Bad Boy - THE TWILIGHTS (1966) - Pop Archives - Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s

THE TWILIGHTS
Bad Boy
(Larry Williams)
Australia 1966
#4 Melbourne #3 Adelaide #42 Perth

Beatles-influenced Adelaide band The Twilights had several hits around the country 1966-68, from a repertoire that included band originals (If She Finds Out, Young Girl, Cathy Come Home) as well as cover versions (Larry Williams's Bad Boy, The Velvelettes' Needle In A Haystack, Sam Cooke's You Got Soul).

Popular in Adelaide from 1964, The Twilights expanded their national audience when they relocated to Melbourne in 1965. As part of their prize in winning the national Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds in July 1966, The Twilights were produced by Beatles engineer Norman "Hurricane" Smith at Abbey Road: see What's Wrong With The Way I Live.

Twilights vocalist Glenn Shorrock and guitarist Terry Britten have followed long and diverse careers: Shorrock was famously with Axiom and Little River Band, and Britten's compositions have been widely recorded, including We Don't Need Another Hero and What's Love Got To Do With It? by Tina Turner (both co-wr. Graham Lyle from Gallagher & Lyle).

Milesago's Twilights page has post-Twilights news of drummer Laurie Pryor and rhythm guitarist Peter Brideoake but loses the trail of vocalist Paddy McCartney and original drummer John Bywaters. Another founding member, Kevin Peek, found fame with pop-classical group Sky.

References, further reading: 1. Milesago's detailed Twilights history adds a 1982 memoir by Twilights singer Glenn Shorrock and a personal appreciation by Paul Culnane. 2. The Twilights at Howlspace. 3. Ian McFarlane, The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop (1999), pp. 652-654.

Thanks to Terry Stacey for suggestion.

RICK AND THE BAD BOYS
Bad Boy
(Larry Williams)
Australia 1966

The label's writer credit to Marty Wilde is a mix-up: see Marty Wilde's Bad Boy, a different song, below. This record is definitely the Larry Williams song.

Sydney band active 1965-66, single on Downunder label. Vocalist Rick Suey and guitarist Kim Humphreys were later in Hot Cottage 1968-73 (WWAR).

Produced by Nat Kipner. For more about Nat see Rosalyn by Steve [Kipner] & The Board).

THE BEATLES
Bad Boy
(Larry Williams)
UK 1965

On the albums Beatles VI (USA 1965) and A Collection of the Beatles Oldies (But Goldies) (UK 1966).

The Beatles recorded two other Larry Williams songs: Dizzy Miss Lizzy (1965, on Help! and Beatles VI) and Slow Down (1964, US single and UK EP Long Tall Sally).

Further reading: Follow the links above to discographical details at Dmitry Murashev's excellent DM's Beatles Site.

LARRY WILLIAMS
Bad Boy
(Larry Williams)
USA 1958
Original version

New Orleans rock'n'roll singer-songwriter and pianist Larry Williams (1935-1980) had two hits on Specialty, Short Fat Fannie (1957, #5 USA, #21 UK) and Bony Moronie (1957, #10 USA, #11 UK), but several of his compositions were recorded by other artists, including fellow Specialty rocker Little Richard.

Williams's danceable records were in a similar vein to Little Richard and other New Orleans contemporaries, with jumping sax, thumping piano and raw vocals. His songs were especially popular with musicians of the British beat era: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals and John Lennon, for example, recorded versions of Larry Williams songs.