b. Clive Powell, 26th June 1943, 1 Cotton Street, Leigh, Lancashire, England
Georgie Fame’s career has spanned six decades.
He is an established Jazz vocalist and keyboard player, a recognised Blue-Eyed Soul/R&B artist, and a charting pop star in his own right (achieving three number one singles early on in his career).
His number one singles included ‘Get Away’, Yeh, Yeh’ and ‘The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde’ between 1964 and 1967.
Born Clive Powell in Leigh in Lancashire, a young Georgie learned the keyboards whilst still at school.
On leaving school, Georgie worked in a cotton weaving mill.During the evenings, he played piano in a group called the Dominoes.
the blue flames in 1959
For a while he worked at a Butlins Holiday Camp in North Wales as a band leader for Rory Blackwell (a rock n’roll performer).
Georgie relocated to London, when he was 16.
Under the management of Larry Parnes, Georgie was instructed (by Parnes) to change his stage name and began touring with several U.K. based acts.
Some of these artists included the rockabilly artist Joe Brown, along with rock n rollers, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran.
with the blue flames
Georgie played keyboards for many of these artists, one of whom was Billy Fury, whose own band were called the Blue Flames.
When the Blue Flames became surplus to requirements, Georgie created his own band, featuring the band members.
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames went on to became a mainstay of U.K. R&B at that time.
Many of Georgie’s earliest influences came from Black Music.
Whether the artistical influence was Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Gene Ammons, Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes or a genre such as Ska, Georgie’s influences merged into his own version of R&B.
The group took up a residency at the Flamingo Club, in London’s Soho.
rhythm and blues at the flamingo - 1964 / fame at last - 1964 / hall of fame - 1965 / yeh yeh - 1965
In September 1963 Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames recorded their debut album, ‘Rhythm And Blues at the Flamingo’, live at the Flamingo Club.
In 1964, the album’s follow-up, ‘Fame at Last’, reached No. 15 on the U.K. album chart.
The group appeared on the Pop show ‘Ready, Steady Go’ the same year.
Georgie’s manager, Ronan O'Rahilly, tried to promote the album on Radio Luxembourg, but without success, so he set up his own station, which later became Radio Caroline.
Georgie’s 1964 album ‘Hall Of Fame’ featured ‘Getaway’, ‘Yeh, Yeh’, ‘Sitting In The Park’, along with his own take on the Spinners hit ‘Sweet Thing’.
get away - 1966 / sound venture - 1966 / sweet things - 1966 / the two faces of fame - 1967
‘Sweet Things’ became the title track of a further release in 1966, which also featured his own versions of Smokey Robinson’s song, ’My Girl’ and Don Covay’s tune, ’See Saw’.
motown tour 1965
His three number one’s were complemented by some fine releases, including ‘In The Meantime’, which charted on both sides of the Atlantic.
When ‘Get Away’ reached number one in 1966, he and the Blue Flames went their seperate ways.
Georgie’s version of the Bobby Hebb tune ‘Sunny’, reached number 13 in the U.K. charts in 1966.
He also released his own take on the Billy Stewart classic ‘Sitting in the Park’, which reached number 12 on the national charts.
The album ‘Sound Venture’ featured Georgie’s cover version of James Brown’s ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag’.
The Soulful influences within his music made Georgie something of a hero on the Mod Scene in the U.K.
Georgie’s final number one single ‘The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde’, was released in 1967.
Both ‘Yeh Yeh’ and ‘The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde’ sold over one million copies worldwide.
the third face of fame - 1967 / seventh son - 1969 / georgie does his thing with strings - 1969 / going home - 1971
Georgie’s final Sixties album ‘Seventh Son’ featured the popular dancer ’Somebody Stole My Thunder’.
At the beginning of the Seventies, Georgie teamed up with (the ex keyboard player with the group The Animals), Alan Price.
The duo charted with the single ‘Rosetta’ in 1971.
A solo album release, entitled ‘Going Home’ featured the popular track ‘Peaceful’, along with his own take on the song ’Stormy’.
By 1974, the Blue Flames had reunited with Georgie.
The group began performing with big bands and orchestra’s.
daylight b/w three legged mule - 1977 / new york afternoon - mondo kane
In 1977, Georgie released his own version of the Bobby Womack song ‘Daylight’ for the Island Records imprint.
In 1986, Georgie appeared on a single for the group Mondo Kane, singing vocals on their version of the Richie Cole song ’New York Afternoon’.
In recent years, Georgie still tours.
He has been part of Van Morrison’s group, working on most of Van’s album’s between 1989 and 1997 (including 1989’s ‘Avalon Sunset’).
After 1997, Georgie began working with the Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, with his new group the Rhythm Kings.
By 2000, He had signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label.
Georgie was a special guest on Van’s television concert show on BBC Four during 2008.
Georgie has collaborated with the likes of Count Basie, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters and Joan Armatrading during his career.
with the late terry wogan
He is often seen performing at Ronnie Scott's night club in Soho, and at various gigs around the U.K.
http://georgiefame.absoluteelsewhere.net/
https://www.facebook.com/Georgie-Fame-57514308296/
albums:
Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo (Columbia Records 1964)
Fame at Last (Columbia Records 1964)
Hall of Fame (Columbia Records 1965)
Yeh Yeh (Imperial Records 1965)
Sweet Thing (Columbia Records 1966)
Sound Venture (Columbia Records 1966)
Get Away (Imperial Records 1965)
Two Faces of Fame (Columbia Records 1967)
Third Face of Fame (Columbia Records 1967)
The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde (Columbia Records 1968)
Seventh Son (Columbia Records 1969)
Georgie Does His Thing with Strings (Columbia Records 1969)
Shorty Featuring Georgie Fame (Epic Records 1970)
Going Home (Columbia Records 1971)
Fame & Price/Price & Fame/Together (Columbia Records 1971)
Fame & Price (Columbia Records 1971)
Fame Again (Star Line Records 1972)
All Me Own Work (Reprise Records 1972)
Georgie Fame (Island Records 1974)
Daylight (Island Records 1977)
Right Now (BMG Records 1979)
That's What Friends Are For (Pye Records 1979)
Closing the Gap (Piccadilly Records 1980)
In Hoagland (Bald Eagle Records 1981)
At His Best (Tonpress Records 1983)
I Love Jamaica ( Teldec Records 1983)
With Lena Ericson/Lasse Samuelson (4 Leaf Clover Records 1986)
Selection of Standards (DRG Records 1988)
No Worries! (4 Leaf Clover Records 1988)
Cool Cat Blues (Go Jazz Records 1990)
Three Line Whip (Hypertension Music Records 1993)
How Long Has This Been Going On (Verve Records 1996)
Blues and Me (Ridgetop Records 1996)
Walking Wounded (Go Jazz Records 1999)
Name Droppin' (Go Jazz Records/Go Jazz Records 1999)
Poet in New York (Go Jazz Records/Go Jazz Records 2000)
Relationships (Three Line Whip Records 2001)
Charlestons (Three Line Whip Records 2003)
The Live Session (Visible Jazz Records 2003)
A Portrait of Chet (Four Leaf Clover Records 2007)
Go Jazz Years (Sony Music Distribution 2008)
Tone-Wheels 'A' Turnin' (Three Line Whip Records 2008)
Lost in a Lover's Dream (Three Line Whip Records 2012)
