Johnny Noble - Lonely City (1964)

(Geoff Goddard)
 Australia
#21 Sydney | #34 Australia

Single on Linda Lee October 1964 by Muswellbrook-born resident of Newcastle Johnny Noble (1946-2024). He recorded for Linda Lee as a solo artist and with Johnny Noble & The Mods and Johnny Noble & The Incas as well as joining The Aztecs as their original dedicated vocalist.

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At that time around 1963-64 when instrumental guitar bands were paying more attention to vocals, Sydney band The Aztecs added Johnny Noble to their line-up as lead singer. However, after they backed young hopeful Billy Thorpe for a one-off set at Sydney’s Surf City he was also invited to join them as a vocalist. Noble left, but with “no hard feelings”, according to Jason Walker in Billy Thorpe’s Time on Earth.

Johnny Noble’s connection with The Aztecs lived on, though, with the release of their first album, Poison Ivy (1964), an odd collection put together for Festival’s Linda Lee label after the band had been signed by Parlophone. The billing on the album is Billy Thorpe And The Aztecs Introducing … Johnny Noble.
• Side 1 has some tracks with Billy Thorpe, including the big hit Poison Ivy, and Blue Day which had charted in Sydney in March 1964 (#29) a couple of months before Poison Ivy. Also included are sides from an Aztec single, Smoke And Stack and Board Boogie.
• Side 2 is all Johnny Noble, including three tracks credited to Johnny Noble & The Mods.
Billy Thorpe, writes Walker, “was insulted by the idea but it sold well”.

Selected sources: 1. Johnny Noble at Kimbo’s History of Australian Music blog 2. Jason Walker, Billy Thorpe’s Time On Earth (2009) 3. David Johnston, The Music Goes Round My Head (2010) 3. Bill Thorpe / The Aztecs at Milesago

Tony Worsley - Lonely City (1964)

(Geoff Goddard)
 Australia
#2 Brisbane #21 Adelaide | #27 Australia

B-side on Sunshine December 1965. British-born Brisbane singer Tony Worsley who had recorded with The Fabulous Blue Jays from 1964.

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Lonely City co-charted in Brisbane and Adelaide with the A-side Missing You.

See also Worsley’s biggest hit, his vocal version of Velvet Waters.

Further reading: 1999 ABC Radio interview of Tony Worsley by David Kilby, transcript at Milesago.

Eino Grön - Yksinäinen Kaupunki – Lonely City (1962)

(Geoff Goddard - Orvokki Itä)
 Finland

B-side on Philips by versatile Finnish singing star (b. 1939), later a resident of the United States with dual citizenship. Later released on Polydor as an A-side (Finland 1968).

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The adaptation is probably by Finnish lyricist Reino Helismaa under the pseudonym Orvokki Itä although his collaborator Toivo Kärki also used the pseudonym at times. Unravel it if you can: the links are to Discogs.com entries.

Further reading: 1. Eino Grön entry at Discogs.com 2. Eino Grön’s website at einogron.fi.