[billyboy1]

Hi there Dmitry.
Firstly you are correct.
There are many recordings of Nazareth which have never been seen or heard.
I have some audio recordings from numerous tours and have tried to share some of them on this website but I have to be careful.
As for videos, again I have to be aware of copyright laws before posting anything but most of the time the videos on this website are from my old VHS tapes so are not as good quality as you would expect but remember I was actually an active member of Nazareth at this time so I didn’t pay too much attention to preserving them.
Presumably we paid someone else to do that but perhaps they didn’t care enough?
I understand your frustration and totally agree with you but alas there is nothing I can do to locate the better quality recordings.
Someone, somewhere may have them but I do not.
Stay safe and best wishes from Scotland.

[billyboy1]

Hi again. I hadn’t thought about the sign being recovered so I’ve asked “Uncle” Pete Agnew if he can clarify. I don’t expect a reply any time soon cos Pete takes days to realise his steam-driven mobile has gotten a message!
As for your Gateway story, that’s hilarious!
The fact that you managed to blag your way past security makes you an ideal roadie for Naz.
Our old tour manager once told me his job was 10% technical abilities and 90% bullshitting so I reckon you’d be in there.
I’m not doing anything musical anymore, canny be arsed to be honest plus my right hand is a bit gubbed due to years of smacking the strings like Pete Townshend. I think I’d need a prosthetic limb like Les Paul had if I were able to play like I used to.
Zal on the other hand (see what I did there?) has retired completely as far as I can gather, which is a real shame cos he can actually still play.
Now for the biggest surprise you mentioned.
I knew Sammy, Martin & Kay very well.
In fact due to family circumstances I was friendly with a lot of the Cowdenbeath congregation back then so if you’re still in touch with any of them, tell’em The Rankins say Hello.
Oh, and you owe me 00.5p in royalties, ya basturt!
“Home Taping is Killing the Industry” apparently.

[billyboy1]

Hi to you too and I’m glad you like the site.
I first saw the sign, like you on the No Mean City tour but, by the time I’d joined Naz in ’81, they were using a red one.
After discussing this with Barry (the site guru) the other day we reckon the green sign was possibly for UK and European tours and the red for the US, but we’re not sure.
I played the Odeon with Naz in the early 80’s, but can’t for the life of me remember what colour the sign was.
I like your idea of it being used in a Dunfermline rock venue, but it’s probably in storage somewhere, or scrapped, or perhaps being used by Dan & Pete just to upset Manny!
Btw, Fin Costello took the pics of our Move Me album in Dunfermline then we got him so pished he missed his flight back to London!

Cheers, Billy.

[billyboy1]

Hi Julian. Much as I’d like to help, my touring with Aerosmith was limited to a few dates supporting them in late 1982 when Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay were in the band so apart from “They were pretty wasted at the time,” I can’t think of anything else you could quote me on.
As for Joe, I got to know him quite well, and by that I mean I got to know when to speak to him and when not to.
He was always really kind to me as he knew I was a massive fan but, during the several tours the Joe Perry Project supported Naz, he could be a bit of a loose cannon which his fellow band members and road crew always put down to “substance abuse mood swings,” but I think there was more going on than that.
The most vivid memory from that time was the story you mention and I’ve no problem with you using it for the book, but I fear I have nothing more to add, quote-wise.
Feel free to get back in touch if you want and good luck with the book.
I will most definitely buy a copy.

Cheers, Billy.

[billyboy1]

Hi Geovanni, good to meet you.

Firstly, “Snaz” is a shortened title of our 1981 live album which was actually meant to be called “It’s Naz” which is also a shortened way of saying “It Is Naz” meaning “It Is Nazareth”.

(Hey. Nobody said it had to make sense!)

As for “Where Are You Now” I wouldn’t say I hate the song but I wasn’t very happy about the way we recorded it on “Sound Elixir”.
When Darrell and I wrote the song, we imagined it to be done heavier which is why I re-recorded it on my solo album “Growing Up Too Fast”.
I know it is popular in Brazil and elsewhere. In fact I understand it is one of Nazareth’s most streamed songs on Spotify so I am wrong and you are right to like it, thank you.

“Brazamanaz” was the name we gave to our tour of your country in 1990. I think it was Pete Agnew who came up with the idea of adding the letter “B” to “Razamanaz” as it made good sense and was also funny, no?
I no longer have any of the T shirts but I remember it said “Brazamanaz, Nazareth December 1990 Christmas Tour”

Finally, thank you for liking my website and please do not apologise for your English. It is very good but perhaps you can also speak Scottish?

Best regards and stay safe my friend.

Billy.

[billyboy1]

You’re welcome Chris and hopefully we’ll be back out chasing Agnes soon!
Cheers, Billy.

[billyboy1]

Hi Chris. Thanks for the good wishes and I send the same to you.
Just today our government here in Scotland hinted on a return to some sort of normality by June so here’s hoping.
I can answer your technical questions quite briefly so here goes.
No, I have no plans or desires to do any live streaming of any kind now or in the future. My enjoyment of playing has always been to a live audience regardless of how many and I don’t see that changing, ever.
As for studio mics and other equipment, I always trusted engineers like yourself to select the right tools for the job and my home recording set up was basically a Shure 58 mic, some reverb/compression and the best take I could sing in one go.
(I was affectionately known in Nazareth as “One Take Rankin”)
I no longer own a record player but when I did it was a “Linn” deck and stylus.
Linn may not be well known to you but they are one of the best (and expensive) turntable makers based here in Scotland and renowned the world over for accurate vinyl sound reproduction.
Finally to your All Nite Radio query and it’s a good’un.
When I wrote “Love Leads to Madness” with Darrell for the 2XS album, it was jokingly referred to as “Agnes” by Dan who liked to imagine we were singing “Our Love Leads to Agnes”: Agnes being a popular woman’s name for old Scottish grandmothers at the time.
Fast forward to the vocal recording of “Radio” where someone suggested Dan make some kind of reference to the former in the outro as both songs share a “Madness” theme.
“I’ve got it!” Dan nodded so we ran the tape, all expecting to hear him sing a line or two like “Do I feel alright” but instead he spoke what you heard but couldn’t work out and made us laugh enough to leave it in.
Dan is actually saying “Agnes, Agnes, Agnes, Agnes” at the end of All Nite Radio.
Thanks for reminding me Chris, it made me chuckle all over again.
Take care, till next time.

Billy.

[billyboy1]

Ah, sorry, but as I’m now classed as a key worker, things are a little hectic at the moment. Maybe get back in touch when/if this is all over?

[billyboy1]

Hi Marc. Apologies for not getting back to you sooner.
As far as an in-depth detailed account of my life goes, you’d be hard pressed to find better than this site itself.
It took us several years to create and as far as I’m aware covers every aspect of my career: the ups and the downs.
Feel free to use anything from photos/text/audio/video etc contained on the website if it helps with your project and if there’s anything specific you reckon we haven’t addressed or you’d like to ask me personally, fire away, okay?
Best of luck and stay safe.

Billy

[billyboy1]

Yeah, Ted and Chris were indeed a powerful combination. Thanks for coming to see me way back then. The drummer on the tour was Gary Ferguson who also played on my 2nd album. He’s a hard hitter!

[billyboy1]

Well Hello! Thanks for asking a good question. As I’ve said on the website I was always slightly embarrassed to have asked one of the best drummers in the world (Mr Ted McKenna) to play along with a Linn drum machine on Growing Up Too Fast, but it was kinda what A&M records were looking for at that time. It’s to Ted’s great credit he didn’t refuse or kick me in the balls, but I think his fills added just the right human touch to make the record work. Incidentally we did record one song with live drums (Baby’s Got a Gun) which is still my favourite track of the album so maybe you’re onto something there. My other two solo albums were done mainly with real drums courtesy of Gary Ferguson and Colin Irvine, but maybe your question is more subjective than that. For example: “Bring it on Home to Mama” from Nazareth’s “Move Me” album was hailed by many as, and I quote: “Darrell Sweet’s finest drumming ever!” It was, of course all done on a Roland R8 drum machine so what would re-recording my stuff actually achieve? Thanks for your appreciation and attention to detail. Are you by any chance a drummer?
Take care and stay safe.
Billy.

[billyboy1]

Good to hear from you again. That’s a strange one for sure. The fact that we were in the midst of the “Total Recall/Relapse/Retread” USA tour during that time with the Heeps is doubly strange. I don’t suppose you have the newspaper cutting? FYI: The Glasgow Pavilion is the perfect venue for getting onstage and surprising your hero. Alvin Lee didnae see That coming! Stay safe pal.

[billyboy1]

Thanks for the compliment BB. Much appreciated. As for Shake, there’s no need to purchase the CD anymore. All tracks and complete artwork are available to download for free in “The Vault” section of this website so you can make your own copy of Shake, or indeed any other music we’ve made available. Hope this helps and thanks again for your kind words. Take care and stay safe.
Billy

[billyboy1]

That night at the Solid when me and Ally we’re enjoying a moment outside, a homeless guy approached us with a request for ‘spare change’. I added a few pound coins to his plastic cup and Ally offered a crisp tenner. This was rejected with the classic response ‘Naw, yer awright mate. Ah’m a Celtic supporter.’ As for your other question, no. None of the other band members had any interest in sport. Unless we were competing with anyone from England.

[billyboy1]

I have no explanation for the Chick Young/Sally Carr connection but having done many a charity event with Chico he always seemed to get on with women’s guide dugs. I have many links with sporting personalities however.
Most of Rangers 1st team would come to see me play at The Newlands Hotel after training sessions in the 80’s. In fact Super Ally himself was my guest for the School of Rock book launch at the Solid Rock. Some say that he signed more copies than I did but Ah’m no havin that.
I spent an enjoyable time chatting with Stephen Hendry on a flight till his wee manager told him to stop talking to me.
I also shared a drink with Kenny Dalglish in a London hotel on the day I didn’t join Whitesnake.
Want more?
Okay. We met the legendary soccer star Zico in a Sau Paulo bar and on the same tour we told Ronnie Biggs to fuck off at our gig in Rio.
Ronnie’s sporting connection is of course that he was a well known great trainer of robbers.

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