Post by hugh on Feb 2, 2008 8:50:03 GMT
Billy Franks – The Turtledove Boutique
‘Penning classics and garnering praise from Bono, Oasis and Peter Gabriel’.
The Guardian
You could probably fit all the Billy Franks fans in the world on one tube train. Fellow travellers might include 3 best selling novelists, a member of the British Royal Family and the singer with the world’s biggest rock outfit, but, even so, everyone would get a seat.
‘I admit to having stolen from him’. Bono
This summer sees the release of a documentary feature film, Tribute This, by award winning American filmsters One By One Film who set out to put right what they saw as an extreme case of ‘unjustifiable anonymity’ by asking some of the biggest names in rock and pop to make a tribute album to an unknown songwriter; Billy Franks, while making a road movie of their world-wide adventures.
Writer/director, Mick McCleery has been both a friend and fan for almost fifteen years. ‘I can’t believe he doesn’t have the recognition he deserves’, observes McCleery, ‘hopefully with this movie we will help address that’. Any proceeds from the tribute album will go to the charity Youth Music.
Before that though, there is the release of Billy’s 6th solo album since leaving 80s cult heroes, The Faith Brothers, who’s 2 albums and 6 singles for Virgin all made the UK chart.
It’s called The Turtledove Boutique and is further proof of why those who have followed his work consider Billy Franks to be among the best of Britain’s song craftsmen.
‘The most underrated songwriter in the country’. Peter Gabriel
The title track and No Need of Bells are perfect examples of 60s inspired pop brilliance, containing more pop sensibility and lyrical nous than most of today’s great pretenders could summon for an entire album.
The Last Song You Hear and 50/50 America show how major topics need not be discounted as subject matter by a pop craftsman who knows how to make the most of his three minutes.
The Last Song You Hear deals with the right to die and Billy’s own experience of that difficult choice when his brother, Jimmy, was left in a vegetative state following a road accident back in the 80s.
While 50/50 America looks back over America’s history of conflict with itself while remembering the country’s basic, beautiful premise, inscribed on The Statue of Liberty:
‘Give me you’re tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.’
The Turtledove Boutique CD, and the movie, Tribute This, look set to bring the respect and recognition that his growing army of fans know Billy Franks deserves.
By this time next year, maybe we’ll have to run a fleet of trains.
Billy Franks is playing at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London on 31 May 2008.
Tickets Are Only £10
‘Penning classics and garnering praise from Bono, Oasis and Peter Gabriel’.
The Guardian
You could probably fit all the Billy Franks fans in the world on one tube train. Fellow travellers might include 3 best selling novelists, a member of the British Royal Family and the singer with the world’s biggest rock outfit, but, even so, everyone would get a seat.
‘I admit to having stolen from him’. Bono
This summer sees the release of a documentary feature film, Tribute This, by award winning American filmsters One By One Film who set out to put right what they saw as an extreme case of ‘unjustifiable anonymity’ by asking some of the biggest names in rock and pop to make a tribute album to an unknown songwriter; Billy Franks, while making a road movie of their world-wide adventures.
Writer/director, Mick McCleery has been both a friend and fan for almost fifteen years. ‘I can’t believe he doesn’t have the recognition he deserves’, observes McCleery, ‘hopefully with this movie we will help address that’. Any proceeds from the tribute album will go to the charity Youth Music.
Before that though, there is the release of Billy’s 6th solo album since leaving 80s cult heroes, The Faith Brothers, who’s 2 albums and 6 singles for Virgin all made the UK chart.
It’s called The Turtledove Boutique and is further proof of why those who have followed his work consider Billy Franks to be among the best of Britain’s song craftsmen.
‘The most underrated songwriter in the country’. Peter Gabriel
The title track and No Need of Bells are perfect examples of 60s inspired pop brilliance, containing more pop sensibility and lyrical nous than most of today’s great pretenders could summon for an entire album.
The Last Song You Hear and 50/50 America show how major topics need not be discounted as subject matter by a pop craftsman who knows how to make the most of his three minutes.
The Last Song You Hear deals with the right to die and Billy’s own experience of that difficult choice when his brother, Jimmy, was left in a vegetative state following a road accident back in the 80s.
While 50/50 America looks back over America’s history of conflict with itself while remembering the country’s basic, beautiful premise, inscribed on The Statue of Liberty:
‘Give me you’re tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.’
The Turtledove Boutique CD, and the movie, Tribute This, look set to bring the respect and recognition that his growing army of fans know Billy Franks deserves.
By this time next year, maybe we’ll have to run a fleet of trains.
Billy Franks is playing at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London on 31 May 2008.
Tickets Are Only £10