Bill Fay
Encyclopedia
Bill Fay is an English
singer, pianist
and songwriter
.
, "Some Good Advice" / "Screams in my Ears", was issued on the Deram
label
in 1967, and was followed by two album
s, Bill Fay in 1970 and Time of the Last Persecution
in 1971. The recordings did not sell well, and Fay was dropped from Deram soon after the release of his second album. Fay's original Deram albums are available on CD
after being reissued in 2005.
Despite returning to the recording studio
in the late 1970s, the follow-up to Time of the Last Persecution did not emerge until January 2005. Entitled Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow, it was credited to the Bill Fay Group and was released on the Durtro Jnana label. In 2004, the British label Wooden Hill
released a collection of demos
recorded between 1966 and 1970 entitled From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock.
The American
band Wilco
has 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 has joined the band and Tweedy onstage for the rendition of the song at shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2007, and at the Union Chapel, Islington
in 2010 respectively, both in London.
The English singer-songwriter and pianist John Howard
recorded a cover version of the song "Be Not So Fearful" for his E.P. "Songs for the Lost and Found" (2008).
A cover version
of Fay's "Pictures of Adolf Again", by producer and musician Jim O'Rourke
and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche
, can be heard in the film
from Koji Wakamatsu
, United Red Army
. The title track of "Time of the Last Persecution" became a live standard of the British Apocalyptic folk group, Current 93
.
Fay released a new album entitled Still Some Light, on the Coptic Cat label, in 2010.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Biography
His first singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Some Good Advice" / "Screams in my Ears", was issued on the Deram
Deram Records
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in 1967, and was followed by two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, Bill Fay in 1970 and Time of the Last Persecution
Time of the Last Persecution
Time of the Last Persecution was the second album of progressive folk singer Bill Fay. Released in 1971, the album was influenced by the Biblical books of Daniel and Revelation...
in 1971. The recordings did not sell well, and Fay was dropped from Deram soon after the release of his second album. Fay's original Deram albums are available on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
after being reissued in 2005.
Despite returning to the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in the late 1970s, the follow-up to Time of the Last Persecution did not emerge until January 2005. Entitled Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow, it was credited to the Bill Fay Group and was released on the Durtro Jnana label. In 2004, the British label Wooden Hill
Wooden Hill
Wooden Hill is a suburb of Bracknell, in Berkshire, England.The settlement lies west of the A3095 road and is approximately south-west of Bracknell town centre....
released a collection of demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recorded between 1966 and 1970 entitled From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock.
The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
has played Fay's song "Be Not So Fearful" in live performances
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
and the band's singer, Jeff Tweedy
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
, can be heard singing it in the documentary, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco. Fay has joined the band and Tweedy onstage for the rendition of the song at shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2007, and at the Union Chapel, Islington
Union Chapel, Islington
The Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
in 2010 respectively, both in London.
The English singer-songwriter and pianist John Howard
John Howard (singer-songwriter)
John Howard is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and recording artist. With his February 1975 debut album Kid in a Big World , Howard emerged as a late voice of the glam-pop wave of the early 1970s...
recorded a cover version of the song "Be Not So Fearful" for his E.P. "Songs for the Lost and Found" (2008).
A cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Fay's "Pictures of Adolf Again", by producer and musician Jim O'Rourke
Jim O'Rourke (musician)
Jim O'Rourke is an Irish-American musician and record producer. He was long associated with the Chicago experimental and improv scene...
and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche
Glenn Kotche
Glenn Kotche is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 41st greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008.Prior to working with Wilco, Kotche released a four-track album...
, can be heard in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
from Koji Wakamatsu
Koji Wakamatsu
is a Japanese film director who directed such pinku eiga films as and . He also produced Nagisa Ōshima's controversial film In the Realm of the Senses...
, United Red Army
United Red Army (film)
is an award-winning 2007 film written, directed and produced by Kōji Wakamatsu. It stars Akie Namiki as Hiroko Nagata and Go Jibiki as Tsuneo Mori, the leaders of Japan's leftist paramilitary group the United Red Army...
. The title track of "Time of the Last Persecution" became a live standard of the British Apocalyptic folk group, Current 93
Current 93
Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on...
.
Fay released a new album entitled Still Some Light, on the Coptic Cat label, in 2010.