William Fay (9 September 1943 – 22 February 2025) was an English singer-songwriter. His early recordings were released by
Deram, but following the release of his second album in 1971, Fay was dropped by the label. His work enjoyed a growing cult status in the 1990s, and his older works were re-issued in 1998 and 2004–2005. Fay's 2012 album ''
Life Is People'' was his first album of all-new material since 1971. His last album, ''
Countless Branches'', was released on 17 January 2020.
Biography
Early career
Fay was born on 9 September 1943 in north London, where he lived throughout his life.
[Cult folk musician and songwriter Bill Fay dies aged 81](_blank)
NME[Stereogum]
Bill Fay, Cult Folk Artist, Dead At 81
/ref> He attended college in Wales, studying electronics, where he first began writing songs on the piano and harmonium.
His first single, "Some Good Advice" / "Screams in the Ears", was issued on the Deram label
A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...
in 1967, and was followed by two albums, '' Bill Fay'' in 1970 and '' Time of the Last Persecution'' in 1971. The recordings did not sell well, and Fay was dropped from Deram soon after the release of his second album. They were re-issued in 1998, and then again in 2005.
Despite returning to the recording studio in the late 1970s, '' Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow'', the follow-up to ''Time of the Last Persecution'' was not released until January 2005, following the reissues of his earlier works.
Cult status and comeback
Fay's work enjoyed a growing cult status in the 1990s. His first two albums were re-issued in 1998, an event which Bill Fay described in 2012 as follows:
In 2004, the British label Wooden Hill released a collection of demos
Demos may refer to:
Computing
* DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system
* DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR
* Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems
* Plural for Demo (computer programming ...
recorded between 1966 and 1970 entitled ''From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock''. Recordings from 1978-1981 were finally released in January 2005. Entitled ''Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow'', the album was credited to the Bill Fay Group, and released on the Durtro Jnana label.
The compilation album ''Still Some Light'' appeared on the Coptic Cat label in 2010, a double CD containing a mix of older material and newer, home-recorded songs.
Released on 21 August 2012 on Dead Oceans, ''Life is People'' was his first new studio LP in over 40 years.
'' Who Is the Sender?'', a new album by Bill Fay was released in April 2015. The second album track, "War Machine", came out as a single in February 2015.
A feature article entitled ''"Bill Fay Was a Hidden Gem. One Musician Made Finding Him a Mission''" was published in the New York Times on 15 January 2020.
His last album, '' Countless Branches'', was released on 17 January 2020.
Fay died from complications of Parkinson's disease in London, on 22 February 2025, at the age of 81.
Covers and appreciation
The American band Wilco
Wilco is an American Rock music, rock band based in Chicago. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its fir ...
has played Fay's song "Be Not So Fearful" in live performances and the band's singer, Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, singer songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, began his music care ...
, can be heard singing it in the documentary, '' I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco''. Fay joined the band and Tweedy onstage for the rendition of the song at shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire
Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was original ...
in 2007, and at the Union Chapel, Islington
Union Chapel is a working Congregational church, live-entertainment venue and charity drop-in centre for the homeless in Islington, London, England. Built in the late 19th century in the Gothic revival style, the church is a Listed building, G ...
in 2010 respectively, both in London.
The English singer-songwriter and pianist John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...
recorded a cover version of the song "Be Not So Fearful" for his E.P. ''Songs for the Lost and Found'' (2008). The song "Be Not So Fearful" was also covered by Ed Harcourt on the benefit compilation album ''Songs to Save a Life - In Aid of Samaritans'' (2011).
A cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of Fay's "Pictures of Adolf Again", by producer and musician Jim O'Rourke and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche, can be heard in the film from Kōji Wakamatsu, ''United Red Army
The (URA) was a militant organization that operated in Japan between July 1971 and March 1972. The URA was formed as the result of a merger that began on 13 July 1971 between two extremist groups, the Marxist–Leninist–Maoist , led in 1971 ...
''. The title track of "Time of the Last Persecution" became a live standard of the British Apocalyptic folk group, Current 93
Current 93 are an English experimental music group, founded in 1982 by David Tibet. Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorte ...
.
The band Okkervil River
Okkervil River is an American rock band led by singer-songwriter Will Sheff. Formed in Austin, Texas, in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya set on the river Okkervil in Saint Petersburg. They bega ...
covered Fay's song "Plan D" on their ''Golden Opportunities 2
The ''Golden Opportunities 2'' is a free downloadable EP by indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term w ...
'' EP in 2011.
The American band The War on Drugs covered Fay's song "I Hear You Calling" at shows throughout 2014.
His song "Be Not So Fearful" was covered by A.C. Newman in 2014, and was used in the episode "Us" of '' The Walking Dead''.
In 2008 the English singer Marc Almond
Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop/ new wave duo Soft Cell. He has a distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has had a diverse career as a ...
recorded a live version of "Cosmic Boxer" and it was released on his album ''In 'Bluegate Fields': Live at Wilton's Music Hall''.
In a widely available live bootleg recording of a show at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco in February 2009, Stephen Malkmus of the band Pavement, covered Fay's "We Have Laid Here".
Discography
Albums
* '' Bill Fay'' (Deram, 1970)
* '' Time of the Last Persecution'' (Deram, 1971)
* ''Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow'' (recorded 1978–1981; Durtro, 2005; Dead Oceans, 2024 28-track re-releasemodulor-records.com > Bill Fay Group > Tomorrow Tomorrow And Tomorrow
''Modular-records.com'')
* ''
Life Is People'' (Dead Oceans, 2012)
* ''
Who Is the Sender?'' (Dead Oceans, 2015)
* ''
Countless Branches'' (Dead Oceans, 2020)
Compilation albums
* ''From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock'' (recorded 1966–1970; Wooden Hill, 2004)
* ''Still Some Light'' (2CD, recorded 1970, 1971, 2009; Coptic Cat, 2010) / new edition: ''Still Some Light Pt. 1'' (1CD / 2LP) & ''Still Some Light Pt. 2'' (1CD / 2LP) (Dead Oceans, 14 January 2022)
(compilation of early 1970–1971 studio recordings and 2009 new material home recordings)
Notes
References
External links
*
*
;Fansite & info
The only dedicated Bill Fay siteDead Oceans, ''Bill Fay'';Interviews
Robert Leeming, ''A Conversation with Bill Fay – Part One''Linda Wertheimer, ''Bill Fay: A Cult Figure Returns, Skeptical But Optimistic'', interview with Bill Fayaquarium drunkard, ''Bill Fay :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview'';Videoclips
Video of John Howard's 2008 cover version of Bill Fay's "Be Not So Fearful"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fay, Bill
1943 births
2025 deaths
20th-century English singer-songwriters
20th-century English male singers
21st-century English singer-songwriters
21st-century English male singers
21st-century English pianists
English male pianists
Dead Oceans artists
Deaths from Parkinson's disease in England
Deram Records artists
English male singer-songwriters
English pop pianists
English pop singers
Singers from London