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After moving to London in the mid-50s, Douglas came under the wing of agent Bunny Lewis, appeared on the television show 6.5 Special, and won a record contract with Decca Records before moving to Dick Rowe's label, Top Rank.
Craig Douglas was one of Britain's first 'Pop' singers. His achievement was really remarkable because he'd found a musical niche that appealed to teenagers and to their mums and dads too- sadly, it couldn't last. He was too lightweight to be considered rock and roll and yet nor was he a 1950s style crooner. He had still been a milkman when he got an opportunity to appear on TV's 'Six-5 Special' by winning a talent contest. Through this he secured a recording contract with Decca, but the two singles they issued were ignored. Luckily he was given a second chance by the new 'Top Rank' record label. His early songs were, almost without exception, covers of carefully selected material from American artists of the time. He was extremely successful, and even reached #1 with Sam Cooke's 'Only Sixteen' when the great man could only struggle to #23 with the original.
He co-starred with Helen Shapiro in the movie It's Trad, Dad! (1962). Several more hits followed but after four consecutive number 9s with "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay", "Time", "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" and "Our Favourite Melodies', Douglas felt the sting of the approaching beat boom. He then travelled the world, returning for a career in cabaret in the UK, where he still resides. In 1992 he joined other 60s survivors, including Helen Shapiro, on the Walkin" Back To Happiness Tour. Douglas possesses a good singing voice that should have moved into the classic pop song. His recycled past hits now sound trite and tired, although the voice is still intact.
Craig Douglas' pleasant singing voice maintained its appeal until the onset of 'Merseybeat'. By this time he was singing more original songs, but had not sufficiently changed his 'sound' to gain new fans. He made one belated attempt at updating his style with 'Come Closer' in 1964 which he recorded with a group calling themselves 'The Tridents', but by early 1963 his chart career was over. However, Craig had by then built up a sufficient repertoire of material to fuel an act on the cabaret and nostalgia scene for many years to come.
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Discography:
Discography:
Only Sixteen
Decca F11055 1958 Nothin' Shakin'/ Sitting In A Tree House
Decca F11075 1958 Go Chase A Moonbeam/ Are You Really Mine
Top Rank JAR110 1959 Come Softly To Me/ Golden Girl
Top Rank JAR133 1959 A Teenager In Love/ The 39 Steps #13
Top Rank JAR159 1959 Only Sixteen/ My First Love Affair #1
Top Rank JAR204 1959 The Riddle Of Love/ Wish It Were Me
Top Rank JAR268 1960 Pretty Blue Eyes/ Sandy #4
Top Rank JAR340 1960 Heart Of A Teenage Girl/ New Boy #10
Top Rank JAR406 1960 Oh! What A Day/ Why, Why, Why #43
Top Rank JAR515 1960 Where's The Girl/ My Hour Of Love
Top Rank JAR543 1961 The Girl Next Door/ Hey Mr. Conscience
Top Rank JAR555 1961 A Hundred Pounds Of Clay/ Hello Spring #9
Top Rank JAR556 1961 A Hundred Pounds Of Clay (Amended Version)/ Hello Spring
Top Rank JAR569 1961 Time/ After All #9
Top Rank JAR589 1961 No Greater Love/ We'll Have A Lot To Tell The Children
Top Rank JAR603 1962 A Change Of Heart/ Another You
Top Rank JAR610 1962 When My Little Girl Is Smiling/ Ring-A-Ding #9
Columbia DB4854 1962 Our Favorite (sic) Melodies/ Rainbows #9
Decca F11523 1962 Oh, Lonesome Me/ Please Don't Take My Heart #15
Decca F11575 1963 Town Crier/ I'd Be Smiling Now #36
Decca F11665 1963 Danke Schoen/ Teenage Mona Lisa
Decca F11722 1963 I'm So Glad I Found Her/ Love Her While She's Young
Decca F11763 1963 Counting Up The Kisses/ From Russia With Love
Fontana TF458 1964 Silly Boy/ Leave Me Alone
Fontana TF475 1964 Come Closer/ She's Smiling At Me
Fontana TF525 1965 Across The Street/ Party Girl
Fontana TF580 1965 Around The Corner/ Find The Girl
Fontana TF690 1966 I'm On The Outside Looking In/ Knock On Any Door
Pye 7N17746 1969 How Do You Feel About That/ Then
Pye 7N17863 1969 Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head/ Don't Mind If I Cry
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