Bill Fay

Bill is a UK based singer, songwriter and pianist. He began writing songs in the early 1960s while studying at university and in 1966 cut a demo using the mobile studio of a chap named John Boden. Impressed by the demo, ex-Them drummer Terry Noon helped Bill to sign a recording contract with Decca. Between 1967 and 1971 the label released a beautifully odd single (“Some Good Advice”/”Screams In The Ears”) and two excellent albums (the lush, orchestrated Bill Fay and the rawer Time Of The Last Persecution). Unfortunately these recordings did not sell well and Decca decided to end Bill’s contract shortly after the release of Time Of The Last Persecution. Bill returned to the studio in the late 1970s as part of the Bill Fay Group, to cut a third album which finally emerged in January 2005 on Durtro/Jnana records (entitled Tomorrow Tomorrow & Tomorrow). In 2004 Wooden Hill records released From The Bottom Of An Old Grandfather Clock- a beautiful collection of demos recorded between 1966 and 1970 (plus one recorded in 2000). Bill has since contributed "It's the Small Things Now" to the 'Not Alone' charity compilation, and "Pear Tree Tomorrow" to Bill Fay Group guitarist Gary Smith's 'Supertexture' project. Bill’s fantastic songs have touched and inspired many- his fans include songwriter/producer Jim O’Rourke, Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance, David Tibet of Current 93 and country rockers Wilco (with whom he made a surprise on-stage appearance in 2007, performing his song "Be Not So Fearful.") Artists as diverse as Marc Almond and Okkervil River have performed Bill's songs live.