The Groop - 1966 - The Groop

Ol Hound Dog/Gloria/The Best In Africa/It Must Be Love


 

The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Australia and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian Cadd on keyboards and vocals, and Ronnie Charles on vocals. The Wesley Trio formed early in 1964 with Ross, Wright and Peter McKeddie on vocals; they were renamed The Groop at the end of the year.

The Groop's best known hit single "Woman You're Breaking Me" was released in 1967, the band won a trip to United Kingdom but had little success there. Other singles included "Ol' Hound Dog", "Best in Africa", "I'm Satisfied", "Sorry", "Seems More Important to Me" and "Such a Lovely Way".

When The Groop disbanded in 1969, Cadd and Mudie formed Axiom with Glenn Shorrock (later in Little River Band). Cadd was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2007, for his work with The Groop, Axiom and as a solo artist.

1964–1966: The Groop mark

The Wesley Trio was formed as a folk music group in 1964 with Peter McKeddie on vocals, Max Ross on bass guitar and Richard Wright on drums; all three were students from Wesley College, a private school in Melbourne. The trio signed with CBS Records Melbourne, which released a single, an EP and an album.

They decided to become more R&B orientated and placed an ad for a guitarist, and, with Peter Bruce joining, they were renamed The Groop in late 1964. At the time, Bruce (originally from England) claimed that he had been a member of UK pop group Dave Clark Five in their early years as Dave Clark Quintet in 1957. In a 2002 interview, Bruce admitted that he had only been in a support act, The Hill City Skiffle Group and never actually in Dave Clark's band. The Groop had success on the Melbourne singles chart with "Ol' Hound Dog" reaching No. 13, "Best in Africa" No. 10 and "I'm Satisfied" No. 21 in 1966. They were assisted by positive reviews from Ian "Molly" Meldrum writer for national pop magazine Go-Set who had earlier been their roadie. This version of The Groop also recorded two albums, The Groop (1965) and I'm Satisfied (1966) both on CBS Records. In August 1966, founders McKeddie and Bruce left, but instead of disbanding the Rhythm section of Ross and Wright invited Don Mudie (ex-Sherwood Green) to join on guitars. At McKeddie's farewell party – he was travelling to UK – The Groop were supported by another R&B outfit The Jackson Kings. The Groop invited their keyboardist Brian Cadd to join, Cadd insisted on bringing along bandmate Ronnie Charles (Ron Boromeo) as vocalist.

AC DC - 1979 - Girls Got Rhythm

Girls Got Rhythm/If You Want Blood (You've Got It)/Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be/Rock 'N' Roll Damnation



AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who continued as members until Malcolm's illness and departure in 2014. Commonly referred to as a hard rock or blues rock band, they are also considered pioneers of heavy metal and are sometimes classified as such, though they have always dubbed their music as simply "rock and roll".

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, on 17 February 1975; Malcolm and Angus were the only original members left in the band. Membership subsequently stabilised until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album Powerage. Within months of recording the album Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980 after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group considered disbanding, but buoyed by support from Scott's parents, decided to continue and set about finding a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released the new album, Back in Black, which was made as a tribute to Bon Scott. The album launched them to new heights of success and became their all-time best-seller.

La De Das - 1967 - Stupidity

Stupidity/Coming Home/I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore/Respect



The La De Das were a leading New Zealand rock band of the 1960s and early 1970s. Formed in New Zealand in 1963 as The Mergers, they enjoyed considerable success in both New Zealand and Australia until their split in 1975.

In Australia the band is probably best known as the launching place for the career of guitarist Kevin Borich, and for their recording of the first Australasian rock concept album, The Happy Prince (EMI, 1968).


 

Ray Columbus And The Invaders - 1965 - She's A Mod

She's A Mod/I Wanna Be Your Man/C'mon & Swim/Yo Yo


One of the best New Zealand groups of the '60s, and the first to successfully react to the changes wrought by the British Invasion. Starting out as a fairly accomplished outfit in the mold of Cliff Richard & the Shadows, though rawer, the group hit the top of the charts in both New Zealand and Australia with "She's a Mod" in 1964. A cover of an obscure British beat single by the equally obscure Senators, it took obvious inspiration from "She Loves You" with its "yeah-yeah" chorus, but it was a strong harmony rocker that was one of the biggest singles of the '60s in Australia. Although their biggest hit was quite Beatlesque, most of the group's repertoire (much of it self-penned) was in a decidedly more pronounced R&B direction. The Invaders would have most likely ground ashore had they actually made a determined effort to invade the U.S. or U.K. markets, but they were a decent outfit that stood way above most other Kiwi acts in 1964. The group managed a few more New Zealand hits, but couldn't crack Australia in as big a way again before splitting in 1966. Ray Columbus actually tried to crack the States as a solo artist for a year or two, recording the collectable psychedelic "Kick Me" single with a California group, the Art Collection.


 

Allusions - The Dancer

Gypsy Woman/Looks Like Trouble/Roller Coaster Man/The Dancer


The Allusions was a Sydney-based quintet that burst out of nowhere in 1966, scoring a couple of major hits in Sydney. Although they disappeared into obscurity after their short career ended, this is a band that deserves much more recognition.

The Allusions formed in late 1965, its members drawn from several other accomplished Sydney groups, and boasting four singers. Their leader, singer-guitarist-composer Mike Morris, had previously played with Dennis & The Dellawares; Terry Hearne had been the bassist in popular instrumental group The Dave Bridge Trio, led by ace gutarist and Joy Boys founder-member Dave Bridge. Terry Chapman and Kevin Hughes had both been members of the early '60s Sydney surf band The Midnighters.

Within a short time of forming, The Allusions were signed to Robert Iredale's Leopold Productions, one of Australia's first independent record production companies (which had also recently signed Max Merritt & the Meteors) and their recordings were issued on EMI's Parlophone label. It's possible that their rapid signing came about because Robert Iredale was already familiar with Morris' talent -- it's known that The Dellawares provided backing for The Bee Gees on some of the trio's early recordings, which Iredale had produced.

The Allusions shot to prominence in early 1966 with their captivatingly melodic version of the old Rick Nelson hit "Gypsy Woman", backed with "Fever (Burns My Brain)", a Mike Morris original. The single proved a disc-jockey's dream, securing solid airplay on Sydney's 2SM and 2UW, registering impressive sales and peaking at #12. The Allusions' reading in turn inspired The Saints to record the song as a single B-side in 1981.

With this hit under their belt, the group was given the opportunity to record two original songs (both penned by Morris) for their mesmerising follow-up. "The Dancer" / "Roller Coaster Man" developed the polished sound and strong harmonies of their debut, and echoed The Beatles' "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You". The A-side, the song for which they are best remembered, fared even better than their debut, making the Sydney Top Ten (#9) and giving great hopes for this 'mysterious' outfit among punters and pundits alike. However, because of the parochial nature of radio and the pop scene at the time, The Allusions' chart success was limited entirely to Sydney, and their Singles made no impact whatsoever in Melbourne.

Morris' impressive songwriting ability and the success of the two singles persuaded Iredale to finance the recording of a full album -- a comparitively rare occurrence at that time for a new and relatively unproven group. The original LP is now a sought-after rarity, with copies changing hands for as much as $50; copies with the older-style black Parlophone label are particularly sought-after. Happily all the tracks from this rare gem of mid-Sixties OzPop have been included in the complete Allusions Anthology, recently released by Canetoad Records (see below).

The LP contains a variety of material, mixing originals by Morris with covers such as Smokey Robinson's "Shop Around". Some commentators have been rather critical of the album, reserving particular scorn for the song "I Believe", but Chris Spencer opines that "it's not as bad as some make us believe, and doesn't sound out of place on this collection".

The late Gary Aurisch, who wrote the only book about the band (available from Chris Spencer's Moonlight Publishing) describes the album thus:

"It remains a versatile work crammed with intelligently crafted pop songs, most of which are adorned with nifty little guitar solos and carefully thought-out, unobtrusive harmony".

Terry Chapman quit the band in July 1966, not long before their third single was recorded, apparently unhappy with the Beatles-ish direction in which Morris was taking them. He went on to join one of Australia's first psychedelic groups, The Knack, which included drummer Craig Collinge, formerly of The Librettos and later of Procession. Chapman's replacement was Bruce Davis, who had worked with Morris in The Dellawares.

Their third single "Looks Like Trouble" (Oct. 1966) didn't chart, although the follow-up "Roundabout" (another Morris original, released in March 1967) managed to scrape into the bottom of the Top 40. An EP, The Dancer, followed in April, compiling the A-sides from the first three Singles, plus "Roller Coaster Man".

According to Vernon Joyson, some time during 1967 The Allusions also recorded as the (uncredited) backing band for Digger Revell on his LP To Whom It May Concern. Another Allusions curiosity from this period is a promotional single -- which the group recorded under the pseudonym The Telemen -- the A-side of which was a version of the theme from the popular TV sitcom My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?.

The Allusions released two more Singles, "Seven Days Of Rain" (July 1967) and "Mr Love" (February 1968), but neither was successful. Between these two releases, Mike Morris left the band in late 1967, and he was replaced by John Spence. The Allusions continued as a four-piece until October 1968, when Terry Hearne quit to join Digger Revell's backing band. Mike Morris then rejoined, to raise money for an overseas trip, but by this time the momentum of their early success had dissipated, and in the face of changing trends they split for good in early 1969.

Not much is known about what happened to the members after their brief spell in the limelight; what little we have gleaned comes from Vernon Joyson's entry on the band in his book. Mike Morris worked with a number of local country-rock bands after returning to Australia. Terry Hearne was reported to be still playing with Digger Revell in the 1990s, although that was presumably ended by Digger's arrest conviction on charges of marijuana cultivation and trafficking, and his subsequent incarceration. Sadly, drummer Kevin Hughes committed suicide in 1975.

The Allusions left behind a fine batch of records that are highly sought after by collectors of quality sixties Aussie pop. The evidence we have is that they could indeed "rock out" -- exemplified by the spirited cover of The Kinks' "I Gotta Move" on the LP, which arguably rivals the original -- along with strong similarities to other early beat-boom merchants like The Zombies and The Searchers. They used "I Feel Fine"-style guitar feedback too, before it was remotely de rigeur. If this band will be remembered at all though (and they should be), it would be for their extremely tight and inventive sound, those complex vocal harmonies, and their mastery of the three-minute beat-pop single idiom.

A handful of The Allusions' recordings were reissued on vinyl, and later on CD, and for these we must (as usual) say thanks to Glenn A. Baker and the wonderful people at Raven. If you can get your hands on a copy, there are five Allusions tracks -- "Gypsy Woman", "Fever Burns My Brain", "I Gotta Move", "Looks Like Trouble" and "The Dancer" -- included on Raven's excellent 1981 anthology LP Five By Four.

Prior to 2003, only three tracks had made it onto CD -- "The Dancer" is on Volume 2 of Raven's Sixties Downunder series, and "Gypsy Woman" is on Volume 3; "I Gotta Move" is included on the bootleg compilation Devil's Children, Volume 1, which is a lot harder to find.

Happily, the entire Allusions oeuvre is now available on CD at last thanks to David McLean and Canetoad Records. The original recordings have been remastered for CD and the 21-track disc includes all the single A- and B-sides and all the tracks from the album, plus the two tracks that they recorded as The Telemen. Liner notes are by David McLean, with contributions from Terry Hearne.

Original article by Paul Culnane (Milesago)

Love Machine - Love Machine

The Lion Sleeps Tonight/The Lonely Hearts Club Christmas Party/May My Heart Be Cast Into Stone/Keep Searchin'


Originally Known as the Black Diamonds and formed in 1967 in Lithgow N.S.W. they released 2 singles "See The Way" / "I Want, Need, Love You" and "Outside Lookin' In" / "Not this Time".
 By 1968 they had changed their name to Tympiece It was at this time that Pat Aulton approached them to record a version of The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to promote the opening of Stafford Bullen's African Lion Safari at Warragamba, NSW. For the purposes of the single the group worked under the name The Love Machine. The song was a hit, but the band members then returned on to their own music, although Pat continued releasing material under the Love Machine moniker, using different musicians, until 1970.
 As tympiece they released three Singles on the Festival label, beginning with "Bird in the Tree" / "I Gotta Know What You're Like" in August 1968, followed by a cover of The Small Faces' "Become Like You" b/w "Give a Little More" in November 1969 and "Won't You Try?" b/w "Down and Out" in October 1970.
Tymepiece then moved to Festival's progressive subsidiary label Infinity for the release of their ultra-rare debut album, Sweet Release (February 1971).

Pink Finks - 1979 - Raven EP

Louie Louie/Back Door Man/Comin' Home Baby/You're Good For Me/Rub My Root/Somethiin' Else/Untie Me


The Pink Finks is an very notable group, being the first in the series of bands featuring Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford, which eventually culminated in the hugely successful Daddy Cool. The Finks formed in early 1965 when 16 year-old R&B fanatic Ross Wilson joined forces with Ross Hannaford's schoolboy outfit The Fauves, which played Shadows and Ventures covers.

They were a part-time band, since the members were all still at school at the time. Hannaford, who was only 14 when the band formed, was often driven to gigs by his mum, and had to be sneaked in and out of the licensed venues they played at because he was underage. Inspired by the onslaught of English groups like The Stolling Stones, The Pretty Things and The Yardbirds, the young band's repertoire was chiefly R&B and blues covers.

David Cameron replaced original rhythm guitarist Rick Dalton in early 1965; Dalton later joined Running Jumping Standing Still with ex-Missing Links members Andy Anderson and Doug Ford. The Finks released four singles during their brief career; their first was their raucous version of The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" released on the Finks' own label, Mojo (whose label was designed by Ross Wilson's brother Bruce) and it gave them an early taste of success when it was a local hit (#16) in Melbourne in June 1965.

Michael Edwards was added on trumpet and sax in August '66, but the group folded at the end of the year when Franklin, Cameron and Ratz left to go to university. It appears from the information in Who's Who of Australian Rock & Roll that they were replaced, at least temporarily, by Kinman, Landsdowne and Jimmy Niven, although in what capacity they contributed is not known. (Jimmy Niven was later a member of The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band (1973-76) and Sports (1976-80).  Wilson and Hannaford moved on to Party Machine, Sons Of The Vegetal Mother, Daddy Cool, and Mighty Kong.

Campact - Living In The Sixties

Drawing Room/I'm Your Puppet/Wasted On A Fantasy/Break It To Me Slowly


Cam-Pact were formed in Melbourne in April 1967 with a line up of Mark Barnes on bass guitar (ex-Moppa Blues, Roadrunners, Delta Set); Keith Glass on vocals and guitar (Rising Sons, Eighteenth Century Quartet); John Pugh on guitar, vocals and autoharp (Roadrunners, Delta Set, Eighteenth Century Quartet); Chris Stockley on guitar (Roadrunners, Delta Set); and Bob Lloyd (aka Bob Tregilgus) on drums Originally named The Camp Act but, as that was "too outrageous", they soon changed to Cam-Pact. Initially they performed soul music in the Stax Records and Tamla-Motown mould. By 1968 Greg Cook, on organ and guitar, had replaced Pugh; and Trevor Courtney had replaced Lloyd on drums.

In March 1968 they issued their debut single, "Something Easy", on Festival Records followed by a four-track extended play of the same name. The track was written by Glass. Their second single, "Drawing Room", appeared in May and was also written by Glass. It was followed by a third single, "Good Good Feelin'", in September, which was co-written by Cook and Courtney. Late that year Barnes left and Glass took up bass guitar. The group issued a fourth single, "Potion of Love", in June 1969. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described these singles as "fine examples of late 1960s psychedelic pop".

By mid-1969 Glass had left to join the cast of Hair and Stockley left to join Axiom, and they were replaced by Chris Löfvén on bass guitar and Russell Smith on guitar, respectively. The group issued a second EP, Cam-Pact / Pastoral Symphony, with two tracks by Cam-Pact and two by label mates, Pastoral Symphony, which were a studio ensemble. Soon after Cook was replaced in Cam-Pact by Bill Blissett on organ and vocals. In September that year they released another single, "Zoom Zoom Zoom", and an EP of that name.

Early in 1970 Ray Arnott (ex-Chelsea Set, Browns) replaced Courtney on drums and Cliff Edwards replaced Löfvén on bass guitar. They toured to Sydney with Matt Taylor guesting on lead vocals (ex-Wild Cherries). A three-piece line up of Arnott, Edwards and Smith continued until March 1970 before the trio formed Company Caine with Gulliver Smith on lead vocals and Jeremy Noone on saxophone.

Fraternity - Fraternity

If You got It/You have a God/ Raglan's Folly




Fraternity were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott (who later joined AC/DC), John Swan (who also played drums and later had a solo career), and his brother Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel). Their biggest local hit was a cover version of "Seasons of Change" which peaked at No. 1 in Adelaide, but nationally it was overrun by the original Blackfeather version. The group won the 1971 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds with the prize being a free trip to London. Fraternity went through various line-ups and was renamed as Fang, Fraternity (again), Some Dream and finished as Mickey Finn in 1981.


Fraternity were formed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in early 1970 by four ex-members of the recently-split Levi Smith's Clefs, John Bisset on keyboards, Tony Buettel on drums, Bruce Howe on bass guitar and vocals, and Mick Jurd on lead guitar. The band recorded their debut single, "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" which was issued on the Sweet Peach label in October. Howe was looking for a lead vocalist and called on Bon Scott, whose group The Valentines had just disbanded. They signed with Nova Agencies who also managed Sydney rockers, Blackfeather and their guitarist John Robinson would often jam with Fraternity. Early gigs were at Jonathon's Disco on Broadway in Sydney.
Scott was invited to play recorder on the Blackfeather track "Seasons of Change" for that band's debut album, At the Mountains of Madness. John Freeman (Levi Smith's Clefs) replaced Buettel on drums and Fraternity recorded their debut album, Livestock, which was produced by Doug Ashdown and Jim Stewart. By the album's release in early 1971, Fraternity relocated to Adelaide and lived on a farm. They signed with a new manager, Hamish Henry, and issued a new single, "Livestock" in January. They followed with their cover of "Seasons of Change" in March. The song sold well and became a No. 1 hit in Adelaide – it reached No. 51 on the Go-Set National Top 60. Upon learning of Fraternity's success in Adelaide, Blackfeather quickly released their version, which overran Fraternity's and reached No. 15.

John Ayers (ex-No Sweat) joined on harmonica and vocals in May. Fraternity won the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds – a national performance competition between the best bands representing each state – with the prize being a free trip to London. Scott's previous band, The Valentines, had been a finalist two years earlier. By September, Fraternity were touted as "The Next Big Band" by teen magazine, Go-Set. Sam See (Sherbet, The Flying Circus) joined on piano and slide guitar that month. They recorded their second album, Flaming Galah, produced by Grape Productions, which appeared in April 1972. By that time, the band had taken their trip to London and attempted to crack the United Kingdom market. Bissett left to return to Australia and was followed out of the band by See who rejoined The Flying Circus (now based in Canada).
Fraternity were renamed as Fang in early 1973, but the band had stalled and was gradually disintegrating, with the remaining members returning to Australia by the year's end. Some members joined the loosely-knit Mount Lofty Rangers project with fellow Adelaide-based Headband members. Scott recorded a couple of songs with Mount Lofty Rangers before being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in early 1974. When Scott had recovered, he joined heavy rockers AC/DC in Sydney.

Late in 1974, Fraternity reformed with Ayers, Freeman, and Howe joined by Mauri Berg (Headband) on guitar, Peter Bersee on violin and John Swan (Hard Time Killing Floor) on lead vocals. In mid-1975, Freeman left and Swan switched to drums with his younger brother, Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel) joining on lead vocals. By late 1975 Fraternity was renamed Some Dream, Barnes returned to Cold Chisel. Swan resumed lead vocals but left in 1976 and, under the name Swanee, had a solo career.
In 1978, Some Dream was renamed Mickey Finn, which comprised Ayers, Bateman, Berg and Howe. By 1980, Freeman had rejoined and a second guitarist, Stan Koritni, was added. Mickey Finn cut a self-titled album for the Eureka label and released two singles in 1980 and 1981 before finally disbanding.

The Thunderbirds - The Thunderbird's Big 6

Wild Weekend/Delilah/Machine Gun/Teen Scene/Theme From 'The Ratrace'/New Orleans Beat



Formed- 1957 Style: Rock 'n'roll
Original line-up: Laurie Bell (lead guitar, vocals), Mickey Borg (guitar, vocals), Don Henderson (rhythm guitar, Marion Grossman (piano, vocals), Frank Tenni (sax, Harold Frith (drums)

Drummer Harold Frith formed the first line-up of The Thunderbirds in September 1957.
That line-up was short-lived, in early 1958, Frith and Bell re-formed The Thunderbirds with Murray Robertson (piano) and Peter Robinson (bass). Colin Cook (ex-Sapphires) then joined on sax. Graham Lyall (sax, flute; ex-Sapphires) joined towards the end of 1958. By that
stage, The Thunderbirds had also incorporated three featured vocalists into the line-up, Billy Owen, Billy O'Rourke and Judy Cannon. The Thunderbirds became resident group at Earl's Court in St Kilda, playing there Saturday night ,Sunday Afternoon and Sunday Nights

The Thunderbirds achieved an enormous level of popularity. they were the bastions of Melbourne's early 1960s rock scene alongside The Phantoms, The Strangers, The Chessmen
The Breakaways, The Saxons, The Fabulous Blue Jays, The Marksmen and The Playboys. The Thunderbirds backed many solo singers on the Melbourne dance circuit, and' virtually became resident band for Ron Tudor's W&G label during the early 1960s. Interestingly The Thunderbirds were not the first Melbourne rock'n 'roll group to record (Henri Bource All Stars are credited with having issued the very first Australian rock'n 'roll album, Rock'n 'Roll Party, on the Planet label in 1958 ).

In late 1959, The Thunderbirds signed to Festival's Rex label which resulted in the release of two EP's and two singles. Owen, O'Rourke and Cannon sang a song each on the band's debut EP, Rex 4 Star (completed by one instrumental track,Henry Mancini’s `Peter Gunn' later covered by Duane Eddy).Owen and O'Rourke sang two songs each on the second EP, The Thunderbirds, and the debut single `Running Bear'/`Blue Woman' (1959). Judy Cannon took vocal honors on the second single, `Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me'/`Laughing on the Outside' (April 1960). Laurie Bell left the group shortly after these recording sessions to pursue a career as a 'Jazz guitarist and Musical Director, he was replaced by Charles Gauld.

By the end of 1960, The Thunderbirds' line-up comprised Frith and Robertson, plus newcomers Henri Bource (sax, flute; ex-Henri Bource All Stars)Gordon Only (bass; ex-Malcolm Arthur and the Knights) and 17-year-old Charles Gauld (guitar).

Colin Cook had also left the Thunderbirds by this time and went on to enjoy a very successful solo career. Peter Robinson, joined Sydney band 'Ray Hoff and Offbeats' and eventually went on, to found 'The Strangers in 1961. The Thunderbirds left Rex and, with help from top Melbourne DJ Stan Rofe, signed a new deal with the W&G label. The Thunderbirds recorded for W&G as an instrumental outfit. The band's run of singles comprised a cover of The Rockin' Rebels' `Wild Weekend'/`Theme from the Rat Race' (February 1961), `New Orleans Beat'/`Delilah' (April 1961), The Riptides' `MachineGun'/`Teen Scene' (June 1961) The Royaltones' `Royal Whirl'/`Yippee Hoedown' (December 1961), `Dardanella'/`What Me Worry-' (1962), 'Wild Weekend'/`Yippee Hoedown' (reissued 1962), The Markeys' `One Degree North'/`Amarillo Stomp' (1962) and `Pink Dominoes Walk on the Wild Side' (1962), 13, 10 and #16 respectively.

All six sides of those three singles appeared as the EP The Thunderbirds' Big 6 in late 1961. English label Oriole Issued the `Wild Weekend' and `New Orleans Beat' singles in the UK. The Melbourne label also issued `Wild Weekend' in the USA.

`Wild Weekend' must rank alongside The Atlantics 1963 hit `Bombora' as one of the most successful Australian instrumental singles of all-time. At the end of 1961, The Thunderbirds supported and provided the musical backing for Roy Orbison, Jack Scott, Ray Peterson , Dion and Johnny Chester on their package tour of Australia. That was followed with a support slot to Cliff Richard and the Shadows, alongside The Allen Brothers, Andy Ellis and Judy Stone. In 1962 The Thunderbirds appeared on the live album Quite a Party issued on W&G's budget Gem label. The band featured on three instrumental tracks, as well as providing backing for Johnny Chester, Noel Watson and Jillian Buckley.

By that stage, The Thunderbirds had backed a number of solo artists both on record and on tour. They included Johnny Chester, Colin Buckley, Betty McQuade (`Midnight Bus'), Bobby Cookson and the Thin Men. Tony Buchanan (ex-Premiers, Planets) played sax on the Thin Men's single `Here She Comes'/`Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)' having replaced Henri Bource, who joined The Planets. Normie Rowe and Marcia Jones also began their
singing careers fronting The Thunderbirds at the Preston Town Hall dances. who were were augmented by a brass section of Ken Jones (baritone sax), Norman Robertson (tenor sax) and Ivan Cocking (trombone) for their appearances at Preston Town Hall.
The Thunderbirds went on to appear with Helen Shapiro, Fabian, Lonnie Lee, Johnny O'Keefe, Lucky Starr and The Bee Gees at various concerts. In 1964, Terry Clark replaced Murray Robertson on piano. A year later, Clark and Gordon Onley left The Thunderbirds and by the end of 1965, the band had called it a day.

Gauld and Frith formed The Charlie Gauld Trio with Frank McMahon (bass; ex-Chessmen). Noel Tresider (ex-Premiers) later joined on keyboards. Gauld went on to be resident guitar player for W&G Records, and lead guitarist and musical arranger for the Brian May
ABC Show Band. Frith played with Nite Trane, Doctor Feelgood, The Promised Band and 1970s country-rock band Saltbush. Bource performed with The Planets and The Johnny Donohue Quartet before retiring following a near-fatal shark attack in November 1964.
Murray Robertson became musical director for Merv Benton, and in 1983 he and Bource formed The Allstars. Billed as `Australia's most authentic 1950s group', The Allstars included
former members of The Planets, The Blue Echoes, The Chessmen, Jigsaw.

In 1983, The Thunderbirds re-formed briefly for a 1960s revival concert. The line-up was Charles Gauld, Henri Bource, Murray Robertson, Gordon Onley and Harold Frith. The night also included performances by Judy Cannon, Betty McQuade, Malcolm Arthur and Billy Owen.

In 1990, the Canetoad label issued The W&G Instrumental Story which included 17 Thunderbirds' tracks on the collection. .Other bands featured were The Strangers, The Cherokees, The Phantoms, The Breakaways, The Marksmen and The Saxons.
Canetoad also compiled most of The Thunderbirds' best-known tracks for the collection.
The W&G Instrumental Story Volume Two.

In the mid-1990s, Frith, Peter Robinson, Dan Robinson (vocals; ex-Wild Cherries) and another Melbourne mainstay, Les Stacpool (ex-Chessmen, Merv Benton and the Tamlas, Levi Smith's Clefs, Rockwell T. James and the Rhythm Aces), formed Rite on the Nite.

In 1996, at the suggestion of promoter, Greg Lynch, The original Thunderbirds Harold Frith, Laurie Bell, Henri Bource, Peter Robinson and Murray Robertson got together for a one off concert at The Elvis Presley Fan Club dance at the Moorabbin Town Hall. The reception the guys received was so enthusiastic that further concerts were inevitable and a decision to continue to record was made. Over 40 tracks are now in the archives. The guys continue to work together in the studio, and plan to release a lot more archival and newly written titles
on a regular basis.

In 2007 the Thunderbirds celebrated 50 years together with a group of Concerts at leading Melbourne venues coinciding with the release of their CD " The Thunderbirds in the 21st Century. They continue as the original group to perform and record

Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop, Ian McFarlane

Johnny Devlin - 1961 - Devlin Sings Devlin

Gold Diggin' Doll/Bad One/Mister Man In The Moon/Baby I Miss You So



Johnny Devlin was New Zealand's first true superstar of the rock & roll era, a teen idol whose national fame and revolutionary impact made him a Kiwi counterpart to Elvis Presley. Born May 11, 1938 in the small town of Raetihi, Devlin was raised in nearby Wanganui, where in 1951 he made his solo performing debut yodeling at the local opera house. After graduating high school, he spent two years as a bank clerk, occasionally playing country & western music with his brothers in a band called the River City Ramblers. Then, in mid-1956, Devlin heard Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel"; overnight he became obsessed with rock & roll, snatching up Presley singles and performing Elvis songs on the amateur talent quest circuit. Complete with ducktail, loud suits, and hepcat lingo, he assimilated himself completely in the culture portrayed in American teen movies of the era, earning something of a reputation as the town eccentric.

Although Devlin regularly appeared in talent contests, he at first enjoyed little success, but in early 1957, he was spotted by Johnny Cooper, who had cut the first-ever New Zealand rock record, a cover of Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock," two years prior. Cooper became Devlin's mentor, and his career surged, he regularly won top honors at talent shows and played to increasingly enthusiastic crowds. After settling into a regular gig at Auckland's Jive Centre, Devlin's fame grew, and his nightly sets of dead-on Presley imitations were the stuff of massive teen hysteria; finally, in mid-1958, he recorded his debut single, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy." It was a massive hit, selling over 2000 copies in Auckland alone during its first month of release on its way to passing the unprecedented five-figure mark; trumpeted in the press as "New Zealand's Elvis Presley," Devlin was a true phenomenon, mobbed by fans wherever he went.

Between November 1958 and May 1959, Devlin's label Prestige released some eight singles, three EPs, and an LP, amounting to total sales of over 200,000 copies; with his backing band the Devils in tow, he toured the country, playing everywhere to capacity crowds. However, more conservative quarters were outraged over the hysteria and destruction left in Devlin's wake, and as more and more theater managers became wary of booking the band, his career began to slip. For his part, Devlin was becoming increasingly disillusioned, with backstage bickering and record-label trickery leaving him more and more disgusted by fame; in May 1959,he and the Devils toured Australia as part of a package tour including the Everly Brothers and Tab Hunter, and by the time they returned home, the ballyhoo had died down. Still, Devlin remains the benchmark by which all New Zealand phenoms are judged; no one was ever bigger among Kiwi teens except the Beatles, whose opening act during their 1964 NZ tour was none other than Johnny Devlin himself.


Thanks to Geoff G. for another Johnny Devlin EP

Johnny Young - 1968 - Every Christian Hearted Man

Every Christian Hearted Man Will Show You/Gino 1&2/Stay With Me Baby/Mr. Reagan 43


Johnny Young (born Johnny Benjamin de Jong, 12 March 1947) is a Dutch Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey, television producer and host. Originally from the Netherlands, his family settled in Perth, Western Australia in the early 1950s. Young had a career in the 1960s as a pop singer and had a number one hit with the double-A-side, "Step Back" and "Cara-lyn" in 1966. As a composer, he penned number one hits, "The Real Thing" and "The Girl That I Love" for Russell Morris, "The Star" for Ross D. Wylie and "I Thank You" for Lionel Rose. He presented and produced the popular television show, Young Talent Time, which screened on Network Ten from 1971 to 1988 – it launched the careers of teen pop stars Jamie Redfern, Debra Byrne, Dannii Minogue and Tina Arena – typically each episode closed with a sing-along rendition of The Beatles song "All My Loving".

On 9 March 1990, Young was inducted into the TV Week Logie Awards' Hall of Fame. On 27 October 2010, he was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame by Arena who performed his song, "The Star". He is the first person to be inducted in both halls.

 

Vince Malony & Vince Maloney Sect

She's A Yum Yum/No Good Without You/Sticks And Stones/Watch Your Step/I Need Your Loving Tonight/Mystery Train


This vocalist and guitarist was a veteran of many sixties groups. Often spelt Melouney, he was in The Vibratones, a Sydney instrumental band who evolved into The Aztecs. He spent 1964-65 in Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs before setting up the short-lived Vince and Tony's Two (with Tony Barber) and his own Vince Maloney's Sect later in 1966. This too was short-lived and followed by spells in The Bee Gees, Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (in the U.K.), Fanny Adams, The Cleves, Flute (a Melbourne band, which existed for only two months and included Leo De Castro before he formed Friends), McAskill, Levi Smith's Clefs and Hot Rocks.


Vince Maloney's Sect

Formed by Maloney in Melbourne in 1966, after Tony Barber had left Vince and Tony's Two, they had a residency on the 'Kommotion' T.V. show. Their cover of U.K. band The Birds' No Good Without You is considered a bit special and their EP included their 45 and two additional tracks; Sticks And Stones and Watch Your Step.

When Maloney was given the opportunity of joining The Bee Gees in England, the writing was on the wall for the 'Sect although Jim Thompson and John Shields formed The Little Bits, backing Peter Doyle and Billy Taylor joined Chirs Hall and The Torquays, Flake and Blackfeather.

Redgum - 1989 - Four Play @320

I Was Only Nineteen/I've Been To Bali Too/The Long Run/The Drover's Dog


Redgum was an Australian folk and political music group formed in Adelaide in 1975 by singer-songwriter John Schumann, Michael Atkinson on guitars/vocals and Verity Truman on flute/vocals; they were soon joined by Chris Timms on violin. All four had been students at Flinders University and together developed an intensely passionate and outspoken outlook. They are best known for their protest song exploring the impact of war in 1983's "I Was Only Nineteen (A Walk in the Light Green)", which peaked at #1 on the National singles charts. The song is in the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) list of Top 30 of All Time Best Australian Songs created in 2001.

Redgum also covered Australian consumer influences on surrounding nations in 1984's "I've Been To Bali Too", both hit singles were written by Schumann. "The Diamantina Drover", written by Timms' replacement, violinist/vocalist Hugh McDonald and "Poor Ned", written by Trevor Lucas of Fairport Convention, are examples of their bush songs. Lucas produced their best performed album, the June 1983 live LP Caught in the Act, which peaked at #3 on the National albums chart. Schumann left the band and pursued a solo career from 1986, Atkinson left in 1987 and Redgum finally disbanded in 1990

Frank Traynor's Jazz Preachers - 1963 - Washinton Square

Washington Square/Sweet Patootie/The Longest Day/Just A Closer Walk With Thee


Frank Traynor (8 August 1927 – 22 February 1985) was an Australian jazz musician, trombonist and entrepreneur based in Melbourne. He led Australia’s longest continuously running jazz band, the Jazz Preachers from 1956 until his death in 1985. He founded the Victorian Jazz Club in 1956. He founded and ran Frank Traynor's Folk and Jazz Club (1963–75), which played a central role in the Australian folk revival. The club featured performers including Martyn Wyndham-Read, Danny Spooner, Brian Mooney, David Lumsden, Trevor Lucas and Margret RoadKnight.

Traynor formed his first band, the Black Bottom Stompers, in 1949. In 1951 he joined the Len Barnard Band and that same year was voted best trombonist in the "Make Way for the Bands" poll. He also made his first recordings with this band. He and his band were also a regular feature at Athol's Abbey, an underground bar and grill on the corner of St Kilda Road and Park Street (known now as the "Domain" beneath the late Domain Hotel, now a commercial complex during the 1970s. Frank and the Jazz Preachers were also a prominent feature of the Melbourne City Council's FEIP program – Free Entertainment in the Parks lunchtime activities during the '70s under the MC of Mr Robert King Crawford, with sound (amplification provided by H. C. McLean and Son Public Address.

Gene Pierson - 1970 - Reach Out

Reach Out/Oh Sweet Love/Leaving On A Jet Plane/I Ain't No Miracle Worker


Gene Pierson was actually Australian Giancarlo Salvestrin. He grew up in Sydney, and came to Auckland in 1966, where he grew his hair, adopted the stage name Gene Pierson and launched a pop singing career.

He performed on the club scene and became quite an attraction, but never made it to star status. He appeared regularly with a group out of Wellington called the Cheshire Katt. During his club performances he impressed enough people to get a recording contract with Zodiac.

His first two singles were released in both New Zealand and Australia, the latter being on Philips. They were "Love Love Love"/"Celeste" in 1966 and "You Got To Me"/"Rainy Day In June" in 1967. They sold reasonable and his name became better known, enough to get him bookings in other parts of the North Island.

His next two singles only appeared in New Zealand and were not as successful. They were "Toyland"/"Matchstick In A Whirlpool" in 1967 and "If You Only Loved Me"/"Just One Tender Look" in 1968. A switch to Festival in 1969 saw the release of "Leaving On A Jet Plane"/"I Ain't No Miracle Worker" and in 1970 "Oh Sweet Lord"/"Reach Out".

"Reach Out" was actually picked up in Australia and became a minor chart success over there, so Gene decided it was time to return home. He had another single in Australia in 1970 on Infinity called "See My Way"/"Teach Me How To Fly" and a final one in 1971 on Festival called "Come On In"/"The Only Living Boy In New York".

Still not being able to crack the big time, Gene moved into the business side of the music industry, where he had better success. He formed Laser Records in Sydney and then created Big Mouth Records. He signed quite a number of successful artists to this label, one of which was Hello Sailor.

 

Screaming Tribesmen - 1982 - Screaming Tribesmen

 I Don't Wanna Know/Lookin' On/Turn On Your Love Light/Trans 43


 The Screaming Tribesmen was a rock band formed in Brisbane by Mick Medew, John Hartley & Murray Shepherd. After their I Don't Wanna Know EP and a string of successful singles, including "A Stand Alone" and their first hit, "Igloo" which was penned by Medew and Died Pretty frontman Ron Peno, the band moved base to Sydney, home of their label Citadel Records.

Johnny Rebb and His Rebels - Come On Let's Go

Come On, Let's Go/Lucky Old Sun/Ring A Rockin'/The Lone Ranger Gonna Get Married


Johnny Rebb, born Donald James Delbridge, (20 March 1939 (Family members say 1935) – 28 July 2014) was an Australian singer.

Rebb began as a country & western singer and was signed with Leedon Records and was dubbed the "Gentleman of Rock" by disc jockeys of the time.

He also replaced Johnny O'Keefe as the MC of Saturday Rock while O'Keefe was in the USA. In the 1960s, with the onslaught of rock'n'roll, Rebb began singing in the band The Atlantics and became their lead singer.

Howard Morrison Quartet - 4 Popular Maori Songs Vol. 1

Hoki Mai/Maringi Noa/Poatarau (Now Is The Hour)/Haere Haere Ra E Hinw



The Howard Morrison Quartet (originally named the Ohinemutu Quartet) was a New Zealand band during the 1950s and early 1960s. The band was formed by Sir Howard Morrison and included Gerry Merito, Wi Wharekura and Noel Kingi.

Howard Morrison was born in Rotorua in 1935, in a rugby-playing family. He died in Rotorua 24 September 2009. In 1955, while working as a surveyor's chainman, he started putting together vocal groups to entertain at rugby club socials in Rotorua. In 1956 he toured Australia as a member of the Aotearoa Concert Party.

On his return, he heard guitarist Gerry Merito and put together a group with Gerry and two others, Wi Wharekura and Noel Kingi, and named the group Howard Morrison Quartet. In 1958 they became part of Benny Levin's touring 'Pop Jamboree.' A recording they made of "Hoki Mai/ Po Karekare Ana" sold well, and in 1959 their parody of "The Battle Of New Orleans," recorded as The Battle Of The Waikato, became one of their biggest hits.

In 1960 they were so popular their managers released 13 singles, 3 EP's and 2 LP's. Another parody of Lonnie Donegan, "My Old Man's A Dustman" was rewritten by Gerry Merito as "My Old Man's An All Black." This was highly topical because of the huge controversy over Maoris not being allowed to tour South Africa with that year's All Blacks.

Moving into 1962, two of their singles were more parodies, with Ray Steven's "Ahab The Arab" becoming "Mori The Hori" and Pat Boone's "Speedy Gonzales" becoming "George The Wilder Colonial Boy", celebrating the exploits of escaped convict George Wilder.

Due to the constant touring and absence from families, the quartet disbanded in 1965 but have occasionally re-united in various incarnations over the subsequent years.

Rob E G - 1963 - 5-4-3-2-1-Zero!

5-4-3-2-1-Zero!/Jamaican Farewell/Fourty Miles Of Bad Road/Zanzibar


An Australian country, pop/rock musician, producer and record label owner.

Beginning in 1959 he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. He provided four top ten hits including two #1 hits in Sydney with "Si Senor" and "55 Days at Peking". From 1970, Porter ran an independent record label called Sparmac and produced three LPs for Daddy Cool

Robert George Porter was born in 1942 and raised in Ashfield, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. He reluctantly took steel guitar lessons from the age of eight - he wanted to play football instead. Sydney TV show Bandstand featured hits from the UK and US played by Australian artists. As Rob E.G., Porter made his TV debut in 1959 performing the lap steel guitar instrumental "Sleep Walk" (originally by Santo & Johnny); he was soon signed to Rex Records and became a Bandstand regular. His first single, "Your Cheatin' Heart", a cover of the Hank Williams hit, appeared in February 1960.

In 1961, Porter received severe spinal injuries in a car accident, he adapted his playing style and continued to record. Top ten hits in Sydney include, instrumentals "Si Senor (I Theenk)" which peaked at #1 in May 1962, "Jezabel" at #2 in May 1963, and "55 Days at Peking" at #1 in July; and the vocal single "When You're Not Near" at #7 in August 1964.Although not as popular in Melbourne, these four singles also peaked into the top ten.

On the advice of The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, Porter moved to the UK in 1964 where he wrote and recorded singles for Festival Records but had no chart success. During 1967 he moved to the USA and appeared in several television shows: Malibu U, Popendity, Daniel Boone, Mannix and The Immortal. In 1969 Porter co-starred in the movie Three.

In 1970, Porter was back in Australia where he purchased a controlling share of independent record label, Sparmac. He recorded three of his own singles for Sparmac before focusing on managing and promoting bands and producing records. Porter produced three of doo wop rock band Daddy Cool's LPs including their debut 1971 album, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool, which peaked at #1 and became the highest selling Australian album at the time. Other Sparmac artists included Rick Springfield and Healing Force.

In 1973 Porter started a new label, Wizard in partnership with Steve Binder, with Daddy Cool and Springfield the new label also signed Hush, Mighty Kong and Marcia Hines.Porter and Binder also managed Springfield and introduced him to the US market.

He co-wrote the song "Shining" with Jill Wagner-Porter, which was recorded by Marcia Hines on her 1976 LP album Shining, and also wrote "Empty" and "A Love Story" on the that album.

In the 1980s, Porter produced albums for Air Supply, Tommy Emmanuel and The Nauts. He returned to the US to live and worked in television production and as a horse breeder. During 2006 Porter formed another record label named, Musique, with flautist Jane Rutter.

Laurie Allen Revue - 1968 - Laurie Allen Revue

Every Little Bit/Cool Jerk/As Long As I Got You/Not Born To Follow



Vocalist, guitarist and organist Laurie Allen's is best known for his chart-topping partnership with Bobby Bright in the mid-1960s, but Laurie was a veteran of the Australian rock and pop scene. His first outfit was The Roulettes (1958-59), followed by Malcom Arthur & The Knights (1959-61), The Blue Jays (1962) and then Bobby and Laurie (1965-66), whose story is included in our MILESAGO Bobby & Laurie article.

Laurie's first solo project after Bobby & Laurie's heyday was Dice formed in 1967 and soon renamed Laurie Allen and The Revue. It was modelled on the American soul revues of the early to mid-Sixties (e.g. the famous Stax Revues ca. that were backed by Booker T. & The M.G.s and the Memphis Horns) although Laurie's band evidently had no horn section.

The dates in Who's Who suggests that the group went through a couple of distinct rhythm-section changes. The earlier line up (ca. 1967) may have been Lawrie Byrnes (drums, ex-Little Gulliver & The Children, Ram Jam Big Band), Barry Rogers (ex-Rondells, bass) and Phil Manning (ex Blue Jays, Bay City Union, guitar). The later (1968?) backline may have been Gary Young (ex-Rondells, drums) and Wayne Duncan (ex-Rondells, bass); another notable player who passed through was guitarist John Adolphus (later of the Hot City Bump Band).

The band gigged mainly around Melbourne and recorded three Singles for Festival during 1967-68. The Revue included some notable members, not least the long-serving Young and Duncan (who had been in Bobby & Laurie's backing group, The Rondells) and it's also notable for being the first major professional outing for sister vocalists Glenys and Colleen Hewett.


Members Included

LAURIE ALLEN - vocal/guitar/organ
COLLEEN HEWETT - vocals
GLENYS HEWETT - vocals
HARRY HERNI - guitar/vocals
LAURIE BYRNES - drums
WAYNE DUNCAN - drums
JOHN ADOLPHUS - guitar
MICHELLE KENNEDY - vocal
GARY YOUNG - drums
BARRY ROGERS - bass
MANFRED SHANE - guitar
PHIL MANNING - guitar


 

Margy Bays - Sweet Boy

Sweet Boy/Why Can’t I Go Surfin’/Oh Boy/Mr Moonlight


Margie or Margy started singing at the age of 5, appearing on Swallow's juniors. In her teens she was a regular TV singer and dance circuit performer eventually releasing 4 singles and an EP. Probably best known for her first hit "Why Can't I Go Surfin'" she recorded for a few more years and then released the classic "I Wanna Wear My New Bikini" loved by so many in the later 60's.

Gaynor Bunning - Sings Her Six Big Hits

Milord/My First Love And Last Love/It’s You That I Love/Unlock Those Chains/Is It All Over Now/I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate


Born in Adelaide, South Australia.

Gaynor Bunning was one of the first of the Adelaide TV stars to travel interstate that included Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne sometimes twice a week singing at the leading hotels in Adelide and the other Ausralian states mentioned plus top TV programmes.

Gaynor appeared on Ernie Sigley's Teenage Mailbag, Sunnyside Up & Bandstand T.V. Shows. Bobby Limb placed Gaynor under contract as top vocalist. ADS7 featured her regularly in The Moores Show.

Gaynor is known for her spots at top line The Lido and Havana night clubs in Adelaide during her career. One of Adelaides best entertainers at the time.

Little Nell - The Musical World Of Little Nell

 1 Do The Swim/Stilettos And Lipstick/Dance That Cocktail Latin Way



"Little" Nell Campbell (born Laura Elizabeth Campbell; 24 May 1953) is an Australian actress, club owner and singer. She is best known for her role in The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show and her song "Do the Swim".

She was born in Sydney, to Ruth and Ross Campbell, a writer, who called her "Little Nell" (after a character in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop) in his family life column in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Campbell has three siblings: Sally, Patrick and Cressida. Her older sister, Sally, was a property master, set designer and subsequently a fashion designer. Her younger sister, Cressida Campbell, an artist, and her older brother, Patrick, a Solar Engineer for the University of New South Wales. She was called Laura E. Campbell until around 17, when she went by the nickname "Sonny" (pronounced to rhyme with "Donny"), short for "Sonata". She began dancing at the age of 10, after being diagnosed with Hepatitis A, to keep healthy. She attended high school at the Abbotsleigh School for Girls in Sydney, supporting herself as a waitress.
Campbell decided to use the name "Little Nell" as a stage name after her arrival in Britain in the early 1970s with her family. She sold clothes at Kensington Market; her stall was next to Freddie Mercury's. She also worked as a busker and her tap dancing is often noted as the reason why she was cast as Columbia in the original production of The Rocky Horror Show. She reprised the role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, released in 1975, and starred as Nurse Ansalong in the 1981 sequel, Shock Treatment.
After The Rocky Horror Picture Show, she signed a recording contract with A&M Records. Her debut single was "Stilettos and Lipstick" backed with "Do the Swim", released in 1975. She also created a disco version of the song "Fever" in 1976 which was again released backed with "Do the Swim". The b-side of both of these releases became better known, perhaps helped by a performance on British television in which she accidentally (and repeatedly) exposed her breasts. While edited out of the original broadcast in 1975, the unedited version was shown worldwide on bloopers shows (beginning with the British show It'll be Alright on the Night in 1977). Following this notoriety, another effort was made to promote the recordings made in 1975 and 1976. In 1978, a "triple B-side" titled The Musical World of Little Nell (Aquatic Teenage Sex & Squalor) was released which featured both "Do the Swim" and "Stillettos and Lipstick" along with the track "Dance that Cocktail Latin Way" (also known as "Tropical Isle") which originally appeared as the B-side of her second single from 1976. Following some success with the EP, the other two tracks, singles "Fever" and "See You Round like a Record", were released as a single but that was to be her last release on A&M. A final single, "Beauty Queen" from the film The Alternative Miss World, was released on PRE Records in 1980.
Campbell has also appeared in several stage productions, including the Off-Broadway play You Should Be So Lucky and the Broadway musical NINE. She appeared as Sandra LeMon in the British TV series Rock Follies of '77.
From the mid-1980s to 1998, Campbell owned two nightclubs in New York: Kiosk, E&O, and most famously lent her name to Nell's. Nell's was sold in 1998 to Noel Ashman and his business partner actor Chris Noth, right before she gave birth to daughter Matilda Violet in June 1998 to ex-boyfriend and business partner Eamonn Roche.
Campbell has written several magazine articles, including regular segments called "MamaTalks" and "FirstLook" in the now defunct Talk magazine, starting in the December 1999 issue. She returned to Australia after selling her Boerum Hill house in Brooklyn in December 2005, and is now retired and living with her daughter.
The song 'Laura' by Bat for Lashes, is dedicated to Nell Campbell, who is friends with Natasha Khan.

Phil Jones and the Unknown Blues - 1966 - If I Had A Ticket

If I Had A Ticket/Comin' Home Baby/Sit Down Servant/300lb Of Joy


Chris Brown and Dave Rowlands had attended Heathcote High School in southern Sydney. They formed The Unknown Blues Band in 1965. Phil Jones joined in 1966, whereupon they billed themselves as Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues. They developed a sound initially influenced by Delta Blues, but quickly found that an electric, Chicago blues sound was more popular. In 1966-7, they obtained a Friday and Saturday night residency at Beethoven's.

In early 1967, the band signed to the Festival Records subsidiary Sunshine and scored a strong local hit with a bluesy cover of the traditional song "If I Had a Ticket". At Beethoven's in 1967 they were checked out by the visiting Yardbirds, with the band meeting Jimmy Page.

With the success of their single, the band toured in Brisbane and Melbourne.

After disbanding in 1968, Phil Jones issued 2 solo singles before moving to England and becoming involved in the progressive/underground rock scene in the Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove area of London. Jones adopted the name Shiva Shankar Jones and joined Quintessence. After leaving them in 1971, Jones joined Kala, along with Chris Brown and David Bentley of Python Lee Jackson.

Brown returned to Australia to become the leader of jazz-rock fusionists Ayers Rock.

Mal Capewell played with many prominent Australian bands throughout the 1970s.

The band reformed briefly in 2011 to play at the Byron Bay Blues Festival and several other gigs. Jones' son Krishna played guitar in this line-up.