JOHNNY O'KEEFE and The DEE JAYS- So Tough/That'll Be Allright

Johnny O'Keefe or JO'K or 'The Wild One', was Australia's first and biggest rock'n'roll star.  He was an unlikely teen idol, with limited singing talent and perhaps closer in looks to Bill Hayley (his initial inspiration) than Elvis Presley (who's wild stage presence and gyrations JO'K imitated in his own unique way).  But as ever in rock'n'roll such obstacles were overcome by determined self publicity, showmanship and being in the right place at the right time (and gold lame suits).  
Outside Australia JO'K is best known for his signature song "Wild One". Jerry Allison of the Crickets took the song back to the USA after hearing JO'K play it while on the same bill (see the programme below).  Jerry recorded the song as 'Real Wild Child' under the name Ivan, with Buddy Holly on guitar/backing vocals, and it's probably my favourite version. Since then the song has been covered by countless artists including Jerry Lee Lewis, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Joan Jett, and probably stands as Australia's only bona fide addition to the cannon of classic 50s rock'n'roll standards.

I won't try and relate JO'K's full story here, suffice to say it's an interesting one featuring flamboyant costumes, gigs with nearly all the first wave American rock'n'roll stars, failed attempts to crack America (despite the odd number one in New Orleans), a near fatal car crash, lots of mental breakdown, drink, drugs, 29 top 40 Australian hit singles, a successful TV career and an eventual overdose of prescription drugs.
JOHNNY O'KEEFE and The DEE JAYS- So Tough
'So Tough' bw 'That'll Be Allright' came out in 1958 and is one of JO'K's best and most rocking 45s.  'So Tough' was a then current track in the US charts thanks to a myriad of recordings by various New York Doo-Wop groups, the original being by The Casuals.  JO'K's version is at least as good as any of the American ones, though to be honest all the versions I've heard are great, raw, zany rock'n'roll fun.  'That'll Be Allright' (sic) is a JO'K and The Dee Jays original and shows that 'Wild One' was no fluke, as it's a classic slice of rock'n'roll with cool percussion and bad boy lyrics.
JOHNNY O'KEEFE and The DEE JAYS- That'll Be Allright

This 1950s footage of Johnny O'Keefe offers a glimpse of his unique stage presence and the fan adoration he received as Australia's king of rock'n'roll.

BILLY BLAND/GRANTLEY DEE- Let The Little Girl Dance

BILLY BLAND- Let The Little Girl Dance

Billy Bland's 'Let The Little Girl Dance' is an absolute classic RnB/pop crossover record.  Nice to get an original copy on Old Town, a really consistent label out of New York.

The story goes that Billy was in the studio when Titus Turner was recording this song and stepped in to show him how to sing it, little knowing producer Henry Glover had the tape rolling and that Bland's demonstration would end up a hit single.

GRANTLEY DEE- Let The Little Girl Dance

In 1966, six years after Bland, well known Melbourne DJ Grantley Dee released his own version of 'Let The Little Girl Dance' it was a minor local hit and a sought after record now.  The arrangement was kept pretty much the same for Dee's version (if it ain't broke...), except the parping sax is replaced by a nice raw guitar break, in fact it's a shame Bland's hadn't had more guitar considering the mighty Mickey Baker apparently played on the session.  

Dee was the first blind singing star in Australia, and you can witness a little of his charismatic DJing style in this great 60s doco about Melbourne radio.

Grantley Dee with trade mark black glasses.

The TWILIGHTS- Needle In A Haystack/I Won't Be The Same Without Her

This stomping beat guitar version of The Velvelettes classic was a monster Australian hit in 1966 for The Twilights who were one of the country's best pop bands in the mid to late 60s.

The B-side is a version of Goffin and King's 'I Won't Be The same Without Her'. The Monkees also recorded this track in 1966, though they wouldn't release it until their 'odds and sods' LP, Instant Replay, in 1969. I'm curious as to whether The Twilights got an early listen to The Monkees version; which is most likely considering the subsequent attempts to turn them in an Australian Monkees with an aborted TV series, or if there was a Carole King demo of the song that made it down under?

Wouldn't it be great if someone put together a decent compilation of Carole's Brill Building demos? The ones I've heard (on shoddy budget compilations- the rights must be a mess) are amazing and there are supposed to be a lot more floating around...

The TWILIGHTS- Needle In A Haystack

The TWILIGHTS- I Won't Be The Same Without Her

JACK KITTEL- Psycho

JACK KITTEL- Psycho

Quite a complex history behind this brilliant slice of gothic American country and western. What I can unravel is as follows: 'Psycho' was written in 1966 by a prolific blind songwriter Leon Payne, who's music career stretched back to the 1930s and who's writing credits include such classics as 'Lost Highway' (Hank Williams) and 'I Love You Because' (Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash). Depending on who you believe, Payne wrote 'Psycho' in response to a notorious mass shooting spree at the University Of Texas and the strangely affecting letter the shooter left next to the bodies of his mother and wife, or to the story of murderer and grave robber Ed Gein (who also inspired Bloch's book/Hitchcock's movie of the same name), or possibly both.

I don't think Leon Payne ever recorded the song and certainly it's first appearance on record was that by Eddie Noack in 1968. Unfortunately for Eddie the world was not yet ready for such a creepy record written from the point of view of a serial killer (at least not one without Porter Wagoner's name on it) and Noack's version sunk without a trace.

Jack Kittel then revived 'Psycho' in 1973 with the inspired, in my opinion definitive, version posted here. I can't find out much about Jack Kittel and he seems to only be remembered for this song, which became an underground classic after being picked up by various DJs including Dr Demento.

Elvis Costello then brought 'Psycho' to a bigger audience, releasing a live version in 1981, which is the same year that this Raven pressing of Jack Kittel's version was issued in Australia (perhaps not coincidentally). I'm guessing this 7" was a bit of novelty fun for Raven, who at the time were best known for excavating Australia's exciting 60s pop history with records such as the demented Ugly Things compilations, and are still a respected reissue company today.

It's possible the Raven pressing was not exactly 'official' as the label has no publishing information and miss-credits Jack Kittel as the songwriter as well as offering up a choice of spellings of his name. This could also account for the B-side being simply a backwards recording of 'Psycho', complete with backwards label. Whatever the motivation, it was an inspired decision as 'Psycho' sounds almost as good, and just as chilling, running the wrong way (admittedly I do have a huge unquenched love of backwards pedal steel brought on by early exposure to 'Change Is Now' by the Byrds).

JACK KITTEL- Psycho (backwards)

'Psycho' then had a further part to play in Australian music history being covered by The Beasts Of Bourbon on their great first album from 1984 and subsequently becoming a minor hit for the band. I've posted their promo video below.

LITTLE SAMMY- Rhythm and Crunch/When It Comes To The Crunch (It's Smiths It Is)

From the sublime to the ridiculous!

This 7" (which is another from Revolve in Sydney) is a daft piece of mod soul kitsch advertising Smith's potato crisps. The 'When It Comes To The Crunch' side is my favourite, featuring more of Little Sammy's white boy soul ravings about how crunchy everything is: "Dancing's crunchy, romancing's crunchy with Smiths! Shout it's crunchy! Look out it's crunchy! We're so crunchy, ooh so crunchy!" backed by some slightly manic girl singers.

It's not total kitsch as the band are pretty tight and you can hear hints of a smoking club band under the inane lyrics, but unfortunately it's not in the same class as the 7" Smith's Crisps put out in New Zealand by The Challenge, which is a real punky bit of garage rock penned by Ray Columbus.

The internet tells me that Little Sammy, also known as Little Sammy Gaha, was a popular singer on the Sydney club circuit in the 60s who then moved to Paris in the early 70s where he grew a beard and put out some very silly looking glam rock records. Good for him, I say.

LITTLE SAMMY- When It Comes To The Crunch (It's Smiths It Is)

LITTLE SAMMY- Rhythm and Crunch

BOBBY and LAURIE with the RONDELLS- Tonight, When I Come Home/High Noon

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

TONI McCANN- My Baby/No/Saturday Date

Here we have a reissue from Zenith Records (who run their own vinyl pressing plant in Melbourne) of three songs from Toni McCann's impossible to find first two singles, even this reissue is pretty rare now. The legend on the reverse of the sleeve states: "Our very own (child) queen of punk", and the wild garage beat sounds contained within live up to this.

Toni recorded these tracks when she was just fifteen years old, backed by Tony Worsley's band, The Fabulous Blue Jays, and they stand as the toughest female fronted tracks of '60s Australian beat, a match to anything on the wonderful Girls From the Garage compilations. There's a cool interview with Toni here.

TONI McCANN- My Baby

TONI McCANN- No

TONI McCANN- Saturday Date

The FROWNING CLOUDS- Time Wastin' Woman/Sorry Business

Here is a new record! These Geelong kids (next town along from Melbourne) recently played a Friday night residency at a bar near my house, and I ended up catching them twice. They play super enthusiastic and authentic 1960s r'n'b in the style of the very early Rolling Stones/Pretty Things/Beatles, with a large dash of Back From The Grave garage. Now they certainly aren't the first or will they be the last to play this stuff, but they do it really well. Nearly all the songs are fine originals (the only cover I noticed was 'I'm Rowed Out' by the Eyes) that manage to combine really raw playing with great melodies, and they have two ace frontmen who split singing/snarling/harmonica duties.

Back in the UK we have some really cool garage bands (The Thanes to pick the best Scottish example) but, no offence guys, most of them are hardly spring chickens! So the fact The Frowning Clouds are all about 17 years old and look just like like their 60s idols really adds to the authenticity, as did the screaming girls down the front of the stage (I kid you not).

These two songs come from their first record, an EP (though is it really an EP if it only has 3 songs and plays at 45?) released by a small Spanish label Monterrey, and although the production could be better, this is a fine debut. Watch out for a full length LP that's in the works.

The FROWNING CLOUDS- Time Wastin' Woman

The FROWNING CLOUDS- Sorry Business

THE AVENGERS- Listen Listen/Just One More Chance

I got this single in Brisbane, where The Avengers ruled the roost for a couple of years in the late '60s (no relation to the New Zealand band of the same name). 'Listen Listen' is a fabulous Beatles rip-off; a confident, melodic rocker, excellently produced by Howard Gable. Unfortunately the brash style, that works so well on the A-side, doesn't hit the spot on the flip, where their cover of The Outer Limits' 'Just One More Chance' lacks the fragility that makes the original such a good track.

The AVENGERS- Listen Listen

The AVENGERS- Just One More Chance

ROGER THWAITES- Age Of Time

This is the sort of thing that almost makes all those hours flicking through records in charity shops worth while! At the very back of a pile of about 200 hundred assorted Perry Como, Bavarian drinking song, classical LPs and other assorted recorded crap, was this record. In fact, I nearly didn't pick it up as the rather cheap looking cover suggested easy listening or religious folk songs, but after a scan of the back revealed a 1971 release date (on the tiny Sydney record label Sound Unlimited), no cover versions, no mention of God, and that the various musicians included 3 guitarists and a pedal steel/dobro I took the plunge.

So what did I get for my $3? Well, from the first song on, a surprisingly good LP which appears almost as if it had been produced with my specific tastes in mind! The vocals are mostly big and booming with plenty of echo, the songs are great, the lyrics interesting (mostly about the Australian outback and people), the backing a peculiar mix of folk, early rock'n'roll, psychedelia, country and pop, with some songs featuring scorching acid guitar and studio effects. The closest reference point would be Lee Hazlewood's solo LPs, which happen to be among my favourites, and if Mr Thwaites hadn't heard Lee (did his solo records get released in Australia?) then he surely must have been a fan of Elvis and Johnny Cash. Any complaints? Well, he's not as good as Lee Hazlewood at his best (but who is?) and I could have done without the prominent flute on a couple of tracks, but mostly this is a great, magical record.

The internet doesn't turn up much information on Roger Thwaites. The sum of which is roughly: that he recorded at least four more equally rare LPs: '200 Years of Colonial Australia', 'North By Northwest', 'Bound For Glory' and 'Ladies Love Outlaws', that he and his father lived in the small ex-gold mining town south of Sydney and were both involved in recording the area's history, that according to the sleeve notes to '200 Years' (1970): "He numbers among the few Australians who have wiped the dust of such cities as as Ankara, Istanbul, Allepo, Damascus and Baghdad off his shoes," and that Roger is performing a musical history of sheep shearing at next years Canberra's agricultural show! All very intriguing, but perhaps it's time Roger Thwaites got a bit of recognition for 'Age Of Time', and someone got it reissued.

I've picked out two of my favourites below but, honestly the rest of the LP is just as good.

ROGER THWAITES- Dobro Dan

ROGER THWAITES- Gully Raker

NORMIE ROWE- Hello/Home To Stay

Normie Rowe was a huge pop star in 1960s Australia and released many of the eras best selling records, some of which were pretty darn good. His career was cut short after being drafted into the army in 1967 with subsequent service in Vietnam. 'Hello', released in 1970 was his only post army hit. The A side, despite some interesting lite-psychedelic backing, is basically a cheesy pop ballad, written by Johnny Young who produced both sides.

'Home To Stay' on the other hand, is an exuberant 'southern' style funk rock tune written by Normie himself. Not sure who the backing band was on this, but the horn section is great, the guitar licks are firey, the drums are definitely funky; while Normie's vocal are fun and exciting. Certainly worth a listen.

NORMIE ROWE- Hello

NORMIE ROWE- Home To Stay

The THROB- The Fortune Teller/Believe In Me

The Throb! What a great name for a band, narrowly losing out to New Zealand's Hi-Revving Tongues as my favourite 60s Antipodean band name. The Throb were another legendary Australian mid-60s group with a great live reputation, leather clad image, and one further classic single ('Black' also released in 1966).

Again this is a 7" I have lusted after for a years, ever since hearing 'Believe In Me' on a compilation (I think, one of the Digging For Gold series). Apparently this record is generally sought after for the "better than the stones" cover of 'Fortune Teller', which is pretty good, though I prefer the Tony Jackson version which is in a similar vein.

More to my taste is the band original, 'Believe In Me' and it turns out the late great Dean Mittelhauser agreed with me. Here's an extract from his indispensable oz beat fanzine, The Livin' End: "...every time I reach for this single, I instinctively play the B side. "Believe In Me" is real moody - Denny Burgess' sings totally unlike any other of the Throb's fab tracks and you'd be hard pushed to pick this as the Throb. It's an atmospheric mover with this fantastic muted fuzz throughout. But, except for a wyld mini-explosion about three-quarters of the way thru, it's kept on a tight leash (like my fat cocker spaniel!)..." 'nuff said.

THE THROB- The Fortune Teller

THE THROB- Believe In Me

The MASTERS APPRENTICES- Buried and Dead/She's My Girl

Hopefully, now my technical problems are over (I've purchasing a new stylus and moved from yahoo media player to divshare), this blog can get going and I can share some of the really great records I've scored in the last couple of months.

First up is an absolute monster of a 7" that I've adored since first hearing at least 15 years ago on a glorious bootleg compilation named 'Twisted Psychotic Teenage Fuzz-Busters' which was also my first introduction to the likes of Q65, the Monks and The Masters Apprentices other drop dead, sixties punk masterpiece; 'Undecided'.

I'm not sure exactly how rare/expensive 'Buried and Dead' is, but it took me a lot of looking around to find a copy until I got this slightly battered (though great playing) copy from the last Camberwell Record Fair here in Melbourne. As you can see from the photo the middle is popped, obscuring the song title, which is possibly why I got it for less than the cost of my tram fare.

'Buried and Dead' was Adelaide band, the Masters Apprentices second single, and to my ears is pretty unique sounding thing: huge guitar riff, massive drums, snarling, grunting punk/r'n'b vocal, with a nice 1967 sound effect and kinda raga section which don't detract from the rawness and aggression of the recording and performance. I guess if it was an English record you might call it 'freakbeat' but perhaps it owes more to the slightly earlier proto metal of 'You Really Got Me' era Kinks or the Easybeats' 'Sorry' and parallels the sort of records The Unrelated Segments were blasting out of Detroit at the same time.

The B-side is a great song in it's own right, if not up to the dizzying coolness of the top side, 'She's My Girl' is a kind of mid paced early Stones/Pretty Things bluesy number with another brilliant vocal from Jim Keays who snarls and slobbers over the top, telling us how he's not worthy of his girls attentions.

The Masters Apprentices went on to become one of the biggest bands in Australia right up to the early 70s, and made lots of great records, but for me 'Buried and Dead' and 'Undecided' (anyone got a spare?) will always remain their finest waxings.

THE MASTERS APPRENTICES- Buried and Dead

THE MASTER'S APPRENTICES- She's My Girl

And here is an amazing, and appropriately Halloweeny, promo film the band made for 'Buried and Dead':

DOUG ASHDOWN- Source

This album is a real beauty. I'm sure if it was an American or British release it would go for stupid money, not the $14 I spent. I love the cover which uses the same template as the great United States of America album also on CBS, perhaps there are more LPs with this design?

Doug Ashdown was an early folky from Adelade, who later became a successful country artist and songwriter both in Australia and the US, and Source, released in 1968, was his third LP. It seems that CBS had recognised his potential early on and may have brought him out to the USA before this LP was made (my info isn't very clear on this). The recordings on Source certainly seem steeped in the folk/country/psych/singer-songwriter thing happening in LA at the time. Brilliantly chosen and challenging covers, by the likes of Fred Neil (The Dolphins), Leonard Cohen (Suzanne), the Byrds (5 D), are given a very personal stamp with relatively spare arrangements, making the most of Doug's big beautiful voice, which at times reaches Fred Neil like intensity and purity, and 12 string guitar, alongside restrained flute, tablas, piano and occasional psychedelic studio effects. A couple of great originals 'Something Strange' and 'Gambaraga', and the opener 'He's All These Things' (composed by Dave Guard once of the Kingston Trio, who after moving to Australia in 1962 became a lynchpin of the progressive Australia folk scene) ramp up the more outsider freak folk vibe, with mystic/religious lyrics and subtly exotic, psychedelic instrumentation.

Source is a fine record with no bum tracks, that I would happily compare to some of my favourite LPs by the likes of Bob Lind, Fred Neil, Gene Clark, the Beau Brummels, et al. Now I just have to find a copy of Doug's 1970 double album of orchestrated country weirdness called The Age of Mouse...

DOUG ASHDOWN- He's All These Things

DOUG ASHDOWN- Something Strange

The LOVED ONES- More Than Love

I was completely unaware of The Loved Ones until I picked up this 7" (in Revolve, a great little Sydney shop), but they now stand as one of my favourite Oz groups. The Loved Ones have a quite distinct sound, apparently their unusual time signature and chord choices were influenced by their origins as a trad jazz band! Singer Gerry Humphries as a superb intense voice a little like Eric Burdon but with more of an American garage snarl. More Than Love is the flip side of the slightly more poppy (though still pretty weird) Ever Lovin' Man.

The LOVED ONES- More Than Love

The Loved Ones released a string of equally strong singles and one album, and are to this day legendary in the annals of Australian rock history (INXS covered The Loved One to great success). There is CD collection of these singles available here and below is some atmospheric footage of the The Loved Ones miming to The Loved One.

First post! The EASYBEATS- Sorry

Welcome!

Being someone who buys his records from wherever I find them (I don't allow myself to use ebay as I couldn't be trusted with my rent money), moving to Australia opens up a whole new world of music to me. The 1960s Australian pop scene had many of the same influences as the UK and USA but was isolated enough to be a sort of parallel pop universe, where the chart topping acts of the day often didn't get a release outside of Australia/New Zealand. For me this is great!

I love 60s pop, psych, garage etc, but having immersed myself in this stuff since the age of 14, I'm pretty familiar with what's available in the UK. Here though, I can pick up great singles for a few dollars by acts I had never heard of.

The Easybeats aren't quite in this bracket, as I've heard most of their songs through best of LPs. But the early (and best!) Easybeats singles didn't do much damage to the British charts, if they were released at all? So suffice to say I've been hoovering up these great slabs of RnB pop as fast as I can find them. 'Sorry' is probably my favourite and should have been a worldwide smash on a par with the Kinks or the Who's early records.