Pop Archives

Ronnie Burns - The Very Last Day (1966)

(Noel Paul Stookey - Peter Yarrow)
Australia Australia
#17 Melbourne #24 Perth

Ronnie Burns’s first solo single.

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
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.


The Hollies - The Very Last Day (1965)

(Noel Paul Stookey - Peter Yarrow)
UK UK
Influential version
#3 Sweden

Opening track on the 1965 Parlophone album The Hollies.

Also released as a single in several countries including Sweden (charted #3), Norway, Germany, The Netherlands and Argentina.

Paul Culnane suggests at Milesago that this album track was the source of the Ronnie Burns version.

Thanks to Erik Alm.


Peter, Paul & Mary - The Very Last Day (1963)

(Noel Paul Stookey - Peter Yarrow)
USA USA
Original version

On the 1963 album In The Wind, on the United Artists label.

Gospel song in a traditional style by chart-topping folk trio, written by group members Peter and Paul.


The song has been recorded by a number of other artists, including The Greenstones (NZ 1965), The Vanguards (Denmark 1966), The Wizards (Norway 1966), The Hounds (Sweden 1966), The Highway Singers (Netherlands 1967), Pete Klint Quintet (USA 1967, Iowa band), and The Thyme (USA 1967).

An EP version by The Bab's [sic] (France 1964) as Quand on quitte son pays had French lyrics by Pierre Delanoë.