Rocking Down Under: Kallaj’s Guide To Aussie Rock [PART ONE]

Rocking Down Under: Kallaj’s Guide To Aussie Rock

Australia; home of the Sydney Opera House, Koala’s, and The Wiggles.  

Look, I would have said Cold Chisel but you wouldn’t get it

Is it any wonder why this country is great?  What puts this country apart from the rest, despite an obvious location joke, is this country accepts true rock music, just look at their fans.

The Pre Mullet Age of 1973

 When we think of Aussie Rock, bands that come to mind include the mighty AC/DC, Men Down Under, INXS, and Midnight Oil. All of these groups are great in their own right, but I’m going to pass by them today to introduce the cats you don’t know; that you should know. This list is in chronologic order, and each of the artists listed have shocked the pants off me because: 1. I Didn’t know them; 2. They Aren’t the Wiggles, and 3. Are the epitome of Aussie Rock. So sit back, grab a Fosters, and keep your ears open for some great Aussie Rock

1: "Wild One": Johnny O’Keefe

Every country has its Elvis type figure to bring Rock to its respective masses; we had Elvis (duh), England had Cliff Richard, and Australia had Johnny O’Keefe. J.O.K, as many refer to him, was the first Australian to hit local Australian Top 40 charts, and was the first Aussie rocker to tour here in the states. His flamboyant stage attire, stage antics, and influences of American Rock N Roll drove Australia nuts. From the mid 50’s to the early 60’s, J.O.K released countless covers of rock staples to the Aussie masses, as well as hosting one of Australia’s first Rock TV Programs, “Six O Clock Rock”. What separates him from other early Aussie rock pioneers is this song, “Wild One”. The story goes that J.O.K and his group, The DeeJays were playing a gig above an Italian Wedding. One thing lead to another in the mens bathroom, of all places, and a full scale riot occurs. After the Navy came to restore order, J.O.K was inspired to write the song that gave Australia its first big step in Rock history. Now a rock standard, You might not know his version, but you are probably aware of famous covers done by Jerry Lee Lewis or Iggy Pop. 

2: "Sorry": The Easybeats

        If Johnny O’Keefe is the Australian equivalent of Elvis, then The Easybeats would certainly be The Beatles. I think it’s safe to say that if you know classic rock, you have come across “Friday on my Mind” at least once, but there is far more to talk about then that one song. Although they formed in Sydney, all five members of the Easybeats came from Europe. From the end of World War II to the start of the 1960s, many Europeans decided to leave and start over in Australia. At the time, Australia was desperate for an increase in population and the Aussie government focused on immigration by trying to get Europeans to move down under. Without trying to get too heavy into the politics, the families of George Young (Of Scotland), Harry Vanda (of Denmark), Dick Diamonde (of The Netherlands), Stevie Wright and Gordon "Snowy" Fleet (both of England) all were part of this wave of immigration. They were signed by Ted Albert of Albert Records (one of Australia’s first Indie labels), and by 1966, The Easybeats had 4 top 10 singles. Then they recorded their first number one, “Sorry”, and the real story begins. Written by Vanda and Wright, “Sorry” is raw, snotty and loud. The real distinctive quality, though, is Harry Vanda’s choppy guitar intro, climaxing with a slightly distorted guitar solo. This goes on the list of Punk before Punk, right up with “You Really Got Me”.  

3: "Turn Up Your Radio": The Masters Apprentices 

The Masters Apprentices are like no other band, and the first Aussie band I can think of that had their own distinct sound. Formed originally in 1964 as a surf rock band, The Mustangs, they would shift from the Ventures sound towards the Blues only a year later. The Mustangs were now the Masters Apprentices. Their sound was rawer, louder, and fuzzier than any other top 40 band of the day (put on their song “Buried and Dead”). Their sound was badass, but The Masters still marketed towards the younger pop audience. ("5 10 Man").  By the time 1970 rolled around, the band grew tired of their teenybopper image, and recorded "Turn Up Your Radio". Let’s take a look at what this song accomplishes: 1. A Song about Rock Music; 2. One or more musicians were drunk at the time of recording; 3. The song is low key an insult to someone/something.  Yeah, that sounds like a rock classic to me! Just listen to that twisted guitar/ horn section combination that circles though the song. How much more annoying can you get, but you gotta love it! Funny enough, after recording it, Australia got tangled in a Radio ban and the song didn’t get much radio play. Regardless, it still hit number 7 on the charts.

I've only listed three great records here, but I still have much more to discuss. Stay tuned for Part 2  of Kallaj's Guide to Aussie Rock!