Craig Douglas
  • Real Name: Terry Perkins
  • Birth Date: 13th August 1941
  • Birth Place: Isle Of Wight

    • Craig Douglas was one of Britain's first 'Pop' singers. His achievement was really remarkable because he'd found a musical niche that appealed to teenagers and to their mums and dads too- sadly, it couldn't last. He was too lightweight to be considered rock and roll and yet nor was he a 1950s style crooner. He had still been a milkman when he got an opportunity to appear on TV's 'Six-5 Special' by winning a talent contest. Through this he secured a recording contract with Decca, but the two singles they issued were ignored. Luckily he was given a second chance by the new 'Top Rank' record label. His early songs were, almost without exception, covers of carefully selected material from American artists of the time. He was extremely successful, and even reached #1 with Sam Cooke's 'Only Sixteen' when the great man could only struggle to #23 with the original.
    On the EP featured on the right (DFE8509) we can hear Craig's interpretation of some well known Christmas numbers including Jingle Bells and even Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. It represented good value to Douglas fans on its release because you got almost fourteen minutes of seasonal music for a little less than twelve shillings (60p). I'm not sure where the Teddy Bears fitted in though.
    		 Sleeve of DFE8509
    Craig Douglas' pleasant singing voice maintained its appeal until the onset of 'Merseybeat'. By this time he was singing more original songs, but had not sufficiently changed his 'sound' to gain new fans. He made one belated attempt at updating his style with 'Come Closer' in 1964 which he recorded with a group calling themselves 'The Tridents', but by early 1963 his chart career was over. However, Craig had by then built up a sufficient repertoire of material to fuel an act on the cabaret and nostalgia scene for many years to come.

    1950s & 1960s 45rpm UK Discography

    • Upper List includes UK 45 singles only
    • See Lower List for EP releases
    • Collector's Items are shown In Red

    Decca F11055 1958 Nothin' Shakin'/ Sitting In A Tree House  
    Decca F11075  1958 Go Chase A Moonbeam/ Are You Really Mine  
    Top Rank JAR110 1959 Come Softly To Me/ Golden Girl  
    Top Rank JAR133 1959 A Teenager In Love/ The 39 Steps #13
    Top Rank JAR159 1959 Only Sixteen/ My First Love Affair #1
    Top Rank JAR204 1959 The Riddle Of Love/ Wish It Were Me  
    Top Rank JAR268 1960 Pretty Blue Eyes/ Sandy #4 
    Top Rank JAR340 1960 Heart Of A Teenage Girl/ New Boy #10
    Top Rank JAR406 1960 Oh! What A Day/ Why, Why, Why #43
    Top Rank JAR515 1960 Where's The Girl/ My Hour Of Love  
    Top Rank JAR543 1961 The Girl Next Door/ Hey Mr. Conscience  
    Top Rank JAR555 1961 A Hundred Pounds Of Clay/ Hello Spring #9
    Top Rank JAR556 1961 A Hundred Pounds Of Clay (Amended Version)/ Hello Spring
    Top Rank JAR569 1961 Time/ After All #9 
    Top Rank JAR589 1961 No Greater Love/ We'll Have A Lot To Tell The Children  
    Top Rank JAR603 1962 A Change Of Heart/ Another You  
    Top Rank JAR610 1962 When My Little Girl Is Smiling/ Ring-A-Ding #9 
    Columbia DB4854 1962 Our Favorite (sic) Melodies/ Rainbows #9 
    Decca F11523 1962 Oh, Lonesome Me/ Please Don't Take My Heart #15 
    Decca F11575 1963 Town Crier/ I'd Be Smiling Now #36 
    Decca F11665 1963 Danke Schoen/ Teenage Mona Lisa  
    Decca F11722 1963 I'm So Glad I Found Her/ Love Her While She's Young  
    Decca F11763 1963 Counting Up The Kisses/ From Russia With Love  
    Fontana TF458 1964 Silly Boy/ Leave Me Alone  
    Fontana TF475 1964 Come Closer/ She's Smiling At Me  
    Fontana TF525 1965 Across The Street/ Party Girl  
    Fontana TF580 1965 Around The Corner/ Find The Girl  
    Fontana TF690 1966 I'm On The Outside Looking In/ Knock On Any Door  
    Pye 7N17746 1969 How Do You Feel About That/ Then  
    Pye 7N17863 1969 Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head/ Don't Mind If I Cry  

    1950s & 1960s UK EP Discography

    • See upper list for UK singles releases.
    • Collector's Items are shown In Red

    Top Rank JAR8033 1959 "Craig Sings For 'Roxy'"  
    A Teenager In Love/Golden Girl/The 39 Steps/Come Softly To Me
    Decca DFE6633 1960 "Craig"  
    Sitting In A Tree House/Nothin'Shakin'/Are You Really Mine/Go Chase A Moonbeam
    Decca DFE8509 1962 "Cuddle Up With Craig"  
    Snowy White Snow/I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm/Give Me A Cosy Corner/Jingle Bells/Sleigh Ride/Winter Wonderland/Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer/White Christmas
    Columbia SEG8219 1963 "Craig's Movie Songs" (w. Norrie Paramor Orch.)  
    A Change Of Heart/Rainbows/Ring-A-Ding (w.Harry Robinson Orch.) /A Painted Smile

    Return to UK Artists Biography Index