Australian indie rock is part of the overall flow of Australian rock history but has a distinct history somewhat separate from mainstream rock in Australia, largely from the end of the punk rock era onwards.
98-418: The Eastern Dark is an Australian rock band who formed in the 1980s as an offshoot from another Australian band, The Celibate Rifles . The band was formed in 1984 when then Celibate Rifles bassist James Darroch decided to leave and form his own band. Darroch switched from bass to guitar and enlisted drummer Geoff Milne and former Lime Spiders backing vocalist Bill Gibson on bass. After some rehearsals
196-722: A Dirty Word (July 1975, 210000 copies sold). Both acts toured the US but had limited success there, although Sherbet had chart success with their single, "Howzat" (1976), in Europe. The early 1970s also witnessed the first major rock festivals in Australia, which were closely modelled on the fabled Woodstock festival of 1969. The festival era was exemplified by the annual Sunbury music festival , held outside Melbourne, Victoria each January from 1972 to 1975. Although there were numerous other smaller festivals, most were not successful and failed to have
294-434: A commercially successful and critically praised Sydney production of Jesus Christ Superstar premiered, which included Hines, Jon English , Reg Livermore , two future members of Air Supply , Stevie Wright, John Paul Young and Rory O'Donoghue . It was directed by Jim Sharman , who had international success as the director of both the original stage production and the film version of The Rocky Horror Show . Alongside
392-544: A considerable influence on the local rock music. While some groups, such as the Bee Gees, were more pop-oriented, by 1965 many other acts employed a harder, blues-based style, such as The Missing Links , Purple Hearts , Wild Cherries , The Creatures , and the Throb . The garage rock and protopunk sound of these bands and others exerted a significant influence on later bands including The Saints . Australia experienced
490-527: A garage rock explosion similar to the US and elsewhere. A weekly magazine, Go-Set , was published from February 1966 to August 1974, and was aimed at teenagers and twenty-year-olds. It quickly became the most influential and popular music-related publication, which chronicled major events, trends, fads and performers in local pop and rock music. Regular columnists included radio DJ Stan Rofe , fashion designer Prue Acton , and music journalist Ian Meldrum (later known as "Molly" Meldrum). Go-Set published
588-529: A generation of bands, singers and songwriters that home-grown Aussie talent could produce world-beating music. The single charted well in New York, Houston and Chicago. The punk movement began in the mid-1970s, and resulted in an explosion of musical activity. Numerous bands formed, as did many independent record labels , often run out of bedrooms. An early band who gained a following in Australia were, The Saints , who grew out of Queensland and who recorded one of
686-483: A generation of teenagers. Bands who did not fit this manifest were largely left behind by this process, and did attract smaller audiences (predominantly in their 20s and based in bohemian inner urban areas). In inner Melbourne, a considerable post rock scene flourished, with bands like Art of Fighting , Laura , Silver Ray and Gersey playing more subdued music using the traditional guitar/bass/drums structure; bands in this scene often played at inner-city venues such as
784-523: A popularity poll which led to the King of Pop Awards starting with Rowe as King of Pop in 1967. Australian-raised critic and journalist, Lillian Roxon , wrote her Rock Encyclopedia in 1969, which is the first such encyclopaedia to detail rock music and its creators. As in other countries, independent record labels proliferated during this period. The local branch of the UK-owned EMI company had dominated
882-497: A pub rock group in November 1973 and became one of the most well-known Australian rock bands, with more than 71 million sales in the US alone by 2014. They are perhaps the most well-known rock group from Australia, despite the fact that only one of the current band members is actually Australian-born. They have sold millions of albums, toured the world several times over, broken countless attendance records, and influenced hard rock music
980-421: A pub rock group in November 1973 and became one of the most well-known Australian rock bands, with more than 71 million sales in the US alone by 2014. Beginning in that era was Countdown , which was a popular music TV program on national broadcaster ABC , and ran from November 1974 until July 1987. After 1975, Australian rock began to diversify, including local contributors to punk and indie rock styles. By
1078-560: A regular on Bandstand . In August 1966, aged 17, she toured Vietnam to entertain troops during the Vietnam War —she was singing on stage when the Battle of Long Tan started nearby. She later recalled "During the third show I was given the sign, which of course is the fingers across the throat, which in show business means you better finish. We were very swiftly evacuated ... but I could see thousands and thousands of orange lights, which of course
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#17328549841591176-522: A resurgence of interest, both locally and internationally, as the country was one of the last untapped sources of 20th-century rock music. Popular rock music acts of this period include Spectrum and its successor Ariel , Daddy Cool , Blackfeather , The Flying Circus , Tully , Tamam Shud , Russell Morris , Jeff St John & Copperwine , Chain , Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs , Headband , Company Caine , Kahvas Jute , Country Radio , Max Merritt &
1274-490: A rich history, rooted in an appreciation of various rock genres originating in the United States and Britain, and to a lesser extent, in continental Europe and Africa. Australian rock has also contributed to the development of some of these genres, as well as having its own unique Australiana sound with pub rock and its Indigenous music . From 1955 to 1975, three distinct "waves" of Australian rock occurred. The first wave
1372-535: A significant mark on the ratings in its target age group, Its major commercial competitor was Sydney's 2SM (then Australia's top rating and most profitable pop station). The radio broadcaster had some synergies with the more pop oriented Countdown television show, also owned by the ABC. Double Jay/Triple-J has influenced Australia's taste in rock music, and it has been a testing ground for many acts that were later played by commercial radio stations after becoming popular with
1470-576: A small list of three-minute pop singles. This was a result of the widespread adoption of the US-inspired "More Music" format. A conflict between radio broadcasters and record labels resulted in the 1970 radio ban from May to October. During the ban major UK and Australian releases were refused airplay on commercial radio—but not on Australian Broadcasting Commission stations. A series of cover versions of UK singles by local artists on new labels, including Fable Records, were commercially successful. This
1568-496: A wide range of artists, including Panel Of Judges and Sleepy Township , as well as a compilation of Australian 1970s/1980s post punk titled Can't Stop It . Sydney's Half A Cow , run by Nic Dalton , released albums by bands like Dalton's own Sneeze , Spdfgh , and Sydney shoegazers Swirl . Fitzroy -based Trifekta , run by Tom Larnach-Jones (and distributed by major label Festival Mushroom Records ) also released recordings by various more established Melbourne bands, including
1666-425: Is exemplified by Liv Maessen 's version of " Knock, Knock Who's There? ", which reached No. 2 on Go-Set ' s National Top 40. However the original version by Mary Hopkin was not well known to contemporary listeners. After the ban even though there was a great deal of innovative and exciting music created by Australians; few listeners heard more than a fraction of it. By the 2000s their music underwent
1764-411: Is underrated. Australian instrumental bands played at dance venues in capital cities and regional towns. Like Australian jazz groups, these rock 'n' roll musicians became accomplished players. Dance patrons moved as couples to traditional rhythms, and bands played a wide variety of musical styles. One of the popular dance crazes of the era was "The Stomp". According to Digger Revell of The Denvermen "it
1862-901: The Punters Club and the Empress Hotel . Other bands, such as The Paradise Motel explored the more cinematic scope of string sections combined with guitar/bass/drums, especially on debut recordings such as Left Over Life To Kill . Meanwhile, others explored alternative instrumentation, including accordions, strings and chromatic percussion. In the early 2000s, a notable alternative and experimental music scene began out of Sydney, including acts such as The Captain's Package, Rica Tetas, Slimey Things and Darth Vegas. Several indie labels of note have operated in Australia around this time. Chapter Music , established by Guy Blackman in Perth but later relocated to Melbourne, released recordings on both vinyl and CD by
1960-582: The W&;G label and studio, which arguably had its biggest success with the earlier Australian releases of Melbourne band, later based in London, The Seekers . In 1960 Melbourne consumer electronics company, Astor Electronics, created its own record division, Astor Records , which established the Astor label and also became a leading distributor. Festival grabbed an early lead in rock 'n' roll by releasing Haley's "Rock Around
2058-474: The 1960s were migrants or their children. By mid-1957, inspired by Elvis Presley and Little Richard , Sydney-based singer Johnny O'Keefe achieved local acclaim after his breakthrough appearances on a Gordon-promoted tour by Haley. O'Keefe carved out a national profile to become a legend of Australian rock music. He hosted one of Australia's first TV rock shows, Six O'Clock Rock (1959 to 1961), and worked as an A&R with Gordon's label, Leedon . He
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#17328549841592156-565: The 1960s, including Leedon Records (which released the earliest recordings by the Bee Gees), Spin Records and the Perth -based Clarion Records. The many hits released on these independent labels comprised a significant part of Festival's total turnover. Other important independent labels of this period included the Melbourne-based W&;G Records, Astor Records—also a major distributor—and
2254-428: The 1960s. During the 1950s luthier Bill May expanded his Maton guitar company, becoming one of the first local manufacturers of the new electric guitars and amplifiers. In 1953 precision engineering company White & Gillespie established a custom recording division, which their company history claims was the first in Australia to press records in the new vinyl microgroove format. The new division soon included
2352-487: The 1980s baby boomer acts were prominent, which included John Farnham , whose album, Whispering Jack (October 1986) peaked at number one on the Australian charts for 25 weeks and was certified 24x platinum indicating shipment of over 1.68 million copies—the highest by any Australian artist. Also in that decade and the next, Indigenous rock groups such as Yothu Yindi and Warumpi Band achieved wider recognition. In
2450-548: The 1980s stimulating domestic demand for Australian pop and rock, with quality varying in extremes of good and bad. In the long term, one of the most important changes to the Australian music industry in the 1970s (and beyond) turned out to be the founding of the ABC's first all-rock radio station, Double Jay (2JJ) in Sydney in January 1975. It is indicative of the conservative nature of the Australian media and its regulators that Double Jay
2548-448: The 80's era include The Hard-Ons , Celibate Rifles , New Christs , GANGgajang and The Rockmelons . A vibrant and interesting punk and post-punk scene also developed in Perth, Western Australia. Bands such as The Victims and Cheap Nasties , spawned icons of the Australian music scene such as Dave Faulkner and James Baker, who formed one of the most popular Australian bands of the 1980s,
2646-489: The Australian independent scene from the late seventies until the early nineties is chronicled in Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977–1991 (Pan Macmillan, 1996) by author and music journalist Clinton Walker . Australia's main contribution to the development of punk rock , (not including sixties garage rock bands), consists of The Saints and Radio Birdman . AC/DC started as
2744-475: The Australian record market since the 1920s, but in this period it faced increasing challenges from its rivals, including the Australian arm of the US label, CBS Records , and particularly from the Sydney-based Festival Records , a division of Rupert Murdoch 's News Limited . Festival had its own successful house label, and it also signed valuable distribution deals with independent labels of
2842-627: The Beach (With Cars) in 1989. A CD collection of the previously released material, Where Are All the Single Girls? was released on Half A Cow Records in 2000 (and re-released in 2010). This article on a rock band is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article on an Australian band or other musical ensemble is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Australian rock Rock music in Australia, also known as Oz rock , Australian rock , and Aussie rock , has
2940-818: The Clock" by Vic Sabrino (August 1955) and "Washboard Rock 'n' Roll" by the Schneider Sisters (November 1956). Back in September 1953 US entrepreneur, Lee Gordon , arrived in Sydney and soon established himself nationally by organising a record-breaking tour by US singer Johnnie Ray in August 1954. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane , described Gordon as "the 'midwife' of Australian rock 'n' roll, [he] cut an imposing figure in his role as label manager, tour promoter and all-round music entrepreneur". From 1954 to 1962 Gordon's Big Show promotions brought to Australia—in many cases for
3038-433: The Clock" in Australia in 1956 after it had been turned down by EMI and Decca. It became the biggest-selling hit released in the country up to that time, and its success set Festival on its way to becoming the dominant Australian local record company for the next fifteen years. During this period Australia experienced an increase in migration, as hundreds of thousands fled post-war Europe. The majority of migrants were from
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3136-488: The DIY ethos of punk with rule-breaking, genre-defying artistic experimentation. The profusion of small, defiantly non-commercial and often unhesitatingly experimental bands became known as the " little band scene ". Throughout the 1980s, it flourished in most Australian major cities, evolving around venues (such as Melbourne 's Seaview Ballroom) and community radio stations such as 3RRR . A few bands, like Models , crossed over to
3234-715: The Groove , The Wild Colonials, Lynne Randell (who toured US supporting the Monkees and Jimi Hendrix ), Johnny Young , John Farnham , Doug Parkinson , Russell Morris and Ronnie Burns . During the 1960s numerous New Zealand performers moved to Australia for wider commercial opportunities. Although their origins are often overlooked (in much the same way that Canadian performers such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are routinely classified as "American") these trans-Tasman acts—including Max Merritt, Mike Rudd , Dinah Lee, Ray Columbus , Bruno Lawrence , Dragon and Split Enz —have exerted
3332-487: The J's audience. The advent of Double J and Countdown fundamentally changed the economy of Australian popular music, and the pub circuit gave rise to a newer generation of tough, uncompromising, adult-oriented rock bands. One of the most popular Australian groups to emerge in this period was the classic Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel , which formed in Adelaide in 1973 and enjoyed tremendous success in Australia in
3430-683: The Meteors , the La De Da's , Madder Lake , Stevie Wright (ex-The Easybeats), Wendy Saddington , Ayers Rock , The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band and The Dingoes . Guitarist-songwriter-producer Lobby Loyde (ex Wild Cherries, Purple Hearts) was another key figure, including with his band, Coloured Balls (1972–74), which gained a considerable following, despite media allegations that their music promoted violence by sharpie gangs (an Australian youth subculture ). Loyde played an important part in
3528-513: The Off Beats , Digger Revell and the Denvermen and New Zealand's Johnny Devlin & The Devils whipped up excitement on a par with their US inspirations. In 1959, Lee Gordon would commission Lee Robinson to produce the first ever feature-length film of a Rock'n' Roll concert held at Sydney Stadium, entitled 'Rock'n'Roll' . It is likely the only one of its kind in existence, and features a number of
3626-597: The UK where they recorded " Friday on My Mind " (released in November). Meanwhile, also in that month, their earlier single, "Sorry", reached number one in Go-Set . In January of the next year "Friday on My Mind" had also peaked at number one in Go-Set . This single also had chart success in the UK (at No. 6), US (at No. 16), Netherlands (at No. 1) and Germany (at No. 10). Vanda & Young took over producing
3724-488: The UK, many of whom were " Ten Pound Poms " who took advantage of the Australian government's A£ 10 assisted-passage fare. Also, for the first time since the 1850s Gold Rush, large numbers of non- Anglo-Celts came from other European countries including Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Poland. These arrivals exerted a powerful influence on all aspects of Australian society and notably in popular music: many Australia pop and rock performers of
3822-464: The US Capitol label ( The Beach Boys ). During this period, however, a number of local companies in Australia expanded into the growing Australian music market, which grew considerably after the emergence of the first wave of American rock 'n' roll. In 1952 merchant bank, Mainguard took over a struggling Sydney engineering firm, retooled and relaunched it as Festival Records . Its main local competition
3920-561: The USA and UK. A small but active Indie Rock movement was evident on the Gold Coast in the late 1970s and early 80's. The Seven Ballerinas were an Australian Indie rock band from the Gold Coast, active from 1981 to 1984. They are a significant contributor to the alternative rock music scene on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney, being one of the first bands from the Gold Coast to perform original material to audiences Australia wide. The Ballerinas
4018-575: The advent of a new weekly TV pop show, Countdown , in late 1974. It gained a huge audience and soon exerted a strong influence on radio programmers, because it was broadcast nationwide on Australia's government-owned broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Countdown was one of the most popular music programs in Australian TV history, and it had a marked effect on radio because of its loyal national audience—and
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4116-599: The aforementioned Australian artists. In January 1960 Festival was purchased by rising media magnate, Rupert Murdoch , and in April ARC was taken over by US-owned CBS , which closed the Coronet label and replaced the Australian CBS label. The success of the "first wave" rock 'n' roll acts was brief: by the early 1960s the first boom had begun to fade. Between O'Keefe's last major hit in 1961 and Billy Thorpe 's first hit in 1964,
4214-442: The airwaves to a vast amount of new local music, introduced listeners to important overseas innovations like reggae , dub , progressive rock , punk and new wave music that had been largely ignored by commercial radio. Double Jay also featured an unprecedented level of Australian content, and presented regular live concert broadcasts, comedy, controversial documentaries and innovative radiophonic features. Double-Jay quickly made
4312-401: The album of the same name became one of the best-selling albums by a band ever, selling over 22 million copies in the U.S. and 42 million copies around the world. Australian indie rock Rock and roll in Australia got started in the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by the sounds coming from the United States and UK . Early on, the surf rock sound dominated, though in the mid-1960s,
4410-422: The amount of Australian content it featured. The most important feature of Countdown was that it became a critical new interface between the record industry and radio. By the late 1970s, radio programmers ignored Countdown's hit picks at their peril. Host Ian "Molly" Meldrum also frequently used the show to castigate local radio for its lack of support for Australian music. Unlike commercial TV or radio, Countdown
4508-618: The band recorded the EP Long Live The New Flesh! in 1986. On 4 March 1986, days after finishing the EP, and en route to a week-long series of shows in Melbourne, the band's van went off the road; Darroch was killed, and Milne and Gibson were hospitalised. Long Live the New Flesh! was released posthumously later that year, and a collection of live recordings and demos was released as Girls on
4606-413: The beat genre from the UK had become established. Numerous garage bands formed in the cities and suburbs, and a vibrant musical culture began. Isolated from the diversity of genres in the northern hemisphere, Australian mainstream record labels tried to replicate the success of trends imported from overseas and produce radio friendly singles by successful artists such as John Farnham and The Easybeats . In
4704-651: The best-known pop rock acts from this era which also gained success outside the country. Both groups consisted of members who had migrated from the UK and, in the case of the latter, from continental Europe. Bee Gees had formed in 1960 by the trio of singing Gibb brothers , who had migrated from UK two years earlier, created "impeccable three-part harmonies" in a pop and R&B style. In 1963 they signed with Leedon Records which issued their early singles from that year and their debut album, The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs , in November 1965. Their most successful Australian-based single, " Spicks and Specks ",
4802-537: The country in June 1964. Two major acts from that era are The Easybeats and Bee Gees . A weekly magazine, Go-Set , which was published from 1966 to 1974, and aimed at teenagers and twenty-year-olds, quickly became the most influential and popular music-related publication of the period. The third wave from 1970 to 1975, with the advent of pub rock, was typified by early exponents, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs , Blackfeather , and Buffalo . Internationally, AC/DC started as
4900-515: The critically acclaimed indie-rock band The Triffids . Melbourne's post-punk scene was much more experimental than any of the other capital cities. The city spawned a lot of experimental and gothic rock, of which Nick Cave 's band, the Boys Next Door (later to become the Birthday Party) was the most notable and influential. Soon the raw energy of punk evolved into post punk , which combined
4998-536: The early 1980s and began broadcasting nationally in 1989. By the early 1980s Sydney had begun to eclipse the post-punk explosion of gloomy drug-addled Melbourne with its beach culture, summery pub music scene, and hubris. Phantom Records , a label which grew out of a popular import record store, began to record and distribute breakthrough indie acts such as The Hoodoo Gurus , The Sunnyboys and The Cockroaches . Phantom's success would inspire others to follow, with important indie champions, such as Died Pretty signed to
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#17328549841595096-717: The few large-size venues, such as the Sydney Stadium (originally built as a boxing arena), the Sydney Trocadero , and Brisbane and Melbourne Festival Halls. Such venues regularly attracted large numbers of young people because they were supervised, all-ages events—Australia's restrictive liquor licensing laws of the period meant that these venues and dances were almost always alcohol-free. According to rock historian Glenn A. Baker , in 1965 there were up to 100 dances being held every weekend in and around Melbourne alone. The most popular groups frequently played almost every night of
5194-464: The first Australian symphonic rock band in the mid-1970s, with the release of their debut Four Moments . Three "Australian" acts that appeared towards the end of the Second Wave—AC/DC, Little River Band, and Split Enz—and lasted into the late 1970s and early 1980s achieved the long sought-after international success that finally took Australasian rock onto the world stage. The progression of
5292-451: The first national singles charts from October 1966 (prior charts were state-based, or radio station listings). It detailed international musical developments and the exploits of Australian artists overseas including Normie Rowe and Lynne Randell . It reported on Australia's annual rock band competition, Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds , which ran from 1966 to 1972. From 1967 Go-Set conducted
5390-486: The first or only time—dozens of US jazz, rock and popular stars, including Louis Armstrong , Ella Fitzgerald , Artie Shaw , Nat King Cole , Frank Sinatra , Bill Haley & The Comets, Little Richard , Buddy Holly & The Crickets , Jerry Lee Lewis , and Chuck Berry . He also promoted local talent by using Australian acts as support on those tours. In 1956 the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers (AARM)
5488-498: The first punk singles, releasing a single on vinyl before the Sex Pistols . Another important band who came out of Brisbane were the post-punk group, The Go-Betweens , who relocated to Britain in the early 1980s and were one of the most acclaimed bands of the decade. Sydney's Radio Birdman were heavily inspired by acts such as the MC5 and The Stooges , and the band defined the sound of
5586-531: The fledgling Citadel Label. Other labels, such as Waterfront Records , Hot Records and RooArt soon followed expanding opportunities for bands to record and release domestically. The number of venues exploded, and fueled by the expansion of FM radio and a prosperous economy, Sydney begun to prove that independent bands could make a healthy living on the amazing pub music circuit at home, without having to first strike out to tour overseas and release internationally acclaimed albums. Other legendary live indie bands from
5684-496: The group's releases and the group toured the US in August 1967. They had further hit singles in Australia but disbanded late in 1969 with Vanda & Young remaining in the UK until 1973. Little Pattie (aka Patricia Amphlett) started as a surf pop singer with her debut single, "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy" (November 1963), reaching No. 2 on the Sydney singles chart in January 1964. Which cashed in on "The Stomp" dance craze and led to her being
5782-497: The lasting impact of Sunbury. After the disastrous 1975 Sunbury festival, which sent the promoters broke, large-scale festivals were considered too risky and were only occasionally staged in Australia until the advent of the annual Big Day Out in the 1990s. Also paralleling a US trend was the beginning of an Australian Christian music culture. One of the first examples of this trend was the surprise success of singing nun Sister Janet Mead whose 'rock' arrangement of The Lord's Prayer
5880-569: The late 1970s and early 1980s, although they never managed to break into other countries. Other popular acts from this transitional period include AC/DC , Skyhooks , Richard Clapton , Ol' 55 , Jon English , Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons , The Angels , The Sports , Midnight Oil , The Radiators , Australian Crawl , Dragon , Rose Tattoo , Ross Wilson's Mondo Rock , acclaimed soul singers Marcia Hines and Renée Geyer and pioneering Australian punk/new wave acts The Saints (Mk I) and Radio Birdman . The band Sebastian Hardie became known as
5978-518: The late Fifties to the early Seventies, but they gradually faded in the early Seventies as the "Baby Boomer" generation grew into adulthood and changes to licensing laws saw pubs take on an increasingly important role as venues for live music. From the 1950s to the early 1970s, the main venues for live music were discothèques (usually located in inner city areas), church, municipal and community halls, Police Boys' Clubs and beachside surf clubs. Bigger concerts and international tours were usually staged in
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#17328549841596076-510: The local rock music scene had become blander and more conservative. The charts were dominated by clean-cut acts, many were regular guests on TV pop show, Bandstand (1958 to 1972), and toured as members of the "Bandstand family", most were signed to Festival. Bandstand explicitly "appealed to anyone from eight to eighty". An alternative to mainstream pop acts were instrumental surf groups, for instance The Atlantics and The Denvermen in Sydney, and Melbourne's, The Thunderbirds. Many of
6174-588: The mainstream; others, like The Birthday Party went on to achieve critical acclaim abroad. This era can be said to have ended in the 1990s, when in the wake of the explosion of grunge , alternative music became mainstream. Major labels signed three-chord grunge/punk-style rock bands, commercial radio played them and the 'alternative' sound soon became ubiquitous, ultimately culminating in manufactured pop groups, styled to sound raucously 'alternative' and appearing on television commercials for mobile phones. In this way, this process of mainstreaming echoes what happened in
6272-444: The meantime, Russell Morris enjoyed a surprise hit with singles such as "The Real Thing". Produced by music legend Ian Molly Meldrum, and written by singing star Johnny Young, the single encompassed high production values and a psychedelic approach in its use of instruments such as a sitar, sampling of a children's choir, and its 6-minute running time (unusually long for the time). While released by EMI, this domestic production inspired
6370-418: The mid-1950s American rockabilly and rock and roll music was taken up by local rock musicians and it soon caught on with Australian teens, through films, records and from 1956, television. Although issued in 1954, " Rock Around the Clock ", a single by United States group Bill Haley and His Comets , did not chart in Australia until 1956. Initially considered a novelty song, the track and the related film of
6468-471: The mid-1960s. When The Beatles' June 1964 Australian tour arrived in Adelaide , an estimated 300,000 people—about one-third of the city's population at that time—turned out to see their motorcade from the airport to the city. The tours and recordings by British beat groups revitalised the pop and rock genres by inspiring scores of new and established groups, which quickly developed a vibrant and distinctive local inflection. Bee Gees and The Easybeats are
6566-407: The mid-to-late Seventies. The tail-end of the second wave gave birth to Skyhooks , who bridged the transition from the third wave into the period of new wave music acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s. On the Australian charts Sherbet had "20 consecutive hit singles to its credit", while Skyhooks had two number-one albums, Living in the 70's (October 1974, 226000 copies sold) and Ego Is Not
6664-456: The more obscure acts was a raft of successful pop-oriented groups and solo artists, including Sherbet , Hush , Ted Mulry Gang (TMG) and John Paul Young, who became the first Australian performer to have a major hit in multiple international markets with his perennial track, " Love Is in the Air " (1978)—a song which was written and produced by Vanda & Young, who were behind many of the big hits of
6762-451: The players in these dance bands had come from the jazz scene, and were also influenced by R&B and jump music of performers like Louis Jordan . Others were inspired by US surf guitarists Dick Dale and Duane Eddy , or UK's The Shadows and US band the Ventures . The influence of The Shadows and their lead guitarist Hank Marvin on Australasian pop and rock music of the 1960s and 1970s
6860-410: The popularity of local versions of rock musicals and festivals. Until the late 1970s, many Australian rock performers found it hard to become established and to maintain their profile, because of the difficulty in getting radio airplay. Until 1975, Australian mainstream radio was dominated by a clique of commercial broadcasters who virtually had the field to themselves and their influence over government
6958-488: The power-pop band Hoodoo Gurus , and the legendary Kim Salmon , who formed the Scientists , an influence on bands such as Mudhoney and The Jesus Lizard . Kim Salmon claims to have been the first person to use the term grunge to describe music. Kim Salmon and James Baker later once again collaborated in the underground rock supergroup Beasts of Bourbon , also featuring Tex Perkins and Spencer P. Jones. Perth also spawned
7056-498: The punk and post-punk movement in Sydney. The sound of both Midnight Oil and INXS were influenced by Radio Birdman, especially in their early albums. In 1970s Sydney, the Australian Federal Government's "youth station" Double J operated outside the mainstream radio stations and began playing various independent music from around the world. Double J (an AM station) eventually turned into Triple J (an FM station) in
7154-452: The re-emergence of Billy Thorpe in his new hard-rock incarnation of the Aztecs. Loyde's solo and band recordings in this period had a significant impact in Australia and internationally; Henry Rollins and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain are among those who cited Loyde as an influence. Rock musicals were an important development at this time. The local production of Hair brought future "Queen of Pop" Marcia Hines to Australia in 1970. In 1972
7252-533: The release of their album Highway to Hell . This was to be Scott's last album. During the subsequent tour, he was discovered in the backseat of a friend's car, having died of alcohol poisoning. The band found a new singer in English-born Brian Johnson and released their next album, Back in Black , in the early 1980s. The U.S. took notice of the band with the song You Shook Me All Night Long , and
7350-467: The rise of a thriving new city and suburban pub music circuit in the mid-1970s, which in turn spawned a new generation of bands who cut their teeth in this often tough but formative training ground. Teen-oriented pop music still enjoyed strong popularity during the 1970s, although much of it was sourced from overseas, and the proportion of Australian acts in the charts had hit an all-time low by 1973. That trend began to change around 1975, thanks largely to
7448-401: The rock scene were the long-overdue introduction of colour television and FM radio in 1975. This period also saw the decline of the booming local dance and discothèque circuit that had flourished in the 1960s and early 1970s. These rock dances were a continuation of the social dance circuit that had thrived in Australia's cities and suburbs since the 19th century, and they were hugely popular from
7546-451: The same name : "was like a beginner's guide to rock and roll, and inspired legions of local copyists". In July 1956 Frankie Davidson 's cover version of another Haley single, " Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie ", was released and is the first charting example of Australian recorded rock and roll, albeit as a minor hit. Other early recorded examples by Australians include non-charting singles: "Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Les Welch (1954), "Rock Around
7644-567: The short-lived Go!! Records label, which was set up in conjunction with a pop music TV series, The Go!! Show . Labels and production companies began to play an increasingly important role in the local rock music industry with their allied recording facilities such as Armstrong Studios in Melbourne. Founded in 1965 it became highly sought-after and recorded many local hits. It was an important training ground for some of Australia's best engineers and record producers, Roger Savage and John L Sayers . An important independent production company
7742-656: The three became The Eastern Dark, named after a place in The Phantom comics. The three piece began playing live in May 1984, quickly garnering local support and earning notoriety for their habit of opening each set with a different Ramones cover, working their way chronologically through the Ramones' discography. Their first single, "Julie Is A Junkie/Johnny And Dee Dee," was released on Waterfront Records in July 1985. With Rob Younger as producer
7840-482: The time, it was a move away from disco, and towards a local sound that expressed the values and attitudes of Gold Coast youth. The mainstreaming of alternative music did not kill indie rock in Australia, though did signal a shift in its focus. The form of 'alternative' music that the major labels and commercial radio stations were interested in was predominantly three-chord rock informed by punk rock and Seattle -style grunge; loud, rebellious, and easily marketable to
7938-468: The week, commonly commuting around town, performing short sets at three or more different dances every night. It was a very lucrative circuit for musicians and even moderately popular acts could easily earn considerably more than the average weekly wage at that time. The decline of the local dance circuit, combined with the fact that the baby boom teenagers of the Sixties were now ageing into adulthood, led to
8036-461: The world over. From their humble beginnings, Scottish brothers Angus and Malcolm Young forged a hard-hitting pub guitar sound, similar to Alex Harvey but tougher. After Bon Scott joined the band, the band shot to the top of the Australian rock scene in 1974–75 with their song " It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) ". The band later achieved international success, especially with
8134-414: Was Albert Productions , which was established in 1964 by music executive, Ted Albert of J. Albert & Son , who had signed both Billy Thorpe, and The Easybeats. Two members of the latter group, Vanda & Young, started working as producers and songwriters at Alberts in 1967. Alberts also owned the leading Sydney AM pop radio station 2UW, along with several other lesser stations. Another such company
8232-493: Was ARC (Australian Record Company), a former radio production and disc transcription service that established the successful Pacific, Rodeo and Coronet labels and competed with Festival as a manufacturer and distributor in New South Wales. Although most of the major labels were Sydney-based, Melbourne's vibrant dance and concert scene powered a local boom in rock 'n' roll and pop music and it became Australia's pop capital in
8330-510: Was a major hit in Australia and the US and earned a gold record award in the US. Bands like Family in Brisbane, and Kindekrist in Adelaide, started performing. Rod Boucher formed Good God Studios, which recorded a range of alternative Christian artists. Following on these foundations, later artists such as Newsboys had significant popular success. Two important changes which had a dramatic effect on
8428-466: Was established to regulate the music industry's releases. United Kingdom's EMI had dominated the Australasian record market since the end of WWII, and they made UK music a powerful force in the late 1950s and 1960s with signings like Cliff Richard and The Shadows , The Beatles , The Hollies and Cilla Black . EMI (Australia) also locally distributed Decca ( The Rolling Stones ' label) as well as
8526-490: Was formed in 1981 on the Gold Coast from an amalgamation of two pre-existing new-wave bands, Ratpak and The Strand. At the time, there was a mood for change on the Gold Coast music scene, as seen at the Macintosh Island concert, attended by around 2,000 people was headlined by The Strand, and also included Ratpak and several other local bands. The Macintosh Island concert was a turning point in Gold Coast music. As noted at
8624-431: Was from Scotland . They adopted a Beatles-esque look, wearing "neat matching suits", and performed original beat pop songs, written initially by Wright and Young. They signed with Albert Productions and issued "a string of exceptional hit singles and undertaking hugely successful tours" throughout Australia. The Easybeats' later material was primarily written by Vanda & Young , and by July 1966 they had relocated to
8722-455: Was from 1955 to 1963 and was influenced by American and British styles with local variants provided by artists such as Johnny O'Keefe , who had a hit with " Wild One ", which appeared in July 1958. Late in that stage, clean-cut acts, which featured on TV's Bandstand and toured as the "Bandstand family", were representing local music on the record charts. The second wave from 1964 to 1969 was directly influenced by The Beatles and their tour of
8820-486: Was from 1970 to 1975. During the late 1960s, many local acts dissolved or faded from view, while newer performers and surviving veterans of the 1960s beat boom coalesced into new formations and developed more distinctively Australian rock styles. However, acts that were successful within Australia rarely managed to achieve any lasting success overseas, generally due to the combination of poor management, lack of record company support or lack of radio exposure. The era also saw
8918-881: Was issued in September 1966, which reached No. 4 on the Go-Set Australian National Top ;40. By January of the next year they had returned to UK where they continued a very successful career both there and later, in the US. They also continued to chart well in Australia throughout the decade and beyond. Their first number-one hit on Go-Set National Top 40 is " Massachusetts " (December 1967). The Easybeats had formed in late 1964 at Villawood Migrant Hostel (later called Villawood Detention Centre) in Sydney with all five founders being recent arrivals from Europe: Dick Diamonde (bass guitar) and Harry Vanda (lead guitar) were from Netherlands ; Gordon "Snowy" Fleet (drums) and Stevie Wright (lead vocals) were from England ; and George Young (rhythm guitar)
9016-498: Was like what the Red Indians do when they're dancing around the teepee. I don't know where it came from but everyone was doing it at the time". During the second wave of Australian rock or "beat boom" from 1964 to 1969, there were hundreds of bands active, both live and in recording studios. The Beatles, and other British Invasion acts, had a massive impact on the local rock music scene. These bands toured to wild receptions from
9114-408: Was not answerable to advertisers or sponsors, and (in theory) it was far less susceptible to influence from record companies. Like no other ABC program before or since, it openly and actively promoted the products of these private companies. Countdown was crucial to the success of acts like John Paul Young , Sherbet, Skyhooks, Dragon and Split Enz , and it dominated Australian popular music well into
9212-618: Was such that no new radio licences had been issued in any Australian capital city since the early 1930s. All commercial radio was broadcast on the AM band, in mono, and that sector strenuously resisted calls to grant new licences, introduce community broadcasting or open up the FM band (then only used for TV broadcasts) even though FM rock radio was already well-established in the US. Many of the more progressively-oriented artists found themselves locked out of these radio stations, which concentrated on high-rotation of
9310-706: Was the Macquarie Radio Network. Albert Productions issued many major hits (released locally on EMI's Parlophone label) with both their flagship acts in the mid-1960s, and the associated record label, established in the early 1970s, became one of the most successful Australian labels of that decade. Other significant 'indie' production houses of the period included Leopold Productions (Max Merritt, The Allusions), set up Festival's original house producer Robert Iredale, and June Productions, led by former W&G and Astor staff producer, Ron Tudor , who went on to found Fable Records in 1970. Australian rock's third wave
9408-623: Was the first Australian rock 'n' roll performer to attempt to break into the US market. In early 1960 O'Keefe's 35 state US tour "made little impact" although his single, "It's too Late", charted locally in New Orleans. Iggy Pop covered O'Keefe's March 1958 Australian hit, " Real Wild Child ", in 1986. Pop re-recorded it in 2008 with Australian band, Jet . For a few years, O'Keefe and other local rockers including Lonnie Lee & The Leemen , Dig Richards & The R'Jays , Col Joye & The Joy Boys , Alan Dale & The Houserockers, Ray Hoff &
9506-472: Was the first new radio licence issued in an Australian capital city in more than 40 years. It was also Australia's first non-commercial 24-hour rock station, and the first to employ women disc jockeys. Double-Jay's wide-ranging programming policies were influenced by British 1960s pirate radio , the early programming of BBC Radio One , and the American album-oriented rock ( AOR ) format. The new station opened up
9604-660: Was the gunfire, and I'll never forget it. Never". In the days after the battle, Amphlett visited injured soldiers in hospital to comfort and sing to them. Some of leading acts during this period are, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs , Bobby & Laurie , Ray Brown & The Whispers , the Twilights , the Loved Ones , the Masters Apprentices , MPD Ltd , Mike Furber & The Bowery Boys , Ray Columbus & The Invaders , Max Merritt , Dinah Lee , Normie Rowe , The Groop ,
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