Andre Francis

Music

These background images are of Portmeirion, Wales

Solo recordings on video - with slides

This is a selection of some of my recorded songs (and one from Imogen). They are mainly in .mp4 format. Quicktime Player and VLC Media Player should play all formats without problems, but Windows Media Player may need a plug-in. They are best listened to with quality headphones.

Crying     ... as a tribute to the great Roy Orbison.

In the Wee Small Hours   Frank Sinatra recorded this in 1955 (when I was 11 years old)

I Get Along Without You Very Well   The Hoagy Carmichael song

For the Good Times   My favourite song from Perry Como

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas   Another Sinatra classic

Saving All My Love For You   A studio recording by Imogen

Better than I     Studio recording ... of this John Bucchino song.

How do you keep the music playing?    This is my personal favourite.

This is the Moment    … from the musical ‘Jekyll and Hyde’

Beyond the Sea     ... as a tribute to Bobby Darin.

Some Enchanted Evening     … from South Pacific

Your Song     ... as a tribute to Sir Elton John and dedicated to my special girl, Imogen

As Time Goes By     "Play it for me Sam”

Can’t Help Falling in Love   The famous Elvis number

Don’t Rain on my Parade   This is a tribute to the great Bobby Darin

Fly Me to the Moon   The Sinatra favourite

Let There Be Love   Nat King Cole classic

MacArthur Park   The unforgettable Richard Harris version of the Jimi Webb song suite

My Way   Another Sinatra classic … written by Paul Anka

New York, New York   Sinatra again

Stranger in Paradise   Well-known Tony Bennett 1953 song

A Time for Us    From ‘Romeo and Juliet’, a tribute to the couples in Strictly Come Dancing, 2007

Always on my Mind   An Elvis Presley classic

Almost like being in Love   

I’ve got the World on a String   

The Tender Trap   

What a Wonderful World   The favourite from Louis Armstrong

You’ll Never Walk Alone   The classic balled from ‘Carousel’


Perry Como

Roy Orbison

Bobby Darin

Frank Sinatra

Copyright ©   Andre Francis

Solo recordings on video - live

Strangers in the Night    Impromptu version of this Sinatra song

Georgia (on my mind)   Impromptu version of this Ray Charles song

Grateful   Impromptu version of this John Bucchino song

It’s Impossible   Impromptu version of this Perry Como love song

The Way You Look Tonight   Impromptu version of this Sinatra favourite

Unexpressed   Impromptu version of this John Bucchino song

And I Love You So   Impromptu version of this emotional Perry Como love song

Always on my Mind   Impromptu version of this Elvis Presley classic (audio-only version currently)

Come Fly with Me

I’ve Got Rhythm

I’ve Got you Under my Skin

It was a Very Good Year

Send in the Clowns

That’s Life

The Very Thought of You

When I Fall in Love

John Bucchino

Ray Charles

Group recordings on Youtube Audio and video recordings integrated by Andre using Keynote, GarageBand and iMovie

The Lark in the Clear Air    Recordings made by the 8 members of the Saturday Singers semi-chorus

Hello Mary Lou   Recording made by Quorus quartet

Away in a Manger   Recording made by Quorus quartet

Group recordings (audio only) - 1 Studio recordings put onto audio cassette tape around 1976

This is a selection of some of the recorded songs originating from a folk group that I was part of at Orpington College in Kent around 1976. An old photograph below shows our group just before performing at a dinner at the college - we clearly dressed appropriately for the occasion. At one time the group consisted of the 5 members shown. Kari (at left) and me (at right) were lecturers, the other three were college students.

The photo at right shows the original members, from left: Kari, Dave, Maggie, A N Other and me.

Although these were studio recordings, they were committed to cassette tape and so the quality had deteriorated. My memory doesn’t serve me well but, listening carefully, I can only hear three of us on these recordings: Kari, Dave and me.

The Agincourt Carol   

Byker Hill   

Chicken on a Raft   

Idumea   

Lowlands   

Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth   

Randy Dandy O!

Reynard the Fox   

Rolling of the Stone   

The Banks of the Nile   

The Blacksmith   

The Claudy Banks   

The King   

The Lyke Wake Dirge   

The Times they are a-Changing   

What if a Day?   

Wondrous Love

Click to enlarge

Group recordings (audio only) - 2  Rough recordings of the final King Bees concert about Oct 1965

During the time I was in the RAF, I was posted to Aden for 2 years between October 1963 to 1965. During this period, some friends and I formed ’The King Bees’ and we performed for a full year from the end of 1964 until October 1965. During August and September we lost our solo singer, Dave, and drummer, Johnny, to repatriation and our final concert was done with me alone as vocalist. This was frustrating since we were just about the only group performing Beatles-type three-part harmony … and the only recordings we have are solo vocals at our final concert.

The recordings were effected using an Akai reel-to-reel tape machine with the microphone resting on a chair at the side of the stage - not ideal conditions. The results can be heard in the following songs, mainly from the Beatles and Stones.

Rock and Roll Music                          

'Til There Was You                        

Surprise surprise   

You Can Make It If You Try                

Turn Over a New Leaf                   

Heart of Stone

I Call Your Name                               

It's Only Love                              

Route 66

Hide Your Love Away                         

Slow Down