‘The sexy foreign language song that caused worldwide scandal in 1969’

In September 1969 the top male vocalist in Australia was Russell Morris, who had his second single hit the top spot in the third week of this month. After huge success with ‘The Real Thing’, writers Russell Morris and Johnny Young, along with producer Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum, went back to The Armstrong Studios in Melbourne and together with arranger John Farrar produced the double sided hit ‘Part Three Into The Walls’ and ‘The Girl That I Love’.

Morris became the first Australian artist to reach the number one spot with his first two singles. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 2008 and is still playing his blues-influenced music today.

John Farrar had a long successful career with various bands in the 1960s and was part of The Shadows for three years in the ’70s. And when he teamed up with Olivia Newton John he wrote her huge hits ‘Have You Never Been Mellow’; ‘You’re The One That I Want’ (a duet with John Travolta most notable from the movie Grease); ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’; and ‘Magic’. He also produced her worldwide number one ‘I Honestly Love You’, which won the Grammy Award for best record in 1975.

‘Something In The Air’ by Thunderclap Newman is their one and only hit, released in 1969. The song was produced by Pete Townshend who had discovered the group and played on the record along with Speedy Keen, Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman and Jimmy McCulloch.

On September 13, John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band perform at the Toronto rock ‘n’ roll festival with backing by Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman and Alan White. Also performing was Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and newcomers Chicago. This was Lennon’s first ever public appearance without one or more of The Beatles since meeting Paul McCartney in 1957. He had decided to leave the Fab Four permanently.

Philips Records made a huge mistake on the September 16 when they took ‘Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus’ by Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg off the market. Responding to complaints about the simulated sexual orgasm sound effects on the record, Philips (the United Kingdom arm of Fontana) bowed to the pressure as the song made its way to number two in the charts. When it was re-issued by Major-Minor Records it reached number one in the UK on October 11. The song caused an outrage in several languages, at least one excommunication, who knows how many unplanned pregnancies and more than 6 million singles around the world.

Despite predictions of the end of the so-called bubblegum music The Archies’ ‘Sugar Sugar’ hits number one in the United States; it will also sit on top spot in the UK for seven weeks. On the September 26, The Beatles released Abbey Road in the UK. It was the last album the four made together.

The major pop music awards in Australia in 1969

Male vocal: 1. Russell Morris, 2. John Farnham, 3. Ronnie Burns
Female vocal: 1. Allison Durban, 2. Anne Hawker, 3. Bev Harrell
Group: 1. Zoot, 2. Masters Apprentices, 3. Brisbane Avengers
World male vocal: 1. Tom Jones, 2. Elvis Presley, 3. Donovan
World female vocal: 1. Lulu, 2. Mary Hopkins, 3. Aretha Franklin
World group: 1. The Beatles, 2. The Monkees, 3. The Bee Gees

The top ten in Australia for September 1969

1. ‘Honky Tonk Woman’/’You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, The Rolling Stones
2. ‘Part 3 Into The Paper Walls’/’The Girl That I Love’, Russell Morris
3. ‘A Boy Named Sue’, Johnny Cash
4. ‘In the Ghetto’, Elvis Presley
5. ‘In The Year 2525’, Zager and Evans
6. ‘Sugar Sugar’, The Archies
7. ‘Saved By The Bell’, Robin Gibb
8. ‘One’/’Mr. Whippy’, John Farnham
9. ‘Something In The Air’, Thunderclap Newman
10. ‘Green River’, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Number ones in Australia

6, 13: ‘Honky Tonk Woman’/’You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, The Rolling Stones
20, 27: ‘Part 3 Into The Paper Walls’/’The Girl That I Love’, Russell Morris

Number ones in the UK

6, 13: ‘In The Year 2525’, Zager and Evans
20, 27: ‘Bad Moon Rising’, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Number ones in the US

6, 13: ‘Honky Tonk Woman’/’You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, The Rolling Stones
20, 27: ‘Sugar Sugar’, The Archies

Do you remember these hits from 1969? What was your favourite music from that decade?

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