Georgie Fame - The Third Face of Fame (1968)

08 Jan, 01:19
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Artist: Georgie Fame
Title: The Third Face of Fame
Year Of Release: 2006
Label: Sony Music[MHCP 1254]
Genre: Jazz, Blues
Quality: FLAC (tracks + .cue,log)
Total Time: 32:47
Total Size: 205 MB(+3%)
WebSite: Album Preview

personnel :

Ian Hamer, Derek Healey, Derek Watkins, Les Condon, Albert Hall, Greg Bowen (#1), Bobby Haughey (#1) - trumpets
John Marshall, Gib Wallace, Morris Platt (#1) - trombones
Tony Coe, Tommy Whittle, Art Ellefson, Harry Klein, Ronnie Scott, Cyril Reubens - saxophones
Gordon Beck, Arthur Greenslade (#1) - piano
John McLaughlin, Terry Smith, George Kish (#1) - guitar
Ernie Shear (#1) - guitar, banjo
Phil Bates, Frank Clarke (#1) - bass
Ronnie Seabrooke - bass guitar (#1)
Bill Eyden, Hayden Jackson (#1) - drums
Harry South - conductor

Georgie Fame was firmly enrolled within his pop phase by 1968, and Third Face of Fame did not care who noticed. In fact, it rather hoped that everybody lured into earshot by his recent chart-topping lament for outlaws Bonnie & Clyde (the opening "The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde," of course), would all come hurtling in. In fact they didn't, and the album marked Fame's first non-charting outing since his debut, five years before -- which means the millions missed out on a handful of cuts that were at least as enjoyable as the hit. A version of the Beatles' "When I'm 64" rivals any other cover of that song, with Fame's treatment truly capturing the foreboding that lurks behind the superficial buoyancy of the lyric, while there's also a heartfelt version of George and Ira Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me." Earlier fans are treated to a powerful visit to "St James Infirmary," which proves that Fame has lost none of his earlier taste for menacing R&B, while the closing romp through Donovan's "Mellow Yellow" is nothing if not, er, mellow. Third Face of Fame can scarcely be recommended to anybody yearning for Fame himself to return to the blues-breaking growl of old. But, as an example of British pop's own longtime fascination with "adult"-sounding entertainment, it's certainly an enjoyable slice of very easy listening.~Dave Thompson

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