by Ian Bell
I was a teenager in the 1970’s. For somebody who was discovering music, finding my way, finding my tribes, what a glorious time it was. The TV was full of unbelievable rock stars and music from all over the world, but I loved Bowie, T Rex, Roxy Music, Wizzard, Sweet, Slade, Suzi Quatro. Blitz of glitz, bit of razzle dazzle, good pop hooks, rockin’ guitars and strong songs. All of them still obsessions to this day. But in 1974/75 things started to change in the landscape of Australian grown music. Notably Skyhooks went stratospheric with an album of brilliant songs and songs about Australian things. Seven of the ten songs on it were banned. Bands didn’t do that. Singing about The South Yarra Arms, wanking in the cinema, Limboing in Lygon Street. They were a flat out tough sounding rock and roll band. But they embraced some of the some of the elements of the UK glam rock movement. They wore costumes, slapped on the make-up, and delivered it all with a laconic, knockabout, Aussie humour, that said “Hey yeah, we are rock stars – hilarious right?”. In their wake bands in Australia glammed up. Hush in their satin kimonos, Sherbet with their satin jackets, Renee Geyer in her satin pants. Basically, satin was so in.
In 1975 a band from Sydney released a version of Paul Anka’s single Diana. I was smitten immediately. The rock’n’roll vibe, the glorious harmonies. The b-side was a cover of The Spaniels’ Goodnight Sweetheart. In the same was American outfit Sha-Na-NA, the UK’s Darts and to some degree Australia’s own Daddy Cool had done, OL’55 were a retro styled band. Doing classic rock and roll in leopard skin suits, greased back hair and wrap-around sunnies. Diana was a minor hit in Sydney but didn’t do much anywhere else. But in May of 1976 they unleashed the partying anthem On The Prowl, an original written by their bass player Jimmy Manzie, and an immediate hit. Soon they were all over the telly with regular appearances on Countdown, etc. Like The Hooks their humour and naughty boy attitude was absolutely a huge part of their appeal. As a live band they played all over the country with all the huge bands, Hooks, Sherbet, AC/DC and International acts like Electric Light Orchestra. And as a headliners in their own right (I remember seeing them at Festival Theatre with Norman Gunston opening).
I was a mega-fan, saw them A LOT and I still have all my fan club newsletters, and ended up with thank you’s on a couple of their albums. They were all over the pages of Spunky, Scream, Juke, Ram, Rolling Stone magazines (remember magazines? Sort of like Facebook on paper). With six great singers, killer rhythm section, exceptional musicianship and peerless musicianship OL’55 never failed to deliver.
The focus was often on the madcap antics of vocalist Frankie J Holden and sax man Wilbur Wilde, but guitarist/vocalists Rockpile Jones, Patrick ‘Meatballs’ Drummond were both insanely good musicians and Jones in particular had an amazing voice. Baby faced bass player Jimmy Manzie became the main writer of their original songs including all time classics including Looking For An Echo, Rockin’ Christmas, . Up the back, the man in black, the drummer, Geoff Plummer, was not only a powerhouse skinsman but also sang all the bottom end baritone parts. Their manager was Australian music legend, archivist and journalist Glenn A Baker, who also co-wrote some of their songs.
The 70’s were crazy times and things happened pretty fast back then. They started as a little cover band and before you know it they were one of the biggest bands in the country, selling tons of records, and selling out concerts everywhere they went. However, Wilbur Wilde left to join Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons (and later to become part of the Hey Hey It’s Saturday band with former Skyhook Red Symons as his comedy partner). Likewise Frankie J also parted ways and released a couple of solo efforts before taking up acting. The band continued with out them, with former Silver Stud Paul Stevens taking on lead vocals for a while before Rockpile moved to lead singer duties and them taking a more contemporary power-pop direction, with hits like Stay While The Night Is Young, Feels Like A Summer’s Night, and Living For Your Smile. Plummer had quit in 1977 and his replacement was Geoff Peterkin (ex-Springwater).
Manzie and Peterkin parted to form kick ass power pop outfit The Breakers, who released one excellent single When I’m On TV, the b-side of which (Lipstick & Leather) was reportedly going to be covered by Kiss after they heard in on their 1980 Aussie tour. The Jones/Drummond line-up continued for a while doing mainly rocked up covers of sixties songs with their versions of Ruby (Leiber and Stoller), Two Faces Have I (Lou Christie) both charting well, but by 1983 the band disbanded.
With all the members pursuing different goals (and allegedly some issues over who owned the name) various parts of the band resurfaced as OL’55, The Fives, Frankie J Holden & The Fives, Ol’ Skydaddys (with members of Daddy Cools, Skyhooks and Ol’55), Take It Greasy and Legends of OL’55. But mostly it was far from all members.
So imagine my excitement when the original line up started doing the occasional show on the East Coast and in late 2016 they announced three shows with fellow seventies rockers Jo Jo Zep. I got my ticket and hoped on a plane.
There is always a danger when going to see a band you loved forty years ago. I am sure we have all seen “my favourite band back in the day” and it’s been a trainwreck. People lose the voices, musical skills become degraded and it can be a sad and heartbreaking affair. There was zero danger of that in St Kilda that night. OL’55 were MAGNIFICENT. Firstly, the harmonies. Oh My God. Six part harmonies on almost every song. Everybody was tippy top with their musicianship and they were tight as a duck’s butt. Sure some of the costumes might not be as tight and skinny as they once were (although neither are we) but what a show. Frankie J and Wilbur do all the schtick that helped make their live shows so memorable and hilarious. Doing over exaggerated dance move, jiving around with each other and the audience. All that started before they even hit the stage. They played every song you could have possibly wanted them too and each was met with thunderous applause and screaming. Sadly Geoff Plummer passed away in 2006, but as an extra bonus (seemingly for me personally) Skyhooks drummer Freddie Strauks was behind the kit.
It has been a long time since Adelaide got invited to Take It Greasy with the original OL’55 but this Sunday they will play at the Bridgeway Hotel. It’s an early show (they know their audience). Doors at 4pm Show starts at 5pm. If you are still looking for an echo, get on the prowl with OL’55. Book tickets HERE.
