| MILESAGO: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975 | Groups & Solo Artists |
BILLY ADAMS
Melbourne, 1960s
Billy -- whose real name was William Tregonning -- started his pop career as lead singer of Melbourne rock'n'roll band The Checkmates from 1961-63. He became popular on the local dance and disco scene in the mid-60s, and this led to regular appearances on The Go!! Show and a recording contract with the Go!! label.
Billy was perhaps not the greatest singer, but he was a competent and personable performer. His trademark was his outlandish bouffant hairdo which, according to Noel McGrath, he was eventually obliged to trim back after hundreds of letters of complaint from Go!! Show viewers.
Billy's only hit was a cover of Eddy Quinteros' 1960 hit "Slow Down Sandy". His four subsequent Singles failed to chart and he eventually left the music scene and took a job in promotions with a major Melbourne department store.
Discography
Singles
July 1965
"Slow Down Sandy" (Quinteros) / "Alone" (Alan Brite)
(GO!! G-5007)
December 1965
"I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" (Buddy Knox) / "Shirley Lee" (Trammell)
(Go!! G-5017)
April 1966
"Lookin' For Love" (Orbison-Nelson) / "All Time Loser" (June Sparks)
(GO!! G-5025)
October 1966
"Dancing In Her Eyes" Bradley-Mason) / "Come Dance With Me" (Quinteros)
(GO!! G-5035)
December 1966
"Change Your Mind" / "I Fall To You"
(GO!! G-5042)
Albums
Billy Adams never released an LP but several of his songs were included on the compilation LPs in the Go!! Hitmakers series in the 1960s.
"Lookin' For Love" and "Slow Down Sandy" were included on Go!! Hitmakers Volume 1 (Go!! GLP-3002), and "Slow Down Sandy" was also
included on the compilations Australian Rock Heritage Volume 1 (Astor ALPS-1063) and Oz Rock Classics;
"I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" and "Shirley Lee" were included on Go!! Hitmakers Volume 2 (Go!! GLP-3005);
"Dancing In Her Eyes" appeared on Go!! Hitmakers Volume 3
References / Links
Joyson, Vernon
Dreams, Fantasies & Nightmares: Australia
(Borderline Books, 1995)
Laird, Ross
The Sixties: Australian Rock & Pop Recordings 1964-1969
(ScreenSound Australia)
McFarlane, Ian
Encylopedia of Australian Rock & Pop
(Allen & Unwin, 1999)
McGrath, Noel
Australian Encyclopedia of Rock
(Outback Press, 1978)
Spencer Chris, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry
Who's Who of Australian Rock (Five Mile Press, 2002)