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BILLY THORPE & THE AZTECS
About Love (Buddy Mize) Australia 1964 #3 Sydney #7 Melbourne Double-sided hit with the A-side, Sick And Tired. Billy Thorpe (1946-2007): British-born singer, guitarist and songwriter whose family emigrated to Brisbane in the 1950s. Based in Sydney from 1963, 'Thorpy', with The Aztecs, had numerous pop hits in a variety of styles, but at the end of the 60s, then in Melbourne, he fronted a loud, rocky, blues-based formation of the Aztecs that contrasted with his earlier pop idol image. Later, his solo and business career took him to Los Angeles, and he wrote two popular autobiographical books, Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy) and Sex And Thugs And Rock'n'Roll [AbeBooks link]. Further reading: Paul Culnane's account of Billy Thorpe's career at Milesago.
TONY WORSLEY WITH THE FABULOUS BLUE JAYS
Sure Know A Lot About Love (Buddy Mize) Australia 1964 Title track of EP Sure Know A Lot About Love. The Blue Jays were originally formed in 1959 in Melbourne, where they recorded on the Crest label. Laurie Allen, later of Bobby & Laurie, was their lead singer in the early 60s. They were joined with Brisbane singer Tony Worsley in 1964 to record on Sunshine as The Fabulous Blue Jays. By that time drummer Bob Johnston was the only remaining original member of the band. From the release of Velvet Waters (1965) Tony Worsley was given top billing as a solo artist. Thanks to Terry Stacey for version alert.
THE SEARCHERS
Sho' Know A Lot About Love (Buddy Mize) UK 1963 On the album Live at the Star Club, on Phillips label, recorded in Hamburg 1963, possibly released early '64. Also on the 1964 album It's The Searchers.  
Also on the Star Club album were two other songs recorded by Billy Thorpe in 1964: Mashed Potato and Sick And Tired (the A-side of About Love).
THE HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES
Sho' Know A Lot About Love (Buddy Mize) USA 1960 Original version This was the B-side of the #1 hit Alley-Oop, a single on the Lute label. The Hollywood Argyles were a studio group formed by producer Gary Paxton with Kim Fowley to record a pop version of Alley Oop, written by country singer-songwriter Dallas Frazier The writer of Sho' Know A Lot About Love is Buddy Mize, a Nashville singer-songwriter who was also one of the backing singers for the Hollywood Argyles, with Paxton on lead vocals and the drummer Sandy Nelson on "garbage cans and... background screams", among other personnel. One of Buddy Mize's better known credits is for (You Keep Me) Hangin' On, written with Ira Allen, on the 1974 Ann Peebles album I Can't Stand The Rain (not the same song as The Supremes' You Keep Me Hangin' On). Buddy Mize was a co-founder of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation. Country singer-songwriter Billy Mize is his brother. Corrections or comments? Contact the writer. |