An Audience with
Billy J. Kramer
Monday 26
th
August 2024
Doors open 12:00
Tickets £29.50
William Howard Ashton (born 19 August 1943), known professionally
as Billy J. Kramer, is an English pop singer. With The Dakotas,
Kramer was managed by Brian Epstein during the 1960s and scored
hits with several Lennon–McCartney compositions never recorded
by the Beatles, among them the UK number one "Bad to Me" (1963).
Kramer and the Dakotas had a further UK chart-topper in 1964 with
"Little Children" and achieved U.S. success as part of the British
Invasion. Since the end of the beat boom, Kramer has continued to
record and perform. His autobiography, Do You Want to Know a
Secret, was published in 2016.
With record producer George Martin, the song "Do You Want to
Know a Secret?" was a number two UK Singles Chart hit in 1963,[2]
(but number one in some charts), and was backed by another tune otherwise unreleased by the
Beatles, "I'll Be on My Way". After this impressive breakthrough another Lennon/McCartney pairing,
"Bad to Me" c/w "I Call Your Name", reached number one. It sold over a million copies, and was
awarded a gold disc. I’ll Keep You Satisfied" ended the year with a respectable number four placing.
Kramer was given a series of songs specially written for him by Lennon and McCartney which
launched him into stardom. "I'll Keep You Satisfied", "From a Window", "I Call Your Name" (recorded
by The Beatles themselves) and
"Bad to Me" earned him
appearances on the television
programmes, Shindig!,
Hullabaloo (hosted by Beatles
manager Epstein) and The Ed
Sullivan Show. (Kramer had
also been offered
Lennon/McCartney's "I'm in
Love", and recorded a version in
October 1963. In the end, it was
shelved and the song was
instead given to the Fourmost.
In the 1990s, a Kramer
compilation album included his
version, as well as some
recording studio banter on
which Lennon's voice could be heard).
The three hits penned by Lennon and McCartney suggested that Kramer would always remain in the
Beatles' shadow, unless he tried something different. Despite being advised against it, he turned
down the offer of another Lennon/McCartney song, "One and One Is Two", and insisted on recording
the Stateside chart hit "Little Children". It became his second chart topper and biggest hit. In the
United States, "Little Children" was backed with "Bad to Me". This was the only debut single of an act
on the Hot 100, each of whose sides separately reached that chart's The Top 10 (No. 7 and No. 9,
respectively). "From a Window", a Lennon/McCartney composition, was his second and last UK
single of 1964, and became a Top Ten hit.
The 1965 Kramer single "It's Gotta Last Forever" signified a shift to a ballad approach. It failed to
chart, though Kramer's cover version of Bacharach and David's "Trains and Boats and Planes"
eclipsed Anita Harris' version in the UK, reaching number 12.
The Dakotas' ranks were then strengthened by the inclusion of Mick Green, formerly a guitarist with
the London band the Pirates who backed Johnny Kidd. This line-up cut a few tracks which were at
odds with the balladeer's usual fare. These included a take on "When You Walk in the Room" and
"Sneakin' Around"
After releasing "We're Doing Fine", the singer and group parted company. Kramer, then lived in
Rugby, Warwickshire, after marrying a local woman Ann Ginn there in 1968.
In 1983, Kramer released a solo single on the RAK label, "You Can't Live on Memories" / "Stood Up",
which failed to chart. The following year, 1984, he released "Shootin' the Breeze" / "Doris Day Movie"
on 'Mean Records'.
In 2005, Kramer recorded the song "Cow Planet" for Dog Train, the children's album by Sandra
Boynton. A long-term fan of Kramer, Boynton had sought him out for her project: in 1964, at the age of
11, Little Children became the first album she ever bought.
In late 2012, Kramer went back into the studio for the first time in years to record a new CD, I Won the
Fight, which was released in 2013. The CD features some new songs written by Kramer, as well as
some covers.
In 2013, Kramer provided the introduction to the graphic novel The Fifth Beatle by Vivek Tiwary. The
book was released in November and spent several weeks on the New York Times best-seller list,
reaching No. 1 in its third week of release. He also released a new album, entitled I Won the Fight.
In 2015, Kramer was part of the British Invasion 50th Anniversary tour, performing in the US and the
UK. The following year saw the publication of his autobiography Do You Want to Know A Secret, co-
written with Alyn Shipton.
An Audience with Billy J Kramer
at The Liverpool Beatles Museum
Monday 26
th
August
Doors open 12:00
Tickets £29.50
An Audience with
Billy J Kramer
Monday 26
th
August 2024
Doors open 12:00
Tickets £29.50
William Howard Ashton (born 19 August 1943), known professionally as
Billy J. Kramer, is an English pop singer. With The Dakotas, Kramer was
managed by Brian Epstein during the 1960s and scored hits with several
Lennon–McCartney compositions never recorded by the Beatles,
among them the UK number one "Bad to Me" (1963). Kramer and the
Dakotas had a further UK chart-topper in 1964 with "Little Children" and
achieved U.S. success as part of the British
Invasion. Since the end of the beat boom,
Kramer has continued to record and perform. His
autobiography, Do You Want to Know a Secret,
was published in 2016.
With record producer George Martin, the song
"Do You Want to Know a Secret?" was a number
two UK Singles Chart hit in 1963,[2] (but number
one in some charts), and was backed by another tune otherwise
unreleased by the Beatles, "I'll Be on My Way". After this impressive
breakthrough another Lennon/McCartney pairing, "Bad to Me" c/w "I
Call Your Name", reached number one. It sold over a million copies, and
was awarded a gold disc. I’ll Keep You Satisfied" ended the year with a
respectable number four placing.
Kramer was given a series of songs specially written for him by Lennon
and McCartney which launched him into stardom. "I'll Keep You
Satisfied", "From a Window", "I Call Your Name" (recorded by The
Beatles themselves)
and "Bad to Me" earned
him appearances on the
television programmes,
Shindig!, Hullabaloo
(hosted by Beatles
manager Epstein) and
The Ed Sullivan Show.
(Kramer had also been
offered
Lennon/McCartney's
"I'm in Love", and
recorded a version in October 1963. In the end, it was shelved and the
song was instead given to the Fourmost. In the 1990s, a Kramer
compilation album included his version, as well as some recording
studio banter on which Lennon's voice could be heard).
The three hits penned by Lennon and McCartney suggested that
Kramer would always remain in the Beatles' shadow, unless he tried
something different. Despite being advised against it, he turned down
the offer of another Lennon/McCartney song, "One and One Is Two",
and insisted on recording the Stateside chart hit "Little Children". It
became his second chart topper and biggest hit. In the United States,
"Little Children" was backed with "Bad to Me". This was the only debut
single of an act on the Hot 100, each of whose sides separately reached
that chart's The Top 10 (No. 7 and No. 9, respectively). "From a Window",
a Lennon/McCartney composition, was his second and last UK single of
1964, and became a Top Ten hit.
The 1965 Kramer single "It's Gotta Last Forever" signified a shift to a
ballad approach. It failed to chart, though Kramer's cover version of
Bacharach and David's "Trains and Boats and Planes" eclipsed Anita
Harris' version in the UK, reaching number 12.
The Dakotas' ranks were then strengthened by the inclusion of Mick
Green, formerly a guitarist with the London band the Pirates who
backed Johnny Kidd. This line-up cut a few tracks which were at odds
with the balladeer's usual fare. These included a take on "When You
Walk in the Room" and "Sneakin' Around"
After releasing "We're Doing Fine", the singer and group parted
company. Kramer, then lived in Rugby, Warwickshire, after marrying a
local woman Ann Ginn there in 1968.
In 1983, Kramer released a solo single on the RAK label, "You Can't Live
on Memories" / "Stood Up", which failed to chart. The following year,
1984, he released "Shootin' the Breeze" / "Doris Day Movie" on 'Mean
Records'.
In 2005, Kramer recorded the song "Cow Planet" for Dog Train, the
children's album by Sandra Boynton. A long-term fan of Kramer,
Boynton had sought him out for her project: in 1964, at the age of 11,
Little Children became the first album she ever bought.
In late 2012, Kramer went back into the studio for the first time in years
to record a new CD, I Won the Fight, which was released in 2013. The
CD features some new songs written by Kramer, as well as some
covers.
In 2013, Kramer provided the introduction to the graphic novel The Fifth
Beatle by Vivek Tiwary. The book was released in November and spent
several weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, reaching No. 1 in
its third week of release. He also released a new album, entitled I Won
the Fight.
In 2015, Kramer was part of the British Invasion 50th Anniversary tour,
performing in the US and the UK. The following year saw the publication
of his autobiography Do You Want to Know A Secret, co-written with
Alyn Shipton.
An Audience with Billy J Kramer
at The Liverpool Beatles Museum
Monday 26
th
August
Doors open 12:00
Tickets £29.50