(Lee Ransford [Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash])
Australia
On the EP We Had A Good Thing Goin’ October 1967 on Spin label.
Melbourne singer Ronnie Burns emerged in 1964 as a member of Beatles influenced band The Flies, and went on to a successful solo career. After signing with Spin he benefited from his association with The Bee Gees, and he had several charting singles, usually with original songs by Australian songwriters.
Ronnie and his wife Maggie later ran the Appin Hall Children’s Foundation, their non-profit organization for children in crisis and distress.
From the 60s to the 90s, Ronnie hosted and produced several television programs, including his own creation, Prophecy & Prediction – Threat or Warning? In the late 90s he joined fellow music stars Russell Morris and Darryl Cotton to form Burns, Cotton & Morris. Along the way he ran an architectural and design company and wrote The Australian House Book.
In 2001, Ronnie was the subject of This Is Your Life, for which 2 million people tuned in to the Nine Network.
Reference: Ronnie Burns, official biography (supplied)
Further reading: 1. Milesago’s Ronnie Burns page. 2.
Wikipedia article on Ronnie Burns. 3. Ronnie’s books The Australian House
Book and Prophecy & Prediction – Threat or
Warning? at AbeBooks.
Photos: Colin Beard (top), Ronnie Burns.
Thanks to P. Mills for suggestion.
(Lee Ransford [Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash])
UK
Track on Decca album Two Of A Kind July 1967 by twin brothers who had eight minor hits as Paul & Barry Ryan 1965-1967, followed by Barry Ryan’s #2 UK hit Eloise (1968), written by Paul.
Further reading: Album review and career notes at Anorak Thing.
(Lee Ransford [Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash])
USA
On the Warner Brothers album Two Yanks In London December 1966, recorded in London (also released as a single). Eight of the album’s twelve tracks were contributed by The Hollies, about half of them also released by The Hollies themselves, including Fifi The Flea. See Richie Unterberger’s notes for a reissue of Two Yanks In London.
The title of the album echoes several films of the 30s and 40s, including A Yank At Oxford and A Yank At Eton.
(Lee Ransford [Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash])
USA
Not the same Sidekicks as the London-based band that covered Peter & The Silhouettes on Melbourne’s Corduroy label.
Single on RCA October 1966.
The Sidekicks had changed their name from The Redcoats, a manufactured attempt at creating an American-grown British Invasion-style band.
Brothers Zac and Randy Bocel became Redcoats after auditioning for Mike Burke and John Spirt, the other two band members, and the band was produced by Steven Rappaport.
Steven Rappaport and John Spirt were cousins who had been in The Randells with Steven’s brother Robert, and had charted with the sci-fi dance novelty The Martian Hop in 1963 (#35 USA, also a hit in Australia).
An album by The Redcoats remained unreleased until
2001 (Meet
The Redcoats: Finally
Further reading: The account of ‘Sidekicksmania’ by Zac Bocel at 60sGarageBands.com and the interview with Steven Rappaport at Music Dish.
(Lee Ransford [Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash])
USA & UK
Original version
On albums Beat Group! in USA May 1966 and Would You Believe in UK July 1966.
Fifi The Flea was written by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash of The Hollies, credited to the collective name of Lee Ransford.
(Lee Ransford [Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash])
Ireland
Later version
Bonus track on 2011 album Stories From The Steeples by Irish folk and contemporary singer.
Further reading: 1. Official site. 2. Wikipedia entry.
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…