The Easybeats were a
rock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States after World War II in the late 1940s, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country music and gospel music scenes...
band from
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. They formed in
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
in late 1964 and split at the end of 1969. They are widely regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their classic 1966 single "
Friday on My Mind"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the British Invasion-style number became a worldwide hit, making #1 in Australia, #6 in the UK, #16 in the USA, and charting in several other countries...
". [A year earlier Australia's folk-pop group,
The SeekersThe Seekers were a group of Australian folk-influenced popular musicians that was formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve significant chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States....
, had international hits in 1965.] The
Easybeats manager was former Sydney
real estateReal estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location.
"Real estate" The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin...
agent, Mike Vaughan.
The band's line-up exemplified the influence of post-war migration on Australian society. All five founding members were from families who had migrated to Australia from
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
: lead singer Stevie Wright and
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
Gordon "Snowy" Henry Fleet were from
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; rhythm guitarist George Young was from
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; lead guitarist
Harry VandaHarry Vanda , is a Dutch-Australian popular music singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:...
and
bassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Dick DiamondeDick Diamonde was the bassist with The Easybeats. Widely regarded as Australia's greatest pop group of the mid-1960s, the Easybeats had their beginnings in Sydney's Villawood Migrant Hostel...
were from The Netherlands.
Early career
Beginning their career in Sydney in late 1964, the band was inspired by the "
British InvasionThe British Invasion is used to describe rock and roll, beat and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States from 1964 to 1966. The Second British Invasion refers to MTV and New Wave acts of the 1980s...
" spearheaded by
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
. They quickly rose to become one of the most popular groups in the city. They were signed to a production contract with
Albert ProductionsAlbert Productions is an Australian record label. It was founded and managed as an independent record production company in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned the influential Australian music publishing company J...
, one of Australia's first independent production companies. It was established by
Ted AlbertEdward 'Ted' Albert was an Australian record producer, the former managing director of Albert Productions and executive producer of the very successful Australian film 'Strictly Ballroom'...
, whose family owned J. Albert & Sons, one of Australia's oldest and largest music publishing companies.
Albert then signed the band to a recording contract with
EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
's
ParlophoneParlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. The ₤ trademark is a German L, for Lindström. It also resembles the British pound sign , which itself is derived from the letter L for Libra, meaning pound in Latin...
label, and they began a meteoric rise to national stardom. By the end of 1965 they were the most popular and successful pop band in Australia, and their concerts and public appearances were regularly marked by intense fan hysteria which was very similar to '
BeatlemaniaBeatlemania was a term used during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy particularly demonstrated by young teen girls directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success. The word is a portmanteau of "Beatles" and "mania"...
' and which was soon dubbed 'Easyfever'. Stevie Wright's charisma and energy (including 'mod' dancing and onstage backflips) were matched with strong songwriting.
Rise to success
During 1965 and early 1966 they released a string of hit singles, all co-written by Young and Wright, including "For My Woman" (#5), "She's So Fine" (#1), "Wedding Ring" (#6), "Sad and Lonely and Blue", "Easy as Can Be", "Women (Make You Feel Alright)" (#1), "In My Book", "Come and See Her" (#1), "I'll Make You Happy" (#1), and "Sorry" (#4), and all produced by Ted Albert. In addition, the Wright-Young songwriting team wrote a number of hits for other artists, including "Step Back", which became a #1 hit for
Johnny YoungJohnny Young is an Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey and television producer and host.-Early life:...
(no relation) in 1966.
In early 1966, while the group were still touring Australia, manager, Mike Vaughan, flew to
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to attempt to secure an American recording contract for the band. After initial lack of interest, on the last scheduled day of his visit Vaughan was able to convince
United Artists RecordsUnited Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1958 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
to sign The Easybeats. Ten days of negotiations resulted in a groundbreaking five-year contract for overseas releases.
Just before relocating to
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in late 1966, they recorded a farewell TV show,
The Coca Cola Special, regarded as one of the prime artefacts of Sixties Australian pop TV. The show had a tragic postscript, however -- after taping the special, guitarist Harry Vanda returned home in the early hours of 4 July 1966 to discover that his wife Pam had taken her own life with an overdose of sleeping tablets. Despite this, the group was obliged to honour their overseas commitments; the grief-stricken Vanda had to send his young son to be cared for by his parents in The Netherlands and the group left for the UK on 10 July 1966.
They briefly stopped over in
Perth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. With a population of 1,650,000 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
but a planned farewell performance on a temporary stage set up on the tarmac at Perth Airport had to be cancelled amid chaotic scenes, with 4000 fans breaking through barriers and storming the runway. A bomb threat then forced the group to evacuate the plane, and they had to be smuggled out the emergency exit into a catering van and driven to the end of the runway, where they hid for half an hour until they were able to rejoin the plane.
London, 1966-69
After arriving in London the band recorded a number of songs with
Ted AlbertEdward 'Ted' Albert was an Australian record producer, the former managing director of Albert Productions and executive producer of the very successful Australian film 'Strictly Ballroom'...
at EMI's
Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios, established in November of 1931 by EMI in London, England, is an iconic recording studio located at Abbey Road, in St John's Wood in the City of Westminster...
, but these were deemed unsuitable by UA and Albert was removed as producer. The band were then teamed with freelance producer
Shel TalmyShel Talmy is an American record producer, songwriter, arranger best known for his work in London with The Who and The Kinks in the 1960s....
(noted for his work with
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
and
The KinksThe Kinks are an English rock group categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the British Invasion era....
).
One of the tracks they recorded with him became their first big international hit, "
Friday On My Mind"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the British Invasion-style number became a worldwide hit, making #1 in Australia, #6 in the UK, #16 in the USA, and charting in several other countries...
", which made #1 in Australia, #6 in the UK, #16 in the USA, and the Top 10 in Germany, Holland, France and Italy, eventually selling over 1 million copies worldwide. In 1973
David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
covered the song on his
Pin UpsPin Ups is an album by David Bowie containing cover versions of songs, released by RCA Records in 1973 . It was his last studio album with the bulk of 'The Spiders From Mars', his backing band throughout his Ziggy Stardust phase; Mick Woodmansey was replaced on drums by Aynsley Dunbar.Pin Ups...
album, and in 1977 the punk band
LondonThis article is about the English band London. For the American band with the same name, see London. London were a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976 and were best known for their wild stage act. The line-up was Riff Regan , Steve Voice , Jon Moss and Dave Wight...
introduced the song to a new generation on a four-track EP for
MCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part...
; the London version, produced by
Simon Napier-BellSimon Napier-Bell has undertaken many jobs in the music industry, including bandboy, manager, producer, songwriter, journalist and author...
, was actually recorded in the same studio (
IBC StudiosThe IBC Recording Studios were recording studios in 35 Portland Place, London, England. After the Second World War it was the address of the leading independent studio in London and the British Isles...
in
Portland PlacePortland Place is a street in the Marylebone and Fitzrovia district of central London, England. It was laid out by the brothers Robert and James Adam for the Duke of Portland in the late 18th century and originally ran north from the gardens of a detached mansion called Foley House...
) in which the Easybeats had cut the original.
Vanda-Young songwriting partnership
The song also marked the end of the Wright-Young partnership. With
DutchThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
Vanda now having mastered English, he replaced the increasingly erratic Wright as Young's songwriting partner from this point on. They toured Europe (with
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
) and the United States. After a triumphant homecoming tour in mid-1967, original drummer Snowy Fleet left the band, unhappy at the amount of time he had to spend away from his wife and young children. After extensive auditions in London he was replaced by Tony Cahill, formerly of the
Purple HeartsThe Purple Hearts were an Australian rock group, formed in Brisbane in 1964. The band consisted of lead vocalist Mick Hadley, lead guitarist Barry Lyde , rhythm guitarist Fred Pickard, bassist Bob Dames, and drummers Adrian 'Red' Redmond and Tony Cahill .It is notable that Brisbane, traditionally...
, but in the interim several recordings (including "
Good Times"Good Times" was a song by The Easybeats released as a single in Australia in December 1968. It was written by George Young and Harry Vanda....
") were cut with session drummer, Glaswegian Freddie Smith (who'd played with George Young's older brother Alex Young aka George Alexander of Grapefruit fame in Bobby Patrick & The Big Six) . The group spent the remainder of their career based in London.
Two of their songs, "Bring a Little Lovin'" and "Come In, You'll Get Pneumonia", were covered by
Los BravosLos Bravos were a Spanish beat group, formed in 1965, and based in Madrid. Their single "Black Is Black" reached #2 in the United Kingdom in July 1966, and #4 in the United States selling over a million records.-Biography:...
and Paul Revere and the Raiders, respectively. "
Good Times"Good Times" was a song by The Easybeats released as a single in Australia in December 1968. It was written by George Young and Harry Vanda....
" and "Falling Off The Edge Of The World" were minor hits in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However their career stalled in the late Sixties due to poor management, problems with radio airplay (one single, "Heaven and Hell", was banned by US radio because of a mild sexual reference, and likely the title) and the lack of record company support.
A 1967 album intended as the follow-up the success of "Friday", produced by
Glyn JohnsGlyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils,...
, was recorded and prepared for issue but was never released because of the band's complicated financial and contractual problems. One of the songs recorded for the LP, "
Good Times"Good Times" was a song by The Easybeats released as a single in Australia in December 1968. It was written by George Young and Harry Vanda....
" was released as a single; when broadcast on
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
radio it was reputedly heard by
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...
on his car radio; McCartney apparently rang the station immediately to request a repeat playing. The song featured
Steve MarriottStephen Peter Marriott , popularly known as Steve Marriott, was a successful and versatile English singer-songwriter, guitarist and musician....
of
The Small FacesSmall Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston ....
on backing vocals.
A
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "
Good Times"Good Times" was a song by The Easybeats released as a single in Australia in December 1968. It was written by George Young and Harry Vanda....
" by
INXS----INXS achieved international success with a series of hit recordings through the 1980s and 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, X and Welcome to Wherever You Are and the singles "Original Sin", "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside" and "New Sensation".Hutchence died in 1997 and...
and
Jimmy BarnesJimmy Barnes is a popular Australian rock singer, with a unique vocal style. He was born James Dixon Swan on 28 April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer...
became a #47 hit in the US after being featured on the soundtrack of the film
The Lost BoysThe Lost Boys is a 1987 American horror film about two young Arizonans who move to California and end up fighting a gang of teenage vampires....
in 1987 and a #2 in Australia as well the previous year, becoming the biggest selling single on
Mushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian record company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. As of 2006 it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros. Records...
).
Decline and break-up
Through late 1968, the formerly tight-knit band began to drift apart. Drugs were a factor, but the growing independence of the Vanda-Young team as a creative unit was also a major catalyst. By this time the duo were working substantially on their own, and between them they could now play almost any instrument needed for recordings and had become skilled in engineering and producing their own recordings. They wrote prolifically, but many of their songs from this period remained unreleased for many years. They were also reluctant to do more than a few gigs per month, and so the band only came together for occasional performances or for 'demo' sessions at Central Sound studios in Denmark St.
Their last official LP
Vigil was released in June 1968 in the UK and it was issued in an altered form in Australia and in the USA in October, retitled
Falling off the Edge of the World.
In early 1969 Vanda and Young took over a flat in Moscow Rd, London, which had previously been used as a jingle studio for pirate radio stations. With modifications, it became a 4-track home studio and Vanda & Young began producing demos, working mostly on their own. The only official recordings they made -- which provided the songs for the last Easybeats single -- was the rocking "St Louis" (presaging their later work with
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
), and the B-side "Can't Find Love", recorded in April at
Olympic StudiosOlympic Studios was an independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes. The studio was best known for the many famous rock and pop music recordings made there in the late 1960s and early 1970s....
with
Ray SingerRay Singer is a British record producer and owner of Singer Records. Singer was instrumental in launching the careers of Peter Sarstedt, David Sylvian Japan, and Ana Silvera.-Early Years: 1960s - 1970s:...
, a former member of UK band
NirvanaNirvana were a United Kingdom-based progressive rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Though the band only achieved limited commercial success, they were acclaimed both by music industry professionals and critics...
, who had made a name for himself as a producer with
Peter SarstedtPeter Sarstedt is an Anglo-Indian singer-songwriter.-Career:Sarstedt was born in New Delhi, India in 1941 and his family relocated to England in 1954. He is the younger brother of the 1960s pop star Eden Kane for whom he briefly played bass and the elder brother of pop singer Clive Sarstedt...
's "
Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)"Where Do You Go To ?" is a 1969 song by Peter Sarstedt and recorded by renowned producer Ray Singer. Engineered by John Mackswith at Lansdowne Recording Studious. It was a #1 hit in the UK charts for six weeks in 1969 and was awarded the 1969 Ivor Novello Award, together with David Bowie's "Space...
". The single was issued in June in the UK and USA, and began to chart there during their final tour later in the year.
In August "St Louis" was released in Australia, along with a new album released on Polydor.
Friends was in fact not a real Easybeats album -- the only true Easybeats tracks being "St Louis" and "Rock & Roll Boogie". The bulk of the tracks were Vanda-Young Moscow Rd recordings, intended as 'demos' for other artists. The album was also issued in the UK in October, and in the USA in November on the
Rare EarthRare earth may refer to:* Rare earth element* Rare Earth hypothesis* Rare Earth * Rare Earth Records* Rare-earth magnet...
label.
In September the band undertook a short European tour and then reluctantly accepted the offer of a five-week Australian tour. The group were worn out, disillusioned, and at odds with their with management -- they reportedly viewed the tour as a last-ditch attempt to bail the group out of its mounting pool of debts. Again they were victims of bad timing, having reverted to 'no frills' hard rock, while the Australian pop scene was preoccupied with progressive rock, soul and
bubblegum popBubblegum pop is a genre of pop music whose classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
. The situation was further complicated by Parlophone's unwelcome release of the psychedelic 1967 song "Peculiar Hole in the Sky" as a single, presumably to cash in on the tour. Regardless of its merits as a song, it was released against the band's wishes, since it had been made purely as a demo for
The ValentinesThe Valentines were an Australian rock 'n' roll band active from 1966-1970, chiefly noted for their lead singers, Bon Scott, who later went on to great success as lead vocalist with AC/DC, and Vince Lovegrove, who subsequently became a successful music journalist and manager of Divinyls.The band...
.
In October the band made a valedictory TV appearance in the ATN-7
Easybeats Special, then gave their final Sydney performances at the
TrocaderoThe stylish connotations of the name "Trocadero" derive from the Battle of Trocadero in southern Spain, a citadel held by liberal Spanish forces that was taken by the French troops sent by Charles X, in 1823...
and Caesar's Disco. Once the tour was over, The Easybeats drifted apart, although there was no official announcement of the split. After a final gathering for Dick Diamonde's wedding in early 1970, they went their separate ways.
Vanda and Young
Vanda and YoungVanda & Young are Harry Vanda , and George Young...
remained in the UK for three years, working to pay off debts incurred during the Easybeats years (and recording under various names like Paintbox, Band of Hope, Grapefruit, Haffy's Whisky Sour and Marcus Hook Roll Band). They returned to Australia in 1973 and reunited with Ted Albert and became the house producers for his new
Albert ProductionsAlbert Productions is an Australian record label. It was founded and managed as an independent record production company in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned the influential Australian music publishing company J...
record label, writing for and/or producing many chart-topping acts including Stevie Wright,
Rose TattooRose Tattoo is an Australian hard rock band, led by Angry Anderson. Their sound is mixed with blues rock influences. Among their best known songs are "We Can't Be Beaten", "Scarred for Life", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw" and "Bad Boy for Love". Their first four albums were produced by Harry Vanda and...
,
CheetahCheetah were an Australian rock band active between 1977 and 1982. The main members and vocalists were sisters Chrissie Hammond and Lyndsay Hammond. They had been session vocalists for many Australian artists including Jo Jo Zep, Jon English, Marc Hunter, Flash and the Pan and as a vocal duo toured...
, and
The AngelsThe Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
.
They wrote and produced several major hits for
John Paul YoungJohn Paul Young is an Australian pop singer-songwriter who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
including "Love Is in the Air" and "Yesterday's Hero", which was also a
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
hit when recorded by
Bay City RollersThe Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop/rock band of the 1970s. Their youthful, clean-cut image, distinctive styling featuring tartan-trimmed outfits, and cheery, sing-along pop hits helped the group become among the most popular musical acts of their time. For a relatively brief but fervent...
, and produced the first six albums for
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
(which featured George's younger brothers
Angus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003...
and
Malcolm YoungMalcolm Mitchell Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of AC/DC...
).
Vanda and Young also recorded several Australian hit singles under the pseudonym
Flash and the PanFlash and the Pan was an Australian New Wave group formed in the late 1970s by Harry Vanda and George Young, both former members of the Easybeats. George Young is also an older brother to Angus Young and Malcolm Young of AC/DC...
, including "Hey St. Peter" and "Down Among the Dead Men". They had even more success in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
with hits such as "Waiting for a Train", "Midnight Man", "Early Morning Wake Up Call", and "Ayla", from the number 1 albums
Early Morning Wake Up Call,
Headlines, and
Nights in France. Singer-model-actress
Grace JonesGrace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model, and actress.-Early life:Jones was born in Jamaica, the daughter of Marjorie and Robert W. Jones, who was a politician and Apostolic clergyman. Her parents took Grace and her brother Randy to relocate to Syracuse, New York in 1965...
also recorded a successful
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of their song "Walking in the Rain".
Stevie Wright
Stevie Wright went on to become a cast member of the original Australian stage production of
Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera that became a musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It highlights the political and interpersonal struggles of Judas Iscariot and Jesus. The rock opera is based on St John's Gospel account of the last week of Jesus' life, beginning with the preparation...
(1972-73) and then launched a successful but shortlived solo career with the hit single "Evie" and the album
Hard Road in 1974, which reunited him with Vanda and Young, who produced the records and wrote many of the songs, including "Evie", an ambitious three-part suite split over two sides of a single.
In later years Wright suffered debilitating
drugA drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
and
alcoholAlcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences...
problems which were further exacerbated by his self-admission to the notorious Chelmsford Private Hospital in Sydney. Its director, Dr
Harry BaileyHarry Richard Bailey was a controversial Australian psychiatrist. He bore the primary responsibility for treatment of mental patients via Deep Sleep Therapy, and other methods, at a Sydney mental hospital. He has been linked with the deaths of a total of 85 patients...
, administered a highly controversial treatment known as "
deep sleep therapyDeep Sleep Therapy was a psychiatric treatment based on the use of psychiatric drugs to induce a coma in patients diagnosed with mental disorder.-History:...
" which allegedly cured drug addiction with a combination of drug-induced coma and electroshock. Many patients, including Wright, suffered
brain damageBrain damage, or acquired brain injury, is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells.-Causes:Brain damage may occur due to a wide range of conditions, illnesses, injuries, and as a result of iatrogenesis...
and lifelong after-effects, while others died as a result of the treatments.
Stevie's substance abuse problems spiraled out of control in the 1980s and 1990s and he came close to death on several occasions, but was pulled back from the brink by his current partner Faye. In 1999 journalist
Jack MarxJackson Gregory Marx , known as Jack Marx, is an Australian freelance journalist and an author. He was born in Maitland, New South Wales and is the second youngest of four children.- Career :...
published a much-anticipated book about Wright, entitled
Sorry - The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright. It was critically applauded by some reviewers - Australian music historian
Clinton WalkerClinton Walker is an Australian historian and author, best known for his works on Australian popular music.Born in country Victoria in the late 1950s, Walker began as a journalist for community radio and magazines in the late seventies, before publishing his first book, Inner City Sound, in 1981...
calling it "
gonzo journalismGonzo journalism is a style of journalism which is written subjectively, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first person narrative. The style tends to blend factual and fictional elements to emphasize an underlying message and engage the reader. The word Gonzo was first used in...
at its best", while
The BulletinThe Bulletin is a discontinued Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its...
later referred to
Sorry as "one of the most harrowing rock books ever written".
Nevertheless,
Sorry earned the disdain of its subject, Wright's many fans and other critics. Internet reviewer Ken Grady (Luna Cafe, 1999) described Marx as "a self serving hypocrite" and concluded his review by observing: "The only thing that Marx has achieved is to depict himself as a very unlikeable, morally bankrupt leech."
By 2002, Wright was well enough to perform as part of the all-star
Long Way To The TopLong Way To The Top was an Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary on the history of Australian rock and roll from 1956 to the modern era. It took its name from the AC/DC song "It's a Long Way to the Top " originally released in 1975...
national concert tour. His autobiography,
Hard Road, was published in 2004.
On January 31 2009 Wright closed the Legends of Rock festival in Byron Bay Australia.
Snowy Fleet, Tony Cahill and Dick Diamonde
Original drummer, Snowy Fleet, became a successful builder in
Perth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. With a population of 1,650,000 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
; his replacement, Tony Cahill, remained in the UK for a time, briefly joining the final studio lineup of
Python Lee JacksonPython Lee Jackson was a 1960s Australian band. The group's most famous hit was "In a Broken Dream", featuring Rod Stewart as guest vocalist.-Members in Australia:*Frank Kennington - vocals*Mick Liber - guitar*David Montgomery - drums*Roy James - bass...
(as bassist) before moving to the United States; bassist Dick Diamonde moved to the
New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
north coast and retired from performing, after some years of singing and playing in local pubs. Snowy Fleet worked as a builder for many years and now runs a rehearsal studio based in Jandakot, Western Australia.
The original group reunited for a warmly-received series of Australian concerts in 1986.
Popular Culture
In 1998
Australia PostAustralia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation, the postal service with a monopoly in Australia.- History :...
issued a special edition set of twelve stamps celebrating the early years of Australian Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring Australian hit songs of the late '50s, the '60s and the early '70s.
"Each of them said something about us, and told the rest of the world this is what popular culture sounds like, and it has an Australian accent."
One of the stamps featured was the 'She's So Fine' stamp as illustrated to the left.
Discography
| Title |
Release date |
Label |
| Easy Easy is a studio album by The Easybeats. The album was released in September 23, 1965. It was later reissued by Repertoire Records and included eight new tracks.-Track listing:#"It's So Easy" - 2:11...
|
September 1965 |
ParlophoneAlbert Productions is an Australian record label. It was founded and managed as an independent record production company in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned the influential Australian music publishing company J...
|
| It's 2 Easy It's 2 Easy is a studio album by The Easybeats. The album was released in March 24, 1966. It was later reissued by Repertoire Records and included eleven more tracks.-Track listing:#"Let Me Be" - 2:09...
|
March 1966 |
Parlophone |
| Volume 3 Volume 3 is a studio album by The Easybeats. The album was released in November 3, 1966. It was later reissued by Repertoire Records and included eleven more tracks.-Track listing:#"Sorry" - 2:38...
|
November 1966 |
Parlophone |
| Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl is a compilation album by The Easybeats. The album was released in January 1, 1967.-Track listing:#"For My Woman" #"She's So Fine" #"Wedding Ring"...
|
January 1967 |
Parlophone |
| Vigil Vigil is a studio album by The Easybeats. The album was released on October 17, 1968. It was later reissued by Repertoire Records and included ten more tracks.-Track listing:#"Good Times" - 3:23...
|
October 1968 |
Parlophone |
| Friends Friends is a studio album by The Easybeats. The album was released in January, 1969.-Track listing:#"St. Louis" - 3:13#"Friends" - 3:43#"Watching the World " - 2:36...
|
January 1969 |
Polydor |
| Best of The Easybeats - Volume 2 Best of The Easybeats - Volume 2 is a compilation album by The Easybeats. The album was released on October 9, 1969.-Track listing:#"Peculiar Hole In The Sky" #"H.P...
|
October 1969 |
Albert |
| The Shame Just Drained The Shame Just Drained is a compilation album by The Easybeats. The album was released on October 10, 1977. It was later reissued by Repertoire Records and included nine more tracks.-Track listing:#"Little Queenie" - 2:41...
|
October 1977 |
Albert |
| Absolute Anthology Absolute Anthology is a compilation album by The Easybeats. The album was released on November 17, 1980.-Track listing:#"For My Woman" #"Say That You're Mine" #"She's So Fine"...
|
November 1980 |
Albert |
| The Definitive Series The Definitive Series is a compilation album by The Easybeats. The album was released on September 18, 1992.-Track listing:#"For My Woman" #"She's So Fine" #"Wedding Ring"...
|
September 1992 |
Albert |
Audio samples
Trivia
- In Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
's book The Orton Diaries he describes meeting The Easybeats ("five very young and pretty boys") and Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...
at Brian EpsteinBrian Samuel Epstein was a British music entrepreneur, and the manager of The Beatles. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black and The Remo Four...
's house on 24 January 1967.
- The song "Something Wrong" was recently featured in a commercial for RadioShack
RadioShack Corporation is a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of North America, Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, it had 4,653 company-owned stores, 688 kiosks, 8 service centers, and 1,408 dealer outlets. RadioShack reported net sales...
featuring a man who was converting his vinyl collection to MP3MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression. It is a common audio format for consumer audio storage, as well as a de facto standard of digital audio compression for the transfer and playback of music on...
s. Richard Thompson chose "Friday On My Mind" as part of his "1,000 years of Popular Music" concerts in 2009.
- Rhythm guitarist George Young (rock musician) is the elder brother of Malcolm Young
Malcolm Mitchell Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 along with the other members of AC/DC...
and Angus YoungAngus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003...
, who founded the heavy-metal group AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
.
- For the film The Lost Boys (soundtrack)
The Lost Boys is the soundtrack from the 1987 film The Lost Boys released by Atlantic Records.-Track listing:#"Good Times" by INXS and Jimmy Barnes – 3:49#"Lost in the Shadows " by Lou Gramm – 6:17...
, INXS and Jimmy Barnes covered Good Times (Easybeats song)"Good Times" was a song by The Easybeats released as a single in Australia in December 1968. It was written by George Young and Harry Vanda....
.
External links