Easybeats

No group encapsulated pop music in the mid sixties in Australian better than the Easybeats. While Australia embraced Beatlemania with the rest of the world (and before America) in terms of the music of the day, in this corner of the world we still leaned more towards the tougher, rougher, more aggressive Rolling Stones. In the studio the Easybeats were "Australia's Beatles". They were streets ahead of their peers as songwriters. Thanks to lead singer "Little" Stevie Wright they were also the most exciting band in the country. On stage they were "Australia's Rolling Stones". The Easybeats were the best group of the Sixties the rest of the world didn't hear (until later).

In 1963/64 Australia was still in the midst of a major immigration campaign. Migrants from all over the world, especially Europe, were being invited to come and make a new life for themselves, and they were arriving constantly in shiploads, living temporarily in migrant hostels until they could find their feet. When the Beatles hit, teenagers arriving here with their families, suddenly found themselves stuck thousands of miles from the new centre of the world.

Living at the Villawood migrant hostel in Sydney was Johannas "Harry" Vandenberg, who had played in The Starfighters a Dutch Shadows-type band. Harry decided to resume his pop career with another Dutch musician living in the area, Dingernam "Dick" Vandersluys, who'd been in Australia since he was four. On one of their escapades into the Sydney city area they encountered 15 year old Stevie Wright in front of a group called The Outlaws. From Leeds England, Stevie had been in Australia since 1958. Hanging around the Villawood hostel with his new Dutch friends Stevie came upon new arrival from Scotland, George Young, whose older brother was a musician back in London. Eventually, on a train ride they met another English migrant. Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, a drummer from Liverpool who'd played with the Mojos.

Older than the rest, Snowy took on the duties of manager as well as drummer, came up with the name The Easybeats, and the band started to look for work. A few spots here and there developed into regular residencies, until the fateful day when a real estate agent called Mike Vaughan took the advice of a lady friend to see the new group in action. It took a couple of weeks before they took on his offer of management.

From there things happened relatively quickly. Vaughan knew a young publisher and wanna-be producer Ted Albert. Ted landed the group a record contract with Parlophone (the same label as The Beatles). Released in March 1965 the first single, 'For My Woman', sold respectably. The second, 'She's So Fine' was a national top 10 hit. All in the space of six months. Hit after hit followed. Incredibly prolific songwriters the Easybeats quickly released two albums filled with their own songs and casually whipped up a national number one called 'Step Back' for Perth's Johnny Young. By mid 1966 they were ready to tackle the rest of the world.

During the first visit the group recorded with Kinks producer Shel Tamly. They came back to Australia still in the grip of Easy Fever before returning to promote the Tamly-produced 'Friday On My Mind'. Legend has it that the Beatles' Paul McCartney was driving along a freeway when he heard the Easybeats' song on the radio and just had to stop and ring up the station to find out whose record it was.

'Friday On My Mind' sent the Easybeats around the world, and back to Australia for a triumphant tour when Snowy Fleet announced he was leaving to concentrate on family life. He was replaced by former Purple Hearts drummer Tony Cahill.

The stage was set for the Easybeats' world domination, but their talent was about to be overpowered and dragged under by two other forces, Stevie Wright's drift into drug dependency, and their manager Mike Vaughan finding himself out of depth. At one stage no less than five US record companies claimed they had the Easybeats under contract. As the red tape choked their career Harry Vanda and George Young kept writing and recording, as the Easybeats and under other names. By 1969 the band had drifted apart, leaving Harry and George carrying the responsibility of a huge debt.

In the early 70s Vanda and Young returned to Australia and renewed their relationship with Ted Albert as house songwriters and producers for Alberts, writing and producing a long chain of memorable records. (John Paul Young, William Shakespeare, AC/DC and others). Stevie Wright re-emerged in 1974 on the back of the epic 'Evie', written and produced for him by Harry and George. Apart from writing and producing for others, George and Harry also recorded as Flash And The Pan. In October 1986 the original group (including Snowy) reunited for a brief tour. It was a mistake.

In May 2001 when the Australasian Performing Rights Association celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs off all time, decided by a 100 strong industry panel, 'Friday On My Mind' was named the top song.