THE FABULOUS BLUEJAYS / THE BLUEJAYS

The original Blue Jays line-up comprised Frankie Brent (vocals, rhythm guitar), Chris Lawson (lead guitar), Doug Stirling (piano) and Bob Johnson (drums). The band's first single, `Maori's Farewell / Everybody Loves Saturday Night', came out on the Crest label in October 1961. The Blue Jays issued the album 'Arthur Murray's Twist Party' on Crest in 1962. By that stage, the line-up comprised Brent, Johnson, Laurie Allen (vocals, guitar, piano; ex-Malcolm Arthur and the Knights), Johnny Cosgrove (vocals, lead guitar), Alan Easterbrook (vocals, sax) and Ray Houston (bass). 

Laurie Allen and the Blue Jays issued the single ''Wolfman / Kept a Broken Heart in Broken Hill'' in January 1962. Everything was going well for The Blue Jays during 1962 and they seemed destined to achieve national success. Unfortunately, a disagreement amongst some of the members caused Ray Houston to leave along with the other two guitarists, Frank Brent and John Cosgrove. They formed a new group and because they all played Fender equipment, they decided to call themselves The Fendermen. In 1963, the line-up became Allen, Johnson, Easterbrook, Mal Clarke (rhythm guitar), Dennis Tucker (bass) and Doug Flower (lead guitar). Laurie Allen left in 1963 and eventually joined up with Bobby Bright as Bobby and Laurie. By early 1964, the line-up was Johnson, Clarke, Ray Eames (lead guitar), Paul Shannon (sax) and Royce Nicholls (bass).

After promoter Ivan Dayman matched vocalist Tony Worsley with the already established Blue Jays, the union proceeded to score a series of hit singles. The band's first release on Dayman's Sunshine label, however, was the instrumental ''Jaywalker / Pathfinder'' (sans Worsley and credited to The Fabulous Blue Jays, October 1964). A month later, Tony Worsley and the Fabulous Blue Jays issued the single ''I Sure Know a Lot About Love / Me You Gotta Teach'' on Sunshine. The single peaked at #25 in Brisbane, which provided the band with a stepping stone on to the local scene. The Fabulous Blue Jays issued their second single without Worsley, ''Motivate / We're Friends'', in January 1965. That same month, Worsley and the Fabulous Blue Jays supported UK visitors The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Honeycombs and Tony Sheveton on The Big Show package tour. Worsley and the Fabulous Blue Jays' second single, ''Just a Little Bit / If I'', reached #23 in Sydney during March. The Fabulous Blue Jays' third single, ''Zoom Gonk / Hey! Jack'', also came out in March.

Sunshine issued the band's self-titled debut album, with one side dedicated to Worsley's songs and the flip to The Fabulous Blue Jays (sans Worsley). Of the album's 16 tracks, ten had already been issued as A and B-sides of singles. Eames left the band around that time and would join Melbourne band Jigsaw and was replaced by Jimmy Cerezo (ex-Pleazers). The Fabulous Blue Jays backed Worsley on his third single, Chuck Berry's ''Talkin' About You / I Dream of You'' (June 1965), although their name was dropped from the label credit. The Fabulous Blue Jays issued their final single, ''Beat Out Dat Rhythm / I'll Make You Cry'', at the same time. Dayman began pushing Worsley as a solo artist, so his next three singles on Sunshine appeared credited to Tony Worsley.

They were ''Velvet Waters / Rock-a-Billy'' (September 1965), ''Missing You / Lonely City'' (January 1966) and ''Something's Got a Hold on Me / Something'' (March). Although the bulk of Worsley's material was rocky and uptempo, the ballad ''Velvet Waters'' provided him with the biggest hit of his career. It reached #5 in Sydney and #14 in Melbourne during October. A second ballad, `'Missing You'', failed to replicate that success (#28 in Sydney). Sunshine issued Worsley's second album, 'Velvet Waters and Other Great Songs', in late 1965. ''Something's Got a Hold on Me'' returned Worsley to more upbeat material, but it too failed to chart. Not long after the single's release, Worsley and the Fabulous Blue Jays parted company. The last Worsley record to feature The Fabulous Blue Jays on a couple of tracks was the album 'My Time of Day' (November 1966).

Worsley formed a new, short-lived version of The Fabulous Blue Jays with lead guitarist Phil Manning, rhythm guitarist Brian Patterson (ex-Blue Beats), bassist Brian Saunders and drummer Jimmy Thompson. By 1967, Manning had joined The Laurie Allen Revue, before going on to work with celebrated blues band Chain. Of The Fabulous Blue Jays members, Bob Johnson and Paul Shannon formed Grandma's Tonic with erstwhile Blue Jays member Ray Houston (bass) plus Dennis Whitehead (guitar). Grandma's Tonic backed solo singer Peter Doyle for a time, and also issued two singles on the Astor label, The Troggs' `Hi Hi Hazel / Johnny the Hammer' (October 1966) and the punkish `Lost Girl / I Know' (April 1967).

Royce Nicholls formed a folk-blues duo with English-born, Brisbane-bred singer Toni McCann. The Fabulous Blue Jays had already backed the teenage McCann on her astonishing debut single for Sunshine ''No / My Baby'' (July 1965). McCann issued a second single, ''Saturday Date / If You Don't Come Back'', which came out on the Everybody's label in December 1965. Both singles are among the wildest garage/R&B releases of the era (indeed, in the words of the late Dean Mittelhauser, `Australia had never heard a girl singer quite like Toni McCann before!'. There is some conjecture as to whether it was The Fabulous Blue Jays, or Steve & the Board that backed McCann on ''Saturday Date''. Either way, it was McCann's riotous vocal delivery (in that boisterous Wanda Jackson vein), and the rough-hewn sound quality on offer, that precluded any notion of chart success for the singles. 

The band also backed Ricky and Tammy on a couple of singles for Sunshine. Mal Clarke went on to work with Ray Brown and Moonstone, the Ray Burton Band, Chariot and Bullamakanka. Royce "Baby" Nicholls died in 2013. Paul Shannon died in 2013. Ray Eames died in 2014. Jimmy Cerezo died in 2019. John Cosgrove died in 2024. Bobby Johnson died in 2024. Alan Easterbrook died in 2024.

Members

Tony Worsley (vocals), Frankie Brent (guitar, vocals), Bobby "Spider" Johnson (drums), Chris Lawson (guitar), Doug Stirling (keyboards), Alan Easterbrook (vocals, sax), Laurie Allen (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Jimmy Cerezo (guitar), Mal "Beaky'' Clarke (guitar), Johnny Cosgrove (guitar), Ray "Screamy" Eames (guitar), Royce "Baby" Nicholls (bass), Paul "Bingo" Shannon (sax, keyboards), Graham Trottman (drums), Dennis Tucker (bass), Vince Melouney (guitar), Phil Manning (guitar), Brian Patterson (guitar), Brian Saunders (bass), Jimmy Thompson (drums)

SINGLES

''Maori's Farewell / Everybody Loves Saturday Night'' 1961 Crest

''Wolf Man / I Left A Broken Heart (In Broken Hill)'' [with Laurie Allen] 1962 Crest

''The Rebel Johnny Yuma / The Prisoner's Song'' [with Kenny Arnott] 1962 Crest
''Jay Walker (#82) / Path Finder'' 1964 Sunshine

''I Sure Know A Lot About Love (#88) / Me You Gotta Teach'' [with Tony Worsley] 1964 Sunshine
''Motivate / We're Friends'' 1965 Sunshine

''Just A Little Bit (#41) / If I'' [with Tony Worsley] 1965 Sunshine
''Zoom-Gonk / Hey! Jack'' 1965 Sunshine

''Won't You Tell Me Where / Little Girl'' [with Ricky and Tammy] 1965 Sunshine
''Beat Out Dat Rhythm On A Drum / I'll Make You Cry Too'' 1965 Sunshine

''My Baby / No'' [with Toni McCann] 1965 Sunshine

EPs

'Path Finder & Jay Walker' 1965 Sunshine

'I Sure Know A Lot About Love' [with Tony Worsley] 1965 Sunshine

'Motivate' 1965 Sunshine

'If I' [with Tony Worsley] 1965 Sunshine

ALBUMS

'The Arthur Murray Twist Party featuring The Blue Jays Big Dance Beat' 1962 Crest

'Tony Worsley & The Fabulous Blue Jays' 1965 Sunshine





References

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/