Australian news - John Farrar joins Shadows, Olivia signed up for Toomorrow
The record dispute between broad-casters and major record companies came into effect in the second half of May, and figures released for the month by the Commonwealth Statistician are most interesting: Single record production figures were down exactly 100,000 units over April, and were at their lowest since June last year. On the other hand, album production is substantially up on the previous month.
(With so many potential hits from Australia and England not available for broadcast because of the dispute, more and more LP’s are being exposed over the 114 stations involved in the ban.) Numerous radio outlets who rarely played album tracks before the dispute are giving much attention to them now. It’s safe to say the record business here is having its “ups and downs,” but tapes are really coming into their own. Last year Aussie cassette manufacturers increased sales by a reported 100%, and look forward to bigger and better sales this year.
The record dispute here is particularly unfortunate when it’s considered that so many big hits from England are not seeing the light of air-play. One such single is “Apple On A Seesaw” by local Geelong-born thrush Maggie Joddrell, now singing under the name Maggie Britton; it’s released on United Artists through the Festival Company. Miss Britton has one of the really big groups backing her, the Blue Mink whose lead guitarist Alan Parker handles her music arrangements. The disc was produced by Whistling Jack Smith who had a big smash with the novelty hit “I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman.” The twenty two year old singer will represent her record company in August at the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland.
One of the brightest young musicians on the local scene John Farrar, a member of the group the Strangers, has accepted an offer from former member of Cliff Richard’s supporting group Bruce Welch, to become a member of a trio made up of Welch and another member of the Shadows team Hank Marvin.
Marvin formed the group which enjoyed many international successes including the Jerry Lordan composition “Apache” and “Atlantis.” With Cliff Richard they enjoyed even more success but several years ago the partnership broke up and the team went their separate ways. Now John Farrar will join Welch and Marvin to perform as a trio.
Farrar will leave for London in September with his wife, Pat Carroll who is one of Australia’s top female performers. (Her current hit is “All Kinds Of Everything,” doing well on the Fable label.) Farrar is leaving the Strangers at a time when they are enjoying their biggest-ever hits “My Melanie Makes Me Smile,” again on Fable Records.
Pat Carroll and former Melbourne girl Olivia Newton-John performed as a duo back in 1966 and performed in England under the name Liza and Jane; the girls broke up when Pat struck visa trouble and returned home.
Olivia, born in Cambridge, stayed on and recently was signed as a member of Toomorrow, a group of four young people created by film producer Harry Saltzman and disc producer Don Kirschner. The quartet have their first disc on release in England called “You’re My Baby Now.” Incidentally Miss Newton-John is engaged to guitarist Bruce Welch, so the whole business ties in rather nicely. Congratulations all ‘round.</strong>
Big influx of stars expected here for a coast to coast television spectacular on September 27th. Top disc names Nancy Sinatra, Leslie Uggams and Lee Marvin will appear together with Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Rod Taylor. Morey Amsterdam will also appear in the show on behalf of the Freedom From Hunger campaign: Cash Box understands the artists will give their services for nothing, but it’s not yet known if they have any other personal appearance commitments during their stay.
Festival Records have good reason to be elated at the press reception given the release of their Atlantic set, “Woodstock.” Aussie critics have hailed the three-record set as a winner despite the price tag of $17.
Phonogram Recordings are out with a single to cash in on the personal appearance of the Three Degrees in Sydney. The disc “Maybe” is on Roulette and doing well on the Top 100 in the States.