Pop Archives

Rock Martin - Oliver Cool (1960)

(Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss)
Australia Australia
#16 Perth

Single on Rex November 1960, charted at the same time as the original version.

Rock Martin was a stage name of the famous West Australian-born stage hypnotist Martin St James  (1924-2015) who once toured in a circus as a cowboy singer. 


Oliver Cool - Oliver Cool (1960)

(Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss)
USA USA
Original version
#15 Sydney #24 Melbourne #24 Brisbane #16 Perth | #17 Australia

Single on Roulette, on London in Australia, by pseudonymous artist who was either dancer-choreographor-actor-director Tony Mordente (1935-2024) or singer and skater Lawrence Sarapochiello   (1933-2024). There are strong opinions either way, but I cannot confidently call it. It appears that each used the pseudonym Larry Ellis at some stage in their career, which could explain the confusion.

Writers Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance wrote Bryan Hyland’s Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini (1960, 16-syllable title) which might have influenced Little Pattie’s He’s My Blonde-Headed Stompie-Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy (1963, 14 syllables).

Pockriss specialised in cute or amusing songs that included Jo Ann Campbell’s A Kookie Little Paradise (1960) and Paul Evans’s (Seven Little Girls) Sitting In The Back Seat (1959), both written with Bob Hilliard.


This page covers similar ground as my blogpost Bigger in Oz (25): Oliver Cool – Oliver Cool (1960)