Sandra Barry (née Alfred) is an English actress, singer and record producer. During her career she has performed and recorded as Sandra Alfred, Mandy Mason, Sandra Barry and Alice Spring.
Acting Career (as Sandra Alfred)
Sandra Alfred debuted as an actress on film in an uncredited role in ''
The Belles of St Trinian's
''The Belles of St Trinian's'' is a 1954 British comedy film, directed by Frank Launder, co-written by Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and starring Alastair Sim, Joyce Grenfell, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley. Inspired by British cartoonist Rona ...
'' (1954). She went on to small roles in other British films and television shows. As Sandra Alfred she latched on to the early
British rock and roll
British rock and roll, or sometimes British rock 'n' roll, is a style of popular music based on American rock and roll, which emerged in the late 1950s and was popular until the arrival of beat music in 1962. It was important in establishing Brit ...
scene and released "Rocket and Roll b/w Six Day Rock" on
Oriole Records in late 1957 or January 1958.
60s music career (as Sandra Barry)
As Mandy Mason, she released "A Tear in the Eye", written and produced by
Barry Mason
John Barry Mason (12 July 1935 – 16 April 2021) was an English singer and songwriter. A leading songwriter of the 1960s, he wrote the bulk of his most successful songs in partnership with Les Reed. Mason gained many gold and platinum awar ...
(no relation), on the
Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
label in 1963, before she took on the stage name Sandra Barry and was signed to
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
. She was backed by guitar band The Boys (who would later go on to become cult mod band
The Action
The Action were an English band of the 1960s, formed as the Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. They were part of the mod subculture, and played soul music-influenced pop music.
Career
The band was formed as the Boys in Au ...
), sometimes credited as ''Sandra Barry and The Boyfriends''. Backed by The Boys, Barry released the single "Really Gonna Shake" in 1964. She subsequently signed with
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...
, and released a number of singles backed by
Jet Harris
Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to:
Aerospace
* Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines
** Jet airliner
** Jet engine
** Jet fuel
* Jet Airways, an Indian airline
* Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline
* Journey to Enceladus a ...
' backing band ''The Jet Blacks'', who included future
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
bassist
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
, but failed to score any hits.
70s career (as Alice Spring)
In 1973, she re-emerged as Alice Spring, fronting the short-lived
pub rock act Slack Alice. Later in the decade, she fronted post punk band
Darling, who released an album and a number of singles in 1979. After Darling folded in the early 1980s, she
produced bands together with ''Slack Alice'' and ''Darling'' bassist Mick Howard.
References
External links
*
Sandra Alfredfilmography at the
BFI
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
archive.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Sandra
1943 births
Possibly living people
English child actresses
English actresses
English women singers
English record producers