Mr Lee Grant - Thanks To You (1967)

Bobby Hanna - Thanks To You (1967)

(Les Vandyke)
 UK
Original version

Single on Decca, released April 1967. The writer credit on the single is to "Van Dyke". Also on the album The World of Bobby Hanna.

Bobby Hanna – real name Bobby Faulds – was a Scottish-born Canadian singer who fronted a successful British Columbian band, Bobby Faulds & The Strangers (later known as The Canadian Strangers) before going solo and moving back to the UK. He sang at major venues in London and released a number of singles on Decca and Philips 1967-1971.

Hanna married an Australian and moved to Australia where he hosted Channel 7's revival of Blind Date in 1974.

Image: News of "Blind Date" with Bobby Hanna, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 March 1974 [source].

British songwriter, singer and film composer Les Vandyke (b. Yani Skoradalides, 1931) also used the names John Skoradalides, Johnny Worth and John Worsley. He wrote many well-known songs of the 60s and 70s including significant hits for Adam Faith (What Do You Want, Poor Me) and Eden Kane (Well I Ask You, Forget Me Not). Ex-Shadows Jet Harris & Tony Meehan had a UK hit with his Applejack (1963, #4 UK).

See also Little Pattie's hit Dance Puppet Dance, and The Flies' Doin' The Mod, both Les Vandyke compositions recorded in Australia.

Further reading: 1. David St John's Bobby Hanna page is packed with information, images and personal anecdotes. 2. Bobby Faulds & The Strangers and Canadian Strangers pages at Pacific Northwest Bands. The Canadian Strangers page has a story from Bobby Faulds.  3. Live Victoria's Canadian Strangers page. 4. Les Vandyke biography by Bruce Eder at All Music.