Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.
Being a Melbournite, I first thought this Show Special may have originated from our very own Royal Melbourne Show, but after some research discovered that it was referring to Sydney's Royal Easter Show.
Now, I am unsure if this EP was associated with one of the many novelty show bags sold at the Royal Easter Show, or was simply on sale at the entry / exit gates. If anyone can sheed more light on how this EP was distributed, I would love to know.
Featuring some well known Australian artists from the 60's, this really is a very rare gem indeed and I am grateful to Deutros for providing the rip (MP3) and artwork. Of course this item certainly ticks the Obscure box for this months WOCK on vinyl post and I have only ever seen one advertised for sale over at popsike.com (selling for $64).
And now for some back ground information on the artists and tracks featured on this little EMI sampler:
The Flying Circus - Shame Shame
The original lineup of Flying Circus was Doug Rowe [lead guitar, vocals], James Wynne [lead vocals, rhythm guitar], Bob Hughes [bass, vocals] and Colin Walker [drums].
A custom acetate pressing of "Shame, Shame" is shown right, but it was never released to the general public. It was, however, later anthologised by Glenn A. Baker on the CD release 'Best of Flying Circus 1969-71 (1995)'.
So its appearance on this EMI sampler makes it highly desirable and rare.
The Groove - Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
The Groove were an Australian band from Melbourne (1967-1970). Their name changed to Eureka Stockade in 1970. They recorded 5 singles and 1 album in Australia and 2 singles in England.
Band members were Jamie Byrne [Bass], Geoff Bridgford [Drums], Rod Stone [Guitar], Tweed Harris [Organ] and Peter Williams [Vocals], and they were mostly a soul-pop band.
The Groove were an Australian band from Melbourne (1967-1970). Their name changed to Eureka Stockade in 1970. They recorded 5 singles and 1 album in Australia and 2 singles in England.
Band members were Jamie Byrne [Bass], Geoff Bridgford [Drums], Rod Stone [Guitar], Tweed Harris [Organ] and Peter Williams [Vocals], and they were mostly a soul-pop band.
This Marvin Gayer cover appeared on their selftitled album which was released in 1968, however it was never released as a single. So again, its appearance on this EMI sampler makes it highly desirable to collectors.
'Everybody Oughta Sing A Song' is the second solo studio album by Australian pop singer John Farnham (billed then as Johnny Farnham) and was released on EMI Records in November 1968. Its first single, released in July, was the double A-sided, "Jamie"/"I Don't Want To Love You", which peaked at #8 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts. The second single, "Rose Coloured Glasses" was released in October and peaked at #16. Writers on the album included Hans Poulson, Neil Diamond and Quincy Jones. The album was re-released in 1974 with a different cover, it shows Farnham performing live on stage, whereas the initial 1968 release had him leaning against a Holden Monaro (see above).
The title track "Everybody Oughta Sing A Song" was released as the B-Side to the New Zealand release of "Jamie" and appears on this EMI sampler.
Patricia Amphlett (aka Little Pattie) began singing while still a young schoolgirl and had a surprise hit in 1963 with "He's My Blonde Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy".
She released further singles over the following two years, scoring a number of hits, making regular appearances on shows like Bandstand and Sing, sing, sing, and winning the Best Australian Female Vocalist award in 1965. By 1966 she was among Australia's most popular performers.
Having made one of several attempts to drop the 'Little' from her name, Pattie became, at 17, the youngest Australian entertainer to perform in Vietnam. She was performing at the Australian base at Nui Dat on the night of the Long Tan battle. Some soldiers recall having heard snatches of music as they headed out on patrol in the hours before the fight.
Patti released 8 solo albums and 30 singles during her career, and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2009. She was inducted by her cousin, Christina Amphlett of Divinyls, with former Australian Idol star, Lisa Mitchell performing "He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy".
Her Burt Bacharach cover "What The World Needs Now", was never released as a single and was lifted from her 1969 LP 'Beautiful In The Rain' for inclusion on this EMI Sampler.
Johnny Ashcroft and Kathleen McCormack... By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Johnny Ashcroft and Kathleen McCormack were Australian country music artists who collaborated on the album "You And I - Country Style" in 1967, which was a major success, catapulting modern country music into mainstream markets.
Ashcroft's album featured a set of duets with Australian singer-actress Kathleen McCormack, who had an extensive recording career of her own, mostly covering nostalgic oldies as well as Irish and Scottish folk songs and Australian-themed material.
The gimmick on this album was that McCormack and Ashcroft traded off dueling version of country hits, strung together as medleys of sorts -- i.e. "He'll Have To Go" paired with "He'll Have To Stay" or "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" with "By The Time You Get To Phoenix" -- and various themed medleys: songs about roses, songs about waltzes, songs with German motifs, etc. A little bit corny, if you ask me.
Their Glen Campbell cover "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was chosen for inclusion on this EMI sampler.
The Twilights - Once Upon A Twilight
The Twilights were an Australian rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1964 by Peter Brideoake on rhythm guitar, John Bywaters on bass guitar, Clem "Paddy" McCartney and Glenn Shorrock both on lead vocals. They were joined by Terry Britten on lead guitar and Laurie Pryor on drums within a year.
Heavily influenced by the British Invasion, they became a significant Australian band during the mid-1960s. They were noted for their musicianship, on-stage humour and adoption of overseas sounds and trends. Their most popular single is a cover version of "Needle in a Haystack" (originally by the Velvelettes), which topped the Go-Set singles chart in 1966. Also in that year, they won the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds competition and were awarded a trip to London.
There are subliminal touches of Beatles and Hollies, and hardcore followers of the era will find facile references to many of the UK records of that time.This point is made not to suggest that Once Upon A Twilight is derivative: rather, it is cut from the same cloth as, and can stand proudly alongside, the prime arbiters of British pop-psych of that era. Indeed, had the album been the product of a UK act rather than one of its outpost colonies, it would now be a far more familar and highly-regarded recording from the 60's.
The title track from the album was never released as a single, however it has been included on this EMI sampler for your enjoyment.
Track Listing:
Side One
1) The Flying Circus ...Shame Shame
2) The Groove...Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
3) Johnny Farnham...Everybody Oughta Sing A Song
Side Two
1) Little Pattie...What The World Needs Now Is Love
2) Johnny Ashcroft and Kathleen McCormack...By The Time I Get To Phoenix
3) The Twilights...Once Upon A Twilight.
EMI Little LP Sampler Link (30Mb)
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