Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

i don't really want to cause a fuss...but it seems an accepted fact that john and paul wrote songs specifically for billy....
i however believe eppy was heavy handed and asked them to write at least one and to donate a few others...
i am not accepting with all the changes going on in their life and the differences in each's music that they had time to do this on their own...what say you lot?

It's an interesting topic. I wonder if they had songs that they felt weren't good enough and Brian took them off their hands and passed them on. I believe Brian was an owner with Dick James in regards to the publishing rights. Perhaps Brian just relieved them of some of the songs already written.

Billy J. Kramer (William Howard Ashton) was a friend of John's. In fact it was John who suggested that he put the "J" in his stage name. I think their friendship and the fact that "Eppy" was also managing him played a part in John and Paul throwing a few good songs Billy's way to work with.

All in all it was just good business for Brian etc to have another artist in the stable coming up with a few hits using Lennon/McCartney tunes as a springboard.

He had more than one in that stable. Brian was the magic man for a while.

simer4001 wrote:It's an interesting topic. I wonder if they had songs that they felt weren't good enough and Brian took them off their hands and passed them on. I believe Brian was an owner with Dick James in regards to the publishing rights. Perhaps Brian just relieved them of some of the songs already written.

i find it kind of hard to believe they let go of songs they thought weren't that good...look how long the one after 909,i'll follow the sun and when i'm 64 took to be released...

winston wrote:Billy J. Kramer (William Howard Ashton) was a friend of John's. In fact it was John who suggested that he put the "J" in his stage name. I think their friendship and the fact that "Eppy" was also managing him played a part in John and Paul throwing a few good songs Billy's way to work with.

All in all it was just good business for Brian etc to have another artist in the stable coming up with a few hits using Lennon/McCartney tunes as a springboard.

yeah john gave him the j...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYbBA7U7hg
In addition to the middle initial, Billy would have been well served to take some of John's swagger and attitude. Kramer's little saccharin wave, cutsie smile and silly little dance rates about an 8 on the 1-10 pathetic scale.

so he needed more stage persona......