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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.

1 Laurie Allen– Wolfman
2 Laurie Allen– I Left My Heart In Broken Hill
3 Laurie Allen– The Monster
4 The Fabulous Blue Jays– Buckeye
5 The Fabulous Blue Jays– Peppermint Twist
6 The Fabulous Blue Jays– Sheba
7 The Fabulous Blue Jays– Old Spinning Wheel Twist
8 The Fabulous Blue Jays– John Peel
9 Frankie Brent– Shakin' All Over
10 Lyn Langford– Mama Don't Want
11 Allan Easterbrook– Long Pony Tail
12 Johnny And The Wildcats– Funiculi Funicula
13 Johnny And The Wildcats– Moonshot
14 Johnny Cosgrove– Early In The Morning
15 Lyn Langford– Dance With A Dolly
16 Malcolm Arthur And The Knights– The Reason
17 Malcolm Arthur And The Knights– Please Understand
18 Malcolm Arthur And The Knights– Cross My Heart
19 The Knights – Jezebel
20 The Knights – Like Greensleeves
21 Beverly Trim– What'd I Say
22 Mick Ellis And The Dymonds– Sixteen Candles
23 Mick Ellis And The Dymonds– Don't Care Too Much
24 Laurie Allen– T-W-I-S-T
25 Laurie Allen– Let's Twist Again
26 Laurie Allen– Do The Twist Some More
27 Des Kelly And The Wildcats– Suzanne
28 The Martells – Yes I Do
29 The Martells – Farmer John
Bonus Tracks
30 Stan Rofe, The Fabulous Blue Jays– Stan Rofe Interviews The Bue Jays/Everybody Loves Saturday Night
31 Stan Rofe, The Fabulous Blue Jays– Stan Rofe Interviews The Bue Jays/The Maori Farewell


Shake, Rattle & Roll

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