Claudette Jones - PETER & THE SILHOUETTES (1966) - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s

PETER & THE SILHOUETTES
Claudette Jones
(Kevin Clancy - Peter Rechter)
Australia 1966

Original version

Claudette Jones was written by Peter & the Silhouettes’ lead singer and keyboardist Peter Rechter with lead guitarist Kevin Clancy.

The Silhouettes, from Bendigo in Victoria, were formed in 1964. Claudette Jones was one of two tracks included on The Scene... Northern Victoria, a 1966 LP recorded in Melbourne by various artists from Bendigo and nearby towns.

In 1966, with a partially changed line-up, The Silhouettes became The Tol-Puddle Martyrs, whose keyboard-driven r&b sound and lyrics of social commentary made them one of the hippest and most popular bands in their region. They recorded two still highly regarded singles, Time Will Come/Social Cell (1967) and Love Your Life/Nellie Bligh (1968).

In recent years there has been renewed interest in The Silhouettes and The Tol-Puddle Martyrs, especially by aficionados of overlooked 60s beat/garage bands. Reissues, broadcasts and remakes of Claudette Jones have come from a number of independent sources, often beyond Australia.

In 2007, The Tol-Puddle Martyrs released Psych-Out USA on Lance-CD Baby, an album of mainly new material in the vein of the original Martyrs (store). A further original album, A Celebrated Man, came out in 2009 (store).

Further reading: 1. Tol-puddle Martyrs page at MySpace. 2. Fan page at Facebook. 3. TPM history by Richie Unterberger at All Music Guide.

On CD: The Silhouettes' original version of Claudette Jones is a hidden track on the 2001 CD Time Will Come by Peter Rechter's later band The Secrets. An updated recording of Claudette Jones is also included. Available from CD Baby, but the download version of the album does not include the hidden tracks.

Peter & the Silhouettes, as seen on the album
cover of The Scene... Northern Victoria.

THE SECRETS
Claudette Jones
(Kevin Clancy - Peter Rechter)
Australia 2001

Peter Rechter's post-Tol-Puddle Martyrs band, first formed in 1977 as Ginger, became The Secrets in 1979. They disbanded in the 80s but were re-formed in 1996 by Peter with Graham McCoy, and have continued to release fresh material, with plans for more (updated late 2008).

Download: This reworked version of Claudette Jones is on Time Will Come available from CD Baby and reviewed by Richie Unterberger at All Music Guide.

THE KAMIKAZE TRIO
Claudette Jones
(Kevin Clancy - Peter Rechter)
Australia 2004

On the various artists album Wild About You! A Tribute to the Australian Rock Underground (1963-1968), on Weather Records. The album also includes a version of The Tol-Puddle Martyrs' Time Will Come by Pink Stainless Tail.

There is an accompanying book, Wild About You! Tales from the Australian Rock Underground 1963-68 by Iain McIntyre and Ian D. Marks. A project by Melbourne community radio station 3CR.