Friday on My Mind

"Friday on My Mind"
"Friday on My Mind"
	Cover of the 1966 Australian single
SinglebyThe Easybeats
from the albumGood Friday
B-side	"Made My Bed, Gonna Lie in It"
Released	14 October 1966 (UK); 17 November 1966 (Australia);
Recorded	8 September 1966
Studio	IBC,London
Genre	Garage rock; proto-punk; psychedelia; power pop;
Length	2:47
Label	United Artists
Songwriter(s)	Vanda & Young
Producer(s)	Shel Talmy
The EasybeatsAustralian singles chronology
The EasybeatsUK singles chronology
The EasybeatsUS singles chronology
Music video
	"Friday on My Mind"onYouTube
Audio sample
	"Friday on My Mind" file; help;

"Friday on My Mind"is a 1966 song by Australian rock groupThe Easybeats.Written by band membersGeorge YoungandHarry Vanda,^[5]the track became a worldwide hit, reaching No.16 on theBillboardHot 100chart in May 1967 in the US, No.1 on theDutch Top 40chart,^[6]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 theAustralasian Performing Right Association(APRA) as determined by a panel of 100 music industry personalities.^[7]^[8]In 2007, "Friday on My Mind" was added to theNational Film and Sound Archive'sSounds of Australiaregistry.

Composition[edit]

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 theweekendin the city.

Though the song has long been termed a "working class anthem",^[9]George Young maintained it had "more to do with their outlook on the world than any class statement".^[10]According to Harry Vanda, the track's distinctive guitar opening was inspired by a film performance featuringthe Swingle Singers:"It went tudutudutudu, which made us all laugh. In the train back from the gig, we were imitating them and suddenly it sounded good. They became the first notes of 'Friday on My Mind'."^[11]

Release and aftermath[edit]

In addition to its7 "singlerelease in October 1966, the song was issued in the United Kingdom on the band's first album for United Artists titledGood Fridaywhich was also released in North America under the song's title. In Australia the song was released instead with its B-side, "Made My Bed (Gonna Lie in It)", on the greatest hits packageThe Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girlin 1967 and anEPnamed after the track in September 1967, with the tracks "Sorry", "Who'll Be the One" and "Made My Bed, Gonna Lie in It". A 2005 re-release onCD single,along with "Remember Sam", "Pretty Girl" and "Made My Bed, Gonna Lie in It", featured a cover (pictured right) based on an earlier French sleeve.

On 28 May 2001, theAustralasian Performing Right Association(APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming theBest Australian Songsof all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel, with "Friday on My Mind" being selected as the No.1 song on the list.^[7]At theAPRA AwardsceremonyYou Am Iperformed "Friday on My Mind" withHarry VandaofThe Easybeatsguesting on guitar,Ross WilsonofDaddy Coolperformed the No. 2 listed song "Eagle Rock",Midnight Oil's"Beds are Burning"at No. 3 was shown on video.^[7]

"Friday on My Mind" was ranked No. 10 out of 2006 songs featured in theTriple MEssential 2006 Countdown. In the series20 to 01,it was No. 1 on the "Greatest Aussie Songs" show.^{[citation needed]}

The song is heard in the Australian filmsOne Night Stand(1984), andDecember Boys(2007).^{[citation needed]}

In January 2018, as part ofTriple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Friday on My Mind" was ranked No. 25.^[12]

Charts[edit]

Charts (1966–1967)	Peak position
Austria^[13]	16
Australia (Go-Set)^[14]	1
Canada (RPM)^[15]	13
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)^[16]	16
Germany^[13]	10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	1
New Zealand (Listener)	2
Ireland (IRMA)^[17]	13
UK Charts^[18]	6
USBillboardHot 100^[19]	16

Track listing[edit]

"Friday on My Mind" (Harry Vanda,George Young)^[5]– 2:47
"Made My Bed (Gonna Lie in It)" (Young)^[20]– 2:20

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

Stevie Wright–lead vocals
Harry Vanda–lead guitar,backing vocals
George Young–rhythm guitar,backing vocals
Dick Diamonde–bass guitar
Gordon "Snowy" Fleet –drums

Technical[edit]

Shel Talmy–producer
Glyn Johns–engineer

Cover versions[edit]

The song has been covered many times:

Initially byTages,who released the song for their November 1966 albumExtra Extra.
The Shadowsrecorded an instrumental version of the song on their 1967 albumJigsaw.
The song was also performed by Romanian bandPhoenixon their first EP,Vremuri( "Old times") in 1968.^[21]
David Bowierecorded a version on his 1973RCAcovers albumPin Ups;for Harry Vanda, it was "the only cover I ever liked".^[22]
Also in 1973, San Francisco-basedEarth Quakecovered the song, which was released as the first-ever single on theBeserkley Recordslabel. The live recording by Earth Quake was well known in Cleveland in the late 1970s, as one of three songs played each Friday at 6.00pm by leading rock radio stationWMMSto mark the start of the weekend.^{[citation needed]}

Other covers[edit]

Other acts who have covered the song include: John Alan Daubert

Chilly
The Dukes (Dutch band)
Finnishsinger-songwriterHectorhad a translated version "Perjantai on mielessäin"
Gary Moore
Peter Frampton
Peter Doyle
Richard Thompson (1000 Years of Popular Music)
Ben Lee
Blue Öyster Cult
the Kursaal Flyers
TheNew Orleansbased bandThe Cold^[23]
The punk bandLondon,whose version was recorded by producerSimon Napier-Bellin the same recording studios (IBC Studiosin London) where the Easybeats had cut the original. South Yorkshire mod revival band the Gents released "Friday on My Mind" as a single in 1986 and reached No.95 in the UK national chart with the release.^{[citation needed]}
In July 2014, alternative rock bandResidual Kidreleased a cover of the song as a charity single.^[24]
The Easybeats

References[edit]

^McPadden, Mike (1 May 2012).If You Like Metallica...: Here Are Over 200 Bands, CDs, Movies, and Other Oddities That You Will Love.Backbeat Books. p. 31.ISBN 978-1-4768-1357-8.
^Partridge, Kenneth (17 October 2015)."Bruce Springsteen's 'The River' at 35: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review".Billboard.Retrieved5 December2021.
^Greenwald, Matthew."Friday on My Mind - The Easybeats | Song Info".AllMusic.Retrieved18 December2021.
^Fanelli, Damian (10 May 2019)."AC/DC's Fraternal Connection to" Friday on My Mind, "a Mid-Sixties Power Pop Masterpiece".Guitar World.Retrieved18 December2021.
^^a ^b""Friday on My Mind" at APRA search engine ".Australasian Performing Right Association(APRA).Retrieved26 October2008.
^"Top 40 week 52 van 1966".Top40.nl.Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.Retrieved23 October2017.
^^a ^b ^cCulnane, Paul (28 May 2001)."The final list: APRA'S Ten best Australian Songs".Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived fromthe originalon 3 August 2008.Retrieved26 October2008.
^"Easybeats song voted Australia's best".ABC Radio (29 May 2000). Retrieved 4 November 2006
^"BMG: The New Music Company".Albertmusic.com.1 October 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2007.Retrieved23 October2017.
^Debbie Kruger (2005).Songwriters Speak: Conversations About Creating Music:p.71
^"Anonymous émigré became pop star"Archived26 June 2006 at theWayback Machine.Radio Netherlands (13 June 2006). Retrieved 4 November 2006
^"Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'".Musicfeeds.27 January 2018.Retrieved4 January2020.
^^a ^b"charts.org.nz - The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind".
^Smith, Maggie (4 January 1967)."Easybeats Hit No. 1 in Holland...and Here /Go-Set's National Top 40 "(PDF).Go-Set.Vol. 2, no. 1. pp. 1–2.Archived(PDF)from the original on 10 March 2021.Retrieved29 March2024– via WorldRadioHistory.
^"RPM Top 100 Singles - May 27, 1967"(PDF).
^Nyman, Jake (2005).Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja(in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 123.ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Friday on My Mind ".Irish Singles Chart.Retrieved 9 April 2018.
^"officialcharts.com".officialcharts.com.Retrieved11 May2022.
^"BillboardHot 100 – For Week Ending May 20, 1967 "(PDF).Billboard.Vol. 74, no. 20. 20 May 1967. p. 20.ISSN 0006-2510.Archived(PDF)from the original on 27 January 2021.Retrieved29 March2024– via WorldRadioHistory.
^""Friday on My Mind" at APRA search engine ".Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).Retrieved10 December2008.
^https://www.discogs.com/master/187900-Phoenix-Vremuri
^Debbie Kruger (2005). Op Cit: p.62
^"For The Cold, A Very Good Year".Retrieved7 May2020.
^"Residual Kid Releases Charity Single: Friday on My Mind".Livestrong Foundation.Archived fromthe originalon 6 September 2015.Retrieved8 August2015.

External links[edit]

Albert Music: The Easybeats
Listen to a sample of 'Friday on My Mind' and read more about the song onaustralianscreen online
'Friday on My Mind' was added to theNational Film and Sound Archiveof Australia'sSounds of Australiaregistry in 2007

[1] McPadden, Mike (1 May 2012).If You Like Metallica...: Here Are Over 200 Bands, CDs, Movies, and Other Oddities That You Will Love.Backbeat Books. p. 31.ISBN 978-1-4768-1357-8.

[2] Partridge, Kenneth (17 October 2015)."Bruce Springsteen's 'The River' at 35: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review".Billboard.Retrieved5 December2021.

[3] Greenwald, Matthew."Friday on My Mind - The Easybeats | Song Info".AllMusic.Retrieved18 December2021.

[4] Fanelli, Damian (10 May 2019)."AC/DC's Fraternal Connection to" Friday on My Mind, "a Mid-Sixties Power Pop Masterpiece".Guitar World.Retrieved18 December2021.

[APRA_Friday-5] ""Friday on My Mind" at APRA search engine ".Australasian Performing Right Association(APRA).Retrieved26 October2008.

[6] "Top 40 week 52 van 1966".Top40.nl.Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.Retrieved23 October2017.

[APRA10-7] Culnane, Paul (28 May 2001)."The final list: APRA'S Ten best Australian Songs".Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived fromthe originalon 3 August 2008.Retrieved26 October2008.

[8] "Easybeats song voted Australia's best".ABC Radio (29 May 2000). Retrieved 4 November 2006

[9] "BMG: The New Music Company".Albertmusic.com.1 October 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2007.Retrieved23 October2017.

[10] Debbie Kruger (2005).Songwriters Speak: Conversations About Creating Music:p.71

[11] "Anonymous émigré became pop star"Archived26 June 2006 at theWayback Machine.Radio Netherlands (13 June 2006). Retrieved 4 November 2006

[12] "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'".Musicfeeds.27 January 2018.Retrieved4 January2020.

[charts.nz-13] "charts.org.nz - The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind".

[14] Smith, Maggie (4 January 1967)."Easybeats Hit No. 1 in Holland...and Here /Go-Set's National Top 40 "(PDF).Go-Set.Vol. 2, no. 1. pp. 1–2.Archived(PDF)from the original on 10 March 2021.Retrieved29 March2024– via WorldRadioHistory.

[15] "RPM Top 100 Singles - May 27, 1967"(PDF).

[16] Nyman, Jake (2005).Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja(in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 123.ISBN 951-31-2503-3.

[sc_Ireland2_-17] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Friday on My Mind ".Irish Singles Chart.Retrieved 9 April 2018.

[18] "officialcharts.com".officialcharts.com.Retrieved11 May2022.

[Hot_100-19] "BillboardHot 100 – For Week Ending May 20, 1967 "(PDF).Billboard.Vol. 74, no. 20. 20 May 1967. p. 20.ISSN 0006-2510.Archived(PDF)from the original on 27 January 2021.Retrieved29 March2024– via WorldRadioHistory.

[APRA_Made-20] ""Friday on My Mind" at APRA search engine ".Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).Retrieved10 December2008.

[21] ttps://www.discogs.com/master/187900-Phoenix-Vremuri

[22] Debbie Kruger (2005). Op Cit: p.62

[23] "For The Cold, A Very Good Year".Retrieved7 May2020.

[24] "Residual Kid Releases Charity Single: Friday on My Mind".Livestrong Foundation.Archived fromthe originalon 6 September 2015.Retrieved8 August2015.

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v t e The Easybeats
Dick Diamonde Harry Vanda Stevie Wright George Young Snowy Fleet Tony Cahill
Studio albums	Easy It's 2 Easy Volume 3 Good Friday Friday on My Mind Vigil Friends
Compilation albums	The Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl The Best of The Easybeats Volume 2 The Shame Just Drained Absolute Anthology 1965 to 1969 The Definitive Series
Extended play	Easyfever
Singles	"For My Woman" "She's So Fine" "Wedding Ring" "Sad and Lonely and Blue" "Women (Make You Feel Alright)" "Come and See Her" "Sorry" "Friday on My Mind" "Who'll Be the One" "Heaven and Hell" "Falling Off the Edge of the World" "The Music Goes 'Round My Head" "Hello, How Are You" "Land of Make Believe" "Good Times" "Lay Me Down and Die" "St. Louis" "Peculiar Hole in the Sky"
Related articles	Discography Friday on My Mind(TV miniseries)