Lesley Hornby was born on 19 September 1949 and raised in Neasden, and her mother taught her to sew from an early age, being able to use this skill to make her own clothes, and sparking her interest in fashion. In January 1966, aged 16, she had her hair coloured and cut short in London at Leonard of Mayfair, owned by celebrity hairdresser Leonard, and as the hair stylist was looking for models on whom to try out his new crop haircut, a professional photographer Barry Lategan took several photos of Hornby, which the hairdresser hung in his salon. Deirdre McSharry, a fashion journalist from the Daily Express, saw the images and asked to meet the young girl, and after arranging to have more photos taken, the publication featured an article and images of Hornby, declaring her "The Face of '66". Hornby's career quickly took off, and with her streamlined, androgynous sex appeal, and change of name to Twiggy (from "Twigs", her childhood nickname), she was soon seen in all the leading fashion magazines, commanding fees of £80 an hour, bringing out her own line of clothes called "Twiggy Dresses" in 1967, and taking the fashion world by storm. She began modeling extensively, quickly gaining international recognition, and her appearance on the cover of the U.S. edition of the leading fashion magazine Vogue (April 1967) heralded her rise to fame. She extended her celebrity into a singing career, releasing an award-winning debut single 'Beautiful Dreams' in 1967, and following this with 'When I Think Of You' later the same year. In 1970, Twiggy retired from modeling, and Ken Russell cast her in the starring role of his campy homage to musicals of the 20's and 30's, 'The Boy Friend'.
Released in 1971, the film found Twiggy not just acting but singing and dancing as well, and while the film was a disappointment at the box office, for the most part critics were kind to Twiggy's work in the film. Three of her songs from the soundtrack album were later released as singles, and in 1971 she cut a one-off single for Bell Records, 'Zoo Dee Zoo Zong'/'Little Pleasure Acre'. In 1974 she was given her own musical variety series on BBC television, and after the show was renewed for a second season, she signed an international recording contract with Phonogram, with her 1976 self-titled debut album being a commercial success in the U.K., and spawning the hit single 'Here I Go Again'. A follow-up album titled 'Please Get My Name Right' was released in 1977, with the backing being supplied by the American group Clover, who would also back Elvis Costello on his debut album 'My Aim Is True' later the same year. A third album for Mercury was recorded but not released, though a single from the sessions, 'Tomorrow Is Another Day', was issued in late 1977. After cutting a single with longtime friend David Essex in 1978, she recorded a disco album with production help from Donna Summer and Juergen Koppers, but with disco losing ground in the marketplace, the album went unreleased until 2007, when it was eventually issued as 'Heaven in My Eyes'. Through much of the 1980's she concentrated on her acting, and the singing career took a backseat, so this collection encapsulates her time in the music business, with her singles and b-sides from that first 1967 offering up to her retirement following the release of the David Essex song 'Falling Angel' in 1978. As the singles from 'The Boy Friend' were very theatrical, I've edited out a lot of the dancing in 'A Room In Bloomsbury' and faded 'I Could Be Happy With You' so that we just have the music.
01 Beautiful Dreams (single 1967)
02 I Need Your Hand In Mine (b-side of 'Beautiful Dreams')
03 When I Think Of You (single 1967)
04 Over And Over (b-side of 'When I Think Of You')
05 Zoo De Zoo Zong (single 1971)
06 Little Pleasure Acre (b-side of 'Zoo De Zoo Zong')
07 A Room In Bloomsbury (single by Twiggy & Christopher Gable 1972)
08 You Are My Lucky Star (single 1972)
09 All I Do Is Dream (b-side of 'You Are My Lucky Star')
10 I Could Be Happy With You (b-side of 'Overture "The Boyfriend" 1972)
11 It's De-Lovely (from the soundtrack to the 'Cole Porter In Paris' TV special 1973)
12 In Love Together (b-side of 'Here I Go Again' 1976)
13 A Woman In Love (single 1977)
16 Falling Angel (single 1978)
17 Virginia (And The Circus Side Show) (b-side of 'Falling Angel')
