classic and rare Australian popular music from the 1950's, 1960's. 1970's and beyond..including rock and roll, pop, beat, rock, surf and progressive, plus contemporary artists, new releases, reviews and other fun stuff

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Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Purple Hearts & The Coloured Balls...Benzedrine Beat! 1964-1970



The Purple Hearts were formed in Brisbane in 1964. The band consisted of lead vocalist Mick Hadley, lead guitarist Barry Lyde (known as Lobby Loyde), rhythm guitarist Fred Pickard, bassist Bob Dames, and drummers Adrian 'Red' Redmond (1964–66) and Tony Cahill (1966-67). Like so many Australian beat groups of the '60s, The Purple Hearts had their roots far closer to the source of the British Invasion than the sunburnt suburbia from which they finally emerged.

Although they were part of the Sunshine Records stable,The Purple Hearts were uncompromising in their attitude toward recording. Consequently, their handful of singles are enduring artifacts of their unique style, which blended blues, R'n'B and prototype psychedelic rock, a style made even tougher by the regional influence mentioned earlier. Even their name, taken from the well-known slang term for a variety of amphetamine pop pills much favoured by mod subculture, was a brash and outrageous gesture.

It is notable that Brisbane, traditionally the most conservative of Australia's state capitals, has fostered some of the country's most anarchistic rock bands from The Purple Hearts to The Saints. The Purple Hearts were tough, arrogant and pioneering and Lobby Loyde is widely acknowledged as Australia’s first true rock guitar hero – busy blowing up speaker boxes before high volume and feed-back became rock staples.

This compilation combines 14 tracks by the PHs and 7 by offshoot band The Coloured Balls.




                                                

8 comments:

  1. Great collection! I always like the Purple Hearts! Thanks Again Marty

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  2. Hi Marty any chance of doing me the favour you did for me before and ripping this one for me at 320 plus artwork.

    Doing a great job here have most of what you've posted on CD as do you (obviously)but every now and then you post one that I've gotten from somewhere at a low bit rate and no art so my request thanks in advance mate.

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    1. hello Deutros..yes, can do..just give me a day or two..cheers...Martu

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    2. G'day Deutros, 320 and artwork links...enjoy..Marty

      http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/67350904/file.html
      http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/11191135/file.html

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  3. Thanks very much Marty I know what a pain it can be scanning the artwork much appreciated.

    Cheers Deutros.

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  4. And its' a big thankyou from me too Marty

    Appreciate the extra work to get the best quality and artwork

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  5. I've just been writing a blog post about the Purple Hearts and came across your ace blog during my research - wow, talk about encyclopedic! I'm foreseeing hours of fun, trawling through your posts...
    If you're interested, check out my blog, about Melbourne in the 1960s (with a big rock'n'roll component!), here:
    http://holy-gogo-boots-batman.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. Hello Sammy-lou, thanks for the comments. I've also checked out your blog...groovy man...love it...brings back many memories of my growing up there

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