The Easybeats – live in Germany – 1967 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
With the sad news yesterday (more sad news . . .and I thought last year was bad . . .) that George Young, former founding member of The Easybeats, who rose to fame in the mid-1960s with the iconic Friday On My Mind (which Young co-wrote), and was a highly influential producer and songwriter, as well as musician, died yesterday at 70. Causes weren’t disclosed.
Young, along with fellow Easybeats founder Harry Vanda became one of the innovators of the Australian music scene from the late 60s on. And was responsible for the first 5 AC/DC albums, of which Angus Young was George’s little brother, and helped shape AC/DC into the powerhouse Rock band they became.
And although The Easybeats were only around from 1964-1969, Friday On My Mind is still considered one of the pivotal songs of the 1960s, and via reissues over the years, revealed that The Easybeats were, even with this enduring hit, a highly underrated band at the time.
So this session, via German Radio/TV from 1967 (sorry, no exact date) features some of their lesser-known material, it does end with Friday On My Mind, and is offered as a tribute to a band that hasn’t been forgotten and to George Young, who was a guiding figure and whose contributions have been inestimable over the years. As a Producer, and as part of the 1976 duo, Flash and The Pan and the early 70s Marcus Hook Roll Band, which also featured future AC/DC founders Malcolm and Angus, along with big brother George – a wide and colorful history and a pivotal one for Australia.
He will be missed – but fortunately, we have a wealth of material to keep the spirit alive. Starting with this one.
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