Aled Jones was born on December 29, 1970. He was raised in the small Welsh-speaking community of Llandegfan, in Anglesey and attended Ysgol David Hughes. Jones joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral at age nine and was lead soloist within two years. The remarkable clarity of his treble voice was appreciated by a member of the congregation, Hefina Orwig Evans, who wrote a letter to local record company Sain, and he was duly signed. In 1982 he won the Cerdd Dant solo competitions for competitors under 12 at the Urdd Eisteddfod.He became famous when he recorded 'Walking in the air' for the Channel 4 animated film 'The snowman', based on the book by Raymond Briggs. It reached number 5 in the UK singles chart three years later. I actually got to know the song two decades later, when All About Eve recorded a remarkable cover on their album 'Iceland'. However, this version - with full orchestra - is in a league of its own.
My collection: 7" single no. 4954
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Walking in the air' / 'Walking in the air (instrumental)'
