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.
Seventh Son
Georgie Fame Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the whole wide world there is only one
And I'm the one, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I can tell your future, it will come to pass
Look in the sky, predict the rain
Tell when a woman's got another man
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
Make the little girls talk outta their heads
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
And make the little girls talk outta their heads
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I'm the one, hey, hey
I'm the one
Oh, I'm the one, babe
Oooo, I'm the one
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
I'm the one, I'm the one
The one they call the seventh son
Georgie Fame’s song “Seventh Son” is about an individual who possesses extraordinary abilities due to being born as the seventh son. The singer claims to be the only seventh son in the world and boasts about his powers. According to the song, the seventh son possesses supernatural knowledge and can predict the future, control the weather, and read people’s minds. He also has the power to heal and to raise the dead. The singer does not hesitate to exhibit his confidence by claiming these abilities throughout the song.
Though the singer exaggerates his abilities, the song appears to suggest that being a seventh son may imbue an individual with special qualities. It's also said that the seventh son in mythology is believed to possess exceptional magical abilities. In the song, being the seventh son is portrayed as something unique and unusual, setting the singer apart from the ordinary people. Overall, the song portrays the seventh son as a figure both mysterious and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody talkin' 'bout the seventh son
People can't stop talking about the seventh son.
In the whole wide world there is only one
There is only one seventh son in the entire world.
And I'm the one, I'm the one
I am the one they are talking about.
I can tell your future, it will come to pass
I have the ability to predict your future, and it will happen as I say.
I can do things to you make your heart feel glad
I have the power to make you happy.
Look in the sky, predict the rain
I can predict when it will rain by looking at the sky.
Tell when a woman's got another man
I am able to sense when a woman is seeing someone else.
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I am still the seventh son, the one people talk about.
I'm the one, I'm the one
I am the special one.
The one they call the seventh son
I am the one people named the seventh son.
I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
I know how to speak words that are pleasant to hear.
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
My words can make your heart race.
Heal the sick, raise the dead
I have the power to cure the sick and bring people back to life.
Make the little girls talk outta their heads
I have the ability to influence the thoughts and words of young women.
I'm the one, oh I'm the one
I am still the special one.
I'm the one, I'm the one
I am still the one everyone is talking about.
The one they call the seventh son
I am the seventh son, the special one.
I'm the one, hey, hey
I am the special seventh son.
I'm the one
I am the one everyone is looking for.
Oh, I'm the one, babe
I am the only special one.
Oooo, I'm the one
I am the special one.
I'm the one, I'm the one
I am the special seventh son.
The one they call the seventh son
I am the one named the seventh son.
I'm the one, I'm the one
I am the special one everyone is talking about.
The one they call the seventh son
I am still the one named the seventh son.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HENRY GLOVER, MORRIS LEVY, IVERSON MINTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Clive Anthony Goodwill
I played and Sang this song in 1974 / 5 - It was so easy to sing - Very well written and it made it easy without counting.
james dond
Just heard this on the Gideon Coe show on BBC Radio 6, love this.
51394547
Great stuff. Streaks ahead of the original.
WedgePee
Check out the Soul Agents’ cover from 1964.
james dond
Did not realise this was a cover.
JAMET betty
de BETTY Bon Album avec un petit Retour dans le Temps :: Betty de Bretagne le 22.09.2016 !!!