HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FROM 1960 UNTIL 2000: BOBBY AND LAURIE

Saturday 7 September 2013

BOBBY AND LAURIE

Laurie Allen's first amateur group was in Melbourne in the late 1950s called The Three Jays. This was followed by The Lories (c.1958) and The Roulettes (1958–59), a long-running Melbourne revue band. From 1959 to 1961, he was lead guitarist for Malcolm Arthur & The Knights and in 1962 was lead singer/organist of a previously instrumental group The Blue Jays. At about the end of 1963, The Blue Jays became The Fabulous Blue Jays, the backing band for singer Tony Worsley. Laurie then rejoined The Roulettes. Bobby Bright had previously worked mainly as a solo artist, starting his singing career in Adelaide. He later moved to Melbourne and released two solo singles on the W&G Records label in 1963.

One of The Roulettes was Ron Blackmore who decided to leave the performance side of the industry and move into band management. In about 1963, Allen also left the band and he and Bright performed separately as soloists under Blackmore's management in the dance club circuit around Melbourne. On 11 March 1964, Allen made his first solo television appearance, on Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight. Later in 1964, the two appeared on The Go!! Show and soon teamed up to create a highly successful duo through their good looks, a clean cut image and sharp performances. Originally billed as Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright, the duo became regulars on the show alongside The Strangers and were paid 50 pounds per appearance.

They had the first record on the new Go Records label with "I Belong With You", released with its B-side "Trouble in Mind" in August 1964. The record was produced by English producer Roger Savage, who had just arrived in Australia from London where he had worked with the Rolling Stones. "I Belong With You" was a hit staying at #1 on the Melbourne charts for two weeks and won Laurie an Australian Record Award for 'Best Composition' in 1965. At this time, Bobby & Laurie started working with a Blackmore-managed backing band The Rondells (previously called The Lincolns and The Silhouettes). The duo reached their peak in late 1964, busily touring the country and appearing in numerous concert and television performances. They had dozens of engagements and personal appearances every week, with as many as six shows on a Saturday night. One unusual performance was playing 'Tweedledum' and 'Tweedledee' in a Christmas pantomime production of Alice in Wonderland at the Tivoli Theatre in Melbourne in December 1964.

In early 1965 the pair appeared on the Teen Scene music television show on the ABC, where they were famously dragged off the stage by screaming female fans. They appeared in the premiere episode of Channel 0's new children's program the Magic Circle Club on 23 January, playing characters 'Twoddle' and 'Boddle'. They released three more successful singles on the Go label during 1965: "Someone (Ain't Right)" (which reached #3 in Melbourne), "Judy Green" and "Crazy Country Hop" which reached #25. They released their self-titled first album during this time. In May 1965 they supported a national tour by The Dave Clark Five, The Seekers and Tommy Quickly. Later in the year they supported American P. J. Proby on his national tour.

In 1966 they switched to Albert Productions (Their recordings were released through a deal with EMI's subsidiary label Parlophone), releasing "Sweet And Tender Romance" and "Hitch Hiker", which gave them a national #1 hit for five weeks in May and June. During this period, they released their second album 'Hitch Hiker (Cum Sunt Ambulant)'. At about this time they also changed management from Blackmore to Mal Fisher. On the strength of "Hitch Hiker", the ABC gave them their own television show, It's A Gas, which was later rebadged as Dig We Must. The name change was designed to attract a more sophisticated 'adult' market but lost the duo much of their 'teen' appeal which led to friction between the two singers. After recording their last album 'Exposaic', the pair officially split in early 1967 after just three years as Australia's chart-topping stars.

After the break-up, Allen continued performing as a soul revue act initially called 'Dice', which he later renamed The 'Laurie Allen Revue'. Bright worked in cabaret as well as some acting parts, including an appearance on television cop-show Homicide. In 1968, he became a disc-jockey at Melbourne radio station 3XY. The pair reunited on the radio program in February 1968 and shortly after made a return to the charts with a country music styled song ''Carroll County Accident''. This was followed by ''Looking Through The Eyes of Love'', but they had split again by late 1971. In the intervening years, the pair performed occasionally as Bobby & Laurie until their final "Don't Let The Music Die" concert on 1 June 2002 at the Kingston City Hall. On 13 June 2002, Allen died suddenly from a heart attack.

SINGLES

''I Belong With You (#9) / Trouble In Mind'' 1965 Go!!
''Someone (Ain't Right) (#20) / You Are Gone'' 1965 Go!!
''Judy Green (#28) / Mojo Queen'' 1965 Go!!
''Crazy Country Hop (#54) / It Ain't Fair'' 1965 Go!!

''Sweet And Tender Romance (#49) / Down In The Valley'' 1965 Parlophone
''Hitch Hiker (#1) / You'll Come 'Round'' 1966 Parlophone
''High Noon (#14) / Tonight, When I Come Home'' [with The Rondells] 1966 Parlophone
''Every Second Day / First Street Blues'' (#46) [with The Rondells] 1966 Parlophone
''The Carroll County Accident (#30) / A Hole In The Ground'' 1969 RCA
''Through The Eyes Of Love (#13) / Trouble On The Turnpike'' 1970 RCA
''I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday / The Train Of Love'' 1971 Fable

EPs

'I Belong With You' 1965 Go!!
'Hitch Hiker' 1966 Parlophone

ALBUMS

'Bobby And Laurie' 1965 Go!!

'Hitch Hiker (Cum Sunt Ambulant)'1966 Parlophone

'Exposaic' 1967 Parlophone