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The Children of Tansley School

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The Children of Tansley School
OriginGorton, Greater Manchester, England
GenresPop
Years active1981 (1981)

The Children of Tansley School was a school choir from the village of Tansley in Derbyshire.

History

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After songwriter Gordon Lorenz had the 1980 Christmas number one with the St Winifred's School Choir recording of his song "There's No One Quite Like Grandma", he wrote a follow-up single - "My Mum Is One In A Million" - to be released to commemorate Mothering Sunday in March.,[1] However, as the teachers at St Winifred's School thought it too cynical even for them, Lorenz, who was living in Dethick at the time, handed it over to a nearby primary school,[2] and EMI agreed to release the recording.

The single came out in February 1981, in a cheap paper bag sleeve,[3] and in its second week on the UK singles charts rose from number 75 to number 27, for the week ending 4 April 1981.[4] The single was helped in part by a competition in the Sunday Mirror, for which one of the prizes was a platinum disc of the single.[5]

The chart performance earned the children a spot on Top of the Pops on 2 April 1981,[6] but, with Mothering Sunday now past, the song plummeted the following week out of the top 40, never to return.

A follow-up single and album, "Our Family" and Our Family Album,[7] both bombed, ending the choir's recording career.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Leigh, Spencer (19 July 2011). "Gordon Lorenz". Independent.
  2. ^ "Millions?". Derby Daily Telegraph: 32. 6 March 1981.
  3. ^ "Record details". 45 cat. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  4. ^ "The Children Of Tansley School". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Here she is - Viv, our mum in a million!". Sunday Mirror: 19. 29 March 1981.
  6. ^ "Children of Tansley School My Mum is One in a Million TOTP 02 04 1981". youtube. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Pop kids keep disc success in the family". Derby Daily Telegraph: 3. 9 October 1981.
  8. ^ "The Children Of Tansley School". discogs. Retrieved 16 February 2024.