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David Parton

English singer-songwriter and record producer

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David Parton (born David Eric Stanley Parton, 1948) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, England. He is also known as Des Parton, based on the initials of his first three names.

Parton was the frontman of Strange Fox, who were nurtured by Tony Hatch in the early 1970s.^[1] Parton achieved songwriting success writing songs for Sweet Sensation in the mid-1970s, namely "Sad Sweet Dreamer" which was a number 1 single in the UK, and "Purely by Coincidence" which also charted.^[1]Hearranged and co-produced both tracks with Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent.

In 1975, Parton released an album entitled Snaps on the Buk record label, a short lived imprint of Decca Records.^[2] A year later he re-emerged with a band called The Cyril Dagworth Players, where Parton masqueraded as Dagworth. They released one album, also co-produced by Parton and Hatch.^[3]

Parton then sang a cover versionofStevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" which he again co-produced with Hatch. When the original contracted singer (Marcel King from Sweet Sensation) was unable to re-create Wonder's vocal nuances, rather than dispose of the backing track, Parton sang the lead vocal, and it was decided to issue this version.^[1] It was released in 1976 and charted in the UK Singles Chart in January 1977 for nine weeks, reaching number 4^[4] (Stevie Wonder's original was not released as a single, but peaked at number 94 in the UK Singles Chart in 2012 based on downloads following his performance of the song at the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II). Lack of further chart action saw Parton dubbed as a one-hit wonder. He later worked as a songwriter and producer based in Cheshire.^[1]

He has generally sung and played guitar with local bands from North Staffordshire.

• "Sad Sweet Dreamer" – Sweet Sensation
• "Purely by Coincidence" – Sweet Sensation
• "Belinda" – Coup De Cœur

• Snaps – Buk Records – 1975^[2]

All tracks written & arranged by Des Parton

1. "Lawman" – (5:36)
2. "Eyes as Sad as Yours" (4:20)
3. "All the Live Long Day" (4:48)
4. "Oh for the Glory" (5:53)
5. "Queenie" (4:14)
6. "Jane" (3:25)
7. "The Nigger's Coming" (2:48)
8. "Something for the Likes of You" (3:42)
9. "Longest Journey" (3:17)
10. "Vandal" (3:51)

• David Parton discography at Discogs