 Go-Set logo 1969–1972 | |
| Former editors | Tony Schauble Phillip Frazer Doug Panther Jon Hawkes Colin James Piotre Olszewski Ed Nimmervoll Jenny Irvine |
|---|---|
| Categories | pop music |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Publisher | Go-Set Publications Waverley Press Sungravure IPC |
| First issue | 2 February 1966 |
| Final issue | 24 August 1974 |
| Country | Australia |
| Based in | Malvern,Victoria, Australia St Kilda Carlton Sydney,New South Wales |
Go-Set was the first Australianpop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974,[1] and was founded inMelbourne byPhillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble.[2][3] Widely described as a pop music "bible",[4][5] it became an influential publication, introduced the first national pop record charts and featured many notable contributors including fashion designerPrue Acton, journalistLily Brett, rock writer / band managerVince Lovegrove, music commentatorIan "Molly" Meldrum, rock writer / music historianEd Nimmervoll and radio DJStan Rofe.[2] It spawned the original Australian edition ofRolling Stone magazine in late 1972.[2][4]
In 1964,Monash University student newspaperChaos' co-editors, John Blakeley,Damien Broderick and Tony Schauble, renamed the paperLot's Wife. Phillip Frazer was a staffer and later became co-editor with future parliamentarianPeter Steedman. Late in 1965, Schauble, Frazer, Broderick, and another student writer, Doug Panther, discussed ideas to make money during the holidays including the idea to create a teen-orientedpop music newspaper. Local rock group The Mood'smanager, Peter Raphael, joined Frazer and Schauble and together they founded Go-Set Publications. Raphael brought in photographerColin Beard and advertising manager Terry Cleary. Waverley Press, which owned Waverley Offset Printers, had printedLot's Wife, and agreed to printGo-Set on credit. Schauble, Frazer and Panther produced the newspaper from their home in theMelbourne suburb ofMalvern.[2]
The first edition ofGo-Set, dated 2 February 1966, was published with Schauble cited as editor because Frazer, a medical student, asked to be listed in the low-key role of designer and Panther, who had not registered for themilitary draft, was described as a feature writer.[2] The first issue showcasedTom Jones (see right) andHerman's Hermits interviewed by Panther and photographed by Colin Beard atPalais Theatre,St Kilda. Initial sales were low, about 3000 to 5000 but Issue 3, which coveredThe Rolling Stones tour in Melbourne and Sydney, doubled their sales.[2]
InitiallyGo-Set was intended for Melbourne distribution only. A book distributor, Bill Robinson, managed circulation throughoutVictoria, and several weeks later the newspaper was introduced toSydney and within its first year, all the remaining states. From 28 February 1966, the Go-Set office was three rooms at Charnwood Crescent, St Kilda until December 1970 when it relocated to Drummond Street,Carlton. Key staff included Tony Schauble as editor then manager, Phillip Frazer, who had switched to an arts degree at Monash, as co-editor, and Colin Beard as photographer. Peter Raphael was advertising manager assisted by Terry Cleary. Doug Panther continued as feature writer for several months before leaving forWestern Australia with Commonwealth Police and the Australian Army searching for him as a 'draft dodger'. Panther was replaced by Lily Brett who likes to recall that she got the job because she had a car. Other personnel were Honey Lea, originally a typist, who later became fashion editor when Prue Acton dropped out, and Sue Flett who wrote an advice column under the name Leslie Pixie.
Ian "Molly" Meldrum wrote his first story forGo-Set in July 1966,[3] and joined as a news, gossip and feature writer in August.[2] Frazer urged Meldrum to join week day, TV showKommotion onChannel 0 as a mimer[vague] so thatGo-Set could get more inside stories.[3] A key element in the early success of the newspaper was the centre page spread called "The Scene-The Seen", a weekly pictorial survey photographed by Beard in Melbourne and Grant Mudford in Sydney around the discos and dance halls. These were its original target audience - the thousands of teenagers, especially girls, caught up in the excitement of theswinging sixties, following their favourite local Rock group around the suburban dancehalls of Melbourne.Go-Set started its annual pop poll in October 1966 with readers voting forNormie Rowe as 'Best Male Vocal',Lynne Randell as 'Best Girl Vocal' andThe Easybeats as 'Best Group'.[3] The following year, Normie Rowe was crowned as the inaugural 'King of Pop' on TV seriesThe Go!! Show, also on Channel 0.[3][6]
Go-Set had become the indispensable chronicle of the local scene, described byJim Keays, lead singer ofThe Masters Apprentices, as the Australian music bible.[5] From 5 October 1966, it featured Australian singles charts[7] and international charts, local state gig listings and record reviews.
Go-Set developed an international focus when, in a promotional arrangement withBOAC airlines, Brett and Beard were flown toLondon and the USA. They spent four months in the United Kingdom from January 1967 touring with Australian singer Normie Rowe, and The Troggs,The Who,The Small Faces,The Easybeats and others.
In America they covered theNew York City scene and attended theMonterey Pop Festival from 16 to 19 June 1967. The first full colour centre spread was a Beard photograph ofJimi Hendrix taken at The Monterey Pop Festival. InLos Angeles they did personality stories and photographic fashion spreads withSonny and Cher,The Mamas & the Papas and covered a recording session withThe Byrds. In Brett's absence, Meldrum became the principal local feature writer while Vera Kaas-Jager covered the local photography for Beard.
Over its nine-year history there were many significant additional contributors includingDavid Elfick, Alex Pezzoni,Vince Lovegrove,Ed Nimmervoll,Stan Rofe,[citation needed]Stephen MacLean,[8]Wendy Saddington, Michele O'Driscoll (aka Mitch), Cleo Calvo (now singer, Clelia Adams), Eril Bilson, Philip Morris (photographer),Ian McCausland (graphics), Jon Hawkes (editor), Geoff Pendlebury (graphics), Geoff Watson (management) and his off-sider Margaret Rose Dunphy on bookkeeping and classifieds, Helen Hooper,Jean Bedford, andPat Wilson who wrote under thepen-name of "Mummy Cool" (1971–1972).[citation needed]Maree Menzel wrote quirky pages covering fashion and accessories, and often modelled for the illustrations as well, photographed by Ray Strong.[9]
Ian "Molly" Meldrum wrote a weekly column forGo-Set from August 1966 until its demise in 1974. His writing style represented his ownstream of consciousness and came across in the same "bumbling" manner which was to later be a hallmark of his public persona. His nickname "Molly" was given to him and first published inGo-Set in 1968 by fellow columnist and radio DJStan Rofe. Both Meldrum's and Rofe's columns contained many campin jokes. Meldrum became editor of a monthlyGo-Set offshoot,Gas, which was aimed at younger teen girls and was first published in October 1968 with a feature onThe Monkees; its last issue was in March 1971.[citation needed]
Nimmervoll, an architecture student, started withGo-Set as the compiler of the national Top 40 charts, beginning in February 1967. He then wrote feature stories and record reviews, and in December 1969 began editingGo-Set'scounter-culture supplement,Core, which was influenced by the US magazineRolling Stone.[2]
Founders, Schauble and Beard had left by February 1969 and Frazer became editor and publisher; Jon Hawkes joined as co-editor in April. Frazer launched two monthly counter-culture magazines,Revolution, which lasted from 1 May 1970 – 1 August 1971, andHigh Times, co-founded with Macy McFarland and Pat Woolley, which published August 1971 – 1 January 1972. Frazer leftGo-Set in February 1972 (after Waverley Press took control of the company) and foundedThe Digger in September 1972. Frazer also launched the Australian edition ofRolling Stone magazine first as a supplement in the fourth issue ofRevolution, then as a fully-fledged magazine in early 1972. Frazer leftRolling Stone Australia in 1974 but continued withThe Digger until December 1975, after which he moved to United States.[citation needed]
Go-Set reached its peak in circulation, with 72,000 copies per week, in June to December 1970. After Frazer left as editor in 1972 to concentrate onThe Digger, Piotre Olszewski was editor from May to July before Nimmervoll took over with Meldrum as co-editor. Nimmervoll remained until December 1973 when Sungravure Ltd boughtGo-Set and relocated its headquarters to Sydney.[2]
In December 1973, Nimmervoll leftGo-Set and foundedJuke Magazine in 1975. Subsequently, he establishedTake 40 Australia and, since 2000, he has editedHowlSpace, a website detailing Australian rock music history.[10] He is also an author of books on the same subject.[11]
By January 1974,Go-Set was sold to Sungravure Ltd (part of theFairfax company), with Jenny Irvine as editor. Reprints from UK and US papers replaced staff writing during 1973 and 1974. Sungravure was taken over byIPC Magazines, after whichGo-Set's circulation declined with the final issue being on 24 August 1974.[2]
Meldrum remained to the last issue and became an integral part ofAustralian Broadcasting Corporation TV pop music seriesCountdown, which began broadcasting nationally in November 1974. He initially worked behind the scenes as a "Talent Co-ordinator" but, from 1975, he became an on-screen host and developed a news and gossip segment titledHumdrum.Countdown re-united Meldrum with Grant Rule from hisKommotion days. AfterCountdown ended in 1987, Meldrum continued his music commentary for various TV shows, includingHey Hey Its Saturday.
Frazer has edited and managed political magazines in America and, withJim Hightower, publishedThe Hightower Lowdown, a progressive political newsletter, from 1999 through 2013, after which he returned to Australia.[12]
In 2012, Brett publishedLola Bensky, her sixth novel, a semi-autobiographical work of fiction based on her experiences as a writer forGo-Set.[13] The book was long-listed for theMiles Franklin Literary Award,[14] and won the 2014Prix Medicis étranger in France.[15]
From March 1966,Go-Set published radio station3UZ's Top 40 singles for Melbourne and2SM's King 40 for Sydney. A national Top 40 chart appeared on 5 October 1966 alongside top 15s from 2SM, 3UZ, 4BC inBrisbane, 5AD inAdelaide and 6KY inPerth.[7] In February 1967,Ed Nimmervoll compiled the national chart, with commentary and statistics.[2][7] The newspaper began publishing Australia's first national weekly album chart on 23 May 1970.[16]
In May 1974, the firstKent Music Report was published byDavid Kent, which became Australia's official national charts. The Kent Music Report appeared just before the lastGo-Set charts were published on 24 August 1974.[17]
