Friday on My Mind
Friday on My Mind is the title of the most successful hit released in 1966 by the Australian beat band Easybeats .
History of origin
The Easybeats first met in 1964 in the "Villawood Migrant Hostel" ( today's name : " Villawood Immigration Detention Center ") and released their first Australian single For My Woman in March 1965. On July 14, 1966, the Easybeats came with the reference of four previous Australian top hits to Great Britain to record some records here. After brief tours, they entered London's Olympic Studios in September 1966 , where they recorded four tracks within eight hours with music producer Shel Talmy and sound engineer Glyn Johns . Talmy decided to do Friday on My Mind / Made My Bed, Gonna Lie in it (United Artists 1157) after the record closed . These two tracks were released as a single on October 14, 1966, along with 63 other competing singles by other artists.
For band member Harry Vanda the song was difficult to write; However, when the opening line “ Monday Morning feel so bad ” was established, the textual development was easy. The phrase “Friday on my Mind” is the “sacred convention of a long weekend”. It is about the longing for fun on the weekend that arises during the working day. The end of a working week has inspired many composers in the English-speaking world, such as Rip it Up ( Little Richard ) or C'mon Everybody ( Eddie Cochran ). The prospect of a nice weekend with your girlfriend requires you to survive the work week. The Monday-Friday work routine (" the five day drag ") is eliminated at the weekend. On Mondays, singer Stevie Wright only thinks of next Friday (" Monday I have Friday on my mind ") and longingly counts the working days from Monday on when you feel bad because everyone is just nagging. The attitude of the narrator improves from day to day and, inspired by the thoughts of Friday, survives the week. George Young contributed the music, garnished with unusual and distinctive intertwined riffs of two guitars and clever counter-harmonies. The vocal intro is an inspiration from the jazz phrases of the Swingle Singers . Talmy's idea was the short drum solo before the end that introduces the final chorus. Vanda / Young created a typical working class anthem about the anticipation that begins on Monday for the last working day. The studio recording was completed after just one take . The group played in the occupation Stevie Wright (vocals), Harry Vanda (lead guitar), George Young (rhythm guitar), Dick Diamonde (bass guitar) and the session musicians Nicky Hopkins (piano) and Freddy Smith (drums).
Publication and Success
The title Friday on My Mind , published on October 14, 1966, developed through intense airplay, especially on pirate stations and also through Radio Luxemburg, into the much-covered hymn of the working class about the anticipation of the upcoming weekend that began on Monday and grew every day. Of these, 250,000 records were sold in Great Britain and ranked 6th, worldwide the million mark was exceeded. In Australia, the hit was only released in November 1966 and stayed in the top position for eight weeks, in the USA it was only launched in April 1967 and stagnated there at rank 16, in Germany it reached rank 10 in January 1967 The mod anthem eventually reached the status of a million seller , for which the Easybeats were awarded a gold record on May 12, 1967 .
On May 28, 2001 Friday on My Mind was voted the best Australian song of all time by the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA). He was so perfect that it was difficult to find an equal successor. Talmy later produced 16 tracks for Easybeats, divided into 8 singles, which could not repeat the initial success.
Cover versions
There are at least 140 cover versions. Mention should be made of The Shadows (July 1967), David Bowie (October 1973), Gary Moore (March 1987) or Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (February 2011). The German-language versions are often written in dialect or are parodies. These include Kottan's Kapelle ( Friday , 1984), King Size Dick and the Fädije ( Eets am Friedach geiht et loss ; 1993) or Die Quietschboys ( Freitaach ; 1998) and Hardbeats from Cologne (Fridaach Ovends en d'r City 1984).
Individual evidence
- ^ Ronald V. Conway, Land of the Long Weekend , 1978, p. 187
- ^ Paul Skandera, Phraseology and Culture in English , 2007, p. 93
- ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 223
- ↑ Robert Dimery, 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die , 2011, no page number
- ^ John Tait, Vanda and Young: Inside Australia's Hit Factory , 2010, p. 87
- ↑ Michele Arrow, Friday on Our Minds: Popular Culture in Australia Since 1945 , 2009, p. 2