BILLY THORPE & THE AZTECS
The New Breed
(Jimmy Easter)
Australia 1966
#11 Sydney #20 Brisbane #5 Perth

Single on Parlophone. Double-sided hit in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth with The Word For Today which charted alone in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Billy Thorpe (1946-2007): British-born singer, guitarist and songwriter whose family emigrated to Brisbane in the 1950s. Based in Sydney from 1963, 'Thorpy', with The Aztecs, had numerous pop hits in a variety of styles, but at the end of the 60s, then in Melbourne, he fronted a loud, rocky, blues-based formation of the Aztecs that contrasted with his earlier pop idol image. Later, his solo and business career took him to Los Angeles, and he wrote two popular autobiographical books, Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy) and Sex And Thugs And Rock'n'Roll [AbeBooks link].

Further reading: The comprehensive Billy Thorpe page at Milesago which includes career biography, interview and discography.
JIMMY HOLIDAY
The New Breed
(Jimmy Easter)
USA 1965
Original version

Single on Diplomacy.

Jimmy Holiday and writer Jimmy Easter are the same person: BMI has identical repertoires listed under the names of James E. Holiday, Jimmy Easter and Jimmy Holiday.

He was a singer-songwriter from Mississippi (1934-1987) perhaps best known for co-writing Put A Little Love In Your Heart with Jackie DeShannon and Randy Myers. It was a hit for Jackie DeShannon in 1969 and again for Annie Lennox & Al Green in 1988. See biography at Oldies.com.

Thanks to Davie Gordon for clearing up this mystery through the Spectropop Group.

Later versions:

RON MOODY & THE CENTAURS
The New Breed
(Jimmy Easter)
USA 1969
Later version

Single on Columbia label.
Band from Richmond VA.
THE PIETASTERS
The New Breed
(Jimmy Easter)
USA 1997
Later version

On the album Willis on the Hellcat label.
Band from Washington, D.C.

Corrections or comments? Contact the writer.