After a few plays by various DJs, including the most popular track of the day on Ken Bruce’s show, it was added to the Radio 2 playlist. But sure enough, there on national BBC Radio 2, is his song “Tell Me,” being played for the nation. You are on it.” He thought his pal was crackers. Wind forward to recent weeks, Frankie is driving to work when he gets a call on his mobile from a pal. Soon after, he was signed to Good Deeds Music, the label run by Modern Romance member David James. That re-lit the flame inside Frankie to have a second crack at music in a serious way. He called his former manager from back in the day, sent him the song and the reaction was immediate and strong. Nipping round to his former song writing partner Delroy Pinnock, a member of the reggae band Black Slate, he played him the tune and asked him to help demo the song. That song became the gorgeous blue eyed soul ballad “My Kinda Woman,” opening the door to his comeback. Next day, he started to write a song in tribute to his wife Joanne, from this tune he had dreamed. But back in 2015, he was woken in the early hours of the morning with a melody whirring arund in his head, which prompted him to get up out of bed and sing it into his Dictaphone. He’d not written a song for 15 years, and not set foot on a stage to perform for two decades. Apart from the odd favour singing backing vocals on a few recordings for mates, Frankie has focused entirely on his family – wife and two kids – and his day job, whole hearing constant nagging in his ears from family and friends about getting back into music and making another album. Frankie’s always on the Tele!īut music is in his blood and the clue is to be seen hidden under a coat in the front of his cab an electric guitar and tiny practice amp he takes with him everywhere. Suffering un-diagnosed depression after the loss of his Mother and Father in quick succession, and unhappy with the major label politics, he quit the business and after a period of recovery, spent two years full time on “The Knowledge”, learning every street in London to be able to take the gruelling test to become a licensed black cab driver-owner. Signed to the major label in December 1995 when he was 30-years-old, his album came out in 1997 and it was all over for him at the end of that year. Playing shows with the likes of Ziggy Marley (who really dug Frankie’s stuff), and the pop star lifestyle, didn’t last long. You may remember him from the 1990s and his timeless cuts: “Give Her What She Wants” and “She Lied To Me” from his debut – and only – album, “Looking For The Twist.”įrankie made a splash when he became the first white artist to be signed to Island Records, and his dreams came true when he was whisked away to record with his heroes Sly & Robbie, the iconic reggae bassist, drummer and hit-maker producers, in Jamaica. London singer songwriter Frankie Oliver is the reggae man who definitely has soul. The great Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals, once sang: “Reggae got soul”.
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