Thorpe

Billy Thorpe is one of the enigmas of Australian music, a man of many careers. It began in Brisbane when the young Thorpe was overheard by a television producer playing his guitar and singing at the back of his parents' Brisbane store. At the age of ten he was appearing regularly on Queensland television and appearing on the same stage as many of the top artists of the day. When he was 17 he moved to Sydney as a solo country/pop singer just as the Beatles were breaking. Always one to recognize opportunity knocking, Thorpe teamed up with instrumental band the Aztecs and together they became one of the first Australian groups to contribute to the new '60s era of pop, in June 1964 scoring a huge national hit with their version of the Rolling Stones' version of "Poison Ivy."

Children of the Sun is the third studio album by Australian musician Billy Thorpe, released in 1979. The album spawned the singles "Wrapped in the Chains of Your Love", "Goddess of the Night", "Children of the Sun" and "Simple Life". This was the only official CD release of "Children of the Sun". It was only released in Australia, and has the original mix of the title track, as opposed to the remix version that appears on the "Revisited" CD.

While by no means the first of Australia's outdoor rock festivals, for better or worse, Sunbury soon assumed the mantle of "Australia's Woodstock". It was held at the end of January, 1972, over the Australia Day long weekend. The venue was a natural amphitheatre site on farmland near Sunbury, a rural town north of Melbourne, Victoria. The Aztecs shared billing with Spectrum/Murtceps, The La De Das, Max Merritt & the Meteors, SCRA, Pirana, Greg Quill's Country Radio and many others.

This is the debut solo album from former (unique Kendal foursome) Wild Beasts frontman Hayden Thorpe. Written in California, Cornwall and at home in London. The reincarnation of Hayden Thorpe was recorded with Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno/David Byrne) at Hayden’s London home and at Leo’s Cornish studio. Portentous piano announces the Hayden Thorpe album. The easy dulcet tones which are at times cool, calm and collected but can so easily climb to a mercurial falsetto. Emotive and passionate tones are evocative of sadness, time passing and peaceful acceptance.