Another huge Australian pop single that didn't get a release outside the southern hemisphere. It was the north's loss though as 'Tonight, When I Come Home' is one glorious slice of pop: a great melody set to a smile-inducing stomp, propelled by an amazing fuzz bass line, perfect hand claps, and crowned by an awesome two finger piano solo. It's two minutes that prove that in 1966 the homegrown Australian pop industry could match anything coming out of the UK or US of A.BOBBY AND LAURIE- Tonight, When I Get Home
Melbourne duo Bobby and Laurie were the first 'long hairs' to hit the Australian charts pre-Easybeats and released a cracking series of singles and a couple of great LPs for both Go!! (you gotta love a record label with two exclamation marks in its name!!) and Parlophone, working with some of the best beat and pop musicians and producers around, before moving into a more country pop direction.
The flip side of this single is a version of the theme from High Noon and shows the direction of later Bobby and Laurie records. It was a pretty strange move from tuff r'n'b pop to country ballad novelty (though they had done it once before with a hit version of Roger Miller's 'Hitchhiker'), but I don't think the move was simply a record company put on as they were obviously country fans (certainly Laurie was anyway). At least they had good taste in country, in time covering the likes of Porter Wagoner and Lee Hazelwood, and I would love to hear their 1967 LP Exposiac which apparently mixed up country with a little psychedelic rock.
BOBBY AND LAURIE- High Noon
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