Pop Archives

Larry Morris - The Game (1969)

(Ben Findon - Peter Shelley)
New Zealand New Zealand
#8 NZ

Released 1969, charted January 1970. Single on Impact.

Early in 1969 Larry Morris went solo after fronting Larry's Rebels, one of New Zealand's top bands of the late 60s. They had five Top 10 hits at their peak, 1967-68, making them one of the most successful local acts on the NZ charts for the decade. The band continued as The Rebels (see My Son John), and Morris himself had six singles on the NZ charts 1969-1983, including The Hunt (1969, #5 NZ) and The Game (1970, #8 NZ).

See also Larry & The Rebels' Mo'reen, Do What You Gotta Do, It's Not True, I Feel Good and Painter Man.

Further reading: 1. The Larry's Rebels page at Bruce Sergent's New Zealand music website. 2. Larry Morris interview with Murray Cammick at NZ music website Audio Culture (January 2016). 3. Larry's Rebels profile at Audio Culture.


The Herd - The Game (1969)

(Ben Findon - Peter Shelley)
UK UK
Original version

Single on Fontana, April 1969 by London band that had three charting records, all written by Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley: From The Underworld (1967, #6 UK), Paradise Lost (1967, #15) and I Don't Want Our Loving To Die (1968, #5). See also So Much In Love (1966), a pre-Fontana single on Parlophone.

Vocalist Peter Frampton went on to Humble Pie in the late 60s and solo stardom in the mid-70s.


British singer-songwriter-producer Peter Shelley worked in the business side of the music industry, first in publishing then at Decca records where he started producing. In 1973, having co-founded the Magnet label, he wrote and produced the single of My Coo Ca Choo (#1 UK) which he also sang on, issuing it under the name Alvin Stardust, a persona that was carried on by Shane Fenton after the record became a hit. Shelley had hits in his own name on Magnet with Gee Baby (1974, #4 UK) and Love Me Love My Dog (1975, #3 UK).

Ben Findon wrote at least a dozen songs with Peter Shelley 1969-70, as well as writing solo and with other collaborators (see, for example, this list at 45cat.com). 


References, further reading: 1. The Wikipedia article on The Herd has full discography and personnel, and is well footnoted. 2. Wikipedia article on Peter Shelley.