Meet people from all over the World
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Author Topic: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?  (Read 23158 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Wayne L.

  • Guest
What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« on: November 15, 2006, 10:30:54 PM »

Those Were The Days is a great song, which I remember when I was really young & she's a great female vocalist in her own right, even though I don't know her other singles or albums on Apple.  I would like to know if she's retired from the music business or is still out there making music & is she still friends with Paul & Ringo after all these years.  
Logged

Bobber

  • Guest
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2006, 08:27:59 AM »

As a dedicated Beatlesfan since the early seventies, you should know Mary's song Goodbye, which was written by a certain Paul McCartney and produced by him as well.


Born in Pontardawe, Wales, she grew up speaking Welsh and began her musical career as a folk singer. She was 'discovered' by Twiggy, and became one of the first artists to record on The Beatles' Apple record label.
Her debut single "Those Were the Days", produced by Paul McCartney, was released in the UK on August 30, 1968 (catalogue number APPLE 2). Despite competition from a well-established star, Sandie Shaw, who released her version of the same song as a single that same year, Hopkin's version became a number one hit in the UK singles chart, and reached #2 in the U.S..
On 21 February 1969 her debut album Postcard, also produced by McCartney, was released. It included covers of three songs from Donovan, who also played on the album, and one song each from George Martin and Harry Nilsson. It reached number three on the UK Albums Chart, although it proved to be her solitary success story in that particular chart.
The next single was "Goodbye", written by Paul McCartney (but credited to Lennon-McCartney), released on 28 March 1969 (APPLE 10); it reached number 2 in the UK singles chart. It was kept off the top of the charts by the Beatles' single "Get Back". "Goodbye" has never been officially released by the Beatles, although a demo version can be found on some of the Beatles' bootlegs.
She represented the UK in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest singing "Knock Knock Who's There", which came second in the contest, narrowly beaten by "All Kinds of Everything" performed by Irish singer Dana. "Knock Knock Who's There" was released as a single (APPLE 26) on 23 March 1970, reaching number 2 again in the UK. Her second, folky album Earth Song, Ocean Song was put out by Apple in 1970. The record was produced by her soon-to-be husband Tony Visconti and included covers of songs written by Cat Stevens, Gallagher and Lyle, and Ralph McTell.
After marrying Visconti in 1971, Hopkin withdrew from the pop music scene to have a family. Although reportedly unhappy with show business, Hopkin did not stop recording. With the help of Visconti, 1972 saw the release of the Christmas folk song "Mary Had A Baby"/"The Cherry Tree Carol" on the Regal Zonophone label, which was re-released in 1973. Later that year, the single "Summertime Summertime"/"Sweet And Low" was released on the Bell record label under the name of 'Hobby Horse'.
Although no other singles or albums came out in her name until 1976, she sang on numerous recordings that her husband Visconti produced, such as those featuring Tom Paxton, Ralph McTell, David Bowie, Bert Jansch, The Radiators From Space, Thin Lizzy, Carmen, Sarstedt Brothers, Osibisa, Sparks, Hazel O'Connor, and Elaine Page. On all of these recordings (and also on her husband's own album Inventory) she is credited as 'Mary Visconti'. During this time, she also appeared on various TV shows such as Cilla Black's and various radio station programmes.
In 1976, she returned to recording under her own name and released the single "If You Love Me", (originally recorded by Edith Piaf). The B-side "Tell Me Now" was an original composition by Hopkin.
Her next single was "Wrap Me In Your Arms", with the B-side again written by Hopkin ("Just A Dreamer"). These singles came out on Visconti's own Good Earth label. Talk of an album featuring Hopkin's songs (tentatively titled With You Without You), occurred, but the album did not materialise.
Two members of Steeleye Span (Bob Johnson and Pete Knight) chose Hopkin to play "Princess Lirazel" on their concept album The King of Elfland's Daughter. She also appeared at the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival with Bert Jansch. 1976 also saw the birth of her second child. Before the 1970s ended, Decca released a compilation LP of Hopkin's Cambrian Welsh recordings called The Welsh World of Mary Hopkin.
Hopkin's first project in the 1980s was a well-reviewed stint playing the Virgin Mary in "Rock Nativity" at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading, Berkshire. After this, Mike Hurst (record producer and formerly of The Springfields) asked her to sing lead in a new group named Sundance that he had formed with Mike d'Albuquerque of ELO. Their one single, "What's Love", allowed them to tour the UK with Dr. Hook, but Hopkin quickly left the group, dissatisfied with the gigs. In 2002, Hurst released recordings from this time on the Angel Air label.
In 1981, Hopkin and Visconti divorced. The following year, she provided vocals on "Rachel's Song" for the Vangelis soundtrack of Blade Runner. Around 1984, Peter Skellern asked Mary to join him and Julian Lloyd Webber in a band called Oasis. The self-titled record Oasis was released on WEA along with two singles. A tour of the UK was planned but was brought to an abrupt end because Hopkin took ill. The group disbanded shortly thereafter.
During the 1980s, Hopkin appeared in several charity shows, including an appearance at the London Palladium with Ralph McTell. In 1988, she took part in George Martin's production of Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood". She played the character Rosie Probert and notably performed a piece called "Love Duet" with Freddie Jones as Captain Cat. The making of the record was filmed and made into a 'South Bank Show Special', where Hopkin and Jones were shown rehearsing and recording "Love Duet". In 1992, the cast reunited for a performance of the play as a tribute to Dylan Thomas in the presence of Prince Charles for the Prince's Trust.
In 1989, Hopkin recorded a CD of songs called Spirit. This was recorded on the Trax label and is a collection of light classical songs, featuring the single "Ave Maria". The record was produced by Benny Gallagher of Gallagher and Lyle, who had contributed songs to her during her days at Apple Records.

Early in 1990, she was asked to sing with the Chieftains at the London Palladium in a charity show, and she would later join them on a tour of the UK.
Again she continued to do projects she wanted, working with people like Julian Colbeck, she wrote the lyrics and performed a song on his CD Back to Bach. Also, there was Marc Cerrone's "The Collector", a stage play/opera, for which she performed two tracks on the CD and video. She worked again with her old guitarist Brian Willoughby and Dave Cousins (of The Strawbs) on their CD The Bridge. Hopkin also appears on a Beatles tribute album by RAM Pietsch.

Around 1996, a Welsh label called Sain bought Cambrian's back catalogue and released all Hopkin's Welsh recordings on a CD called The Early Years, which removed the overdubbed drums found in the Decca recordings.

In 1999, she was again invited to join the Chieftains on their UK tour, and later that year performed a few concerts in Scotland with Benny Gallagher and Jim Diamond. More recently there have been three TV documentaries about her, one each for ITV, BBC, and S4C.

She has guested on The Crocketts' album The Great Brain Robbery, sang the theme song for Billy Connolly's BBC TV series The World Tour, and recorded "Those Were The Days" with Robin Williams rapping. She also appeared in a film by Sara Sugarman called Very Annie Mary, and duetted with Dolly Parton on her 2005 CD Those Were The Days, which went to #48 on the US charts (#9 Country) and number 35 in the UK (number 2 UK Country).

Her most recent release was on her own label Mary Hopkin Music called Live at the Royal Festival Hall released in September 2005.

Logged

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2006, 04:07:28 AM »

Quote from: 63
Her debut single "Those Were the Days", produced by Paul McCartney, was released in the UK on August 30, 1968 (catalogue number APPLE 2). Despite competition from a well-established star, Sandie Shaw, who released her version of the same song as a single that same year, Hopkin's version became a number one hit in the UK singles chart, and reached #2 in the U.S........

The next single was "Goodbye", written by Paul McCartney (but credited to Lennon-McCartney), released on 28 March 1969 (APPLE 10); it reached number 2 in the UK singles chart. It was kept off the top of the charts by the Beatles' single "Get Back".


Thank you for posting this history, Bobber.  Just as a Beatles song kept "Goodbye" from reaching #1 here in the US, it was "Hey Jude" that kept "Those Were The Days" at #2.  This thread brings back memories.






Logged
I can stay till it's time to go

Bobber

  • Guest
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2006, 01:59:21 PM »

Mary Hopkin's Xmas-single is to d/load here: http://www.disaudio.com/Mary-Hopkin
  Costs 89p.
Logged

raxo

  • Sun King
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10680
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2007, 06:28:48 AM »

Logged

Andy Smith

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4597
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2007, 03:11:59 PM »

She's was pretty cute as well! :B
Logged


          Turn off your mind, Relax and float downstream. It is not dying

raxo

  • Sun King
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10680
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2007, 03:15:30 PM »

Quote from: 614
She's was pretty cute as well! :B


Guess what is Paul whispering in her ear?

Logged

  • Guest
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2007, 07:15:08 PM »

We were discusing Mary Hopkin on the Marc Bolan forum the other day and her Marrige to Toni Visconti ,he talks about their relationship in his recent biography  " Bowie ,Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy " it's a very interesting read .
I posted this picture of Mary from 2006 which shows the reclusive star as she looks today.
Much older but still with that sweet smile



DaveRam :)
Logged

Andy Smith

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4597
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2007, 09:05:51 PM »

Quote from: 679
" Bowie ,Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy " it's a very interesting read .

I'm in the middle of reading that now, excellant book!  :)

Logged


          Turn off your mind, Relax and float downstream. It is not dying

  • Guest
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2007, 10:40:11 AM »

Agree Andy it's a very good read ,even though he puts the boot in a bit with Bolan which is a pity .
Also think some of what he say's about Mary shows that he very much put his career before his marriage.

DaveRam :)
Logged

Bobber

  • Guest
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2008, 08:20:09 PM »

New album coming up. Mary got her own site: http://www.maryhopkin.co.uk/
Logged

Jane

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3760
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2008, 08:30:21 PM »

I am pretty well familiar with the songs Those Were The Days and Goodbye, thanks to my father. And was Mary popular later, in the 70s, 80s? I can`t say that i like her voice very much, I mean the tembre. I like Sandie Shaw`s more and her singing barefoot was cute, rather daring those days. Is Sandie still on stage?
Logged

Joe

  • A Beginning
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 121
    • The Beatles Bible
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2008, 02:50:29 PM »

She lives in my hometown, Cardiff, Wales. I vaguely know her daughter Jessie, who runs a local studio and label, although I've had no contact with Mary herself. She rarely does anything in the public eye, and emphatically won't do any interviews (I've tried). She has done the odd live appearance locally in recent years, though very rarely and always unannounced.

She's slowly begun to record again and re-release some old music in the last few years, mainly through her daughter's label and studio. The impression I get is that she's not in a particular hurry to do anything, and what she does do is in collaboration with her family. I think she retreated from the public eye to raise her children with Tony V, and never really felt the need to return to the spotlight.
Logged
http://www.beatlesbible.com - come and say hi, and PM me any suggestions. It's a work in progress but you'll get the idea...

Hello Goodbye

  • Global Moderator
  • At The Top Of The Stairs
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20089
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2018, 05:08:46 AM »

Logged
I can stay till it's time to go

nimrod

  • Global Moderator
  • A Thousand Pages
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 4868
Re: What is Mary Hopkins doing these days?
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2018, 11:07:51 PM »

Those Were The Days


https://youtu.be/1wnOJdNRs58
1968





Paul did a really good job producing that song for her, makes me wonder why Paul even needed a producer in his solo career  ???

However this more original recording has a magic touch, the accordion, played masterfully here gives it a French bohemian flavour and I really like the singer. A better version in my opinion. (although I still like Mary) :)

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMly5NzZ5Ek" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMly5NzZ5Ek</a>
Logged
Kevin

All You Need Is Love
 

Page created in 0.508 seconds with 71 queries.