Julie Rayne, the Forgotten Singer

Sometimes promising new talent is effectively sidelined through sharing a stage (or similar) with another who is being more actively promoted. Thus it was with the Stars and Garters television series back in 1963, which was a staged public house with singing acts, as pubs have actually done for many years: it isn't as recent a phenomenon as might be thought.

Anyway, the female lead being promoted in the series was Kathy Kirby, and that stood out very strongly. The consequence was that the other regular female singer, Julie Rayne, was inevitably placed in the shadows somewhat.

This was a pity, because (as I thought at the time) the lady had talent, quality and some versatility, with a decent though not outstanding voice, along with good stage presence. I suspect that last characteristic might have been held back even so, in order not to risk stealing Kathy's limelight.

Virtually no-one has ever heard of Julie, though I have never forgotten her; so I am pleased to discover that a selection of her (one and only album, I think) record tracks has been uploaded to YouTube in recent months, as a playlist.

Bear in mind the era from which this all comes (UPDATE: and, as Furor reminds us in the comments, the lower technical quality of those times), and if you liked the late fifties/early sixties sounds, especially Stateside songs of that period, then you might well enjoy some or even all of these eight tracks, fifty years on...