(Tony Crane)
Australia
#1 Sydney #3 Melbourne #1 Brisbane
Double-sided hit with I Told The Brook in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. YouTube
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: Paul Culnane's account of Billy Thorpe's career at Milesago.
Suggestion from Terry Stacey.
(Tony Crane)
UK
Original version
On The Merseybeats, the only album by this Liverpool band formed in 1961 as The Mavericks, later The Pacifics. Funny Face was written by lead guitarist and vocalist Tony Crane, a founding member of The Merseybeats. YouTube
The Merseybeats had seven singles in the UK Top 40 from 1963 to 1966, including their biggest hit I Think Of You (1964, #5), and I Stand Accused (1966, #38), written by Tony Colton and Ray Smith (writers of Big Time Operator) and later recorded by Elvis Costello on Get Happy!! (1980).
See also Fortune Teller.
After The Merseybeats broke up, Tony Crane joined with Billy Kinsley, another foundation Merseybeat, as The Merseys. They had a #4 UK hit with Sorrow (1966), originally a 1965 B-side by The McCoys and famously remade by David Bowie on Pin-ups (1973).
References: 1. Merseybeats at British Beat. 2. Merseybeats biography by Mark Deming at All Music.
Same title but not the same song as ‘Funny Face’ by Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs.
From the 1927 stage musical Funny Face, starring brother and sister Fred and Adele Astaire as Frankie and Jimmy Reeve. Fred Astaire was also in the 1957 film version.
References: 1. The Internet Broadway Database. 2. Internet Movie Database.
(Donna Fargo)
USA
Red herring
#5 USA #4 Sydney #1 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #5 Adelaide #1 Perth
Same title but not the same song as ‘Funny Face’ by Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs.
One of two crossovers into the pop Top 40 by country singer-songwriter: the other was The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA (1972, #11).
Pop Archives
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…