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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Monday, February 18, 2013

Shake, Rattle & Roll...Australia's Crest Label 1961 - 1964



Melbourne's Crest Records (no relation to the American label of the same name) operated from around 1961 into the mid-1970s. Crest's releases covered a wide range of music including pop, folk, jazz, Jewish traditional and liturgical music and novelty titles. Catalogue numbers indicate that there are more Crest titles to be identified, but since many of its releases are evidently outside the pop-rock genre boundary they are not listed in the major pop discographies.

One of Crest's first 7" single releases (October 1961) was by renowned Melbourne band The Blue Jays, which became famous in the mid-1960s as The Fabulous Blue Jays, the backing group for vocalist Tony Worsley. The third single, also by The Blue Jays, featured vocals by Laurie Allen (of Bobby & Laurie fame) who was a member of the band at the time. 


Other early Crest singles were by Malcolm Arthur & The Knights, one of Melbourne's first rock'n'roll bands, and singer Kenny Arnott.

This 31 track compilation covers tracks from the early sixties. It features Laurie Allen, The Blue Jays, Johnny and The Wildcats, Malcolm Arthur and His Knights, The Martells and more. Also includes 2 interviews from DJ Stan Rofe.







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