Bill Fay
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England
Bill Fay is a singer-songwriter and pianist from England.
Fay began writing songs in the early 1960s while attending university and in 1966 cut a demo using a mobile studio belonging to a man named John Boden. Impressed by the demo, ex-Them drummer Terry Noon helped Bill to sign a recording contract with Decca. In 1967 the label released the single “Some Good Advice”/”Screams In The Ears”, produced by early Donovan co-manager Peter Eden. The single “introduced [Fay’s] characteristic downbeat melodies and scrambled impressionistic lyrics”, according to allmusic reviewer Richie Unterberger. The self-titled Bill Fay was released in 1970 and was followed by Time Of The Last Persecution in 1971. Neither records sold well and Decca decided to end Bill’s contract shortly after the release of Time Of The Last Persecution.
Bill had returned to the studio in the late 70s, but these sessions weren’t released until January 2005 through Durtro/Jnana records as Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow under the moniker of the Bill Fay Group. In 2004 wooden hill records released From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock, a collection of demos recorded between 1966 and 1970, plus one song recorded in 2000.
Bill has since contributed “It’s the Small Things Now” to the Not Alone charity compilation and “Pear Tree Tomorrow” to Bill Fay Group guitarist Gary Smith’s Supertexture project.
American band Wilco have played Fay’s song “Be Not So Fearful” in live performances and the band’s singer Jeff Tweedy can be heard singing it in the documentary “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco”.
Fay began writing songs in the early 1960s while attending university and in 1966 cut a demo using a mobile studio belonging to a man named John Boden. Impressed by the demo, ex-Them drummer Terry Noon helped Bill to sign a recording contract with Decca. In 1967 the label released the single “Some Good Advice”/”Screams In The Ears”, produced by early Donovan co-manager Peter Eden. The single “introduced [Fay’s] characteristic downbeat melodies and scrambled impressionistic lyrics”, according to allmusic reviewer Richie Unterberger. The self-titled Bill Fay was released in 1970 and was followed by Time Of The Last Persecution in 1971. Neither records sold well and Decca decided to end Bill’s contract shortly after the release of Time Of The Last Persecution.
Bill had returned to the studio in the late 70s, but these sessions weren’t released until January 2005 through Durtro/Jnana records as Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow under the moniker of the Bill Fay Group. In 2004 wooden hill records released From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock, a collection of demos recorded between 1966 and 1970, plus one song recorded in 2000.
Bill has since contributed “It’s the Small Things Now” to the Not Alone charity compilation and “Pear Tree Tomorrow” to Bill Fay Group guitarist Gary Smith’s Supertexture project.
American band Wilco have played Fay’s song “Be Not So Fearful” in live performances and the band’s singer Jeff Tweedy can be heard singing it in the documentary “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco”.
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Time Of The Last Persecution
Bill Fay
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Bill Fay
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Still Some Light
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From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock
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Shoutbox
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progtrance7 wrote:
this dude slays
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glassjimmy wrote:
Most underrated artists are underrated for a reason, but with Bill I don't really get why he's not more popular. I suppose his lyrics are a bit odd but that's why he's so cool...
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zollolander wrote:
genius. that simple! his art have saved my life, dude!
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pedrohcandido wrote:
If you could write songs, will be the songs of him.
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schloppypoppy wrote:
Bill Fay is my fucking hero. undersung genius for sure.
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gregoryoftours wrote:
bill fay keep doin what ya doin
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ardneks wrote:
genius!
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Ryantalope wrote:
The man is an underrated genius!
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Who_Scared_You wrote:
<3
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Luhwah wrote:
i'm glad this guy isn't more popular (cause he's woonderful)
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Freund_Hein_ wrote:
That's because the beauty of simplicity rarely happens to meet the taste of the great majority. But flowers don't grow to be admired. They just grow.
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PedroLemgruber wrote:
I'm surprised this guy isn't more popular [2]
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rewixas wrote:
epic
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kajf wrote:
All Beatiful
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blebbio wrote:
that display pic is one of the best portraits i've ever seen of anybody
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perristarr wrote:
seeing the display picture immeditaley makes me want to listen to him, to youtube!
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blebbio wrote:
epic
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EP-0 wrote:
room . . . . . ..
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iamholgerczukay wrote:
I know this comment is old, but RE:Vocals are reminiscent of Dylan. How high were you when you posted this? Bill Fay... can sing... well. Dylan, respect where respect is due, his vocals weren't his strong point. Fay has range, Dylan was an influence, I'm sure: But the vocal sound nothing alike. Sorry to rehash that, but that really caught me off guard. I originally showed up just to say, I'm surprised this guy isn't more popular.
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danilomac wrote:
deep
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Recent Activity
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andyhasvd, tim24frames, liambrother and 3 other people added Bill Fay to their libraries. 10 hours ago
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Foolkyou updated the Portuguese wiki page for Bill Fay. (diff) Wednesday morning
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Fuin tagged Bill Fay with singer-songwriter and folk. Tuesday morning
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mstivi, carrie_may, xxxsw25 and 14 other people added Bill Fay to their libraries. Tuesday morning
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lone_hunter tagged Bill Fay with ‘singer-songwriter’. last month
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god23father, ndepenn-cessful, kiddthomas and 1 other person added Bill Fay to their libraries. last month
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GuyLiguili created the French wiki page for Bill Fay. last month
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dornenroeschen and Opethaniac added Bill Fay to their libraries. last month
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SimonePerrota tagged Bill Fay with ‘folk’. last month
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SimonePerrota added Bill Fay to SimonePerrota’s library. last month
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Groups (18)
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Bill Fay
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Post-Apocalypse
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Lot's of Folk Music
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hauntology and memoradelia
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