Classic Albums: Living In The 70's by Skyhooks

This album was the very first album for Skyhooks the Melbourne rock'n'roll group who were formed in 1973 with Greg Macainsh, Fred Strauks, Steve Hill(original lead singer), Peter Inglis and Peter Starkie which the line-up only lasted until August 1973 when the 2 Peters left and were replaced by Bob Starkie (Peter's brother) who was from the band Mary Jane Union and Red Symons who came from the band Scumbag and after performing @ Sunbury 1974 Steve Hill left which he was replaced by Graeme "Shirley" Strachan who had played with Greg and Fred in Frame. this was to become the classic line up of Skyhooks that would make most of the successful work and would last until 1977 when Red Symons left. the group signed up with Mushroom Records owned by Michael Gudinski which had started in 1972 and they began recording what was to become the Living In the 70's album in June 1974 @ TCS studios in melbourne which was near Channel 9 with Ross Wilson who was in Daddy Cool and later on Mondo Rock as record producer and John French as engineer which recordings lasted until July. the album was released on october 28th 1974 and there was an controversy as the Federal Of Australian Commercial Broadcasters banned 6 tracks which were Smut, Motorcycle Bitch, Toorak Cowboy, Whatever Hap pend to the Revolution, you Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In bed(which 2JJ in Sydney played on their first ever broadcast in January 1975) and Hey What's the Matter but it didn't stopped the album going to Number 1 around Australia which it charted in Melbourne in 1974 when released but by early 1975 the rest of Australia caught on which it went to number 1 for 16 weeks and would eventually sold 240,000 copies as it was to become one of the highest selling albums in Australia by an Australian at that time which the album would stayed in the charts for 6 months. this album featured 2 singles "Living In The 70's" and Horror Movie which was number 1 in early 1975 which sold more than 60,000 copies. this albums stands up very well in 2011 with the songs written by Greg Macainsh as well as Smut written by Red Symons sounding as great today as it did 37 years ago as these songs were reflecting on local life and the happenings as well as teenage issues. Skyhooks came at a time as the country went through the change of government led by Gough Whitlam as well as the end of the Vietnam era and glam music was starting to become popular as well as colour TV was about to happened as it would occurred in Australia on March 1st 1975. it's hard to believe that today(August 29th) is 10 years when Shirley Strachan was killed in an helicopter accident and it was an sad loss to Australian rock but at least his work lives on in the music of Skyhooks and this album is one of the best Australian albums ever made. it's still in the shops somewhere and be sure to buy it as there is an lot of great stuff on it which despite the 6 tracks banned it's tamer compared to the stuff today.