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.
I Call Your Name
Billy J. Kramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was I to blame for being unfair
Oh I can't sleep at night
Since you've been gone
I never weep at night
I can't go on
Don't you know I can't take it
I'm not goin' to mayayake it
I'm not that kind of man
Oh I can't sleep at night
But just the same
I never weep at night
I call your name
Aww
Don't you know I can't take it
I don't know who can
I'm not goin' to mayayake it
I'm not that kind of man
Oh I can't sleep at night
But just the same
I never weep at night
I call your name
I call your name
I call your name
I call your name.
"I Call Your Name" by Billy J. Kramer is a song about an individual who has been left heartbroken by a lover who has abandoned them. The song begins with the singer calling out the name of his lost love, but realizing that they are not there. He begins to blame himself for the collapse of the relationship and wonders if he was unfair in his actions. The chorus reveals the emotional turmoil that he has been experiencing since the breakup. He can't sleep or function without thoughts of this person, and he calls out their name in hopes that they will return to him.
The song's lyrics speak directly to the loneliness that comes from feeling abandoned by someone you love deeply. The singer is torn between wanting his lover to return and feeling like he can't go on without them. The lyrics convey a real sense of desperation in the final chorus, with the singer admitting that he cannot take the pain of the breakup any longer.
Overall, "I Call Your Name" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the feeling of being lost without a loved one. The song's lyrics speak to anyone who has ever felt like they can't go on without someone they love.
Line by Line Meaning
I call your name but you're not there
I am trying to reach out to you but I can't find you.
Was I to blame for being unfair
I am questioning if I was responsible for the fact that you have left.
Oh I can't sleep at night
I am having trouble sleeping because you are no longer with me.
Since you've been gone
I have been struggling ever since you left.
I never weep at night
I haven't cried at night but I feel a great sense of sadness.
I can't go on
I feel like I can't carry on without you.
Don't you know I can't take it
It's unbearable for me to be without you.
I don't know who can
I don't know how anyone could handle this situation.
I'm not goin' to mayayake it
I'm not strong enough to get through this.
I'm not that kind of man
I am not the type of person who can handle this kind of emotional pain.
But just the same
Regardless of my pain and suffering, I continue to miss you.
I call your name
I keep calling out to you, hoping that you will return to me.
Aww
Expressing a sense of affection and sadness.
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PER GESSLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind