Mike Furber And The Bowery Boys - Just A Poor Boy (1965)

(Paul Wade - Robbie van Delft - Neville Peard)
 Australia
Original version
#25 Melbourne #21 Brisbane #5 Adelaide #42 Perth

Single on Sunshine December 1965. Also on EP Just A Poor Boy May 1966.

Just A Poor Boy entered the charts in Brisbane December 1965, and in other cities January-March 1966. (Gavin Ryan). See also You Stole My Love (1966, #8 Melbourne #21 Brisbane #12 Adelaide).

The Bowery Boys were formed in Brisbane in 1965.

Lead singer Mike Furber (1948-1973) was given top billing after they were signed to Ivan Dayman’s Sunshine label and management.

The other Bowery Boys were rhythm guitarist Greg Walker along with the three writers of Just A Poor Boy, bassist Paul Wade, lead guitarist Robbie van Delft and drummer Neville Peard. Van Delft and Wade also contributed vocals. (Milesago)

After the band broke up in 1966, Mike Furber pursued an under-appreciated solo career, but in the early 70s he appeared to good notices in the gospel rock musical Godspell.

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Some sources have wrongly credited Just A Poor Boy to songwriter Graham Gouldman, probably because of confusion around the Bowery Boys’ second single, the Gouldman-composed You Stole My Love (1966).

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Reference, further reading: Milesago’s Mike Furber page by Paul Culnane.

Thanks to David Johnston, author of The Music Goes Round My Head and a good friend of this website.