The Easybeats were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in late 1964. They are best known for their 1966 hit single "Friday on My Mind", which is regarded as the first Australian rock song to achieve international success; Rolling Stone described it as "the first international victory for Oz rock". One of the most popular and successful bands in the country, they were one of the few Australian bands of their time to foreground their original material; their first album Easy (1965) was one of the earliest Australian rock albums featuring all original songs.
The five founding members, all migrants from Europe, met at the Villawood Migrant Hostel in Sydney in 1964. They rose to national prominence in 1965 with the song "She's So Fine", which reached number three in Australia. Their concerts and public appearances were marked by an intense fanaticism frequently compared to Beatlemania; this phenomenon was subsequently dubbed "Easyfever". They relocated to the UK in 1966, where they recorded "Friday On My Mind". Following its success, the band struggled to maintain international recognition. Compounded by financial and contractual issues, drug use and the increasing independence of guitarists and songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young, they returned to Australia in 1969 amid declining popularity back home and subsequently disbanded.
Lead singer Stevie Wright started a solo career and had a number one Australian hit with "Evie" in 1974; he died in 2015 after lengthy battles with drugs and alcohol and years of poor health. Guitarists Vanda and Young continued as a songwriting and producing duo and produced several albums by AC/DC; Young died in 2017. During their six-year run, they scored 15 top 40 hits in Australia, including "She's So Fine" and "Women (Make You Feel Alright)", with number-one hits including "Friday on My Mind" and "Sorry". They reunited for a tour in 1986. In 2005, they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Links to Peel[]
Peel was aware of the band in America, when their hit song, 'Friday On My Mind' peaked at number 6 in the KMEN British Pop Top Ten, which he hosted between 1966 and 1967. When he returned to the UK, he would occasionally play "Friday On My Mind" on his BBC Radio One shows. After Peel died in 2004, it was later found out that he had a copy of their album, 'Friday On My Mind' in his Record Collection: E.
Shows Played[]
- 26 November 1967: The Music Goes Round My Head (7") United Artists
- 10 December 1967: The Music Goes Round My Head (7") United Artists UP 1201
- 1978
- 05 January 1978: Friday On My Mind (album - Friday On My Mind) United Artists
- 1984
- 26 May 1984 (BFBS): Friday On My Mind (7") United Artists
- 1996
- 12 October 1996: Friday On My Mind (7") United Artists
- 27 October 1996 (BBC World Service): Friday On My Mind (7") United Artists
- 2002
- 18 April 2002: Friday On My Mind (7") United Artists