Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Dave Clark Five 1965 Australian tour

- this is from the Telegraph May 28th 1965 Promoted by Aztec Services The Dave Clark Five The Seekers Tommy Quickly Bobby and Laurie The Frames(Perth) The Henchmen(Melbourne) the Escorts(Brisbane) The Showmen(Sydney) MPD Limited (Sydney,Melbourne and Adelaide) Tony Worsley and the Fabulous Blue Jays(Sydney and Adelaide) Perth Capitol Theater May 26th Melbourne Festival Hall May 28th and 29th Adelaide Centenial Hall May 31st Brisbane Festival Hall June 3rd Sydney Stadium June 4th and 5th The May-June 1965 tour of Australia was the only tour for British group the Dave Clark Five who had been on the scene since 1963 with their version of Do You love Me and then would have hits at the time with Glad All Over, Bits & pieces, Can'T You See that She's Mine, Anyway You Want It and many other hits throughout the 60's. This was the first tour also for the Melbourne folk group The Seekers who had only been on the scene early on the international scene with I'll Never Find Another You and A World Of Our Own even though they had been formed in 1962 and had been in England since 1964 which they supposed to stay there for 10 weeks but eventually stayed there for 4 years as well as opening the doors for other Australian groups to make an impact overseas. TommY Quickly who was managed by brian Epstein who had managed the Beatles as well as Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black etc and had the hit single Wild Side OF Life in 1964. for the Australian acts on that tour they were only starting out on the scene like Bobby and Laurie who emerged with the smash hit I Belong With You and would an year later have the number 1 hit with Hitch Hiker, The Henchmen an Melbourne group had the hit single 'Rockin RObin" which was the Bobby Day song, MPD Limited an Melbourne group who had been formed @ that time and it had Mike Brady,Pete Watson and Danny Finley and also would have the hit singles Little Boy Sad and Lonely Boy that year. Tony Worsley British born who grew up in Brisbane and had sang around Brisbane got together with the Blue Jays in 1964 in Brisbane and had already had singles with I Sho Know About Love and Just A Little Bit with If I as the B side and later that year had the big hit with VelVet Waters.The Escorts were the support act in Brisbane and they had been around since 1963 and the Showmen an Sydney group who began as the Zodiacs were the first long haired R'n'B bands in Australia as well as winning the very first Battle of the Bands in Sydney which they won 100 pounds and the gig on this tour. they played 10 dates on that tour playing to 60,000 fans as well doing an TV special for Channel 7 and did tv and radio interviews including with Johnny Young who was hosting Club 17 in Perth which still exist and after the Dave Clark Five and Tommy Quickly toured New Zealand which the support act there were New Zealand pop group Ray Columbus and the Invaders known for the hit single She's A Mod as well at that time Till We Kissed.

3 comments:

  1. Oh wow Luke that is great...you amaze me...you really are Rocker...

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  2. Hi Luke, I was an original member of "The Henchmen" (as you know) and after winning the very first "Battle Of The Bands' sponsored by Hoadleys, the Confectionary Company, we received a recording contract (Hence our hit "Rockin'Robin') but we were also the support band for "The Dave Clark Five" and "The Seekers" on "The Big Show" held at Festival Hall in Melbourne. I can recall the Dave Clark Five wearing salmon/yellow colored suits, they looked quite snappy, and also Dave (the Drummer and Lead Vocal) had a flashing strobe light in his bass drum..something that was a "wow!" factor back then! They were very loud. They played all their hits, I think finishing with "Glad All Over." My other memory of the event was Judy Durham sitting on Dave's knee backstage, before we all went on..I'm not sure how that came about, but for poor Judy, a photographer happened to be backstage as well, and snapped a quick photo of it. Yep..next day it was in the paper, and I think Judy has been a bit embarrassed about it ever since! Incidentally, this concert was the first one after "The Seekers" came back from Britain, and during a chat with them,they were a little concerned that everything would go well for them, as they had been in Britain for quite a while. They needn't have worried..they brought the house down! Everyone loved 'em..and they were great! Great memories..and terrific to see that they have recently re-formed for some concerts, more than forty years later..Cheers, Doug Osborne.

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  3. From what I remember of this tour, that I saw in Brisbane, it was Cila Black, Freddy and the Dreamers and the Dave Clark Five, that played on the same show in Brisbane. Sounds Incorporated, toured with the Beatles and Peter and Gordon.

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