Rock Me Baby - JOHNNY FARNHAM (1972) - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s

JOHNNY FARNHAM
Rock Me Baby
(Peggy Clinger - Johnny Cymbal)
Australia 1972
#10 Sydney #4 Melbourne #4 Brisbane #7 Adelaide #13 Perth

Co-charted in most cities with the original by David Cassidy.

Johnny Farnham: enduring Melbourne pop star whose career took off after his first single, the neo-vaudeville novelty Sadie The Cleaning Lady, was skilfully publicised and became the best-selling Australian single of the 60s. He had a run of hits into the first half of the 70s, and branched out into TV and stage drama.

In the early 80s, by then known as John Farnham, he had a further hit with a powered-up version of the Beatles' Help, and he fronted the Little River Band for a time. His real career revival came in 1986 with the huge

ly popular contemporary album Whispering Jack and its three hit singles including the #1 You're The Voice.

Further reading: Milesago's John Farnham page. The official site is at JohnFarnham.com.au.

DAVID CASSIDY
Rock Me Baby
(Peggy Clinger - Johnny Cymbal)
USA 1972
Original version
#38 USA #11 UK #10 Sydney #17 Melbourne #4 Brisbane #7 Adelaide #13 Perth

Co-charted in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth with the Australian version by Johnny Farnham.

Co-writer Johnny Cymbal had at least two hits in his own right: Mr Bass Man (1963) and - under the name of 'Derek' - Cinnamon (1968).

Johnny Cymbal and Peggy Clinger wrote a number of songs for the Partridge Family, David Cassidy's fictional TV sitcom family, and they also recorded as Cymbal & Clinger. See October 2002 post to Spectropop group by Patrick Rands.