Australian Music Archives

As 1961 drew to a close, it wasn't a particularly high-achieving time for Australian Music. Bryan Davies' Five Foot Two/Ladder of Love achieved the highest national chart position, 16 - lasting 15 weeks, with Patsy Ann Noble's Good Looking Boy just behind, 17 - lasted 23 weeks. One notable first chart entry was Betty McQuade's, Midnight Bus (29-19), the John D. Loudermilk song. Beyond those notables, we'll hear a 'bit of sunshine' from Warren Carr, Barry Stanton gets 'down on his knees' and Ernie Sigley returns with a Christmas song. Merry Christmas for 1961!

The Winter-Spring of 1961 is a time of some 'deep' cuts; deep in terms of the song's origin. We'll hear an instrumental version of a popular dance that apparently was a favourite of Abraham Lincoln! And, a hit for The Joy Boys that has its origins in Ragtime! We'll also attempt to unravel The Sapphires conundrum (at least four different groups with the same name!). We'll even hear an instrumental hit for a Melbourne group with a unique (for the time) structure; there was no bass guitarist. No problem though, because the future Musical Director for The Monkees, played the bassline on the bass strings of his guitar! Biggest hit wise, it's Johnny O'Keefe again with I'm Counting On You, backed with Right Now. And much, much more.......

Love was certainly in the air in April of 1961: The Crescents, The De Kroo Brothers and, Col Joye & The Joy Boys all contribute to the voluminous "Love" musical canon! In May, we'll dance to the Hokey-Pokey, courtesy of a national chart debut from Johnny Chester with The Thunderbirds. And, in June, Bryan Davies has the highest-ranking chart success of the quarter with the very definition of "dreamy pop", Dream Girl! There's also a chart hit for Barry Stanton with a song penned by Johnny O'Keefe, that has one of the most ironic titles in (teen) pop history??

It's a mixed bag of hits for the first quarter of 1961. A country duo hit with their first Australian 45 release; The Le Garde Twins, Tom & Ted, had previously released two 45s in the USA, where they were based. The highest-ranking chart success comes from The Delltones with You're The Limit. We also hear national chart debuts from a range of Australian artists; The Thunderbirds, Gaynor Bunning, Frankie Davidson, Tony Brady, Kevin Shegog, Ian Crawford, and The Leemen (sans Lonnie). We'll also learn about the man who invented beer!? Enjoy...

This final episode of 1960, October-December, produces some genuine oddities; such was the state of Australian Music as 1960 drew to a close! How about a 45 release for an Olympic swimmer backed by a group that included a future Australian drumming legend and, the future Musical Director at St George Leagues Club, Sydney? We'll hear about "zacs in the pocket" and more than once! The rather suggestively-titled, Pretty Keen Teen makes the charts. A song titled, Little Miss Mufffet, hits!? And, under a pseudonym, a famous hypnotist becomes a singer! Quite a time for Australian Music! Enjoy......

As we move through the Winter months and into the Spring of 1960 (July-September), we will again meet a range of artists and much diversity of style. The Allen Brothers, who weren't brothers at all, make their chart debut. More fruits from Johnny O'Keefe's US sojourn are plucked from the vine to produce another No.1 hit. We'll hear Barry Stanton's 2nd 45 release that may have inspired a future premier of QLD and a big instrumental hit from Rob E.G., inspired by a TV series that was a massively expensive UK/Australian co-production! And...Noeleen Batley's Barefoot Boy rounds out the episode!

Episode 5 introducers the first of our Australian Singers Series. This episode was created for a good friend of Bobbie Thomas, after his sad passing on 6 December 2020. It showcases Bobbie's - or Rob's (as he was later-known) career that began in 1962 as a pop/rock singer before a shift into stage musicals, then a club performer and finally, a much-loved radio announcer on Eastside FM. It was quite a career!

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!

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!