Ol' 55
Encyclopedia
Ol' 55 was an Australian band specialising in retro
, 1950s-era Rock 'n' Roll. They formed as Fanis in 1972 in Sutherland
, Sydney
, New South Wales
(NSW). Drummer
Geoff Plummer was working with Glenn A. Baker
at the NSW Department of Media and invited Baker to hear his part-time band, including Pat Drummond, Rockpile Jones and Jimmy Manzie
. In 1975, Baker took on their management, renamed them as Ol' 55 for the Tom Waits
song (as covered by The Eagles), and recruited front man Frankie J. Holden
and, later in the year, saxophonist
Wilbur Wilde
.
The band enjoyed popularity with a style that bordered on parody but managed to combine novelty retro kitsch and clever theatrics with a keen sense of pop dynamics and an acute understanding of rock 'n' roll. Their top 20 hits on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart were, "On the Prowl" (No. 14, May 1976), "Looking for an Echo" (No. 9, August), "(I Want A) Rockin' Christmas" (No. 7, November), "Stay (While the Night is Still Young)" (No. 16, November 1977), and "Two Faces Have I" (No. 15, July 1980). Their debut album, Take It Greasy peaked at No. 2 in the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976. After line-up changes, Ol' 55 disbanded in 1981 while both Holden and Wilde had already furthered their musical careers and also taken roles in television entertainment. Various revivals titled Ol' 55, The Fives, Frankie J. Holden & The Fives, or Ol' Skydaddys contained members of the 1976 line-up of the band. Manzie moved to Hollywood, where he wrote film music—mainly for horror movies—and produced recordings for bands.
band formed in 1972 in Sutherland
, Sydney
with Pat Drummond on lead guitar
and vocals, Rockpile Jones on rhythm guitar
and vocals, Jimmy Manzie
on bass guitar
, Paul McCann, and Geoff Plummer on drums
. Plummer worked as a public servant for the NSW Postmaster-General's Department
(PMG) in the Department of Media alongside, future rock music journalist
, Glenn A. Baker
and invited Baker to hear the band. In 1975, Baker took on their management, he introduced former chartered accountant, Peter Bryan—who performed as Frankie J. Holden
—on lead vocals. Fanis was renamed as Ol' 55 for the Tom Waits
song—as covered by The Eagles.
The early 1975 line-up of Drummond, Holden, Jones, Manzie, McCann and Plummer played their first gig at French's Tavern, Oxford Street, Sydney on 4 July 1975. In September they released their debut single as a double A-side with a Paul Anka
cover "Diana
" backed with The Spaniels
' "Goodnight Sweetheart" on Mushroom Records
. The single was a minor hit in Sydney, and peaked into the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Top 100 Chart.
Nick Aitken, as Wilbur Wilde
(ex-Ray Brown & The Whispers
), joined the line-up on saxophone
in October 1975. Ol' 55's second single, "On the Prowl", launched them into the Kent Music Report Top 20 after its release in May 1976. It was an original song written by bass guitarist, Manzie. Their debut album Take It Greasy
, in June peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart, eventually achieving triple platinum status and staying in the Top 50 charts for 39 weeks. Two more Top 20 hit singles, "Looking For An Echo" and "(I Want A) Rockin' Christmas", followed in 1976. Plummer left in January 1977 and was replaced on drums by Geoff "Spud" Peterkin. One month later the band's fifth single "C'mon Let's Do It" reached the top 30.
Ol' 55 made regular appearances on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC)'s TV pop music series, Countdown and at music concerts and festivals. They were often billed with fellow Mushroom Records groups Skyhooks and Ted Mulry Gang as well as other notable acts AC/DC
and Sherbet
. Their first international support was for Electric Light Orchestra
at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion
.
Holden released his debut solo single, "My Right of Way" in April, co-written by Baker and Manzie, which was used as the theme for the Australian movie The FJ Holden
for which Manzie also wrote all the original music. Holden left the band in May to pursue his solo career, he was followed one month later by Wilde who joined Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
. Both Holden and Wilde furthered their musical careers and also took roles in television entertainment.
Ol'55 unveiled its re-vamped line-up in August with new singer Mikey Raffone (aka Paul Stevens, ex-Silver Studs). The band's second album, Fiveslivejive, was released in September and featured the earlier line-up but failed to chart despite containing some interesting treatments of old and new favourites; it was recorded pseudo-live—in a studio with invited friends and guests as the audience.
The new line-up released "Stay (While the Night Is Young)", which made it to No. 16 in November. Bruce "Tangles" Allen joined on saxophone at year's end but by February 1978, Raffone had left. Continuing as a five piece with Drummond, Jones and Manzie sharing lead vocals, they released "(Feels Like A) Summer's Night" which featured a more contemporary power pop sound
and peaked in the Top 50 after its release in March.
The next single "Time to Rock 'n' Roll", released in October failed to chart and the third album Crusin' for a Brusin from December was not successful either—despite containing some quality original pop songs. "Ruby" returned Ol '55 to the national Top 40 in February 1979 followed by "Living for Your Smile" in April which did not chart. A split in the band had developed, Manzie wanted to steer them into a more power pop oriented direction while Drummond and Jones wanted to continue with the retro Rock & Roll vein. Guitarists, Drummond and Jones retained the rights to the name Ol' 55, and recruited original drummer Plummer, and added Terry Bellew(ex-Hotrox Band)on bass guitar and Bob Drummond on guitar. They signed a deal with RCA
by year's end. Meanwhile, Allen, Manzie and Peterkin formed a contemporary power pop group, The Breakers (1979–1982), with Scott Douglas on guitar and vocals, Martin Fisher (ex-The Innocents) on keyboards and synthesiser, and Jarryl Wirth (ex-News) on guitar.
Ol' 55 released the unsuccessful "Comic Book World" in February 1980 and followed by a final Top 20 hit, their version of Lou Christie
's "Two Faces Have I" released in October, which reached No. 15 nationally. It was followed by "Anywhere the Girls Are" in December. Another album, The Vault, was released in March 1981 but the band folded shortly thereafter. In December, RCA released a three-track 12-inch single
which included "Summer of 55". Subsequently various revivals titled Ol' 55, The Fives, Frankie J. Holden & The Fives and Ol' Skydaddys were formed which contained members of the 1976 line-up of the band and played their material. Later reformations recorded further albums such asLet's Have A Party (live),Open Top Cars and Girls in Tight T Shirts and Greasemarks. Jones was lead singer on most new tracks on these albums.
Due to the retro nature of the band, some of their hits came from remakes of 1950s-styled tunes. These included Paul Anka's "Diana" (1957), The Spaniels' "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite" (1954), Dion and the Belmonts
' "Why Must I Be a Teenager in Love?
" (1959), "Ruby", Lou Christie's "Two Faces Have I" (1963) and Kenny Vance
's "Looking for an Echo
" (1975). Ol' 55 also wrote and performed original songs, "On the Prowl", "Skateboard Thrills", "Stay (While the Night is Young)", "(Feels like A) Summer's Night", and "Time to Rock 'n' Roll", were all composed by Manzie, while "(I Wanna) Rockin' Christmas", and "C'mon Let's Do It", were co-written with Baker.
One of the features of the band was that many members were talented at singing and at concerts the lead vocals were shared, although Holden and Jones sang the majority of the songs in 1975–1977. Jones with a falsetto
and broad range
was one of the underrated vocalists in Australian rock music history. With Geoff's bass vocal talents, Ol' 55 produced complex harmonies
, sometimes managing four or five piece vocal arrangements.
guitar riffs and Buggles synthesisers". The Breakers released a single, "When I'm on TV", in August 1980 and broke up by 1982. Manzie initially concentrated on production
duties for The Innocents, Men of Harlech, Affections and The Fabulous Beagles.
In 1982, Holden, Jones, Manzie, Plummer, Wilde and newcomer Gunther Gorman (ex-Sherbet) reconvened as The Fives to appear at the Mushroom Evolution concert to celebrate the label's 10th anniversary. Three tracks from the band appeared on the live triple album of the event. Since then, there have been many re-formations under the monikers of Ol' 55, Frankie J Holden and the Fives and in the mid-1990s, Ol' Skydaddys. They have reformed at special occasions such as Carols by Candlelight
, and for a series of gigs in Sydney and Melbourne
.
Patrick "Meatballs" Drummond lives in Hobart, Tasmania and is married with children. Holden lives on the south coast of NSW and is married with 4 daughters. He pursued an acting career and was also host of IMT (In Melbourne Tonight). In 2008, Holden appeared in the crime series Underbelly
. Jones lives in Sydney and is married with two sons, and continues to play and sing with bands as well as solo gigs. Manzie lived in Hollywood, he writes film music—mainly for horror movies, and produces recordings for bands and has a partner and three children, Jackson, Alexandra and Clive. Peterkin lives in Pakenham Victoria, is married with 2 sons, plays and records music and is an audiovisual producer. Wilde was a regular of the Hey Hey It's Saturday
house band from the mid-1980s until the show's demise. He lives in Melbourne and is married with 3 children, including twins.
Geoff "Drainpipe" Plummer died on 2 February 2006, leaving behind his wife Sandra and four children Sharne, Malory, Myles and Oliver.
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
, 1950s-era Rock 'n' Roll. They formed as Fanis in 1972 in Sutherland
Sutherland Shire
The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(NSW). Drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Geoff Plummer was working with Glenn A. Baker
Glenn A. Baker
Glenn A. Baker is an Australian journalist, commentator, and broadcaster well known in Australia for his vast knowledge of Rock music. He has written books and magazine articles on rock music and travel, interviewed celebrities, managed bands such as Ol' 55 and promoted tours of international stars...
at the NSW Department of Media and invited Baker to hear his part-time band, including Pat Drummond, Rockpile Jones and Jimmy Manzie
Jimmy Manzie
James "Jimmy/Jim" William Manzie is an Australian musician and songwriter for a variety of bands including rock revival band Ol' 55 , pop groups The Breakers and The Fives before turning to solo work, production and composing for film/television scores and soundtracks...
. In 1975, Baker took on their management, renamed them as Ol' 55 for the Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
song (as covered by The Eagles), and recruited front man Frankie J. Holden
Frank Holden
Frank Holden, also known as Frankie J. Holden, , is an Australian singer and actor. In the 1970s, he fronted, Ol' 55 which had a hit with "On the Prowl" from their debut album, Take It Greasy which peaked at number three on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976...
and, later in the year, saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde is an Australian saxophonist. He rose to prominence with the bands Ol' 55, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons...
.
The band enjoyed popularity with a style that bordered on parody but managed to combine novelty retro kitsch and clever theatrics with a keen sense of pop dynamics and an acute understanding of rock 'n' roll. Their top 20 hits on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart were, "On the Prowl" (No. 14, May 1976), "Looking for an Echo" (No. 9, August), "(I Want A) Rockin' Christmas" (No. 7, November), "Stay (While the Night is Still Young)" (No. 16, November 1977), and "Two Faces Have I" (No. 15, July 1980). Their debut album, Take It Greasy peaked at No. 2 in the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976. After line-up changes, Ol' 55 disbanded in 1981 while both Holden and Wilde had already furthered their musical careers and also taken roles in television entertainment. Various revivals titled Ol' 55, The Fives, Frankie J. Holden & The Fives, or Ol' Skydaddys contained members of the 1976 line-up of the band. Manzie moved to Hollywood, where he wrote film music—mainly for horror movies—and produced recordings for bands.
History
Fanis, was a part-time coversCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
band formed in 1972 in Sutherland
Sutherland Shire
The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with Pat Drummond on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and vocals, Rockpile Jones on rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and vocals, Jimmy Manzie
Jimmy Manzie
James "Jimmy/Jim" William Manzie is an Australian musician and songwriter for a variety of bands including rock revival band Ol' 55 , pop groups The Breakers and The Fives before turning to solo work, production and composing for film/television scores and soundtracks...
on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Paul McCann, and Geoff Plummer on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Plummer worked as a public servant for the NSW Postmaster-General's Department
Postmaster-General's Department
The Postmaster-General's Department was created at Federation in 1901 to control all postal services within Australia. Its minister was the Postmaster-General. In mid-1975 it was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission and the Australian Postal Commission...
(PMG) in the Department of Media alongside, future rock music journalist
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, Glenn A. Baker
Glenn A. Baker
Glenn A. Baker is an Australian journalist, commentator, and broadcaster well known in Australia for his vast knowledge of Rock music. He has written books and magazine articles on rock music and travel, interviewed celebrities, managed bands such as Ol' 55 and promoted tours of international stars...
and invited Baker to hear the band. In 1975, Baker took on their management, he introduced former chartered accountant, Peter Bryan—who performed as Frankie J. Holden
Frank Holden
Frank Holden, also known as Frankie J. Holden, , is an Australian singer and actor. In the 1970s, he fronted, Ol' 55 which had a hit with "On the Prowl" from their debut album, Take It Greasy which peaked at number three on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976...
—on lead vocals. Fanis was renamed as Ol' 55 for the Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
song—as covered by The Eagles.
The early 1975 line-up of Drummond, Holden, Jones, Manzie, McCann and Plummer played their first gig at French's Tavern, Oxford Street, Sydney on 4 July 1975. In September they released their debut single as a double A-side with a Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
cover "Diana
Diana (song)
"Diana" is a song written and made famous by Paul Anka in 1957. It was inspired by a high school friend named Diana Ayoub. The original Paul Anka 1957 recording reached number one on the Billboard "Best Sellers In Stores" chart and has reportedly sold over 9 million copies...
" backed with The Spaniels
The Spaniels
The Spaniels were an American R&B doo-wop group, best known for the hit "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite".They have been called the first successful Midwestern R&B group...
' "Goodnight Sweetheart" on Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
. The single was a minor hit in Sydney, and peaked into the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Top 100 Chart.
Nick Aitken, as Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde is an Australian saxophonist. He rose to prominence with the bands Ol' 55, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons...
(ex-Ray Brown & The Whispers
Ray Brown & The Whispers
. For other uses of Whispers, see Whispers page.Ray Brown & The Whispers were a highly successful Australian rock band from 1964 to 1967...
), joined the line-up on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
in October 1975. Ol' 55's second single, "On the Prowl", launched them into the Kent Music Report Top 20 after its release in May 1976. It was an original song written by bass guitarist, Manzie. Their debut album Take It Greasy
Take It Greasy
Take It Greasy was the first album to be released by Australian 50's retro band Ol' 55. The album sold very well in Australia, reaching number 3 on the national charts and was awarded a platinum record...
, in June peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart, eventually achieving triple platinum status and staying in the Top 50 charts for 39 weeks. Two more Top 20 hit singles, "Looking For An Echo" and "(I Want A) Rockin' Christmas", followed in 1976. Plummer left in January 1977 and was replaced on drums by Geoff "Spud" Peterkin. One month later the band's fifth single "C'mon Let's Do It" reached the top 30.
Ol' 55 made regular appearances on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC)'s TV pop music series, Countdown and at music concerts and festivals. They were often billed with fellow Mushroom Records groups Skyhooks and Ted Mulry Gang as well as other notable acts AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
. Their first international support was for Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion
Hordern Pavilion
The Hordern Pavilion is a building located in Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the grounds of the old Sydney Showground. "The Hordern", as it is affectionally known by Sydneysiders, has been an architecturally and socially significant Sydney landmark since its construction in 1924...
.
Holden released his debut solo single, "My Right of Way" in April, co-written by Baker and Manzie, which was used as the theme for the Australian movie The FJ Holden
The FJ Holden
The FJ Holden is a 1977 Australian film directed by Michael Thornhill. The FJ Holden is a snapshot of the life of young teenage men in Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia in 1970s....
for which Manzie also wrote all the original music. Holden left the band in May to pursue his solo career, he was followed one month later by Wilde who joined Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were an Australian blues and rock music band which featured singer, songwriter and saxophonist, Joe Camilleri . The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits, including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do"...
. Both Holden and Wilde furthered their musical careers and also took roles in television entertainment.
Ol'55 unveiled its re-vamped line-up in August with new singer Mikey Raffone (aka Paul Stevens, ex-Silver Studs). The band's second album, Fiveslivejive, was released in September and featured the earlier line-up but failed to chart despite containing some interesting treatments of old and new favourites; it was recorded pseudo-live—in a studio with invited friends and guests as the audience.
The new line-up released "Stay (While the Night Is Young)", which made it to No. 16 in November. Bruce "Tangles" Allen joined on saxophone at year's end but by February 1978, Raffone had left. Continuing as a five piece with Drummond, Jones and Manzie sharing lead vocals, they released "(Feels Like A) Summer's Night" which featured a more contemporary power pop sound
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
and peaked in the Top 50 after its release in March.
The next single "Time to Rock 'n' Roll", released in October failed to chart and the third album Crusin' for a Brusin from December was not successful either—despite containing some quality original pop songs. "Ruby" returned Ol '55 to the national Top 40 in February 1979 followed by "Living for Your Smile" in April which did not chart. A split in the band had developed, Manzie wanted to steer them into a more power pop oriented direction while Drummond and Jones wanted to continue with the retro Rock & Roll vein. Guitarists, Drummond and Jones retained the rights to the name Ol' 55, and recruited original drummer Plummer, and added Terry Bellew(ex-Hotrox Band)on bass guitar and Bob Drummond on guitar. They signed a deal with RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
by year's end. Meanwhile, Allen, Manzie and Peterkin formed a contemporary power pop group, The Breakers (1979–1982), with Scott Douglas on guitar and vocals, Martin Fisher (ex-The Innocents) on keyboards and synthesiser, and Jarryl Wirth (ex-News) on guitar.
Ol' 55 released the unsuccessful "Comic Book World" in February 1980 and followed by a final Top 20 hit, their version of Lou Christie
Lou Christie
Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s , including his 1966 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes" and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.-Biography:Sacco was born in Glenwillard,...
's "Two Faces Have I" released in October, which reached No. 15 nationally. It was followed by "Anywhere the Girls Are" in December. Another album, The Vault, was released in March 1981 but the band folded shortly thereafter. In December, RCA released a three-track 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
which included "Summer of 55". Subsequently various revivals titled Ol' 55, The Fives, Frankie J. Holden & The Fives and Ol' Skydaddys were formed which contained members of the 1976 line-up of the band and played their material. Later reformations recorded further albums such asLet's Have A Party (live),Open Top Cars and Girls in Tight T Shirts and Greasemarks. Jones was lead singer on most new tracks on these albums.
Music and style
After 1975 when Fanis had become Ol' 55, under Baker's guidance, they developed a style that bordered on parody, but managed to combine novelty retro kitsch and clever theatrics with a keen sense of pop dynamics and an acute understanding of rock 'n' roll. The band dressed in authentic 1950s rocker gear and mixed vintage material with originals—mostly written by bass guitarist, Manzie.Due to the retro nature of the band, some of their hits came from remakes of 1950s-styled tunes. These included Paul Anka's "Diana" (1957), The Spaniels' "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite" (1954), Dion and the Belmonts
Dion and the Belmonts
Dion and the Belmonts was a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci, lead singer , joined The Belmonts - Carlo Mastrangelo, baritone , Freddie Milano, second tenor , and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor , in late 1957.-History:After an unsuccessful first single,...
' "Why Must I Be a Teenager in Love?
A Teenager in Love
"A Teenager in Love" is a song written by Doc Pomus and partner Mort Shuman and was originally sung and released by Dion and the Belmonts in March 1959. It reached #5 on the Billboard pop charts. In May 1959, the song held three positions in the British Top 20, the other two versions being by Marty...
" (1959), "Ruby", Lou Christie's "Two Faces Have I" (1963) and Kenny Vance
Kenny Vance
Kenny Vance is an American singer and music producer who was an original member of Jay and the Americans....
's "Looking for an Echo
Looking for an Echo (song)
"Looking for an Echo" is a doo-wop song written by Richard Reicheg. There have been several popular versions of the song recorded, including:* The original version by Kenny Vance, first released as an Atlantic records single in 1975...
" (1975). Ol' 55 also wrote and performed original songs, "On the Prowl", "Skateboard Thrills", "Stay (While the Night is Young)", "(Feels like A) Summer's Night", and "Time to Rock 'n' Roll", were all composed by Manzie, while "(I Wanna) Rockin' Christmas", and "C'mon Let's Do It", were co-written with Baker.
One of the features of the band was that many members were talented at singing and at concerts the lead vocals were shared, although Holden and Jones sang the majority of the songs in 1975–1977. Jones with a falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
and broad range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
was one of the underrated vocalists in Australian rock music history. With Geoff's bass vocal talents, Ol' 55 produced complex harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
, sometimes managing four or five piece vocal arrangements.
Post Ol' 55
Manzie and Peterkin formed a contemporary power pop band called The Breakers in 1979. They were described by rock historian, Ian McFarlane as "Heavy metal pop that combined Beach Boys style vocals with RamonesRamones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
guitar riffs and Buggles synthesisers". The Breakers released a single, "When I'm on TV", in August 1980 and broke up by 1982. Manzie initially concentrated on production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
duties for The Innocents, Men of Harlech, Affections and The Fabulous Beagles.
In 1982, Holden, Jones, Manzie, Plummer, Wilde and newcomer Gunther Gorman (ex-Sherbet) reconvened as The Fives to appear at the Mushroom Evolution concert to celebrate the label's 10th anniversary. Three tracks from the band appeared on the live triple album of the event. Since then, there have been many re-formations under the monikers of Ol' 55, Frankie J Holden and the Fives and in the mid-1990s, Ol' Skydaddys. They have reformed at special occasions such as Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is an Australian Christmas tradition that originated in southeastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in the 1930s. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by...
, and for a series of gigs in Sydney and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Patrick "Meatballs" Drummond lives in Hobart, Tasmania and is married with children. Holden lives on the south coast of NSW and is married with 4 daughters. He pursued an acting career and was also host of IMT (In Melbourne Tonight). In 2008, Holden appeared in the crime series Underbelly
Underbelly (TV series)
Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
. Jones lives in Sydney and is married with two sons, and continues to play and sing with bands as well as solo gigs. Manzie lived in Hollywood, he writes film music—mainly for horror movies, and produces recordings for bands and has a partner and three children, Jackson, Alexandra and Clive. Peterkin lives in Pakenham Victoria, is married with 2 sons, plays and records music and is an audiovisual producer. Wilde was a regular of the Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
house band from the mid-1980s until the show's demise. He lives in Melbourne and is married with 3 children, including twins.
Geoff "Drainpipe" Plummer died on 2 February 2006, leaving behind his wife Sandra and four children Sharne, Malory, Myles and Oliver.
Members
- Pat Drummond – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals (1975–1986) - Rockpile Jones – guitar, vocals (1975–1981, 1986, 2001)
- Jimmy ManzieJimmy ManzieJames "Jimmy/Jim" William Manzie is an Australian musician and songwriter for a variety of bands including rock revival band Ol' 55 , pop groups The Breakers and The Fives before turning to solo work, production and composing for film/television scores and soundtracks...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals (1975–1979) - Geoff Plummer – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals (1975–1977, 1979–1980, 1986, 2001) - Frankie J. HoldenFrank HoldenFrank Holden, also known as Frankie J. Holden, , is an Australian singer and actor. In the 1970s, he fronted, Ol' 55 which had a hit with "On the Prowl" from their debut album, Take It Greasy which peaked at number three on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976...
– vocals (1975–1977) - Wilbur WildeWilbur WildeWilbur Wilde is an Australian saxophonist. He rose to prominence with the bands Ol' 55, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons...
– tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, vocals (1975–1977) - Geoff "Spud" Peterkin – drums, vocals (1977–1979)
- Paul "Mikey Raffone" Stevens – vocals (1977–1978)
- Bruce "Tangles" Allen – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, vocals (1978–1980) - Robert "Bob Tawney" Drummond – guitar (1979–1981)
- Terry Bellew – bass guitar, vocals (1979–1981, 1986)
- Doug Martyn – drums, vocals (1980–1981)
- Jeff CrippsJeff CrippsJeff Cripps is an Australian recording artist and music producer both for many local bands within New South Wales as well as throughout Australia and many internationally. Many see him solely as a producer of great blues music though he can and has recorded many styles for a variety of bands...
– drums, vocals (1986) - Mark Simmons - sax (1986)
- Donny A Dee - keyboards (1986)
- Jimmy Hill – drums, vocals (1989)
- Rod Crundwell - keyboards, guitar, vocals (2001)
- Neil Pepper - guitar, vocals (2001)
- Kim "Big Bird" Constable - bass guitar, vocals (2001)
- Keith "Davey" Pavy – guitar, vocals
- Mark Fairhurst - drums
- Ross Nelson - guitar, piano
- Paul "EK Holden" Killingly - balloon animals and didgeridoo
- Keith "Stinky" Longman - drums
Albums
- Take It Greasy (May 1976, Mushroom RecordsMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
) - Fiveslivejive (September 1977, Mushroom Records)
- Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (December 1978, Junction Records)
- Greaseworks: Greatest Hits 1976-79 (1980, compilation K-tel RecordsK-telK-tel International is an "As-Seen-On-TV" company, which is most noted for its compilation music albums, such as "The Super Hits" series, "The Dynamic Hits" series and "The Number One Hits" series...
) - The Vault (March 1981, Leo Records)
- Open Top Cars & Girls in Tight T Shirts (1986, J&B Records)
- Should'a Been Here Yesterday (2001, limited edition independent release sold at gigs)