By David Parker
But why did Billie Davis with her exceptional talent not achieve the success she yearned for and deserved during her singles career?
Billie Davis
Now in the early 2021s era, Billie has re-emerged with echoes of her earlier days and music, seeking a new beginning, never forgetting the 1960s, but intent on brushing it up so that her fans will enjoy the old and the new together while setting the direction for her new future.
(Part two) Mike Sarne and Billie Davis were on the first recording on Columbia records under the management of Robert ‘Stiggy’ Stigwood. Billie had just come out of fashion school and was thrown into doing the recording when Wendy Richards didn’t want to go on the road because she had other acting jobs, so that’s how it came about, with Arrangements by Charles Blackwell. Billie said: “Meanwhile, Stigwood was searching for the right record for me. While John Leyton was filming “The Great Escape ” in America, they heard it on the radio being played and said that’s the one for Billie. Alma Cogan also recorded the song but my version won over with the fans. “My fashion school teacher told me to go to the Mary Quant shop in the King’s Road, telling me her clothes would suit me: the strange thing as there was this guy dressing the window called Andrew. Years later, while on a Stigwood tour with The Rolling Stones, Andrew became their manager. We often laughed about that. “On tour, fashion-wise, I always wanted to keep the girl next door image and couldn’t cope with fishtail dresses and all that. They weren’t exactly rock ‘n’ roll and a bit difficult to bop around in.
“Hair?: my girlfriend was a hairdresser so, one day, I said: ‘bob my hair but keep the long bits at the sides’. That became the Davis image; individual eyelashes. I remember in the dressing room years later, Dusty Springfield saying to me: ‘have you tried boot polish on the eye lashes?’ “Music-wise I was listening to early Elvis Heartbreak Hotel. When I first heard it, it knocked me out.
“Then came Spector. I wished I could have recorded with him. Then came the car crash which put me out. I broke my jaw, couldn’t record. Follow up to Tell Him was in the can and released but I couldn’t promote it; charted in the bottom 40. Tough times! “Jet and I were hounded by the press. When he walked out of Ready Steady Go, it was because he wasn’t ready to work so soon after the accident. We ran away to Brighton. I nursed him.
“Moving on, of course, there are many stories. My next recording Whatcha Gonna Do, a Pop Gear film In America called ‘Hits A Go Go’, today it is very much a vintage collection. “For more recordings, I moved on to Soul, being produced by Jon Schroader at Pye Records. I worked with a wonderful Northern Soul Singer Keith Powell and we covered Sam ‘n’ Dave stuff. We still work together today, when we can. “Then came I want You To Be My Baby, a song that would take me all around the world. It charted here , and I recorded Top of the Pops, and the song was selling 6.000 a day at one point. Then Decca had a strike at the pressing plant. so they weren’t getting it to the shops. That killed it.
“We then received a call from a promotor in Spain saying the record was getting heavy airplay and the message..Get him over here!!!. Wow! Weren’t they surprised when I got off the plane? I remained in Spain working with the best, and South America playing stadiums and bull rings, etc. “I write and still make recordings. I treasure working with Albert Lee and I wrote three songs when the studio was available because the Everly Bros couldn’t make it, they gave me the time. There is quite a few duets that I will be putting together as an album in the future. “Today, I recorded a song called Elvis Where Are You, featuring Iain Terry original guitarist with MatchBox. Iain will be back with the band now that Steve Bloomfield is ill and cannot tour again. (Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tour was cancelled.)
Billie added: “Well, back to Elvis Song. It is strongly believed that Elvis never died (the fans want to believe this). Well, Elvis will never die. The song lyric is that I, Billie, go looking for Elvis – a bit of fun. I also recorded on the session Mess of Blues. The song was getting airplay with Tony Prince of United DJs who, of course, spent time with Elvis. “Which brings me to today. I received a call from Rebel Dean who played Elvis twice in the West End stage show and toured with the show. Rebel wrote the song I Want You to Dance With Me. “We haven’t been able to dance together but have managed to record the song in our separate studios. “So that’s an up-to-date outline. My hobbies now include breeding Siamese cats. Check out my website.”
Billie www.billiedavismusic.com