Fame was born in Leigh in Lancashire. At sixteen years of age he entered into a management agreement with Larry Parnes, who gave artists new names such as Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. Fame was already playing piano for Billy Fury in a backing band called The Blue Flames, which later became billed as "Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames". The band had great success with rhythm and blues. Their greatest success was "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1968, which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom and in the United States; they also had UK number-one hits with "Yeh, Yeh" (1965) and "Get Away" (1966). Although he enjoyed regular chart success with singles in the late 60s, it was a peculiar quirk of chart statistics that his only three Top 10 hits all made number one.
Fame continued playing into the 1970s, enjoying a hit with Alan Price (ex-keyboard player of The Animals), "Rosetta", in 1971. He has also toured as one of the Rhythm Kings, with his friend Bill Wyman playing bass.
From the late 1980s, until the 1997 album The Healing Game he was a core member of Van Morrison's band, as well as his musical producer, playing keyboards and singing harmony vocals on tracks like "In the Days before Rock 'n' Roll", whilst still recording and touring as an artist in his own right. He frequently plays residences at jazz clubs such as Ronnie Scott's. He has also played organ on Starclub's album..
Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (The Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading.
Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra).
At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare.
In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese tradition.
Bonnie & Clyde
Georgie Fame Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can tell you people, they were the devil's children
Bonnie and Clyde began their evil doin'
One lazy afternoon down Savannah way
They went and robbed a store, and high-tailed outa that town
Got clean away in a stolen car
And waited till the heat died down
And made the graduation into the banking business
"Reach for the sky", talking Clyde would holler
As Bonnie loaded dollars in the dewlap bag
Now one brave man-he tried to take 'em alone
They left him lying in a pool of blood
And laughed about it all the way home
Bonnie and Clyde got to be public enemy number one
Running and hiding from every American lawman's gun
They used to laugh about dying
But deep inside 'em they knew
That pretty soon they'd be lying
Beneath the ground together
Pushing up daisies to welcome the sun and the morning dew
Acting upon reliable information
A federal deputation laid a deadly ambush
When Bonnie and Clyde came walking in the sunshine
A half a dozen carbines opened up on them
Bonnie and Clyde, they lived a lot together
And finally together they died
The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde is a song by Georgie Fame that tells the true story of the notorious criminal couple, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who were active during the Great Depression. The song describes the couple's infamous and violent lifestyle, as they robbed and killed their way across the American South. The lyrics are written from the point of view of an observer who sees Bonnie and Clyde for what they truly are; not just pretty people, but rather the "devil's children".
The lyrics go on to explain how Bonnie and Clyde started their "evil doin'" with a robbery of a store in Savannah, and as they got more successful at their crimes, they graduated to robbing banks. The song also highlights the brutality of their actions, as they would coldly kill anyone who tried to get in their way. The line "They used to laugh about dying, but deep inside 'em they knew that pretty soon they'd be lying" suggests that while they may have had a sense of invincibility, the reality of their situation was rapidly catching up to them. The final stanza describes their inevitable demise, as they are ambushed and killed by law enforcement officers while walking in the sunshine.
Line by Line Meaning
Bonnie and Clyde were pretty lookin' people
Despite being attractive, Bonnie and Clyde were evil and ruthless criminals.
But I can tell you people, they were the devil's children
The singer is certain that Bonnie and Clyde were devilishly wicked.
Bonnie and Clyde began their evil doin'
Bonnie and Clyde started their criminal career.
One lazy afternoon down Savannah way
The time and location of Bonnie and Clyde's first crime.
They went and robbed a store, and high-tailed outa that town
After robbing the store, Bonnie and Clyde quickly escaped out of the town.
Got clean away in a stolen car
Bonnie and Clyde managed to escape in a car that they had stolen.
And waited till the heat died down
They waited until law enforcement stopped looking for them before resuming their criminal activities.
Bonnie and Clyde advanced their reputation
The criminal duo gained more notoriety and infamy over time.
And made the graduation into the banking business
They transitioned from robbing stores to robbing banks.
"Reach for the sky", talking Clyde would holler
Clyde would shout the stereotypical line to intimidate bank tellers.
As Bonnie loaded dollars in the dewlap bag
While Clyde threatened people, Bonnie collected the money in a bag.
Now one brave man-he tried to take 'em alone
A courageous individual attempted to stop Bonnie and Clyde by himself.
They left him lying in a pool of blood
Bonnie and Clyde killed the man who tried to stop them.
And laughed about it all the way home
Bonnie and Clyde found humor in their murder and took pleasure in it.
Bonnie and Clyde got to be public enemy number one
They became the most wanted criminals in America.
Running and hiding from every American lawman's gun
They were constantly on the run, avoiding law enforcement who were trying to capture them.
They used to laugh about dying
Bonnie and Clyde would joke about their own deaths.
But deep inside 'em they knew
Despite their bravado, they were aware of the inevitable outcome of their criminal lifestyle.
That pretty soon they'd be lying
Their ultimate fate was to be dead and buried.
Beneath the ground together
They would be buried next to each other.
Pushing up daisies to welcome the sun and the morning dew
Their corpses would provide nourishment for flowers and vegetation.
Acting upon reliable information
Law enforcement received trustworthy intelligence.
A federal deputation laid a deadly ambush
Federal agents set up a trap with the intention of killing Bonnie and Clyde.
When Bonnie and Clyde came walking in the sunshine
Bonnie and Clyde walked into the trap unsuspectingly.
A half a dozen carbines opened up on them
Several guns were fired at Bonnie and Clyde, killing them both.
Bonnie and Clyde, they lived a lot together
The two outlaws spent a significant amount of time together.
And finally together they died
In the end, Bonnie and Clyde were killed together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Peter Callander, Mitch Murray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andrewjohnstone963
@𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕨 what do you want to know?
We were children a time of innocence the greatest gift apart from love
We used to have back door concerts. We all took our turn singing dancing telling jokes dressing up and games endless games with the girls without them
Back door drill in the evenings especially with Summer coming to a close
autumn arrived in her golden robe my favourite time of the year still is we practiced our back door drill round all the back gardens in the dark trying to avoid all obstacles usually we were all black as coal cuts and bruises and all done as quietly as possible as Mr Grump who lived in the street would chase us he thought his dog would take care of us but Hermoine loved chocolate so that was old Hermione taken care of and she lay and ate her chocolate whilst we furrowed and played the evening
Children have no mystery anymore we lived for the day and were never bored to much fun to have
I value and cherish all that lit my life up from Wind in the willows Deputy Dawg and Music Music Music 🎶
The kids belting out songs was great fun
Innocence had its victory
Long live the imagination long live the memories
Im 63 now and im so glad i had a ball when i was a child
It wasnt all plain sailing but im so grateful for these memories 💓 i hope i gave you a flavour of it all
@joaotakanorijamjao1312
.................BALADA DE BONNIE & CLYDE ..........................
Bonnie e Clyde era uma dupla bem bonita,
Porém, pessoal, eu digo que eram do mal,
E Bonnie e Clyde começaram essa vida
Em uma certa tarde ,de bobeira, a caminho de Savannah,
Eles foram roubar uma loja , se movendo rapidamente,
Fizeram a limpa num carro roubado,
E aguardaram até que a onda passasse !
Bonnie e Clyde ficavam conhecidos,
E se especializaram em roubar bancos,
"Até alcançar o topo", a ousada Clyde gritava,
Enquanto Bonnie carregava os dólares na mochila,
Agora, um cara corajoso tentava defender-se sozinho,
Eles deixavam o cara deitado numa poça de sangue,
E davam gargalhadas na volta para a casa !!!!
Bonnie Clyde conseguiram ser o inimigo público número um
Fugiam e se escondiam de todo americano da lei,
Eles riam até morrer,
Porém, bem no fundo eles sabiam,
Que logo, logo eles estariam deitados,
No chão juntos,
Morrendo ao saudar o sol e o orvalho pela manhã !!!
Agindo com informações quentes,
A polícia federal traçou uma emboscada mortal,
Quando Bonnie e Clyde foram dar um passeio ao ar livre,
Meia dúzia de carabinas abriram fogo neles,
Bonnie e Clyde, viveram bem juntinhos,
Até que finalmente,JUNTINHOS..MORRERAM.
XXXXXXXXX.......... AT LAST...... ...X.X.X.XXXXX
...
@CraigLumpyLemke
I suggest Mr Fame is quite a trained and practiced musician. Students of the human vox will recognize a lot of well executed rudiments.
Georgie does with his voice, what a lot of jazz instrumental soloists do, but in reverse. Traditionally, in music school, every jazz guitarist and wind player goes to a jazz vocalist for lessons in phrasing. ie "Make your guitar (trumpet, sax, trombone) sound like a vox".
Georgie does the reverse. He treats the musical phrase as if his vox were a wind instrument or guitar. He even does mordents and sforzandos and other wind instrument ornaments, as well as bends and other guitar-centric ornaments, with his vocal instrument. All appear deliberate and well arranged/executed. ie he sings the MELODY with his voice, modulating the sound to form what our ear-brains perceive as lyrics. The melody is prominent.
This is what opera and classical singers do. They don't particularly care what the lyrics mean, they're focused on the sound and articulation of the melody. That's what Mr Fame does so well.
On an acting level, he even pulls off the "What does the actor do while the music is playing the empty 8 bars of (non) solo" well. He invites us to enjoy what musical structure can do to the story of a pair of bank robbers.
Oddly, perhaps, Georgie Fame suggests to me an early Craig Ferguson. Versatile, well trained, just plain good actor/performer, always enjoyable to experience.
Thanks Georgie. I said, Yeah Yeah.
@flashtheoriginal
This is STILL a classic. God bless ya Georgie - still singing the blues in 2024
@yoyokum1483
Huuummm..haven't heard this song in 50 years.....and still knew the lyrics.🤔
@ritalnnebotn1038
16 years old I watched this film. His singing made the most impact on me.
@jeanetteheinen8562
Georgie Fame has been the trailer blazer of the Music scene for years. Happy Birthday Mr. Fame! Congratulations on a career well done.
@robertstevenson42
I love that guy he can sing so well
@robertstevenson42
That guy was truly has heart I think he knows exactly how it was Bonnie and Clyde were people that were trying to run away from the cops and everything cuz they had been raped and Bonnie and Clyde we're giving money to the poor people during the Depression and they make it look like they were the criminals and it was like cops and people in general that hated them because they were doing what they would have done if they had a brain in their head trying to help the people in the depression-era while the politicians were keeping everything from them
@rodmcdonough6111
Quite rightly. And Georgie Fame was indeed present, front and centre, during the height of the British Invasion, incorporating jazz into the top 30 British Popular programmes of the day. As with all British gramophone artists who ventured across the Pond, the Colonists listened keenly, spent their dollars (featuring the vile countenances of traitors to His Majesty and the Crown) quite freely... and had a jolly good time of it!
@nigelwilliams9307
Trail
@1968nightowl
Happy 80th Birthday Gergie Fame. Also grew up listening to your songs
@amberhumphreys807
Have always adored his voice. Loved him in the 60s and still love him today. He always looked sharp too. We are the same age.