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.
This Diamond Ring
Billy Fury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thi-i-i-ng
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So if you've got someone whose love is tru-you-ue
Let it shine for yo-ou-ou
This stone is genuine like love should be-e-e-e And if your baby's truer than my baby was to me-e-e-e
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
If there's love behind it
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
So if you've got someone whose love is tru-you-ue
Let it shine for yo-ou-ou
In Billy Fury’s song This Diamond Ring, a woman has taken off her diamond ring and sold it, rendering it meaningless to the man who gave it to her. He laments that it doesn’t shine for him anymore or mean what it used to. However, he recognizes that for someone else, it could represent something beautiful and meaningful, but only if their partner’s love is true. He urges the listener to let their love shine through the symbol of the diamond and not let their heart break like his did.
This song is a melancholy reflection on lost love and broken promises, but it also carries a message of hope and redemption. The diamond represents the fleeting nature of material possessions and how love is the only true source of value and beauty. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, capturing the raw emotion of heartache and the desire for things to be better.
Interestingly, This Diamond Ring was originally recorded by Gary Lewis & The Playboys in 1965, but it was Billy Fury’s cover that became the bigger hit. The song has since been covered by several other artists, including The Ventures and Sammy Kershaw. The popularity of the song helped launch Fury’s career in the UK, where he became one of the leading figures of the British rock and roll movement in the 60s.
Line by Line Meaning
Who wants to bu-you-uy this diamond ri-i-i-ing?
Who is interested in purchasing this diamond ring with a stuttered tone?
She took it off her finger, now it doesn't mean a thi-i-i-ng
The woman who possessed this diamond ring removed it from her finger, rendering the ring irrelevant with a stuttered tone.
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
I am no longer attracted to this diamond ring because it does not sparkle as it used to.
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
This diamond ring no longer holds the same significance in my life as it used to.
So if you've got someone whose love is tru-you-ue
If you have someone who truly loves you with a stuttered tone,
Let it shine for yo-ou-ou
Allow that person's love to shine with a stuttered tone.
This stone is genuine like love should be-e-e-e
This diamond is authentic, similar to how love should be honest with a stuttered tone.
And if your baby's truer than my baby was to me-e-e-e
If your significant other is more loyal than mine was, with a stuttered tone,
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
This diamond ring can represent something beautiful in your relationship.
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
This diamond ring can symbolize fulfilling dreams with a partner.
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
This will spare your heart from breaking like mine did.
If there's love behind it
Only if true love backs it up.
This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore
I am no longer attracted to this diamond ring because it does not sparkle as it used to.
And this diamond ring doesn't mean what it meant before
This diamond ring no longer holds the same significance in my life as it used to.
So if you've got someone whose love is tru-you-ue
If you have someone who truly loves you with a stuttered tone,
Let it shine for yo-ou-ou
Allow that person's love to shine with a stuttered tone.
This diamond ring can mean something beautiful
This diamond ring can represent something beautiful in your relationship.
And this diamond ring can mean dreams that are coming true
This diamond ring can symbolize fulfilling dreams with a partner.
And then your heart won't have to break like mine did
This will spare your heart from breaking like mine did.
If there's love behind it
Only if true love backs it up.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL KOOPER, BOB BRASS, IRWIN LEVINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlotte8772
Brilliant
@1967ModZeb
Brilliant version
@georgewells7640
The best version... Nobody's fault about that.
@virigarcia.3845
♥️✨♥️✨♥️✨♥️✨♥️✨
@JulieJulieTheRockChickhermiz
Billy could sing a song better than the original artist ❤️
@reneorozco5963
Cual fue primero ? Esta version o la de gary lewis y los playboys?ambas estan bien padres!
@JohnBennett-lv5qz
Is this the original?
@stevenmorris8325
No but it is the best version
@Geoff_G
Original version is an unreleased 1964 demo by Jimmy Radcliffe. Next recording in 1965 is the one most often thought to be the original by Sammy Ambrose. Same year as the Ambrose version was the best known version by Gary Lewis and the Playboys. The songwriter, AL Kooper, released his own soul version of the song in 1976. This cover by Billy Fury was recorded in 1965.