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Dick James

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For the American football player, seeDick James (American football).

Dick James
Born
Reginald Isaac Leon Vapnick

(1920-12-12)12 December 1920
London,England
Died1 February 1986(1986-02-01)(aged 65)
London, England
Occupations
  • Singer
  • music publisher
Years active
  • 1937–1958(singer)
  • 1958–1986(music publisher)
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1942–1945
UnitKing's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Parachute Regiment
Battles/warsWorld War II

Dick James(bornReginald Leon Isaac Vapnick;12 December 1920 – 1 February 1986) was a Britishmusic publisherand singer. He andBrian Epsteinestablishedthe Beatles' publisherNorthern Songs.Later, with his son Stephen, James founded theDJMrecord label and recording studios, which signedElton JohnandBernie Taupin.

Early life[edit]

James was born on 12 December 1920 in theEast End of London,to Polish Jewish immigrants. His father was a kosher butcher.[1][2]

He sang with North London dance bands in his early teens, and was a regular vocalist at the Cricklewood Palais by the age of seventeen. James joined theHenry Hallband, and made first radio broadcast in 1940, but joined theArmyin 1942. AfterWorld War IIhe continued to sing with leading bands, includingGeraldo's. Later still, James was also a part-time member ofThe Stargazers,a popular early 1950s vocal group.[3]In the 1950s he often appeared in the top tenMelody Makervocal charts alongside the likes of Dickie Valentine and Frank Holder.

He was the singer of thetheme songsofThe Adventures of Robin HoodandThe Buccaneers,fromBritish televisionin the 1950s, and was a friend and associate of the record producerGeorge Martin.[4]

Switch to publishing[edit]

James entered themusic publishingbusiness as his singing career tapered off. In 1958, he joined Sidney Bron Music as a song-plugger but decided to leave and open Dick James Music in 1961. In early 1963, he was contacted byBrian Epsteinwho was looking for a publisher for the second Beatles single, "Please Please Me".James called Philip Jones, producer of the TV showThank Your Lucky Stars,played the record down the phone to him and secured the band's first nationwide television appearance.[5]The pair subsequently establishedNorthern SongsLtd., withBeatlesJohn LennonandPaul McCartney,to publish Lennon and McCartney's original songs[6](fellow BeatlesGeorge HarrisonandRingo Starrwere also signed to Northern Songs as songwriters, but did not renew their contracts in 1968). James's company, Dick James Music, administered Northern Songs.[7]

What initially began as an amicable working relationship between the Beatles and James disintegrated by the late 1960s: the Beatles considered that James had betrayed and taken advantage of them when he sold Northern Songs in 1969 without offering the band an opportunity to buy control of the publishing company. James profited handsomely from the sale of Northern Songs, but the Beatles never again had the rights to their own songs.[8]

During the 1960s, James also handledBilly J. KramerandGerry and the Pacemakers.James lived in Anson Road,Cricklewood,north-west London, in the 1960s. He was involved, along with Brian Epstein, in offeringBobby Willisa singing contract which he turned down on his future wife,Cilla Black's, insistence. Willis was a backing singer on Cilla Black's "You're My World".[citation needed]

Later days[edit]

James signedElton John(then known as Reginald Dwight) and his lyricistBernie Taupinas untried unknowns in 1967 after his son, Stephen, who had been working with his father since 1963, found Dwight using their recording studios late at night without permission. Stephen, who had started the recording studios and opened a record production company called This Productions, formedDJM Recordsin 1969.[citation needed]

Stephen instigated Dwight's adoption of the stage name "Elton John" and oversaw his first recording contract. All of John's releases up to 1976 were issued on the DJM record label. The label also carriedJasper Carrott,RAH Band,Danny Kirwan,andJohn Inman.[citation needed]

John formed his ownRocketlabel in 1973, but in 1982 he was involved in a court case with James aboutroyalties.[9]

In June 1985, the British music magazineNMEreported that John was suing James over the rights to his earlier material – a case which John lost.[10]

Death[edit]

James died in London of a heart attack on 1 February 1986, at the age of 65. Dick James Music was acquired byPolyGramwhich was, in turn, bought byUniversal Music Group.The Dick James catalog is currently part ofUniversal Music Publishing Group.

UK chart hits[edit]

  • "Robin Hood" / "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (1956) – number 14
  • "Garden of Eden" (1957) – number 18[11]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Talevski, Nick (7 April 2010).Rock Obituaries: Knocking On Heaven's Door.Omnibus Press.ISBN9780857121172.Retrieved1 August2020– via Google Books.
  2. ^Brown, Peter; Gaines, Steven (5 November 2002).The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles.Penguin.ISBN9781440674075.Retrieved1 August2020– via Google Books.
  3. ^"Stargazers".CHARTWATCH.Archived fromthe originalon 18 April 2005.
  4. ^Tobler, John (1992).NME Rock 'N' Roll Years(1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 23. CN 5585.
  5. ^Coleman, Ray (1990).Brian Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles.London: Penguin. p. 118.
  6. ^Tobler, John (1992).NME Rock 'N' Roll Years(1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 117. CN 5585.
  7. ^Spitz 2005. p. 365
  8. ^Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia. p. 573
  9. ^Schuster, Gary."Songwriters and Music Publishers: Partners in Rhyme?".Jacobowitz and Gubits, LLP.Archived fromthe originalon 20 March 2006.
  10. ^Tobler, John (1992).NME Rock 'N' Roll Years(1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 405. CN 5585.
  11. ^Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 278.ISBN1-904994-10-5.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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