about and stops it. Had they been rather more successful they could have offered him a job as a roadie.

Tim saves the day!

I’m not sure what he’s doing. Putting your finger on a hot valve to press it in is one possibility, but there would be smoke from burning flesh. I guess he was just earthing a component through his body. Well, it depends on how many metal fillings you have.

I’m over-illustrating these sequences because I loved them. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. Bill is somewhat more of a yob than the other two lads, which comes from being taller and having a blonde quiff, I expect. They fall out. Bill’s no longer in the group.  No matter! They’re soon back in the church hall with Tall Tim working out how to play bass and Jimmy producing a full drum kit. We had great admiration for people with full drum kits. Being in the choir Tim will soon pick up bass (E-A-D-G! they tell him), and being of Afro-Caribbean descent, no doubt Jimmy will have a natural sense of rhythm. Except Jimmy is probably just Bristolian – the black community in Bristol has a 500 year history.  Johnnie has found a second guitar. But hey, isn’t that Bill’s bass? Let’s just accept the director was never in a teen garage band with questions of who owned what.

In the café, Terry (Angela Douglas) is back with them. I’m thinking my way into 1962 when guitar instrumental bands ruled the youth clubs. No one thought about singing, and they hadn’t (Nor had The Eagles). But girls can sing.

Terry (Angela Douglas) joins them. I remember those semi-transparent cups too. I like Tim’s tie, V-neck pullover and lapel badge.

At this point we get the excursion to Filton with Mr Smith and Tim to watch the plane take off and fly very fast. it’s so disconnected that I wonder if someone said at the end of filming, ‘It’s running a bit short. Let’s add something.’ Anyway, Mr Smith arrives home in a shiny Ford Zephyr (top of the range Ford then). He goes upstairs and hearing his daughter’s in the bath goes in to the bathroom (Hang on …). Anyway, she’s trying to shrink her jeans to fit tightly. We all did it then.

Being female, she’s multi-tasking by reading a magazine and smoking a cigarette at the same time as having a bath and holding a conversation.

It’s difficult not to appreciate her exposed tummy, as Kenneth More appears to be finding.

Anneke Wills: I had a scene with Kenny where I’m in the bath shrinking my jeans. We had a Royal Premiere and The Duke of Edinburgh murmured to me “I liked you in the bath – does it really work?” “Yes, Your Highness” I replied, “You should try it some time!!”

Back at the club, the band are going great guns with Terry as the singer.

Terry and Anne are getting along well. Then Bill reappears. Looking for his bass? Who knows.

Bill’s a troublemaker, as Mr Smith can quickly see. He knows a Messerschmitt 109 yobbo when he sees one. There’s a confrontation in which Bill is called a “Ted” (Teddy Boy), and responds that he’ll bring some REAL Teds. Mistake, son, you’ll be shot down in flames, I fear.

Douglas Bader! Bandit at three o’clock!

This is when we first get the pitch for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which Anne is already doing.

Terry is perusing the Duke of Edinburgh Award points booklet.

We’re off to the Municipal Swimming Baths. I can smell the condensation on those tiles now. They’re working on their swimming for the physical activities section.

Johnnie and Anne go shopping for clothes. Going shopping with a girl was a sure sign of a burgeoning relationship, especially when asked to give an opinion on a dress that was being tried on. They have an impassioned snog by the changing rooms, then walk out by the Clifton Suspension Bridge for a more impassioned roll around on the grass.

If you haven’t seen the Clifton Suspension Bridge you haven’t been to Bristol.

Johnnie’s going out with Anne. Bill’s going out with Terry. But Bill has seen Johnnie and Terry jiving and is jealous. He tells Anne it won’t work … and points to Johnnie and Terry jiving happily. Johnnie and Anne go to the theatre (I think in Bath) and afterwards have a gloomy conversation. She’s giving him the brush off.

Anne: Johnnie, I’m going to college. And I’m going to meet a lot of new people. It’s funny, seeing you has convinced me of that. It’s been great. Altogether unexpected … You won’t be the last. Sorry. I don’t want to be bitchy, but I must be honest.
Johnnie: I never thought of marriage, you know … Why now? We could have fun until you go.
Anne: No, it’d drive us both up the wall.
Johnnie: Oh.Blast you! I suppose your parents have talked you out of any natural feelings!
Anne: Of course they haven’t!
Johnnie: I don’t believe you, Anne.
Anne: Then go and ask them then.

I do like a bit of late teen angst. That’s followed by some Bristol street scenes to church organ music. Johnnie runs into Bill passing a football match. This is the heavily didactic section. Bill is in a sour mood about the award scheme.

Bill: You’re a sucker for punishment … who do you think you’re fooling? They get you young and defenceless and hang on! … Yes, sir, No, sir. God save the Queen.

Bill is railing against the system of the DoE award … playing for the team, Johnnie protests that the award is for individuals, not the team.

Bill: Of course it’s for the individual … as long as he joins the team! Don’t worry, lad. I’ll save you!

It’s 1962. A film. So obviously we have the social class contrast of Bill and Johnnie walking past their council houses, then Johnnie walking to the Smith’s large Victorian villa in Clifton. Johnnie asks if Anne’s in, but she’s out with her mother. Johnnie’s round for a serious chat with Mr Smith who pours him a beer while knocking back a stiff whisky himself. A painting of fighter planes adorns the wall. I expect Douglas Bader had the same painting.

So I’m having light ale and you’re having a malt Scotch?

Smith assumes he wants to talk about Anne, but he wants ‘that scheme of yours’ explained. Ray Brooks’s accent is not only perfect in contrast to Smith’s RP, his whole expression is surly young man. He explains that Bill has chucked the scheme because he thinks it’s all designed to make them conform.

Bill and Terry. Good job she’s knitting something dark green rather tan baby blue or pink.

 Bill: What the hell do you think you’re doin’?
Terry:  Knitting.
Bill: Have you told your mum and dad?
Terry: Joke!
Bill: OK, then, what is it for?

It is of course for the award. He complains that she’s a drag. She never wants to come to the pictures, instead she’s off knitting and emptying bed pans (the volunteer section).

Bert has been making a canoe meanwhile as part of the award. Highly varnished and a substitute for a girlfriend as only two girls were cast. Bill turns up to find Bert and Johnnie working on the canoe. He was supposed to be helping but has done “Darn all.” His response is “Get starched!” You could improve the realism of the dialogue nowadays. Bill breaks a pattern Bert has worked on for hours and a fight starts.

Some People – the theme song

Back to the club for more music, the theme song. Nerdy Tim has built some kind of squeaky keyboard instrument (I expect the real The Eagles just had a Farfisa), which means that Johnnie, who we know is an accomplished keyboard player, is now on bass guitar. Tim plays it with one finger.  Anne watches wistfully from the tea hatch, especially as Terry is singing directly to Johnnie, then doing the Twist vigorously, displaying a shapely rear. She gets them all up to sing in a line whereupon they do the classic “Shadows walk.”

Anne is enthused by the Tim’s organ … by which I mean the little pipe organ he’s made and goes off to get her dad so they can play the song again. Terry produces the vile green piece of knitting and announces that she’s made it for Johnnie. Bert laughs:

Bert: Johnnie’s chatting up the birds again!

This causes Johnnie to fly off the handle (what with Anne being around). Terry stops a fight … Angela Douglas really is VERY good at miming the singer and playing the role of music instructor to the boys here.

Motor cycle helmet, leather jacket, lettering on the back. taller than the hero, blonde hair, white scarf … now where have I seen that before?

We cut to motor bikes roaring into the car park.

Then Bill and his mates turn up looking for trouble. Bill is riding a bike in spite of being banned.

Bert: Trouble!
Johnnie: You’d better sit down, Terry

Bill says they want to listen, so Johnnie switches to guitar and they start an aggressive guitar instrumental (Bristol Express). Bill confronts Terry and tells her to sing a song. She refuses. He grabs her and says Come on and have a dance. She is screaming. Johnnie intervenes and pulls him away.

Bill: She’s not your bird! Or is she …

Bill attacks the drum kit savagely and a fight breaks out, Johnnie and Terry against Bill, while Bill’s mates start trying to wreck the place. Terry’s a good street fighter.

Meanwhile Anne and Mr Smith are walking back to the church from their house. They arrive … the hall is wrecked. Everyone is bruised and battered.

We see Johnnie polishing the bike he can no longer ride, then he walks into town. (Nice Ron Grainer jazz soundtrack too).

Dad (Harry H. Corbett) 

Johnnie goes off to the pub.  His dad’s in the pub and insists on him having a double whisky. His dad is totally pissed.

Dad: You have children, you bring them up, then half the time they’re complete strangers to you. Complete ruddy strangers. You know what I’m talking about?
Johnnie (meaningfully): Yeah.

It’s a fine cameo, full of pathos from Corbett. Johnnie goes over to the pub piano and hammers out My Bonnie. I bet no one in July 1962 knew Tony Sheridan & The Beatles had recorded it in Hamburg!

Johnnie asks bikers where Bill is. He goes to the roller skating rink looking for Bill. He grabs him, everyone crashes into each other and another rumble starts. They are both ejected and sit on the steps outside.

Bill: What’s happened to that toffee-nosed bint of yours?
Johnnie: Uh? It’s all over.
Bill: Didn’t share your appetites, eh?
Johnnie: You’re wrong. She taught me a lot. And not what you’re thinking either.
Bill: What then?
Johnnie: Things you never heard of.
Bill: Such as?
Johnnie: You find out for yourself.
Bill: Be seeing you then.
Johnnie: Might do. Might not.

We see the church hall again. Bert and Jimmy with Mr Smith and the nearly finished canoe. Terry and Anne are knitting together. Tim’s fiddling with his organ (sorry, but he is).

Johnnie comes back to see Mr Smith who has gone to his car to find a map. Johnnie offers to pay for the damage to the hall. Mr Smith invites him to go back in and see his friends. He goes back in. We hear everyone shout “Johnnie!” and Some People plays over the credits.

OVERALL

David Hemmings summed it up:

David Hemmings: The year 1962, when the Beatles erupted into our consciousness with ‘Love Me Do’, was better for me. …, I went down to Bristol for a couple of months to make ‘Some People’ for Clive Donner. The film’s message was encapsulated in the opening line of the soundtrack – ‘Some people think that kids today have gone astray…’ – it was about youth clubs, vicars, shrinkable blue jeans, motorbikes and English rock ‘n’ roll. Four teenage layabouts are talked into forming a rock group to keep them out of trouble, and I appeared as the first of several young pop singers. ‘Some People’ had been made with a small grant, or perhaps just a pat on the back from a Duke of Edinburgh Foundation designed to encourage young folk not to behave like the complete arseholes that nature intends and show how tearaways could go straight ……… if only!
Bill Harry’s Sixties Snapshots, online

The film is nowhere near as didactic as you might expect on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, not even in the resolution. They play enough of the boys competing for girls aggro, and the budding romances to cover it. They add in that inevitable 60s working class boy / middle class, more sophisticated girl scenario. The music? There’s not much of it. That’s fine. It doesn’t stand out as a pop exploitation film. We both enjoyed it more than we thought., The acting is well above the genre expectation by a long way, from all of them. I’ve joked in the above about my generation’s perception of Kenneth More, but I’ve rewatched several scenes and he is sublime. The Bristol street scenes feel real.

Angela Douglas note

Angela Douglas appeared in our 1998 ELT video series English Channel Two, in a short cameo in an X-File pastiche, The N.A.I.L. Files. She was absolutely charming. My son Daniel was a runner on the production, and the director pointed out to him that she had been a major British film star, and even though it was a small role, he’d like her to be treated as such. Daniel had a canvas chair, blanket, cups of tea ready for her at all times on a very cold morning. At the end of the day she asked the producer to thank Daniel particularly for looking after her so well and for being so pleasant to talk to. It’s not hard, but very few actors bother to put in such a good word for the lowliest person on the crew. The old theatrical saying is ‘The bigger the star, the nicer they are’ and having done lights on variety shows, it’s (mainly) true.

The DVD

Good clear transfer. Sold in a slimline case. No extras though.

SOUNDTRACK

Some People EP, Pye, 1962

TRACKS:
‘Some People’, written by John Worsley (as Les Vandyke), sung by Valerie Mountain backed by The Eagles
‘Johnny’s Tune’, written by Ron Grainer, performed by The Eagles
‘Yes You Did’, written by John Worsley (as Les Vandyke) and Ron Grainer, sung by Valerie Mountain
‘Too Late’, written by John Worsley (as Les Van Dyke) and Ron Gainer, sung by Valerie Mountain’
‘Bristol Express’, written by Ron Grainer, performed by The Eagles

There was a separate EP chart in 1962 and Some People EP reached #2 or #1 depending on the chart, and was in the chart for 21 weeks. The EP also entered the main singles chart (which was allowed then), entering at #26, and reaching #22 in August 1962. The EP is not hard to find, so must have sold well. Its EP chart position and a further singles chart entry would have delighted Elvis or Cliff.

The main theme, Some People was covered by Carol Deene and by Jet Harris. The sheet music was #11 in the sheet music chart.

According to their subsequent EP on the Pye label, Newsound TV Themes, The Eagles had been chosen for the Some People soundtrack after winning the Duke of Edinburgh Award as “Best Rhythm Group” at the Royal Festival Hall.  This sounds odd as all other sources say they were awarded a Duke of Edinburgh Award Trophy because of their work on the film. Maybe they got both … I’d trust Bill Harry’s website which says Ron Grainer first saw them at the Royal Festival Hall.  All sources agree they were discovered and promoted by Ron Grainer. They were all eighteen at the time. Newsound TV Themes includes a guitar instrumental version of Steptoe & Son for a link to Harry H. Corbett and all four tracks are guitar versions of Ron Grainer tunes.

Both the Eagles Some People tracks, Bristol Express and Johnny’s Tune were written by Ron Grainer. Some People is credited to Les Van Dyke (real name John Worsley, aka Johnny Worth), while Yes You Did and Too Late  are credited to Les Van Dyke & Ron Grainer. Les Van Dyke wrote several of Adam Faith’s hits. He covered them himself as ‘Johnny Worth’ on Woolworth’s budget label, Embassy too. The Eagles went on to do an LP The Eagles- Smash Hits which were guitar versions of current hits, and toured the UK with Del Shannon and (Little) Stevie Wonder. Lead guitarist Terry Clarke later went on to Pickettywitch. All the internet entries say he played a “home made instrument.” It’s extremely hard to make a guitar, so I wonder whether this was the miniature pipe organ which appears in the film.

The Eagles had never met Valerie Mountain before the film:

Valerie Mountain on The Eagles: They’re a very good group, though. They’ve become much more polished since I first met them.
New Musical Express, August 1962

Some People / Yes You Did was also released as a single on Pye, though as with The Eagles, it’s that EP which took the sales. Valerie Mountain was discovered singing at a Revivalist Meeting in Bristol, according to the Some People EP sleeve notes, though she had already done a single Go It Alone / Gentle Christ on the EMI Columbia label the year before, 1961. She was from Bristol, and had been a member of The Cliff Adams Singers, and recorded sixteen songs for a TV religious drama series (pre-Jesus Christ Superstar) called A Man Dies (1963). She didn’t follow up on the EP’s success and maintained her Bristol job as a punch card operator.

Valerie Mountain: I just sing rather low, like a coloured singer.
Bristol Evening Post, 1964

THE 60s REVISITED REVIEWS …

A Taste of Honey (1961)
Some People (1962)
Play It Cool (1962)
Sparrows Can’t Sing (1963)
The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963)
Tom Jones (1963)
The Fast Lady (1963)
What A Crazy World (1963)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1965)
Gonks Go Beat (1965)
Cat Ballou (1965)
The Ipcress File (1965)
Darling (1965)
The Knack (1965)
Help! (1965)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Morgan – A Suitable Case For Treatment (1966)
Alfie (1966)
Harper (aka The Moving Target) 1966
The Chase (1966)
The Trap (1966)
Georgy Girl (1966)
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
Nevada Smith (1966)
Modesty Blaise (1966)
The Family Way (1967)
Privilege (1967)
Blow-up (1967)
Accident (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
I’ll Never Forget What’s ‘Is Name (1967)
How I Won The War (1967)
Far From The Madding Crowd (1967)
Poor Cow (1967)
Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (1968)
The Magus (1968)
If …. (1968)
Girl On A Motorcycle (1968)
The Bofors Gun (1968)
The Devil Rides Out (aka The Devil’s Bride) (1968)
Work Is A Four Letter Word (1968)
The Party (1968)
Petulia (1968)
Barbarella (1968)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Bullitt (1968)
Deadfall (1968)
The Swimmer (1968)
Theorem (Teorema) (1968)
Medium Cool (1969)
The Magic Christian (1969)
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970)
Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970)
Performance (1970)