Remember Bev Harrell, The Twillights, Masters Apprentices, and Jimmy Barnes with Cold Chisel? Do you recall the Hi Fi Club, Princeton Club, The Palais on North Terrace, or the Octagon at Elizabeth? Remember Big Bob Francis in his gold suit or Ron Tremaine’s pop music magazine about the local pop music scene, Young Modern?
Here are just a few scattered memories of the glory days of pop music in Adelaide from the 60s to the 80s…..I’m sure you will have your own, which we would love you to share with our readers.
The Twilights in 1967 were Laurie Pryor, Glenn Shorrock, Terry Britten, Paddy McCartney, John Bywaters and Peter Brideoake.
The Twilights
The Twilights formed in the 1960s in Elizabeth with all the original members born in Britain. Drawn together by their common origins and musical interests, singer Glen Shorrock, and his friends Mike Sykes and Clem “Paddy” McCartney formed an a-cappella trio, eventually joining forces with another Adelaide group, The Hurricanes, to become the six-piece, fully electric-and-vocal group, The Twilights.
The Twilights quickly gained a strong reputation for their dynamic live shows in Adelaide, and travelled to venues all over South Australia but after recording some Top 40 chart success, eventually moved to Melbourne in late 1965.
Bev Harrell publicity photograph 1968. Source: Milesago: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975.
Bev Harrell
According to her official website ‘Bev Harrell is a tiny 4’9”, six stone bundle of dynamite. Bev began her career when she was six in “Kangaroos on Parade”, a radio programme on 5AD in Adelaide.
By the end of the 60’s she had become a household name. Her first recording “What am I Doing Here with You?” was an instant national No. 1 hit, as were her two following records “Come on Over to My Place” and “One in a Million”. In 1966 & 1967 Bev was awarded “Australia’s best female vocal” and “album of the year” at The Major Network Awards (Now called the ARIA Awards). From that moment her career skyrocketed with many other music awards and tours with many international names including Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Winifred Atwell, the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison.
The Masters Apprentices
In late 1965 an Adelaide surf music group called The Mustangs renamed themselves as The Masters Apprentices and by early 1966 they were one of the most popular beat bands in Adelaide, regularly selling out concerts in the city, as well as making visits to Murray Bridge, Mt Gambier and Whyalla. Their first TV appearance, on the Good Friday Telethon Appeal on Channel 7, hosted by Ernie Sigley, encouraged them to enter the South Australian heat of Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, conducted that year by 5KA, where they finished third behind The Twillights,
Later in 1966, The Masters Apprentices shared a gig with pop star Bobby Bright, also originally from Adelaide, who was so impressed he recommended them to his label, Astor Records. Their debut single “Undecided” – “Wars or Hands of Time” was released in October and gradually climbed the Adelaide charts, thanks to strong support from local radio stations.
Their popularity spread all over Australia and like the Twillights they moved permanently to Melbourne in 1967.
The Masters Apprentices, from left, are Glenn Wheatley, Jim Keays, Doug Ford, and front, Colin Burgess. 1969
Cold Chisel
Originally starting out as a group named Orange, Cold Chisel the band was formed in Elizabeth in 1973 as a heavy metal cover band by Les Kaczmarek, Don Walker, Ian Moss and Steve Prestwich.
Seventeen-year-old singer Jimmy Barnes — known throughout his time with the band as Jim Barnes — joined in December 1973. The group changed its name several times before settling on Cold Chisel in 1974 after writing a song with that title.
Cold Chisel with Jimmy Barnes were an immediate hit both with live appearances and as a recording group.
Their wild on-stage antics and behaviour endeared them to the pub crowds all around Adelaide and the state and it wasn’t long before they were lured to relocate in Melbourne in May 1976.
There have been many talented artists and groups who started out playing local venues in and around Adelaide, built a strong following, enjoyed chart success and then went on to achieve national, and some even international success.
What are some of your memories of the pop music scene in Adelaide? Where was your favourite venue and who was your favourite group?