Today, I'm a happy bunny.

**QUINNY** · August 9th, 2003, 05:05 AM

First thing this morning a package arrived that I've been anticipating for well over a year now. That's how long I've been searching for a reasonably priced copy of Billy Frazier & Friends - Billy Who. I was fully expecting to turn up a UK copy, but lo and behold the one I finally managed to secure is on the US label. It plays fine, sounds no worse than many of my hard played 12"ers, even better than some and brings back such sweet memories.

It was one of those records that was always on my disco decks over a fairly long period (in other words I really, really loved the record and no-one was gonna stop me playing it), until my copy was ruined in a flood, along with 200 others. I distinctly remember going to my local record shop to order another copy as it was only 9 months old, only to be told that it had been deleted. So that was that. In those days there wasn't an internet to trawl and the chances of finding a second hand copy would have been remote. I learned to live without Billy Frazier & Friends until now!!!!

What made the record so great for me was the ever changing structure of it, along with that incredibly hypnotic, chugging, funky bassline and overall its feel. It just sounded ground breaking somehow. Does that make sense?

Anyone else here like it?

Meanwhile on the radio........Skinhead Moon Stomp by Symarip (the Pyramids) is playing.....ahh, memories of being young!!

**Forrrce** · August 9th, 2003, 08:21 AM

Should have said you needed this, I may have sent you mine! :P
I always thought there was something quite rambling and inconclusive about that record, I just never really felt it - it sounded quite dated at the time... to me, anyway. Always liked the one-off breakdown in the middle with the girls cooing 'ish Billie Fraay-scher' in the background, though - and the almost summery 'Rhodes riff afterwards...
A guy with a lot of good records onced played me another record by Frazier on a beige Biljuma label, which was better than 'Billy Who' and quite jazzy. Never wrote the title down.

**QUINNY** · August 9th, 2003, 09:38 AM

Originally Written by Forrrce

A guy with a lot of good records onced played me another record by Frazier on a beige Biljuma label, which was better than 'Billy Who' and quite jazzy. Never wrote the title down.

Oh well, perhaps that's where my next quest begins?
BTW: I can understand someone not liking it, 'cos it did meander.

**Forrrce** · August 9th, 2003, 01:05 PM

Originally Written by QUINNY

BTW: I can understand someone not liking it, 'cos it did meander.

Oh, don't get me wrong - I got with the program eventually, but there was still something missing, if you get my drift. Wouldn't have necessarily had a hard man to please down as such an ardent fan. I still have the record, so it will get spun again!

Originally Written by QUINNY

Oh well, perhaps that's where my next quest begins?

Good luck...I've wasted eleven years on the quest already!!! :o

**QUINNY** · August 9th, 2003, 05:46 PM

Forrrce: I just loved the sparceness of it I guess and that it reminded me of Calendar's Hypertension which in turn reminded me of Gene Dozier & The United Front - Give The Women What They Want. Now, there WAS a really funky record.

Don't ask me why those three get associated in my brain, they just do!

**billywho** · August 11th, 2003, 04:31 PM

Originally Written by QUINNY

Originally Written by Forrrce

A guy with a lot of good records onced played me another record by Frazier on a beige Biljuma label, which was better than 'Billy Who' and quite jazzy. Never wrote the title down.

Oh well, perhaps that's where my next quest begins?
BTW: I can understand someone not liking it, 'cos it did meander.

Glad you've found my record Quinny. I was beginning to feel a bit like J R Hartley.

**QUINNY** · August 11th, 2003, 05:48 PM

[quote="billywho
Glad you've found my record Quinny. I was beginning to feel a bit like J R Hartley.[/quote]

If only Billy, if only. :lol:
Didn't say whether or not you thought your record was a good'un.

**billywho** · August 12th, 2003, 07:58 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

If only Billy, if only. :lol:
Didn't say whether or not you thought your record was a good'un.

Yes I think it was probably my best effort.

To be more serious Quinny, I only heard "Billy Who" for the first time on the Frankie Knuckles "Collection Of Classics" CD (i.e. in the mix) from a year or two back. Since then I've acquired it on mp3 as a standalone song. It's a cracking tune.

**QUINNY** · August 12th, 2003, 08:19 AM

Ah, er, anyone outside the U.K. who remotely liked it?

**Forrrce** · August 12th, 2003, 12:03 PM

Originally Written by QUINNY

Ah, er, anyone outside the U.K. who remotely liked it?

Let me hazard a guess...Billy Frazier and Frankie Knuckles?

**QUINNY** · August 12th, 2003, 01:36 PM

I just wonder how and why it was picked up for UK release. Frankly, I've been amazed at some of the releases we had over here throughout the years, many of which must have been even more obscure in the USA and possibly sold even less copies in a market that was in theory much bigger than the 5 : 1 overall population ratio would suggest.
It blows my mind sometimes.

**martinus** · August 14th, 2003, 10:03 AM

I like the string arrangement and the bassline of this song. I have a german 12" of "Billy Who" and the Frankie Knuckles compilation.

**QUINNY** · August 28th, 2003, 02:56 AM

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW WEEKS CAN MAKE!

Today I'm an even happier bunny. Why?

I've just seen that Billy Frazier 12" version is available on a CD in Germany called The Soul Of Disco. Some other good tracks that I don't have on CD too, and it was released by Ministry Of Sound (Germany) via Universal on 31st July 2003.

I should be so lucky,
Lucky, lucky, lucky.................

Kylie sing, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ho, ha!

:lol: 8)

**sosman0** · January 27th, 2009, 12:08 PM

I taped it off the Tony Prince show at the time, every track was good at that time, When the break came in i though it was a different record.I GOT A WEIRD COPY OF THIS ON A FOUR TRACK E.P with tony lee REACH UP and another 2 tracks on a black label from America. On the same show started with GET CRACKIN Katmandu Reddings on the one I think i hear music in the streets ,unlimited touch , young and company sexy lady, theres a track im after , it goes something like SOMETHING THAT YOU GOT , KEEPS ME COMING BACK a real funker ,Do you know it ,Please help SOSMAN0:icon_lol:

**remicks** · October 6th, 2009, 01:17 PM

Originally Written by QUINNY

First thing this morning a package arrived that I've been anticipating for well over a year now. That's how long I've been searching for a reasonably priced copy of Billy Frazier & Friends - Billy Who. I was fully expecting to turn up a UK copy, but lo and behold the one I finally managed to secure is on the US label. It plays fine, sounds no worse than many of my hard played 12"ers, even better than some and brings back such sweet memories.

It was one of those records that was always on my disco decks over a fairly long period (in other words I really, really loved the record and no-one was gonna stop me playing it), until my copy was ruined in a flood, along with 200 others. I distinctly remember going to my local record shop to order another copy as it was only 9 months old, only to be told that it had been deleted. So that was that. In those days there wasn't an internet to trawl and the chances of finding a second hand copy would have been remote. I learned to live without Billy Frazier & Friends until now!!!!

What made the record so great for me was the ever changing structure of it, along with that incredibly hypnotic, chugging, funky bassline and overall its feel. It just sounded ground breaking somehow. Does that make sense?

Anyone else here like it?

Billy Frazier & Friends - Billy Who