Tony Mantor's : Almost Live..... Nashville
Tony Mantor talks with entertainment industry people in the U.S. and internationally that have made a mark for themselves.
Conversations with those behind the scenes people that help them achieve their success along with up and coming entertainers as well.
Stories that give a deeper understanding on what it takes to achieve success in the entertainment industry.
Whether listening for entertainment or for tips on how others faced their challenges this has something for everyone.
Tony Mantor's : Almost Live..... Nashville
Billy J Kramer: Behind the Scenes with the Beatles
Ever wondered what it was like to work side-by-side with legends like John Lennon and Paul McCartney?
Join us as we sit down with the iconic Billy J Kramer, who shares the riveting story behind his stage name, a suggestion from Lennon himself.
Discover the fascinating behind-the-scenes tales of recording songs written by the Beatles exclusively for him, including his hit single "Little Children," which marked a pivotal moment in his career. Kramer also opens up about the thrill of touring across Europe and the United States, reminiscing about his electrifying performance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Take a trip back to the 70s and 80s, an era of revival and reinvention in the music industry.
Billy reflects on the nostalgic joy of touring with fellow British Invasion bands and the dynamic changes that came with the reformation of the Dakotas.
We explore his unique ventures during the 80s, from creating a children's album to narrating books, and discuss the challenges he faced balancing international tours with recording commitments.
Hear firsthand how these experiences have shaped his illustrious career and solidified his place in music history.
In a heartfelt conversation, Billy opens up about his lifelong connection with the Beatles and his journey to maintain musical integrity over the decades.
Learn about his personal battles with alcohol and his triumphant path to sobriety, as detailed in his autobiography "You Want to Know a Secret?".
We also discuss his recent projects, including a new album recorded at Abbey Road and his active role in music festivals and historic interviews.
This is a must-listen for anyone eager to hear the untold stories of a true music industry legend.
My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind-the-scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories, which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolve into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes and hear from people who helped them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor and welcome to Almost Live Nashville. Today we are joined by Billy J Kramer, who boasts an impressive background in the music industry, having worked closely with the Beatles and their manager. His extensive history includes possessing never-before-recorded songs written by Lennon and McCartney specifically for him. We are eager to hear about his experiences and share this with you, our audience, so thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really appreciate you taking the time to come on to my show. So I'm kind of interested. Back when you first started you was with a band called the Dakotas and back then I know they wanted you to have a band called the Dakotas and back then I know they wanted you to have a stage name. So I was kind of interested. How did Billy Jay Kramer come about? There's rumors that it came from a phone book so many different things. So how did you become Billy Jay Kramer?
Speaker 2:What it was is that the guys I started off with you know my first band said you've got to have a stage name and they wrote down 12 different names. They called the telephone operator and said we wish you like the best. I insisted that it had to be Billy something and she picked up Billy Kramer. And then, about a month before I was going to release, do you Want to Know a Secret? I went into Brian Epstein's office and John Lennon was there. He said John has a suggestion. I said what is it? He said he wants you to add the J, wants you to add the J to the camera and make it more work and rolly and catchy for the public. So that's how I came about it.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great. That's truly very interesting. So I understand that you are probably the only person that has recorded a song written by Lennon and McCartney that the Beatles didn't actually record themselves.
Speaker 2:Well, they wrote that to me. You know. They wrote I'll Keep a Saracen Eye from a Window. You know Another song called I'm in Love. So yeah, I guess it was because I was doing a lot, I was working with them all, I was touring with them all, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's just awesome. So it never hurts to have a super band like the Beatles to be part of what you're doing, because it gives you tremendous exposure. Of course I heard that because you was traveling with them so much and recording their songs that you wanted to kind of come out of the shadows of the Beatles and become your own entity and create something special of your own, and of course, that really happened for you.
Speaker 2:Well, little Children was nothing to do with Ben McCartney. The Little Children came and I just felt that. You know, I had a lot of people sending me material, I was mixing with music publishers and I was in a place called Ryan's in England and I got up one day and I put on this asset and there was little children. And you know, it's funny because, like he records one of the two ROC, but I never thought it was going to be a hit, you know Right, but I just thought Little Children was a hit song right from the demo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that actually worked out very well for you. So now I understand that when you came up with your name, billy J Kramer, it was also so that the Dakotas could keep their name and it could be two separate entities, and that appeared to work well for you too.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know they were a pretty established band. You know they used to go do all the back-end jobs for people who were in the charts that came to the north of England. So Brian Epstein thought it would be a good thing to put us together and the deal that I struck with them was that they would have a recording contract and I would have a recording contract.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was great because it worked out well for both of you, I guess.
Speaker 2:so yeah, you know, they had a hit with a thing called Cruel Surf. They had another thing called A Millionaire. It was instrumental, okay, oh yeah. So they played singles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that worked out well. So, once you started hitting your stride, your name got out there, your songs got out there. You traveled, of course, around the UK. Did you travel into Europe first and then ultimately make that transition to travel over to the US? I?
Speaker 2:mostly I did Europe. You know, I was in all of Scandinavia originally and then I came over to America and did a promo show before the Beatles. And then, when the Beatles did a Sullivan show, I came back to America and I did a Sullivan show myself.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was great. So how did you find the audiences between the US and the UK, because you was having hit records in both countries and you were starting to really blow up there. Did you notice any difference at all?
Speaker 2:and I'll be honest with you at the time. I think that that, uh, people in the us fell in love with anything from england, right, you know, after the beatles did, I saw them around, you know, and it was, it was more. It's the same thing. I mean a lot of screaming young kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that certainly was a time just a lot of screaming young fans that was just excited to see you. So what stands out over the years of things that happened to you that you can look back upon and say you know, I'm really glad that I was able to do that.
Speaker 2:I think like doing the Tammy show with James Brown, marvin Gaye, chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, janet and Dean. Leslie Gore was monumental to me. You know the Rolling Stones were in it. You know that was a fantastic show. Also, monumental was appearing at the Wells Fair for a week in New York. Yeah, yes. It was a wonderful time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a great time. I mean, that's what a lot of people just really wish for in their lives. So you did well there. So did you have any songs that you recorded, that when you recorded them, you liked them, but then for some reason, you didn't think they was going to do well, but all of a sudden they did well. I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 2:Do you want to know a secret? I I've been singing do you want to know a secret? On live on stage. I've been you doing it and I was at the star club in hamburg for months and I was very surprised when I did a recording test for george martin and he wanted to release Do you Want to Know a Secret? I wanted to find another song. I didn't think it was good enough. It really took me by surprise when it was a big hit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's always a great feeling when something that you didn't think was going to work out all of a sudden turns into something very, very good for you. Now, in your travels you travel the world, you did big concerts, lots of people, you just brought up one with tremendous stars that just created a tremendously good show. Can you name one or two other things that you've done that just stands so tall that when you look back at your body of work you just kind of surprised yourself.
Speaker 2:but you're really proud of what you've done and what you've accomplished with it, I think doing Beth to me, you know, is to me my memory of being at Abbey Road Studios and John Lennon sitting at the piano playing with the song and rehearsing it and recording it all in the same day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing memory. It's having Lennon there, I'm sure, because I mean that's nothing gets better than that. So, with all the friends that I've got in the business that's traveled the world, there's always that one or two stories that just stays in your mind and they will always remember. Do you have a story where you sit back and remember that just kind of brings a smile to your face?
Speaker 2:You know, I think being stuck in a snowstorm in the Middle East of England was funny. We were all in this van and we got snowed in overnight. You know, we were lucky. We had a case of beer with us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good story for sure. So did you get into writing at all? I mean, you had the Beatles, mccartney, lennon around you so many talented people. Did you get into writing, or was you just staying a performer?
Speaker 2:I was more of a singer. I used to with the Ducosas, I would you know, put some emphasis on some of the songs they were writing you know, yeah, that makes sense, I mean everybody does their own little thing.
Speaker 1:you know, yeah, that makes sense, I mean everybody does their own little thing. So now you've gone through the 60s and all the change of music and how it happened, now you're into the 70s and 80s, things slowed down a little bit, turned around a little bit because it did for everybody. From from that era there was a revival of the british invasion in the States. So how did it feel, going back and kind of recapturing what you had done in the past over those years?
Speaker 2:It was good, you know, because I've been honest with you. I think you know when I did the tours in the 60s, you know I was like it was a go-bill with Jerry and the Pacemakers and Sonny and Cher were on one show. But to come back, and you know, to do a tour with people like the Searchers, peter Noon, the Trugs, badfinger. It was interesting to work with all these people you know, travel around and hang out with them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's always good to go back in time that way and just relive things, but still have that vibe. That just really works because you certainly had it. So at some point the dakotas changed a few members. Did that affect you at all? I?
Speaker 2:actually finished with the coursesoders in about 1968. Okay, and I'll be honest with you, I never named the band, okay, and then the drummer from the Decoders approached me some years later and said you know, would you come back? We've reformed the band. There was him and Mike Maxwell who was the original guitar player, and they had another bass player and a keyboard player and I went to England, I rehearsed with them and we did a tour together. You know, it was just a one-off thing.
Speaker 1:Okay, that makes sense. So then let's move into the 80s. You still were recording. You were still performing all around the world. Did you focus more on the UK, with the Dakotas, or did you still focus on the US, or both?
Speaker 2:I aimed at both places. You know, that's where I did, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's always nice to be able to go in various places where you've been and focus on that. So after that I heard that you did a song on an album that was for a children's album. What led you up to doing that? That was for.
Speaker 2:I was approached, I got a surprise. It was Sandra Boydney, who was one of the biggest child authors in the world. I think I bought one there. It was this letter from her. I'd never heard of her. Okay, and she's. She sent me this song and said you know, at the time she was, she was writing books and making cds with it, you know with, and she had different artists do the different tracks. And she sent me this song called cow planet. I just thought, thought I've got to do this, it's got to be a lot of fun. Oh, that's nice. And I went to Sony Studios in New York and recorded the song with her and then afterwards she asked me whether I narrated some of her child's books for her. Yeah, that's great, that was great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's always great to be able to do things because you want to do them and not because you have to do it, because in the first part of your career you're being pushed to record more records, perform more, get out there more. Did you find yourself, like so many other singers that have been so busy and in such demand that they couldn't remember where they were 10 days ago, let alone yesterday or six months ago? How did that affect you back then, when you was working so hard? It?
Speaker 2:was very overwhelming. I mean, let's face it, I was sort of like working on the railroad swinging a heavy hammer and then inside a year, I was like jetting all over the world. You know, I was flying to America, flying to Australia, you know, it was crazy.
Speaker 1:Oh, I can just imagine, especially back at that point in time. So how long did it take you before you got used to the pace and got used to the demands and it just settled down for you?
Speaker 2:yeah it took quite a long time, I don't. I I'll be honest with you. I mean, in my case I, uh, I started, I started to drink a lot. That became a bad habit, you know right, I drank a lot to try and cope with it, and I think it was only when I got sober and stopped drinking.
Speaker 1:Well, that's great that you got past that, because now in the last 40 years, you've been able to focus on your music, the integrity of what you want to do, and just keep it pure.
Speaker 2:Yes, and you know, back in the 60s albums were just like your A-side, your B-side and fillers. Oh yeah, you know, I started to think about doing an album of all the songs that I thought would be good for an album, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I remember back in the 70s and the 80s we had stations that were designated AOR which just played basically the album cuts that was off the album, without playing the singles. That were actually the hits and they were really great songs, most of them, some of them were not, but overall they were good. But, like you said, they were recorded as fillers, so they weren't pushed to radio because they just considered them as fillers.
Speaker 2:I used to go in the studio with just lyric sheets and a lot of stuff I recorded. I never, ever, did them again. Yeah, I did them on the session. I never did them live, you know, and 90% of my early albums were made like that, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember that a lot. A lot of people told me those stories, so I understand that you're still recording and recorded something in the last what year or two, I have this new album.
Speaker 2:It's a album called Are you With Me?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great.
Speaker 2:You know which. I went back to Abbey Road. I did my 60th anniversary show business party there. I did a party there and then I recorded a whole new album.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's great and a lot of great memories at Abbey Road, for sure, I bet. So how is that album doing for you with your fans and people that are around you? Has it picked up for you?
Speaker 2:It's brand new. You know. There's a couple of songs on it which are written by a good friend of mine who lives in Nashville now, who produced Bloody Guy, tom Hambridge. He wrote. Tom Hambridge wrote the song Are you With Me and I wrote a song called Go On, girl.
Speaker 1:That's just awesome. I just love it that you're still staying active and still recording, because it's a love, it's a passion and it's something that you don't ever want to give up. Now I've heard something about writing a book, or something about a book. What's that all about?
Speaker 2:Oh, I wrote my autobiography. Oh, I wrote my autobiography.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great. I mean, the stories you got to tell I'm sure are outstanding.
Speaker 2:I got together with a writer who wrote the Harry Nielsen autobiography, alan Shipton, who had done a lot of jazz people and things like that. He came to America. We spent time together and then when I was on tour he spent time with me and we did my autobiography. It's called you Want to Know a Secret?
Speaker 1:So I'm sure that it's available on Amazon. Are there any other places that people can pick it up?
Speaker 2:Yes, it is on that Also. I can send to people if they get in touch with me at billyjcramermusiccom.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great. I'm sure it's a great read too. So now didn't you write an introduction about a novel that was written about the Beatles, the fifth Beatle.
Speaker 2:Yes, Vivek Tewari, who does the front-end book. I wrote the notes for that.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great. So now, where you was performing and traveling with the Beatles because you was recording, you was writing songs with them, that must have been a special thing, like brothers in a pack. I'm sure that that's never gone away, has it.
Speaker 2:It was. You know. I'll be honest with you, it was no big deal. They were really nice. We'd go to theaters. They'd walk in my dressing room, I'd walk in their dressing room. That's the way it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's just so good, Because it's always great when performers can go out and create that bond and then there's no real competition there, because they're just supporting each other and hoping each other does well.
Speaker 2:No, I'll be honest with you, and they invited me to when they had new albums released and stuff like that. I got an invite, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. So do you still stay in contact with Paul or Ringo, or both of them at all?
Speaker 2:Occasionally, but it's sort of an everyday thing Once in a while, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, it's always great that you can just pick up the phone and stay in contact with friends. That's been that long, sure. So you're promoting an album that you just recorded. You've written a book. What else are you doing that's upcoming, that we should know about?
Speaker 2:I'm going back to Havre Road to do a historic interview there. From there I'm doing the Brian Epstein documentary I'm going to be involved in. I'm going back to Liverpool to do a thing at the Beatle Museum there on August 26th. So you know I have to do the Festival of Beatle fans in Chicago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. So now you're in a place where you can kind of come and go and really do what you want to do, pick and choose, have fun with it. Are you traveling a lot or are you finding yourself with a good mix of travel and downtime? I like to try.
Speaker 2:To me. I like to try to try and be as active as possible. Sure, it's good for you, it keeps you young.
Speaker 1:You've mentioned that you're going to do some interviews. Have you gotten into anything or any talks about a documentary about your life and all the times with the Beatles and the different stars that you've been involved with? Because, with what you said, I think that just makes sense that you would do something like that and it would do really well because of the history.
Speaker 2:You know, I think that's been sort of something that's been going on behind the scenes for quite some time. Okay, that's been sort of something that's been going on behind the scenes for quite some time. Okay, and I sat with Dave. They did a Bosque head and shoulder thing. They're going to put one of them in Liverpool.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's just really awesome. Yeah, I mean, that just goes to the respect that they're giving to you. I think that's great. So what are some of the hotspots that you find yourself still being drawn to to perform in?
Speaker 2:England, the world of England, that's the next big hotspot.
Speaker 1:That's great. Now, you were born and raised in England, correct?
Speaker 2:I was born and raised in Liverpool.
Speaker 1:Liverpool. Okay, that's great, yeah. So how old was you when you finally made that move and decided you know, I think I want to do music and I'm going to give it my shot and see where it goes.
Speaker 2:It was when I was 19. I'll be honest with you. I came second to the Beatles in the popularity poll Wow, and Brian Epstein approached me about managing me. So that was it.
Speaker 1:Well, that's great because where Brian was involved with the Beatles, that was definitely a great thing for you. Did you feel, once you had signed with him and things started working, that you was really kind of like part of the family?
Speaker 2:Brian, you know they called it the Brian of Stable. He had Jerry and the Pacemakers, the Beatles, a girl called Silver Black, a band called the Big Three. It was like a family. It was like a family.
Speaker 1:I mean that's great and what a great family it was. I mean you could walk in and what a great family it was. I mean you could walk in one day and probably see Paul McCartney, and the next day you see John Lennon and then, of course, with all the other people that were within the Epstein family. What a great time you must have had. I mean, I can really appreciate that.
Speaker 2:It was like that. I'll be honest. Hit record I got a telegram from the Beatles congratulating me. Nice, I would send them a telegram when they had a hit. It was that kind of situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's just so great. I mean, you can't ask for a better situation than what you had there. So how did you transform into a singer? Because before you started to become a singer, full-time, you was working what for the railroad, or something like that.
Speaker 2:I worked for British Rail in the UK. I was an engineer, you know, a maintenance engineer. I took locomotives to pieces and put them back together again.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's impressive.
Speaker 2:And in the evening I used to do gigs all around Liverpool.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's great. Now, when you started performing, I think I heard that you was pretty much a guitar player, not just a singer.
Speaker 2:I played guitar. I started playing guitar and the guys in the band said you're not progressing very much and they pushed me to do the singing.
Speaker 1:That's great. I mean, sometimes things just happen for a reason, and that was probably just a great transition for you, I guess. So yeah, I mean it certainly did. I mean you've had such an awesome life, You've got great stories being around the Beatles and all those great names that came out of England. What's next for you? What do you see that you'd like to still do?
Speaker 2:You know, I'll be honest with you. I came to Nashville just before the COVID Okay and I recorded five songs with Tom Hambridge Okay, and I'd like to go back and do another five and put out an album.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that would be really nice. Yeah, I mean, there's nothing better than recording. I've been in the studio with various singers that I've recorded and it just gives you such a feeling when you're in there and the musicians are just creating.
Speaker 2:To me it's a wonderful experience. You know, as I say, I'd like to go back to Nashville and finish off what I saw.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that'd be great, and if you do come back to Nashville, definitely let me know so that I can come down and check it out. Sure, Absolutely. Yeah, I think that'd be great. So each of the next two things that I'm going to bring up has a different set of emotions Recording and performing. When you're recording, you're creating that great music. And then, of course, when you're performing, you're in front of crowds and just feeling their energy. Which is your preference, recording or performing?
Speaker 2:Frankly, I enjoy going into a studio with a song that's just bare bones, maybe on acoustic guitar, and I like to take it to where I feel it's great. You know Starting it from nothing and creating it and making it great. You know starting it from nothing and creating it and making it great, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's nothing better than that creating music from just a bare bones and building it, feeling your dreams come true plus your vision come true and, at the end, having just a great song that you've recorded.
Speaker 2:It's a wonderful experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it really is. It's awesome. Yeah, I think that'd be really great if you came back to Nashville to finish your CD. So the project you have out now, is it an EP or a CD? Five or is it 10 songs? It's 10. Okay, 10 songs. So you did a complete album then.
Speaker 2:Yes, 10 songs.
Speaker 1:So your goal, then, is to come back and do another five and create another EP.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that'd be great. I mean, you're in Chicago Nashville's here, it's only about a six to eight hour drive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I really enjoyed the songs I did in Nashville.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nashville's a great place. I've been here for over 30 years now producing and managing singers, so you can't get a better vibe than what Nashville can give you, and that's any place in the world actually. It's just really great. The musicians are here, the songwriters are here, everything is here that's need to develop a career, so it's just a great place to be.
Speaker 2:It's a great vibe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is for sure. Well, I tell you, this has been great, I think. So I mean the stories that you can tell and the things that you've done just really tremendous. So it's been a pleasure having you here.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 1:The pleasure's all mine. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantor production. For more information, contact media at plateau music dot com.