Depending on where in the world you are reading this edition of Vintage Rock, you’ll be looking at one of two different covers. In our UK homeland, we have the ‘British Elvis’, Billy Fury… …For international readers, we have The Beach Boys. (Both features are in all editions: it’s just the covers that have changed!)
Billy Fury remains a cult hero in some ways, even in the UK. Although his debut album The Sound Of Fury is considered by many to be the greatest British rock’n’roll album ever, Fury failed to fully capitalise on his early success and songwriting skills – despite his Beatlesbeating haul of hits! – but we make no apologies for revisiting the singer’s career in detail. From a marvellous insight feature by Billy’s biographer Spencer Leigh, through an interview with his 1970s band, up to the new symphonic Sound Of Fury album (which is sure to be controversial to some fans), it’s all here. We start our salute to the legend of Billy Fury on page 16.