Girls on the Avenue (song)

Last updated

"Girls on the Avenue"
Single by Richard Clapton
from the album Girls on the Avenue
A-side "Travelling Down the Castlereagh"
B-side "Girls on the Avenue"
ReleasedJanuary 1975
Recorded1974
Genre Rock
Label Festival
Songwriter(s) Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton singles chronology
"I Wanna Be a Survivor"
(1974)
"Girls on the Avenue"
(1975)
"Down the Road"
(1975)

"Girls on the Avenue" is a 1975 song from Australian singer-songwriter Richard Clapton. Released as the first single from the album of the same name, it reached number four on the Australian charts, Clapton's highest chart performance. [1]

Contents

Details

Initially released as the B-side of "Travelling Down the Castlereagh", the song became a hit after it was first played on Double J and then picked up by commercial radio. [2] Clapton said, "I remember at the time Festival [Clapton's record label] thought "Girls on the Avenue" was absolute rubbish. Their comment was, 'We asked you to write a hit single. Where's the chorus? This is a pile of rubbish. It's just a myriad of ideas you've stuck together like a Frankenstein monster.'" [3] The song took about half an hour to write. [4]

Although the song was widely perceived to be about prostitutes, Clapton has stated it was actually about three girls who lived on The Avenue in Rose Bay, Sydney when he was living the next street over. [5] Clapton was happy for the misunderstanding to continue, saying, "My manager at the time simply said 'Sex sells. Let that urban myth keep festering out there and you'll sell a lot of records.' and I did." [6]

Clapton later said that much of the money he received from the song was because of its inclusion on a 1975 compilation called Ripper. [6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1975)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1975)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] 49

Related Research Articles

Skyhooks were an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in March 1973 by mainstays Greg Macainsh on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Imants "Freddie" Strauks on drums. They were soon joined by Bob "Bongo" Starkie on guitar and backing vocals, and Red Symons on guitar, vocals and keyboards; and Steve Hill lead vocalist, Graeme "Shirley" Strachan became lead vocalist in March 1974. Described as a glam rock band, because of flamboyant costumes and make-up, Skyhooks addressed issues including buying drugs in "Carlton ", sex and commitment in "Balwyn Calling", the gay scene in "Toorak Cowboy" and loss of girlfriends in "Somewhere in Sydney" by namechecking Australian locales. According to music historian, Ian McFarlane "[Skyhooks] made an enormous impact on Australian social life".

<i>461 Ocean Boulevard</i> 1974 studio album by Eric Clapton

461 Ocean Boulevard is the second studio album by English musician Eric Clapton. The album was released in late July 1974 for RSO Records, shortly after the record company released the hit single "I Shot the Sheriff" in early July the same year. The album topped various international charts and sold more than two million copies.

<i>An Innocent Man</i> 1983 studio album by Billy Joel

An Innocent Man is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 8, 1983. The concept album is a tribute to the American popular music of Joel's adolescent years with Joel paying homage to a number of different and popular American musical styles from the late 1950s and early 1960s, most notably doo-wop and soul music. The album cover artwork was taken on the front steps of 142 Mercer Street, just north of the intersection of Mercer and Prince Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

<i>Listen Like Thieves</i> 1985 studio album by INXS

Listen Like Thieves is the fifth studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 14 October 1985. It spent two weeks at number one on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Considered an international breakthrough album for the band, it peaked at No. 11 on the United States Billboard 200, No. 24 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and top 50 in the United Kingdom.

<i>Underneath the Colours</i> 1981 studio album by INXS

Underneath the Colours is the second studio album by Australian rock band INXS. It was released in Australia in 19 October 1981 on the Deluxe Records label and reached No 15 on the Australian album charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badge (song)</span> 1969 single by Cream

"Badge" is a song written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, and recorded by British rock music group Cream on their final album, Goodbye. Also issued as a single in March 1969, "Badge" peaked at number 18 in the UK Singles Chart and number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tears in Heaven</span> 1992 single by Eric Clapton

"Tears in Heaven" is a song by English guitarist, singer, and songwriter Eric Clapton and Will Jennings, written about the death of Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor. It appeared on the 1991 Rush film soundtrack. In January 1992, Clapton performed the song in front of an audience at Bray Studios, Berkshire, England for MTV Unplugged, with the recording appearing on his Unplugged album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocaine (song)</span> 1976 song by J.J. Cale

"Cocaine" is a song written and recorded in 1976 by singer-songwriter J. J. Cale. The song was popularized by Eric Clapton after his cover version was released on the 1977 album Slowhand. J. J. Cale's version of "Cocaine" was a number-one hit in New Zealand for a single week and became the seventh-best-selling single of 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Uniform</span>

"Women in Uniform" is a 1978 song by the Australian band Skyhooks; it was written by the band's bass guitar player, Greg Macainsh. It was released in February 1978 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Guilty Until Proven Insane and peaked at number 8 in Australian and number 73 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Believe in Father Christmas</span> 1975 single by Greg Lake

"I Believe in Father Christmas" is a song by English musician Greg Lake with lyrics by Peter Sinfield. Although it is often categorised as a Christmas song, this was not Lake's intention. He said that he wrote the song in protest at the commercialisation of Christmas. Sinfield, however, said that the words are about a loss of innocence and childhood belief. Released in 1975, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, number 17 on the Irish Singles Chart and number 98 in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Clapton</span> Australian singer-songwriter, musician, producer

Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" (1975) and "I Am an Island" (1982). He reached the top 20 on the related albums chart with Goodbye Tiger (1977), Hearts on the Nightline (1979), The Great Escape (1982) and The Very Best of Richard Clapton (1982). Clapton's highest-charting album, Music Is Love (1966–1970), peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Baby</span> 1974 song written by Alan ODay

"Angie Baby" is a song that was written by American singer-songwriter Alan O'Day, and became a hit for Australian singer Helen Reddy. The song reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart at the end of December 1974 and became one of Reddy's biggest-selling singles. The song also topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart, Reddy's fifth #1 on this chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living Doll (song)</span>

"Living Doll" is a song written by Lionel Bart made popular by Cliff Richard and the Shadows in 1959. It was the top selling single in the UK in 1959. It has topped the UK charts twice: in its original version in 1959 and a new version recorded in 1986 in aid of Comic Relief. It is one of the few songs released by an English singer to chart on the American Billboard charts before the British Invasion occurred.

Kevin Stephen Johnson is an Australian singer-songwriter. Popular in the 1970s, his biggest hit is "Rock and Roll ", which peaked at No. 4 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in 1973. He also had a top 20 hit with "Bonnie Please Don't Go" in 1971. "Rock and Roll" is one of the most covered songs written by an Australian with 27 different artists recording the song in 1975 alone. Covers of "Rock and Roll " came from fellow Australians, Col Joye and Dig Richards, and from international artists, Mac Davis, Terry Jacks, Gary Glitter, Joe Dassin, The Cats and Tom Jones. Davis' rendition became the highest charting version on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 15 in 1975.

Richard Batchens is an Australian record producer and audio engineer. From 1971 to 1976 he was the main in-house producer for Festival Records' imprint Infinity Records. His work includes most of the early albums and singles for Sherbet, one of Australia's most successful pop bands of the 1970s, and the first six albums by singer-songwriter, Richard Clapton. He also produced some of the early Cold Chisel material, including the single, "Goodbye " (1978), and their second album, Breakfast at Sweethearts (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)</span> 1967 single by Johnny Farnham

"Sadie " was Australian pop singer Johnny Farnham's first solo single. The novelty song was released in November 1967 and was No. 1 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts for five weeks in early 1968. It was the largest-selling single in Australia by an Australian artist in the 1960s. "Sadie" sold approximately 183,000 copies in Australia and was the highest-selling Australian single until "Up There Cazaly" was released in 1979. It was also released in New Zealand, Denmark and Germany. The B-side, "In My Room", was written by Farnham. The A-side's label includes the acknowledgement "Vacuum cleaner solo: Mr. Jolly".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The One Thing (song)</span> 1982 single by INXS

"The One Thing" is a song by Australian rock group INXS, released in July 1982 as the first single ahead of their third studio album, Shabooh Shoobah, which appeared in October that year.

Gregory John Macainsh is an Australian former musician and songwriter. He provided bass guitar and backing vocals for pop rockers, Skyhooks from 1973 to 1980 and subsequently for various reformations. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "Macainsh's biting, provocative songs were the perfect expression of adolescent obsessions and frustrations. With those songs, the band made an enormous impact on Australian social life." Macainsh became an intellectual property lawyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choirgirl (song)</span> 1979 song written by Don Walker performed by Cold Chisel

"Choirgirl" is a 1979 single by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. A ballad with an R&B influenced melody, the single was released months before the album East that it featured on. It was the first time the band had recorded with producer Mark Opitz. It peaked at number 14 in Australia

<i>Girls on the Avenue</i> 1975 studio album by Richard Clapton

Girls on the Avenue is the second studio album by Australian rock music singer-songwriter, Richard Clapton, which was released in April 1975. It peaked at number 33 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. It provided two singles, "Girls on the Avenue" (1975) and "Down the Road". The title track reached number 4 on the related Singles Chart. It was originally released as the B-side of "I'm Travelling Down the Castlereagh", after considerable radio play, it was named as the A-side. The album was produced by Richard Batchens who later produced albums for the Australian band Sherbet, and was released on CD in 1990.

References

  1. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. p. 70. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  2. Nimmervoll, Ed. "Richard Clapton". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll). White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 28 April 2004. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  3. Toby Creswell and Martin Fabinyi (2000). The Real Thing. Random House. p. 79. ISBN   0091835488.
  4. Eliezer, Christine (23 September 1976). "Richard Clapton - Clapton Capers: Upbeat on Main Street". Rolling Stone . p. 42.
  5. "Richard Clapton talking about 'Girls on the Avenue'". Saturday Night with Peter Graham.
  6. 1 2 "Richard Clapton on collaboration and music". ABC Radio.
  7. 1 2 "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 via Imgur.