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.
happiness
Georgie Fame Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So know it and show it
It's your second chance to make it
So take it
And go! through smoke and burning fire
To find what you desire
Believe in what you feel inside you
Until you really find
The way to happiness
Life around is rearranging and changing
Put some love in place of sorrow tomorrow
And let! your happiness be heard
It's more than just a word
It flow and grows around you so..
Go and tell! each living thing you meet
That life will be complete
When you've got happiness
Happiness,
Yeah yeah yeah
Happiness
Every day is new
So know it and show it
It's your second chance to make it
So take it
And go! through smoke and burning fire
To find what you desire
Believe in what you feel inside you
And don't! let people change your mind
Until you really find
The way to happiness
Happiness [happiness]
Yeah yeah yeah [yeah yeah yeah]
Happiness [happiness]
Yeah yeah yeah [yeah yeah yeah]
Happiness [happiness]
Yeah yeah yeah [yeah yeah yeah]
Happiness [happiness]
Yeah yeah yeah [yeah yeah yeah]
Happiness [happiness]
Yeah yeah yeah [yeah yeah yeah]
The song "Happiness" by Georgie Fame begins with the simple idea that every day is a new opportunity to find and show happiness. The lyrics urge the listener to take advantage of this chance by pursuing their goals and desires without letting others sway their beliefs. Fame encourages the listener to persevere even in the face of adversity, represented by the image of "smoke and burning fire". When life seems to be constantly changing, the solution is to replace sadness with love and to spread happiness to others through actions and words.
As the song progresses, the idea of happiness becomes more than just a feeling; it is a force that can envelop and uplift those who seek it. Fame urges listeners to share their happiness with others, declaring that "life will be complete when you've got happiness". The repetition of the word "Happiness" in the chorus reinforces the song's message, emphasizing the importance of this elusive emotion.
Overall, "Happiness" is a call to action to seize opportunities, overcome obstacles, and spread joy to others. It acknowledges that happiness can be elusive and difficult to achieve, but it is worth pursuing nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day is new
Every day presents an opportunity to start afresh
So know it and show it
Recognize this opportunity and make the most of it
It's your second chance to make it
Every new day is a second chance to achieve your goals
So take it
Seize this opportunity
And go! through smoke and burning fire
Be prepared to face challenges and obstacles head-on
To find what you desire
Work hard to pursue your dreams and goals
Believe in what you feel inside you
Trust your intuition and innermost feelings
And don't! let people change your mind
Don't be swayed by others' opinions or beliefs
Until you really find
Persist until you find
The way to happiness
The path to true happiness
Life around is rearranging and changing
The world is constantly evolving and shifting
Put some love in place of sorrow tomorrow
Replace negative experiences with love and positivity
And let! your happiness be heard
Share your happiness with the world
It's more than just a word
Happiness is a deep and meaningful emotion
It flow and grows around you so..
Happiness can spread and inspire others
Go and tell! each living thing you meet
Encourage others to seek happiness
That life will be complete
True fulfillment and contentment is only possible with happiness
When you've got happiness
Happiness is the key to a fulfilling life
Happiness
The feeling of deep contentment and joy
Yeah yeah yeah
An exclamation of excitement and enthusiasm
Contributed by Eva C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Neytiri
Could you, please, upload other songs from this album? Especially "Easy Lovin', Easy Livin'", "It Won't Hurt To Try It", "I Believe In Love"... I'll be grateful :).