Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs
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Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sydney,New South Wales,Australia |
| Years active | 1963–1973; 2002 |
| Labels | Albert |
| Past members | Billy Thorpe Col Baigent John "Bluey" Watson Valentine Jones Vince Melouney Tony Barber Dennis Cuthel Gil "Rathead" Matthews Lobby Loyde Brian Bakewell |
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecswere an Australian rock band formed inSydneyin 1963. They were active in two incarnations, the first as abeatband from 1963–1967, and as a hard rock band from 1968–1973. They emerged in 1964 with their cover of "Poison Ivy",which keptThe Beatlesfrom the top spot of the Sydney charts during the latter's Australian tour. They enjoyed further success through 1965 when the original members quit after a financial dispute.
After a brief solo career, Thorpe resurrected the Aztecs name in 1968 with a new line-up and a heavier rock direction influenced by guitaristLobby Loyde.By the 1970s, the new Aztecs had become one of the most popular hard rock bands in the country with appearances at theSunbury Pop Festivaland hit songs such as "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)", before disbanding in 1973. Thorpe died from a heart attack in Sydney on 28 February 2007.
History[edit]
1963–1968: Beginning[edit]
Originally a four-piece instrumental group called The Vibratones’ who had released a Surf instrumental single, "Expressway" b/w “Man of Mystery”, they formed in Sydney in 1963. With the advent of the Merseybeat sound, they added a lead singer,Billy Thorpe.His powerful voice and showmanship (which eventually made him one of the most popular and respected rock performers in Australian music), completed the original line-up, which consisted of drummer Col Baigent, bassist John "Bluey" Watson and guitarists Brian Bakewell andVince Maloney(who as Vince Melouney, later became a member ofThe Bee Gees). Brian Bakewell left the band shortly afterBilly Thorpehad joined and was later replaced by Tony Barber.
The group broke through in mid-1964 with their cover of theLeiber and Stollerclassic "Poison Ivy",which famously keptThe Beatlesfrom the No. 1 spot on the Sydney charts at the very moment that the group was making its first and only tour of Australia—a feat which resulted in Thorpe being invited to meet the Fab Four at their hotel. Over the next twelve months the band reigned supreme as the most popular 'beat' group in Australia, scoring further hits with the songs "Mashed Potato", "Sick and Tired" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow",until they were eclipsed by the emergence ofThe Easybeatsin 1965. The band's recording success confirmedAlbert Productions,their recording company, with its worldwide distribution deals through EMI and Parlophone, as one of the most important in Australia's embryonic pop industry.
During 1965 the original Aztecs quit after a financial dispute, so Thorpe put together a new five-piece version consisting of drummer Johnny Dick, pianist Jimmy Taylor, guitarists Colin Risbey and Mike Downes and NZ-born bassist Teddy Toi. This group performed until 1966, scoring further hits with "Twilight Time","Hallelujah I Love Her So ","Baby, Hold Me Close","Love Letters "and" Word For Today ".
Thorpe went solo in 1967 and for a brief time hosted his own TV show,It's All Happening,but personal problems and a widely publicised bankruptcy brought this phase of his career to an end in 1968.
1969–1970: New style and line-up[edit]
In 1969, Thorpe decided to try England, after being offered a recording deal by the Australian-born, London-based impresarioRobert Stigwood,who had risen to become manager ofThe Bee GeesandCream.While rehearsing a backing band in Melbourne that would form the basis for a new Aztecs, the guitarist unexpectedly dropped out, leaving Thorpe to assume lead guitar role at short notice. It marked another turning point in his career and from this point on Thorpe played lead guitar in The Aztecs as well as continuing as lead vocalist. His planned six-week stay in Melbourne soon stretched into months and eventually Thorpe decided to remain in Australia and re-launch his career.
Thorpe himself openly acknowledges that this new 'heavy' version of the Aztecs owes much to 'guitar hero'Lobby Loyde.Lloyde already had a cult following due to his stints in two of the most original Australian bands of the 1960s,The Purple HeartsandWild Cherries.While his stint in the new Aztecs was short (from October 1968 to January 1971), his musical influence proved crucial in steering Thorpe in a completely new direction, and he strongly encouraged Thorpe to keep playing guitar.
The new Aztecs' blues-based heavy-rock repertoire was dramatically different in style from the original group, and they quickly became famous (or notorious) for the ear-splitting volume at which they played. Thorpe had also drastically changed his appearance—he grew a beard, often wore his now shoulder-length hair braided in a pigtail, and he had long since traded the tailored suits for jeans and T-shirts. Needless to say this did not endear him to people who came to the shows expecting the 'old' Billy Thorpe of the "Poison Ivy" era, and this led to sometimes violent confrontations with disgruntled fans and promoters.
Their breakthrough recording was an ambitious album,The Hoax Is Over,recorded in September 1970 with new drummer Kevin Murphy. The album was an unequivocal signal of the Aztecs' new direction, containing only four tracks, three of which were Thorpe originals. The LP is dominated by two extended tracks: a version ofJohnny "Guitar" Watson's "Gangster of Love", which clocked in at 24:35 and ran the entire length of Side 1 (an unprecedented move in Australian pop music) and Thorpe's own "Mississippi" which ran 19'35 ". According to Thorpe, the band (which at this time comprising himself, Murphy, pianistWarren Morgan,Lobby Loyde and bassist Paul Wheeler), were all high onLSDand jammed continuously while engineer Ernie Rose just let the tapes roll. The result heralded the fully-fledged arrival of the new Aztecs and live shows at Melbourne venues consolidated the band's reputation and drew enthusiastic responses.
1971–1973: "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)",Sunburyand break up[edit]
During 1971 they continued to win over Melbourne's audiences with their power-blues repertoire, A landmark event for the band took place on 13 June 1971. Now a four-piece following the departure of Loyde, the Aztecs (Thorpe, Morgan and Wheeler, with new drummer Gil "Rathead" Matthews) headlined a major concert at theMelbourne Town Hallbefore a capacity crowd of 5000. The evening's performance, including Morgan's commandeering of the town hall organ, was captured on the albumLive at Melbourne Town Hall,and which has since become known for the group's deafening performance, which (it was claimed) cracked the windows of neighbouring buildings.
By contrast, the pastoral-sounding "The Dawn Song" was released in 1971. A moderate hit, it displayed the musical diversity of Thorpe and his colleagues at this time.
In early 1972 the Aztecs released what became their biggest hit, and Thorpe's signature tune – "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)", a song now widely regarded as one of the classics of Australian rock. It was a huge hit for the new Aztecs, peaking in theGo-SetNational Top 40 Singles Chart at number 3 in May 1972;[1]propelled to the top of charts by the band's triumphant appearance at the 1972Sunbury Music Festival.Thorpe himself claimed this as a pivotal moment in the development of Australian music, thanks to the promoters' decision to feature an all-Australian line-up, rather than relying on imported stars.
"Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" was added to theNational Film and Sound Archive'sSounds of Australiaregistry in 2008.[2]
While by no means the first of Australia's outdoor rock festivals, Sunbury '72 has assumed the mantle of "Australia's Woodstock". It was held at the end of January 1972, over theAustralia Daylong weekend.The venue was a natural amphitheatre site on farmland nearSunbury,a rural town north of Melbourne, Victoria. The Aztecs shared billing with such other prominent acts as Spectrum/Murtceps,The La De Da's,Max Merritt & the Meteors,SCRA,Pirana, Greg Quill's Country Radio and many others.
Part of the Aztecs' set was issued on the double-album recording,Sunbury,and it was also captured on the film made of the event. A double-album collecting the Aztecs' full set,Aztecs Live at Sunburywas issued later in the year and this has recently been reissued on CD. In mint condition, the original LP release, with pop-up inserts, is much sought after by collectors today.
After the release of "Most People I Know" they released a follow-up single, "Believe It Just Like Me", which attacked local radio's preference for overseas material, but it failed to emulate the success of "Most People", which remains their best-known song.
The band repeated their festival success at Sunbury '73, and a record culled from this performance,Summer Jam,was released later in the year. They enjoyed another triumph by selling out theMyer Music Bowlin Melbourne, drawing an Australian crowd record of 200,000 people.[3]
During 1973 Thorpe collaborated on a duo album with his long-time friend and colleague Warren "Pig" Morgan, the LPThumpin' Pig and Puffin' Billy.Morgan and Thorpe also co-wrote and produced, with the Aztecs backing, a highly regarded single, "Looking Through a Window", for soul-blues singerWendy Saddington.
In August, Thorpe switched record labels from the independent Havoc to the newly opened local arm of Atlantic Records, releasing "Movie Queen" and "Don't You Know You're Changing?" as solo singles of singles, although they featured most of the Aztecs line-up.
Late in 1973 the group mounted a band's farewell concert at the newly openedSydney Opera House,becoming the first rock band to perform there. The concert was recorded and released as a double album,Steaming at the Opera House.The show consisted of three one-hour sets, the first acoustic, the second, an elaborately staged concept suite called "No More War". The third set was an all-in all-star jam, reuniting Thorpe with former bandmates Lobby Loyde, Kevin Murphy and Johnny Dick.
Before disbanding, the Aztecs recorded one more album for Atlantic,More Arse Than Class,after which Thorpe embarked on a solo career. He released several more solo albums in Australia before re-locating to the United States, where he embarked on a series of business ventures, including a successful toy company with his old bandmate Tony Barber.
After The Aztecs[edit]
In the late 1990s Billy Thorpe returned to Australia, where he was recognised as one of the elder statesmen of Australian music. In 1991 he was inducted into theARIA Hall of Fame.
In 1998Australia Postissued a special edition set of twelvestampscelebrating the early years of Australian Rock 'n' Roll, featuring Australian hit songs of the late 1950s, the 1960s and the early 1970s.
"Each of them said something about us, and told the rest of the world this is what popular culture sounds like, and it has an Australian accent."
A "Most People I Know" stamp was one of those in the set.[4]
In 2002, he was one of the driving forces behind the successful TV and live concert series,It's A Long Way to the Top,a celebration of 40 years of Australian rock music. This was an occasion for him to bring together and perform with two versions of The Aztecs.
He was working on his album 'Tangier' at the time of his death. He was recording inMarrakechat Marrakech Prod Recording Studio. Thorpe played his last gig at Westernport Hotel inSan Remo, Victoria,on Sunday 25 February 2007. He died of a heart attack atSt Vincent's Hospital, Sydney,in the early hours of 28 February 2007.
Gil Matthews runs the re-issue label Aztec Music. Their first release wasLive at Sunburyby Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs.
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [5][6] | ||
| Poison Ivy(with Johnny Noble) | — | |
| Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs |
|
— |
| Don't You Dig This Kind of Beat |
|
— |
| The Hoax Is Over |
|
8 |
| More Arse Than Class |
|
14 |
| Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud |
|
— |
Live albums[edit]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [5][6] | |||
| Live |
|
8 | |
| Aztecs Live at Sunbury |
|
4 |
|
| Steaming At The Opera House |
|
71 | |
| Long Live Rock and Roll (Long May It Move Me So) |
|
— |
Compilation albums[edit]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [6][7] | ||
| The Best of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs |
|
— |
| Great Hits |
|
— |
| Gold |
|
89 |
| It's All Happening: 20 Greatest Hits 64–68 |
|
— |
| Lock Up Your Mothers |
|
15 |
| The Best and the Rest of Lock Up Your Mothers |
|
79 |
| The Classic Rock Collection |
|
— |
Video albums[edit]
| Title | Album details | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Jailhouse Rock |
|
|
| Live – Boggo Road Jail Australia 1993 |
|
Extended plays[edit]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Poison Ivy |
|
| Sick & Tired |
|
| On Stage |
|
| I Told the Brook |
|
| Stand By Me |
|
| Twilight Time |
|
Singles[edit]
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | EP/Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [5][6] | |||
| 1964 | "Smoke and Stack" / "Board Boogie" | - | |
| "Blue Day" / "You Don't Love Me" | 51 | Poison Ivy | |
| "Poison Ivy"/" Broken Things " | 3 | ||
| "Don't Cha Know" / "Mashed Potato" | 9 | Sick & Tired | |
| "Sick and Tired"/" About Love " | 11 | ||
| "That I Love" / "Over the Rainbow" | 2 | I Told the Brook | |
| 1965 | "I Told the Brook" / "Funny Face" | 1 | |
| "Twilight Time"/"My Girl Josephine" | 2 | Twilight Time | |
| "Hallelujah I Love Her So"/"Baby, Hold Me Close" | 16 | ||
| "Love Letters" / "Dancing in the Street" | 3 | Don't You Dig This Kind of Beat | |
| 1966 | "The Word for Today" / "The New Breed" | 23 | non-album single |
| "I've Been Wrong Before" / "Wee Bit More of Your Lovin'" | 57 | ||
| 1967 | "Dream Baby" / "You Don't Live Twice" | 55 | |
| 1970 | "Good Morning Little School Girl"/"Rock Me Baby" | - | Great Hits |
| 1971 | "The Dawn Song" / "Time to Live" | 41 | non-album single |
| 1972 | "Most People I Know" / "Regulation Three Puff" | 2 | |
| "Believe It Just Like Me" / "Get to Hell Out of Here" | 25 | ||
| 1973 | "Movie Queen" / "Mame" | 32 | Gold |
| "Don't You Know You're Changing?" / "Yes I'm Tired | - | ||
| 1974 | "Over the Rainbow" / "Let's Have a Party" | 20 | |
| "Cigarettes and Whiskey" (Live)/ "Back Home in Australia" (Live) | - | Steaming At The Opera House | |
| 1975 | "It's Almost Summer" | 44 | |
| 1979 | "Wrapped in the Chains of Your Love" | 88 |
Awards and nominations[edit]
Go-Set Pop Poll[edit]
The Go-Set Pop Pollwas coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper,Go-Setand was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities.[9]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Hoax Is Over | Best Album | 4th |
| 1972 | Aztecs Live at Sunbury | Best Album | 1st |
| "Most People I Know" | Best Single | 3rd | |
| Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs | Best Group | 2nd |
King of Pop Awards[edit]
The King of Pop Awardswere voted by the readers ofTV Week.The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978.[9]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs | Best Group | Won |
References[edit]
- ^"Go-Set Australian charts - 13 May 1972".Poparchives.com.au.13 May 1972.Retrieved26 June2016.
- ^"Overview Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy) (1972) on ASO - Australia's audio and visual heritage online".Aso.gov.au.Retrieved26 June2016.
- ^ab"Let's Do It Again"(PDF).Cash Box.7 July 1976. p. 50.Retrieved21 November2021– via World Radio History.
- ^"Australian Stamps: Rock Australia".Australia Post.20 March 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 11 August 2008.Retrieved16 July2012.
- ^abcKent, David (2005).Australian Chart Book 1940 - 1969.Turramurra, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd.ISBN0-646-44439-5.
- ^abcdDavid Kent (1993).Australian Chart Book 1970-1992.St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
- ^Peaks of albums in the 1990s:
- Lock Up Your Mothers:"Discography Billy Thorpe".australian-charts.com.Retrieved22 October2022.
- The Best and the Rest of Lock Up Your Mothers:Ryan, Gavin (2011).Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010(PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 279.
- ^"ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 DVDs"(PDF).Australian Recording Industry Association.Retrieved18 December2021.
- ^ab"Australian Music Awards".Ron Jeff. Archived fromthe originalon 30 June 2012.Retrieved16 December2010.
Bibliography[edit]
- Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop– Noel McGrath – 1978
- An Australian Rock Discography– Chris Spencer −1990 – Moonlight Publishing
- The Who's Who of Australian Rock– Chris Spencer – Moonlight Publishing
- The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop– Ian McFarlane – Allen & Unwin, Sydney – 1999
External links[edit]
- Long Way to the Top:Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs – Stories and Highlights,Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- In Memory of Billy Thorpe
- Listen to a clip from'Most People I Know (Think that I'm Crazy)'and read more about it onaustralianscreen online
- Australian Music Database:http://www.australianmusicdatabase.com/bands/billy-thorpe-and-the-aztecs
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