Cream Of The Crate #14: Johnny O’Keefe – 20th Anniversary Album

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I believe it is quite appropriate that I start 2013 [remember this is a re-post article] with an album by not ‘just’ an Australian artist, but some would claim, THE Australian Artist – the original ‘WILD ONE‘ – Johnny O’Keefe.

Now this is one of the few records that I have in my collection and that I have identified as being worthy for discussion in ‘The Cream of The Crate”, that I have not had since new. I purchased it from a second-hand shop in the early 1980’s and in my mind even though I actually have Johnny O’Keefe releases from the early 1960’s, this IS the one for a retrospective review because it is so comprehensive.

Bought out in 1972 under the title of the “20TH Anniversary Album” (FL 263/4), it represents a broad range of styles and a good range of years in terms of releases. It includes J.O’K’s first recording, ‘(You Hit The Wrong Note) Billy Goat (recorded 1957 on Festival – FS 1502), through to his 1971 release of “Keep On Smiling” (Festival – FK 4482).

Along the way we are treated to what might be called the J.O’K songbook. This album really is a celebration of the music of Australia’s first homegrown Rock and Roll singer! I don’t think it is overboard to actually call him our first homegrown Rock and Roll hero!

Track Listing

Record 1 – side 1.
Shout (Part 1)/(Part 2)/I’m Counting On You/Jubilee/Ready For You/I Thank You/Wild One/Move Baby Move

– side 2.
She’s My Baby/Cry Cry Baby/Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Part 2)/Tutti Frutti/It’s Too Late/(You Hit The Wrong Note) Billy Goat/Be Careful Of The Stones That You Throw/Come On And Take My Hand

Record 2 – side 1.
Rock ‘N Roll Will Stand/Shake Baby Shake/She Wears My Ring/Keep On Smiling/Right Now/Own True Self/Quarter To Three/Don’t You Know

– side 2.
You’ll Never Cherish A Love So True/Confessions Of A Lonely Man/ Come On (Part 1)/(Part 2)/My Heart Belongs To Only You/Dangling On A String/That’ll Be All Right/Sing

The story of J.O”K is legendary, complex, rich with the vagaries of the rock and roll scene, and historic in terms of, he was the first! Also known as “The Wild One“, it was a persona very much at home within him whether on stage, or off stage. Yet that persona allowed him to generate and focus amazing energy and ‘presence’!

The Wild One

As I have commented with previous artists lives on “Cream of The Crate“, stories such as this man’s have been told by people far more in the ‘know’ than I am, and all I could do would be to replicate what has already been written.

Suffice to say, his story is beautifully summarized on the Johnny O’Keefe web site, and I encourage you to click on his name to be taken to that page.

Here is a small piece of what they say about J.O’K.
“Following a couple of years performing at local dances and live radio shows for free, John’s first paid engagement as a singer was for Bathurst (NSW) radio station 2BS for which he was paid 17 pounds. 2BS and its sister FM station B-Rock still broadcast successfully in 2008 and recently added the new Jet/Iggy Pop recording of “Wild One” to their FM playlist.

After hearing Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock” in the film Blackboard Jungle in 1955. J O’K and sax player Dave Owen formed Australia’s first rock ‘n’ roll band in 1956, named Johnny O’Keefe and The Dee Jays.

Although there were a couple of early line up changes the mainstays of The Dee Jays were Dave Owen, Keith Williams, John Greenan, Lou Casch and of course drummer Johnny “Catfish” Purser. I (Bruce Powell) became mates with “Catfish “during my years at Festival in the early 1970’s.

Aside from still playing with The Dee Jays he was also our stationery representative and sold me a lot of pens and pencils. It should be noted of course that Dave Owen, John Greenan, J O’K and Disc Jockey Tony Withers wrote “Wild One” and the rest is history.”

The album is available second hand today and a fast trek through the net reveals it can be purchased for as little as $10.00 up to $40.00 – depending upon it’s condition.

I don’t find it hard to sit and listen all these years later, to J.O’K belt out tracks, which have become standards. “Shout” – both Parts 1 and 2 will always be synonymous in my ind with the great man.

His voice is not the voice of a balladeer – it is the rough, powerful and emotional voice of a R&R singer with the edge of a fire and brimstone preacher. When he cries, “I wanna make you SHOUT!….” – it’s hard not to sing along with him.

We all want to shout! We all want to rock that Stadium! Yet, his voice was often bought back to a more gentle, almost reverend quality with tracks such as, “She Wears My Ring”. This is a love ballad that I would find it hard to imagine anyone singing with more passion and emotion.

She Wears My Ring

And so the tracks just roll on and on in an almost endless carnival of musical redemption, of rock and roll salvation, of a tortured soul whose singing was as much a cry of pain, as passion.

His like will never come this way again, because it was not just that he was larger than life, not just that he could really rock the joint – it is because he did it first. Like the first love in our lives, there may be better, there may be more passionate that follow – but the first is very, very special.

So Tough

So we should remember Johnny O’Keefe as a man whose desire to sing rock and roll was only part of a story. It’s also a story that tells of the strengths and weaknesses of the man and, of wonderful timing and bad timing.

It is the story of a man who celebrated life through his passion, a passion to make music – and by god, did he succeed!

This is what I believe to be the complete discography of J.O’K’s releases. It isn’t until you see it set out like this that you realise just how amazingly prolific his work rate was!

 VIDEOS:
JOK’s performances on film and televison never fully captured the enrgy and passion that the audiences were exposed to.

I have done my best to find clips that try to do that.

Shout

Sing Sing Sing

She’s My Baby

Previous Cream of The Crate Albums:

Click to open:

#1.   Howling Wolf: Real Folk Blues

#2.   Otis Redding: Otis Blue

#3.   Dr John: Gris Gris

#4.   Spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

#5.   Son House – The Real Delta Blues

#6.   Various Artists – Cruisin’ 1961

#7.   Various Artists – Live At The Station Hotel

#8.   Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – Deja Vu

#9.   Moon Mullican – Seven Nights To Rock

#10. Billy Thorpe – Time Traveller

#11. Bobby & Laurie – Hitch Hiker

#12. Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland

#13. The Beatles – The Beatles Collection [A Box Set]