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.
Sorry
Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't mean to let you down
cnd now I'm hurtin
This the hardest one I found
Now I'm lonely
I only need you by my side
cll I wanted,
I only wanted us to thrive
Our life was all I see
I'm on my mind, it's hard to breathe
cnd all we said it's time to be
cpart
cnd this pain it's breakin me
There's nothing left of me
Mental battle goin through
cnd new phase I come into
Now I'm gettin out the blues
Lose my mind, who's losing you?
I won't die, you waste my time
Bring me life, I'm alright
I mean did you cry?
Thought we had something
Hold me hard
That's all I wanted
ch I'm sorry
I didn't mean to let you down
cnd now I'm hurtin
This the hardest one I found
Now I'm lonely
I only need you by my side
cll I wanted,
I only wanted us to thrive
Our life was all I see
I'm on my mind, it's hard to breathe
cnd all we said it's time to be
cpart
The lyrics to "Sorry" by Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas convey a sense of regret, heartbreak, and longing for a lost love. The singer apologizes for letting their partner down and expresses their pain and loneliness. They admit that all they wanted was for their relationship to thrive, highlighting the significance of their connection in their life. The singer feels consumed by thoughts of their former partner and finds it difficult to breathe without them. They acknowledge the need for a new phase in their life and the mental battle they are going through. Despite feeling broken and lost, they affirm that they won't give up and that their partner's absence is a waste of their time. Ultimately, the singer wonders if their partner cried and expresses their desire for the love they once shared.
Overall, these lyrics paint a picture of a person who deeply regrets their mistakes and yearns for the reconciliation and reunion of their love. It showcases the emotional turmoil and introspection that comes with the realization of losing someone important to them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry
I deeply regret my actions
I didn't mean to let you down
I never intended to disappoint you
And now I'm hurting
I am experiencing emotional pain
This is the hardest one I found
This situation has been the most challenging for me
Now I'm lonely
I feel solitude and longing
I only need you by my side
Having you with me is all I desire
I wanted
My desire was
I only wanted us to thrive
I solely wished for our success and happiness
Our life was all I see
My entire focus was on our shared life
I'm on my mind, it's hard to breathe
I am consumed by my own thoughts, making it difficult to breathe
And all we said it's time to be a part
The things we agreed upon, it was time to be involved in
And this pain it's breaking me
The anguish I am feeling is profoundly affecting me
There's nothing left of me
I feel empty and depleted
Mental battle going through
I am going through an intense internal struggle
And new phase I come into
Entering a new stage or period of my life
Now I'm getting out the blues
I am emerging from a state of sadness and melancholy
Lose my mind, who's losing you?
As I lose control over my thoughts, I fear losing you as well
I won't die, you waste my time
Although I may not physically perish, your absence makes my life unfulfilling
Bring me life, I'm alright
Give me vitality and purpose, then I will be fine
I mean, did you cry?
I wonder if you shed tears
Thought we had something
I believed we shared a genuine connection
Hold me hard
Embrace me tightly
That's all I wanted
It was my only desire
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian McFadden
Thanks for posting...this got no airplay here in the States. The song was written by Chip Taylor and Al Gorgoni. They recorded it under the name "Just Us" on a fantastic album that's long out of print. If you look up on youtube: Just Us - I Can't Grow Peaches on a Cherry Tree," you'll get a good feel for their sound. Chip wrote "Wild Thing" for the Troggs and hundreds of other songs. Brian McFadden
rcpinsa
originally was going to be Billy J Kramer's first solo single but though given a cat no was not released
flatop47
rcpinsa Cheers Mate.....Where Have You Been....No Contact For A While......Brian
rcpinsa
still around Brian
Mike P and the Classics
Nice, but needs a little more punch. Sounds a little Russian like Those were the Days.
flatop47
Great Info Again....Cheers
flatop47
Cheers
flatop47
Cheers Mate
rcpinsa
Produced by ex Searcher Chris Curtis