Pop Archives

The Iguana - Good News (1969)

(Don Addrisi - Dick Addrisi)
Australia Australia
#22 Brisbane

Single on Festival YouTube. See also the B-side Requiem: 820 Latham. Both sides of the single were originally by The 5th Dimension.

One of four singles released on Festival 1967-1969 by Melbourne band featuring harmony vocals with lead singer Gary Sweetman. Other members were Gary Littlewood (lead guitar) Cleve Littlewood (rhythm guitar), Graham Jones (bass) and Peter Saunders (drums)

See also California My Way.

Reference: Ian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop.


The 5th Dimension - Good News (1968)

(Don Addrisi - Dick Addrisi)
USA USA
Original version

On album Stoned Soul Picnic, July 1968Also released soon after on Liberty singles in Germany and in the UK.

This was released before the version by the song’s composers, The Addrisi Brothers.


Red Squares - Good News (1969)

(Don Addrisi - Dick Addrisi)
Denmark Denmark

Single on Parlophone (Denmark), B-side of Five Times I've Said Goodbye.

Red Squares (aka The Red Squares) were an English band formed in Boston, Lincolnshire in 1964 (cf. The Renegades, Birmingham band that succeeded in Finland: see under Seven Golden Daffodils).

They migrated to Denmark in 1966 and found great success there and in Sweden with a repertoire that featured remakes of old American hits.

Historic Danish or Swedish charts are hard to find, but Red Squares' biggest hits seem to have been with Sherry (1966, The Four Seasons' 1962 hit) and Lollipop (1967, The Chordettes' 1958 hit, covering Ronald & Ruby). Sherry was by all accounts a big hit in Denmark and, according to Swedish Wikipedia, Sherry reached #1 and Lollipop #2 in Sweden.

Red Squares also wrote original material. The A-side of Good News is a band original, and their garage-styled You Can Be My Baby was anthologised on 2001's notable CD box set Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969.

References, further reading: 1. Red Squares bio by Bruce Eder at All Music. 2. Official Red Squares site. 3. Red Squares at Swedish Wikipedia.


Multiple Balloon - Good News (1970)

(Don Addrisi - Dick Addrisi)
Australia Australia
Later version

Single on Sweet Peach, B-side of Girl's Song (wr. Jimmy Webb) by Sydney cabaret band that released two singles 1969-70.

Very little is known about this band, and their only significant claim to fame is the fact that their bass player was the late, great Charlie Tumahai.Multiple Balloon page at Milesago, which also has a page dedicated to Charlie Tumahai. He is the vocalist on Healing Force's classic masterpiece Golden Miles (1971) YouTube.


The Addrisi Brothers - Good News (1968)

(Don Addrisi - Dick Addrisi)
USA USA

Single on Warner Bros-Seven Arts by the composers, December 1968. YouTube

Don Addrisi (1938-1984) and his brother Dick (b.1941) had their biggest songwriting success with The Association's classic hit Never My Love (1967, #2 USA), later a charting single for The 5th Dimension (1971, #12).

As artists, they were signed to Del-Fi records in the late 50s and continued to release singles on various labels throughout the 60s and 70s. Two of their singles charted Top 40, We've Got To Get It On Again (1972, #25 USA) and Slow Dancin' Don't Turn Me On (1977, #20).

Reference, further reading: The Addrisi Brothers bio by Bruce Eder at All Music.