JUNE DYER

SA's first female rock vocalist

Discography:

Albums

• June Dyer, Renown, NLP 197, 1961
  
  
  
  Tracks: Sea of love/ The Hucklebuck/ My heart and I/ Blueberry hill/ Hound dog/ Let's have a party/ Oobie doobie/ Rebel/ Loch Lomond rock/ Lawdie miss Claudie/ Whirlpool of love/ Short fat fanny
  
  Comments: Instrumental backing on nine of the tracks were provided by the Rousers - whose line up includedJose Summares [lead guitar]/ Tony Spectre [rhythm guitar]/ Leon Booysen [bass guitar]/ Johnny Kruger[drums]. They enlisted the services of saxophonist, George Hayden who will also be remembered for hissuccessful"MacMillan Plays" series on the Rave label.
  
  "Al Bently went very sour when we went to Boksburg to interview a semi deaf girl that had a very good voice. After the first practise session with June Dyer, we knew we had a hit! Recording with June proved it and we went to the top of the then hit parade with Whirlpool of love and Rebel". (Leon Booysen, October 2000)
  
  
• Cookie Lookie Time At Claridges, Harold Roy and his Rascals featuring June Dyer, Renown, NLP 209, 1961
  
  
  
  Tracks: Pepito[June Dyer]/ Happy Jose/ Like I do[June Dyer]/ Multiplication/ One night of sin[June Dyer]/ With all my heart[June Dyer]/ Buono Sierra/ You need love[June Dyer]/Let's twist again[June Dyer]/ Tu vuo-fa l'americano/ I want you with me[June Dyer]/ Allright, ok you win
  
  
• Tell It to The Birds, Renown, NLP 223, 1962
  
  
  
  Tracks: Tell it to the birds/ Mr Twister/ Teach me how to twist/ Telephone lover/ Fire/ Lovers lane/ There it goes/ Moon river/ Only you/ Devil woman/ Fools rush in/ Tammy cha cha
  
  
• June Dyer Sings Again, SABC Transcription Recording, LT 12, 254, No Date [With the Eldon Hawkes Trio]
  
  
  
  Tracks: Happy heart/ The french song/ Retreat song/ Summertime/ What now my love/ Till/ This girl's in love with you/Climb every mountain/ Georgia on my mind/ Don't sleep in the subway/ The impossible dream
  
  Compilation Albums
  
  
• The Big Five, Renown, NLP 222, 1962
  
  
  
  Tracks: Teach me how to twist/ There it goes
  
  
• The Best Of SA Pop, 1960 - 1990, 2 CD Set, Gallo, CDREDD 610, 1997
  
  
  
  Tracks: Whirlpool Of Love/ Rebel
  
  
  

  Seven Singles

• Whirlpool Of Love/ Comanche, Renown, N 1191, [78rpm], 1961
  
  Note: Whirlpool Of Love was a SA #1 hit in1961
  
  
  
  
• Rebel/ xxx, Renown, No Details, 1961
  
  
• Al-Di-La/ My Heart And I, Renown, N 1234, [78rpm], 1961
  
  
• Oobie Doobie/ Blue Berry Hill, Renown, 45-N 1264, 1962
  
  
• Party/ Loch Lomond Rock, Renown, 45-N 1266, 1962
  
  
• Let's Twist Again [with Harold Roy and his Rascals]/ Cave Man Twist [Pelvis Press-ups and the "can you takeit" shudders], Renown, 45-N 1296, 1962
  
  
• Let's Twist Again [with Harold Roy and his Rascals/ Cave Man Twist [Pelvis Press-ups and the "can you takeit" shudders], Renown, 45-N 1296, no date [red label re-issue]
  
  
  
  
• Tell It To The Birds/ Telephone Lover, Renown,
  45-N 1318, 1963
  
  June Dyer News
  
  
• The Silhouettes, Filmworlds, Page 26, January 1961
  
  One of the most popular groups in South Africa today - The Silhouettes - were introduced to the South African public through the Radio Record Club. Their long playing record "The Silhouettes at the Bop Inn" has met with more success than any other locally producedteen appeal recording produced in this country. They follow their success on this lp with a single (78 speed recording).Their instrumental side is Comanche and on the flip side....June Dyer, talented and good looking Johannesburg Teenager sings WHIRLPOOL OF LOVE. Another outstanding recording by THE SILHOUETTES - COMANCHE/WHIRLPOOL OF LOVE - RAVE R151
  
  
• "Johannesburg's Own Singing Sensasion", Filmworlds, Page 25, 1961
  
  Tall, slim and very attractive June Dyer has been singing at sessions in and around Johannesburg for two years. She came to the notice of a Trutone Record Company talent scout whilst she was playing piano and singing "Tallahassie Lassie". Her natural musicianship and "feel" for the song made an immediate impression. Soon after June was signedto a recording contract - became an established singer with the "Silhouettes" and cut her first recording "Whirlpool". (To be released shortly on the Rave label.)
  That's the story of June Dyer in brief. If you like to hear June on record - Listen to the Radio Record Club. If you would like to listen to her superb recording of "WHIRLPOOL OF LOVE" - again and again....as you will certainly want toonce you have heard it - then go down to your local disc den and get a copy of your very own. Man - you'll never regret owing this truly fab recording. WHIRLPOOL OF LOVE - that's the title - but, you will be hearing it everywhere this month - from Juke Boxes - from theRRC - from LM Radio - and at private parties. We're proud of June at RRC and we're certain you'll be too!
  
  
• Advertising June Dyer Show
  
  
  
  
• "Now June's A Hit Singing Star", Sunday Times, 1961
  
  Six months ago 18-year-old June Dyer, who works in a Johannesburg bank, was deaf. Now she has a rock 'n roll record "whirlpool of love" soaring on the South African charts in competition with top-selling artists like Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley and Jo Jones. Dark haired June was shy and bewildered by her success when she told me this week that she had been singing and playing the piano to herself for years. She said: "I could feel vibrations but I had no idea of the tone or sound of my voice". Between August and September last year, she had three operations. "While I was recovering I sat and played the piano and sang to myself. All of a sudden I could hear". For the next six months, overcoming by the novelty of hearing her own voice - June practiced daily. Then she sang with a young rock-'n-roll group called the Silhouettes at a house party. "They liked my voice so much that they invited me to sing at 'gigs' with them". ... An executive offered her a a contract and within a week she had cut her first disc - "Whirlpool of love". June's record has risen rapidly into the top twenty. It is rated both on the Lorenco Marques and the South African hit parades. And it is still climbing. Alan Marshall publicity manager at Trutone Records, says June has that "vitality that which somehow only teenagers manage to put into their singing. She enjoys her singing so much that she radiates an enthusiam which is passed on to her audience". He predict a great futurefor her. Several more records have been lined up for release.
  
  
• June Dyer Biography
  
  June Dyer was born in Durban on 19 June 1942. She was not deterred by the fact that she was almost totallydeaf from the age of 10, and mastered lip reading and getting the music beat by holding the piano or bass. June wonseveral talent competitons and eventually caught the eye of talent scout, Alan Marshall.
  
  June sang at the Club Pepsiin Rissik street with bands such as the Vikings. She joined the Silhouettes and toured the Republic with them.June and ex Silhouettes member, Leon Booysen, formed the Rousers and undertook a tour to Rhodesia. Later she joined Harold Roy'sband at the Claridges Hotel in Durban. June's early recordings did exeptionally well on the charts. Whirlpool of lovereached #3 on LM's top twenty hit parade in March 1961. Rebel also peaked at #3 on the same charts.
  [Malcolm Lombard]
  
  

Tertius Louw, November 2002