Billy Fury – Liverpool’s foremost poprocker for grown-ups

The Beatles: Liverpool’s foremost poprockers for grown-ups, yeah?

Naaaah: not even the foremost 1960s Scouse beat band (The Searchers, if you’re wondering).

No, Music for Grown-Ups’ favourite Scouse poprocker, by a country mile, is Billy Fury, best known for a slew of hit singles like Halfway To Paradise, which elevated the classic Goffin-King ditty into pop art.

Until recently, though, Fury’s rich legacy was hidden, thanks to a confusing multiplicity of sub-standard compilation albums. Whenever I’ve attempted to play The Collection, a disappointing album in my collection, I’ve quickly switched it off, wondering why I ever thought so highly of Billy Fury in the first place.

Pap like covers of Hippy Hippy Shake and Glad All Over are not where it’s at, pretty baby. Fury was a powerful singles artist, but what’s been available hitherto have been compilations juxtaposing a few singles with filler.

Thankfully, Fury’s catalogue has now been massively improved by His Wondrous Story: The Complete Collection, a high quality compilation which has been in the Anglo album charts for weeks. It’s a complete collection of Fury's singles, for the first time on a single CD.

Play.com is selling it for £8.95 delivered – bargain of the month, I’d say.



Track List

Halfway To Paradise
Maybe Tomorrow
Margo
Colette
That's Love
Wondrous Place
A Thousand Stars
Don't Worry
Jealousy
I'd Never Find Another You
Letter Full Of Tears
Last Night Was Made For Love
Once Upon A Dream
Because Of Love
Like I've Never Been Gone
When Will You Say I Love You
In Summer
Somebody Else's Girl
Do Really Love Me Too
I Will
It's Only Make Believe
I'm Lost Without You
In Thoughts Of You
Run To My Loving Arms
I'll Never Quite Get Over You
Give Me Your Word
Love Or Money
Devil Or Angel
Forget Him



Gerry Smith