Lesley Duncan was a singer-songwriter who made five albums between 1971 and 1978. She is probably better known through her work as a session singer. Lesley was one of the first female British singer-songwriters who was critically highly acclaimed but failed to have the commercial success her talent deserved.
Lesley was born in Stockton-on-Tees in 1943, after going to the local grammar school she would leave school before her 15th birthday, and also leave home shortly after. By 1962 she was in London working in a Bayswater coffee bar when along with her brother Jimmy (recently released from Wormwood Scrubs) they decided to be songwriters. Without any real planning she wrote a couple of songs in her head without music and took them along to the Tin Pan Alley music publisher Francis Day and Hunter (who would eventually become part of the EMI group). They were both offered retainers there and then, Jimmy for £10 and Lesley for £7 (she had fewer songs, no instrument, and was a girl!). “On Friday I was a waitress, and on Monday I was in showbusiness,” she once said, adding: “It was all bluff really, I was just bluffing.”
Within a year she had an EMI (Parlophone) recording contract and appeared in the film What a Crazy World (1963) with Joe Brown, Susan Maughan and Marty Wilde. Her first single called I Want A Steady was released in 1963 as Lesley Duncan and the Jokers. This was not successful and this along with further singles Just for the Boy, See that Guy and Hey Boy which were all redolent of the era but failed to have any success. But notably even then she was recording some of her own compositions.
In contrast to her solo work she was much in demand as a session singer, specifically with Dusty Springfield with whom she contributed backing vocals on all her singles from 1964 through to the See All Her Faces album in 1972; the favour would be returned by Springfield appearing in Lesley Duncan’s singles in the 1970s.
By the end of the 1960s Lesley’s style was changing from the girl-pop sound to a more reflective and mature singer-songwriter style. She was noticed and championed by then then emerging star Elton John who invited her to sing backing vocals on his eponymous second album, contributing to four tracks. Her star was to rise even higher when the next Elton John album Tumbleweed Connection would feature one of her compositions Love Song,a slow and haunting ballad built around simple but heartfelt refrain, “Love is the key we must turn, truth is the flame we must burn”. It is notable that this is one of only a few songs that Elton John would record that were not penned by him.
Her exposure with Elton John helped Lesley to earn a contract with Columbia (CBS) Records. Her debut album was Sing Children Sing which was released in 1971, The album was produced by her husband Jimmy Horowitz and also included Elton John repaying her by playing piano on her version of Love Song. It was around this time that she made her appearances on the Old Grey Whistle Test, including her appearance as the first ever artist on the program. Unfortunately she was held back by crippling stage fright that led to her rarely appearing live and this had the effect of stunting her artistic development.
Her second album Earth Mother was released in 1972 and received a lot of air play but also failed to sell well. She struggled to turn critical and peer acclaim into record sales. This was brought into sharp focus when she went on to appear alongside Doris Troy and Liza Strike as the backing vocalists on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon which became one of the largest selling albums of the decade but failed to spark interest in her as a solo artist.
Three more albums would follow Everything Changes (1974), Moonbathing (1975), which again featured John on piano, and Maybe It’s Lost (1977). But these also would not sell as well as expected. During this time her marriage to record producer Jimmy Horowitz would end and by 1976 she moved to Cornwall and away from the music business. It was there she got to know her second husband, Tony Cox, also a record producer and music arranger. They had previously met when she was doing session work.
She would continue doing session work but would slowly withdraw from the music scene, and although she never officially retired she withdrew from music scene. From 1996 she lived in Tobermory on Mull where most were unaware of her previous career.
Lesley Duncan died of cerebrovascular disease on March 12, 2010, aged 66. She would receive condolences from Elton John and David Bowie.
DISCOGRAPHY
Solo Albums
Sing Children Sing (1971)
CBS 64202 (UK) / Columbia C30662(US)
CD Release (2000) – Edsel EDCD696(UK-CD)
CD Release (2014)2014 – Beatball Music#B00I0AY0CC (Korea-CD)
Chain Of Love
Lullaby
Help Me Jesus
Mr. Rubin
Rainbow GamesLove Song
Sunshine (Send Them Away)
Crying In The Sun
Emma
If You Won’t Be Mine
Sing Children Sing
Credits : Lesley Duncan (Guitar, Mandolin, Primary Artist, Vocals, Voices), Jimmy Horowitz (Celeste, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Arranger and Producer)Joe Moretti (Guitar), Toni Campo (Bass), Terry Cox (Drums), Tristan Fry (Percussion), Ray Cooper (Percussion, Tambourine), Elton John (Guest Artist, Piano), Chris Spedding (Guest Artist, Guitar), David Katz (String Arrangement), Mike Claydon (Engineer), John Hays (Art Direction), Andy Knight (Engineer)
Earth Mother (1972)
CBS 64807(UK)
CD Release (2001) Edsel EDCD712 (UK – CD)
Time
Queen To Your King
Love Will Never Lose You
Thunder
God Is Real
Fortieth Floor
Old Friends
Sorry Living
If It’s All The Same To You
Earth Mother
By And Bye
Credits : Lesley Duncan (Composer, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals), Jimmy Horowitz (Composer Keyboards), Andy Brown (Bass), Barry DeSouza (Drums), Jack Rothstein (Strings, String Section Leader), Chris Spedding (Guest Artist, Guitar), David Katz (Creative Consultant), Andy Knight (Engineer), Hugh Jones (Engineer), Val Jennings (Liner Notes)
Everthing Changes (1974)
GM1007(UK)
CD Release – Big Pink#466(Korea CD)
My Soul
Broken Old Doll
The Serf
Hold On
Everything Changes
Love Melts Away
Sam
You
Watch The Tears
We’ll Get By
Moonbathing (1975)
GM1017(UK)
CD Release (2016) – Celeste#CMYK-6338 (Japan CD)
I Can See Where I’m Going
Heaven Knows
Moon Bathing
Rescue Me
Lady Step Lightly
Wooden Spoon
Pick Up The Phone
Helpless
Fine Friends
Jump Right In The River
Rocking Chair
Maybe It’s Lost(1977)
GM1019(UK) / MCA 2274 (US)
CD release (2016) – Celeste#CMYK-6339 (Japan CD)
The Sky’s On Fire
Maybe It’s Lost
Slipping Sideways
Living It All Again
Another Rainy Day
Ride On The Wind
Let It Roll
Walk In The Sea
Falling Like A Leaf
Don’t Worry About It
Drift Away
UK SINGLES
“I Want A Steady Guy” (as ‘Lesley Duncan and the Jokers’) b/w “Moving Away” – 1963 – Parlophone R5034
“You Kissed Me Boy” b/w “Tell Me” – 1963 – Parlophone R5106
“When My Baby Cries” b/w “Did It Hurt” – 1963 – Mercury MF830
“Just for the Boy” b/w “See That Guy” – 1965 – Mercury MF847
“Run To Love” b/w “Only The Lonely And Me” – 1965 – Mercury MF876
“Hey Boy” b/w “I Go To Sleep” – 1966 – Mercury MF939
“Lullaby” b/w “I Love You, I Love You” – 1968 – RCA 1746
“A Road To Nowhere” b/w “Love Song” – 1969 – RCA 1783
“Sing Children Sing” b/w “Exactly Who You Are” – 1969 – CBS 4585
“Love Song” b/w “Exactly Who You Are” – 1970 – Columbia 4-45354
“Sing Children Sing” – 1971 – CBS/64202 and Edsel/EDCD696
“Sing Children Sing” b/w “Emma” – 1971 – CBS/S7493
“Earth Mother” – 1972 – CBS/64807 and Edel/EDCD712
“Earth Mother” b/w “Love Will Never Lose You” – 1972 – CBS/S8362
“Watch The Tears” b/w “Sam” – 1974 – GM GMS 016
“Everything Changes” b/w “Love Melts Away” – 1974 – GM GMS 022
“I Can See Where I’m Going” b/w “Heaven Knows” – 1975 – GM GMS 036
“Could’ve Been A Winner” b/w “Moonbathing” – 1975 – GM GMS 9040
“Maybe It’s Lost” b/w “Another Rainy Day” – 1977 – GM GMS 9046
“The Sky’s on Fire” b/w “Don’t Worry ‘Bout It” – 1977 – GM GMS 9048
“The Magic’s Fine” b/w “Paper Highways” – 1978 – GM GMS 9049
“Sing Children Sing” b/w “Rainbow Games” – 1979 – CBS S8061 (Charity 45)
“Masters of War” b/w “Another Light Goes Out” – 1982 – Korova KOW 22
“Tomorrow” b/w “Paper Highway” – 1986 – R4 FOR 4
SESSION WORK
Selected sessions that Lesley Duncan appeared on. This is far from a complete list.
Many thanks to Lesleyduncan.net for compiling this fantastic list. Well worth a visit for much more information about Lesley.
| Long John Baldry | Good to Be Alive (1976) | Vocals |
| Long John Baldry | Welcome to the Club (1977) | Vocals, Vocals (bckgr) |
| Andy Bown | Gone to My Head (1972) | Vocals |
| Andy Bown | Sweet William (1973) | Vocals |
| Kate Bush | Collaborations | Vocals |
| Michael Chapman | Life on the Ceiling (1978) | Vocals, Vocals (bckgr) |
| Roger Cook | Meanwhile Back at the World (1972) | Vocals |
| Kiki Dee | Loving & Free (1973) | Vocals |
| Bunk Dogger | Great Detective (1980) | Vocals |
| Donovan | Cosmic Wheels [Epic] (1973) | Vocals |
| Donovan | Troubadour: The Definitive… (1992) | Vocals, Vocals (bckgr) |
| Graeme Edge Band | Kick off Your Muddy Boots (1975) | Vocals |
| Matthew Ellis | Am I (1971) | Vocals |
| Joyce Everson | Crazy Lady (1972) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Exile | Exile (1983) | Vocals |
| Flash Fearless | Flash Fearless Vs the Zorg Women (1975) | Vocals |
| Hazzard & Barnes | Hazzard & Barnes (1977) | Vocals |
| Tony Hazzard | Loudwater House (1971) | Vocals |
| Alan Hull | Squire (1975) | Vocals |
| Alan Hull | Phantoms (1979) | Vocals |
| Keisha Jackson | Keisha (1991) | Production Assistant |
| Elton John | Elton John (1970) | Vocals, Vocals (bckgr) |
| Elton John | Madman Across the Water (1971) | Vocals, Vocals (bckgr) |
| Elton John | Tumbleweed Connection (1971) | Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Vocals (bckgr) |
| Elton John | Here And There (1977) | Vocals |
| Elton John | Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1986) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Nirvana | Black Flower (1969) | Vocals |
| Partridge Green Esq. | Surburban Serenade -CBS (1967) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Alan Parsons Project | Eve (1979) | Vocals |
| Alan Parsons Project | Definitive Collection (1997) | Vocals |
| Pink Floyd | Dark Side of the Moon (1973) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Pink Floyd | Shine On (1992) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Pink Floyd | Dark Side of the Moon [Twentieth… (1993) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Bill Quateman | Bill Quateman (1972) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Shusha | Here I Love You (1980) | Vocals |
| Mick Softley | Sunrise (1970) | Vocals |
| Special Patrol | Time Bomb (2001) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Ringo Starr | Goodnight Vienna (1974) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Zebra | Panic (1975) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Original Cast Recording | Jesus Christ Superstar [MCA… (1970) | Vocals, Choir, Chorus |
| Various Artists | Dream Babes, Vol. 1: Am I Dreaming (1994) | Vocals |
| Various Artists | Golden Age of Underground Radio,… (1997) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Dave Clark 5 | Various recordings | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Various Artists | Dreambabes Vol 6: Sassy and Stonefree (2005) | Vocals |
| Mitchell/Coe Mysteries | Exiled (1980) | Vocals |
| Eugene Wallace | Book of Fool (1974) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Beryl Marsden | Love Is Going To Happen To Me (1964) | Vocals (bckgr) |
| Microbe | Groovy Baby (1969) | Vocals (bckgr) |
All Jazz 
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