The 69'ers

The 69'ers

Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1969 in Sydney, Australia
Defunct	February 1976
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Products	Albums, singles

The 69'ers emerged in 1969 as an Australian ensemble blending rock, pop, jug band, and country influences. Their discography includes two albums: The 69'ers Album (1971) and Francis Butlers 69er's Live (1974). They toured extensively across Australia and were regular performers at the Sunbury Pop Festival from 1972 through 1975. The group experienced multiple personnel shifts, including a period with two rival lineups, before dissolving in February 1976. According to rock historian Ian McFarlane, their sound was a "good-time mix of vintage rock'n'roll, jugband music and country-swing," characterized by a "boisterous, zany and garrulous" approach.

Early years

Originating in Sydney in 1969 as an acoustic jug band, The 69'ers initially consisted of Malcolm Billdream on washboard, Francis Butler handling guitar, lead vocals, harmonica, and kazoo, Graham Coop on guitar, and Alex Smith playing bass guitar. Butler had prior experience with Lepers Profound. After entering the "New Sounds of '69" competition hosted by Martin Erdman and radio station 2UW during mid-1969, they secured a contract with Erdman’s independent label Du Monde. Keyboardist Paul Wylde joined the ensemble shortly thereafter.

By 1970, the group had streamlined into a trio featuring Butler alongside Brian Bethell (bass guitar, guitar, vocals) and Keith Longman (drums, vocals). Their first single was a rendition of the Even Dozen Jug Band's "On the Road Again" backed with "Cup of Tea Take Three." Throughout the decade, they built a loyal following within Sydney's club scene and cultivated a devoted audience around Collaroy through frequent performances at the 1066 Wine Bar.

The 69'ers Album

December 1971 saw the release of their second single, "Morning Blues" paired with "Push Bike Hood." Both tracks were included on their debut album for Du Monde, The 69'ers Album (1971), which was distributed by Festival Records. Produced by Erdman, the album featured four original compositions alongside various cover songs. Contributions from session musicians such as Buddy Emmons on steel guitar, Keith Harris on banjo, Col Nolan on piano, as well as future members Peter Knox and Dave Ovendon on vocals enriched the record. Knox joined in 1971 bringing skills on bass, guitar, and vocals; his background included work with Red McKelvie's Third Union Band and the Original Batterea Heroes.

The band drew substantial crowds at outdoor festivals around Sydney including the Odyssey festival at Wallacia in January 1971 and the Bungool Festival near Windsor during the New Year weekend spanning 1972-1973. Their touring schedule regularly encompassed Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth with a focus on dance halls and pub venues.

Sunbury 1973 Rock Festival success

In August 1972, The 69'ers issued their third single—a cover of Ray Davies's "Harry Rag." At this time, Dave Ovendon had taken up drums and vocal duties while Bethell returned to lead guitar; the lineup comprised Butler, Bethell, Knox, and Ovendon. Their performance at the second Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973 was described as a "riotous set." The closing number "Harry Rag" became synonymous with their act despite not achieving chart success. This track was featured on The Great Australian Rock Festival Sunbury 1973, a triple live compilation released by Mushroom Records. Fans frequently called out for "Harry Rag!" following shows.

After their Sunbury appearance, the Melbourne Truth dubbed them the Clown Princes of Sunbury amid some controversy surrounding explicit lyrics in "The 69'ers Theme" and reports that Knox invited female admirers backstage during a March concert. In late April that year, they re-recorded "Harry Rag" at TCS Studios in Melbourne with an updated lineup.

The division

In April 1973, Brian Bethell, Peter Knox, and Dave Ovendon parted ways with Butler and brought in Tony Burkys (formerly of Original Battersea Heroes), renaming their band Peter Knox's New Improved 69'ers. Meanwhile, Butler established Francis Butler's Original 69'ers, recruiting Ray Ferguson (guitar, vocals), Peter Jarman (drums), and Terry Stacey (bass). In November, John 'Ernie' McInerney took over drumming duties from Jarman.

According to Stacey, the two ensembles showcased different musical approaches: both maintained their raw humor and lively stage presence; however, Butler’s group embraced a jug-band style infused with country-rock elements, highlighted by his Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and original compositions. Knox’s outfit leaned towards jazz-inspired renditions of swing, doo-wop, and jazz standards alongside familiar tunes. By October 1973, Butler’s band reverted to The 69’ers name and toured along Australia’s East Coast and South Australia. Knox’s band underwent name changes to Omnibus and later Locoweed before dissolving in early 1974.

Sunbury '74

At the January 1974 Sunbury Pop Festival, The 69'ers—comprising Butler, Ferguson, McInerney, and Stacey—performed before an audience of 30,000. Butler delivered "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)" while connected to a 100-metre microphone cable, prompting the crowd to demand an encore of "Harry Rag." Their set ended with a cream pie fight involving the band members, compere Molly Meldrum, road crew, and sound technicians.

Early that year saw the release of a live album titled Francis Butler's 69'ers Live, recorded at the previous year's Sunbury Festival featuring the lineup of Butler, Knox, Bethell, and Ovenden. The album included "Harry Rag" but credited only Butler on its cover. Despite their dynamic live shows, they remained a cult favorite without charting hits. In March, Stacey departed and was replaced by returning Knox who soon left again; Clive Wharton then joined on bass and backing vocals.

Final lineup

The 69'ers issued their last single in 1974, "Flash" / "Back Seat Drivin'," through the independent Earth label. This release featured Butler, Ferguson, McInerney, and Wharton. They continued performing across Sydney and regional New South Wales. Later that year McInerney left to join Richard Clapton's backing band and was succeeded by Rob Harris, who was shortly replaced by Rob Coady. By August 1975, Ferguson, Wharton, and Coady exited to create Flash Harry's Iceberg. The final roster consisted of Butler, Ian Cameron (guitar), Tom Callaghan (drums), and Lindsay Osborne (bass). The group officially disbanded in February 1976.

Subsequent activities

By 1975 Brian Bethall and Dave Ovendon had become part of Richard Clapton's backing band and contributed to his top-five Australian single "Girls on the Avenue." During the 1980s Bethall performed with UK bands Nine Below Zero and The Blow Monkeys. In 1977 Peter Knox formed Toons alongside Gavin Hodel and Ian Willis. By 1979 Knox adopted the stage name Izzy Forreal and founded the R&B ensemble The Fabulous Zarsoff Brothers with Greg Deane (Bernie Zarsoff), Tony Grose (Bluey Zarsoff), and Tony Verhoeven (Terry Zarsoff). They released two albums—Rude Awakening (1984) and Chockablock Full of Live Zarsoffs (1985)—via Browneye Gramophonics before disbanding in 1988. In 1978 Francis Butler issued a solo religious album entitled There Is no Escape on the independent Rhema label prior to relocating to the United States to pursue work as a religious minister. Peter Knox passed away from a heart attack in June 2014.

Members

• Francis Butler – guitar, vocals, harmonica, kazoo (1969–1976)
• Brian Bethall – bass guitar, vocals (1969–1973)
• Keith Longman – drums, vocals (1969–1972)
• Peter Knox – bass, vocals (1972–1973, 1974; deceased 2014)
• Dave Ovendon – drums, vocals (1972–1973)
• Tony Burkys – guitar (1973)
• Ray Ferguson – guitar, vocals, flute, kazoo (1973–1974)
• John (Ernie) McInerney – drums (1973–1974)
• Terry Stacey – bass guitar, kazoo, vocals (1973–1974)
• Clive Wharton – bass guitar, backing vocals (1974–1975)
• Rob Harris – drums (1974)
• Rob Coady – drums (1974–1975)
• Tom Callaghan – drums (1975–1976)
• Ian Cameron – guitar (1975–1976)
• Lindsay Osborne – bass (1975–1976)

Singles

• "On the Road" / "Cup of Tea Take Three" - 1970
• "Morning Blues" / "Push Bike Hood" - 1971
• "Harry Rag" / "Happiness is Just for Me" - 1972
• "Harry Rag" / "Blood Flash" / "Rag Mama" - 1973
• "Flash" / "Back Seat Drivin'" - 1974

Albums

• The 69er's Album - 1971
• Francis Butlers 69er's Live - 1974

Compilation albums

• The Great Australian Rock Festival - 1973 – features "Harry Rag"
• So You Wanna Be a Rock'n Roll Star - 1988 – includes "On The Road Again"
• The Du Monde Years - 2006 – contains "Go Back Home," "Harry Rag," and live recordings

References

Notes

General

Specific

External links

• Odyssey Music Festival - Wallacia 1971