Billy Fury from Liverpool, England began music lessons, on the piano, at age 11. He got his first guitar at age 14. By 1955, the skiffle music boom had begun in England and Fury was leading his own local group, while still working on a tugboat and/or as a stevedore. By 1958, he had won a talent competition and had begun to write his own songs.
In a story which was legend among the British youth of the period, Fury was discovered by impressario Larry Parnes on October 1, 1958. That night, Fury attended a performance of The Larry Parnes Extravaganza, hoping to offer his songs to Marty Wilde, one of the featured performers and a well-known rock-&-roll star because of his appearances on the television series, "Oh Boy!" Fury did get backstage, and was seen by Parnes while performing one of his own songs for Wilde. Parnes booked Fury to appear on the Extravaganze that same night and the rest, as they say, is history - the applause which Fury received earned him a permanent spot on the tour and Parnes as his agent. Parnes' established proceedure was to give his singers stage names representing emotions and attributes: Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, Vince Eager. Thus, Ronald Wycherley became Billy Fury.
By the British standards of the day, Fury's early performances were so suggestive that a curtain was brought down on one of his shows. This forced Fury to restrain himself from his more overtly sexual stage moves. Fury's recording career began in early, 1959, with "Maybe Tomorrow," a song which he had written and which charted soon after its release. Fury's television debut came soon after in "Strictly For Sparrows." After that, Fury became a fixture on musical showcases such as "Oh Boy!"
After a string of hit singles, Fury cut his debut album, "The Sound of Fury," in 1960. Fury's back-up players included Joe Brown, one of England's few serious rockabilly players at that time, and drummer Andy White, who later played on the original release version of The Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do." The album sold well and has been re-released a half-dozen times since, including a CD version in the early 1990s. In an interview during the '70s, Keith Richards declared "The Sound of Fury" one of the greatest rock 'n roll albums of its era.
In 1960, DECCA Records decided to soften Fury's sound, at least on his singles, and Fury's early 60's recordings took on a more sophisticated air. "Talkin' In My Sleep" and "Don't Worry," backed by The Four Kestrels, were two results of this change. "Halfway to Paradise," in 1961, began Fury's brief assault on the top of the charts. The orchestrated "Halfway to Paradise" hit #3. A few months later, "Jealousy" reached #2; "I'd Never Find Another You" reached #5. By 1962, Fury was England's top rock-n-roll attraction, backed by the legendary Tornadoes of "Telstar" fame, appearing regularly on television. During this time, he also ventured to America where he got to meet Elvis Presley on the set of "Girls, Girls, Girls." (Many considered Fury to be the closest that England came to producing its own Elvis Presley, capable of dark, brooding, sexual performances, as well as gentle, vulnerable ballads.)
It was the arrival of another group from Liverpool, The Beatles, which ended Fury's dominance of the British teen music scene. (Interesting aside - The Beatles had tried, and failed, to become Fury's back-up during one of his tours.) Nonetheless, Fury continued to chart records into 1964. During that summer, he starred in a semi-autobiographical movie, "I've Got a Horse." Later the same year, he got his own television show. By 1965, however, Fury's health had begun to deteriorate and his records seldom charted better than the mid-20s.
Fury left DECCA Records in 1966 and signed a five-year contract with EMI's Parlophone Records. During those five years, Fury saw some very modest success but nothing like the frenzied stardom of his first seven years in music.
Fury underwent heart surgery in 1970 and in 1971, but resumed performing in 1972. England's rock-n-roll revival during the mid-70s saw the re-release of "The Sound of Fury," as well as other parts of Fury's catalog. During those years, Fury toured England with his one-time idol Marty Wilde. When he wasn't performing, Fury looked after his other interests, including wildlife preservation.
Another heart operation, in 1976, essentially ended Fury's musical career although there were still occasional recordings and television appearances. In 1978, Fury re-recorded his classic songs for K-Tel; in the early '80s he recut his old hits yet again for Polydor, which, by that time, owned DECCA Records. In 1981, a single, "Be Mine Tonight," just missed the British charts.
On March 4, 1982, Fury collapsed and nearly died while working on his farm. Nonetheless, that summer, he again went back on tour and placed the singles "Love Or Money" and "Devil Or Angel" on the English charts. Plans were made for a new album and a national tour, but Fury was found unconscious in his home on January 28, 1983. He died that same day in hospital.
A posthumous single, "Forget Him," charted in England later that same year. Numerous re-issues, as well as releases of previously unreleased material, have continued to appear in the compact disc era, most recently the "40th Anniversary Anthology," a double CD set and Beat Goes On's two-on-one CD of "We Want Billy" and "Billy."
On 10 April 1983, a tribute concert for Billy was held at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex. All the artists performed for free and the money raised was donated to the Billy Fury memorial fund for research into heart disease. On the bill were such names as Marty Wilde with his daughter Kim Wilde, Joe Brown, Alvin Stardust, Dave Berry, Helen Shapiro, and John Miles.[citation needed]
In 1999 a TV documentary about Billy called Halfway to Paradise was broadcast on the BBC channel. It was narrated by Ian Dury.
Between 1999 and 2000 the song "Wondrous Place", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career), later received wide airplay on British television when it was used as the theme for a Toyota Yaris car advertisement.
On 19 April 2003 a bronze statue of Fury was unveiled by Jack Good at the National Museum of Liverpool Life. The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club after the money was raised by fans.
In 2005 Spencer Leigh from BBC Radio Merseyside published a biography book about Billy Fury called Wondrous Face – The Billy Fury Story.
In 2008 a biographical documentary film Billy Fury His Wondrous Story was released on DVD.
Eight of his EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, The Complete Parlophone Singles, released by Peaksoft (PEA009). The singer's estate licensed the tracks to benefit his memorial fund, which finances equipment purchases for hospital heart units.
In November 2011, further co-operation between the estate and Peaksoft resulted in the issuing of a second CD, The Lost Album (PEA014), which attempted to construct the format of an album recorded by Fury in 1967–71, but which was never released.
In 2010 Camden Council, London, named a small formerly nameless road Billy Fury Way in his honour. It starts just off Finchley Road near Finchley & Frognal station and runs to West Hampstead Station. He had recorded at the nearby Decca Studios. The alleyway was decorated with a large mural of his face (at the West Hampstead end), which was unveiled and blessed on Friday 29 July 2011.
Play It Cool was released for the first time on DVD on 10 February 2014.
Baby
Billy Fury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna get some real gone love
That'll drive a cool cat wild
I'm gonna move, rollin' right on down
Gonna get me a gal that'll go out on the town
Well you move on down the line
I'm gonna get me a gal that'll make some time
'Cause when we start struttin', gotta go-go-go
Well I'm gonna show you ain't so hot
I'm gonna get what you ain't got
She'll be sweet, won't do me wrong
She'll be cool and twice as gone
You gotta roll, move it right on down
Gonna get me a gal that'll go out on the town
Well you move on down the line
I'm gonna get me a gal that'll make some time
She can't be square, she can't be slow
'Cause when we start struttin', gotta go-go-go
In Billy Fury's song "Baby," Fury sings about his desire for a girl with the right style and attitude. The lyrics suggest that the girl he currently has is not satisfying him, and he's looking for something more exciting. He specifically mentions that he wants a girl who can go out on the town and keep up with his fast-paced, energetic lifestyle. The line "She'll be cool and twice as gone" suggests that he wants a girl who is not only attractive but also wild and daring.
Throughout the song, Fury contrasts the girl he currently has with the girl he wants to find. The girl he has is "square" and "slow," while the girl he wants is "sweet" and "cool." Fury is determined to move on and find the right girl, even if it means leaving his current one behind.
Overall, the lyrics to "Baby" suggest a desire for excitement and adventure, and the need to find someone who can keep up with that lifestyle. It's a common theme in rock and roll music, and Fury's passionate vocals and upbeat instrumentation make the song a catchy and enjoyable listen.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you can't be my lovin' baby, you ain't got the style
You are not the kind of girl I want to love because you lack the style that I am looking for.
I'm gonna get some real gone love
I am going to find someone who can give me the kind of love I really want.
That'll drive a cool cat wild
The kind of love I am looking for should be exciting and fun enough to make a cool guy like me go wild.
I'm gonna move, rollin' right on down
I am going to move on and continue with my search for the right kind of love.
Gonna get me a gal that'll go out on the town
I want a girl who is willing to go out with me and have some fun.
Well you move on down the line
Since you are not the kind of girl I am interested in, you can move on down the line.
I'm gonna get me a gal that'll make some time
I am going to find someone who is willing to make time for me and spend it together with me.
She can't be square, she can't be slow
I want someone who is fun and exciting, and definitely not boring or slow.
'Cause when we start struttin', gotta go-go-go
I want someone who can keep up with me and have the same level of energy when we are together.
Well I'm gonna show you ain't so hot
I am going to prove to you that you are not the only one who can be hot and desired by someone.
I'm gonna get what you ain't got
I am going to find love that is better than what you and I ever had.
She'll be sweet, won't do me wrong
The girl I am looking for should be gentle and kind, and she should not do anything to hurt me.
She'll be cool and twice as gone
She should be fun and exciting, and she should be able to make me feel twice as good as others.
You gotta roll, move it right on down
You should also move on and find someone else who can love you better than I can.
Gonna get me a gal that'll go out on the town
I am going to find someone who is willing to go out and have fun with me.
Well you move on down the line
You should move on and find someone else too, someone who is better suited for you.
I'm gonna get me a gal that'll make some time
I am going to find someone who is willing to make time for me and spend it together with me.
She can't be square, she can't be slow
I want someone who is fun and exciting, and definitely not boring or slow.
'Cause when we start struttin', gotta go-go-go
I want someone who can keep up with me and have the same level of energy when we are together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN RALPH SAMWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pauline A. Barker
Priceless!