Barbara Crampton made her name in campy 80’s Horror classics like Re-Animator, From Beyond and Chopping Mall. After the Golden Age of the genre, she continued steady work in the B-movie field, and in 2015 proved a particularly hot commodity, starring in five films. She always lights up a screen, and her talent and beauty have not diminished a bit over her thirty year career.
Watching Easybeats videos in remembrance of singer Stevie Wright, I stumbled on this cover from last year’s Australian, Bruce Springsteen tour. Watching Springsteen attack the bouncy, can’t-wait-for-the- weekend anthem, with his raspy delivery and aggressive demeanor, makes for a fascinating study in contrasts. Fortunately, because it’s The Boss, it totally works. R.I.P. Stevie.
The Easybeats were Australia’s finest proponents of 60’s Garage Beat, Pop and Psych, and Stevie Wright was undoubtedly one of the finest singers to emerge from that scene. With 1966’s slice of pure Pop perfection, Friday on My Mind, The Easybeats cracked the Top 20 in both the US and UK, a feat that no future Easy’s single was able to repeat. Their lack of international follow up success is as confounding as it is a shame, as The Easybeats were clearly one of the era’s best. Thankfully their homeland gave the boys the chart topping success that they deserved with three numbers ones, and a string of successful singles.
The good news is that there is a substantial amount of footage of the band in their prime, which clearly backs their legend. Enjoy.
From the bands 1968 Pop Psych masterpiece, Vigil, which featured the party rocker, Good Times, which has become a staple of numerous bands live sets over the ensuing years.
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