LISTEN… BILLY J KRAMER
by ANDREW DARLINGTON
Billy J Kramer was born as William Howard Ashton in the Bootle area of the Liverpool city region, 19 August 1943. After schooling at the St George of England Secondary School he graduated into a British Rail engineering apprenticeship, but he was also playing the thriving Liverpool beat scene as rhythm guitarist, and then vocalist with the Coasters. After a number of different billings he became Kramer – with John Lennon suggesting the addition of the ‘J’ to create stand-out distinction on gig posters. Brian Epstein signed him – buying his contract from promoter Ted Knibbs for £50, after he was placed third in a ‘Mersey Beat’ poll, behind the Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers. When the Coasters proved reluctant to turn professional – they went on to back Chick Graham instead, and Epstein was unable to secure the Remo 4, so he induced the Manchester-based Dakotas to provide back-up. On the hits that followed they were Mike Maxfield (born 23 February 1944) and Robin McDonald (18 August 1943) playing guitars, Ray Jones on bass, with drummer Tony Mansfield (28 May 1943, Elkie Brooks’ brother). During February they honed their style with three-weeks at the Hamburg ‘Star Club’. Signed to Parlophone they were assigned George Martin as producer. Billy J Kramer defiantly never adopted the defining mop-top hairstyle of the Beat Boom, always smartly suited, he retained the modest slick-back quiff of earlier pin-up Pop idols. As early as the 17-31 January 1963 issue of Music Echo magazine, Billy J was the cover star – albeit the music paper was edited by Bill Harry as the national successor to Mersey Beat.
26 April 1963 – ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ (McCartney-Lennon) 2:01 c/w ‘I’ll Be On My Way’ (McCartney-Lennon) 1:41 as by Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas (Parlophone R5023). Although it reached no.1 on the NME chart (also on ‘Melody Maker’, ‘Pop Weekly’ and ‘Disc’), it peaked at no.2 on the official Record Retailer/ Record Mirror chart.
Billy J was nervous. It was intimidating to be in the recording studio with George Martin. But he was coaxed through a number of takes. The backing tracks were recorded first, a week before. The final vocal take – dated 21 March 1963, were marked up as ‘Take 20’. But, from the teasing gossip-intimacy of its title, there’s simply no way that ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret?’ would not be a major hit single. Pop Weekly glossy magazine had a Cliff Richard cover, but in the New To You pages, there’s the ‘Great New Recording Artist Billy J Kramer with a fantastic first disc ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret?’ (no.35, 27 April 1963). The single entered the Top 40 at no.17 (9 May 1963), with the Beatles ‘From Me To You’ at no.1 and Gerry & The Pacemakers ‘How Do You Do It?’ at no.2. It rose to no.10, then no.3, to peak at no.2 – still behind the Beatles (30 May), only to be nudged to no.3 by Gerry & The Pacemakers follow-up ‘I Like It’ (13 June 1963). Freddie & The Dreamers were also on the chart, while the Searchers and the Swinging Blue Jeans were making their debut. ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret?’ made its final chart showing at no.30 (1 August 1963)… the same week that ‘Bad To Me’ entered at no.34, and the Rolling Stones made their first chart appearance at no.32 with ‘Come On’. The Dakotas ‘The Cruel Sea’ was at no.22. It was a happening chart!
He found himself in the forefront of a new wave of Rock ‘n’ Roll that was shaking the cosy complacent music establishment to its core. With Brian Epstein as the new tycoon of teen, there were promotional photos of his chart-topping groups together, the Beatles with Gerry & The Pacemakers and Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas. There were also photos of Gerry and Billy J lifting Brian’s latest signing, Cilla Black off her feet.
In the USA the Beatles own version of ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ was issued as a single, with ‘Thank You Girl’ on the B-side (Vee-Jay VJ587), in which form it reached a Billboard no.2. Hence the Billy J cover was relegated to the USA-only ‘Little Children’ album. Yet there are distinct and very telling differences between the two versions. Relegated to track four side two on the Beatles ‘Please Please Me’ debut album, it is treated to a draggy slow arrangement with George Harrison vocals. George Martin took note. Retaining the essential form, he tightens up the production, accelerates the pace, transforms the song into an irresistible Pop-Rock confection… that I’m certain had an effect on John & Paul. They are early adapters, they learn the skill of constructing a hit record from that transfiguration, which was to pay dividends on their future singles. They learn the value of arrangement from this Billy J Kramer hit single. ‘I’ll Be On My Way’ – recorded on the same day as the A-side, was an as-yet unreleased Paul McCartney song, although the Beatles perform it on the BBC John Dunn-hosted radio show ‘Side By Side’ (recorded at the BBC Paris Studios 4 April, but broadcast 24 June 1963) which was subsequently released as part of the 1994 ‘Beatles At The Beeb’ album. There’s a distinct Buddy Holly feel to this wistfully appealing song of regret, and perhaps even a wandering bootheels hint of the Bob Dylan, who is yet to come. As with the A-side, Billy J’s version is taken at a faster pace than the simpler more Folkie Beatles performance.
5 July 1963 – ‘The Cruel Sea’ (Mike Maxfield) 2:15 c/w ‘The Millionaire’ (Mike Maxfield) 2:41 as by The Dakotas (Parlophone R5044).
If Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas were Brian Epstein’s Cliff Richard & The Shadows, it was only appropriate that the Dakotas should have instrumental hits of their own. It was a marketing strategy that worked! Recorded with George Martin 29 May 1963, with a title supposedly lifted at random from the Nicholas Monserrat novel, the single peaked at no.19 (8 August 1963), some places beneath the Shadows own ‘Atlantis’. Sounding very much like the Shadows, with little fast-riffing passages, this tune was later picked up by the Ventures and recorded as ‘The Cruel Surf’. The B-side was a more melodic dreamy tune with Mike’s lushly echoed Guild Starfire ‘handsome-toned’ lead guitar (according to the review in Disc).
26 July 1963 – ‘Bad To Me’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:21 c/w ‘I Call Your Name’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:08 (Parlophone R5049).
It opens with the talk-sung introductory lines, before the effortless ease of the light Pop John Lennon song propelled by the beat-group backing of the Dakotas, that became the perfect summer soundtrack for every arcade jukebox in every seaside resort. Billy J With The Dakotas supported the Beatles during their Summer package tour, playing Llandudno and Bournemouth in August. From 22 August ‘Bad To Me’ was no.1 on the UK chart for three weeks, the first act – other than the Beatles themselves, to score a no.1 with a Lennon-McCartney song, and one that the Fab Four gave away, and never recorded themselves (although a writer-demo survives through bootleg editions). There’s a brilliant melodic simplicity, with an irresistibly direct lyric, ‘the leaves on the trees would be softly sighin’, if they heard from the breeze that you left me cryin’.’ Although it reached its apex prior to the Beatles major American breakthrough – selling 600,00 in the UK alone, it was issued as the B-side of ‘Little Children’, was performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show (7 June 1964) and reached a high of no.9 in its own right on the Billboard chart. ‘I Call Your Name’ comes larded in Billy J’s distinctive strident Liverpool slur, ‘am I to blame, for being unfurrr?’ Disc weekly front-pages ‘Billy J Kramer Challenges For The Top Spot’ on a cover split with ‘Beatles Special: John Lennon writes about their tour’ (1 June 1963, no.271). Billy J With The Dakotas featured on the 100th edition of TVs ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ (10 August 1963) with Cliff Richard, the Shadows, Alma Cogan, Searchers plus Brian Poole & The Tremeloes.
September 1963 – ‘THE BILLY J KRAMER HITS’ EP (Parlophone GEP8885) with ‘Bad To Me’, ‘I Call Your Name’, ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret?’ and ‘I’ll Be On My Way’.
Four Lennon-McCartney songs, packaged as Billy J wins the Melody Maker poll award as UK ‘Best Newcomer Of The Year’. Billy J With The Dakotas headlined a major UK package tour promoted by Arthur Howes, featuring Tommy Roe, the Swinging Blue Jeans, Gene Pitney and Cilla Black. The package played Cambridge, Bristol, Leicester, Portsmouth, Blackpool… and Liverpool.
27 September 1963 – ‘Magic Carpet’ (George Martin) 1:56 c/w ‘Humdinger’ (Maxfield-MacDonald) 1:47 as by The Dakotas (Parlophone R5064).
A precise percussive instrumental with Tony Mansfield’s sharp drumbeat and Mike Maxfield’s strong lead guitar on a George Martin composition. The B-side also bears more than a passing resemblance to the Shadows hits. The single fails to chart.
October 1963 – ‘LISTEN’ LP (Parlophone PMC1209) reaches no.11 in the UK
Produced by George Martin, with Tony Barrow sleeve notes.
Released in mono and stereo editions.
Billy J Kramer: vocals
Mike Maxfield: lead guitar
Robin Macdonald: rhythm guitar
Ray Jones: bass guitar
Tony Mansfield: drums
Norman Smith: studio engineer
To say that this is Billy J’s only full album of the 1960s it’s a curiously mixed package. There were America and Canada-only LPs in different formulations with tracks that would remain unreleased in the UK for some time. Billy J took the cover of Pop Weekly (23 November), which included a review of the LP.
Side one:
(1) ‘Dance With Me’ (Lebish-Click-Treadwell-Naham) 2:17
Recorded in Abbey Road’s Studio 2, reactivating the old 1959 Drifters hit, and while Billy J’s vocal range can’t match Ben E King’s he does invest the song with a lively Mersey Beat charm, while Mike Maxfield provides a concise guitar solo. ‘Lewis Lebish & Elmo Glick’ (misspelled on the album credits) was an alias used by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
(2) ‘Pride (In Fact A Little Word)’ (John Madara-Dave White) 2:23
This could easily have been a hit single in its own right, a sharp snappy Beat Group track with a memorable hook and Billy J’s Liverpool accent slurring the ‘really care… I’ll be there’ lines. They perform it on BBC radio – recorded 17 March 1964 and broadcast on ‘Saturday Club’ 21 March 1964, and to the American televiewing public of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ on 7 June 1964.
(3) ‘I Know’ (George Martin-Bob Wooler) 2:08
A pleasantly rocking ballad, with a fine stinging Mike Maxfield guitar solo. The composition is George Martin’s own shot at approximating the Mersey sound, set to Bob Wooler’s lyrics. Wooler was known as the compère and DJ at The Cavern club – ‘Hi, all you Cavern dwellers, welcome to the best of cellars’, who had been instrumental in introducing Brian Epstein to the Beatles. His is the introductory voice on the live EP ‘The Big Three At The Cavern’.
(4) ‘Yes’ (Leiber-Stoller) 2:21
First released by Ben E King in January 1962, this song that had also been issued in a fine percussive guitar-bending version by Mersey Beat group Johnny Sandon & The Remo Four (Pye 7N15559) as recently as August 1963. Billy J takes it slower, more pedestrian, with the Dakotas’ call-&-response vocal back-up, but retains the original’s Italianate sway. The Remo Four – whose version of ‘Yes’ might just have the edge, joined the Brian Epstein stable as backing group for Tommy Quickly, and later helped George Harrison with his 1967 ‘Wonderwall Music’ soundtrack.
(5) ‘The Twelfth Of Never’ (Jerry Livingston-Paul Francis Webster) 2:53
A classic romantic ballad already done by Johnny Mathis, and later by Cliff Richard, but perhaps it’s beyond Billy J’s range. There was what the music industry termed the Moms & Dads market – kids were fickle, they follow fads and trends, but if an artist learns to tell a few gags, learns a few dance steps, sings some standards that appeal to a more adult audience, it gives their career longevity. The reasoning was dubious, and had sabotaged the appeal of more than a few rockers. Billy J recording ‘The Twelfth Of Never’ seems to follow this reasoning.
(6) ‘Sugar Babe’ (Jessie Mae Robinson) 2:47
A raucous LiverPoplian-style rave-up with whoops and energetic yells. Sometimes called ‘Sugar Baby’ the song had been an R&B hit for Buster Brown in 1962, and although it’s a valiant attempt at the appeal of ‘Twist And Shout’, and probably worked well at the Cavern, it proves that Billy J is not a naturally uninhibited Blues shouter.
(7) ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ (Phil Spector-Ellie Greenwich-Jeff Barry) 1:57
A forgettable cover of the Crystals marvellous Spector ‘Wall Of Sound’ classic hit single. Billy J with the Dakotas navigate their way through the song in a fairly competent but unessential way.
Side two:
(8) ‘It’s Up To You’ (Jerry Fuller) 2:52
Ricky Nelson had a hit with this appealing song, and Billy J closely follows his blueprint, with the Dakotas providing close harmony backing vocals with Mike Maxfield aping James Burton’s precise guitar solo. Again, Billy J’s cover is pleasant on the ear, but superfluous.
(9) ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ (Otis Blackwell-Jack Hammer) 1:49
The Killer is never equalled. This is the incandescent Jerry Lee Lewis ‘Sun Records’ hit, but rocking competently with a ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’-style work-out, replacing Jerry Lee’s frenetic piano solo with a lively guitar fill. A goodish attempt from Billy J.
(10) ‘Tell Me Girl’ (Norman Smith) 2:51
Billy J Kramer on more assured and familiar terrain, a sweet Pop-flavoured confection that moves as nicely as his hit singles, although – to be honest, his voice occasionally fails to deliver the requirements of the melody. The Dakotas provide a sharp percussive backing throughout. Billy J later admits that rehearsal time prior to recording sessions was severely limited, and the only numbers he rehearsed before stepping into the studio were ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ and ‘Little Children’.
(11) ‘Anything That’s Part Of You’ (Robertson) 3:20
The big desolate Elvis Presley ballad B-side of no.1 hit ‘Good Luck Charm’, which lies well beyond Billy J’s limited vocal range. George Martin provides Floyd Cramer’s rippling piano flourishes, but fails to save the track. It might be brave to stack yourself against Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis or Ricky Nelson… but it’s also futile.
(12) ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ (Stephen Foster, arrangement by George Martin) 2:29
With roots going back into the previous century, much-revised and frequently re-interpreted, ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ has been recorded by crooning Bing Crosby, and in the Rock ‘n’ Roll era by Bobby Darin. As rewritten and updated by Gerry Goffin and Jack Keller it was part of the Beatles stage set-list well into their 1963 tour with Helen Shapiro, and was performed by them on the BBC Light Programme ‘Saturday Club’ (26 January 1963, included on the 2013 ‘On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2’). Rory Storm & The Hurricanes – the group in which Ringo Starr had been drummer, also contributed their rocked-up version of ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ to the Oriole label 1963 cash-in compilation ‘This Is Merseybeat Volume 1’ (PS40047). Billy J’s version starts with a slow delivery of the opening lines, which then erupts into a full-frontal Mersey rocker, ‘I used to dream of Jeanie with the light brown hurr’ he sings with a broad Liverpool intonation, set to wild guitar. Against the odds, Billy J with the Dakotas emerge with credibility intact.
(13) ‘Still Waters Run Deep’ (Bob Perper-Paul Gasper-Roy Lister) 2:26
Brook Benton pours honey-pure vocals on his original November 1962 recording, and Billy J wrestles to match his deep-voice delivery, while the Dakotas insert their signature rippling descending guitar lines. On this occasion, Billy J rises to the challenge.
(14) ‘I Call Your Name’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:08
The B-side of ‘Bad To Me’, a song that the Beatles had yet to record, their version would first appear in the UK on their June 1964 ‘Long Tall Sally’ EP (although it had been part of the American ‘The Beatles Second Album’ in April 1964). A further stand-out cover of ‘I Call Your Name’ in 1966 was by The Mamas & The Papas, with Cass Elliot whispering ‘John, John’ into the instrumental break as the result of her crush on John Lennon.
October 1963 – ‘THE BILLY J KRAMER HITS’ EP (Parlophone GEP8885) hits no.8 on the UK chart.
With ‘Bad To Me’, ‘I Call Your Name’, ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ and ‘I’ll Be On My Way’. Four Lennon-McCartney songs, with Tony Barrow liner notes. ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret? asks BJK and the fans did’ according to the free Alan Freeman’s Pop Guide given with Fabulous magazine (26 September 1964).
October 1963 – ‘MEET THE DAKOTAS’ EP as by The Dakotas (Parlophone GEP8888) with ‘The Cruel Sea’ (Mike Maxfield), ‘The Millionaire’ (Mike Maxfield), ‘Magic Carpet’ (George Martin) and ‘Humdinger’ (Maxfield-MacDonald).
1 November 1963 – ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:06 c/w ‘I Know’ (Martin-Wooller) 2:08 (Parlophone R5073). The third Lennon-McCartney penned single, produced by George Martin with Norman Smith as studio engineer, was promoted by a twenty-date ‘The Billy J Kramer Pop Parade’ UK tour. ‘You can always get a simple thing like love anytime’ he insists, ‘but it’s diff’rent with a boy like me and a love like mine, so believe ev’rything that I told you.’ Billy J With The Dakotas perform ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ as their contribution to the special edition of the ITV Pop Show ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars On Merseyside’ (aired 21 December 1963, series 5 no.13), with the Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers introduced by Brian Matthew. And they close the year by joining ‘The Beatles Christmas Show’ on stage at Finsbury Park Astoria. Issued as Imperial 66048, it peaked at no.30 on Billboard. The B-side was lifted from the ‘Listen’ album, with Bob Wooler’s name spelled wrong on the label, with a second ‘l’. Record Mirror headlined ‘More News about that film (Beatles)’, with a report on Billy J Kramer in America ‘Everything is just Fab’ (16 November 1963, no.140).
21 February 1964 – ‘Little Children’ (John McFarland-Mort Shuman) 2:54 c/w ‘They Remind Me Of You’ (Maxfield-MacDonald) 2:23 (Parlophone R5105). There’s the irresistible image of Billy J attempting to romance his girlfriend while being interrupted by her bratty young giggling siblings and ‘if you snitch to your mother, your father won’t understand’ so he tries to bribe them with ‘candy and a quarter.’ This record was the cause of a major ruction with Brian Epstein. While they were together in the USA Billy J came across the song – co-written by an Elvis Presley songwriter, which he was eager to record. Epstein thought it best to keep the songwriting inhouse, and to continue with Lennon-McCartney songs. Billy J stood firm… only for ‘Little Children’ to become his biggest hit of all time, selling 78,000 copies on its first day of release alone. Rather than being pleased about the success, Epstein resented being proved wrong. The relationship between the two was severed, never to be completely reconciled. I recall seeing a promotional film for the single – they weren’t called videos then, shot in the narrow, terraced streets of Liverpool with an urchin group of children gathered to watch the group perform. The B-side – an original song by two of the Dakotas, comes sweetened with strings. At this time, Billy J was everywhere, Boyfriend weekly ‘love stories in pictures’ offered ‘News Of The Billy-Beat, now that he’s hit with ‘Little Children’, does the J stand for Junior?’ (28 March 1964). Issued on Imperial 66027, ‘Little Children’ became Billy J’s first American hit, reaching no.7 on Billboard. During February and into March Billy J With The Dakotas headlined a package tour jointly promoted by Arthur Howes with Brian Epstein, featuring Cilla Black, the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Remo Four, with dates including Nottingham, Wigan and various ABC and Odeon theatres.
20 March 1964 – ‘I’LL KEEP YOU SATISFIED’ EP (Parlophone GEP8895) with ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’, ‘I Know’, ‘Dance With Me’ and ‘It’s Up To You’. Billy J With The Dakotas play the New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert at the Empire Pool Wembley (11 April 1964), with the Beatles, Cliff Richard, the Shadows and the Rolling Stones.
May 1964 – ‘LITTLE CHILDREN’ LP (Imperial LP9267) America-only fix-up LP, with Elliot Field liner notes, it peaks at no.48.
Side one:
(1) ‘Little Children’ 2:46
(2) ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ 1:52
(3) ‘Dance With Me’ 2:14
(4) ‘Pride’ 2:20
(5) ‘I Know’ 2:05
(6) ‘They Remind Me Of You’ 2:19
Side two:
(1) ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ 2:01
(2) ‘Bad To Me’ 2:18
(3) ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ 2:04
(4) ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ 1:44
(5) ‘It’s Up To You’ 2:47
(6) ‘Tell Me Girl’ 2:47
May 1964 – ‘LITTLE CHILDREN’ EP (Parlophone GEP8907) with ‘Little Children’, ‘They Remind Me Of You’, ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ and ‘I Call Your Name’
17 July 1964 – ‘From A Window’ (Lennon-McCartney) 1:58 c/w ‘Second To None’ (MacDonald) 2:23 (Parlophone R5156).
Snappy beat-group arrangement. with a strong guitar solo. He glimpses her through her window, and knows that they’re destined to be lovers, which – from a twenty-first century perspective sounds a little voyeuristic, but at the time was simply a romance-in-pictures storyline. Returning to Lennon-McCartney, with John & Paul both attending the 29 May Abbey Road recording session, it only reaches no.10. Issued as Imperial 66051 it becomes Billy J’s last major American hit when it reached no.23 on Billboard during September. Another strong B-side supplied by the Dakotas’ Robin McDonald, he may have no money, but his love is ‘Second To None’. Fabulous magazine presents ‘Pops Around The World’ with Eleven King-Size Full-Colour Pin-Ups. Cliff, Stones, Beatles, Elvis, with a Billy J Kramer in America feature (18 July 1964). A following issue, dated 22 August was supposedly edited by Billy J (Kramer) on his 21st birthday.
August 1964 – ‘I’LL KEEP YOU SATISFIED’ LP (Imperial) America-only
'Pop Weekly' was already posing the question ‘Billy J Kramer: Getting Harder At The Top’ (12 September 1964). While in Record Mirror he was admitting ‘Palladium made me nervous’ in an ‘Off The Cuff’ feature (15 August 1964) – they’d played the televised London Palladium 27 October 1963. Billy J With The Dakotas spent a four-month Summer Season on the Blackpool North Pier theatre, sharing the bill with veteran comedian Tommy Trinder.
5 October 1964 – ‘TOP TWELVE HITS’ LP (Capitol T6091) Canada-only compilation.
Billy J With The Dakotas headlined a UK Autumn package tour from late September and October 1964, with support acts including the Yardbirds (with Eric Clapton), the Ronettes, the Kinks alternating the Nashville Teens, they played Edinburgh Castle.
Side one:
(1) ‘Little Children’ (McFarland-Shuman) 2:44
(2) ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:03
(3) ‘Anything That’s Part Of You’ (Don Robertson) 3:15
(4) ‘I’ll Be On My Way’ (Lennon-McCartney) 1:40
(5) ‘The Cruel Surf’ (Mike Maxfield 2:12), the Dakotas ‘The Cruel Sea’ retitled for the American market.
(6) ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ (Hammer-Blackwell) 1:43
Side two:
(7) ‘From A Window’ (Lennon-McCartney) 1:56
(8) ‘Bad To Me’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:19
(9) ‘They Remind Me Of You’ (Maxfield-MacDonald) 2:21
(10) ‘Second To None’ (Robin MacDonald) 2:20
(11) ‘Tell Me Girl’ (Smith) 2:48
(12) ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ (Spector-Greenwich-Barry) 1:58
November 1964 – ‘FROM A WINDOW’ EP (Parlophone GEP8921) with ‘From A Window’ (Lennon-McCartney), ‘Second To None’ (Robin MacDonald), ‘Dance With Me’ (Glick-Treadwell-Nahan-Lebish) and ‘Twelfth Of Never’ (Livingston-Webster).
20 November 1964 – ‘Oyeh’ (Green-Maxfield-MacDonald-Mansfield) 2:22 c/w ‘My Girl Josephine’ (Domino-Bartholomew) 1:58 as by The Dakotas (Parlophone R5203).
After a row with Brian Epstein, Ray Jones quit the Dakotas in July 1964, so Robin MacDonald switched to bass as Mick Green (born 22 February 1944) joined the line-up from his former group Johnny Kidd & The Pirates. According to Billy J autobiography this lively guitar instrumental was largely improvised in the studio by Mick Green, with novelty girls voices added over the fade. It was revived in January 1975 on Dr Feelgood’s debut album ‘Down By The Jetty’ where it is simply credited to Mick Green. The B-side is the group’s first vinyl vocal outing doing a beat-group version of the Fats Domino hit, with guitar solo and regulation enthusiastic yells.
22 January 1965 – ‘It’s Gotta Last Forever’ (Bill Giant-Clive Westlake-Kenny Lynch) 2:29 c/w ‘Don’t You Do It No More’ (Green-MacDonald) 2:28 (Parlophone R5234).
Kenny Lynch – who would later co-write ‘Sha-La-La-La-Lee’ for the Small Faces, had been the very first artist to cover a Lennon-McCartney song when he recorded ‘Misery’ in February 1963 after touring with the Beatles. ‘It’s Gotta Last Forever’ replicates all the best features of Billy J’s previous hits, with Billy J’s voice climbing into neat-falsetto, and laced by piano that might be played by George Martin himself, yet it became his first single not to gain a chart placing in the UK, which must have come as a considerable shock. It did climb as high as a US no.67. The UK B-side is strongly beat-driven, with crashing guitars, harmony vocals on the chorus and call-&-response backing voices, plus Beatles-esque headshaking ‘OOOOH’. Very much of its time, but a strong contribution to the genre. The American B-side was switched with ‘They Remind Me Of You’ (Imperial 66085).
February 1965 – ‘BILLY J PLAYS THE STATES’ EP (Parlophone GEP8928) with ‘Sugar Babe’ (Robinson),‘Twilight Time’ (Dunn-Ram-Nevins), ‘Tennessee Waltz’ (King-Stewart) and ‘Irresistible You’ (Kasha-Dixon). An EP recorded live at California’s Long Beach, issued with Tony Barrow liner notes, which sold moderately.
14 May 1965 – ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’ (Bacharach-David) 2:49 c/w ‘That’s The Way I Feel’ (Green-MacDonald) 2:47 (Parlophone R5285).
Although delving back to 1950s hits with Liverpool-born Michael Holliday’s ‘The Story Of My Life’ and Perry Como’s ‘Magic Moments’, Bacharach-David compositions had become the gold standard of songwriting, with a rush to record each new title as it was published. Billy J’s version took him back into the Top Twenty, as high as no.12, beating a rival version by Anita Harris – but being beaten in turn by Burt Bacharach’s own version, recorded in London with full orchestra and chorus, which reached no.4. Some compensation was provided when Billy J’s own version reached no.47 in the US.
With strings supplementing the Dakotas drums and guitar, with prayer pronounced in scouse ‘prurrrr’, Billy J handles the slower tempo well, fading out with a hummed verse. The truth is that the scene was rapidly evolving, and Billy J was getting left behind, with harder grittier bands replacing the first beat-boom groups, the Kinks, the Who, the Yardbirds, while Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ was in the same Top Twenty as both Billy J’s and Burt Bacharach’s ‘Trains And Boats And Plains’. The B-side is a slow undistinguished romantic rock-ballad with ‘woah woah woah’ refrain.
August 1965 – ‘TRAINS AND BOATS AND PLANES’ LP (Imperial 9291) America and Canada only
Boy’s comic Eagle ran a feature on Billy J With The Dakotas in its issue dated 31 July 1965, while Billy J With The Dakotas played the North Pier Theatre in Blackpool with the Paul Burnett Orchestra.
Side one:
(1) ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’ (Bacharach-David) 2:34
(2) ‘It’s A Mad Mad World’ (D Burnette) 2:17
Recorded 22 September 1964 in the Abbey Road studios, this is a song previously done by Ricky Nelson, and has nothing to do with the movie of the same title.
(3) ‘Twilight Time’ (A Nevins-A Dunn-B Ram-M Nevins) 3:03
The old Platters song, which seems an uncomfortable fit for Billy J. It was issued as an American single c/w ‘Irresistible You’ (Imperial 66135)
(4) ‘Under The Boardwalk’ (A Resnick-K Young) 2:49
A rather unconvincing version of the Drifters hit, later remastered and gathered onto the CD compilation ‘Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas At Abbey Road: 1963 To 1966’
(5) ‘Every Time You Walk In The Room’ (Jackie DeShannon) 2:45
This heavily percussive track had already been a hit for the Searchers, which remains the definitive version.
(6) ‘Sneakin’ Around’ (Ray Bryant) 2:41
Recorded 21 January 1965, this is an effective cover of an original jazzy number from 1956 R&B hit by the Ray Bryant Trio.
Side two:
(7) ‘To Take Her Place’ (Green-MacDonald) 1:53
Straightforward beat-group format, his lover has gone so he needs someone new. The Dakotas are sharpening their ability to turn out strong original material.(8) ‘When You Ask About Love’ (Allison-Curtis) 2:05
A strong song originally done by the Crickets, and retaining something of their Buddy Holly arrangement. It would become a no.4 UK hit for Matchbox in October 1980.
(9) ‘Don’t Do It No More’ (Green-MacDonald) 2:27
(10) ‘I Live To Love You’ (Green-MacDonald) 2:15
With a 1-2-3-4 count-in, and a fine mid-point guitar solo.
(11) ‘Tennessee Waltz’ (King-Stewart) 3:05
With live teenage screams, a much-recorded exercise in barrel-scraping.
(12) ‘Irresistible You’ (Al Kasha-Luther Dixon) 2:30
The live version from the ‘Billy J Plays The States’ EP with screaming girls. The most prominent previous version of the song was by Bobby Darin.
5 November 1965 – ‘Neon City’ (Ronnie Scott) 2:55 c/w ‘I’ll Be Doggone’ (Tarplin-Robinson-Moore) 2:57 (Parlophone R5362).
Brian Epstein’s stable of artists was becoming bloated and unwieldy. As he signed more acts, he was no longer able to give them the personal attention they required. Billy J was now falling back on outside songwriters as the Mersey tide receded. Rhyming ‘a neon city’ with ‘where the lights are pretty’ set to a subtle samba sway, it’s a fairly strong song, with strings and horns feeding in behind his voice, as ‘no-one knows where roses grow in this town,’ with a Drifters ‘On Broadway’ feel. ‘I’ll Be Doggone’ was a Marvin Gaye cover, with Motown becoming an underground Mod staple, and Billy J coming to grips with a harder R&B sound. By this time Mike Maxfield had left the Dakotas in order to concentrate on songwriting, leaving the group as a trio. In 1966 Tony Mansfield quit too, to be replaced by another ex-Pirate Frank Farley.
18 February 1966 – ‘We’re Doing Fine’ (H Ott) 2:38 c/w ‘Forgive Me’ (Green-MacDonald) 2:16 (Parlophone R5408). An ironic song-title, because by now Billy J was far from doing fine! This single passed unnoticed, despite its riffing R&B feel. ‘Forgive Me’ has crashing Mick Green guitar, and Billy J’s voice effectively echoed anticipating pyche. On 3 April 1966 Billy J Kramer played the Empire Pool on a bill with the Moody Blues, Spencer Davis, Adam Faith, Georgie Fame, Wayne Fontana and Manfred Mann.
1966 – ‘BILLY BOY’ LP (Music For Pleasure MFP1134) Compilation
Side one:
(1) ‘Little Children’ (McFarland-Shuman)
(2) ‘They Remind Me Of You’ (Maxfield-MacDonald)
(3) ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ (Foster, arranged by George Martin)
(4) ‘I Call Your Name’ (Lennon-McCartney)
(5) ‘From A Window’ (Lennon-McCartney)
(6) ‘Second To None’ (MacDonald)
Side two:
(7) ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’ (Bacharach-David)
(8) ‘Dance With Me’ (Glick-Treadwell-Nahan-Lebish)
(9) ‘The Twelfth Of Never’ (Livingston-Webster)
(10) ‘It’s Gotta Last Forever’ (Giant-Westlake-Lynch)
(11) ‘Don’t You Do It No More’ (Green-MacDonald)
(12) ‘That’s The Way I Feel’ (Green-MacDonald)
29 July 1966 – ‘You Make Me Feel Like Someone’ (Tree-Levine) 2:52 c/w ‘Take My Hand’ (Green-MacDonald) 2:48 (Parlophone R5482) with accompaniment directed by Nicky Welsh, this was the last single to be credited as Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas, although his voice, taking on a new soulful gruffness, is swathed in orchestration. ‘I’ve done nothing, nothing that I’m famous for, I’ve won nothing someone hasn’t won before, there’s nothing much for me to be proud of’ he emotes in Phil Spector-lite power-ballad style. The B-side is more folksy with acoustic guitar and tambourine, although there are strings to sweetness the poor boy-rich girl class-divide storyline, her mother ‘doesn’t dig the likes of me’.
9 September 1966 (Friday) – Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas play as part of ‘The Night Of Nights: Stars Of 1966’ at Scunthorpe United Football Stadium with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Troggs, The Creation, The Mind Benders plus special guest stars The Fenmen introduced by Peter Murray, Disc Jockey, with large dance floor. Tickets £1.
13 January 1967 – ‘Sorry’ (Unknown) 2:20 c/w ‘Going Going Gone’ (Unknown) 2:35 as by Billy J Kramer (Parlophone R5552) unreleased.
Produced by former-Searcher Chris Curtis, this is a smoothly melodic song in what could be termed the traditional Billy J style. The B-side is piano-led, with backing voiced and horns. He performs it live with the Dakotas as they work the northern UK club and cabaret circuit. His EMI contract is not renewed.
10 March 1967 – ‘I’m ‘n’ ‘Ardworkin’ Barrow Boy’ (F Farley-Mick Green) 2:51 c/w ‘Seven Pound Of Potatoes’ (M Green-R MacDonald) 2:21 as by The Dakotas (Page One POF018).
Novelty vocal with cockney working-class Charlie Brown fancying a bird ‘what talks cut-glass’, with banjo and a storyline where he’s ‘sent down’ by the beak, who just happens to be her Farver! The B-side is built around the ‘one-potato, two-potato, three-potato’ rhyme, a jumpy guitar-led sing-along.
7 April 1967 – ‘Town Of Tuxley Toy Maker Part 1’ (The Bee Gees) 2:46 as by Billy J Kramer c/w ‘Chinese Girl’ (Green-MacDonald) 3:05 as by Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas (Reaction 591014). The decline of Billy J’s career was accelerated by an increasing reliance on alcohol, but he was still a name on the scene, and the new signing to Robert Stigwood’s new label Reaction – the home of the Who and Cream, was seen as something of a las-chance revival. Written by the Bee Gees, with Barry, Robin & Marice Gibb clearly heard on backing vocals, and Colin Petersen on drums, in the London IBC studio 4 March 1967, with Stigwood producing. There are vaguely baroque Brit-Psych leanings, mixing 3/4 with 4/4 time signatures, with beguiling fantasy lyrics, where he’s ‘busy busy making toys, make a girl for ev’ry boy, make a man for ev’ry wife’ but where ‘money speaks louder than toys.’ The B-side, credited as a Howard Conder production, has a harder freak-beat edge that barely sounds like Billy J at all. There’s an alternate take titled ‘Kinky Chinese Girl’ on the Do You Want To Know A Secret?: The EMI Years 1963-1983 with gong, fractured Mick Green guitar, and humorous lyrics ‘she don’t need no loving tutor, she dun wrote the Kama Sutra’. The single picked up radio plays, but again it failed to chart. On ‘Chinese Girl’ the Dakotas back Billy J for the final time. They parted in September 1967, and the group split up the following year, with Robin Macdonald, Mick Green and Frank Farley going on to join Cliff Bennett’s Rebel Rousers. Another connection was brutally severed when Brian Epstein died 27 August 1967 from an accidental barbiturates overdose in his Belgravia home.
1 March 1968 – ‘I Can’t Break The News To Myself’ (Jimmy Williams-Larry Harrison) 2:2 c/w ‘The Spider And The Fly’ (Mick Green-Robin MacDonald) 3:11 as by The Dakotas (Philips BF1645).
A big dramatic country song previously done by Ben E King, then by Tom Jones. The B-side is another strong vocal with a hard-riff guitar backing.
29 March 1968 – ‘1941’ (Nilsson) 2:24 c/w ‘His Love Is Just A Lie’ (L Duncan) 2:46 as by Billy J Kramer (NEMS/ CBS 56-3396). Harry Nilsson was a name on everybody’s lips, with the Yardbirds recording his ‘Ten Little Indians’ from his 1967 ‘Pandemonium Shadow Show’ album. The side one track immediately following opener ‘Ten Little Indians’ was the semi-autobiographical ‘1941’ which gave Billy J a further shot of visibility. The Nilsson album also included ‘Cuddly Toy’ – covered by the Monkees, and Nilsson’s artful cover of the Beatles ‘You Can’t Do That’ – quoting lyrics from 17 other Beatles songs, which immediately became a favourite with John Lennon. Billy J takes the jaunty song with its yodels and scat-passages, and the lure of the travelling circus, by closely following the Nilsson blueprint. Produced by Jimmy Duncan with arrangements by Johnny Arthey, the B-side is a fairly insubstantial orchestrated ballad written by singer-songwriter and session musician Lesley Duncan.
9 August 1968 – ‘A World Without Love’ (Teddy Randazzo-Victoria Pike) 3:08 c/w ‘Going Through It’ (J Duncan-G Campbell) 2:39 (NEMS 56-3635).
On the surface, a strange choice – it seems to fall back on the successful Beatles connection – and Paul had offered a song called ‘A World Without Love’ to Billy J first. He’d turned down the song that had subsequently become a global hit for Peter & Gordon. But no… this lush Johnny Arthey orchestrated track is a different song – penned by the American songwriter responsible for Craig Douglas’ ‘Pretty Blue Eyes’ and Little Anthony & The Imperials’ ‘Goin’ Out Of My Head’, with Spanish guitar and Billy J soaring to near-operatic vocal heights. The B-side, also produced by Jimmy Duncan, is another gently rocking but inconsequential song. Billy J married Ann Ginn this year, and they have two sons together.
14 March 1969 – ‘Colour Of My Love’ (Paul Ryan) 2:24 c/w ‘I’m Running Away’ (John Pantry) 2:35 (MGM 1474). A single arranged by Rex Morris and produced by Eddie Tre-Vett.
Paul & Barry Ryan, twin sons of 1950s Pop star Marion Ryan, enjoyed their own recording celebrity with 1965 hit ‘Don’t Bring Me Your Heartaches’, but then split with Paul concentrating on songwriting and production. Barry recorded his own version of ‘Colour Of My Love’ after Paul had written the massive hit ‘Eloise’ for him. Billy J’s version lost out to a rival bubble-gum cover by Jefferson – who was former-Rockin’ Berries Geoff Turton, who reached no.22 in the UK, as well as no.68 in the American Billboard chart. When Billy J sings ‘Her hair was the colour of the sun, was the colour of her eyes, was the colour of my only love’ he pronounces it ‘her hurrr’, with an answering uncredited female vocalist and punchy horns. The B-side has a Latin flavour with horns and strummed guitar ‘I’m running away from the chance to be a good man, for ever’ with a catchy but light-weight chorus. John Pantry was a studio engineer at IBC Studio who had worked on recording sessions for the Small Faces and the Bee Gees, and a member of Peter & The Wolves.
4 June 1971 – ‘The Grass Won’t Pay No Mind’ (Neil Diamond) 3:41 c/w ‘There’s No Time’ (Tony Hatch-Jackie Trent) 3:05 as by William Howard Ashton (Polydor 2058-121).
Produced by Wayne Bickerton, this is a rare one-off release under Billy J’s own real name. With a Country flavour and female backing voices, it’s a confident vocal delivery of a strong Neil Diamond song. With a little positive promotion and strategic radio plays this could have seen a return to visibility. There was also a version by Mark Lindsay (ex-Paul Revere & The Raiders) – by Elvis Presley, as well as Neil’s original on his ‘Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show’ 1969 album. Tony Hatch had already written hits for the Searchers (‘Sugar And Spice’) and Petula Clark, plus with wife Jackie Trent who had her own no.1 hit with their co-written ‘Where Are You Now’. ‘There’s No Time’ is a competent, but undistinguished song by the professional writing team, personalised by Billy J’s scouse intonation ‘there’s no time stop and sturrr, running fingers through your hurrr’.
17 August 1973 – ‘A Fool Like You’ (Tim Moore) 3:34 c/w ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:23 as Billy J Kramer (Decca F13426).
Also recorded by Iain Matthews and Eric Andersen, a song written by the American singer-songwriter who recorded four 1970s albums for Asylum Records, this is from his eponymous 1974 debut LP issued on Mooncrest (Crest 16) in the UK. It has an attractively likeable swing-beat with steel-guitar and ‘an old Heath radio taught me how to sing, so just give me your guitar and man I’ll forget about everything.’ Again, Billy J’s song selection is good. The B-side is a harder more rocked-up rerecording of his earlier hit, produced by Dick Rowe. Meanwhile, Billy J tours the US with the re-formed Dakotas as part of Richard Nader’s ‘British Re-Invasion Show’, on the oldies circuit.
21 September 1973 – ‘Darling Come To Me’ (Green-Bedford) 3:03 c/w ‘Walking’ (Vernon-Mills-Hop[kins) 2:31 (Decca F13442).
It opens with ensemble voices, before Billy J takes the verse with an up-tempo Country feel, ‘people may slander me, abuse me, and surely use me’ he protests, but he can make it when he has his woman. The B-side is a bluesier strutting track that plays in with drum-beat and snarling guitars, ‘that old hound-dog is on my trail’ which builds to an unaccustomed screeched climax. Both sides are produced by Cartwright & Green for UMC productions.
10 May 1974 – ‘Stayin’ Power’ (Neil Sedaka-Howard Greenfield) 2:36 c/w ‘Blue Jean Queen’ (Green) 3:02 (BASF BA1006).
Female backing voices chant ‘da-de-dum, dat-dat-de-dum’ as Billy J defiantly asserts, ‘others may come and go, but me, I’ll be hanging around.’ As a Pop singer and writer Neil Sedaka has a back-catalogue of great songs, and while this is maybe not his best collaboration with Howie Greenfield it has all the jaunty energies that typify their songs. The Billy J version was later included on a compilation ‘Make The Music Play: Neil Sedaka’s Songwriting Gems 1963-1971’ (Teensville Records TV1033). Both sides are produced by Mick Green, the B-side is an echoey fifties-style Rocker with slightly risqué lyrics about her being only thirteen, with Billy J at his most raucous, with riffing guitar-lines.
22 October 1976 – ‘Little Children’ c/w ‘Bad To Me’ as Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (EMI2546). Without the Dakotas, without Brian Epstein, without the trend-support of Merseybeat, Billy J Kramer was simply a lost voice. He’d grown his hair long, recorded songs by some of the eras best songwriters, with greater or lesser success. But his future lay increasingly in the past, with nostalgia tours. Helped by two of his biggest hits repackaged and reissued.
29 July 1977 – ‘San Diego’ (Tony Macaulay) 2:44 c/w ‘Warm Summer Rain’ (Philip Goodhand-Tait) 3:18 (EMI 2661).
Arranged by Graham Preskett, produced by Ed Welch, from the pen of the songwriter responsible for the Foundations’ ‘Baby, Now That I’ve Found You’ and the Edison Lighthouse one-off hit ‘Love Grown Where My Rosemary Goes’, there’s a charming throw-away sweetness about the song, with a harmonica play-in and a throaty sax-break. Born in Hull but relocated to Guildford in Surrey, Philip Goodhand-Tait built a London club reputation as vocalist with the Stormsville Shakers, but shifted more into songwriting after his success wit Love Affair’s ‘A Day Without Love’, Zoot Money’s ‘No-One But You’, and both Gene Pitney and Roger Daltrey’s ‘Oceans Away’. Opening with a rainfall of plucked strings Billy J takes the melody with assured ease over shimmering xylophone. Although Goodhand-Tait’s blueprint features birdsong and a more soulful interpretation. British-Australian Terry Britten wrote hits for Cliff Richard – including ‘Devil Woman’ and ‘Carrie’, as well as Tina Turner (‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’) and even co-writing for Michael Jackson with ‘Just Good Friends’ on the Bad album.
19 August 1977 – ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’ c/w ‘Take My Hand’ plus ‘It’s Up To You’ as Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas (EMI 2643). Another timely reissue of three familiar tracks.
August 1977 – ‘THE BEST OF BILLY J KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS’ LP (Parlophone) Compilation, reformatted in August 1984.
27 January 1978 – ‘Ships That Pass In The Night’ (Terry Britten) 3:22 c/w ‘Is There Any More At Home Like You’ (Billy Kinsley) 2:43 as Billy J Kramer (EMI2740).
A high keening synth introduces an aching waltz-time power-ballad, with muted sax solo and soulful female backing vocalist, arranged and produced by Ed Welch. Much worse tracks than this have been big hits for the likes of Barry Manilow. Then, reaching back into the Liverpool Beat Boom, the B-side was written by an ex-member of the Merseybeats, with attractively phased Laurence Juber guitar – sometime member of Paul McCartney’s Wings. With a Graham Prescott shuffle-rhythm arrangement, and a lyric that could be seen as autobiographical ‘well, I’ve had my ups and downs in life, I’ve been there once and blew it twice, seen hard times,’ it makes for a good value coupling.
2 November 1979 – ‘Blue Christmas’ (Billy Hayes-Jay W Johnson) 2:40 c/w ‘Little Love’ (Seaman) 3:21 (Hobo HOS.010).
Everyone makes a Christmas record sooner or later, so why not revive the Elvis Presley hit? Yet Shakin’ Stevens had a hit with the song only a few years later (in December 1982 as part of an EP). The B-side seems equally throw-away, a jumpy paean to love with a high-voiced female voice adding depth.
14 November 1980 – ‘Silver Dream’ (Paul K Jones) 3:32 c/w ‘Lonely Lady’ (Ed Welch-Barry Mason) 2:47 (JM Records JM1005).
Tinkling keyboards lead into a lyric about the ‘silver dream’ aeroplane that’s taking his love through the sky over rainbows away from him. The B-side is a jumpier affair by producer Ed Welch with Barry Mason who’s best known for writing tedious hits for Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck… and Des O’Connor!
July 1981 – ‘Sun Tan’ (Phil Pickett) 3:16 c/w ‘Gone Away’ (Mike Maxwell) 3:32 (JM Records JM1007).
Strummed guitar, catchy summer hook, ‘soaking up those precious rays of gold’, complete with a false ending. Phil Pickett had been a member of Sailer, and the melody-line is not a million miles from their hit single ‘A Glass Of Champagne’. The B-side is a heartbreak ballad with little to recommend it.
19 March 1982 – ‘Rock It’ (AJ Britnall-A Treffers) 3:20 c/w ‘Dum Dum’ (AJ Britnall-A Treffers) 3:01 (Runaway BJK1).
Deep bass and finger-clicks, an echoey 1950s feel, with authentic-sounding Rockabilly guitar solo. The B-side is set to a soft skanking rhythm, with a nonsense ‘dum-dum-dummy-dum-do’ chorus. With both sides produced by Hans Hollestelle.
3 September 1982 – ‘You’re Right, I’m Wrong’ (AJ Britnall-A Treffers) 3:18 c/w ‘The Fugitive’ (AJ Britnall-A Treffers) 2:35 (Runaway RUN506).
Cutting guitars, and a Rockabilly country-tinged storyline with chanting female chorus. Billy J sells the song well – ‘to me you were beauty, you said I was a jerk’, then dropping into deep-voice lines. The B-side is another stab at blue-eyed reggae with a Two-Tone feel. Produced by Arnie Treffers with Tony Britnall, who had been part of the Coventry band Jigsaw.
June 1983 – ‘You Can’t Live On Memories’ (Brian Hodgson-Billy J Kramer) 3:23 c/w ‘Stood Up’ (Brian Hodgson-Billy J Kramer) 2:52 (RAK359).
Both sides produced by Brian Hodgson and cowritten by him with Billy J himself, who is in an autobiographical mood! Beguiling guitar licks just on the correct side of nostalgia, as he tells how ‘Mr Epstein gave me a song’ until ‘our latest record took a dive’ and ‘the party was over before you realised.’ The confusing lure of the time when they were making it, at last, then the hard truth of back to reality somehow, afterwards. And today, ‘still like to gig… still on the road.’ A personal statement in the way that his previous batch of singles had not been, a glimpse into his inner soul, and so the better because of it. The B-side is a steady rocker with snarling guitars.
October 1983 ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret?’ c/w ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’ as Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (Old Gold OG9367). A further exercise in living on memories.
October 1983 – ‘Bad To Me’ c/w ‘Little Children’ (Old Gold OG9372)
1984 – ‘You Can’t Live On Memories’ c/w ‘Stood Up’ as by Billy J Kramer (RAK368) unreleased reissue
July 1984 – ‘Shootin’ The Breeze’ (Cliff Edge-J Clift) 3:43 c/w ‘Doris Day Movie’ (Cliff Edge-J Clift) 3:28 (Mean104).
Killing time on the corner, ‘idle gossip, juicy scandal, all the scandal you can handle’ in a shot at electro-Pop, with synths and programmed drums, both sides produced by Bernie Clark with Steve Tatler. The B-side continues the foray into electronica about a woman living in celluloid fantasies. Through August Billy J was playing the American circuit as part of the ‘Twentieth Anniversary British Invasion Tour’ with Herman’s Hermits, Gerry Marsden, the Troggs and Badfinger.
1986 – ‘Jealous Hearts’ (N Sherstone-P Dibbons) 3:42 c/w ‘Loose Change’ (D Grant) 3:02 (Attack ATA914).
Soundtrack soft-Rock with anthemic flourishes, and Billy J adopting a dramatic gruff-voiced delivery. B-side is a hard-soft rocker with chirping female back-up voices ‘I’m no.1 on the production line’. Both sides produced by Steve Tatler and lifted from the album ‘Kramer Versus Kramer’
October 1986 – ‘KRAMER VERSUS KRAMER’ LP (Attack ATA007)
Nothing to do with the movie, simply a play on the ‘Kramer’… with side one made up of new tracks: ‘Can’t Shake Loose’, ‘Breakfast In Marin’, ‘Jealous Hearts’, ‘Shooting The Breeze’ plus ‘Loose Change’, with side two made up of re-recordings of ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’, ‘Bad To Me’, ‘From A Window’, ‘Trains And Boats And Planes’ and ‘Little Children’.
1991 – ‘THE BEST OF THE EMI YEARS’ LP (EMI) CD compilation
8 October 1991 – ‘THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION’ LP (EMI) USA-only release
19 June 1995 – ‘THE EP COLLECTION’ LP (See For Miles)
14 July 1997 – ‘THE VERY BEST OF BILLY J KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS’ LP (Secret Society)
23 February 1998 – ‘BILLY J KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS AT ABBEY ROAD 1963-1966’ LP (EMI)
1999 – ‘THE BEST OF BILLY J KRAMER’ LP (Pegasus)
1999 – ‘BILLY J KRAMER’ CD (Golden Legends GL61502) Canada-only compilation including rare tracks ‘Dizzy’, ‘Latest Flame’, ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ and Billy’s 1:58-minute cover of Eden Kane’s 196 hit ‘Boys Cry’ (written by Buddy Kaye-Tommy Scott).
16 February 2009 – ‘DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? THE EMI YEARS 1963-1983’ Boxset (EMI) 4CD compilation.
21 October 2013 – ‘Magic Potion’ The Open Mind Soundhog Edit, c/w ‘The Spider And The Fly’ The Dakotas Soundhog Edit, as by The Dakotas (Spoke SPK1305)
16 February 2014 – ‘I WON THE FIGHT’ LP (Own label) CD and digital download.
‘Dedicated to my mentor: Brian Epstein’. ‘William Ashton’ is, of course, Billy J Kramer himself. Features musicians Liberty DeVitto (drums, percussion), Adam Roth and Billy J Kramer (guitars), Don Celenza (guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, tambourine, keyboard), Andy Burton (piano, Hammond organ), produced by Billy J.
(1) ‘I Won The Fight’ (R Ponella-D Celenza-W Ashton)
(2) ‘You Can’t Live On Memories’ (B Hodgson-Billy J Kramer)
(3) ‘I Can’t Keep The Dog Outside Tonight’ (R Ponella-W Ashton)
(4) ‘I’m In Love’ (Lennon-McCartney) 2:25
The song that was a hit for the Fourmost, but which Billy J recorded around the same time with the Dakotas and John Lennon ‘shouting directions to me in the studio’. A 3:43-minute studio version had been included on the EMI Legends Rock ‘n’ Roll Series: The Definitive Collection.
(5) ‘Breakfast In Marin’ (S Tyla)
(6) ‘Sunsets Of Santa Fe’ (W Ashton) with Billy Kinsley backing vocals
(7) ‘Fallin’ And Flyin’’ (G Nicholson-TS Bruton) featuring Christine Ohlman.
(8) ‘You’re Right, I’m Wrong’ (A Treffers-AJ Britnell) with Lou Christie backing vocals
(9) ‘To Liverpool With Love’ (W Ashton) 3:48
‘The place that I grew up in… it took four lads and Rock ‘n’ Roll to make the world come new’
(10) ‘The Story Of My Life’, (H David-B Bacharach)
(11) ‘To Liverpool With Love’ 2013 live version (W Ashton)
‘Something’s always bothered me, I just can’t explain, why isn’t Brian Epstein in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame?’ He was actually inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
May 2014 – ‘LISTEN…/ I’LL KEEP YOU SATISFIED/ LITTLE CHILDREN/ TRAINS AND BOATS AND PLANES’ boxset (BGO) 2CD set.
Billy J’s second wife, Roni Ashton died of a massive heart attack in October 2021. He’d met her following his move to Long Island in America in 1985, she’d helped him through his recovery from alcohol addiction.
31 August 2023 – ‘DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BILLY J KRAMER’ by Billy J Kramer with Alyn Shipton (Studies In Popular Music, Equinox Publishing Ltd, ISBN-13: 978-1800504639). At times the burden of being ‘Billy J Kramer’ has been a millstone, with inescapable memory-associations of that incredible couple of Mersey Beat years when dreams came true. But the fall was hard, and the struggle to carve out a new solo identity was fraught with failures. At last, he seems to have reconciled himself with the past, embraces and celebrates it with gratitude, and enjoys the celebrity that it brings.
7 June 2024 – ‘ARE YOU WITH ME?’ LP (Bootle Music) CD and digital download, the title-track single charted on the Heritage chart.
With this album Billy J returns to factory settings, strong songs with tight beat-group backings, as it was at the start. In the title-song video Billy J walks through Liverpool, visits the Cavern, the Beatles statue ‘famous lads from Liverpool’, ‘did you scream and shout, while the music played?’ Embracing and celebrating his role in ‘some very special times.’ Songs and contributions on the project feature writing credits or input from Billy J. Kramer himself, JJ Gilmour, The Alessi Brothers, and Liberty DeVitto, with Joe Bellia (tambourine), Jeff Alan Ross (piano), Steve Holley (drums), Alan Thomson (bass) and Jeff Perholtz (acoustic, lead and twelve-string guitars).
Track listing:
(1) ‘Are You With Me?’ (Tom Hambridge-Richard Fleming) 3:11
(2) ‘My Sweet Rose’ (Jeff Perholtz) 3:51
A busy textured up-beat backing track with Billy J smoothly interpreting the lyric.
(3) ‘Dancing Shoes’ (James Gilmour) 3:15
‘I’m out of time with this song’ he sings in perfect time, with non-intrusive strings.
(4) ‘Go On Girl’ 3:22
Recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2 with the Jukebox Beatles (Jeff Alan Ross, Laurence Juber and Jeff Perholtz).
(5) ‘I Was Only Sleeping’ (Liberatori DeVitto) 3:55
‘I’m back on the scene and I’m starting again’ set to a kicking Chuck Berry drive and Jerry Lee Lewis piano runs.
(6) ‘Be Kind To Emma’ (William H Ashton) 3:38
She’s Leaving Home, a tender goodbye song swathed in strings, he wishes her well as he’s letting her go.
(7) ‘I Couldn’t Have Done It Without You’ Mark Hudson-Mark Mirando-Gary Burr) 3:18
A touching tribute to Brian Epstein and George Martin, ‘you made every dream come true.’
(8) ‘Jealous Guy’ (John Lennon) 4:35
With Jonathan Cobert’s piano and Steve Holley’s steady drums, Billy J’s world-weary voice gives the song a depth. The video shows him entering Abbey Road studios and recording the track.
(9) ‘I Belong’ (Billy & Bobby Alessi) 4:31
‘I belong in a Rock ‘n’ Roll world’ he insists with sweeping melodic lines.
(10) ‘Peace Of Mind’ (William H Ashton) 3:37
An up-tempo song with a reflective accepting lyric, ‘what’s the good of anger, remorse and shame, hen I left all my resentments, life began again.’
November 2025 – ‘Go On Girl’
A melancholy goodbye song, but carried on strong beat-group drive and sweet harmonies.
https://billyjkramermusic.com/
by ANDREW DARLINGTON
