Biography
Born in Leeds on May 11, 1948, Christine Quaite achieved more commercial traction and artistic recognition than nearly any other British teenager rushed into major-label contracts during the scramble to duplicate 13-year-old Helen Shapiro’s breakthrough. A detailed Spectropop survey notes that she made her first talent-show appearance at age eight and soon became a regular on the regional amateur circuit. She later performed with the Judean Club, a Jewish youth ensemble whose members included teenager Vivienne Foreman, who would later achieve fame as pop vocalist Julie Grant. After finishing second in a Manchester contest, Quaite secured a recording agreement with Oriole Records; early in 1962 the 13-year-old released her debut single “Oh My,” promptly followed by a version of Johnny Crawford’s “Your Nose Is Gonna Grow.” Both records failed to register, as did her third outing, the strong “Whisper Wonderful Words,” whose main melody drew directly from Bizet’s Carmen. Success arrived with 1964’s “Tell Me Mama,” which reached number 89 on the Billboard pop chart and secured international distribution for its successor, the Ellie Greenwich/Jeff Barry composition “Here She Comes.” Following the release of “Mr. Stuck-Up,” Oriole collapsed; in June 1965 Quaite placed her career in the hands of manager Bunny Lewis, who arranged a liaison with New York’s Laurie Records for Bobby Goldsboro’s “If You’ve Got a Heart.” Laurie never progressed the track beyond the acetate stage, so it surfaced instead on the British Stateside label, which also issued the next single, Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Long After Tonight Is All Over.” That record marked the end of Quaite’s discography. Subsequent musical activities remain undocumented, though she eventually married and raised a family.