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.
Going Home
Georgie Fame Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In Virginia
Gonna go back
Gonna go back,
Gonna go back
Gonna go back
See the dirty clothes on the washing line
See the little tree that I planted there
So many years ago
I'm going home to mama's home cooking
And all you can't replace, you can't replace
Caught the six-o-clock flight from Columbus
In Ohio
Gonna get there
Gonna get there,
Gonna get there
Gonna get there
Gonna get a breath of that country air
I'm gonna go to church
Gonna say my prayers
Listen to the gossip in the village square
Did you hear about Mary May
I'm going home to mama's home cooking
An' all you can't replace, you can't replace
Caught the two-o-clock bus from Lincoln
In Nebraska
I'm gonna make it
I'm gonna make it,
I'm gonna make it
I'm gonna make it
Gonna make up for those bitter years
I never had a chance to dry my tears
I never wanna be in love again
I never wanna feel so cold
No I'm going home to mama's home cooking
And all you can't replace, you can't replace
I'm going home to mama's home cookin',
I'm going home to mama's home cookin',
I'm going home to mama's home cookin',
I'm going home to mama's home cookin',
I'm going home to mama's home cookin'
Georgie Fame's song "Going Home" tells the story of a man who has been away from home for a long time and is finally returning. The song is unique in that it is broken into three distinct verses, each with its own set of lyrics that convey the various stages of the singer's journey.
The first verse finds the singer catching a train from Norfolk, Virginia, to return home. He is excited to see the girl he left behind, the dirty clothes on the washing line, and the little tree he planted long ago. In this verse, Fame highlights the singer's longing for the familiar comforts of home.
The second verse finds the singer catching a flight from Columbus, Ohio. He is looking forward to breathing the fresh country air, going to church, and catching up on village gossip, including hearing about Mary May. In this verse, Fame highlights the singer's connection to the community he left behind.
In the third verse, the singer catches a bus from Lincoln, Nebraska. He is determined to make up for lost time and forget the bitter years he endured while away. He doesn't want to fall in love again or feel so cold. In this verse, Fame highlights the singer's desire to move forward and leave the past behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Caught the nine-o-clock train from Norfolk
I took the 9 o'clock train from Norfolk in Virginia.
Gonna go back
I am planning to go back home.
To see the pretty girl that I left behind
I want to see the beautiful girl who is still waiting for me back home.
See the dirty clothes on the washing line
I am looking forward to seeing the little things that remind me of home, like the clothes hanging on the washing line.
See the little tree that I planted there
I want to see the tree I planted many years ago near my home.
So many years ago
It's been a long time since I planted that tree.
I'm going home to mama's home cooking
I can't wait to eat my mother's delicious home-cooked meals again.
And all you can't replace, you can't replace
There are certain things in life that cannot be replaced, like one's mother's cooking.
Caught the six-o-clock flight from Columbus
I took the 6 o'clock flight from Columbus in Ohio.
Gonna get there
I am determined to reach my destination.
Gonna get a breath of that country air
I am excited to breathe in the fresh air of my home country.
I'm gonna go to church
I plan to attend church when I reach home.
Gonna say my prayers
I intend to pray when I go to church.
Listen to the gossip in the village square
I look forward to hearing what's been happening in the village from the people gathered in the village square.
Did you hear about Mary May
I am curious to know if anyone has heard any news about Mary May.
Caught the two-o-clock bus from Lincoln
I took the 2 o'clock bus from Lincoln in Nebraska.
I'm gonna make it
I believe I will be successful in reaching my destination.
Gonna make up for those bitter years
I am looking forward to making up for the difficult years I have had away from home.
I never had a chance to dry my tears
I was never able to fully recover from the sadness I felt while away from home.
I never wanna be in love again
I never want to experience heartbreak again like I did while away from home.
I never wanna feel so cold
I never want to feel so lonely and disconnected from my roots again.
I'm going home to mama's home cookin'
Once again, I can't wait to eat my mother's delicious home-cooked meals.
I'm going home to mama's home cookin'
There's no denying it - I can't wait to return home and eat my mother's home-cooked meals.
I'm going home to mama's home cookin'
In case you missed it, I am really, really excited to eat my mother's home-cooked meals again.
I'm going home to mama's home cookin'
Just in case you didn't hear me the first three times, I am absolutely thrilled to be going home to eat my mother's delicious home-cooked meals!
I'm going home to mama's home cookin'
I simply can't wait to indulge in my mother's home-cooked meals once again!
Contributed by Gianna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.