Australia and New Zealand had their own parallel, and thrilling, pop scenes in the late 1960s. Tough beat, wild psychedelia, soulful sirens and bubblegum pop were created by kids who had easy access to both the British and American scenes, as well as a welter of radio stations and TV shows on which they could become stars. Some, like OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN and the Easybeats left to seek international fame and fortune, while others like the Twilights, Zoot and the Strangers had to settle for localised success – though many became international names in the 1970s.
POP DOWN UNDER is a thrilling survey of the kind of teenage noise that kept Australasia ticking in the late 60s, much of which was at least as good as what was coming out of London, New York and LA. It includes the Who-like powerpop of ZOOT’s ‘Flying’, RUSSELL MORRIS’s orchestrated, seven-minute psych epic ‘Part Three Into Paper Walls’, the ATLANTICS’ garage-punk heartstopper ‘Come On’, and the unique folk-beat of VALERIA VENGERS’ eerie ‘There’s a Scarlet River Flowing’.
1. TRIP ON LIFE - CHRIS MALCOLM
2. TILL YOU SAY YOU'LL BE MINE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
3. CATHY, COME HOME - THE TWILIGHTS
4. WHEN I WAS SIX YEARS OLD - RONNIE BURNS
5. ELEVATOR DRIVER - THE MASTER'S APPRENTICES
6. COME ON - THE ATLANTICS
7. RENAISSANCE FAIR - THE HUMAN INSTINCT
8. SUNSHINE RIVER - GEMINI
9. TAKE THE TIME - THE STRANGERS
10. HE'S BAD, BAD, BAD - ALLISON DURBIN
11. WOMAN YOU'RE BREAKING ME - THE GROOP
12. I FEEL GOOD - LARRY'S REBELS
13. SHE SAID - THE VALENTINES (featuring BON SCOTT)
14. 2,000 WEEKS - TERRY BRITTON
15. SALLY'S LINE - FOURMYULA LP
16. PART THREE INTO PAPER WALLS - RUSSELL MORRIS
17. FLYING - ZOOT
18. THE HOUSE BESIDE THE MINE - HAYDEN WOOD
19. HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION BY - THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
20. BRING A LITTLE LOVIN' - THE EASYBEATS CD
21. LADY - JOHNNY YOUNG & KOMPANY
22. THERE'S A SCARLET RIVER FLOWING - VALERIA VENGERS
23. HURT LOVE AND FIRE - CHRIS MALCOLM
24. MOMENTS OF THE SOFT PERSUASION - THE INNER CIRCLE