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.
Don't Jump
Billy Fury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Backing Group Sing Italic
I was standing on the edge of the cliff top high above
I was looking right down below
I was thinking all about the women I had
About the women that I love so
But it's a long, long way to fall
(BIILY, BILLY)
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Wow, wow, wow, wow
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
No woman's worth the trouble
Tell me why, why, why
You can always find another
I don't believe you brother wow, wow
Wow Billy wow, wow Billy boy wow
As the sea rushes in upon the rugged rocks
It's a long long way to fall
Then I'm gonna bet I wanna bet I will and I wont
Cause it a long long way to fall
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
I wanna die
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Don't wanna cry
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
No woman's worth the trouble
Tell me why, why, why
You can always find another
I don't believe you brother wow, wow
Wow Billy wow, wow Billy boy wow
I guess ill sit here a while and think about the time that girl was mine and we were gonna be so happy
Then her parents stood in and said that I was small time
And that's a long long way to fall
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Wow, wow, wow, wow
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Oh keepa talking
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
Mmmm you're getting through now
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
No woman's worth the trouble
Tell me why, why, why
You can always find another
I believe ya brother wow, wow
Thank you Billy
I feel alright right now
Don't jump Billy
Aint gonna jump right now
No woman's worth the trouble
Tell me why, why, why
You can always find another
That's the way brother
Wow Billy
So long goodbye right now
Goodbye Billy
Goodbye so long now
"Don't Jump" by Billy Fury is an empowering song that explores themes of hopelessness, love, and heartbreak. The lyrics describe a man standing on the edge of a cliff, contemplating jumping off to end his life due to the pain and heartbreak he has experienced from failed relationships. The woman's voice in the song is trying to convince him not to give up on his life because he can always find another love. She urges him to consider that no woman is worth his life, as he can always find another person to love.
Fury's lyrics underline the emotional turmoil one can go through after a break-up. At some point in life, everyone has experienced heartbreak, and this song emphasizes that realization. The lyrics are encouraging and speak to the caring nature of humans towards each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing on the edge of the cliff top high above
Billy Fury was standing on the edge of a cliff, which was very high.
I was looking right down below
Billy Fury was looking down to the bottom of the cliff.
I was thinking all about the women I had
Billy Fury was thinking about all the women he had been with.
About the women that I love so
He was thinking about the women he loved.
But it's a long, long way to fall
Billy Fury knew that if he jumped from the cliff, he would fall a long way down.
And then I heard a soft voice call
Billy Fury heard a soft voice calling out to him.
Don't jump Billy boy don't jump
The voice was telling Billy Fury not to jump off the cliff.
No woman's worth the trouble
The voice was saying that no woman was worth the risk of jumping off the cliff.
You can always find another
The voice told Billy Fury that he could always find another woman.
As the sea rushes in upon the rugged rocks
The sea was rushing in and hitting the rocks.
It's a long long way to fall
Billy Fury knew that it was a long way to fall if he jumped off the cliff.
I guess ill sit here a while and think about the time that girl was mine and we were gonna be so happy
Billy Fury decided to sit down and think about a girl he was with who he thought would make him happy.
Then her parents stood in and said that I was small time
The girl's parents did not approve of Billy Fury and did not think he was good enough for their daughter.
Don't wanna cry
Billy Fury did not want to cry or feel sad about the girl he lost.
Mmmm you're getting through now
The voice was starting to get through to Billy Fury and he was starting to listen.
Thank you Billy
The voice was thanking Billy Fury for listening.
I feel alright right now
Billy Fury was starting to feel better.
Aint gonna jump right now
Billy Fury decided that he was not going to jump off the cliff.
That's the way brother
The voice was telling Billy Fury that he was making the right decision.
Goodbye Billy
The voice said goodbye and left Billy Fury.
Contributed by Max G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@b1llyfury
Decca Records ClassicalDecca Reco
Published on 20 Jul 2018
‘The Symphonic Sound of Fury’ showcases Billy Fury’s unparalleled original vocals from the legendary album ‘The Sound of Fury’ backed by newly recorded arrangements from the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by James Morgan. This title captures Billy’s timeless singing and marries it with a deeply compelling backdrop sure to breathe new life into these legendary recordings.
Pre-Order 'The Symphonic Sound of Fury’: https://decca.lnk.to/SSBFID
Pauline A. Barker
Pauline A. Barker
1 week ago
https://decca.lnk.to/SSBFFP - NEW FOR 2018 - NEW RELEASE FOR 2018 - Pre-Order 'The Symphonic Sound of Fury’: https://decca.lnk.to/SSBFID - NEW RELEASE FOR 2018
@claudinedemantet
Beautiful Billy❤ how my mum would've loved to hear this. He was always a favourite of mums, mine and my older sister 💋💋💋
@stephenford2729
Now this is what you call good music unlike the distasteful junk they call music now adays
@noreenhallett374
Incomparable. In our hearts forever
@garymatthews9730
The James Dean of the music world. Back in the day he was my heart-throb, not Elvis or Cliff Richard and he was quite a prolific British songwriter.
@traceyhayward6848
Don’t jump billy boy . Don’t jump . ❤️❤️❤️
@Lungomolto
he got everything: class, voice, catchy tunes
@leoappeal
Beautiful tune, brilliant tempo & chorus : want to sing with "Yeah yeah yeah…Woh woh woh…" 0:35 Great harmony!!!!!!!!
@rockitMiC
I've seen inspiration from Ronnie Hawkins and Jackie Lee Cochran…
Bill had good taste ;)
@soulman4692
Awesome...!!!
@anthonybelcher8569
Awesome song 67