The Easybeats: Friday on My Mind (This is where it all begins!) : Reaction

[@shellshell942]

These guys really set up the Australian music industry for decades, it's insane how much George Young and Harry Vanda actually did. They were machines. I watched a great short documentary on them and I encourage anyone to look in to them further, you will appreciate how many artists they were involved with.

[@TheThamesmen]

Cool!

[@sean---the-other-one]

Great start. Yep, The Easybeats were very much like an Aussie version of The Kinks, maybe with a touch of Hollies. Guitar based rock, great stuff for it’s time. Stevie Wright was a great frontman, unfortunately struggled with fame, but one anthem for Aussies is his solo song Evie Parts 1, 2, & 3. Can’t wait to hear what else turns up to follow this. Cheers, guys!

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks Sean!

[@wonsworld61]

+1 Evie Parts 1 2 3 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooHZlnV6a7yKjsU this live version gives you the whole song. This was also Stevie's first major comeback to music and again written by his ex bandmates (Harry) Vanda and (George) Young.

[@carolcarol3938]

Yes! Evie is a favourite

[@nearlyoutofideas]

Sadly, lead singer Stevie Wright's life took many tragic turns from the 1970s on. Basic details at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wright

[@wilks6]

Hard to overestimate the massive impact Vanda & Young had on music, and not just in Australia. Apart from writing for & producing dozens of Australian acts, they also wrote hits for people like Grace Jones. According to Jeff Apter's book about Angus Young, older brother George, enjoying the growing success of The Easybeats, gifted Malcolm & Angus guitars. They would spend countless hours learning to play. As a sort of party trick, the older boys would play Angus a song or a riff on a record & say "play that." 10 minutes later he'd repeat it, note for note, exact.

[@dansharp2860]

The story I heard was that it was "Uncle" Harry (Vanda) who gifted Malcom his first guitar. Years later he would always say it was the best investment he ever made

[@donnam5891]

Thank you this was great. Love Stevie Wright. You should listen to Evie pts1,2, & 3. It's amazing and also written by Vanda & Young. Great reaction. I think I like the Easybeats version better.

[@TheThamesmen]

Cool. Will check that out. Be well.

[@graemepenton5851]

George Young being the older brother of Angus and Malcolm

[@zwieseler]

@@graemepenton5851 to clarify, from ACDC....

[@graemepenton5851]

Yes, Harry Vanda and George Young wrote many Easybeats hits, and of course Malcolm and Angus need no introduction, you can even see the flow over between Stevie Wright and Bon Scott. Pretty obvious George had quite an influence on the roots of ACDC.

[@djizzah]

@@TheThamesmen one of Angus first guitar solo on Evie

[@erinundra]

George and Angus Young were migrants from Glasgow and Harry Vanda was from Holland. Stevie Wright the vocalist was English. They all met at the migrant camp in Sydney.

[@barnowl5774]

Stevie Wright, the cheeky little energizer bunny! I love dancing all out to this one, with the grey hair flying!

[@taniaPBear]

The Easybeats were groundbreakers for sure, as per usual, they got screwed over when they got popular overseas, and it ultimately tore them apart. Great to see this live performance, they still looked so enthusiastic. The Bowie version is awesome, he kept the heart of it intact, but Bowied it up real good, lol. Great start guys, had a great time watching.

[@TheThamesmen]

Brilliant!!

[@paulthesurfer7470]

Spot on with The Kinks comparison, guys. R.I.P. Stevie Wright - LEGEND.

[@matallens3006]

Great band and awesome sound still sounds fresh today

[@TheThamesmen]

Great music stands test of time

[@Scottyo74]

Neighbours is like Fosters in Australia.

[@TheThamesmen]

And that’s class :)

[@sean---the-other-one]

Yes. And mostly only Australian’s will understand that.

[@steveharvey4036]

You are both right, wild dance hadn't happened. And everyone was so reserved and confused as to what to do to this new music So much happened so quickly in the early 60's. It was all new. Hard to imagine now but the culture then was so controlled. yes I was there.

[@TheThamesmen]

Controlled but very quickly broke out and evolved. Really interesting to see this transition. Thanks for your support

[@teresakym2672]

One of Australia's greatest bands ever - absolutely love them ❤ This was voted Australia's best single of all time in an industry poll, with Daddy Cool's 'Eagle Rock' at number two and Stevie Wright's 'Evie Parts 1, 2 and 3' at number three. Some in the industry also think that Stevie was the greatest frontman Australia ever saw. All I know is that they were fabulous. Was lucky enough to meet Stevie a few years before he passed away, and what a lovely, sweet man he was. RIP Stevie (and George Young) ❤

[@thecat600]

I saw The Easybeats in 1967 or 1968. I was in junior high. It was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota USA. Radio KISD Sioux Falls was the major sponsor and brought a number of acts for 1 summer event the 2 summers I lived there. KISD SUMMER HAPPENING. They were great fun. I remember The Easybeats covered A Day In The Life (The Beatles). Other acts included Gene Pitney, The 5th Estate, The Happenings, The Beach Boys and others.. Thank you for your reaction.

[@willowvee5844]

My eldest brother is a musician and his first rock and roll band covered Friday on My Mind. I was five years old and remember vividly, dancing like crazy during rehearsal at the local church hall! That song brings it all back! I recall having puppy love for the singer (Dennis!) watching his hair swing whilst belting this out! You must watch Evie Parts 1,2 and 3 live on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Amazing. So love little Stevie and the EasyBeats.

[@TheThamesmen]

Great story.

[@sean---the-other-one]

It’s hilarious watching you guys unwittingly insulting chunks of audience. Keep up the great work. As an Inuit who has emigrated to Australia and had to get a mullet to pass the citizenship test my head is spinning.

[@TheThamesmen]

I know. We try super hard not to and end up insulting swathes …, god dam it.

[@sean---the-other-one]

@@TheThamesmen Pfft. We all take ourselves too seriously. Don’t change.

[@debmccudden242]

Thanks guys ive never heard this live version befor ,always liked this song

[@TheThamesmen]

Did you hear the Bowie version

[@debmccudden242]

@@TheThamesmen no i hadnt i prefer the easybeats version but its also what im use to hearing the live one you played did seem a little slower than the record

[@venderstrat]

Boys - check out Little Stevie live at the Sydney Opera House. Amazing!

[@stevenlowe3026]

That's Harry (blonde) to the left of Stevie (looking from the audience) and George on the right. Keep in mind that this song is at the end of an evening's performance, so Stevie's voice is a little worse for wear. Check out the official video to get how good it could get. I hope you're going to check out the Love Ones as well. Same time as the Easybeats, and just as great, but not too well known.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks for this and also checking our channel out. More soon!! Thanks G&A

[@LuvHrtZ]

Great guitar playing. One of the guys was the Young brother's big brother. They wrote and produced a lot of ACDC's early stuff.

[@floydster23]

The Easybeats were so good! One story that went around was when Paul McCartney first heard "Good Times" on BBC radio, he thought it was so good that he called the station to get them to play it again. It's a great song with unmistakable backing vocals by Steve Marriott from Small Faces.

[@TheThamesmen]

Ha brilliant.

[@kcinstic3012]

that call on the Kinks was spot on

[@TheThamesmen]

Love the Kinks

[@monkmchorning]

That musical sweet spot between Beatlemania and the Summer of Love. Where I lived, there were a dozen or so bands trying to match this level of energy, talent, and originality. They fell short, but it was a marvelous time.

[@LikkieAU]

Wow, I’ve never heard that Bowie version before. I particularly enjoyed how he turned the chorus into an anti-climax by pulling it back slightly where the Easy Beats took off. Made it really “refreshing”.

[@TheThamesmen]

It was ace!!

[@LikkieAU]

@@TheThamesmen yeah it was aye!

[@Whatiwantedwastaken]

Great choice! Lots of people try their hand at music reactions, you gents however have some wonderful insights and are genuinely entertaining. Already working on my Week 3 suggestions

[@michaelmcgovern3769]

The studio version release is just great. Full of energy and verve.

[@pilchard2000]

Easeybeats were the local band in my town , at the local Scouts hall , they called it the Disco , well before Disco , guess that makes extremely old eh.

[@rongt859]

Bowie covered it in 1973 , the Easy Beats spent a couple of years in England , recording and touring , arrived back in Australia with the grand total of 100 quid each in their pocket , that was the end of the Easy Beats , Vander and Young turned to writing and producing Stevie Wright went solo , but drugs and mental health mistreatment " experimental shock treatment " he had a hit in the eighties with a song produced by Vander and Young with the song Evie kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooHZlnV6a7yKjsU

[@TheThamesmen]

Great info!!!!

[@richardfinlayson1524]

Stevie wright was a great frontman check out his three part Evie a massive solo hit in oz in 74, its a bloody classic.

[@TheThamesmen]

We did and even made a video on it!

[@tyger389]

George Young is namechecked in Sultans of Swing as "Guitar George".

[@TheThamesmen]

Ahhhhh

[@warrenbridges1891]

@@TheThamesmen "......and Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene" (Harry Vanda)

[@garrymercer757]

where what all begins?? this was one of their last songs. stevie wright lived in my street till he died, he had a number of health complications from doctors treatments, his woman cared for him, he was happy, respected and well liked by all the locals. RIP

[@TheThamesmen]

It was our Day one of our second Aussie week. Maybe could have chosen better words!

[@albertlanger2339]

In Australia, we pronounce Bowie as "Bow EE" Easybeats were great and wow with Stevie Wright when he was lucid.

[@gustaaf1892]

The Easy Beats went to England to record Friday on my mind. After the first take the producer told them that was it. He was happy and they were stunned.

[@TheThamesmen]

Wow. Great story thanks

[@jemxs]

Great start to Aussie Week II and what a bonus track!!

[@TheThamesmen]

What a bonus !!! Agree

[@blueycarlton]

Easybeats: For My Woman, She's So Fine, Wedding Ring, Women, Sorry, Come and See Her, Sad Lonely and Blue, Funny Feelin', I'll Make You Happy, As Easy As Can Be, In My Book, Too Much, written by Stevie Wright and George Young all made the charts in Australia before Friday On My Mind. Easybeat is nice little instrumental from 1965, album track only. They churned out 100's of songs 65-69 and of course Vanda and Young wrote so many hits for other people in the 70/80's. Check out Evie parts 1, 2, 3. which they wrote for Stevie Wright, the longest song to go to No.1. Bowie's version sounds like his Laughing Gnome, what a Barry Crocker! (Aussie slang for shocker)

[@TheThamesmen]

No no no laughing gnome.

[@BJ-uy1cl]

I remember this band from UK 60s. Didn’t know they were Australian until I moved here.

[@GatorScribe726]

Love this group! I've got all their albums. (Oh, and thanks to Aussie Week One , I'm hooked on Cold Chisel.)

[@TheThamesmen]

Oh. You wait.

[@christinecoombs3536]

My favourite Easybeats song is “ Sorry”.

[@garywilliams1948]

They all met in a migrant hostel ….Wright and Young from UK , Vanda from Holland.

[@jenniferjacobs228]

I love that you give some researched history and facts of the bands and artists. really good.... Love that it's live. They were just so popular in OZ at the time...we teenagers loved them so much. Stevie Wright was a real pocket rocket. So sad the way his life went but he was well loved. hahaha the crossover from formal dancing to go go dancing...we had to create the dancing to go with the new music. We had a ball doing it..It was really as fantastic as it looks and seems, to those who were not there yet..lol...

[@TheThamesmen]

That';s Chris - Our 3rd person!! Thanks for being here and supporting us. Be well. G&A

[@westfootscrayboy]

Enjoying catching the Aussie series. 1966 music is not complete without contrasting this track with The Loved One by The Loved Ones. Both are still on my playlist. Edit, almost forgot to add another contrast from the summer of 1965-66 Normie Rowe's Shakin' All Over - first heard it travelling down Victoria's surf coast on a hot blue sky day and also still on my playlist.

[@robertburke5354]

The new, raw sound of mid-1960's "rock" (as opposed to it's precursor - late 1950's/early 1960's "rock and roll").

[@TheThamesmen]

Good point

[@bernadettelanders7306]

I noticed the dancing too that slow dancing wasn’t normal in the 60s for a band like the Easybeats. I thought it was from another vid thrown in. I’m old enough 🥴 I remember lol

[@TheThamesmen]

No that dancing was there. Maybe it was a church club or something

[@bernadettelanders7306]

@@TheThamesmen yeah, weird, looked like semi ballroom dancing or a church formal lol. Not EasyBeat concert dancing at all lol

[@kerriemccoy1647]

There is a two part tv series called Friday On My Mind all about The Easy Beats.

[@-jacinta-]

A perfect start to Oz week!!! (really hope Chris included Evie 1, 2 & 3 in the mix🤞) Bowie's version of Friday is good, but I'm perplexed by his vocal styling choices - just too variable, I reckon. Perhaps the result of, um, substances. Still a really good version of the song. For me though, the original just holds up and Stevie is mesmerizing to watch.

[@TheThamesmen]

Let’s see what tomorrow brings!!

[@seanmcwha9325]

Jacinta, totally agreed. Bowie’s version just didn’t do it for me. Stevie and the Easybeats all the way on this one 👍🏼🔥

[@RaffaPed]

Stevie Wright also sang what I consider the best Aussie song ever in "Evie"....a 3 part 11 minute epic from Vanda & Young. An absolute must for Aussie week 3.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks for the suggestion we really appreciate the support. I had to get to hear this soon

[@starlightshimmery]

Loving Aussie week and great suggestions Chris! There’s a really enjoyable miniseries drama been made recently about the early days of the Easybeats called “Friday on My Mind” if you can get a chance to see it. I agree with your comments on the dancing, I think people were still figuring out how to break away from the old time styles into freeform.

[@starlightshimmery]

The Bowie version is so fascinating it’s like Five Years meets Rock n Roll. So much going on there and it veers in and out of quite a few styles of Bowie all at the same time. Bring on Bowie week too! 🎉

[@TheThamesmen]

I'll check it out!

[@OldiesMomma]

david bowie should do his own ....

[@stupeters8409]

Guys The Easybeats are the most underrated bands in history...They were fucking Amazing.....Songs like Heaven and Hell, Sorry, Wedding Ring, Good Times, I'll Make you Happy, She's So Fine, Women, Pretty Girl, St.Louis, The Music Goes Round My Head, Come in you'll get Pneumonia, Hello how Are You.. Are all bona fide Hits just not supported by the radio etc. I'm as serious as a heart attack boys, they really need to get the accolades they so richly deserve. Please if only for you own listening pleasure slap on the Cans and crank it up to 11, and let these Dudes Rock your World as they have done for me for 50 years Thanks my Brothers from other Mother's..love ya Work

[@kevintopliff4995]

Good start to aussie week - it's amazing with each and every cover - the essential guitar riffs remain the stand out !

[@TheThamesmen]

Agreed. Be well

[@lieselmcgregor4263]

Loved it boys! Really looking forward to what you have in store this week.

[@TheThamesmen]

More tomorrow!

[@lieselmcgregor4263]

@@TheThamesmen my brother (a real muso) and I had an hour long discussion after the last Aussie week to what we would include in our Aussie week. This song was on the top of our list!

[@TheThamesmen]

@@lieselmcgregor4263 Brilliant. I hope the selections this week meets your approval

[@lieselmcgregor4263]

@@TheThamesmen it certainly has so far!

[@TheThamesmen]

@@lieselmcgregor4263 Phew!

[@carolynh8866]

Great start to Aussie week. Hope this means we get some thing from each decade.

[@TheThamesmen]

Let’s see ;)

[@adamannesley5794]

Great introduction to Oz week 2 Chris and great reaction and awesome analogy guys.Cheers

[@TheThamesmen]

We appreciate the kind words and your support thank you for being here

[@trevorbentley8834]

Fantastic start to Aus week 2 guys. You 2 are fantastically entertaining which is why I subscribe. Easybeats were fantastic live way back in the day according to my older brother. Me, a bit young for the 60's live scene. Bowie version was brilliant, I miss him.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks Trev. I miss Bowie.

[@kayelle8005]

I actually would have chosen the official music video rather than the live one.

[@kerriemccoy1647]

Stevie Wright was 17 when he joined The Easy Beats.

[@zenleto]

Starting Part 2 off with another bang! Great stuff. Haven’t heard this in ages so I have to admit I was a pretty excited.

[@TheThamesmen]

It was a thumper.

[@craigalden9416]

Two other great Easybeats songs are St. Louis …. And Good Times.

[@TheThamesmen]

So much good stuff for us to check out. Thank you for the help

[@billk9856]

Springsteen has said he heard this and wanted to write a 'Friday on My Mind' song ... he wrote 'Out on The Street' and actually references this song in the lyrics.

[@TheThamesmen]

That is pretty cool for sure!

[@edgarsnake2857]

Great song! Check out the studio cut, you'll be glad you did. Thanks, guys. Loved your reaction.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thank you! Will do!

[@peterbailey4888]

Supposedly on hearing this song on the bbc for the first time john lennon rang the bbc and demanded they play it again

[@TheThamesmen]

No way

[@psychedelicprawncrumpets9479]

True story

[@yorumsfield556]

This is the perfect song to kick off Aus week 2. It definitely gets your toes tapping. Thankyou Gents. 😉

[@TheThamesmen]

Thank Chris out researcher. I loved thid.

[@kentclark6420]

He looks like Davy Jones.

[@colinamor]

Played live in 1967 no cheating as it was . Unlike todays garbage. Harry Vander is still alive as is drummer. George young died of dementia related illness as did Malcolm his brother ( ACDC)

[@215Gallagher]

Vanda and Young dominated the charts in Australia throughout the 70s as song writers and producers perhaps their biggest song being John Paul Young's Love is in the Air and of course Evie was another of their Australian chart toppers. Then there's Grace Jones' Walking in the Rain. Versatile and hugely talented. R.I.P. George, Malcolm, Bon and Stevie.

[@TheThamesmen]

Excellent

[@michaelgibson6204]

Easybeats nearly signed up with Beatles Apple label like older Young brother's band Grapefruit

[@nickmaguire4914]

They came home from England on their first tour because of home sickness, I think Stevie was missing his girl. If they had stayed there is no telling how big they would have been because they were killing it.

[@3589546]

La De Da's "How's the air up there"

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

Hi guys. Countdown is 7 days until The Warning will be at the Troubadour. You will love it. Saw them in Mpls. Opening band Devora is pretty good too. Talking about the song *"Friday on My Mind" from The Easybeats.* The legendary (R.I.P) guitarist did a cover of this song back in 1987 on his excellent*"Wild Frontiers"* album.

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

My bad. The legendary guitarist is *Gary Moore.* Nothing special. Just a straight up cover. *Wild Frontier* LP had *Gary Moore's* well known song *"The Loner".*

[@flamingfrancis]

First performed in 1966 and it still rates at the top of all time Aussie rock. Written by band members who wrote so many hits around the time...Vanda and Young. They also had a couple of well performed songs as Flash and the Pan..."Down among the dead men" was one. You failed to mention one of the best covers of this you will ever hear done by Bruce Springsteen at a 2014 Sydney concert..

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks for being here and checking our channel out. More soon!! Thanks G&A

[@scanspeak00]

Actually it reached 6 on the charts in the UK. Don't you remember? ;) From Wikipedia: "Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group the Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda,[6] the track became a worldwide hit, reaching no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 in the US,[7] no. 1 on the Dutch Top 40 chart,[8] no. 1 in Australia and no. 6 in the UK, as well as charting in several other countries. In 2001, it was voted "Best Australian Song" of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as determined by a panel of 100 music industry personalities.[9][10] In 2007, "Friday on My Mind" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Friday on My Mind" was ranked number 25 The minor-key verses of "Friday on My Mind" depict the tedium and drudgery of the work week, taking each day at a time ("Monday morning feels so bad/Coming Tuesday I feel better"). These verses are adorned with a distinctive guitar figure. The build-up to the chorus features a slowly rising vocal, culminating with a shout of "Cos I'll have Friday on my mind!", and launching into a major-key refrain celebrating the pleasures of the weekend in the city.

[@TheThamesmen]

Do we look old enough then! :-) Great info thanks for sharing

[@neilcam]

I think the comparison of The Easybeats with The Kinks was very apt indeed. Harry Vanda and George Young may have been more influential in the long run, but there's no denying just how similar their musical styles were at that time. Songs like The Easybeats "Sorry" and "I'll Make You Happy" are direct competitors/brothers with The Kinks "You've Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night"! All four songs just ROCK and were basically punk before punk even existed..

[@peterdubois65]

Harry Vander and George Young are two of the most influential artists in music. Working with Albert's records they started a tradition of recording albums live, no overdubs. You can't polish rock music man! And that is why good Aussie rock rules the universe 🙂

[@TheThamesmen]

:)

[@arconeagain]

What has always amazed me about this track is the guitar riff. It's a very unique sound when you think about it, and fairly intricate. It's sort of surfie and Spanish sounding at the same time. It seems to have a classical guitar influence to it.

[@TheThamesmen]

I will listen again.

[@zenlor-c88]

Love it

[@TheThamesmen]

Great!

[@carolynh8866]

In the 80's pretty much everyone did have a mullet...🤣 and coming back in our rural towns now.

[@TheThamesmen]

Long live the mullet

[@Sisterfifi]

You should take a look at another Young & Vanda composition’Evie parts 1,2 &3’ written for their ex-easybeats vocalist Stevie Wright.

[@TheThamesmen]

Will mention it. Thanks.

[@kayelle8005]

Now we need Evie parts 1, 2 and 3!

[@lukedub9670]

Hi guys, Great music and commentary. I subscribed immediately. A quick anecdote on your mentions of the now legendary duo Vanda and Young ... George Young was indeed the older brother of the other legendary duo Malcolm and Angus of AC/DC. When the Easybeats tried their luck in the USA Harry Vanda bought a new red Gretsch G6131 Jet Firebird guitar for the tour... It was not the success they'd hoped, and on returning to Australia Harry decided to concentrate on being a producer, and gifted the Gretsch to the young Malcolm Young (not meant to be read like 'Bond James Bond') and remained Malcolm's famously recognised choice for the rest of his career and life.

[@orlielf]

Have never heard the Bowie version. So weird when you’ve grown up with the original 😂

[@TheThamesmen]

I loved the two next to each other.

[@orlielf]

Great comparison for sure 😊

[@16ploog79]

No fan of the Bowie version.

[@chrissneyd9278]

The Easybeats moved to UK after winning the Battle Of The Bands in Australia. Hot single from the sixties. I hope you are going to cover Stevie Wright's Evie (parts 1,2 and 3) another classic Vanda and Young composition. Easybeats also had other great songs like Wedding Ring and She's So Fine. Vanda and Young released great music such as Down Among The Dead Men. Didn't Bowie do this version during his Pin-ups tour.

[@mikeschenk4730]

Really fun tune, I preferred the original to the Bowie version. I fully appreciate the genius of David Bowie, it's just not on the same street I am.

[@erickvermeulen9734]

For sure, you guys need to air/internet the Seekers, massive successful group in the sixties, that came from Australia, such as Georgie Girl or The Carnival is Over

[@sandgroperwookiee65]

Classic Oz Rock👍🤘🤘

[@TheThamesmen]

Thumper.

[@scotttaylor7767]

Check out “sorry” from 1966 and the mini series on the band from 2017 “Friday on my mind”.

[@TheThamesmen]

Ok. Will try

[@artistjoh]

I love the Easybeats but I have to push back on the oft repeated myth that they were the first Australian performers to have an international hit. They weren’t where it started, they were just an important milestone on the journey. Dame Nellie Melba was a pioneer of wax recording in the late 19th century and around the turn of the 20th century she had hit records in the US, UK and elsewhere. She was the most famous female singer of her day. She called herself Melba as a play on Melbourne, where she came from. And yes, the desert Peach Melba, was created for her, as was Melba toast. There were others before the Easybeats, but the Easybeats were first in the era of the top 100 hit lists. It could be argued that the first Australian hit song was Botany Bay which became popular in Sydney, Southport, and London around 1790. It is based on a much earlier English folk song. No one knows who adapted it into Botany Bay, or whether it happened in Sydney or England, but it is possible it came from sailors on ships, as there were several shanty’s known to have shipboard origins such as Bound For South Australia and the voyages were long. Curiously, the song was not written down until the 1880’s, and it had over 90 years as a purely vocal tradition with the inevitable variations that spawned. Whatever the truth about this early music it was the foundation of the uniquely Australian musical culture in which story telling of ordinary people predominates, and by its very nature, it has a certain irreverence about life and authority. You discussed the political correctness aspects of A Whole Lotta Rosie a while back, that singing about a fat girl is somehow indelicate. You have also felt that Australian music is a little different, well that kind of irreverence, and real world experience is a part of it. Rosie is real, and the Bon Scott was comfortable singing about her.

[@TheThamesmen]

Fantastic what an excellent comment. Thank you for taking the time to share that with us as it gives us real context. There are no easy answers as to why Australian music is the way it is as I am sure all these factors go into its development. Thank you again we really appreciate the support

[@iggatron]

''Sultans' isn't based on the Easy Beats. Mark Knopfler is on record saying it was a jazz band they saw in Deptford in an dingy empty pub

[@FrothNinja]

Pretty sure there was an older Young brother, Alexander, who was in Grapefruit

[@kimn9802]

Good analysis gentlemen. You're right about the stricter expectations. The real freedom began in the mid to late '70s. The majority of people in the '60s were quite conservative, especially here in Australia. Bowie's version...hmmm. Listen to the Easybeats studio version. Vastly superior.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks for watching.

[@waynekasmar4401]

This regularly gets chosen as the best Australian song of all time. Some of it is inspired by J S Bach.

[@lindsaykelly2224]

The Easybeats should have been massive overseas poor management doors that didn't open but praise to the late Ted Albert he was a believer

[@johnchrysostomon6284]

Dick Diamonde and Harry Vanda were from the Netherlands The other three from the UK (with Young being Scottish) They met in and around Villawood Migrant Camp which was a temp mass accomodation for new arrivals to Australia Dick's real name was Dingeman Adriaan Henry van der Sluijs. And Harry was Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg

[@TheThamesmen]

Great info. Thanks

[@jgsheehan8810]

You could do quite a few more Easybeats songs, the early ones were very short so maybe 2 at a time. She’s so fine, Sorry, Wedding Ring, I’ll make you happy. Then later on St Louis & Good Times. You good even do people doing covers of Easybeats songs… get this - Jimmy Barnes & INXS doing Good Times, Divynls doing I’ll Make You Happy, The Saints doing The Music goes round my Head. Not to mention all the Aussie hits by people doing Vanda & Young songs in the post The Easybeats period.

[@TheThamesmen]

Wow what an interconnected and influential band. We need so Much more time!

[@rickfairman5640]

Takes me back. American Graffti sound track. The British Invasion plus the odd group from Aussie. This was the groundwork for the new forms ie ie Jefferson airplane hair asbury all coming out with new twists on the basic rock and roll

[@TheThamesmen]

Cool. Thumping track

[@andrewbayada2475]

If you want some interesting Bowie to react to, check out the live performances he did with Nine Inch Nails. Absolutely mind blowing!

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks for the message and take care. Cheers G&A

[@lashlaroopiggot4795]

omg, did you see the crowd dancing? the sixties were wasted, on the sixties!

[@TheThamesmen]

Ha ha

[@scanspeak00]

You should really hear the studio cut which isn't so raw.

[@TheThamesmen]

You are right and will make sure I do that today. Thanks for the idea

[@JohnWalker-vs5rz]

Great start to Aussie Week 2. I wasn't aware that Bowie had covered it. Thanks for playing it.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks John. Be well.

[@JohnWalker-vs5rz]

@@TheThamesmen FYI George Young and Harry Vanda had a hit in Australia in the 70s with Hey St Peter. They called themselves Flash In the Pan. A good Aussie track well worth a listen.

[@brianparsa7794]

Absolutely classical classic rock song!!! How in the heck did this fail to make Aussie week #1?!!

[@TheThamesmen]

Too much great music!

[@baird55aus]

i think their song Sorry was even better! Muchly better!

[@TheThamesmen]

No worries. It’s interesting hearing them side by side and knowing Bowie loved their work

[@baird55aus]

@@TheThamesmen Just thought of another great clip of theirs. its called 'Come and See her'