Bono talks about Billy MacKenzie ...this was actually the forward of the book 'The Glamour Chase' I was given this footage by the company who shot it to help preserve the memory of Billy MacKenzie
I wasn't ready for it either... I still shed a tear every time Steve Wright plays Party Fears Two on the radio, and mentions Billy by name. I was his neighbour for 5 years at Auchterhouse, hopefully a friend, and used to hear him singing coming up the stairs to his apartment. My girlfriend at the time, now my wife, and daughter became great friends with him, and we all miss him dearly. I always remember he was so excited that he had new music and a new album coming out, and he gave my daughter a vinyl EP from it.
@@colinmckenzie-stewart4637 We were friends here in London, I have the white label they gave me of "Tell me Easter's on Friday" still. I'm reading the book about him now, it's why I'm here, and I keep saying "Stupid boy" thinking of his ending. Bless him.
He was some character and used to see him with doggos on the drive through stobswell n up past the ponds in my wee red and white kangoo back in the Dingbro days
Over the years I have known many people who either knew Billy MacKenzie personally, or came across him in some capacity (I'm a Scot) and not one had a bad word to say about him. He leaves the impression of not only being a huge talent, but also a genuinely lovely guy with a huge heart, I'm just sorry it was a legacy he had to leave. As for Bono, I'm no fan of his, but hats off for the lovely words, who cares whether he had to read them off a script? I take them in the spirit in which they were meant. RIP Billy, I hope you found your bliss.
I knew Billy. Even after the supposed fame had deserted him. I wish I could helped him with his demons. He had the voice of a superior, spiritual being. Oh Billy.
I never knew Billy MacKenzie was so appreciated. I was always the only person I knew who even knew who he was. He was a sound echoing up from deep beneath the Earth.
Wonderful appreciation of a fellow artist from Bono,as a massive fan of Billy I thought the eulogy was perfect & whatever u think of Bono who is any amazing artist let's be respectful and put criticism to one side in regard of Bono as he has took the time to do this & I for one appreciate it as I'm sure it is in respect of a fellow artist he genuinely admired..
What a beautiful eulogy ! Billy was an amazing ,true talent, and to hear the likes of Bono verify that in such an eloquent way is a truly beautiful thing !The associates, Billy et al deserve recognition, they were a big part of the early 80's music scene in its most productive, lasting sense. RIP Billy x
I've just found out that he past away back then ( I was abroad ) ........ so I'm very shocked etc/ 😢 " because when i was a teenager, and he went on top of the pops , I loved his voice so much, that I bought hes album. """ HE WAS A LEGEND SINGER " ......AND SINCE HE PASSED AWAY, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYONE LIKE HIM .
I can't believe i'm saying this, but for the good Memory of Master Mackenzie, I will … it's the first time in forty years that i appreciated words and sound coming out of where you also know.
my most memorable moment, watching u2 come on stage at glastonbury waiting for the opening bars to the opening song and then walking off, just so i could say to my kids i walked out on a u2 concert, my goodness he fancies himself, so glad i walked
Thats what you call an epitaph ! Bono has always been a man of words, profound ones at that ! Looking at how far U2 went and The Associates didnt I think this puts things in perspective. Praise from a contemporary and indeed a friend ! Beautiful stuff !
Mike Fellows the man speaks complete bollocks yes the associates were brilliant but praise from a man who doesn"t want to contribute correctly to his own country but is willing to contribute words to a fellow musician their cheap bono arn't they tax dodger
A transcription: 'The best aesthetes are working class. Courage by contrast, Oscar Wilde on the buses. Versace down the chip shop. A falsetto voice on the terraces. Disco ball of nerves that he was, Billy Mackenzie was an aesthete. The Associates were a great group - we ripped them off. Billy was a great singer; I couldn't rip him off. He was Caruso on a balloon of oxygen. He was over the top, and reminded me of my mate and similarly persecuted cabaret volcano Gavin Friday. There was a gang of us that seemed to start school on the same day - Billy [Mackenzie], Ian [McCulloch], Julian[Cope], Pete[Wylie] and myself. Similar, except, we couldn't sing and Billy could. He had the opera and when the World was brown, or black, or khaki and the raincoat was that year's duffel, Billy was ultraviolet; ultra everything, except ultra cool. As I say, he had the opera. Others were singing from a lesser, more protected place. Some had the stance, even the craft but never the generosity. We wanted to break your heart - he let his heart be broken. The last time I saw him, he looked like a cross between a bus conductor and Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, except instead of a lowrider, he had a whippet; that seemed to take him for a walk. He was a kind of fairground attraction and I think he'd been taken for a few rides as well along the way. He seemed surprised that I was so happy to see him and so excited to hear his voice on tape. He thought the World had forgotten him, and I hope it never does.'
Check out the song that Billy wrote for Shirley Bassey, "The Rhythm Divine" but they both sang the song backed by the band Yello. Billy did it better, but, let's not argue over who is better.
Taken from the original version of "The Glamour chase" book about Billy where Bono has written the foreword. Check out "Paper House" and "Geese" to hear Alan Rankine riffs they ripped off. Alan Rankine gone too soon as well.
Glenn gregory from heaven 17 does a slower version of Party fears too. Billy was his friend, and every gig performance upsets him to sing it. look it up on here.
Billy was my idle as a nineteen year old heterosexual bloke growing in Wellington NZ when I heard the associates at school in 81'. later I was somewhat dismayed when I comprehended he was gay'. due to the lyrics of 18 carrot love affair which was originally without lyrics' I wonder why...?? However he had such a polished voice alongside musical maestro Alan Rankine. Will always remember Billy the kid'
Bono - you are a liar. You never knew Billy McKenzie. Billy went to school in Dundee, Scotland. The first time I met him was in his second-hand clothing shop, called, 'The Crypt', in Albert Street, Dundee, in 1978. I, subsequently, taught his nephew, in exactly the same area. You've never, even, been to Dundee. You are a liar.
Bono met Billy on the music circuit... like he says the bands started out roughly the same time. You didn't need to go to Dundee to meet and 'know' Billy
Wow...he has to read it from a script! Completely unauthentic. Billy was unique and a complete one off. Bono on the other hand ,is a bit like Paul McCartney, they just won't STFU and go away.
