April 5, 2018

BILLY FURY 1963

1960s UK pop idol Billy Fury made a number of appearances on the ITV music television series, Thank Your Lucky Stars. The show started in 1961 and ran through 1966. And like many such programs, it featured current artists miming to their latest hits (live performances began around 1966). Hosted by Brian Matthew, who Spy Vibers might know from the various reissued BBC tapes, Thank Your Lucky stars shined a spotlight on many guest who made regular appearances. According to IMDB, here are some stats re: frequency: The Shadows (18 episodes), Dave Clark Five (17 episodes), The Rolling Stones (14 episodes), Cliff Richard (12 episodes), The Beatles (12 episodes), Dusty Springfield (11 episodes), Chris Barber (8 episodes), and Billy Fury- a whopping 22 episodes. I love these photos from a 1963 appearance. These shows could be so modern and innovative on a small budget just by using minimal geometric shapes and color. Very cool set design! During that same era, one could see a smilier design approach in The Avengers, where minimal shapes were used, in this case- in the foregrounds, to suggest environments. It appears Billy Fury's photo shoot was also used for the cover of the Thank Your Lucky Stars magazine. Photos curtesy of Billy Fury Archive. The excellent British Music Experience in Liverpool recently hosted a special Billy Fury event in conjunction with the publication of a new book, Halfway to Paradise. I highly recommend The British Music Experience, by the way. I visited the museum last summer and was very impressed with the collection of original instruments, costumes, and other artifacts that literally take the viewer from the early days of Trad Jazz and Skiffle through the 1960s and beyond to contemporary pop (Beatles, Stones, Bowie, Oasis, etc). I wrote a piece about it for jazz legend Chis Barber's website hereEnjoy! 





Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Spy Vibe Radio: Danger DiabolikDr. No 60thOy-Oy-SevenSpy Vibe Radio (UFO)Cold War Comic StripsThunderball EventMission to IndiaMort Walker Celebration,  Peter Wyngarde CelebrationBatman 66 ExhibitPrisoner Fifty EventIan Fleming Publications 2017-2018Interview: Ed Hulse PulpAvengers Audio DramaInterview: Callan At 50Interview: Playboys, Spies, Private EyesTWA ReturnsSpy Vibe Radio 8Interview: Ryan HeshkaMid-Century Modern SchulzAgent WerewolfMata Hair ExhibitJohnny Sokko 50thInterview: Trina RobbinsEddie IzzardThe Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50thHugh Hefner R.I.P.Jack Good R.I.P.Interview: Shaken Not StirredCallan 50thSpy Vibe Radio 7The Prisoner 50th EventSpy-Fi EventKaho Aso 007Two MillionBo DiddleyCarnaby PopLe Carre EventsBilly Bragg SkiffleElvis 68Jack Kirby The PrisonerCasino Royale ConcertReview: The Prisoner Vol 2Interview: The Prisoner Essential GuideMaud Russell MottisfontSpy Vibe Radio 4Batman GallantsAdam West R.I.P.Village TriangleRoger Moore R.I.P.Spy Vibe Radio 3Sgt Pepper 50thSatanik Kriminal OST60s OverdriveMake Love in LondonSpy Vibe Radio 2Spy Vibe Radio 1James Bond StripsPropaganda MabuseInterview: Police SurgeonXTC Avengers1966 Pep SpiesBatman Book InterviewExclusive Fleming InterviewAvengers Comic StripsRobert Vaughn RIPUNCLE FashionsThunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film GuideLost Avengers FoundThe Callan FileMission Impossible 50thGreen Hornet 50thStar Trek 50thPortmeirion Photography 1Filming the PrisonerGaiman McGinnins ProjectIan Fleming GraveRevolver at 50Karen Romanko InterviewMod Tales 2Umbrella Man: Patrick MacneeNew Beatles FilmThe Curious CameraEsterel Fashion 1966Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview007 Tribute CoversThe Phantom Avon novels returnIan Fleming FestivalArgoman DesignSylvia Anderson R.I.P.Ken Adam R.I.P.George Martin R.I.P.The New Avengers ComicsThe Phantom at 80007 MangaAvengerworld BookDiana Rigg Auto ShowThe Prisoner Audio Drama Review.

No comments:

Post a Comment