Sharon Tandy RIP

It's been some time since I did an update on musicians who have died recently, but as ever the Grim Reaper has been busy.
Sharon Tandy, who was 71, was a South African blue eyed soul singer who made some decent
records during the sixties but never had a hit. She was discovered by Frank Fenter when she appeared in a movie called Africa Shakes and he brought her to the UK, where she recorded for Pye and Mercury. Fenter became UK head of Atlantic and it was for that label that she recorded her best work at a time when there were few UK-based artists on the label. She even recorded at Stax with Booker T and the MGs and opened the bill on the 1967 Stax/Volt European tour. Her best known 45s included Toe Hold, produced by Tom Dowd, Hold On, Fool On The Hill, You've Gotta Believe It and The Way She Looks At You. She also recorded with freakbeat group the Fleur De Lys and as Tony and Tandy with the band's lead singer Tony Head on the excellent The Bitter And The Sweet. Having split with Fenter she returned to South Africa where she enjoyed local success.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMbXKPZWizY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mods-f-_scU

Another female UK singer to have died is Jackie Trent at the age of 75. She recorded numerous records for Oriole, Piccadilly and Pye in the mid sixties and enjoyed a big hit with Where Are You Now My Love, but is best known for her songwriting partnership with future husband Tony Hatch. Together they had songwriting success with Petula Clark and Scott Walker and their songs were also recorded by Frank Sinatra, Jack Jones, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Bassey and Dean Martin.
A final word too for Michael Brown, former member of US group The Left Banke, who wrote the Four Tops smash Walk Away Renee. Also Andy Fraser, bass player with Free, Daevid Allen, guitarist and original member of Soft Machine, and Jimmy Greenspoon , a member of Three Dog Night. Also John Redbourn, founder of folk group Pentangle. And let's not forget the great Leonard Nimoy, who lived long and prospered.