Lena Martell

Lena Martell (born Helen Thomson; 15 May 1940, Possilpark, Glasgow) is a Scottish singer, with a long career in theatre, television and musicals. She has recorded thirty albums which include the number one UK single with "One Day at a Time" in 1979.[1]

She began singing at the age of 11 with her eldest brother's band. She became a singer for the Jimmie McGregor Band at the Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow. After his untimely death, she decided to pursue a career in music as a tribute.[2] She released a number of standards in the 1970s on the Pye record label, drew crowds at cabarets and concert halls and became a major recording star with silver, gold and platinum awards. Her cover of the song "One Day at a Time", written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson, reached the top of the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in November 1979.[1] She placed six albums in the UK Albums Chart between 1974 and 1980, including four that reached the Top 20.[3]

In the 1970 and 1980s her Saturday Night TV shows for BBC Television ran over a period of ten years, with evening audiences of over 12 million. Moving to the US she sang in New York and Las Vegas with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and others and toured the world performing in concert halls. She has starred in musicals in Broadway, first when deputising for Barbra Streisand, and headlining in London`s West End theatres. Her successes at London Palladium equalled the box office of Shirley MacLaine and Bette Midler.[4][5]

Although out of the limelight for a period while nursing her sick mother, Martell returned to the music industry. She has released a few albums on the ScotDisc label. Her double album One Day at a Time: An Anthology of Song was released on Castle Records in 2003.[2]

Health

Martell has had surgery to replace a valve in her heart, and in March 2008 underwent a triple heart bypass operation.

Discography

Studio albums
Year Title Details Peak chart positions
UK[6]
1964 Some New Someone Blue -
1972 Presenting Lena Martell
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Pye
 -
The Touch of Lena Martell -
1973 This Is Lena Martell
  • Released: 1973
  • Label: Pye
 -
1974 That Wonderful Sound of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1974
  • Label: Pye
 35
Songs -
1976 Country Style
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: Pye
 -
1977 Hello Misty Morning
  • Released: 1977
  • Label: Pye
 -
From Lena Martell With Very Special Love -
1978 Somewhere In My Lifetime
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: Pye
 -
1979 Lena's Music Album
  • Released: October 1979
  • Label: Pye
 4
1982 Songs of Life
  • Released: 1982
  • Label: Ronco
 -
Songs of Love
  • Released: July 1982
  • Label: Ronco
 -
1984 Today
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Country House
 -
1985 The Love Album -
1991 Sometimes When I'm Dreaming
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Scotdisc
 -
2005 Songs From a Woman's Heart
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Scotdisc
 -
2006 Stand By Me
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Scotdisc
 -
2007 The Rose
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Scotdisc

Compilation albums
Year Title Details Peak chart positions
UK[6]
1972 The World of Lena Martel
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Decca
 -
1975 The Magic of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Pye
 -
1976 The Best of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: Pye
 13
1978 The Lena Martell Collection
  • Released: August 1978
  • Label: Ronco
 12
1979 12 FM Golden Greats
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: Pye
 -
1980 By Request
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Ronco
 9
Let the Music Play -
Spotlight on Lena Martell
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: PRT
 -
Lena Martell -
Beautiful Sunday
  • Released: November 1980
  • Label: Ronco
 23
1981 Feelings
  • Released: March 1981
  • Label: Hallmark
 -
Something Simple
  • Released: 1981
  • Label: Decca
 -
The Best of Lena Martell -
1994 Feelings – The Best of Lena Martell
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: True Trax
 -
1996 The Best of Lena Martell – One Day at a Time
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Pulse
 -
2004 My Homeland
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Scotdisc
 -
2008 One Day at a Time: The Ultimate Collection -

Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions
IRE[7] UK[6]
1961 "Love Can Be" - -
1962 "The Reason Why" - -
1963 "Let the Music Play" - -
"I Wish You Well" - -
1964 "I'm a Fool to Want You" - -
1967 "The Pop Group Song" - -
"Somewhere My Love" - -
1968 "In Time" - -
"Come September" - -
1969 "It's Another World" - -
1970 "Love Made a Fool of Me" - -
"For the Love of Him" - -
1971 "I'm Going Home" - -
"Somewhere My Love" (re-release) - -
1972 "It's Too Late Now" - -
1973 "While We're Still Young" - -
"Four and Twenty Hours" - -
"A Scottish Trilogy" - -
1974 "Billy" - -
"Hasta Manana" - -
1975 "After All Is Said and Done" - -
1976 "Call Collect" - -
"Christmas Every Other Year (Six Weeks Every Summer)" - -
1977 "Times Were" - -
"One Day at a Time" - -
1978 "Somewhere In My Lifetime" - -
1979 "One Day at a Time" (re-release) 27 1
1980 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" - -
"Why Me (Why Me, Lord?)" - -
1981 "Pray With Me" - -
1984 "You're My Hero (The Wind Beneath My Wings)" - -

See also

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London,UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 351. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. James Christopher Monger. "Lena Martell | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Lena Martell". Paviliontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. "Lena Martell.. rare bbc footage! PART TWO". 31 August 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2019 – via YouTube.
  6. "LENA MARTELL | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  • Profile, IMDb.com. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
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