Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Australian Charts Ep.1 1957-8
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.
Listen on:
Episodes
Episodes
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Episode 2 covers the first six months of 1959, with diversity of styles being the over-arching theme. We'll hear a first chart entry for an Australian radio legend, a first chart entry for the "Golden Boy", a hymn recorded in St John's Church, Camberwell in Melbourne and a song that appears to be a tourism promo for Queensland, and, of course, more Johnny O'Keefe and The Dee Jays.
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Episode 3 covers the period July to September, 1959. We'll find the first chart entries for; one of Australia's most enduring vocal groups, a New Zealander who became a fixture on the Australian music scene, a hit for a Quartet with a song written for a Royal visit and a big hit for an Australian music legend with percussion featuring a typewriter! And there's more......
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
The final three months of 1959 are covered in Episode 4. We'll hear a huge hit for Johnny O'Keefe and The Dee Jays that was kept from the No.1 spot by an American rocker, the first chart entry for an Australian female singer who moved from pop singer to 'torch' singer, before achieving her greatest success as a country singer, and the first chart entry for an original rocker who is still performing to this day in 2021! And there is much more, including the first chart entry for Les Morrison who was to become a "Starr".
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
In Episode 6, we shift to the first of our Australian Groups Series; no better place to start than with The Easybeats! The episode is titled "The Easybeats as Songwriters". This, and subsequent episodes, will trace the shifting sands of songwriting duties. We'll trace this evolution by focussing on The Easybeats' Australian 45 releases, with reference to the disparate nature of releases in other countries.
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Episode 7 brings us to Part 2 of The Easybeats as Songwriters. The epic achievement of Friday on My Mind hits in this episode as songwriting responsibility shifts to Vanda-Young.
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Episode 8 is Episode 3 of The Australian Groups Series and the focus is on Billy Thorpe and The (Original) Aztecs' first self-titled LP, 1965. The LP is quite unique in that no tracks appeared on a 45 and only three on an EP. The aim of the LP, as described in the liner notes, is to capture the excitement of a 'live' performance (although, the LP was not recorded 'live'). The (Original) Aztecs, on this recording, were; Col Baigent, John "Bluey" Watson, Vince Melouney and Tony Barber. It should be noted that The Aztecs who performed on their first 45, without Billy Thorpe, included Valentine Jones, who was replaced by Tony Barber shortly after Billy Thorpe joined the band.
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
In Episode 9, we return to the Australian Chart Series with Part 1 of 1960, January to March. We will hear; a No. 1 for Johnny O'Keefe which was recorded in Los Angeles, a first chart entry for an Indigenous artist singing about a West Texas town, another first chart entry for an artist known as "The Shy Guy" and, a No.1 hit with a song about a boy who became lost in the "wild New England Ranges", and much more!
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
The period, April to June of 1960 is covered in Episode 10 (Part 2 of 1960). We are going to hear a lot about kangaroos, including a song from a comedian who liked to drink dry martinis. We'll hear more of the fruits of Johnny O'Keefe's Los Angeles sojourn and the story of how Lucky Starr managed to hook-up with a female Mouseketeer, during their Australian tour for which he was a support act!
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.