Friday, June 21, 2013

In memoriam Mrs. Mill -- piano medley

   
Gladys Mills
Mrs. Mills
Mrs. Mills (All Time Party Dances) Album Cover.jpg
 
Background information
Birth nameGladys Jordan
Born(1918-08-29)29 August 1918
Beckton, London, England, UK
Died24 February 1978(1978-02-24)
London, England
Genressing-along
OccupationsMusician, Singer
Instrumentspiano
Years active1960s & 1970s
LabelsParlophone
Capitol (Canada)
 
 
Gladys Mills, née Gladys Jordan (29 August 1918 – 24 February 1978), better known as Mrs. Mills, was a pianist who was active in the 1960s and 1970s, and who released many records.
 
Her repertoire included many sing-along and party tunes made popular in the music hall.

Contents

 

She was born in Beckton, East London, England.
 
Her uncle Henry was a harp player and her mother was a main influence in developing her musical ability.
 
She took piano lessons from the age of 3½ to the age of seven.
 
 
While working as the superintendent of the typing pool in the office of the Paymaster General in London, she was spotted by a talent scout at a Woodford Golf Club dance near her home in Loughton, Essex (where she lived most of her life).
 
In December 1961, she made her first television appearance on The Billy Cotton Show.
 
By the end of January 1962, she would be a household name.

Mrs Mills shot to fame during the same period as her stable-mates The Beatles, with whom she shared space at Abbey Road Studios (as mentioned in the Beatles Anthology DVD bonus materials).

Mills was signed to a management contract by Eric Easton who later went on to manage The Dave Clark Five and The Rolling Stones.
 
After signing to Parlophone, she released her first record — the "Mrs Mills Medley" single — which entered the Top Twenty of the UK Singles Chart, and her career as an entertainer began — a career that would last well into the 1970s.
 
She toured the UK, making many appearances on TV and radio throughout this period.
 
Mills was also a successful recording artist overseas in territories where there were large numbers of expatriates from the UK including Australia, Canada and Hong Kong.
 
 
Her oeuvre consisted of standards (British and international), plus cover versions of contemporary hits.
 
A 2003 release (The Very Best Of Mrs Mills, on EMI Gold) includes such hits as
 
"Hello, Dolly!
 
She appeared on two episodes of The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1971 and 1974, where she performed a medley of favourites with the studio orchestra.
 
Another satirical example of Mills' style of performance came in an edition of the BBC TV's The Two Ronnies.
 
The sketch ("Family Entertainment — John and Mrs Mills") occupied the end-of-the-show musical slot, with Ronnie Barker as the silk-laden Mrs Mills at piano, and Ronnie Corbett as a uniformed Sir John Mills (who was no relation).
 
They performed a medley of Mills-style classics (on the theme of Mills's character in the 1969 film Oh! What a Lovely War).
 
The show (series 4; episode 4) was originally broadcast on BBC Two on 23 January 1975.
 
In 1973, she appeared in an episode of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.
 
 
In December 1974, she appeared as the subject of This Is Your Life, hosted by Eamonn Andrews, when it was revealed that the first record she had recorded was "The Girl In Calico", cut in a make-your-own-record booth on Southend Pier, for a half-crown, with her girlhood pal Lily Dormer.
 
 
Little was seen of Mills on television in her final years and she died of a heart attack on 24 February 1978 in London.

Loughton Town Council commissioned a blue plaque to her memory on the house at 43, Barncroft Close, her home for many years.
 
Although Mills's musical legacy had been largely forgotten in recent times, June 2012 saw the emergence of London-based tribute band The Mrs Mills Experience with a debut at The Vintage Festival at Boughton House in Northamptonshire.
 
On July 13 they were filmed playing live at The Prince Albert pub in Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth by the BBC.
 
On 23 September 2012 BBC Four broadcast the 60-minute documentary
 
Let's Have a Party! The Piano Genius of Mrs Mills
 
on the life of Mills, which included footage of the band and contributions from Rick Wakeman, Rowland Rivron and Pete Murray, amongst others.
 

A Best of CD was released by the EMI Gold imprint, and another CD (The Mrs Mills Collection) appeared on the HMV Easy label.
 
A list of her UK output (according to a vast, now lost Parlophone listing from the web) is as follows:

EMI/Parlophone Records — singles (all mono) with The Geoff Love Orchestra

Catalogue NumberIssue DateTitle
R 48561961“Mrs Mills Medley” parts 1&2
R 48631962“Popcorn”/”Bobbikins”
R 49331962“Entry Of The Tradiators”/”South Rampart Street Parade”
R 49751963“Mrs Mills Hoe-Down Party” parts 1&2
R 50081963“Bubblin’ Over”/”The First Waltz”
R 52141964“We’re Gonna Throw A Little Party (Y’ All Come)”/”Ten Green Bottles”
R 52381964“Mrs Mills’ Minstrel Medley” parts 1&2
R 5367November 1965“Mrs Mills’ Party Medley” parts 1&2
R 5399January 1966“Newsboy”/”Someone Like You”
R 5549December 1966“Glad Today Medley”/”Glad Yesterday Medley”
R 5599April 1967“I Was Queen Victoria’s Chambermaid”/”Thank You Everybody"
R 5653November 1967“Party Hit Parade” parts 1&2
R 56781968“Candy Floss”/”Indian Summer”
R 57481968“Glad’s Party” parts 1&2
R 5822November 1969"Battle Of Britain Medley"/"A Wee Drop Of Scotch"
R 58341970“The Champs Elysees”/”Kiss Curl Caper” (listed as Mrs Mills And Her Happy Piano)
R 5877November 1970“Mrs Mills’ Minstrel Medley” parts 1&2
R 5950April 1972“Sunshine”/”Bobbikins”

EMI/Parlophone Records — EPs (all mono) [edit]

Catalogue NumberIssue DateTitle
GEP 88611962“The Happy Piano Player” (released in NZ as MGEP 8861)
GEP 88651962“Mrs Mills Plays The Roaring Twenties”
GEP 89181964“Everybody’s Welcome At Mrs Mills’ Party”
GEP 89351963“Any Time’s Party Time With Mrs Mills”
GEP 89431965“It’s Party Time!”
GEP 89581966“Mrs Mills’ Party”

EMI/Parlophone Records — LPs (PMC: mono, PCS: stereo) [edit]

Catalogue NumberIssue DateTitle
PMC 11781962"Mrs Mills Plays The Roaring Twenties", also released in 1962 by The World Record Club in Great Britain, on their label, number ST994, showing a portrait cover art
PMC 1212November 1963"Everybody’s Welcome at Mrs Mills' Party"
PMC 12341964"It's Party Time!"
PMC 1254September 1964"Music For Anytime"
PMC 1264November 1965"Mrs Mills' Party"
PCS 30301962"Mrs Mills Plays The Roaring Twenties"
PCS 3049November 1963"Everybody's Welcome at Mrs Mills' Party"
PCS 3070September 1965"Music For Anytime"
PCS 3074November 1965"Mrs Mills' Party"
PMC/PCS 7002April 1966"Especially For You"
PMC/PCS 70101966"Come To My Party"
PMC/PCS 7020April 1967"Look Mum - No Hands!"
PCS 7035December 1967"Let's Have Another Party"
PCS 7046April 1968"Summer Party"
PCS 7066November 1968"Party Pieces"
PCS 7080July 1969"Back To The Roaring Twenties"
PCS 7087January 1970"Party Mixture"
PCS 7117November 1970"Bumper Bundle Party"
PCS 7129July 1971"More Music For Anytime"
PCS 7143January 1972"Music Hall Party"
PCS 7152July 1972"Anytime Is Party Time"
PCS 7153October 1972"Another Flippin’ Party"
PCS 7166June 1974"Hollywood Party"
PCS 7167November 1974"It's Party Time Again"

EMI/Music For Pleasure Records — LPs (all stereo) [edit]

Catalogue NumberIssue DateTitle
MFP 52251966"I'm Mighty Glad"
MFP 14061967"Your One and Only Mrs Mills"
MFP 500091974"Piano Singalong" (released in Australia on Axis label, featuring a Straube player-piano as the album art)
MFP 502201975"Glad with Love" (Mrs Mills and Geoff Love Singalong Together)
MFP 502301975"Mrs Mills Knees-Up Party"

Other recordings (all stereo) [edit]

Record LabelCatalogue NumberIssue DateInformation
Regal Starline RecordsSRS 50291970Party Sing-Along (released in Australia on EMI Parlophone label)
Regal Starline RecordsSRS 50891971All Time Party Dances (released in Australia on EMI Parlophone label)
EMI/Encore RecordsONCR 5081971All Time Party Dances and Other Favourites (released in Australia on Axis label, comprising All Time Party Dances LP, plus selected tracks from other Parlophone albums)
EMI/One-Up RecordsOU 20761970-79It's Party Time! (reissue). Also released in Scotland, with album art showing Mrs Mills with various cute puppies.
EMI/One-Up RecordsOU 21971977Glad Tidings — Mrs Mills' Christmas Party
EMI/Sounds Superb RecordsSPR 900121973Non-Stop Honky-Tonk Party (blue or purple background)
EMI/Double-Up RecordsDUO 1081973What a Wonderful Party (double album. The cover shows a chimps tea-party). Selections from this double album were released in Australia as Parlophone SPMEO 10164, What a Wonderful Party, with a cartoon-style piano cover.
EMI/Double-Up RecordsDUO 1221976Jumbo-Party (double album — elephant cover). These albums were released separately in Australia as Jumbo Party, Volume 1 and 2, EMI EMB 10383 and 10384 respectively.
Liberty RecordsLST-7359UnknownMy Mother the Ragtime Piano Player — 6-track, 33rpm 7" EP — (consisting of selections from Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s)
Liberty RecordsLRP-3359 (mono) or LST-7359 (stereo)UnknownMy Mother the Ragtime Piano Player — 33 rpm 12” album, US release of Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s
UnknownUnknownUnknown"Auld Lang Syne / Happy Birthday" (distributed in South Africa)
EMI RecordsEMC 2228Unknown"Smile Smile Smile" / "Da-Dar Da-Dar" — 7 inch single
EMI RecordsEMC 30921975For Your Party — Mrs Mills Sings and Plays
Music For PleasureDL 41 1058 31984Piano Party Time — double album, a re-release of Music for Anytime and Mrs Mills Party
Capitol CanadaST6082UnknownMrs Mills & Russ ConwayLet's Have a Party — (Mrs Mills content consists of various singles such as "Entry of the Tradiators" and "Ten Green Bottles", plus two tracks from Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s
Capitol CanadaST6151UnknownAnother Party with Mrs Mills — (Canadian release of Mrs Mills Party)
Deutscher SchallplattenclubH-044UnknownMrs Mills — Am Schräger Klavier ("At the Diagonal Piano") — (German release of Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s)
Telemark Dance Records892Unknown"Candy Floss / Someone Like You" – 7 inch single
S*R International Label74989-P12UnknownMrs Mills' Crazy Party — German release, consisting of various selections from Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s interspersed with traditional jazz tunes from The New Orleans Hot Dogs
EMI OdeonO 23 390Unknown"Mrs Mills Klimperkasten Potpourri" — German release of "Glad Today" and "Glad Yesterday" — 7 inch 45rpm single

References

 
    Sharon Mawer. "Mrs. Mills". Allmusic. Retrieved 16 April 2012. 
Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 371. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
Alexis Petridis. "The bizarre lost world of 1970s cabaret pop | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2012. 
 Loughton Town Council - Blue Heritage Plaques. Loughton-tc.gov.uk (1914-08-23). Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
Mrs Mills Experience being filmed by the [[BBC]] at the Brixton Offline Club, Prince Albert Coldharbour Lane, London SW9". Mrmills.org. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-18.  Wikilink embedded in URL title (help). Mrsmills.org (2012-07-13). Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
BBC Four - Let's Have a Party! The Piano Genius of Mrs Mills. Bbc.co.uk (2012-10-27). Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
    

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