Samantha Jones (singer)
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Samantha Jones (real name Jean Owen) (born November 17, 1943) is a British singer and entertainer from Liverpool, England, whose career in show business spanned the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. Her recordings experienced a revival in the 1990s-2000s among devotees of British girl-group pop.
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[edit] Biography
Jean Owen started her career in 1961 as part of popular British vocal group The Vernons Girls. During her time with the group, the line-up went from sixteen members to just three girls. The Vernons Girls released several successful 45s, including "Lover Please", "Only You Can Do It," (also released by Françoise Hardy) and one of the first Beatles tribute songs, "We Love The Beatles". They also opened for The Beatles several times and appeared with them in a TV special, "Around The World With The Beatles"
In 1964, with the help of producer Charles Blackwell, Jean went solo and signed with the international record label United Artists, who gave her the stage name Samantha Jones. She released several unsuccessful 45s (amongst them "Surrounded By A Ray Of Sunshine," later a staple on the Northern soul circuit) and one album ("Call It Samantha", US only, 1968). Samantha switched to UK label Penny Farthing in 1969 and recorded another album, "A Girl Named Sam," with acclaimed producer Mark Wirtz. One of the tracks, "Today (Without You)" gave Samantha her first taste of chart success in continental Europe, although it did not chart in the UK. A year later, Jones won Belgium's prestigious Knokke Music Festival with a version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which subsequently became a big hit in the Benelux countries. Shortly thereafter, she released her third LP "The Other Jones". In the 1970's, Samantha switched labels again, this time to EMI, and released two albums with veteran producer Walter J. Ridley. By then, Samantha had become a known cabaret act and performed on cruise ships such as the QE2. In the 80's, she attempted a comeback with the album "Goin' Places" on the Dutch label Dureco. After a period of inactivity, Samantha retired from performing in 1986. Today, Samantha lives in London.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1968 Call It Samantha US only
- 1970 A Girl Named Sam
- 1970 The Other Jones
- 1972 My Way compilation LP
- 1974 Sing It Again Sam
- 1976 The Lady Likes It Latin
- 1982 Goin' Places
[edit] Singles
- 1964 "It's All Because of You"
- 1965 "Don't Come Any Closer"
- 1965 "Chained to a Memory"
- 1966 "I Deserve It"
- 1966 "Shoes"
- 1966 "That Special Way"
- 1967 "Why Can't I Remember (To Forget You)"
- 1967 "Surrounded By a Ray of Sunshine"
- 1968 "Lovely Lonely Man"
- 1968 "And Suddenly"
- 1969 "Today Without You"
- 1969 "Do I Still Figure In Your Life"
- 1970 "My Way"
- 1970 "Best of Both Worlds"
- 1971 "No Regrets"
- 1971 "One More Mountain"
- 1972 "Don't Hang No Haloes On Me"
- 1974 "I Believed It All"
- 1982 "Living for You"
