Tara Daynes, chorister
As a student at St. Winifred’s Catholic primary school in Stockport, I joined the choir after it had been established for about eight years and already had a record deal. Our choir director, Miss Foley, was a strict but excellent leader with her signature Deirdre Barlow glasses. She did not hesitate to push us to our limits and did not tolerate any misbehavior. We released several albums and performed at numerous events before recording our hit single, “There’s No One Quite Like Grandma.” After meeting the songwriter, Gordon Lorenz, backstage at one of our concerts, Miss Foley instructed us to learn all the harmonies and parts for the song.
We captured the audio at Strawberry Studios, which was only a five-minute walk away. Although I was just 10 years old and very short, they placed me at the front next to a young child who had a great singing voice but was prone to getting sick. One time, she even threw up on my feet. During the recording session, she passed out and fell to the ground, but someone from the control booth reassured us that she landed on the carpet and we didn’t hear a thing.
A group of individuals secretly entered the library to listen to the ranking of songs and celebrated when it debuted at No. 16 in December 1980. Coincidentally, John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over was also on the charts during this time. However, when he was tragically killed, Sister Aquinas, the headmistress who was a nun, couldn’t help but think selfishly about the impact on their sales. Despite this, their sales actually increased and they surpassed Lennon for the top spot. It was hard to believe, but they became the Christmas No. 1.
While performing on Top of the Pops, we were instructed by the producers to repeat the song and put a little more energy and smiles into our performance. We were always reminded not to bother the main talent. However, when we appeared on Jim’ll Fix It, two children requested to sing with us and we were kept separate from Jimmy Savile. In school, there was a framed letter from him on the noticeboard that was eventually taken down. During our time at the BBC, I held the door for Terry Wogan, who swiftly walked by with his large cigar. On Pebble Mill at One, we had the pleasure of meeting Telly Savalas, known for his role as Kojak, who had freckles on his bald head.
I do not mind if it is included in lists of the worst Christmas songs ever. Despite its somewhat unpleasant nature, it has a catchy quality and is relatable due to its family theme. It remained on the music charts for 11 weeks. We had a great experience and I have always been grateful for the opportunity to do all of that.
Peter Tattersall, producer
In 1967, I established Strawberry Studios and with the investment of 10cc, we produced their hit songs such as “I’m Not in Love” and also worked with bands like Buzzcocks and Joy Division. One day, I heard my daughter Paula singing in the St Winifred’s school choir and saw potential in them. I suggested to the headmistress that they should make an album to sell to parents and raise funds for the school. Thanks to one parent sending it to someone at Yorkshire TV, we were featured on Stars on Sunday and our success skyrocketed.
In the past, I would receive tapes at the studio, one of which was the Grandma song. After listening to it, I found myself unable to get the catchy tune out of my head that night. The song was originally written by Gordon Lorenz for Queen Mother’s 80th birthday in August, but I believed it would make a great Christmas single and my intuition was proven right. We brought in a choir mistress and Mike Timoney provided a simple keyboard backing track. The children involved were always well-behaved and dressed smartly. Dawn Ralph was the soloist, with pigtails, missing front teeth, and a charming voice with a slight lisp. I immediately thought she would be perfect for television.
Bypass the promotion for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Our label, Music for Pleasure, did not release singles and was rejected by all other record companies. However, after our music director continued to play the song, he changed his mind. The 7-inch record sold quickly in stores. Then, after it was played on Radio 2 by Terry Wogan, it earned a silver record by lunchtime and became gold by the evening.
In 1980, our single was the top-selling song and we were honored with an Ivor Novello award. Despite the competition from the Police and Barbra Streisand, we managed to sell almost 1 million copies in the UK and 1.3 million worldwide. As a result, we had opportunities like performing with Abba and meeting Margaret Thatcher. What makes me most proud is that all the royalties were donated to our school, allowing for the purchase of numerous books for the library and new carpets for the building.
Source: theguardian.com
