Gil Matthews ‘Go!! Records The Complete Collection’ Is Australian Music History Over 4CDs

Gil Matthews, Aztec Records founder and Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs drummer, has compiled an historical collection of Australian music chronicling every track ever recorded for Go!! Records from 1965 to 1967.

Horrie Dargie, Arthur Young and Johnny Tilbrook (DYT Productions) started Go!! Records in 1964. The label was created to cross-promote singers who performed on the television show ‘The Go!! Show’.

In its short time Go!! Records released 54 single, all of which are included (as well as their b-sides) on Matthews’ latest Aztec Records release ‘Go!! Records The Complete Collection’.

Go!! Records had its first success with its first single – ‘I Belong With You’ by Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright.

Go!! Records created an important platform for new music in its day. The label gave the start to many Australian artists that went on to make their names nationally and globally in the next decade.

The Rondells featured Wayne Duncan (bass) and Gary Young (drums) who went on to co-found Daddy Cool.

The Strangers featured John Farrar who in the 70s worked with Olivia Newton-John and wrote her hits ‘Have You Ever Been Mellow’, ‘You’re The One That I Want’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ and ‘Magic’.

The M in M.P.D. Ltd is Mike Brady, later the composer of ‘Up There Cazaly’ and ‘One Day In September’. ‘Little Boy Sad’ was a national hit in Australia in 1965.

The ‘Go!! Records The Complete Collection’ features 130 songs sourced from all 54 singles, six albums and seven EPs released through the label.

Gil Matthews has spent most of 2018 remastering every song included on this release bring remarkable dynamics to each track never before heard in high quality sound.

Go!! Records had enormous output in its short tenure, with a single being released roughly every 2-3 weeks. However, the Go!! Show was only broadcast in Victoria which limited its promotional reach for Go!! Records. The show was axed after three years, eliminating the promotional platform for the label. In the years prior, without a national broadcast base, the singles were mainly Melbourne only hits, limiting the success of many of the artists.

The Go!! Show was cancelled in August 1967 after over 200 episodes. At the time it was generating an audience of over 400,000 out of Victoria alone. Go!! Records closed soon after.

Artists featured on Go!! Records – The Complete Collection are:

Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright
The Henchmen
Terry Dean
The Rondells
Billy Adams
Bobby Cookson
The Cherokees
M.P.D. Limited
Betty McQuade
Yvonne Barrett
Tony and the Shantels
Peter Briggs and the Vikings
The Field Twins
Joy Lemmon
The Deakins
18th Century Quartet
Laurie Angelo
The Rhythm Rockets
The Chosen Few
The Other Ends
The Clique
Young Once
The Strangers
The James Brown Syndicate
Justin Anthony and the Impacts