Jul 8, 2026
ROCK in Australian Music Ep3 - 60s-70s
Australian Music Archives
Building on the work of many others, this series of podcasts charts the development of Australian Music. The Chart series commences at 1957 with the introduction of Top 40 charts. Other series will focus on Singers and Groups. Whilst 1957 is the starting-point, we will also be moving back in time to chart the rich history of Australian Music in many forms, before the beginning of the Top 40 era. The general principle in the development of these podcasts is 'let the music do the talking'. Thus, there will be a premium on musical content, with less emphasis on the narrative. Occasionally, when there is a good story to be told (and there are many!), I may wax a touch lyrical, more so in the Singers and Groups series. The key reference work is David Kent's "Australian Chart Chronicles 1940-2008", a truly monumental work in its breadth of detail. Many people/sites have contributed to the research for the podcasts; too many to name them all but special thanks to the History of Aussie Music Blogspot, the Milesago Facebook page, the Best of Bandstand Facebook page and the Pop Archives site, where you can answer the question, "Where did they get that song from?". Many video contributors on You Tube have been a great resource in finding obscure songs including Folk Rock Australian Rock More! sallie6 and Clem Viney and there are many others! The podcasts are designed to be a permanent record and as such this is a 'labour of love' and strictly not-for-profit. I have attempted to partner with a major Australian organisation but, alas, no interest! Thus, as my late Father would have said, I am the "chief cook and bottle-washer" which means that I'm researcher, scriptwriter, digitiser, narrator and producer. As such, especially in terms of digitising vinyl records, there may appear to the ear of the listener, to be less-than-optimal sound. I work all music through Audacity, vinyl or otherwise, but, at times with old vinyl, "you can only do so much"! So, please enjoy the podcasts and let me know what you think.
Episodes
Episodes
Jun 9, 2026
Jun 9, 2026
19 min
Going in search of Australian Big Ones with either ‘Rock’, ‘Rockin’’ or ‘Rocker’ proved to be a tough one. I’ve only come up with seven. We’ll hear tracks from some of the big names in the early days of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Australia; Johnny O’Keefe & The Dee Jays, Johnny Rebb & His Rebels, and Col Joye & The Joy Boys. Ironically, once we move into the mid-60s and beyond there is no shortage of candidates! Enjoy the next 20 minutes of early Australian Rock ‘n’ Roll.
May 21, 2026
May 21, 2026
37 min
Episode One of ROCK in Australian music is an exploration of the Obscurities. We’ll hear tracks from artists such as The Stoneagers, Joan Bilceaux and, The Henri Bource Allstars. There’ll also be obscure tracks from artists as diverse as Slim Dusty, Johnny Rebb and, Alan Dale & The Houserockers. For the most part, this episode Rocks but there are a couple of tracks with ROCK in the title, that stretch the definition. Enjoy rockin’ with these Australian Obscurities!
Apr 26, 2026
Apr 26, 2026
38 min
A very eclectic mix in Episode Two of the WILD theme in Australian Music. We range from an Old Time Dance number to the contemporary sounds of the Birds of Tokyo. In between we’ll hear Johnny Devlin singing a Calypso version of a song that was to become Johnny O’Keefe’s signature tune! A truly beautiful WILD song rounds out the set from the duo of Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky. Enjoy Episode Two of the WILD theme in Australian Music.
Mar 29, 2026
Mar 29, 2026
31 min
WILD in Australian Music, Episode One, spans the years 1949 to 1993. From 1949 we hear from one of Australia’s most prolific recording artists, the ubiquitous Les Welch. Jumping to 1993, we’ll hear from the brilliant singer/songwriter, Graeme Connors. In between, we’ll hear a lot of tunes from the 60s and, of course, one from the 50s with a WILD song that defined an artist: Johnny O”Keefe. Going Wildddd.....
Feb 6, 2026
Feb 6, 2026
41 min
Episode Two takes us on a "ROAD" journey in Australian Music, spanning the years 1938-2002. This episode features two songs that do not have "Road" in the title, both by an Australian Music legend. The track from 1938 features Orchestra Leader, Jim Davidson with another journey to Gundagai. We'll hear tracks from artists as diverse as, Les Welch, Col Joye, Richard Clapton and several more. Enjoy a second road trip in Australian Music!
Jan 26, 2026
Jan 26, 2026
48 min
Our next episode takes the theme “ROAD in Australian Music” (Ep.1). We’ll traverse the years 1931 to 2003. I’ll finally get an opportunity to feature a Peter Dawson track; a long story explained in more detail in the introduction. Short version: Avoid dinner parties where the host is a Peter Dawson fan! 13 tracks in this episode featuring a wide range of artists including Jimmy Little, Dragon, The Morloch, Stevie Wright and Joy McKean. Take a road trip with Australian Music!
Jan 13, 2026
Jan 13, 2026
42 min
We round out our series of "Australia Plays America" with Episode 3; an eclectic mix of Australian Music, spanning the years 1947-1993. Be prepared for some wild genre swings as we showcase tunes from artists as diverse as Lee Kernaghan to The Missing Links. There's a number of instrumentals in this episode with a range of musicians spanning from Graeme Bell to The Joy Boys. Our two "Three-Track-Sets" in this episode focus on Hawaii and Memphis. There's plenty of great Australian Music to hear; enjoy listening!
Jan 7, 2026
Jan 7, 2026
46 min
In Episode 2 of "Australia Plays America", we have a wider timespan: 1940-2001. We'll hear two sets of three tracks, one focussing on Kentucky, and the other, California. There'll be a Surf tune set in a far-flung place of the USA and a cover of "The Banks of the Ohio", several years before it was a hit for Olivia Newton-John. There's also the final high-charting hit for a legendary Australian Rock band. Take the listening journey as Australia (musically) criss-crosses America!
Welcome
Building on the work of many others, this series of podcasts charts the development of Australian Music. The Chart series commences at 1957 with the introduction of Top 40 charts. Other series will focus on Singers and Groups. Whilst 1957 is the starting-point, we will also be moving back in time to chart the rich history of Australian Music in many forms, before the beginning of the Top 40 era. The general principle in the development of these podcasts is 'let the music do the talking'. Thus, there will be a premium on musical content, with less emphasis on the narrative. Occasionally, when there is a good story to be told (and there are many!), I may wax a touch lyrical, more so in the Singers and Groups series. The key reference work is David Kent's "Australian Chart Chronicles 1940-2008", a truly monumental work in its breadth of detail. Many people/sites have contributed to the research for the podcasts; too many to name them all but special thanks to the History of Aussie Music Blogspot, the Milesago Facebook page, the Best of Bandstand Facebook page and the Pop Archives site, where you can answer the question, "Where did they get that song from?". Many video contributors on You Tube have been a great resource in finding obscure songs including Folk Rock Australian Rock More! sallie6 and Clem Viney and there are many others! The podcasts are designed to be a permanent record and as such this is a 'labour of love' and strictly not-for-profit. I have attempted to partner with a major Australian organisation but, alas, no interest! Thus, as my late Father would have said, I am the "chief cook and bottle-washer" which means that I'm researcher, scriptwriter, digitiser, narrator and producer. As such, especially in terms of digitising vinyl records, there may appear to the ear of the listener, to be less-than-optimal sound. I work all music through Audacity, vinyl or otherwise, but, at times with old vinyl, "you can only do so much"! So, please enjoy the podcasts and let me know what you think.