Vivien Foreman (aka Julie Grant) was born on 12 July 1946 in Blackpool, Lancashire, and she was a keen performer even as a child, making her British stage debut as one of the Siamese children in the original production of 'The King And I' in London’s West End. After winning a talent contest at Brighton’s Butlin’s holiday camp in 1960 (beating none other than Helen Shapiro), she began singing semi-professionally in working men’s clubs in Leeds, where she then lived. Her father shared an accountant with established star Frankie Vaughan, and Julian Grant arranged an audition for her with a manager in London, giving her a new name based on his own, and she was soon signed to Pye Records. Her debut single 'Somebody Tell Him' was released in April 1962 but failed to sell, and subsequent singles 'So Many Ways' and 'When You're Smiling' suffered the same fate. Frustrated that her talent wasn’t translating into sales, Pye bosses turned to the songbook of up-and-coming writers Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and she cut a version of The Drifters' US hit 'Up On The Roof', which resulted in a UK top 40 hit in January 1963. The follow up, the bouncy 'Count On Me', made the top 30, as Grant hit the headlines over her friendship with The Beatles, and rumoured romance with George Harrison. After a change in style resulted in 'That's How Heartaches Are Made' being a flop, she returned to poppier fare with the 45s 'Don't Let Me Down' and 'Hello Love', but they couldn’t recapture her previous success, despite a national tour with The Everly Brothers and The Rolling Stones. It took the subtler 'Come To Me' in 1964 to see her back in the UK top 40, but by the time of her next release 'Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)' in January 1965, Pye had begun to lose interest in her, failing to adequately promote her next three singles, and when they all failed to chart, her contract was not renewed. Shortly afterwards she joined Spanish group The Zaras as lead singer and began touring mainland Europe and the US. She ended up moving to the States permanently, and now runs her own talent agency. While her first few singles were very much formulaic early 60's pop, around 1964 she started to cover US Motown acts, and from then on her music became more soulful, so this collection concentrates on this later, more sophisticated part of her career.
Track listing
01 Count On Me (single 1963)
02 Then, Only Then (b-side of 'Count On Me')
03 That's How Heartaches Are Made (single 1963)
04 Cruel World (b-side of 'That's How Heartaches Are Made')
05 Every Day I Have To Cry (single 1964)
06 Watch What You Do With My Baby (b-side of 'Every Day I Have To Cry')
07 Lonely Without You (single 1964)
08 As Long As He Knows He's Mine (b-side of 'Lonely Without You')
09 You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You (single 1964)
10 I Only Care About You (b-side of 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You')
11 Come To Me (single 1964)
12 Can't Get You Out Of My Mind (b-side of 'Come To Me')
13 Stop (single 1965)
14 When The Lovin' Ends (b-side of 'Stop')
15 Giving Up (single 1965)
16 'Cause I Believe In You (b-side of 'Giving Up')
17 Baby, Baby (I Still Love You) (single 1965)
18 My World Is Empty (Without You) (b-side of 'Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)')
03 That's How Heartaches Are Made (single 1963)
04 Cruel World (b-side of 'That's How Heartaches Are Made')
05 Every Day I Have To Cry (single 1964)
06 Watch What You Do With My Baby (b-side of 'Every Day I Have To Cry')
07 Lonely Without You (single 1964)
08 As Long As He Knows He's Mine (b-side of 'Lonely Without You')
09 You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You (single 1964)
10 I Only Care About You (b-side of 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You')
11 Come To Me (single 1964)
12 Can't Get You Out Of My Mind (b-side of 'Come To Me')
13 Stop (single 1965)
14 When The Lovin' Ends (b-side of 'Stop')
15 Giving Up (single 1965)
16 'Cause I Believe In You (b-side of 'Giving Up')
17 Baby, Baby (I Still Love You) (single 1965)
18 My World Is Empty (Without You) (b-side of 'Baby, Baby (I Still Love You)')
