Russ Conway
  • Real Name: Trevor Stanford
  • Birth Date: 2nd September 1925
  • Birth Place: Bristol

    • Russ Conway became one of Britain's best loved TV musicians during the late 1950s. As the 1950s gave way to the 1960s he finally overtook the great Winifred Atwell as the piano player closest to the nation's heart. There is no doubt that he was an accomplished pianist despite being handicapped by the loss of a finger; an injury sustained in a domestic accident. He had started his professional career playing piano accompaniment for some of the UK's best known singing stars, probably serving longest with Joan Regan.

    The volume of 45s issued by the pianist during the late 1950s was enormous in comparison with other popular artists of the time. Every opportunity was taken to record medleys of tunes that were in vogue; West End musicals were especially favoured. He even released a medley called 'Liverpool Pops' in 1963 in an attempt to benefit from the popularity of Merseybeat. Beside these issues were medleys like the 'Piano Pops' series and more regular releases with distinct 'A' and 'B' sides. Some idea of this volume can be gleaned from the discography below, not forgetting the huge number of EP releases that were also put out. These also included a further series of medleys including the popular ''Party Pops'.
    "Party Pops" (SEG7847) was one of Russ Conway's earlier EPs and was very much in the style already made popular by Winifred Atwell- medleys of tried and tested familiar songs given a bright new treatment through Russ' highly accomplished work on the keyboard, with just a little help from The Geoff Love Orchestra.

    Russ Conway's very successful chart career owed much to his abilities as a tunesmith. He wrote most of his most successful recordings including his two #1s, 'Side Saddle' and 'Roulette'. Although pianists were generally held in higher regard by record buyers than they are today, none of his competitors came even close to Conway's popularity or chart success. Although he never really sang much, his voice can be heard on 'Always You And Me'; his last chart entry, on which he talks along rather than sings along with his piano playing.

    As record buying gradually became the domain of teenagers, Russ Conway's presence in the chart diminished and finally came to an end during 1963. However, he remained a popular TV performer until well into the next decade and had sufficient following to guarantee his future concert career.

    Russ Conway died after a long battle with cancer on November 16th 2000.

    Visitors may be interested to know that there is a Russ Conway Appreciation Society, details of which can be obtained by sending an A5 SAE to Bill Murden, 47, Laurel Road, Blaby, Leicester LE8 4DL or IRC from overseas.

    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

    Columbia DB3920 1957 Roll The Carpet Up/ The Westminster Waltz  
    Columbia DB3971 1957 Soho Fair/ The Spotlight Waltz  
    Columbia DB3999 1957 Late Extra/ The Red Cat  
    Columbia DB4015 1957 "Piano Pops" No.1  
    Columbia DB4031 1957 Party Pops #24
    Columbia DB4050 1957 Scots Pops Medley  
    Columbia DB4060 1958 The Lantern Slide/ Harry Lime Theme  
    Columbia DB4061 1958 Party Pops No2.  
    Columbia DB4079 1958 Pal Joey Medley  
    Columbia DB4097 1958 Piano Pops No.3  
    Columbia DB4111 1958 South Pacific Pops  
    Columbia DB4136 1958 Piano Pops No.4  
    Columbia DB4152 1958 Piano Pops No.5  
    Columbia DB4166 1958 Got A Match/ Toby's Walk #30
    Columbia DB4174 1958 Piano Pops No.6  
    Columbia DB4191 1958 My Fair Lady Pops  
    Columbia DB4204 1958 More Party Pops #10
    Columbia DB4234 1959 The World Outside/ Love Like Ours #24
    Columbia DB4247 1959 Piano Pops No.7  
    Columbia DB4256 1959 Side Saddle/ Pixilated Penguin #1
    Columbia DB4289 1959 Piano Pops No.8  
    Columbia DB4298  1959 Roulette/ Trampolina #1
    Columbia DB4322 1959 Piano Pops No.9  
    Columbia DB4337 1959 China Tea/ The Wee Boy Of Brussels #5
    Columbia DB4359 1959 North By North West/ Theme From 'The Scapegoat'  
    Columbia DB4368 1959 Snow Coach/ Time To Celebrate #7
    Columbia DB4373 1959 More And More Party Pops Pt.1/ Pt.2 #5
    Columbia DB4418 1960 Royal Event/ Rule Brittania #15
    Columbia DB4422 1960 Fings Ain't What They Used To Be #47
    Columbia DB4457 1960 Lucky Five/ The Birthday Cakewalk #14
    Columbia DB4462 1960 Piano Pops No.10  
    Columbia DB4508 1960 Passing Breeze/ The Key To Love #16
    Columbia DB4535  1960 Even More Party Pops #27
    Columbia DB4564 1961 Pepe/ Matador From Trinidad #19
    Columbia DB4624 1961 Lulu/ Parade Of The Poppetts  
    Columbia DB4649 1961 Pablo/ The Singing Bells #45
    Columbia DB4738 1961 Toy Balloons/ Forgotten Dreams #7
    Columbia DB4784 1962 Lesson One/ Angelo #21
    Columbia DB4835 1962 Concerto For Dreamers/ Primera  
    Columbia DB4875 1962 Oliver/ Blitz  
    Columbia DB4934 1962 Always You And Me/ Alone Again #33
    Columbia DB4940 1962 Sing Song Medley  
    Columbia DB7006 1963 Gigolo/ Terry's Toon  
    Columbia DB7071 1963 Flamenco/ Tell Me In September  
    Columbia DB7087 1963 Liverpool Pops  
    Columbia DB7143 1963 Gold Rush/ Halloween  
    Columbia DB7169 1963 Conway Capers No.1  
    Columbia DB7221 1964 Mack The Knife/ Bedouin In Baghdad  
    Columbia DB7312 1964 Conway Capers No.2  
    Columbia DB7424 1964 Concerto For Lovers/ Love Is The Sweetest Thing  
    Columbia DB7553  1965 Leprechaun/ Falling Tears  
    Columbia DB7716 1965 The Beggars Of Rome/ The Urchins Of Paris  
    Columbia DB7765 1965 I'm Shy Mary Ellen I'm Shy/ I See The Moon  
    Columbia DB7894 1966 The Crunch/ The Patient Heart  
    Columbia DB8023 1966 Celebration Day/ Girl In My Soup  
    Columbia DB8070 1966 Swinging Pops  
    Columbia DB8411 1968 Pink Piano/ Il Buffo  

    EP Discography

    • Stereophonic Versions have Cat. No. in parentheses
    • Collector's Items are shown In Red
    • See Upper List For Singles releases

    Columbia SEG7727 1957 "Happy Anniversary"  
    Happy Birthday To You/I'm Twenty One Today/For He's A Jolly Good Fellow/It's My Mother's Birthday Today/Auld Lang Syne/The Anniversary Song (Oh! How We Danced)
    Columbia SEG7735 1957 "Roll The Carpet Up"  
    Roll The Carpet Up/Soho Fair/The Westminster Waltz/The Spotlight Waltz
    Columbia SEG7817 1957 "South Pacific"  
    Some Enchanted Evening/Bali Ha'i/Younger Than Springtime/Honey Bun/Wonderful Guy/I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair "Pal Joey"/The Lady Is A Tramp/I Could Write A Book/There's A Small Hotel/Bewitched/I Didn't Know What Time It Was/My Funny Valentine
    Columbia SEG7837 1957 "Musical Chairs"  
    All The Nice Girls Love A Sailor/Run Rabbit Run/Somebody Stole My Gal/Keep Your Sunny Side Up/Whispering/Wish Me Luck/Let The People Sing/I Want To Be Happy "Palais Glide" Poor Little Angelina/Horsey Horsey/Home Town/Show Me The Way To Go Home/Side By Side
    Columbia SEG7847 1957 "Party Pops"  
    When You're Smiling/I'm Looking Over A Four-Leaf Clover/When You Wore A Tulip And I Wore A Big Red Rose/Row Row Row/For Me And My Girl/Shine n Harvest Moon/Side By Side/Roamin' In The Gloamin'/I Love A Lassie/Just A Wee Deoch-an-Doris/I Belong To Glasgow/The Bluebells Of Scotland/Comin' Thro' The Rye/Annie Laurie/Auld Lang Syne
    Columbia SEG7886 1958 "Out Of The Rag Bag"  
    That's A Plenty/Temptation Rag/Twelfth Street Rag/Russian Rag
    Columbia SEG7905 1958 "Another Six" #12
    Sidesaddle/Sam's Song/Theme from a Threepenny Opera/Wedding of the Painted Doll/Pixilated Penguin/ Wedgewood Blue
    Columbia SEG7957 1958 "More Party Pops" #7
    If You Were The Only Girl In The World/Some Of These Days/Music Music Music
    Columbia SEG7982 (ESG7791) 1959 "Time To Celebrate" #17
    Time To Celebrate/I'm Just Wild About Harry/You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby/It's A Long Way To Tipperary/Down At The Old Bull And Bush/Brown Eyes
    Columbia SEG7995 1959 "Time To Celebrate No.2"
    Like Mountain Music/Let The Great Big World Keep Turning/Who's Sorry Now/When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam
    Columbia SEG8022 1959 "Ragtime"  
    After You've Gone/Ragtime Cowboy Joe/Margie/Alexander's Ragtime Band/Is It True What They Say About Dixie/Bye Bye Blackbird
    Columbia SEG8028 1960 "The Rocking Horse Cowboy" #12
    Roll Along Covered Wagon/Empty Saddles/Rocking Horse Cowboy/Ole Faithful/The Last Round-up
    Columbia SEG8048 1960 "Family Favourites"  
    With A Song In My Heart/Macnamara's Band/Keep Right On To The End Of The Road/Anniversary Song/The Teddy Bears' Picnic
    Columbia SEG8055 1960 "Songs To Sing In Your Bath" (w. Geoff Love Orch.)  
    I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts/Beer Barrell Polka/Lily Of Laguna/I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles/You Made Me Love You/By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
    Columbia SEG8062 (ESG7835) 1960 "My Concerto For You"  
    My Concerto For You/Dream Of Olwen/Cornish Rhapsody/Jeannie
    Columbia SEG8079 (ESG7844) 1961 "My Concerto For You No.2" #11
    Warsaw Concerto/The Lonely Melody/Forgotten Dreams/Autmn Concerto
    Columbia SEG8090 1961 "Family Favourites (No.2)"  
    Little Grey Home In The West/Oh Mein Papa/This Is My Mother's Day/True Love/My Thanks To You/We'll Meet Again
    Columbia SEG8100 1961 "Join In With Russ (No.1)"  
    Pack Up Your Troubles/How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm/Don't Dilly Dally/For Me And My Gal/If You Knew Susie/Underneath The Arches/When Irish Eyes Are Smiling/Nellie Dean
    Columbia SEG8107 (ESG7860) 1961 "My Concerto For You No.3"  
    Dusk/La Mer/The Way To The Stars/Till
    Columbia SEG8114 1961 "Even More Party Pops"  
    Ain't She Sweet/I Can't Give You Anything But Love/Yes, We Have No Bananas/I My Be Wrong/Happy Days And Lonely Nights/Glad Rag Doll/The Sheik Of Araby/Who Were You With Last Night/Any Old Iron/Tiptoe Through The Tulips/If You Were The Only Girl In The World/When I Leave The World Behind
    Columbia SEG8124 1961 "Sing Along With Russ"  
    Coming Home/We'll Keep A Welcome/A Gordon For Me/Aufwiederseh'n/My Thanks To You/Good Luck, Good Health, God Bless You
    Columbia SEG8147 (ESG7875) 1962 "The Naughty Twenties"  
    The Dark Town Strutters Ball/Miss Annabelle Lee/Twelfth Carolina In The Morning/Down Yonder
    Columbia SEG8151 (ESG7877) 1962 "Party Time (No.1)"  
    Toot Toot Tootsie (Goodbye)/Put Your Arms Around Me Honey/Rock-a-bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody/Swanee
    Columbia SEG8175 1962 "Parade Of The Russ Conway Hits"  
    China Tea/Lesson One/Roulette/Toy Balloons
    Columbia SEG8196 1962 "Tops In Party Pops"  
    Medley [Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)/Waiting For The Robert E. Lee/Abie My Boy]/Medley [It's A Sin To Tell A Lie/The Music Goes Round And Around/Red Sails In The Sunset]
    Columbia SEG8206 (ESG7884) 1962 "Concerto For Dreamers"  
    The Legend Of The Glass Mountain/The Call Of The Sea/'Washington Concerto' Theme/'Limlight' Theme
    Columbia SEG8221 (ESG7886) 1963 "Concerto For Dreamers"(2)  
    'Exodus' Theme/Ebb Tide/Concerto For Dreamers/'Spellbound Concerto' Title Number
    Columbia SEG8234 1963 "Happy Days (No.1)"  
    Happy Days Are Here Again/In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree/Baby Face/The Best Things In Life Are Free/Have You Ever Been Lonely?/Shine
    Columbia SEG8264 1963 "Something For Mum"  
    If You Were The Only Girl In The World/Let The Great Big World Keep Turning/Little Grey Home In The West/Smilin' Through
    Columbia SEG8279 1964 "Tops In Party Pops"  
    Deep In The Heart Of Texas/Boomps A Daisy/All Go Riding On A Rainbow/You Always Hurt The One You Love/When I Grow Too Old To Dream/The More We Are Together
    Columbia SEG8304 1964 "Mother's Day" (w. Philip Green Orch.)  
    It's My Mother's Birthday Today/Always/Look For The Silver Lining/Something For Mum
    Columbia SEG8409 1965 "In Concert Mood"  
    The Way To The Stars/The Londonderry Air/La Mer/The Skye Boat Song

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