Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame (b. June 26, 1943) is a British rhythm and blues and jazz sing… Read Full Bio ↴Georgie Fame (b. June 26, 1943) is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player whose real name is Clive Powell.
Fame was born in Leigh in Lancashire. At sixteen years of age he entered into a management agreement with Larry Parnes, who gave artists new names such as Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. Fame was already playing piano for Billy Fury in a backing band called The Blue Flames, which later became billed as "Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames". The band had great success with rhythm and blues. Their greatest success was "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1968, which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom and in the United States; they also had UK number-one hits with "Yeh, Yeh" (1965) and "Get Away" (1966). Although he enjoyed regular chart success with singles in the late 60s, it was a peculiar quirk of chart statistics that his only three Top 10 hits all made number one.
Fame continued playing into the 1970s, enjoying a hit with Alan Price (ex-keyboard player of The Animals), "Rosetta", in 1971. He has also toured as one of the Rhythm Kings, with his friend Bill Wyman playing bass.
From the late 1980s, until the 1997 album The Healing Game he was a core member of Van Morrison's band, as well as his musical producer, playing keyboards and singing harmony vocals on tracks like "In the Days before Rock 'n' Roll", whilst still recording and touring as an artist in his own right. He frequently plays residences at jazz clubs such as Ronnie Scott's. He has also played organ on Starclub's album..
Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (The Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading.
Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra).
At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare.
In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese tradition.
Fame was born in Leigh in Lancashire. At sixteen years of age he entered into a management agreement with Larry Parnes, who gave artists new names such as Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. Fame was already playing piano for Billy Fury in a backing band called The Blue Flames, which later became billed as "Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames". The band had great success with rhythm and blues. Their greatest success was "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1968, which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom and in the United States; they also had UK number-one hits with "Yeh, Yeh" (1965) and "Get Away" (1966). Although he enjoyed regular chart success with singles in the late 60s, it was a peculiar quirk of chart statistics that his only three Top 10 hits all made number one.
Fame continued playing into the 1970s, enjoying a hit with Alan Price (ex-keyboard player of The Animals), "Rosetta", in 1971. He has also toured as one of the Rhythm Kings, with his friend Bill Wyman playing bass.
From the late 1980s, until the 1997 album The Healing Game he was a core member of Van Morrison's band, as well as his musical producer, playing keyboards and singing harmony vocals on tracks like "In the Days before Rock 'n' Roll", whilst still recording and touring as an artist in his own right. He frequently plays residences at jazz clubs such as Ronnie Scott's. He has also played organ on Starclub's album..
Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (The Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading.
Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra).
At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare.
In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese tradition.
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Georgie Fame Lyrics
A House Is Not A Home A chair is still a chair Even when there's no one…
And I Love Her I give her all my love That's all I do And if…
Ask Me Nice I just got here day before yesterday It won't be long…
Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde Bonnie and Clyde were pretty lookin' people But I can tell…
Because I Love You It's because I love you Not because we're far apart It's bec…
Bird In A World Of People Somewhere in a world of people There's a bird, who's not…
Blossom When she sits, down Her piano Gives her a warm welcoming s…
Blue Monday Blue Monday, how I hate blue Monday Got me workin'…
Blue Prelude Let me sigh let me cry when I'm blue Let me…
Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie and Clyde were pretty lookin' people But I can tell…
Bullets Laverne They call her Bullets Laverne She's the gal on the go You…
But Not for Me Old man sunshine listen you Never tell me dreams come true J…
By The Time I Get To Phoenix By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising She'll…
C'est La Vie John's in love with Joan Joan's in love with Jim Jim's in…
Children Of My Mind The painter Who's been painting all his life Ain't a rich …
Do I Love You It's because I love you Not because we're far apart It's bec…
Don't Worry About a Thing If this life is driving you to drink Sitting round what's…
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing Everybody's got a thing But some don't know how to…
El Pussy Cat georgie, your love reminds me of a song when it's near…
Everything Happens To Me Black cats creep across my path Until I'm almost mad I must…
Everything I Own You sheltered me from harm Kept me warm, kept me warm You…
Exactly Like You I know why I waited Know why Ive been blue Ive been…
Foolish Child I would like to walk out in the park with…
Fully Booked Twenty to one I'm outnumbered but no sweat Son of a gun,…
Funny Well, well, well Hello there My, it's been a long long time …
Get Away I'm feeling the strain of getting nowhere again Of living m…
Get On The Right Track Get on the right track, baby Get on the right track,…
Getaway Gotta go, I hope you're ready 'cause Take a look outside Don…
Girl Talk They like to chat about the dresses they will wear…
Going Home Caught the nine-o-clock train from Norfolk In Virginia G…
Happiness Every day is new So know it and show it It's your…
Ho Ho Ho It was christmas eve and Santa hadn't come Everyone but me…
How Long Has This Been Going On I could cry salty tears Where have I been all these…
I Believe In Love I was born without a name I was raised through fire…
I Love Jamaica I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
In The Meantime With The Blue Flames Some day baby, gonna hit on you And…
In The Wee Small Hours In the wee small hours of the morning While the whole…
Inside Story City light signs gleaming Rain swept black wet street Endl…
Is It Really The Same? Tell me, when I call your name Is it, really the…
It Won't Hurt To Try It You've Been hurt And now Your afraid Afraid To be hurt …
Jumpin' With Symphony Sid Jumpin' with my boss Sid in the city Jumpin' with…
Lay Me Down Let us find a better way My father said in silent…
Lean On Me Sometimes in our lives We all have pain We all have sorrow…
Let the Sun Shine In Well, what kind of blue I am Well, I'm hurting too…
Little Samba For the way you brighten up my day, For all the…
Lovely Day Now Keely waits it out Well she's only young enough for…
Maybe In The Spring Again Maybe in the spring again, Winter buds will sing again, He…
Mellow Yellow I'm just mad about Saffron, and Saffrons's mad about me I'm…
Moody's Mood For Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Moondance Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance With the stars…
My Girl I've got sunshine on a cloudy day When it's cold outside…
Need Your Love So Bad I need someones hands to lead me through the night I…
No No You know that once upon a time I didn't need…
Oh Lady Be Good Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Oh, Lady Be Good Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but true, All…
Ozone Your zodiac Tells you that you′ve gotta go back Back home, b…
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag Come here sister, papa's in the swing He ain't too hip…
Pass It Around Take a ink pink big sky Pass it around friend Pass…
Peaceful In the morning sun when no one Will be drinking any…
Pink Champagne Pink champagne has stole my love from me Pink champagne has…
Point Of No Return You know that once upon a time I didn't need…
Pride & Joy You are my pride and joy And I just love you,…
Ride Your Pony CHORUS: (Ride your pony) get on your pony & ride;…
Rocking Chair Old rockin' chair's got me, my cane by my side Fetch…
Rosetta Well, my little girl is a sweet little girl But she…
See Saw Sometimes you love me like a good woman oughta Sometimes yo…
Seventh Son Everybody talkin' 'bout the seventh son In the whole wide…
Shop Around When I became of age my mother called me to…
Side By Side Oh we ain't got a barrel of money Maybe we're…
Sister Jane Wendy looks into her mirror Hates what she sees there Wish…
Sitting In The Park Sittin' in the park, Waitin' for hooo-hoo-hoo-hoo sha-la …
Small Fry Here comes that good for nothin' brat of a boy He's…
Somebody Stole My Thunder Guess what, guess who? Somebody stole my thunder, And now so…
Someone To Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
St. James Infirmary It was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Stormy You were the sunshine baby Whenever you smile But I call y…
Sunny Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain Sunny, you smi…
Sunny Sitting in the Park Sittin' in the park, Waitin' for hooo-hoo-hoo-hoo sha-la …
Sweet Thing You show up Walking in the place like "What? What?"…
Sweet Things You don't always say the words I wanna hear But to…
The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie and Clyde were pretty lookin' people But I can tell…
The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde Bonnie and Clyde were pretty lookin' people But I can tell…
The Old Music Master One night long ago by the light of the moon, An…
Things Ain't What They Used to Be Got so weary of bein' nothin', Felt so dreary just doin'…
This Guy's In Love With You You see this guy, this guy's in love with you Yes…
This Is A Gas This isn't sometimes, this is always. This isn't maybe, thi…
This Is Always This isn't sometimes, this is always This isn't maybe, this…
Time I Moved On By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising She'll…
Up Tight Baby, everything is all right, uptight, out of sight Baby, …
Uptight Baby, everything is all right, uptight, out of sight Baby, e…
when i Who can I turn to When no body needs me My heart…
When I'm Sixty-Four When I get older, losing my hair, many years from…
Who's Kissing You Blues Can't sleep at night, dreaming all day Nothing goes right, …
Woe Is Me The scent of roses I suppose is summers way of telling…
Yeah Yeah Every evening, when all my days work is through i call…
Yeh Yeh Every evening, when all my day's work is through I call…
You I know why I waited Know why Ive been blue Ive been…
You Came a Long Way From St. Louis You came a long way from St. Louis, you climbed…