JENNY WREN - CHASING MY DREAM ALL OVER TOWN

 

just looking at this for sale on pete smith,s for sale item,s made me wonder if this jenny wren is the

same one who was on the good old days on tv many years ago, she always got to sing an old music hall classic most weeks or do duet,s with some of the star guests that were on the show ???.

joe.

Can't remember the one on the good old days but this one was a black girl or mixed race girl from Dudley - she only used the name Jenny Wren for the two Fontana singles so probably not.  recorded as Jeannie Dee after that I think or jenny darren, I get them mixed up.

Thanks for the info pete, thought it was a bit of a longshot, joe

Check out this version, a couple of years before Jenny Wren, but unissued

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8WwkbwVjvk

Sounds earlier dosen, t it to my ears anyway

Check out this version, a couple of years before Jenny Wren, but unissued

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8WwkbwVjvk

 

Nick I'd love to know where that came from; I got it from Jimmy Radcliffe's son and the reason it's only a minute and a half long is because the lacquer had peeled off the rest of the acetate.  I posted it up a long time ago but then when I changed pc's I forgot to keep a copy - I also lost Little Anthony's version of Magic Carpet Ride and a few others - and this is the first time I've heard it since.  It's the original demo for the Jenny Wren record.

p.s. I think the poster of the youtube clip actually is Jimmy Radcliffe's son.

Is it really Barbara English?

Is it really Barbara English?

 

Yes it is, she was his regular demo singer.

I think I have got the only copy in existence of the original version of this - Barbara Jean English - that actually plays all of the way through. I played it at the last Prestatyn Weekender (2017). You can find it on my Youtube playlist taken from my sets from this event. It starts at 22:25.

 

She must have been quite well-read in the classics.  Jenny Wren was one of the characters in Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" (certainly not that well known in 1950s and '60s USA, especially among The Black Community).  I think most of the Soul music artist would have been hard pressed to name a character from "Great Expectations", "David Copperfield" or Oliver Twist" (perhaps they wouldn't even have known "Ebenezer Scrooge".

The name goes back way further than Dickens , been in common usage in the ornithological sense for many centuries , as well as in nursery rhymes .

8 hours ago, WoodButcher said:

The name goes back way further than Dickens , been in common usage in the ornithological sense for many centuries , as well as in nursery rhymes .

I know.  She was one of the main characters in "Who Killed Cock Robin?"  But I was referring only to humans having that given and surname combination.

13 hours ago, georgeblackwell said:

I think I have got the only copy in existence of the original version of this - Barbara Jean English - that actually plays all of the way through. I played it at the last Prestatyn Weekender (2017). You can find it on my Youtube playlist taken from my sets from this event. It starts at 22:25.

 

Absolutely fantastic, thanks for posting it.  Same as the one I had - just much longer

12 hours ago, RobbK said:

She must have been quite well-read in the classics.  Jenny Wren was one of the characters in Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" (certainly not that well known in 1950s and '60s USA, especially among The Black Community).  I think most of the Soul music artist would have been hard pressed to name a character from "Great Expectations", "David Copperfield" or Oliver Twist" (perhaps they wouldn't even have known "Ebenezer Scrooge".

Probably not though - her name was Jenny Darren - hence Jenny - and she came from near the Wrens Nest area of Dudley - hence Wren...

Have to say Steve, your mixes are probably the best I've ever heard.  Apart from mine. 

3 hours ago, RobbK said:

I know.  She was one of the main characters in "Who Killed Cock Robin?"  But I was referring only to humans having that given and surname combination.

But her real name was 'Fanny Cleaver' and she called herself 'Jenny Wren' , presumably taking it from the bird ... 

1 hour ago, WoodButcher said:

But her real name was 'Fanny Cleaver' and she called herself 'Jenny Wren' , presumably taking it from the bird ... 

Wonder what made her change her name?

 

11 minutes ago, Pete S said:

Wonder what made her change her name?

 

Ha-ha.....I wonder as well......Rob

I think her real name was Jenny Allen and went to Sir Gilbert Claughton school in Dudley,she appeared at the Civic Hall with Wayne Fontana and Manfred Mann she apparently got her break via Fontana PR man Jack Baverstock

This is what I found on the net about her credit to historywebsite.co.uk

Jenny Allen (Wren)

The name of Jenny Allen first came to local notice in 1964 when she was a mere 15 year-old. She was originally backed by a group called Les Jondors.

She signed a recording contract in 1965 and took the name Jenny Wren. She was still a pupil at the then Sir Gilbert Claughton School in Dudley. She apparently got her break as a result of Fontana's A&R man, Jack Baverstock, (so influential with Ambrose Slade) hearing her.

She released two records on Fontana, Chasing My Dreams All Over Town and The Merry-Go-Round Is Slowing You Down.

She appeared at the Civic with Manfred Mann and Wayne Fontana. Her later backing groups were called the Jackdaws, Outlook and Fashion.

10 hours ago, Pete S said:

Probably not though - her name was Jenny Darren - hence Jenny - and she came from near the Wrens Nest area of Dudley - hence Wren...

Nice detective work!

On 5/30/2017 at 12:22, georgeblackwell said:

I think I have got the only copy in existence of the original version of this - Barbara Jean English - that actually plays all of the way through. I played it at the last Prestatyn Weekender (2017). You can find it on my Youtube playlist taken from my sets from this event. It starts at 22:25.

 

What a great playlist, really enjoyed thanks Ian

Changed her name to wren instead of farthing cause she had far to many

For anyone that is interested? Jenny has kindly replied back to me on a comment I made on another youtubers upload and gave a link to her website https://www.jennydarren.com/

Hi everyone.... I AM THE JENNY WREN mentioned here. Firstly, my real surname was Phillips. My Manager named me Wren because I was tiny in stature, and sang like a bird (allegedly) Allen was also a temporary stage name. I was 14 when I recorded Chasing my Dream all over town. I went professional at the age of 16...and I have sang professionally ever since. For many years I was a jazz singer, with the name Jenny Darren, indeed I have been Jenny Darren since the age of 18. I had a 7 Year Classic Rock career in my 20’s.  I have recently gone back to it, and had a new release in August 2017. Preceding that, I released an album in 2016,with the Finnish Prog band Paidarion. The year before, a compilation album called Heartbreaker. I have released 8 albums in total, one being with the Birmingham band Secomd City Sound in the late 60’s. I am NOT  black. I dyed my hair and wore dark make up at the time. I am actually fair haired. Check me out on a Google , and my website... www.jennydarren.com I also work with guitarist Muddy Manninen (formerly of Wishbone Ash) my albums are as follows: Love is Blue (with second city sound) City lights, Jenny Darren 1, Queen of fools, Jenny Darren 2, Heartbreaker, With  Paidarion -The Finlandia Project, Ladykiller, plus around 25 singles. I will be on Wikipedia soon, for those who may prefer even more accuracy. 

Jenny we thought you were called Wren because you came from Wren's Nest in Dudley lol