Ross D. Wylie
Encyclopedia
Ross D. Wylie is an Australian pop music
singer and television presenter from the 1960s and 1970s. Originally from Brisbane
, Wylie had a Top 20 hit with his cover
of Ray Stevens
' song, "Funny Man" and an Australian No. 1 with "The Star", both in 1969. Between 1967 and 1969, Wylie hosted Uptight, a weekly four-hour music series, on Channel 0 in Melbourne. In 1970 he followed with a similar show, Happening '70, and from 1978 to 1980, he presented films on a late-night time slot.
Wylie relocated to Melbourne and, on 28 October, became the host of a new pop music television show, Uptight for local Channel 0. He signed with Festival Records, and released the non-charting single, "Smile", in April 1968. Uptight was a weekly four-hour series that ran until 1969 with Wylie as its host.
Wylie had a No. 17 hit on Go-Set
s National Top 40 in July, with his cover
of Ray Stevens
' song, "Funny Man". His National No. 1 hit, "The Star", followed in November. It was later covered by United Kingdom act, Herman's Hermits
, as "Here Comes the Star".
In 1970, Uptight was replaced on Channel 0 by a one-hour pop music series, Happening '70 retaining Wylie as host. In April, he released a double-A-sided single, "Free Born Man" / "My Little Girl", with its charting affected by the radio ban
– where commercial stations refused to play recordings by Festival Records (among others) from May to October. He left Happening '70 to return to Brisbane in late 1970.
In 1971, Wylie signed with the Fable Label and released, "He Gives Us All His Love" in April. He followed with "It Takes Time" in August and "Sweet White Dove" in May 1972. He turned to the pub and club circuit. Eventually he formed a production company with fellow pop artist, Ronnie Burns, and artist manager, Jeff Joseph. With Tony Healy, he also created a public relations company. In the late 1970s he presented a late-night movie show on Melbourne's Channel 0-10.
In 1988, Festival Records released a compilation album of Wylie's singles, Smile: The Festival Files Volume Ten. In August 2003, Wylie performed an Uptight themed variety show at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne reuniting with other 1960s performers.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer and television presenter from the 1960s and 1970s. Originally from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Wylie had a Top 20 hit with his cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
' song, "Funny Man" and an Australian No. 1 with "The Star", both in 1969. Between 1967 and 1969, Wylie hosted Uptight, a weekly four-hour music series, on Channel 0 in Melbourne. In 1970 he followed with a similar show, Happening '70, and from 1978 to 1980, he presented films on a late-night time slot.
Biography
Ross D. Wylie was born in 1948 and raised in Brisbane. In 1964, he joined a pop band, The Kodiaks, as lead singer. By 1967, as a solo artist, he signed with the Sunshine label and released a debut single, "Short Skirts". He was backed by label-mates, The Escorts. His next single, "A Bit of Love" followed, using only studio musicians.Wylie relocated to Melbourne and, on 28 October, became the host of a new pop music television show, Uptight for local Channel 0. He signed with Festival Records, and released the non-charting single, "Smile", in April 1968. Uptight was a weekly four-hour series that ran until 1969 with Wylie as its host.
Wylie had a No. 17 hit on Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
s National Top 40 in July, with his cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
' song, "Funny Man". His National No. 1 hit, "The Star", followed in November. It was later covered by United Kingdom act, Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, as "Here Comes the Star".
In 1970, Uptight was replaced on Channel 0 by a one-hour pop music series, Happening '70 retaining Wylie as host. In April, he released a double-A-sided single, "Free Born Man" / "My Little Girl", with its charting affected by the radio ban
1970 radio ban
The Australian 1970 Radio Ban or 1970 Record Ban was a "pay for play" dispute in the local music industry that lasted from May till October...
– where commercial stations refused to play recordings by Festival Records (among others) from May to October. He left Happening '70 to return to Brisbane in late 1970.
In 1971, Wylie signed with the Fable Label and released, "He Gives Us All His Love" in April. He followed with "It Takes Time" in August and "Sweet White Dove" in May 1972. He turned to the pub and club circuit. Eventually he formed a production company with fellow pop artist, Ronnie Burns, and artist manager, Jeff Joseph. With Tony Healy, he also created a public relations company. In the late 1970s he presented a late-night movie show on Melbourne's Channel 0-10.
In 1988, Festival Records released a compilation album of Wylie's singles, Smile: The Festival Files Volume Ten. In August 2003, Wylie performed an Uptight themed variety show at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne reuniting with other 1960s performers.
Compilation albums
- TV Week Presents: Super Sounds of Happening '71 (Festival Records, SR66-9812, 1971)
- Smile: The Festival Files Volume Ten (Festival Records, 1988)
Singles
- "Short Skirts" (Sunshine, 1967)
- "A Bit of Love" (Sunshine, 1967)
- "Smile" (Festival Records, April 1968)
- "Funny Man" (Festival Records, June 1969)
- "The Star" (Festival Records, September 1969)
- "Free Born Man" / "My Little Girl" (Festival Records, April 1970)
- "He Gives Us All His Love" (Fable Label, April 1971)
- "It Takes Time" (Fable Label, August 1971)
- "Sweet White Dove" (Fable Label, May 1972)