(Joy Byers)
Australia
#21 Melbourne #5 Brisbane
The Purple Hearts emerged in Brisbane 1963-64 and removed briefly to Sydney before becoming a popular live band in Melbourne from 1966. Founding members Mick Hadley and Bob Dames, recent arrivals from the UK, had first-hand experience of the London R&B scene, and the band was strongly influenced by the likes of John Mayall, Graham Bond, the early Rolling Stones and through them, authentic American blues. Essential to the Purple Hearts’ image as a credible R&B-blues band were vocalist Hadley and lead guitarist Barry Lyde, later known as Lobby Loyde.
This track seems to have acquired cult status, if the Big Beat/Ace anthology CD that uses its title is any indication.
See also Early In The Morning.
The Purple Hearts issued a series of tough, incomparable R&B singles that remain classics of their type.
Ian McFarlane, The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop
The band’s uncompromising approach to music-making was unrivalled in its day.
References: 1. Ian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop (1999), pp. 500-501. 2. Purple Hearts history and discography at Milesago.
Further reading:
1. Interview with Lobby Loyde from Wild About You [archived page].
2. Purple Hearts by Mick Hadley from Aint Got No Feelin [archived page].
Thanks to Terry Stacey for starting this one off.
(Joy Byers)
USA
Influential version
Single on Columbia October 1965, the commercial release of a track already distributed to radio stations to support a US Government program (see below).
The unknown Jimmy Fraser’s public service single, about going back to school and getting qualified, unaccountably became an R&B classic in Australia when it was covered by The Purple Hearts.
Joy Byers (1934–2017) wrote, for example, Eddie Cochran’s C’mon Everybody (1958, #35 USA, #6 UK), Timi Yuro’s What’s A Matter Baby (1962, #12 USA) and several Elvis Presley songs.
See also Sorry by The Groop
Notes: 1. See C’mon Everybody at Wikipedia. 2. Joy Byers filmography at IMDb includes songs written for Elvis films. 3. Joy Byers’ husband Bob Johnston (1932–2015), producer of Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, stated that he co-wrote some songs with Byers that were credited solely to her for contractual reasons, but it is difficult to clarify or quantify this. See, for example, this page at B-Dylan.com, although a search for “joy byers” + “bob johnston” will lead to the same story at other sites. 4. Bob Johnston article at Wikipedia includes the section Elvis and Joy Byers.
(Joy Byers) USA
Original version
Free radio copy, September 1965.
As you can see at 45cat.com, this was distributed to the “Program Directors and Disc Jockeys of America” with a message from Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey.
The name of the singer, Jimmy Fraser, is not mentioned but is replaced by the title of the program.
This is the same recording that was released under Jimmy Fraser’s name on Columbia.
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2026. 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…