(Pete Townshend)
New
Zealand
#21 NZ
Popular band, from Ponsonby in Auckland, often in the New Zealand Top 10 in the late 60s. Vocalist Larry Morris later went solo and had six singles on the NZ charts 1969-1983 including The Hunt (1969, #5 NZ) and The Game (1970, #8 NZ)..
Larry’s Rebels were New Zealand’s Animals. Our Paul Revere and the Raiders. The top notch local pop band with bluesy bite, who released a handful of vital discs, and for a brief few years were all over the media, the charts and the nation’s bedroom walls. They were Auckland’s first great homegrown pop band of the modern pop era; hard working and electrifying live. Their cover versions nipped at the heels of the originals.
– Andrew Schmidt at Audio Culture.
See also Larry & The Rebels' Mo'reen, Painter Man, Do What You Gotta Do and I Feel Good; and The Rebels' My Son John
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.
(Pete Townshend)
UK
Single on Planet, 10 December 1965, a week after the release of The Who's album version, also produced by Shel Talmy.
The Untamed were originally from Worthing, East Sussex, formed in 1956 as The Untamed Four. They were often on BBC-TV and toured in support of major acts but never had a hit. It's Not True was recorded with a reorganised line-up, one of a number of personnel changes over the years with founding member Lindsay Muir staying on into the 70s.
Reference: The Untamed, page at Rate Your Music.
(Pete Townshend)
UK
Original version
On LP My Generation, 3 December 1965 (in USA as The Who Sings My Generation, 1966). Produced by Shel Talmy.
Pete Townshend on It's Not True: This is everyone else's favourite track. I hate it. (Liner notes: more here)
Further reading: My Generation at The Hypertext Who.
(Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman)
UK
Red herring
SAME TITLE BUT NOT THE SAME SONG AS
'IT'S NOT TRUE' BY LARRY'S REBELS.
Single on Columbia by Welsh singer (real name David Spencer) whose only charting single was Tell Laura I Love Her (1960, #1 UK), a cover of Paul Petersen's US hit of the same year.
I'm guessing that some casual observers might have mixed up Ricky Valance with Ritchie Valens whose Donna had been on the UK charts in 1959.
This It's Not True was written by the major US writing partnership of Pomus-Shuman but this UK recording seems to be an original version.
There are other songs entitled It's Not True, including one by Paul McCartney (1986).
Further reading: Pomus-Shuman songlist at R.N.Shrout Website.
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…