Double J was a Sydney only radio station when it first went to air at 11am on 19 January 1975. The first song played was Skyhooks ‘You Just Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good In Bed’ chosen because it was Australian, it was rebellious (because the song was banned at the time which reflected the rebellious image of the station) and being part of the ABC was not subject to the licencing laws of the commercial radio stations.
Even the name Double J was was risqué. The name is slang for a Double Joint.
2JJ was born out of an idea from the Labor Whitlam government at the time that recognised that the existing ABC had an older demographic that was dying off and not being replenished by youth. By creating a rebellious youth station the Whitlam thinking at the time was that the audience would be more likely to vote Labor and that by creating a youth station, Labor was also creating an inbuilt publicity machine. (That didn’t quite work. The Whitlam government was dismissed in November that year).
Holger Brockman, (the DJ formerly known as Bill Drake on 2SM), was the first DJ for Double J. Brockman was allowed to use his real name. 2SM changed Brockman’s name to Drake because Brockman sounded “too ethnic”.
The first hour of 2JJ looked at a GoldFM playlist these days but in 1975 this was adventurous. Mighty Kong was Ross Wilson’s post-Daddy Cool and pre-Mondo Rock band. Little Feat were unheard of on commercial radio, Led Zep’s ‘Dazed And Confused’ would never have been considered on 2SM, the pop station at the time and that druggie Lou Reed was as far from commercial radio as you could go back then.
If you kept listening past the first hour you would have heard artists like John Denver and thought that was pretty safe. Denver was the Ed Sheeran of his day and was a good fit for even 2JJ back then. Same with Leo Sayer’s ‘Long Tall Glasses’. Leo was an album artist writing and performing his own songs. Not one song in that first hour suggests a manufactured studio act.
During Holger’s program I also heard him refer to the PMG. History lesson – in Australia the PMG (Post Master General) control all the mail and all the phones. It wasn’t until July 1975 that is was split into two groups, Australia Post for mail and Telecom from phones. Telecom would later become Telstra.
Double J on DAB+ played the first 12 hours of 2JJ 50 years to the exact minute in 19 January 2025. Listen to the first hour of 2JJ here.
Full list of songs played on 2JJ from 11am to 8:30pm:
Played at 11:05
You Just Like Me Cos I’m Good In Bed
Skyhooks
Livin’ In The 70’s
Played at 11:08
Sympathy For The Devil
The Rolling Stones
Beggars Banquet
Played at 11:15
Junior’s Farm
Paul McCartney and Wings
Junior’s Farm
Played at 11:19
Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)
Leo Sayer
Just A Boy
Played at 11:22
All I Wanna Do Is Rock
Mighty Kong
All I Wanna Do Is Rock
Played at 11:26
Rock and Roll Doctor
Little Feat
Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
Played at 11:29
Dazed and Confused
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Played at 11:37
Sally Can’t Dance
Lou Reed
Sally Can’t Dance
Played at 11:41
Here Comes The Sun
The Beatles
Abbey Road
Played at 11:44
Because
The Beatles
Abbey Road
Played at 11:47
Stormbringer
Deep Purple
Stormbringer
Played at 11:51
Rock Steady
Bad Company
Bad Company
Played at 11:55
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Elton John
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Played at 12:02
I Just Want to Make Love to You
Foghat
Foghat
Played at 12:04
Hernando’s Hideaway
The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band
Wangaratta Wahine
Played at 12:08
I’m A Woman
Maria Maldaur
Waitress in the Donut Shop
Played at 12:12
Gypsy
Van Morrison
Saint Dominic’s Preview
Played at 12:17
Sailor
Rod Stewart
Smiler
Played at 12:22
Marlene
Kevin Coyne
Marjory Razorblade
Played at 12:24
Marrakesh Express
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Played at 12:26
Fallin’ in Love
Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
Played at 12:30
Let Go
Brian Cadd
Moonshine
Played at 12:34
Motherless Children
Eric Clapton
461 Ocean Boulevard
Played at 12:40
Promise of a Fisherman
Santana
Borboletta
Played at 12:48
Piece of My Heart
Janis Joplin
Cheap Thrills
Played at 12:52
Another Hustler
Sherbet
Slipstream
Played at 12:56
Leave It
Mike McGear
McGear
Played at 13:03
We Are All in This Together
Carole King
Wrap Around Joy
Played at 13:05
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
Bob Dylan
John Wesley Harding
Played at 13:07
La Grange
ZZ Top
Tres Hombres
Played at 13:11
Nothing From Nothing
Billy Preston
The Kids & Me
Played at 13:14
Nothing You Can Do
Average White Band
AWB
Played at 13:18
Lady Montego
Ayers Rock
Big Red Rock
Played at 13:21
Wah-Wah
George Harrison
All Things Must Pass
Played at 13:28
Radar Love
Golden Earring
Baby Driver
Played at 13:34
It’s a Man’s Man’s World
Renée Geyer
It’s a Man’s Man’s World
Played at 13:38
I Feel A Song (In My Heart)
Gladys Knight and the Pips
I Feel a Song
Played at 13:41
Wasn’t Born to Follow
The Byrds
Ballad of Easy Rider
Played at 13:44
Brain Damage
Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
Played at 13:49
Bodhisattva
Steely Dan
Countdown to Ecstasy
Played at 13:55
Life on Mars?
David Bowie
Hunky Dory
Played at 15:02
Walk on the Wild Side
Lou Reed
Transformer
Played at 15:05
Rag Mama Rag
The Band
The Band
Played at 15:08
Back Home Again
John Denver
Back Home Again
Played at 15:13
Roadhouse Blues
The Doors
Morrison Hotel
Played at 15:18
The E Street Shuffle
Bruce Springsteen
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
Played at 15:22
Throw Down the Sword
Wishbone Ash
Live Dates
Played at 15:28
You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
Bachman–Turner Overdrive
Not Fragile
Played at 15:33
Lovesick Blues
The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band
Wangaratta Wahine
Played at 15:37
For Your Love
The Yardbirds
For Your Love
Played at 15:41
Sing a Simple Song
Kerrie Biddell
Kerrie Biddell
Played at 15:45
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Bruce Springsteen
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
Played at 15:53
Changes
Black Sabbath
Vol. 4
Played at 15:58
China Grove
The Doobie Brothers
The Captain and Me
Played at 16:01
Can You Handle It?
Graham Central Station
Graham Central Station
Played at 16:06
(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away
Dr. John
Desitively Bonnaroo
Played at 16:08
Chicken Train
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Played at 16:15
River
Terry Reid
River
Played at 16:18
I Wish There Was a Way
Phil Manning
I Wish There Was a Way
Played at 16:23
William Tell Overture
Portsmouth Sinfonia
Plays the Popular Classics
Played at 16:25
Every Natural Thing
Aretha Franklin
Let Me in Your Life
Played at 16:28
Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues
Danny O’Keefe
O’Keefe
Played at 16:31
Workin’ for MCA
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Second Helping
Played at 16:36
Could Take a Lifetime
Phil Manning
I Wish There Was a Way
Played at 16:40
Ain’t Nobody
Hot City Bump Band
Come Together
Played at 16:44
Burlesque
Family
Bandstand
Played at 16:49
Naked Man
Randy Newman
Good Old Boys
Played at 16:52
Take Your Chances (Or Run Away)
Phil Manning
I Wish There Was a Way
Played at 16:56
I’ve Got to Use My Imagination
Gladys Knight and the Pips
Imagination
Played at 18:04
I Am Missing You
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar Family and Friends
Played at 18:08
Song for Kendra / Aborigine Song
Phil Manning
I Wish There Was A Way
Played at 18:14
#9 Dream
John Lennon
Walls and Bridges
Played at 18:19
Sweet Jane
Lou Reed
American Poet Live 1972
Played at 18:22
Mystery Train
The Band
The Last Waltz
Played at 18:28
That Lady (Pt. 1 and 2)
The Isley Brothers
That Lady
Played at 18:31
Corazón
Carole King
Fantasy
Played at 18:35
Believe In Humanity
Carole King
Fantasy
Played at 18:39
Fantasy End
Carole King
Fantasy
Played at 18:41
No No Song
Ringo Starr
Goodnight Vienna
Played at 18:44
The Snake
Harvey Mandel
Cristo Redentor
Played at 18:49
Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear
Randy Newman
The PriceTo Play
Played at 18:51
Fingerprint File
The Rolling Stones
It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll
Played at 18:57
I Can’t Stand The Rain
Ann Peebles
I Can’t Stand The Rain
Played at 18:59
You Told Me Baby
Bonnie Raitt
Give It Up
Played at 19:05
Communication Breakdown (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin: The Complete BBC Sessions
Played at 19:10
Going To California (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin: The Complete BBC Sessions
Played at 19:15
Stairway To Heaven (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin: The Complete BBC Sessions
Played at 19:25
One Five Eight (Live 1971)
Stone The Crows
Stone The Crows In Concert
Played at 19:32
Keep On Rollin’ (Live 1971)
Stone The Crows
Stone The Crows In Concert
Played at 19:38
Fat Old Sun (Live BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971)
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd Live BBC Radio Session
Played at 19:59
One Of These Days (Live BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971)
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd Live BBC Radio Session
Played at 20:01
The Turntable Song (‘Round, An’ ‘Round, An’ ‘Round)
Deanna Durbin
The Turntable Song (‘Round, An’ ‘Round, An’ ‘Round)
Played at 20:05
Let’s Spend The Night Together
The Rolling Stones
Between The Buttons
Played at 20:08
Do You Remember?
Janis Ian
Who Really Cares
Played at 20:11
We Are All In This Together
Carole King
Wrap Around Joy
Played at 20:14
Dingo
Gary Shearston
Dingo
Played at 20:19
Reggins
The Blackbyrds
The Blackbyrds
Played at 20:22
Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)
Skyhooks
Living In The 70’s
Played at 20:27
Sorrow
David Bowie
Pin Ups
Played at 20:30
Costafine Town
Splinter
The Place I Love
On 19 January 1981 the 2JJ AM Sydney station was converted to Triple J FM (National). The current Double J on DAB+ is a rebranding of Digital station DIG. SIG was rebranded Double J on 20 April 2015. Today’s Double J and DAB+ and the original 2JJ Sydney on AM share little in common.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
