Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas (aka Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas) was a … Read Full Bio ↴Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas (aka Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas) was a British pop band led by Billy J. Kramer back by The Dakotas. The singer and the band parted company in 1966, both continuing separately.
Billy J. Kramer (born William Howard Ashton, 19 August 1943, in Bootle, Liverpool, England) was a British Invasion / Merseybeat singer. He is known today primarily as the singer of various Lennon-McCartney compositions that The Beatles did not use.
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.
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 the 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 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 became a Top Ten hit.
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.
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 today. Drummer Pete Hilton joined the band in 1996 replacing Tony Bookbinder and after Mike maxfield sufferred a stroke in 2004 guitarist Alan Clare along. In January 2008 Eddie was asked to replace Rod Allen, the Fortunes frontman who had sadly died in Dec 2007. Another new face now fronts The Dakotas - Paul Rafferty.
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.
Billy J. Kramer (born William Howard Ashton, 19 August 1943, in Bootle, Liverpool, England) was a British Invasion / Merseybeat singer. He is known today primarily as the singer of various Lennon-McCartney compositions that The Beatles did not use.
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.
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 the 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 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 became a Top Ten hit.
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.
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 today. Drummer Pete Hilton joined the band in 1996 replacing Tony Bookbinder and after Mike maxfield sufferred a stroke in 2004 guitarist Alan Clare along. In January 2008 Eddie was asked to replace Rod Allen, the Fortunes frontman who had sadly died in Dec 2007. Another new face now fronts The Dakotas - Paul Rafferty.
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.
Neon City
Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Neon City' by these artists:
Bad math The neon city Our home What a pity It descends into darkness…
Hak7m Faraji Can I get away Can I get away Can I get away Now I…
i61 Я поднимаю руки вверх, Роботы смотрят на глаза. Я поднима…
Mistral Flashing lights, red and blueWere glittering over me and you…
P'Skool 반짝이는 거리 위 high heals 세련된 이 도시를 버무린 스타일의 neon girls 그녀들은…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas:
Anything That's Part of You I memorized the note you sent Go to all the places…
Bad to Me If you ever leave me I'll be sad and blue Don't you…
Do You Wanna Know A Secret? You'll never know how much I really love you You'll never…
Forgive Me I know I've been wrong, girl, acting like I did Taking…
From a Window Late yesterday night, I saw a light shine from a…
Going Going Gone Did you look back at me? When you walked away Walked away I…
Great Balls Of Fire You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain Too much…
I Call Your Name I call your name but you're not there Was I to…
I Know Do I love you? You know I do. Do I love you? You…
I Love to Love You I'd love to make love to you That's just what I…
I'll Be Doggone Well, I'll Be Doggone if I would work all day And…
I'll Be on My Way The sun is fading away That's the end of the day As…
I'll Keep You Satisfied You don't need anybody to hold you, Here I stand with…
I'm In Love Strange dear, but true, dear When I'm close to you, dear The…
It's a Mad Mad World Everybody′s runnin' in a mad, mad world Nobody′s goin' nowhe…
It's Gotta Last Forever If you think you′re falling in love It's gotta last forever …
It's Up to You If you don't believe, I'll be your Captain Steve. You can…
I´ll Keep You Satisfied You don't need anybody to hold you, Here I stand with…
Listen Listen to me I give my ear away constantly But will anyone…
Little Children Little children, you better not tell on me I'm tellin'…
My Girl Josephine Hello Josephine. How do you do? Do you remember me…
Pride There's such a sad love Deep in your eyes, a kind…
Second to None I don't have no money I don't have get no fun but…
Sorry ch I'm sorry I didn't mean to let you down cnd…
Tell Me Girl It's getting late again, and I forgot the day again cnd…
The Millionaire Who wants to be a millionaire huh? Let me phone…
The Twelfth Of Never You ask me how much I need you, must I…
Trains And Boats And Planes Trains and boats and planes are passing by They mean a…
Twilight Time Heavenly shades of night are falling it's twilight time Out…
Under the Boardwalk Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Billy J. Kramer:
Bad to Me If you ever leave me I'll be sad and blue Don't you…
Call Your Name I call your name but you're not there Was I to…
Do You love Me You broke my heart 'cause I couldn't dance, You didn't even…
Do You Wanna Know A Secret You'll never know how much I really love you You'll never…
Forgive Me I know I've been wrong, girl, acting like I did Taking…
From a Window Late yesterday night, I saw a light shine from a…
I Call Your Name I call your name but you're not there Was I to…
I Know Yeah If I didn't know better I'd say You were coming on…
I'll Be Doggone Well, I'll Be Doggone if I would work all day And…
I'll Be On My Way The sun is fading away That's the end of the day As…
I'LL BE TRUE TO YOU Chorus: I'm outside please come and get me, you bet…
I'll Keep You Satisfied You don't need anybody to hold you, Here I stand with…
It's Up to You If you don't believe, I'll be your Captain Steve. You can…
Little Children Little children, you better not tell on me I'm tellin'…
My Girl Josephine Hello Josephine. How do you do? Do you remember me…
Pride There's such a sad love Deep in your eyes, a kind…
Second to none I don't have no money I don't have get no fun but…
Tell Me Girl It's getting late again, and I forgot the day again cnd…
Trains And Boats And Planes Trains and boats and planes are passing by They mean a…
When You Wish Upon a Star When a star is born They possess a gift or two One…
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Dakotas:
All Right Now (verse 1) You, you what you’ve done to me I, I just…
Angels Girl you know you'll always be my angel It doesn't really…
Bad To Me If you ever leave me I'll be sad and blue Don't you…
Dance With Me Yeah just gotta ride with me. sometimes just gotta get…
Do You Want to Know a Secret You'll never know how much I really love you You'll never…
Do you want to know a secret? You'll never know how much I really love you You'll never…
Don't Know The Reason You don't know what love is 'Til you've learned the meaning…
Forgive Me I know I've been wrong, girl, acting like I did Taking…
From A Window Late yesterday night, I saw a light shine from a…
Hold Me Hold me, why don't you hold me? I need you close Wait…
I Call Your Name I call your name but you're not there Was I to…
I Know You break the silence as you grace the room A shift…
I'll Be Doggone Well, I'll Be Doggone if I would work all day And…
I'll Be On My Way The sun is fading away That's the end of the day As…
I'll Keep You Satisfied You don't need anybody to hold you, Here I stand with…
I'm In Love I'm falling in love with Christmas Or maybe it's just the…
It's Up To You How did I know that the warmth of the glow…
Little Children Little children, you better not tell on me I'm tellin'…
My Girl Josephine Hello Josephine. How do you do? Do you remember me…
Pretend A love that never ends You Yeah, it's almost like Can't nob…
Pride There's such a sad love Deep in your eyes, a kind…
Second To None I don't have no money I don't have get no fun but…
Sorry ch I'm sorry I didn't mean to let you down cnd…
This Old Heart of Mine Ooo, this old heart of mine been broke a thousand…
Trains And Boats And Planes Trains and boats and planes are passing by They mean a…
Where Do You Go to Where'd you go this time? I said it wouldn't phase…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@jacpwilmer
Wat een bijzonder fijn nummer!
@ingostankau4998
In my opinion one of the best songs Billy J. Kramer has ever made.
@jertunes22
Wow! I don't remember this one! It sounds kind of like a cross between Gene Pitney and Bruce Springsteen. I really like it!
@geoffdorsett2279
great underrated song
a pirate radio hit in 1965
Billy is my guest tonight on Express fm 93.7 fm
Regards
Geoff
@rockingronniewalker1870
+Geoff Dorsett Geoff,If you go on the internet tonight 11.PM Thursday 10th March, type in WUSB.FM Stony Brook there is a show on about the British Invasion of the US in 1964 and Billy J is the guest. Bit late I know, I hope you catch it, if you don't, then get back to me I'll let you know how to catch up with it.
@eldorado62
At LAST! Someone has finally posted this great (and largely forgotten)song by Billy J. Kramer. Thank you.
@anyadarr2448
Always thought this was his best one,...lyrics sadly still apt today!!
@teamuncle
hi jim yeah i remember the old radiogram we used to listen to this and all those other truly unique songs of the sixties. As you said a strange time to be in Tooting..fresh from the Douglas Hills...but what an amazing experience...Great stuff....Will.
@ScenesFromPalacio
Great track..JUst heard it on sound of the 60s..
@cindyborchardt4735
Reminds me of Gene Pitney