EASYBEATS-SORRY/FUNNY FEELIN-OZ PARLOPHONE1966 PROMO NM

	A$		70
	$		46

THE EASYBEATS

7" 45 SINGLE ORIGINAL  AUSTRALIAN  PRESSING OCTOBER 1966  

SAMPLE "NOT FOR SALE" / PROMO - (SEE SCAN)

IN ORIGINAL PARLOPHONE PAPER SLEEVE

TRACK LISTING : 

SORRY  -  STEVIE WRIGHT / GEORGE YOUNG (BROTHER OF ANGUS, AC/DC)

Side Two:

FUNNY FEELIN' - STEVIE WRIGHT / GEORGE YOUNG

" FROM THE EASYBEATS' ALBUM, 'VOLUME 3' " (THIRD ALBUM)

CATALOGUE  #  A-8224 

RECORD  IS  IN  NEAR MINT CONDITION

LABELS  EX/NM - BARELY VISIBLE VERY MINOR SPINDLE? MARK SIDE 1;  SAMPLE / PROMO STICKER (SEE SCAN) 

SLEEVE IS IN GOOD TO VERY GOOD CONDITION - SOME MINOR CREASES / EDGE WEAR

SUPERB  1960'S  /  OZ PUB ROCK  /  ASTRALIAN PRESSING  /  EASYBEATS   /  STEVIE WRIGHT  /  GEORGE YOUNG  /  HARRY VANDA  /  DICK DIAMONDE   /  "SNOWY" FLEET  /  PARLOPHONE   /  45  SINGLE  /   COLLECTABLE  IN  EXTREMELY  NICE  SHAPE  AFTER 44 YEARS

THE EASYBEATS :

"  Original line-up: HARRY VANDA (lead guitar); GORDON 'SNOWY' FLEET (drums); STEVIE WRIGHT (vocals); GEORGE YOUNG (guitar); DICK DIAMONDE (bass).

The Easybeats dominated the Australian rock and pop scene throughout the latter half of the sixties, producing fifteen singles that charted in the national Top 40. Three of these hit No. 1.

Live performances were often met with near-hysteria from the fans. Screaming teenagers, mob scenes, and torn clothes were the order of the day. The Easybeats were also the genesis of one of Australia's most successful songwriting and production teams: Harry Vanda and George Young.

The group's formation stemmed from George and Harry's meeting at the Villawood Migrant Hostel in Sydney. All the boys had migrated to Australia with their families. George was born in Glasgow on 6 November 1947. Prior to his leaving Scotland, he had been a schoolboy soccer champion. Snowy was born on 16 August 1945 in England where he had played with the Mojos (who were later managed by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein). Stevie was born on 20 December 1948 and lived in Leeds. Harry was from Holland where he played with top Dutch group the Starfighters. He was born on 22 March 1947. Dick, also from Holland, was born on 28 December 1947.

The boys got together as a band and with the addition of the last member, Snowy, the Easy beats were founded in mid-1964. For the first two months they practised solidly.

They began playing at dances, in many cases for no pay. In December 1964 they were introduced to Mike Vaughan. After watching them perform Mike negotiated with the group to become their manager. His first big publicity ploy, in January 1965, was to hold a cocktail party at a dance and officially launch the band to DJs and the industry in general. It was a great success and they went on to obtain a recording contract with EMI.

Their first record was made for Albert Productions and was released on EMI's Parlophone label. Although 'She's So Fine'/'The Old Oak Tree' was their first single to break nationally, 'For My Woman'/'Say That You're Mine' was actually released earlier. The main difficulty was that at the time, Parlophone was only involved with local artists in a small way and distribution and promotion was restricted. So the boys took copies of their records around to radio stations themselves, in order to obtain airplay in Sydney.

The band's breakthrough in Melbourne and the rest of Australia occurred when Ron Blackmore (Bobby and Laurie's manager) heard about them and travelled to Sydney to see them. Ron was very impressed. On his return, he began promoting them heavily in Melbourne. The group visited down south in March 1965 and were an instant hit with Melbourne audiences.

Over the next six months the band became Australia's most popular group. In that short period they produced four national hits. Most of this early material was written by Stevie and George, with occasional help from Harry. All the Easy beats' hits were distinctive, each one utilising some new twist, sound, or technique.

Also in 1965 they released their debut album called Easy, which became one of the year's best sellers.

By early 1966 they had conquered the domestic market (having had six hits in a row and two good LPs including their second album It's 2 Easy), so they decided to tackle England.

On 10 July they left for the UK and, following a brief period of adjustment began recording. The resultant single, 'Friday On My Mind' became the sensation of their career. It made the British charts in November 1966 and reached the number six position. In Australia, it became the group's third No. 1 hit. In the US, the record eventually made the charts in May 1967 and went as high as number sixteen.

Meanwhile, in October 1966, they released their third Australian album Easybeats Volume 3.

The band was now an international success, but their popularity was still strongest in Australia. They were voted Australia's top group in the Go-Set Pop Polls of 1966 and 1967.

In May 1967 they returned for a national tour. The tour was, of course, successful but the following month Snowy announced that he was leaving the group for personal reasons. He settled down in Perth. Snowy's place was taken by TONY CAHILL (ex-Purple Hearts). As well as having two hit singles over this period, they released their first album in the US under the title of Friday On My Mind.As a result of their record sales in the US, the band set off on an American tour with Gene Pitney in August 1967. But, despite the success of Friday On My Mind, and further hit singles in Australia, it was not until April 1968 that they scored their next overseas hit when 'Hello How Are You' made number twenty on the British charts. In the meantime, a new album was released, Vigil, and in the US a second LP, Falling Off The Edge Of The World was issued. Vigil was different from their earlier works in that it contained a wide variety of material—old standards, original compositions, easy listening songs, psychedelic material—and only a hint of rock.

Then came a change of label to Polydor and in the US they moved to Tamla Motown Records' Rare Earth label. The group's first release for Polydor was 'St. Louis' which sold in Australia and was even a mild hit in the US. Unfortunately, it was to be their last chart success. Friends (from which 'St. Louis' was lifted) was released and coincided with another Australian tour in the spring of 1969. During the tour, their old label (Parlophone) issued a single called 'Peculiar Hole In The Sky'. The band was unhappy about its release as it was recorded originally only as a demo disc to facilitate the recording of the song by the Valentines. Naturally, the record did not sell and by now the band's direction had changed completely from the exciting rock style that had brought them success. By the end of 1969, their popularity had begun to wane. Early in 1970 they finally disbanded.

Harry and George returned to London where they worked as producers, songwriters, and session men. In the UK they released an album under the name of the Marcus Hook Roll Band before returning to Australia where they have become probably our most successful songwriting/producing team . Stevie initially formed a band called Rach-ette and in 1974 re-emerged as a top solo artist. Tony returned to England to join Python Lee Jackson, and Dick, who was suffering from mental strain, dropped out of the scene.

.... NOEL McGRATH'S AUSTRALIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROCK & POP 1984

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