Early career
The performing name Kramer was chosen at random from a telephone directory. It was John Lennon's suggestion that the "J" be added to the name to further distinguish him by adding a 'tougher edge'. Billy soon came to the attention of Brian Epstein, ever on the look-out for new talent to add to his expanding roster of local artists. Kramer turned professional but his then backing band, The Coasters, were less keen, so Epstein sought out the services of a Manchester based band, The Dakotas, a well-respected combo then backing Pete MacLaine.
Even then, The Dakotas would not join Kramer without a recording deal of their own. Once in place, the deal was set and both acts signed to Parlophone under George Martin. Collectively, they were named Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas to keep their own identities within the act. Once the Beatles broke through, the way was paved for a tide of "Merseybeat" and Kramer was offered the chance to cover a song first released by the Beatles on their own debut album, Please Please Me. The track had been allegedly turned down by Shane Fenton (later Alvin Stardust) who was looking for a career reviving hit.
Success
With record producer George Martin, the song "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" was a number two UK Singles Chart hit in 1963, and was backed by another tune otherwise unreleased by The Beatles, "I'll Be on My Way". After this impressive breakthrough another Lennon/McCartney pairing "Bad to Me" c/w "I Call Your Name" reached number one. "I'll Keep You Satisfied" ended the year with a respectable number four placing.
Billy was given a series of songs specially written for him by John Lennon and Paul McCartney which launched him into stardom and a proper place in the history of Rock and Roll. I'll Keep You Satisfied, From A Window, I Call Your Name and Bad to Me all became international million sellers for Billy, and won him appearances on the TV shows Shindig!, Hullabaloo and The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Dakotas , meanwhile, enjoyed Top 20 success in 1963 on their own with Mike Maxfield's composition "The Cruel Sea", an instrumental retitled "The Cruel Surf" in the U.S., which was subsequently covered by The Ventures. This was followed by a George Martin creation, "Magic Carpet", evoking a dreamy atmosphere with a subtle echo laden piano, playing the melody alongside Maxfield's guitar. But it missed out altogether and it was a year before their next release. All four tracks appeared on a highly-collectable EP later that year.
The three big hits penned by Lennon and McCartney meant that Kramer was always seemingly in the Beatles' shadow, unless he did tried something different. Despite being advised against it, he insisted on recording the Stateside chart hit "Little Children" - the lyrics were allegedly about getting his girlfriend's brothers and sisters out of the way so they could make love. It became his second chart topper and biggest hit. It was Kramer's only major hit outside of the UK. In the U.S., this was followed up with "Bad to Me" which reached number nine. Despite this success Kramer went backwards with his second and last UK single of 1964; another Lennon/McCartney cast-off "From A Window", which only just became a Top Ten hit.
After the peak
The year 1965 saw the end for the Merseybeat boom, and the next Kramer single was "It's Gotta Last Forever", which harked back to a ballad approach. In a year where mod-related music from the likes of The Who prevailed, the single missed completely. Kramer's cover of "Trains and Boats and Planes" saw off Anita Harris' cover version only to find itself in direct competition with its composer, Burt Bacharach's effort, which won the day. Kramer's effort still reached a respectable number 12, but was the group's swansong, as all future cuts missed the chart.
The Dakotas ranks were then strengthened by the inclusion of Mick Green, the ex-guitarist with the London band the Pirates who backed Johnny Kidd. This line-up cut a few tracks which were at odds with the balladeer's usual fare. These included a take on "When You Walk in the Room" and "Sneakin' Around". The Dakotas final outing whilst with Kramer was the blues driven "Oyeh!" - but this also flopped.
The final showing
After releasing "We're Doing Fine", it too missed the charts leaving singer and group to part company. Kramer had a brief solo career which took him eventually to live in America.
The Dakotas re-formed in the late 1980s and recruited vocalist Eddie Mooney and session musician Toni Baker. They still tour and record. Other latter-day members are drummer Pete Hilton and guitarist Alan Clare.
In 2005, Kramer recorded the song "Cow Planet" for Sandra Boynton's children's album, Dog Train. A long-time fan of Kramer's, Boynton had sought him out for her project: in 1964, at age 11, she had bought Little Children as the first album she ever owned.
Forgive Me
Billy J. Kramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taking you for granted, treating you like a kid
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
'Cause girl, you're the reason I work my life way
When you see me coming, you turn your back the other way
We played and laughed at everyone who had to pay
I hope and pray, you'll be back again with me someday
I don't know the reason, it's always been so hard
I only know I'll miss you, 'specially now we're apart
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
'Cause girl, you're the reason I work my life way
When you see me coming, you turn your back the other way
We played and laughed at everyone who had to pay
I hope and pray, you'll be back again with me someday
In Billy J. Kramer's song "Forgive Me," the singer is expressing remorse for his past behavior towards the girl he loves. He acknowledges that he has not treated her well, taking her for granted and treating her like a child. He asks for forgiveness repeatedly throughout the song, understanding that he has wronged her. He then goes on to explain that this girl is the reason he works hard to better himself, as he regrets losing her in his life. However, now that they're apart, he knows he will miss her terribly and hopes that someday she will come back to him.
This song showcases the classic theme of love and loss, with the singer recognizing what he had and hoping to make amends for his mistakes. The lyrics are simple, but impactful in their message of regret and hope for reconciliation. The repetition of "forgive me" emphasizes the desperation and sincerity of the singer's plea, showing just how important this girl is to him.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I've been wrong, girl, acting like I did
I understand that I was mistaken in my behavior towards you, always acting as I did
Taking you for granted, treating you like a kid
I realize now that I did not value you enough and did not treat you with the respect and dignity that you deserved
Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me
I beg you to forgive me for my actions and want to do all I can to make it up to you
'Cause girl, you're the reason I work my life way
You are the driving force behind everything I do, and I want to make you happy and prove myself to you
When you see me coming, you turn your back the other way
I understand that my past behavior may have caused you to feel hurt or resentful towards me, and I want to change that
We played and laughed at everyone who had to pay
I was arrogant and naive, thinking that I could treat you poorly without consequence, while others suffered for their mistakes
I hope and pray, you'll be back again with me someday
I desperately want to be with you again and promise to make things right if given the chance
I don't know the reason, it's always been so hard
I'm not sure why I did what I did, and it's difficult for me to understand my own actions
I only know I'll miss you, 'specially now we're apart
Despite my mistakes, I deeply care for you and miss you terribly, especially now that we are no longer together
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBIN F. MCDONALD, MICHAEL ROBERT GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind