Fury,Billy Wondrous Place: The Brits Are Rocking 2 CD

Decca recordings made between 1958 and 1964, incl. Eight masters from the iconic 'The Sound Of Fury' album, a Keith Richards favorite. Billy Fury (1940 - 1983) was one of the most successful British chart acts of the 1960s with only Cliff Richard, The Shadows and The Beatles spending more weeks in the UK Top 50 during that decade. Chiefly remembered for 'moody beat ballads' such as Halfway To Paradise and Jealousy, it is easy to forget that his first 18 months on the Decca label were spent recording almost exclusively original material culminating in 'The Sound Of Fury', described by Keith Richards in 1971 as 'one fantastic album. Songs he'd written, like people do now, he got some people he knew to play together and did it.' However, despite a relentless concert schedule and regular promotion via television shows such as Jack Good's pioneering 'Oh Boy!', 'Boy Meets Girls' and 'Wham!!', Billy's releases weren't the smash hits they deserved to be and demand for higher chart placings led to a record company and management instigated shift in musical policy. While that change certainly reaped sales dividends and made him a household name, Fury's career as a songwriter was effectively put on hold. Grey area releases usually focus on the well-known hits but this Bear Family compilation, licensed from Decca / Universal, spotlights sixteen Fury compositions (including eight tracks from that classic debut LP) alongside many lesser known tracks from his extensive 1958 to 1964 catalogue with a slant towards the kind of upbeat material he was often accused of abandoning. A worthy companion piece to any Fury 'Greatest Hits' set, this collection helps provide a more rounded view of Billy's strengths as an artist and presents the listener with a different spin on the sound of Fury.

1. Gonna Type a Letter 2. Baby How I Cried 3. Comin' Up in the World 4. Wondrous Place 5. Don't Leave Me This Way 6. Colette 7. Keep Away 8. Running Around 9. Bumble Bee 10. Nothin' Shakin' (But the Leaves on a Tree) 11. My Advice 12. Don't Say It's Over 13. Unchain My Heart 14. Sticks and Stones 15. Twist Kid 16. Push Push 17. Baby Come on 18. What Did I Do 19. If I Lose You 20. One Kiss 21. Play It Cool 22. Sweet Little Sixteen 23. Don't Knock Upon My Door 24. That's Love 25. Don't Jump 26. Tell Me How Do You Feel 27. Talkin' in My Sleep 28. I'd Never Find Another You 29. I'm Moving on 30. It's You I Need 31. Phone Call 32. Turn My Back on You 33. Alright, Goodbye 34. You're Having the Last Dance with Me