Various - 100 Greatest Australian Singles of the '60s

 

 

 
 

In the 1960s, Australian rock'n'roll singles were as good as those made anywhere in the world. Billy Thorpe &​ The Aztecs' "Poison Ivy" even knocked The Beatles off the top of the charts when the Fab Four were touring here in 1964! John Lennon was so amazed he asked to meet Thorpe in person.

'100 Greatest Australian Singles Of The '60s' is a 4CD set released to coincide with a new book of the same name. The book, written by influential '70s Australian rock writers David 'Doctor Pepper' Pepperell and Colin Talbot, dedicates a chapter each to the authors' choice of the best local singles of the decade, and our cd replicates that list across 4 discs (and utilizes matching artwork).

Both the book and the 4CD set present a diverse selection of tracks; one with an eye to what was popular as well as what was simply great. Unlike many other compilations that might focus on a particular genre of the era, '100 Greatest Australian Singles Of The '60s' ranges from the pristine pop-folk of The Seekers to the crunching psychedelic rock of The Wild Cherries and spans the whole decade.

The compilers have tried to showcase the best, yet we expect there will always be some songs that the listener/​reader will regard as glaring omissions. Well, that's the way the turntable spins! And that's the fun of these lists and collections too! So, take a trip back to these classic records of the sixties, to listen once again and remember those heady times when long hair and short skirts changed the world.

 Disc 1:
1. 1x2x3x4 - Zoot 1968
2. 55 Days At Peking - Rob E.G. 1963
3. 2000 Weeks - Terry Britten 1969
4. 4,003,221 Tears From Now - Judy Stone 1964
5. Anthem - Procession 1968
6. Arkansas Grass - Axiom
7. A World Of Our Own - The Seekers 1965
8. Baby Let’s Play House - Merv Benton 1964
9. Bad Boy - The Twilights 1966
10. Barefoot Boy - Noeleen Batley 1960
11. Big Time Operator - Jeff St John & The Id 1967
12. Bombora - The Atlantics 1963
13. Building Castles In The Air - Digger Revell & Denvermen 1963
14. California My Way - The Iguana 1968
15. Ciao Baby - Lynne Randell 1967
16. Coalman - Ronnie Burns 1967
17. Come And See Her - The Easybeats 1966
18. Dear Prudence - Doug Parkinson In Focus 1969
19. Diddy Wah Diddy - Running Jumping Standing Still 1966
20. Early In The Morning - Purple Hearts 1966
21. Elevator Driver - The Masters Apprentices 1968
22. Everlasting Love - The Town Criers 1968
23. Everlovin’ Man - The Loved Ones 1966
24. Exit Stage Right - Ronnie Burns 1967
25. Farmer John - Johnny Cooper 1965.

Disc 2:
26. Fool, Fool, Fool - Ray Brown & The Whispers 1965
27. For My Woman - The Easybeats 1965
28. Fortune Teller - The Throb 1966
29. Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats 1966
30. Georgy Girl - The Seekers 1966
31. Get A Little Dirt On Your Hands - The Delltones 1962
32. Giggle-Eyed Goo - Steve & The Board 1966
33. Hangin’ Five - The Delltones 1963
34. Have You Ever Been To See Kings Cross - Frankie Davidson 1962
35. Hayride - Flying Circus 1969
36. He’s My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy - Little Pattie 1963
37. Hide And Seek - Somebody’s Image 1968
38. Hush - Somebody’s Image 1967
39. I Belong With You - Bobby & Laurie 1964
40. If I Had A Ticket - Phil Jones & The Unknown Blues
41. I Found A New Love - Lonnie Lee 1960
42. I Just Wanna Make Love To You - Blues Rags’n’hollers 1966
43. I’ll Never Find Another You - The Seekers 1964
44. I’m Your Puppet - Cam-Pact 1968
45. I Remember You - Frank Ifield 1962
46. It Ain’t Necessarily So - Normie Rowe 1965
47. I Thank You - Lionel Rose 1969
48. It’s Not Easy - Normie Rowe 1966
49. I’ve Been Everywhere - Lucky Starr 1962
50. Krome Plated Yabby - Wild Cherries 1967.

Disc 3:
51. Little Boy Lost - Johnny Ashcroft 1962
52. Little Boy Sad - MPD Ltd 1965
53. Living In A Child’s Dream - Masters Apprentices 1967
54. Louie Louie - Pink Finks 1965
55. Love Machine - Pastoral Symphony 1968
56. Magic Eyes - James Taylor Move 1967
57. Midnight Bus - Betty McQuade 1961
58. Minnie The Moocher - The Cherokees 1967
59. Move Baby Move - Johnny O’Keefe 1963
60. Movin’ Man - Buddy England 1967
61. My Old Man’s A Groovy Old Man - The Valentines 1969
62. Needle In A Haystack - The Twilights 1966
63. Of Hopes And Dreams And Tombstones - Purple Hearts 1966
64. Oh Monah - The Cherokees 1966
65. Ooh La La - Normie Rowe 1966
66. One - John Farnham 1969
67. Over The Rainbow - Billy Thorpe 1964
68. Poison Ivy - Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs 1964
69. Pride - Ray Brown & The Whispers 1965
70. Que Sera Sera - Normie Rowe 1965
71. Rachael - 18th Century Quartet (18CQ) 1966
72. Royal Telephone - Jimmy Little 1963
73. Sadie The Cleaning Lady - Johnny Farnham 1967
74. Shakin’ All Over - Normie Rowe 1965
75. She’s So Fine - The Easybeats 1965.

Disc 4:
76. Sing - Johnny O’Keefe 1962
77. Smiley - Ronnie Burns 1969
78. Someday - Tony Barber 1966
79. Something About You Baby - The Vibrants 1967
80. Soothe Me - The Easybeats 1965
81. S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight) - The News 1968
82. Spicks & Specks - The Bee Gees 1966
83. Step Back - Johnny Young 1966
84. Surfside - Digger Revell’s Denvermen 1963
85. Temptation’s ’Bout To Get Me - The Virgil Brothers 1968
86. The Carnival Is Over - The Seekers 1965
87. The Loved One - The Loved Ones 1966
88. The Real Thing - Russell Morris 1969
89. The Star - Ross D. Wylie 1969
90. Um Um Um Um Um Um - Python Lee Jackson
91. Undecided - The Masters Apprentices 1966
92. Velvet Waters - Tony Worsley 1965
93. Wedding Ring - The Easybeats 1965
94. What Am I Doing Here With You - Bev Harrell 1966
95. What’s Wrong With The Way I Live - The Twilights 1967
96. Wild Weekend - Thunderbirds 1961
97. Woman You’re Breaking Me - The Groop 1967
98. You’re Driving Me Insane - Missing Links 1965
99. You Stole My Love - Mike Furber & The Bowery Boys 1966
100. You’ve All Gotta Go - Party Machine 1969