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Gladys Mills (née Jordan; 29 August 1918 – 24 February 1978),[1] known as Mrs. Mills, was an English pianist who was active in the 1960s and 1970s, and who released many records. Her repertoire included many sing-along and party tunes made popular in the music hall, generally in a stride piano technique, often in a tack piano style.[2]
Mrs. Mills | |
|---|---|
_Album_Cover.jpg) Mrs. Mills album cover | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gladys Jordan |
| Also known as | Gladys Mills |
| Born | 29 August 1918 Beckton, England |
| Died | 24 February 1978 (aged 59) London, England |
| Genres | Sing-along |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1961–1976 |
| Labels |
|
Mills was born in the East London suburb of Beckton.[1] Her uncle Henry was a harpist and her mother was the main influence in developing her musical ability. She took piano lessons from the age of 3½ to the age of seven.
She married Gilbert (Bert) Mills, who worked for London Transport, in February 1947[3] and they settled in Loughton, Essex, where she lived for most of her life.[1]
1960s
While working as the superintendent of a typing pool in the office of the Paymaster General in London, Mills performed as a honky-tonk pianist in the evenings and weekends.[1] She was spotted by a talent scout while playing piano with a semi-professional band called The Astorians, at a dance at the Woodford Golf Club in Essex.[1]
In 1961 she released her first record, "Mrs Mills Medley", a single that entered the Top Twenty of the UK Singles Chart.[4]
At the age of 43, in December 1961, she made her first television appearance on The Billy Cotton Show. By the end of January 1962 she was a household name, having risen to fame in the same period as her stable-mates The Beatles, with whom she had shared space at Abbey Road Studios (as mentioned in the Beatles Anthology DVD bonus materials).
She toured the UK throughout the 1960s, making several appearances on TV and radio. Mills was also a successful recording artist overseas in territories with large numbers of economic migrants from the UK, such as Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. Her career as an entertainer would last well into the 1970s.
Her agent was Eric Easton, who later went on to manage The Dave Clark Five and The Rolling Stones, and then signed a recording contract with Parlophone.
Her oeuvre consisted of British and international standards, plus cover versions of contemporary hits. Her covers included "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", "Hello, Dolly!", "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Yellow Submarine", all of which were re-released by EMI in their 2003 compilation The Very Best of Mrs Mills.
1970s
Mills appeared on two episodes of The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1971 and 1974, where she performed a medley of favourites with the studio orchestra.[5] In 1973, she appeared in an episode of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.
In December 1974, she appeared as the subject of This Is Your Life, hosted by Eamonn Andrews, when it was revealed that the first record she had recorded was "A Gal in Calico", cut in a make-your-own-record booth on Southend Pier for a half-crown, with her girlhood pal Lily Dormer.
In 1975, her distinctive style of performance was satirised in an edition of BBC TV's The Two Ronnies, originally broadcast on BBC Two on 23 January 1975. The sketch, titled "Family Entertainment – John & Mrs Mills", occupied the end-of-the-show musical slot in episode 4 of the fourth series. It featured Ronnie Barker as a silk-laden Mrs Mills at piano and Ronnie Corbett as a uniformed Sir John Mills (no relation to Mrs Mills). Barker and Corbett performed a medley of Mills-style classics revolving around John Mills' character in the 1969 film Oh! What a Lovely War.
Little was seen of Mills on television in her final years, and she died of a heart attack on 24 February 1978 in London.[1]
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The name "The Mrs. Mills Piano" was given to a vintage 1905 Steinway Vertegrand upright piano, frequently used by her at Abbey Road Studios in London, where she recorded.[6] The piano, with a characteristic out-of-tune honky-tonk sound, has remained in use at Abbey Road for over 50 years and was used in countless recordings made there, including some by The Beatles.[7] According to Eddie Vedder in an interview for the SmartLess podcast in February 2022, Paul McCartney tried to buy the piano but the studio refused.[8] Eddie Vedder's 2022 album, Earthling, contains a song called "Mrs. Mills" about the piano, featuring Ringo Starr on drums.[9] The piano was featured in the 2024 Doctor Who episode "The Devil's Chord."
Although Mills' musical legacy had been largely forgotten in recent times, June 2012 saw the emergence of London-based tribute band The Mrs Mills Experience[10] with a debut at The Vintage Festival at Boughton House in Northamptonshire.[11] On 13 July, they were filmed playing live at The Prince Albert pub in Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth by the BBC.[12] On 23 September 2012, BBC Four broadcast the 60-minute documentary Let's Have a Party! The Piano Genius of Mrs Mills on the life of Mills, which included footage of the band and contributions from Rick Wakeman, Rowland Rivron and Pete Murray, amongst others.[13]
Loughton Town Council commissioned a blue plaque to her memory on the house at 43 Barncroft Close, her home for many years.[14]
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A Best of CD was released by the EMI Gold imprint and another CD (The Mrs Mills Collection) appeared on the HMV Easy label. A list of her UK output is as follows:
EMI/Parlophone Records — singles (all mono) with the Geoff Love Orchestra
| Catalogue Number | Issue Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| R 4856 | 1961 | "Mrs Mills Medley" parts 1 and 2 |
| R 4863 | 1962 | "Popcorn" / "Bobbikins" |
| R 4933 | 1962 | "Entry of the Tradiators" / "South Rampart Street Parade" |
| R 4975 | 1962 | "Mrs Mills Hoe-Down Party" parts 1 and 2 |
| R 5008 | 1963 | "Bubbling Over" / "The First Waltz" |
| R 5081 | 1963 | "We're Gonna Throw A Little Party" / "Ten Green Bottles" |
| R 5214 | 1964 | "Mrs Mills Party Medley" parts 1 and 2 |
| R 5238 | 1965 | "Mrs Mills' Minstrel Medley" parts 1 and 2 |
| R 5367 | November 1965 | "Mrs Mills' Party Medley" parts 1 and 2 (not to be confused with the 1964 release) |
| R 5399 | January 1966 | "Newsboy" / "Someone Like You" |
| R 5549 | December 1966 | "Glad Today Medley" / "Glad Yesterday Medley" |
| R 5599 | 19 May 1967 | "I Was Queen Victoria's Chambermaid" / "Thank You Everybody" (listed as "Mrs Mills With Adequate Support") |
| R 5653 | November 1967 | "Party Hit Parade" parts 1 and 2 |
| R 5678 | 1968 | "Candy Floss" / "Indian Summer" |
| R 5748 | 6 December 1968 | "Glad's Party" parts 1 and 2 |
| R 5822 | 28 November 1969 | "Battle of Britain Medley" / "A Wee Drop of Scotch" |
| R 5834 | 1970 | "The Champs Elysees" / "Kiss Curl Caper" (listed as Mrs Mills And Her Happy Piano) |
| R 5877 | November 1970 | "Mrs Mills' Minstrel Medley" parts 1 and 2 (not to be confused with the 1965 release) |
| R 5950 | 12 May 1972 | "Sunshine" / "Bobbikins" |
EMI/Parlophone Records – EPs (all mono)
| Catalogue Number | Issue Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| GEP 8861 | 1962 | The Happy Piano Player (released in NZ as MGEP 8861) |
| GEP 8865 | 1962 | Mrs Mills Plays The Roaring Twenties |
| GEP 8918 | 1964 | Everybody's Welcome at Mrs Mills' Party |
| GEP 8935 | 1963 | Any Time's Party Time with Mrs Mills |
| GEP 8943 | 1965 | It's Party Time! |
| GEP 8958 | 1966 | Mrs Mills' Party |
EMI/Parlophone Records – LPs (PMC: mono, PCS: stereo)
| Catalogue Number | Issue Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| PMC 1178 | 1962 | Mrs Mills Plays The Roaring Twenties, also released in 1962 by The World Record Club in Great Britain, on their label, number ST994, showing a portrait cover art |
| PMC 1212 | November 1963 | Everybody's Welcome at Mrs Mills' Party |
| PMC 1234 | 1964 | It's Party Time! |
| PMC 1254 | September 1964 | Music For Anytime |
| PMC 1264 | November 1965 | Mrs Mills' Party |
| PCS 3030 | 1962 | Mrs Mills Plays The Roaring Twenties |
| PCS 3049 | November 1963 | Everybody's Welcome at Mrs Mills' Party |
| PCS 3070 | September 1965 | Music For Anytime |
| PCS 3074 | November 1965 | Mrs Mills' Party |
| PMC/PCS 7002 | April 1966 | Especially For You |
| PMC/PCS 7010 | 1966 | Come to my Party |
| PMC/PCS 7020 | April 1967 | Look Mum – No Hands! |
| PMC/PCS 7035 | December 1967 | Let's Have Another Party |
| PCS 7046 | April 1968 | Summer Party |
| PCS 7066 | November 1968 | Party Pieces |
| PCS 7080 | July 1969 | Back to the Roaring Twenties |
| PCS 7087 | January 1970 | Party Mixture |
| PCS 7117 | November 1970 | Bumper Bundle Party |
| PCS 7129 | July 1971 | More Music For Anytime |
| PCS 7143 | January 1972 | Music Hall Party |
| PCS 7152 | July 1972 | Anytime Is Party Time |
| PCS 7153 | October 1972 | Another Flippin' Party |
| PCS 7166 | June 1974 | Hollywood Party |
| PCS 7167 | November 1974 | It's Party Time Again |
EMI/Music For Pleasure Records – LPs (all stereo)
| Catalogue Number | Issue Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| MFP 5225 | 1966 | I'm Mighty Glad |
| MFP 1406 | 1967 | Your One and Only Mrs Mills |
| MFP 50009 | 1974 | Piano Singalong (released in Australia on Axis label, featuring a Straube player-piano as the album art) |
| MFP 50220 | 1975 | Glad with Love (Mrs Mills and Geoff Love Singalong Together) |
| MFP 50230 | 1975 | Mrs Mills Knees-Up Party |
Other recordings (all stereo)
| Record Label | Catalogue Number | Issue Date | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regal Starline Records | SRS 5029 | 1970 | Party Sing-Along (released in Australia on EMI Parlophone label) |
| Regal Starline Records | SRS 5089 | 1971 | All Time Party Dances (released in Australia on EMI Parlophone label) |
| EMI/Encore Records | ONCR 508 | 1971 | All Time Party Dances and Other Favourites (released in Australia on Axis label, comprising All Time Party Dances LP, plus selected tracks from other Parlophone albums) |
| EMI/One-Up Records | OU 2076 | 1970–79 | It's Party Time! (reissue). Also released in Scotland, with album art showing Mrs Mills with various cute puppies. |
| EMI/One-Up Records | OU 2197 | 1977 | Glad Tidings – Mrs Mills' Christmas Party |
| EMI/Sounds Superb Records | SPR 90012 | 1973 | Non-Stop Honky-Tonk Party (blue or purple background) |
| EMI/Double-Up Records | DUO 108 | 1973 | What a Wonderful Party (double album). The cover shows a chimpanzees' tea party. Selections from this double album were released in Australia as Parlophone SPMEO 10164, What a Wonderful Party, with a cartoon-style piano cover. |
| EMI/Double-Up Records | DUO 122 | 1976 | Jumbo-Party (double album – elephant cover). These albums were released separately in Australia as Jumbo Party, Volume 1 and 2, EMI EMB 10383 and 10384 respectively. |
| EMI/Double-Up Records | DUO 124 | 1977 | Jubilee Party (double album). These albums were released separately in Australia as Jubilee Party Volume 1 and 2, AXIS.6358 and AXIS.6360 respectively. |
| Liberty Records | LST-7359 | 1964[15] | My Mother the Ragtime Piano Player – 6-track, 33rpm 7-inch EP – (consisting of selections from Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s) |
| Liberty Records | LRP-3359 (mono) or LST-7359 (stereo) | 1964[15] | My Mother the Ragtime Piano Player – 33 rpm 12-inch album, US release of Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s |
| Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | "Auld Lang Syne / Happy Birthday" (distributed in South Africa) |
| EMI Records | EMC 2228 | 1974 | "Smile Smile Smile" / "Da-Dar Da-Dar" – 7 inch single |
| EMI Records | EMC 3092 | 1975 | For Your Party – Mrs Mills Sings and Plays |
| Music For Pleasure | DL 41 1058 3 | 1984 | Piano Party Time – double album, a re-release of Music for Anytime and Mrs Mills Party |
| Capitol Canada | ST6082 | 1964 | Mrs Mills & Russ Conway – Let's Have a Party – Mrs Mills content consists of various singles such as "Entry of the Tradiators" and "Ten Green Bottles", plus two tracks from Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s |
| Capitol Canada | ST6151 | 1965 | Another Party with Mrs Mills – (Canadian release of Mrs Mills Party) |
| Deutscher Schallplattenclub | H-044 | 1967 | Mrs Mills – Am Schräger Klavier ("At the Diagonal Piano") – (German release of Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s) |
| Telemark Dance Records | 892 | 1973 | "Candy Floss / Someone Like You" – 7 inch single |
| S*R International Label | 74989-P12 | 1966 | Mrs Mills' Crazy Party – German release, consisting of various selections from Mrs Mills Plays the Roaring 20s interspersed with traditional jazz tunes from The New Orleans Hot Dogs |
| EMI Odeon | O 23 390 | 1966 | "Mrs Mills Klimperkasten Potpourri" – German release of "Glad Today" and "Glad Yesterday" – 7 inch 45rpm single |
| Music For Pleasure | FP 10055 | 1975 Tapetunes | "Chattanooga Choo Choo" & "Little Sir Echo" - listed as a "Piano Singalong with Mrs Mills" 45rpm single |
| EMIMUSIC | EMAJ(M)8504 | 1988 EMI Brigadiers (Johannesburg) | EMIMUSIC presents Mrs Mills – LP compilation from various other Mrs Mills albums |
A number of additional albums, with titles such as Knees-Up Roaring 20s Party, Crazy Rhythm, Mairzy Doats and Dozy Doats, Just Mrs Gladys Mills, and Welcome To Mrs Mills' Honky Tonk Party, are either compilations of tracks from various EMI Parlophone albums and singles, or older albums reissued under new titles. The cover art on these albums, rather than the content, has been of interest to collectors.
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