Song of the Week: Would You Believe
Billy Nicholls
Would You Believe
The current issue of The Word magazine features an excerpt from Paul Du Noyer’s new book about music in London, In the City. Reading about The Small Faces reminded me of one of my favourite purveyors of London tunes – Billy Nicholls. His album (‘the British answer to Pet Sounds‘ so says the re-issue liner notes) is chockers full of both London themed songs and killer melodies.
I’ve gone for the title track as it sums up so much of Paul Du Noyer’s piece about The Small Faces’ London - drug inspired pop-psych, youthful exuberance, Andrew Lloog Oldham interference (the overdubbed strings), random banjo solos and Steve Marriott yelping in the background – all on the one track! Does it get any better I ask you?
Note: now with extra added bonus track London Social Degree!
‘Would You Believe’, Billy Nicholls, from Would You Believe, Immediate, 1968
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
‘London Social Degree’, Billy Nicholls
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Tags: song of the week
July 15th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Yes I’ve heard about this book. Looking forward to reading the extracts in the new Word. (Such a great magazine too.)
Liking the song though I’ve not heard of Billy Nicholls. Put me in mind slightly of this cinematic curiosity from the same year.
The world needs more random banjo solos!
July 16th, 2009 at 3:06 am
Sounds like a cool book. Thanks for posting that tune. I like it. Don’t think I’ve ever heard of him before.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:15 am
I’m glad that you both liked it. I might read the book at some point, but I’ve got such a long wishlist its unlikely to be soon. I suspect that some bloggers round here might get there well before me.
I highly recommend the whole Billy Nicholls album too – it is a bit of a lost classic.
I think you forgot the link Hoops!
July 16th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Oh yes – very of the time. I’ll have to track down the album. Have you read
Ready, Steady, Go!: Swinging London and the Invention of Cool – Shawn Levy
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Steady-Go-Swinging-Invention/dp/1841152269/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247736527&sr=1-2
Not all the usual names or the same re-telling of that decade, but selection of sixties offstage players input and impact on the scene..
This album
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Ready-Fillers-Blue-Eyed-1966-1971/dp/B0010V3GLI/ref=pd_bxgy_m_h__img_b
And anything by The Creation or Les Fleur de Lys are a great soundtrack to to it.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Wow, where do you find these? Stuart Maconie would be thrilled with that one for ‘The Freak Zone’, especially given that it’s got accordions and everything.
I’m really looking forward to that Paul du Noyer book. It’s coming on holiday with me.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Haven’t read that one no, PM, but I’ve read Shawn Levy’s other book on the ratpack! Ready, Steady Go! does look interesting, but to be honest I’m getting a bit weary of the whole Swinging London thing. I mean the music was great, but… can’t we just let it go?
I think I’m suffering from having read too many issues of Uncut and Mojo et. al. over the years which…
… ISBW is where I first read about Billy Nicholls. And, I say weeping a tear of nostalgia away, Would You Believe is one the records that bonded me and my squeeze together when we first met. We both loved that, The Byrds and Teenage Fanclub. Then I discovered his Brian Eno and Gong records and he found out about my Fleetwood Mac and Witney Houston ones, and well, we’ve learned to cope…
July 17th, 2009 at 12:48 am
I like the sound of that. I’m a Small Faces fan anyway, so anything with the Marriott Howl (TM) on it is ok by me, no matter how tenuous the link. It’s a bit like the more ornate psych you might find on Nuggets, you know, ‘My World Fell Down’ or ‘Run Run Run’ or such. I think that might be one for my Christmas online shopping spree, if it’s available…..
July 17th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
That’s a good question Ill Man…
*dashes to Amazon*
Yes, it is available – at a price…
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Would-You-Believe-Billy-Nicholls/dp/B00000J1ZY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247834817&sr=8-2
Since you’re all interested in Mr Nicholls I’ll bung up London Social Degree over the weekend – I couldn’t make up my mind between the two of them…
July 17th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Right, I’ve put London Social Degree up. Can someone tell me if it jumps at the beginning? I’ve been having problems with my computer and can’t tell whether its the computer, the software or the actual record…