Australian Music Archives

September of 1965 brings us 15 Australian-artist songs that made the Top 100, highlighted by Normie Rowe and The Playboys #1 smash double-sider, Que Sera Sera/Shakin’ All Over. Groups that made the national chart include; The Easybeats, The D-Coys and The Flies. The Bee Gees make their biggest chart impression to this point. And, of course, much much more! Enjoy the Australian music for September of 1965.

A return to the Chart Series and the month of August 1965. An amazing month with five songs that would in time be considered as 60s classics entering the Australian chart, including the Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody. The highest charting Australian release was Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs’ double-sider Twilight Time/Hello Josephine. We’ll also hear from Merv Benton, The Changing Times, Lynne Randell and more…… The highest charting debut comes from Mike, Pete & Danny - M.P.D. LTD! Enjoy the music from August 1965!

Episode Two of the Top Ten series brings us to 1960 and we find Johnny O’Keefe and Col Joye still dominating with three Top Ten hits each. The other four are once-only (for 1960) Top Ten appearances for Noeleen Batley, Lonnie Lee, Johnny Ashcroft and Rolf Harris. 1960 also brings three Australian artist No 1s whereas in 1959 there was only one. The cut-off point for making the Top Ten was 12 in 1960 whereas it was 14 in 1959. Australian Rock/Pop Music was still in its infancy but beginning to grow.

Before we move too far from the beginning, here’s a Top Ten episode, featuring the Top Ten Australian artist hits of 1959. All chart positions are taken from David Kent’s Australian Chart Chronicles, compiled on a national basis. Interestingly, only four Australian artists (+ one in a shared chart entry) are to appear in the Top Ten, with two of those having multiple entries. One of those two is Col Joye & The Joy Boys. With Col very unwell at the time of publication, it is a good time to acknowledge the incredible contribution of Col Joye to the Australian Music scene. We wish Col all the very best

A couple of weeks off after this episode; the postponed summer holiday happens in winter!

And now for something completely different; Brian Henderson’s Bandstand! This is an early-1962 episode described in the liner notes as a “Super Bandstand”. Festival released the soundtrack on an LP titled, “Brian Henderson’s Bandstand”. The sound quality on the LP is surprisingly good and includes Brian’s ‘chats’ with the artists between tracks. Some of this chatter is likely to bring a smile to your face. The “very special guest” for this episode was Johnny O’Keefe and the “star of the show” was Col Joye; a fascinating hierarchy! In my own chatter during the podcast, I try to unravel the intent of the fairly extensive liner notes (beyond selling records!). Besides Johnny and Col, eight other artists feature on the LP. Enjoy this rare piece of Australian music/television history!

This week we return to the EP series with an episode focussed on Johnny O’Keefe & The Dee Jays’ first five EPs, 1958-60. This is an attempt to look at the career of Johnny O’Keefe from a different perspective. Future episodes will move through the EPs of the 60s and the early-70s; and there’s plenty of them! In researching this, and future, episodes, I’m indebted to the work of Jeff Ellis; “Australian Festival EP Deluxe Edition 2015”, and to Bob Hayden’s and Don Hudson’s work, “Johnny O’Keefe Discography 78s, 45s, EPs, LPs”. Do you know how many of the tracks on those five EPs also appeared on a 45? Listen - you may be surprised by the answer!

July of 1965 is jam-packed with great Australian Music. Ray Brown & The Whispers score the highest chart position, closely followed by The Seekers. And, another bag of chart debutants; Peter Doyle, The Spinning Wheels, Buddy England, Billy Adams, The Kravats and, The Kini Quartet. Regulars, Ray Columbus & The Invaders, The Playboys, The Henchmen and Digger Revell also contribute. Enjoy the Music!

Another whole month of Australian Music; in this episode, June of 1965. Chart high points come with double-siders from Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs and The Easybeats. Laurie Allen & Bobby Bright reach No.20 with their 2nd 45. And a wide range of chart debuts from; Marcie Jones, John Perry, The Twilights, The Rondells, The Flies, Jade Hurley & The Wesley Three. Quite a month! Enjoy!

After recovering from Covid, the voice is back in operation: May of 1965 brings us the first release for Normie Rowe & The Playboys with the controversial “It Ain’t Necessarily So”. The highest chart position is achieved by The Seekers with “A World of Our Own”. The Pink Finks, led by Ross Wilson, have a hit with “Louie Louie” and establish their own record label, MOJO. We’ll also hear from Merv Benton, Digger Revell and others, including the first chart success for a Perth band, The Times with “Glad Not Sad”. Enjoy!

In this episode we feature April releases only, such was the Australian artist output, although there were only two that reached the Top 10 nationally. We’ll hear the first release from The Changing Times; the name itself an apt description for the month. There’s a noticeable shift to ‘tuff’ R&B, aligning with The Rolling Stones ascendancy; The Spinning Wheels with Got My Mojo Working, Ray Hoff & The Offbeats with Little Queenie & the afore-mentioned Changing Times with Mary Lou. Jay Justin and Little Pattie continue to chart whilst we hear debut 45s from The Henchmen, Peter Doyle and, The Easybeats. Ray Brown & The Whispers’ Pride reaches the highest chart mark at 3. Enjoy the changin’ times!