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Blonde haired Mike Sarne was studying a
language degree at the time he cut his first single. Few people
on hearing 'Come Outside' would have believed that the 'cockney
lad' singing it was an expert in Russian. This first disc featured
the voice- though not the singing- of a young Wendy Richard who
would later become a familiar TV actress. Her best known roles
have been in the long running comedy series 'Are You Being Served?'
where she played the 'brassy' Miss. Brahms and, more recently,
for her part in 'Eastenders' in which she plays the part of the
'dowdy' Pauline Fowler- one of the original cast. Mike's second
disc 'Will I What' featured another girl, Billie Davis. She would
become a pop star in her own right and is particularly known
for her cover of the Exciter's classic, 'Tell Him'. |
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The EP illustrated here (GEP8879) is the only one Mike had released
in the UK during his time of pop stardom. It is simply a coupling
of the A-sides from his first four singles. It also carries an
interesting set of biographical notes. Aside from pointing out
Mike's linguistic skills and studies, it mentions that Mike's
introduction to the stage and screen was gained at the Max Reinhardt
drama school in Vienna. He appears to have developed sufficient
skills to sustain a long term show business career even before
becoming well known by singing any of the tracks on this attractive
and collectable EP.
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Mike's attempts to repeat his success using
the same cockney novelty formula gradually grew less successful,
but he squeezed four chart appearances from it, staying in the
public eye for just about one year. Even a change of accent and
the addition of another girl- this time (a Liverpudlian Vernons
Girl) Margo't Quantrell- on the supposedly Beatles sounding 'Hello
Lover Boy' didn't help. Although he would appear on records again,
he turned his career towards the stage and films. With rather
less hair than he had in his youth, Mike Sarne still appears
occasionally in TV acting roles- particularly those requiring
language or dialect skills. He has also appeared in and directed
several moving pictures since ceasing to be a pop star. |
