HELEN DRIESSEN TRIO

The Helen Driessen Trio were a close harmony folk pop trio from Melbourne. All three members were siblings who had migrated to Australia from Holland in the mid 1950s. From their first appearances at impromptu parties in 1961 they became very popular playing at venues and supper clubs around Australia. Helen had an unusual but appealing style of singing (similar to Judith Durham) backed by her brothers Herbert on upright bass and Anton on 12 string guitar. In 1967 they cut an EP with Melbourne's W& G label produced by Jack Varney. They appeared on several TV shows including In Melbourne Tonight, In Adelaide Tonight and Bandstand. They supported Tony Hancock, Johnny Ray and Shirley Bassey. They toured Vietnam in 1968 entertaining troops, and then commenced a three year tour of the UK. They added another brother (David) to the band and played under the name the Driessens. 

EPs

'The Helen Driessen Trio' 1967 W&G

No YouTube clip but you can here this track on Soundcloud. CLICK HERE

BARRY PILKINGTON

 

Barry Pilkington from New Town in Tasmania picked up a guitar when he was four years old. He led his own rock n roll group The G-Men around Hobart in the 50s. Pilkington won a recording contract after appearing on a Tex Morton Show in Hobart in 1959. In 1960 he traveled to Sydney and cut three songs at Festival Studios. ''The Shape I'm In / (You're So Square (Baby, I Don't Care)'' made it on to a various artists EP called 'Rex 4 Star'. The third track ''Be Bop A Lula'' missed the cut. On these tracks he was backed by The Joy Boys. A while later he moved to the mainland because he could go only so far if he stayed. He appeared as a support act for Col Joye, Lonnie Lee, Johhny O'Keefe and Cliff Richard. He appeared on television shows such as Six O'Clock Rock and Sing, Sing, Sing. He also hosted his own TV show in Tasmania called The Teenage Show. It was a long time between drinks before Barry would record again. Tasmanian based label Van Dieman, co-owned by Peter Richman and Nick Armstrong would release two singles (all sides written and produced by Lonnie Lee) by Barry in the early 70s. He fronted The Breakaways for many years. Barry died in 2018.

SINGLES
''Love Everybody / On The Midnight Train'' 1971 Van Diemen 
''She Sings My Song / Darlin' Lady'' 1971 Van Diemen 

EPs
'Rex 4 Star' 1960 Rex

Barry has two songs on this various artists EP -(A) The Shape I'm In / (B) You're So Square (Baby, I Don't Care)

MOTIVATION

 

When Managing Director of Ramrod Records Syd McDonogh was looking for new talent, the word spread quickly amongst bands around Sydney. Out of the 120 or so that rang Syd he thought there was only one group he considered good enough. Syd stated ''These five boys who called themselves the Motivation came along. They were clean cut, had a good sound and had original material. That was good enough for me''. He signed them up and they released their first single ''Running And Hiding (All The Time)'' backed by ''Boy Meets Girl''. Both sides were written by lead guitarist John Jackson. ''Running And Hiding'' picked up some solid airplay and charted. This was followed by two singles but none of them gained traction. All their singles were produced by Johnny Rebb. ''Can't You See'' made it onto the compilation album 'Upside Down Volume One (Coloured Dreams From The Underworld)' released in 2014. John Jackson would later join Doug Ashdown's band. Ivan Barrow would become a promoter. John Jackson died in 2015. It is unknown what happened to the rest. Please help

Members

John Jackson (guitar), Kevin McCormack, Ivan Barrow (guitar), Paul Norris, Derek Hobbs

SINGLES
''Boy Meets Girl / Running And Hiding (All Of The Time)'' (#52) 1968 Ramrod 
''Can't You See / Mr Lonelyheart'' 1968 Ramrod 
''Forty Years / Sympathy'' 1969 Ramrod 

GRANDMA'S TONIC

In late 1966 ex-Fabulous Blue Jays members drummer Bob Johnson and multi-instrumentalist Paul Shannon formed Grandma's Tonic with guitarist Dennis Whitehead. Soon after they added their old mate Ray Houston from the Fabulous Blue Jays on bass. They became the backing band for popular vocalist Peter Doyle, and they backed him on two singles, ''If You Can Put That In A Bottle / I’m Not The Boy You’re After'' and ''Plastic Dreams And Toy Balloons / You’re My Remedy''. The band also recorded a couple of singles on the Astor label with The Troggs cover ''Hi Hi Hazel'' being the most successful. Paul Shannon was the lead vocalist. The band dissolved in 1968 when Ray Houston joined Melbourne pub band The Escorts.

Members

Paul Shannon (vocals, bass, sax, keyboards), Dennis Whitehead (guitar), Ray Houston (bass), Bobby Johnson (drums)

SINGLES
''Hi Hi Hazel (#95) / Johnny The Hummer'' 1966 Astor 
''I Know / Lost Girl'' 1967 Astor 

KEN SPARKES

Ken Sparkes (born 20 July 1940) was an Australian radio presenter, television personality, actor, singer, host, disc jockey and voice-over artist. In the late 1950s, while working as a DJ at 2MG Mudgee, and later at 2GB Sydney, Sparkes began recording rock and country songs for Festival Records, including ''I Remember Christmas at Home'' (1959) backed by The New Notes and The Band-Its and ''Ride Wide'' (planned release in 1960 but never saw the light of day).  By the mid 1960s Sparkes had taken over the night time slot on 3UZ Melbourne, which was then the dominant radio force in that city. He performed as an actor, singer and host on many pop and late-night Australian shows including Bandstand, Hi Fi Club, Kommotion, Australian Pop Music Awards, Homicide, Bellbird and The Johnny O’ Keefe Show.

In 1965 under the alias K.J.S  he released a version of the Jesse Stone track ''Don't Let Go'', backed by popular Melbourne band The Strangers. The song did not chart but has been praised as one of the best in the DJs on Disc genre. In 1967, Sparkes released a single, featuring "Lonely Weekends" by Charlie Rich on the A side, and the Chiffons song, "One Fine Day", written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, on the B side. In 1969, Sparkes co-founded the record label Sparmac. One of its first signings was the group Daddy Cool, whose first single, "Eagle Rock", was a #1 smash hit, and whose debut album 'Daddy Who? Daddy Cool!' was the biggest-selling Australian pop LP ever released up to that time. The label also launched the career of Rick Springfield, Healing Force and Gerry & The Joy Band. Sparkes won numerous international and Australian radio & TV awards including gold medals at the New York Radio Festival, Hollywood Broadcasters Awards & Australia's Rawards (Australian Commercial Radio Awards). Sparkes died in 2016.

SINGLES
''I Remember Christmas At Home'' 1959 Festival
''Don't Let Go / What Have I Got Of My Own'' 1965 Parlophone 
''One Fine Day (#86) / Lonely Weekends'' 1967 Parlophone 

ALBUMS
'Songs & Poems Of Australia' [with The Hawking Brothers and Terry McDermott] 1979 Harbour

References

Ken Sparkes - Wikipedia

ROGER CARDWELL

 

Roger Cardwell, born on July 19, 1934, in Adelaide, began his early gigs singing folk music at the Folk Hut coffee lounge. In the 1960s, he hosted and performed on Nine’s national show Country and Western Hour and Channel 7’s Country Style. Country and Western Hour was a top-rated program that won two Logie awards. When Cardwell left in the mid-60s to join Channel 10, Reg Lindsay took over as compere. In 1996, he was inducted into the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame as a pioneer of country music television. Over a five-decade media career, Cardwell became a household name, presenting news bulletins for all major Adelaide commercial TV networks. He died on October 26, 2019, in Adelaide.

SINGLES
''Black Jack County Chain / Storybook Children'' 1968 RCA

ALBUMS

'Country Style' 1967 Parlophone

THE DRIFTWOOD JAZZ BAND

 

The Driftwood Jazz Band captured the spirit of traditional Dixieland. Formed in 1959 at the Driftwood Club (Phillip Ballroom) in West Rosebud, they went on to perform at many of Melbourne’s top jazz venues. While rooted in Dixieland, they offered personalized takes on the entire jazz gamut, from New Orleans to mainstream. Their lively and unique interpretations of such a broad spectrum of jazz attracted record crowds to the popular Opus 61 club. In 1964 they released an EP on the Crest label. After the group disbanded, Barry Veith went on to form the Barry Veith Big Band, which gained a strong reputation in Melbourne during the 70s. Derek Harris died in 2008, and Brian O'Neill in 2022.

Members

Derek Harris (trumpet), Brian O'Neill (trombone), Barry Veith (clarinet), John Cawthan (vocals, guitar, banjo), John Adams (piano), Peter Barker (drums), Graham McClean (bass)

EPs
'Derek Harris And The Driftwood Jazz Band' 1964 Crest

DON HENDERSON

 

Born in 1937, Don Henderson picked up a guitar after being inspired by blues legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Josh White. Growing up in the middle-class Melbourne suburbs of Essendon and Moonee Ponds, he trained as a fitter and turner but worked various jobs, most often as a carpenter. His time on the Snowy Mountains hydro-electricity scheme inspired one of his earliest and most popular songs, the upbeat ''Put a Light in Every Country Window''. A BLF member, Henderson moved to Sydney, where he repaired instruments and eventually began crafting his own guitars. Folk musician Gary Shearston recalled that Henderson’s Woollahra workshop became a hub for one part of the pre-boom Sydney folk scene, overlapping with groups like the Push and the Bush Music Club; later, Alex Hood established his Folk Arts Centre in the same space.

In the mid-60s, Henderson settled in Brisbane and became a key figure in the early folk scene, performing both solo and with the Union Singers. While his singing voice was limited, he quickly gained national recognition for his songwriting. Influenced by the “libertarians” he met at the Royal George Hotel, he focused on writing about the Australian labour force, blending the “hillbilly idiom” from his youth with an “American finger-picking technique.”

The first recording of Henderson’s singing was an album, 'The Ballad of Women', a record he made in 1964 with the Brisbane Union Singers that featured his songs ''Talking Carpenter'', ''The Happy Song'', and ''Wittenoom Gorge''. The EP 'Basic Wage Dream' (1964), released by the Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations featured his songs ''The Basic Wage Dream'' sung by Alex Hood and ''Talking Basic Wage'' sung by Don Ayrton, and formed part of the 1964 basic wage campaign. In 1966 Henderson and the Brisbane Union Singers released 'One Out', featuring thirteen of his songs including ''Hooker Rex'', the anti-war song, ''Boonaroo'', and ''Peace Is Union Business''. On 28 April 1967 at the registrar general’s office, Sydney, Henderson married Sally Watson, an English-born nurse.

In 1970 Henderson released a songbook, 'I Can Sing', which contained twenty-seven songs and a poem. In the introduction he wrote, ''I have seen a few things and met a few people . . . they are my life, and no man wants his life to go for nothing''. His album 'Ton of Steel' (containing thirteen original songs), released in 1971, featured ''The Westgate Bridge Disaster'', written by Henderson at union request as a memorial to the thirty-five men who died when the bridge collapsed during construction. Although Melbourne-born, Henderson had little fondness for its folk venues, admitting, “I never liked Melbourne audiences… never liked singing there… never liked Melbourne as a town.” 

Henderson moved with his family to England in 1971, living in London and in Sussex where he wrote, performed, and continued to make and repair guitars. Together with Craig McGregor and John ‘Poli’ Palmer, he co-wrote songs for the rock opera 'Hero', which was performed by the Australian Opera in Sydney in 1976—extracts of two of the songs were included in the compilation 'The Songs of Don Henderson', released posthumously in 2009. The Hendersons returned to Australia in 1979 and after a brief stay in Melbourne they moved to Brisbane, where Don became actively involved in the Queensland Folk Federation. He continued to organise folk concerts and perform at clubs, including the 291 Folk Club, and he contributed to the 1979 album 'Flames of Discontent'. In 1986 he released 'In My Time', containing songs he had written between 1961 and 1979. Henderson’s music is difficult to categorise; many considered him to be an Australian Woody Guthrie. In his own words he was ‘a rake and a rambling man and an anarchist’. He died in 1991.

ALBUMS
'Ballad Of Women' [with The Union Singers] 1964 Union Records

'One Out' [with The Union Singer] 1966 Union Records

'Ton Of Steel' 1971 Union Records
'Flames of Discontent' 1979 Seamen's Union of Australia 
'In My Time' 1988 Hot to Trot 






References

Sydney Folk Clubs - Warren Fahey

Biography - Donald James (Don) Henderson - Australian Dictionary of Biography

COLIN JAMES

 

Colin James was born on April 29, 1938, in Coleraine, Victoria. His career as a country singer, variety television performer, songwriter, and radio presenter spanned nearly 60 years, featuring performances at the Sydney Opera House, Seattle’s Coliseum Centre, Victoria’s Government House, and even during a papal visit. At just three years old, he contracted rheumatic fever, which left him in a wheelchair for life. He found joy in listening to early radio programs, and by age 15, he began songwriting. One of his early tunes, ''A Demon Called Love'' was recorded by Keith Riordan in 1959. Nev Pelitt, chief announcer at 3SR Shepparton, gave him a big break, through the Harmony Trail show network.

In the 1960s, he wrote two songs for Chad Morgan, ''Nobody Else But Little Me'' and ''You’re Getting Old Son''. In 1962, he recorded an EP with the Crest label called 'Colin Callin’ followed by another EP in 1965 and during this time opened his own entertainment agency. By 1975, he closed his entertainment agency as it had become too busy, and released an album with Olive Bice, 'Gentle On My Mind', on W&G. The next year, Colin moved to Geelong, teamed up with songwriter Caroline Sleep, and married her in 1980. He later signed with Tamworth’s Hadley Records and recorded three albums with them. In 1984 Colin was inducted into the Hands of Fame, Tamworth. Colin and Caroline divorced in 1990. In 1994 Colin was inducted into Rocky Page’s Hall of Fame and Avenue of Honour in Barmera, SA. In 1995, with his second wife Dianne, he published A Wheelie’s Handbook of Australia, a travel guide for fellow “wheelies” (people in wheelchairs). That same year, he was recognized for his work campaigning for the rights of disabled people, and his photo appeared on a $5 phone card as part of a local legend promotion. In 2000, he carried the Olympic torch for part of its journey to the Sydney Olympics.

In the 2000s, Colin hosted a show on Bendigo’s Phoenix FM radio station. Dubbed “Australia’s Little Giant of Entertainment,” he published his autobiography, If I Can Do It, in 2012. Over the years, he appeared on TV programs like Good Morning Australia, Getaway, The Great Outdoors, and New Faces, and served as a support act for performers such as Reg Lindsay, Frank Ifield, Slim Dusty, Freddie Fender, and many others. He died on August 26, 2014.

SINGLES
''A Thousand Angels / Letter Of Goodbye [with The Lonely Ones] 1964 Crest

''Believe In Yourself 100% / Save Another Day'' 1987 Rich River Records

''I Tried To Grab 'er Abbas (When She Pinched Me Rolling Stones)' (Overseas Version) / I Tried To ''Grab 'er Abbas (When She Pinched Me Rolling Stones)'' (Australian Version) 1981 Hadley
''My Wish To You All / I'll Soldier No More'' [with The Impalas] JW Studios

EPs
'Colin Callin' 1962 Crest
'Colin James And The Lonely Ones' 1965 Crest
'My Wish To You All' 1979 Midland

ALBUMS
'Gentle On My Mind' [with Olive Bice] 1975 W & G
'If I Can Do It, So Can You' 1981 Hadley
'Some Sentimental Songs' 1983 Hadley
'We All Have Dreams' 1985 Hadley
'Save Another Day' 1987 Rich River Records
'Music Man' 1992 Birubi

THE UNICHORDS / SOUTHERN FOLK THREE / THE BILLABONG THREE

 

The Unichords, formed in Melbourne in the late ’50s while studying at Melbourne University, quickly made a name for themselves with numerous TV appearances and a couple of singles on the W&G label in 1959. Their hit ''Tell Him No'' reached #3 on the local charts, and they became regular performers at lunchtime rock ’n’ roll concerts at Melbourne Town Hall. In the early ’60s, they lent their backing vocals to recordings by Frankie Davidson, Heather Horwood, and Denis Gibbons. Embracing the growing folk scene, they rebranded as The Southern Folk Three for the W&G album 'Gotta Travel On', and later as The Billabong Three for 'Outback', an EP of bush songs commissioned by the Golden Fleece Petrol Company. I am unsure when they disbanded and have no idea what later happened to them. Any additional info is welcome. Cheers

Members

Charles Conlan (vocals / guitar), Vincent Campbell (vocals / guitar / banjo / piano), Laurie Arter (bass)

SINGLES
''Tell Him No / Rock Mister Piper'' 1959 W & G
''Tweet Tweet Beat / Bone Dome'' 1959 W & G
''Michael (Row The Boat Ashore)'' [with Denis Gibbons] 1959 W & G
''Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye / A Teenager In Love'' [with Heather Horwood] 1959 W & G
''Dream Lover'' [with Frankie Davidson] 1961 W & G
''I Care For You / You’re Driving Me Crazy'' [with Frankie Davidson] 1961 W & G
''Jezabel'' [with Frankie Davidson] 1961 W & G
''Tina / The Skye Boat Song'' [with Denis Gibbons] 1962 W & G

EPs (as The Billabong Three) 

'Outback' 1965 Golden Fleece

ALBUMS (as The Southern Folk Three)

'Gotta Travel On' 1963 W & G

JOHNNY AND THE STRANGERS / JOHNNY YOUNG AND KOMPANY / KOMPANY

In the early 1960s in Perth, WA, Johnny Young’s backing band, originally called The Strangers, featured John Eddy (guitar), Tony Summers (guitar), Don Prior (bass), and Warwick Findlay (drums). They appeared on the local TV pop show Club Seventeen in early 1965 and released two singles, both on the 7-Teen label under the name Johnny and The Strangers. Young later signed with Clarion Records, a Perth label run by Martin Clarke, who recalled that Young was eager to make a national hit and expand his career. Clarke took Young’s recordings to Sydney, securing a deal with Festival Records to have Clarion manufactured and distributed across Australia.

In 1966, The Strangers changed their name to Kompany to avoid confusion with another Melbourne band called The Strangers. The lineup was now Eddy on guitar, Findlay on drums, Summers on guitar, and Jim Griffiths on bass, replacing Don Prior. Early that year, after opening for the Easybeats, Young recorded ''Step Back,'' co-written by Stevie Wright and George Young of the Easybeats (no relation). Released in May as a double A-side with his cover of the Strangeloves’ ''Cara-Lyn,'' the single hit #1 on the Go-Set National Top 40 in November. It became one of Australia’s biggest-selling singles of the 1960s, second only to Normie Rowe’s ''Que Sera Sera / Shakin’ All Over.'' In October, his EP 'Johnny Young And Kompany' reached #4 on the same chart.

Johnny Young & Kompany relocated to Melbourne in mid-1966. Mick Wade (ex-The Vibrants and The Harts) joined on guitar and organ, but his time with the group was brief. Soon after, they brought in two former MPD Ltd members, Mike Brady (vocals/guitar) and Danny Finley (drums), and welcomed back Don Prior. In 1967, Young departed to pursue a highly successful solo career. The Kompany released two singles on Clarion before disbanding. Tony Summers accepted an offer from The Masters Apprentices, while Mike Brady went on to become a music industry legend. Tony Summers died in 2025.

Members

Johnny Young (vocals), Tony Summers (guitar), John Eddy (guitar), Don Prior (bass), Warwick Findlay (drums), Mike Brady (vocals / guitar), Danny Finley (drums), Morrie Pearson (drums), Jim Griffiths (bass), John Mills (guitar), Graham Nicol (guitar), John Gray (bass)

SINGLES (As Johnny and The Strangers)
''Oh, Johnny No / Club Seventeen'' 1965 7 Teen 
''No Other Love / Heigh Ho'' 1965 7 Teen 

SINGLES (As Johnny Young and Kompany)
''Step Back (#1) / Cara-Lyn'' (#1) 1966 Clarion 
''When Will I Be Loved (#4) / Kiss Me Now'' (#4) 1966 Clarion 

EPs (As Johnny Young and Kompany)

'Johnny Young and Kompany' (#4) 1966 Clarion
'Kiss Me Now And When Will I Be Loved' (#4) 1966 Clarion

SINGLES (As The Kompany)
''I've Been Around / Tell Her No'' (#77) 1967 Clarion 
''Little Joe The Boxer / The Family Way'' 1967 Clarion 

THE FUGITIVES

 

The Fugitives—what can I say? For a band active in the ’60s and ’70s, there’s surprisingly little information out there. I’ve done a fair bit of digging, but haven’t uncovered much. They formed in the early ’60s, started by brothers Ron and Gary Monks, and must have been pretty talented since Johnny Devlin, then RCA’s A&R manager and house producer, got them a recording session. Their debut single, ''I’m Gonna Give My Love to You'', written by Devlin, came out in October 1964. By late 1965, vocalist “Bip” Addison (formerly of The Thunders) joined the lineup. In January 1966, they released another single on the Leedon label, ''All Your Lies'' backed with ''Baby Come Back'', both penned by the band. Daily Mail reviewer Wal Wallis noted they had “quite a lot to learn about presentation and selection of material.” While still with the band, Bip also performed solo before leaving later that year. They toured heavily for the next few years and eventually shifted into a cabaret act. Multi-instrumentalist Ralph White joined just before they recorded their debut album, 'Fugitives', on RCA in 1975, produced by Rocky Thomas. It’s unclear when they disbanded. Gary Monks died in 2016. Any additional details would be welcome.

Members

''Bip'' Addison (vocals), Ron Monks (vocals / guitar), Bill Robins (bass), John Brissett (drums), Gary Monks (sax / flute), Ralph White (trumpet / trombone / keyboards)

SINGLES
''I'm Gonna Give My Love To You / Really Gonna Shake'' 1964 RCA
''All Your Lies / Baby Come Back'' 1966 Leedon 
''Rag Doll / We've Got More Than It Takes'' 1975 RCA

ALBUMS

'Fugitives' 1975 RCA

MICK ANTONIO

 

Mick Antonio was born in 1920 in Smythesdale, Victoria, about 20 kilometers southwest of Ballarat. Growing up with six sisters and three brothers, he started out as a boy soprano in school choirs but switched to hillbilly music and yodeling at 15 after teaching himself guitar. He joined the army in 1940, serving until 1946 and performing in Army entertainment shows. In 1947, he moved to Sydney to audition for EMI, but touring before recording wasn’t possible with a young family, so he returned to Ballarat. Mick went on to represent Ballarat in Top Town contests, win the Roy Rodgers Hillbilly Contest of Victoria, place second in Australia’s Amateur Hour, and become a semi-finalist in Swallow Parade and later in Australia’s Amateur Hour again. He won the Midlands of Victoria Hillbilly Championship in 1956, hosted his own sponsored radio session on 3CV, and raised £2,000 for charity through popularity votes. Performing across Central Victoria, he wrote many of his songs and recorded with Planet, W&G, and Crest International. His track ''Can I Sleep In Your Barn'' appeared on the compilation 'Country & Western, Volume 3' in 1967. Honored with induction into Tamworth’s Hands of Fame in 2008, Mick died in 2009.

EPs
'Yodelling Album' 1960 Planet
'Mick Antonio' 1964 W&G

'Mick Antonio Volume 2' 1965 W&G

ALBUMS
'Love Knot In My Lariat' 1977 Crest International 

DUO MORENO

Cesare and Sandro Scartozzi, the brothers who made up Duo Moreno, started their group in Rome in the mid-1950s. In 1958, Hollywood arrived in Rome to film the epic Ben Hur. Back then, there was no CGI, so everything was done on a massive scale, including hiring thousands of extras. At 21 and 19, Sandro and Cesare landed roles as extras in three scenes, most famously the chariot race. In 1960, they headed to Australia for an 18-month gig performing Italian and Mediterranean music at the Royal Hayman Hotel on Hayman Island, owned by Sir Reginald Ansett. When their contract ended, they decided to make Australia home, finding success on TV and playing at top venues like Res Oriental and Le Chateau in Melbourne, and The Highway in Adelaide. That same year, they signed with Astor Records, releasing their debut single "Carina / A Sonnambula," followed by an EP and an album, both titled 'Italian Holiday.

In 1963, they grew into a quartet by adding saxophonist/drummer Euro Sabatini and guitarist Mimmo Fornaro, both hailing from Italy. They later signed with the W&G label, releasing numerous singles and albums over a decade as their popularity soared within the Italian community. After Fornaro’s departure, they became a combo with guitarist Nello Giansiracusa, bassist Renato Buzari, and percussionist Maurice Souery joining the lineup. They put out 'The New Sound of the Duo Moreno Combo' and 'Midnight at Le Chateau.' That same year, they purchased property in Melbourne’s Kilsyth suburb, establishing The Villa Borghese as their own venue, which became the heart of their thriving restaurant and entertainment business. In 1977, they expanded it to include Capriccio’s 77, complete with a colorful glass dance floor. Duo Moreno’s recordings reflected their versatility, spanning Latin American rhythms, contemporary pop hits, and Italian classics. They were also accomplished songwriters, winning the Australian Italian Song Festival four times.

Members

Sandro Scartozzi (drums, percussion, vocals, guitar), Cesare Scartozzi (guitar, keyboards, vocals, accordion), Luisa Scartozzi (vocals & harmony), Ross Spinello (guitar, vocals), Nello Giansiracusa (guitar), Andre Shusta (bass), Renato Buzzari (bass), Silvester Roxas (trumpet, horns), Euro Sabattini (sax), Maurice Souery (congas, drums), Mimmo Fornaro (guitar)

SINGLES

''Carina / 'A Sonnambula'' 1960 Astor

''Amore Fermati / Sie e Spento Il Sole'' 1964 W&G
''Bimme / Nota Per Me A'' 1964 W&G
''Uno Per Tutte / Se Piangi Tu'' 1964 W&G
''Por Dos Besos / Cielo'' 1964 W&G
''Ogni Volta / I Love You Bambina'' 1964 W&G
''Al Di La / Why Don't We Get Married'' 1964 W&G
''Questo Grande Amore / Amore A Peazione''1967 W&G
''Nel Sole / Serenata'' 1967 W&G
''Hully Gully A Mezzanotte / 77 Sunset Strip'' 1968 W&G
''Sha-La-La-La-La / Tintarella Di Luna'' 1968 W&G
''Luna Carrese / Che Ce Conce'' 1968 W&G
''Che Tipo / La Vita Non E Vita'' 1968 W&G
''Gli Occhi Miel / Che Vuoi Che Sia'' 1968 W&G
''La Nova / Allora Si'' 1968 W&G
''Stornelli Romaneschi (Part 1) / Stornelli Romaneschi (Part 2)'' 1968 W&G
''Scende La Ploggia / La La La'' 1968 W&G
''Dondolo / Ob LAdi Ob Lada'' 1968 W&G
''Pensando A Te / Alla Fine Della Straoa'' 1969 W&G
''Quando L'Amore A Viena / La Sols Per Me'' 1969 W&G
''Ti Ho Inventata / Non Credere'' 1969 W&G
''Tarantella / Amore Siciliano'' 1969 W&G
''Rose Rosse / Mai Nessuno'' 1969 W&G
''Pa'Diglielo A Ma / Neuicava A Roma'' 1970 W&G
''Serenita / Varca Lucente'' 1970 W&G
''As Long As There's Love In Your Eyes / There's No Limit'' 1970 W&G
''Ghitarra Suono Piu Piano / Settembre'' 1971 W&G
''Vino Amaro / Paese'' 1972 W&G
''Come Bello Fa L'Amore / Fiori Trasteverini'' 1974 W&G
''Cherie Sha La La / Voglia Di Mare'' 1974 W&G

EPs
'Italian Holiday' 1960 Astor

'Cha-Cha-Cha With The Duo Moreno Quartet' 1964 W&G
'Amore Scusami' 1965 W&G
'Forget Domani' 1965 W&G
'San Remo '67' 1967 W&G
'San Remo '68' 1968 W&G
'San Remo '69 In Stereo' 1969 W&G

ALBUMS
'Italian Holiday' 1960 Astor
'Italian Favourites' 1962 Astor
'Rome By Night' 1963 Astor
'Live At Mario's' 1965 W & G
'The New Sound Of The Duo Moreno Combo' 1967 W & G
'Midnight At Le Chateau' 1969 W & G
'Cha! Cha! Cha! 1968 W & G
'Moreno's On The Move' 1970 W & G
'The Godfather' 1974 W & G
'Beautiful Sunday / Live At Villa Borghese' 1972 W & G
'From The Moreno's With Love' 1974 W & G
'Italian All Time Hit Parade' Summit

KENNY KITCHING

 

Kenneth James Kitching, born in Auburn, NSW in 1932, is a talented steel guitarist and dobro player. In the early 60s, he was the resident steel guitar player for the TV series Country Style with the LeGarde Twins on Channel 7. In the 70s, Ken played at the Texas Tavern in Kings Cross with Nev Nicholls and the Playboys, where he met American jazz steel guitarist Buddy Emmons, who was touring with Roger Miller. Kenny purchased a double-neck 10 Emmons pedal steel guitar from Buddy. 

Around this time, he recorded over 250 tracks for various artists. He was also a permanent band member on the national TV show Travlin’ Out West with host John Williamson, regulars Ricky & Tammy, and his future wife Emma Hannah. In 1974, he released his first single on the Apogee label, ''Here Comes the Dobro / Hands of Steel'', both his own compositions. In 1978, he traveled to Nashville to record the album 'Sydney To Nashville', released on US label Mid-Land Records. In 1985, he released 'In The Hawaiian Mood', an album filled with Hawaiian melodies close to his heart. A renowned dobro (lap steel resonator guitar) player, he contributed to countless Australian recordings, enjoyed a 19-year recording association with Slim Dusty, and worked with artists including Johnny Ashcroft, Buddy Williams, Smoky Dawson, Judy Stone, Tex Morton, Jade Hurley, The Barry Sisters, Rex Dallas, Singing Kettles, Rick & Thel, and the Webb Bros.

.

SINGLES
''Here Comes The Dobro / Hands Of Steel'' 1974 Apogee

ALBUMS
'In The Hawaiian Mood' 1985 Nicholls N' Dimes Records
'Country's Best' [with Norm Bodkin] 1989 Hadley Records 

PILITA CORALLES

 

Pilar "Pilita" Garrido Corrales, born on August 22, 1937, in Lahug, Cebu City, was a beloved Filipino singer, actress, and comedian. Famous for her signature backbend while singing, she earned the titles "Greatest Singer in the Philippines" and "Asia's Queen of Songs" for her unique vocal style and long-lasting career. In 1958, she kicked off her recording career during a short stay in Australia, appearing on shows like BP Super Show, The Bobby Limb Show, and In Melbourne Tonight. She became a star in Victoria’s TV scene, with her first hit, "Come Closer to Me," featured in a collection celebrating the “Grand Dames of Victorian Radio and Television.” In the early 1960s, she recorded two albums—'Pilita Tells the Story of Love' and 'I'll Take Romance'—with Astor Records. As one of the trailblazers of Australia’s early television, a street in Victoria was named in her honor, and she was highlighted in ABC’s acclaimed special Love is in the Air. Corrales returned to Manila in 1963 to focus on her music career in the Philippines. She passed away in April 2025.

SINGLES
''Speak Low / Come Closer To Me'' 1960 Astor 
''Brazil / Angelitos Negros (Little Black Angels)'' 1960 Astor 

EPs

'I'll Take Romance' 1960 Astor

ALBUMS
'I'll Take Romance' 1960 Astor
'Pilita Tells The Story Of Love' 1962 Astor, 

References

Pilita Corrales - Wikipedia

CAROLYN YOUNG

 

Often called Australia’s answer to Brenda Lee, Carolyn Young was a popular early ’60s singer who charmed audiences on Bandstand as a singing sweetheart and also appeared on The Johnny O’Keefe Show. Her debut single, ''You’re Running Out of Kisses,'' came out on the Pye label in 1962, and her protest song ''When Freedom Comes (Count Me In),'' written by Tommy Tycho, (remains a favorite for me from that era). She recorded with Festival until 1966 but never found chart success and seemed to vanish from the spotlight after her recording career ended.

SINGLES
''You're Running Out Of Kisses / Ordinary Guy'' 1962 Pye
''When I Fall In Love / When Freedom Comes (Count Me In)'' 1965 Festival 
''He's Got The Power / Losing Battle'' 1966 Festival 

GORDON PARSONS

 

Gordon Parsons was born in 1926 in Paddington, a suburb in eastern Sydney, and moved with his parents to Cooks Creek near Bellingen, NSW, in 1929. At 14, he left the family farm to work as a sleeper-cutter. Around then, he entered Terry Dear’s Australian Amateur Hour, a popular radio talent quest, earning second prize. Impressed by his performance, Regal Zonophone Records recorded six of his songs in 1946. He went on to tour extensively through rural Australia with various travelling shows, including the Goldwyn Brothers Circus. During his travels, he met and married his first wife, Zelda, from the Ashton’s Circus family. They welcomed a daughter, Gail, in 1949, though the marriage ended soon after.

He kept touring with major country stars like Slim Dusty, Chad Morgan, and Tex Morton, and between tours would head bush to write songs, fish, and do odd farm jobs. He switched labels and began recording with John Mystery’s, an Australian label founded in the late 1940s by Lester Basil Sinclair (aka John Mystery), known for publishing children’s books. In 1956, someone handed Parsons a scrap of paper with the words to a poem, ''A Pub Without Beer'' (written in 1943 by Queensland farmer Dan Sheahan after finding his local pub, the Day Dawn Hotel in Ingham, QLD, had been drunk dry by US servicemen stationed nearby), suggesting it could be turned into a song.

Parsons wrote ''A Pub With No Beer,'' expanding the poem with vivid portraits of patrons from his local pub, the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the small settlement of Taylors Arm, about 25 km inland from Macksville, NSW. Slim Dusty heard the song while touring with Parsons and asked to record it as a novelty filler for his 1957 session, as he was one song short of the required four. Released as the B-side to ''Saddle Boy,'' the track unexpectedly took off, getting heavy airplay, especially on Sydney’s 2UE. By 1958, it was a huge hit across Australia, becoming the first and only 78 to earn an Australian gold record. In 1959, it climbed to #3 in the UK, topped the charts in Ireland, and gained popularity in Canada and the USA. Beyond Regal Zonophone, Gordon recorded with labels like Hadley, Columbia, and Selection. In 1978, he married his third wife, Jeanette, and they made their home in Sydney.

In 1979, Parsons was inducted into the Hands of Fame in Tamworth and later elevated to the Roll of Renown. His wax figure became part of the Gallery of Stars Wax Museum collection in Tamworth. In 1990, he was inducted into Rocky Page’s Hall of Fame and Avenue of Honour in Barmera, SA. Parsons died on 17 August 1990 at the age of 63 and is buried in Pinegrove Cemetery.

SINGLES
''The Happy Bushman / My Mother In Heaven'' 1946 Regal Zonophone
''The Australian Bushman / Back To Those Rolling Plains'' 1946 Regal Zonophone
''Where The Bellinger River Flows / The Passing Of Cobber Jack'' 1946 Regal Zonophone
''Rhythm Of The Range / The Parent's Song'' 1951 Regal Zonophone
''Please Tell Me Darling / Way Up North'' 1952 Regal Zonophone
''Lovely Young Aust. Girl Of Mine'' 1953 John Mystery's
''The Parents Song'' 1953 John Mystry's
''My Best Girl's Just Walked Right Out On Me / S.W.Y. (The "Two Up" Song)'' 1965 Hadley
''Men Who Are Lost / That's The Kind Of Life I Live'' 1967 Columbia
''Back To Those Rolling Plains / Slightly Used'' 1968 Columbia
''Where The Bellinger River Flows / Jody'' 1968 Columbia
''Baby's Not Walking / A Mangled Mass Of Steel'' 1969 Columbia
''Pub With No Beer / Another Day, Another Town'' [with Slim Dusty] 1983 Columbia
''Joe The Crow'' 1985 Selection

EPs

'Gordon ''Pub With No Beer'' Parsons 6 Great Songs' 1965 Hadley

'Yesterday's Kisses' 1975 Hadley

ALBUMS
'Rhythm Of The Range' 1970 Columbia 
'Bluey Francis Meets Gordon Parsons' 1975 CM
'Gordon Parsons' 1976 Hadley 
'The Old G.P.' 1980 Selection 
'Just Passin' Through' 1982 Selection 
'Throw In A Line' 1983 Selection 
'Just Driftin' Along' 1985 Selection 

 

References

Gordon Parsons (singer-songwriter) - Wikipedia

JOHN JOSEPH JONES

John Joseph Jones, born on 3 February 1930, was a poet, folk singer, musician, playwright, and theatre director. Originally from London, he first came to Australia in 1948. Between 1950 and 1952, he worked in England, Canada, and Fiji before settling permanently in Australia. In 1959, he graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and English.

After graduating, Jones worked as a journalist for the Albany Advertiser and later spent 20 years lecturing at Western Australia’s TAFE institutes. He performed at the first Winthrop Folk Festival and the 1964 Adelaide Festival of the Arts, which led to the release of five EPs in the 1960s celebrating Australian outback life. Living in Parkerville, he created and maintained the Parkerville Amphitheatre, which hosted many concerts in the 1970s featuring acts like John Farnham, Cold Chisel, and Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons. A documentary about the amphitheatre, Sets, Bugs & Rock n Roll by Tempest Productions, was shown at the Revelation Film Festival in Perth in July 2015. Jones died in 2000.

EPs
'Five Australian Ballads' 1964 EMI [Custom Pressing] 
'Australian Songs And Ballads' 1965 EMI [Custom Pressing] 
'Songs And Ballads Of Australia' 1865 EMI [Custom Pressing] 
'Australian Ballads By Durack And Sorensen' 1965 EMI [Custom Pressing] 
'Australian Ballads - Songs Of John Shaw Neilson' 1965 EMI [Custom Pressing] 

References

John Joseph Jones (writer) - Wikipedia

LEE SELLERS

A singer from South Australia in the early 60s, she made her debut at the Boomerang Club in Brighton. After winning the Hi-Fi Coca-Cola Talent Quest in 1961, she signed with the Festival label. Her first record, ''In The Chapel In The Moonlight,'' featured backing by popular Adelaide band The Penny Rockets. She also recorded with the RCA label and was a pioneer on early rock TV shows like Teentime, Reg Lindsay’s Country Hour, Adelaide Tonight, and Six O’Clock Rock.

SINGLES
''In The Chapel In The Moonlight / Oh, Dear, What Can The Matter Be'' 1961 Rex 
''If You Try To Steal My Baby / Tell Him I'm Not Home'' 1964 RCA