page_title: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
section_title: Appearances
hierarchical_section_title: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames / History / Appearances
caption_attribution_description: English: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames on stage at the 1983 Leeds Festival (Tony Rees photograph)
context_page_description: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were a noted British rhythm and blues/soul, jazz, ska, pop group during the 1960s. They were also the backing band for Billy Fury. At the end of 1961, their piano player Georgie Fame took over as vocalist and they went on to enjoy great success without Fury. They were influenced by Jon Hendricks, Mose Allison and blues musicians such as Willie Mabon. The group found other influences in ska, which could be heard in Jamaican cafes in and around Ladbroke Grove frequented by the group's Jamaican born trumpeter Eddie Thornton. During the group's three-year residency at The Flamingo Club, Fame heard the latest jazz and blues from America, and it was Booker T. & the M.G.'s "Green Onions" which inspired him to take up playing Hammond organ with the band.
context_section_description: The group were resident at a number of London clubs including The Whiskey-A-Go-Go, in Soho's Wardour Street and the Flamingo Club. In August 1963 the band took a weekly Friday night spot at The Scene on Great Windmill Street. They also performed at The Roaring Twenties club near Carnaby Street, run by Count Suckle. They did 22 midweek gigs at Klooks Kleek in 1964/65, The Ricky Tick in Windsor and The Scene, during week days.
  In 1964 Fame and the band appeared on five episodes of ITV's Ready Steady Go!  Fame also appeared on television in 1965 in the New Musical Express Poll Winners' Concert held at the Empire Pool, Wembley on 11 April 1965, playing "Yeh, Yeh" and Rufus Thomas's "Walking the Dog".
  Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were the only act from the UK invited to perform with the first Motown Review in the UK during the mid-1960s. The Tamla Motown Package Show was a 21-date UK tour featuring amongst others, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas.
  On 26 December 1966 Fame, backed by the Blue Flames, opened the "Fame in '67' Show" alongside Cat Stevens and the show ran for two weeks at London's Saville Theatre.
  In later years Fame was billed again with the Blue Flames and in the early 2000s he led a new line-up which included his son.
caption: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames on stage at the 1983 Leeds Folk Festival
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