My Seventies Music

Category: Seventies Pop Music

  • Ringo Starr – “Photograph”, “You’re Sixteen” And “Six O’Clock”

    "Ringo" by Ringo Starr (1973)

    In 1974 while visiting my older brother in Invercargill at the very bottom of New Zealand’s South Island, I bought the Ringo Starr album “Ringo”, featuring the single “Photograph”, which went to No. 1 in America.

    Another song from the album, also a Number 1 hit in the USA, was “You’re Sixteen”.

    I also rather like “Six O’Clock”, penned by Paul McCartney.

    Here is the album version of “Photograph”, which was co-written by another former member of The Beatles, George Harrison, and produced by Richard Perry:

    I’m not sure when this live version of “Photograph” was performed, it is Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band, featuring John Entwistle of The Who on bass, Billy Preston on keyboards and Ringo’s son Zak Starkey on drums (at least I think it is, I had to change the video, this one is 1995 apparently):

    As both John Entwistle and Billy Preston are no longer alive, it must have been a while ago.

    And here is “Six O’Clock”, not a hit, but I like it:

    I have found an interesting connection with Ringo Starr: a fellow (earlier) graduate of Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, the late Dave Jordan, wrote one of the songs on his 1976 album “Rotogravure”.

    Paul

  • Mother Goose – “Baked Beans” And “This Is The Life”

    New Zealand Seventies band Mother Goose had a hit with "Baked Beans"

    Last night by chance I came across an old favourite from New Zealand in the Seventies: Mother Goose singing their slightly ludicrous “Baked Beans” – which just goes to show you can make a rock song outof anything!

    I had forgotten about Mother Goose, but they actually did pretty well for themselves, having coming up with the idea of mocking themselves by dressing up ridiculously when they performed in the South Island city of Dunedin and then nationally.

    The more they made fun of themselves, the more popular they became: they broke attendance records accross Australasia, and their debut album “Stuffed” was Mushroom Records’ fastest selling album.

    When they went to Australia, what later became top bands queued up to be their support acts, like Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, Men At Work and The Angels.

    Their first national tour was with international, i.e. British, band Supercharge – this particularly got my attention because a flatmate of mine in Bamberg, Germany in the early Eighties was later in a blues band that had a number of gigs with Supercharge, including when they toured with Chuck Berry.

    Mother Goose moved to the USA in 1978 for a year and did very well, with members of Kiss and Devo becoming fans of their shows in New York.

    After returning to Australia the band continued to attract huge crowds there and also on tours in Canada, eventually breaking up in 1984, with a reunion in 2007 as part of a celebration of 30 years of the “Dunedin Sound”.

    Here now is the “Baked Beans” video, which was so well received it even got shown on TV between prime time programmes in Australia and New Zealand:

    Just to show they didn’t just do humour, here is “This Is The Life”, live in Dunedin, New Zealand:

    Glad I chanced on this one again, hope you enjoyed it too. 🙂

    Paul

  • The Knack – “My Sharona” And “Good Girls Don’t”

    "My Sharona" by The Knack (1979)

    One song I remember from 1979 was “My Sharona” by The Knack.

    It was apparently the biggest hit of the year and spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart as well as five weeks at No. 1 in Australia.

    The followup single “Good Girls Don’t”, from the same album “Get The Knack”, peaked at No. 11. The album itself went to No. 1.

    Here’s “My Sharona”:

    This is the “cleaned up” version of “Good Girls Don’t”:

    And here is “Good Girls Don’t” in the the original, “unexpurgated” version:

    I nearly fell off my chair when I heard this version the first time. (Especially on New Zealand radio, I was surprised it wasn’t censored.)

    Incidentally, while preparing this I read that lead singer Doug Fieger passed away just three months ago, on February 14, 2010. Drummer Bruce Gary, who had not participated in more recent reunions, died in 2006. Both were in their mid Fifties.

    Hard to believe when you watch the lively videos, and all the more reason to be thankful that we can.

    Paul

  • Hello Sailor – “Gutter Black” And “Blue Lady”

    1977 album "Hello Sailor" by New Zealand band Hello Sailor

    The 1977 album “Hello Sailor” by New Zealand band Hello Sailor from Auckland was the first record made in New Zealand to be certified gold, producing two top 20 and one top 30 singles in that country: “Gutter Black”, “Blue Lady” and “Lyin’ In The Sand”.

    To be honest, at the time I found Hello Sailor a bit arrogant.

    As it turned out, they bit off more than they could chew by trying to conquer the US market before attempting to break into Australia, but didn’t tackle it seriously (too much partying).

    When they got back, other bands had taken over their patch so to speak. When they did go to Australia that didn’t work out either, and there were other problems with, let’s say, substance abuse. Not long after the band broke up.

    To give them credit though, those with the problems cleaned up their act and went on to other successes, and are meanwhile playing together again.

    Anyway, I couldn’t find “Lyin’ In The Sand”, so here are the other two tracks mentioned. Listening to them again, I recognised both songs, neither of which I have heard for over 30 years.

    This is a live version of “Gutter Black”:

    Meanwhile, “Gutter Black” was used as the title music for a popular New Zealand TV series, Outrageous Fortune. I came across a trailer for it, not what I’d want my kids watching, I must say.

    And here’s “Blue Lady”, also sung live:

    That’s it for today.

    Paul

  • Little River Band – “Help Is On Its Way”, “Happy Anniversary”, “Reminiscing”, “Lady”, “Lonesome Loser” and “Cool Change”

    Little River Band album "Diamantina Cocktail" (1976/1977) went Gold in the USA

    Probably one of the most successful Australian bands of the Seventies – or since – was the Little River Band, whose string of hits in the USA included “Help Is On Its Way”, “Happy Anniversary”, “Reminiscing”, “Lady”, “Lonesome Loser” and “Cool Change”.

    Can anyone say “harmonies”….

    And one of their most successful albums was “Diamantina Cocktail”, named after an Australian (Queensland) speciality made with Bundaberg Rum, condensed milk and an emu’s egg!

    “Diamantina Cocktail” was released in Australia in 1976 and with a slightly different lineup of songs internationally in 1977.

    The first two songs here, perhaps two of their most memorable hits, are from that album:

    “Help Is On Its Way”:

    “Happy Anniversary”:

    “Reminiscing”, from the Little River Band album “Sleeper Catcher”, went to No. 3 in America in 1978:

    Here’s Glenn Shorrock singing his hit “Reminiscing” 30 years later in 2008:

    “Lady”, from the same album, went to No. 10 in the States in 1978:

    And in 1979 “Lonesome Loser”, from the next album, “First Under The Wire”, peaked at No. 6 there:

    It was followed by “Cool Change”, another track on that album, that also reached No. 10, the Little River Band’s last hit in the Seventies:

    All I can say to this music is…. cool!

    Paul

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