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.
SUNNY
Georgie Fame Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain
Oh, the dark days are done and the bright days are here
My sunny one shines so sincere
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet
You gave to me your all and all
Now I feel ten feet tall
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z
My life was torn like wind-blown sand
Then a rock was formed when we held hands
Sunny one so true, I love you
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face
Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace
You're my spark of nature's fire
You're my sweet complete desire
Sunny one so true, I love you
The song "Sunny" by Georgie Fame is a love-filled ballad that appreciates the presence of a loved one in the life of the singer. The lyrics begin by describing how the singer was going through tough times, as his life was filled with rain. However, the song takes a positive turn with the arrival of the subject of the song, Sunny, who smiled and brought sunshine into the singer's life, hence easing his pain.
The chorus of the song highlights how the tough and dark days are long gone, and the arrival of the sunny days makes the singer feel ten feet tall. The feelings of love and appreciation continue in the following verses, with the singer thanking Sunny for bringing love into his life, and being the one true person he can rely on. The lyrics also depict how their union turned the turmoil and confusion of the singer's life into a solid foundation, represented by the formation of a rock when they held hands.
The final verse of the song emphasizes how Sunny's smile brings a gleam that flows with grace, and they are the spark of nature's fire in the singer's life. The overall message of the song is that the presence of a loved one can bring immense light and happiness into a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain
Before you came into my life, everything seemed bleak and hopeless.
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain
However, when you smiled at me, it felt like all the pain and sadness just melted away.
Oh, the dark days are done and the bright days are here
Finally, after all that sadness and darkness, things are starting to look up.
My sunny one shines so sincere
You bring so much joy and light into my life, and it feels so genuine and real.
Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you
I just want to express how much I love and appreciate you for all that you do for me.
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet
I am grateful for every moment that we spend together, and for all the happiness that you bring me.
Sunny, thank you for the love you've brought my way
The love that I feel for you is so powerful and intense, and I am so grateful to have you in my life.
You gave to me your all and all
You have given me your whole heart and soul, and for that, I will always be grateful.
Now I feel ten feet tall
Your love and support have given me so much confidence and strength, and I feel like I can do anything with you by my side.
Sunny one so true, I love you
Once again, I just want to emphasize how much I love and adore you, my sunny one.
Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see
You have opened my eyes to so many things that I never would have seen on my own, and I am forever thankful for that.
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z
You have taught me so much about life and love, and I am so grateful for all the knowledge and wisdom that you have shared with me.
My life was torn like wind-blown sand
Before you came into my life, it felt like I was being tossed around by the wind, directionless and lost.
Then a rock was formed when we held hands
But once we found each other, it felt like everything finally fell into place, and we became each other's rocks - strong, steady, and dependable.
Sunny one so true, I love you
Once again, I just want to express how much I love and cherish you, my sunny one.
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face
Every time you smile, it feels like the sun comes out and everything feels brighter and happier.
Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace
You have a light and energy within you that shines out so beautifully, and I am in awe of it every day.
You're my spark of nature's fire
You are like a spark that ignites a fire within me, giving me energy, passion, and a zest for life.
You're my sweet complete desire
Simply put, you are everything that I could ever want or need, and I am so lucky to have you in my life.
Sunny one so true, I love you
Once again, I just want to let you know how much I love and cherish you, my sunny one.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Broma 16, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bobby Hebb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richardscally694
YES!! It is without a doubt the best version, what a wonderful voice from Georgie Fame, and what great images from the '50s and '60s.
@johnager9428
Magic voice from a magic man
@janierunaway112
Georgie’s voice and that piano are EVERYTHING. “Thank you for the facts from A to Zed.” Just so damn cool!
@rodeoman2751
This is the BEST version ever... so atmospheric... WOW
@TrishBell1
What an incredible montage of photos! Georgie Fame embracing with his style and cool. Priceless.
@martine9849
Fantastique Georgie Fame.🥰
@ErgonBill
This is the only version I had been familiar with for many years as it received a lot of airplay in Australia. Been surfing other versions today and glad to report Fame's version is right up there with the original (Bobby Hebb).
@fs.pureblood
The 60s were fab man.
@richardscally694
Your Damn Right they were.!!
@richardscally694
Agree 100% Fabulous.