Billy J. Kramer
One of the most popular Merseybeat singers, Billy J. Kramer (born Billy Ashton) was fortunate enough to become a client of Beatles manager Brian Epstein and was gifted with several Lennon-McCartney songs in 1963 and 1964, some of which the Beatles never ended up recording. Even tossing aside the considerable value of hearing otherwise unavailable Lennon-McCartney compositions, his best singles were enjoyably melodic pop/rock.
Kramer's cover of "Do You Want to Know a Secret" -- which featured clever production by George Martin that hid the cracks in the singer's upper register with loud piano notes -- made it to number two in the U.K. in mid-1963, followed by another Lennon-McCartney effort, "Bad to Me." "I'll Keep You Satisfied" and "From a Window" were other gifts from the Beatles camp that gave Kramer solid hits; one Beatles reject, "I'll Be on My Way," was even relegated to a B-side (the Beatles' own BBC version was finally released in 1994).
Kramer actually landed his biggest hit, the pop ballad "Little Children," without assistance from his benefactors; the single also broke him, briefly, as a star in the United States, where it and its flip side ("Bad to Me") both made the Top Ten. He appeared in the legendary 1964 The T.A.M.I. Show rockumentary film, and the Dakotas recorded some instrumental rock on their own, getting a Top 20 British hit with the Ventures-ish "The Cruel Sea." Early British guitar hero Mick Green, formerly with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, was even a Dakota briefly. But after 1965's cover of Bacharach-David's "Trains and Boats and Planes," the hits ceased, as the Beatles' and Epstein's attention was lost. Kramer continued recording throughout the '60s, even briefly venturing into hard psychedelic-tinged rock, and subsequently toured often on the oldies circuit.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Discografia
10 álbum(ns) • Ordenado por Mais vendidos
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Are You With Me?
Rock - Lançado por Bootle Music em 9 de fev. de 2024
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Of Billy J. Kramer
Rock - Lançado por Vanilla OMP em 20 de jul. de 2009
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Rock - Lançado por Collecting Records OMP em 1 de jan. de 2007
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liverpool Legend
Rock - Lançado por Jur em 1 de mai. de 2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
His Best (Rerecorded Version)
Pop/Rock - Lançado por K-Tel em 27 de nov. de 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
B. J. K. - [The Dave Cash Collection]
Rock - Lançado por The Dave Cash Collection - OMP em 9 de mai. de 2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You're Right, I'm Wrong (Remastered)
Pop - Lançado por Red Bullet em 1 de jan. de 1982
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Highlights of Billy J. Kramer
Pop - Lançado por Weishaupt Music & Entertainment em 3 de mai. de 2017
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Rock It (Remastered)
Pop - Lançado por Red Bullet em 1 de jan. de 1982
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I'll Keep You Satisfied
Pop - Lançado por Sunday Club Records em 18 de mai. de 2015
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo