The lost history of jazz on early Australian popular music television
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jazz.v8i1-2.26858Keywords:
Television, Public Service Broadcasting, Australian popular musicAbstract
This article seeks to develop existing cultural histories of genre and broadcasting in Australia. I argue that jazz was present on early music television but its history as such has been lost, and by extension, the genre’s contribution to broader popular music legacies in Australia has been overlooked. The article draws on original production documents for the pioneering local public service broadcaster program, Six O’Clock Rock, a programme from the late 1950s and early 1960s that featured an equal mix of jazz and pop/rock during its debut season. This mix was later replaced with a more homogeneous rock and pop schedule; however the question of why jazz was replaced has yet to be addressed.
References
Allan, B. (2002) ‘Music Television’. In Television: Critical Methods and Applications (Second Edition), ed. J. G. Butler, 219–52. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Austerlitz, Saul (2007) Money for Nothing: A History of Music Video from The Beatles to the White Stripes. New York: Continuum.
Baker, Sarah, and Alison Huber (2012) ‘“Masters of our own destiny”: Cultures of Preservation in the Victorian Jazz Archive in Melbourne, Australia’. Popular Music History 7/3: 263–82.
Barry, Keith (1957) ‘Overseas Visit: Report from the Controller of Programmes—Dated 16th November 1957’. Report No. 48, unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1959) ‘Six O’Clock Rock: 7 August 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
Bowden, Tim (2006) 50 Years: Aunty’s Jubilee. Sydney: ABC Books.
Bryden-Brown, John (1982) JO’K: The Official Johnny O’Keefe Story. Sydney: Doubleday.
Clarke, Bruce (2003) ‘Television’. In Currency Companion to Music and Dance in Australia, ed. J. Whiteoak and A. Scott-Maxwell, 645–48. Sydney: Currency Press.
Frith, S. (2002) ‘Look! Hear! The Uneasy Relationship of Music and Television’. Popular Music 21/3: 277–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0261143002002180
Giuffre, Liz (2009) ‘Maintaining Rage: Counting Down without a Host for 20 Years’. Perfect Beat (special issue on Music and Television) 10/1: 39–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/prbt.v10i1.39
——(2012) ‘Trivial Pursuits: The Resurgence of Music Quiz Programmes on Australian Television’. Metro Magazine 166: 132–36.
——(2013) ‘Countdown and Cult Music Television Programmes: An Australian Case Study’. Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media 6 (Autumn/Winter): 31–56.
Goodwin, A. (1992) Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture. London: Routledge.
Johnson, Bruce (1987) The Oxford Companion to Australian Jazz. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
——(2000) The Inaudible Music: Jazz, Gender and Australian Modernity. Sydney: Currency Press.
Lee, Lonnie (2007) Six O’Clock Rock: The Facts. 2nd ed. Liverpool, NSW: Starlite Publishing.
McKee, Alan (2011) ‘YouTube versus the National Film and Sound Archive: Which is the More Useful Resource for Historians of Australian Television?’ Television and New Media 12/2: 154–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1527476410365707
Musgrave, Nan (1959) ‘Television Parade’. Australian Women’s Weekly, 18 March: 74.
Porter, David (1959a) ‘Six O’Clock Rock: 4 August, 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1959b) ‘TV Light Entertainment Programmes August/September 1959: 10 August 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1959c) ‘Adsyd to AdMelb Neil from Porter, 12/8/59’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
Rogers, Bob and O’Brien, Denis (1975): Rock ’n’ Roll Australia: The Australian Pop Scene 1954–1964. Sydney: Cassell.
Semmler, Clement (1959) ‘TV Light Entertainment Programme: “Six O’Clock Rock”: 28 February, 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1981) The ABC-Aunt Sally and Sacred Cow. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
SMH (1958) ‘Sydney Morning Herald’s Guide to TV Programmes on All Channels’. Sydney Morning Herald, 1 December 1958: 14, accessed via Google News. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19581201&printsec=frontpage&hl=en (accessed 18 October 2014).
Stockbridge, S. (1989) ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Television’. Cultural Studies 3/1: 73–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09502388900490051
——(1992a) ‘From Bandstand and Six O’Clock Rock to MTV and Rage: Rock Music on Australian Television’. In From Pop to Punk to Postmodernism: Popular Music and Australian Culture from the 1960s to the 1990s, ed. P. Hayward, 68–85. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
——(1992b) ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Television’. In Stay Tuned: An Australian Broadcasting Reader, ed. A. Moran, 135–42. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Wald, Elijah (2009): How The Beatles Destroyed Rock and Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Webber, Bruce (1960) ‘Six O’Clock Rock: Equity Award, 10/3/60’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
Young, Denise (2006) ‘Six O’Clock Rock’. Meanjin 65/3: 24–27.
Austerlitz, Saul (2007) Money for Nothing: A History of Music Video from The Beatles to the White Stripes. New York: Continuum.
Baker, Sarah, and Alison Huber (2012) ‘“Masters of our own destiny”: Cultures of Preservation in the Victorian Jazz Archive in Melbourne, Australia’. Popular Music History 7/3: 263–82.
Barry, Keith (1957) ‘Overseas Visit: Report from the Controller of Programmes—Dated 16th November 1957’. Report No. 48, unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1959) ‘Six O’Clock Rock: 7 August 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
Bowden, Tim (2006) 50 Years: Aunty’s Jubilee. Sydney: ABC Books.
Bryden-Brown, John (1982) JO’K: The Official Johnny O’Keefe Story. Sydney: Doubleday.
Clarke, Bruce (2003) ‘Television’. In Currency Companion to Music and Dance in Australia, ed. J. Whiteoak and A. Scott-Maxwell, 645–48. Sydney: Currency Press.
Frith, S. (2002) ‘Look! Hear! The Uneasy Relationship of Music and Television’. Popular Music 21/3: 277–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0261143002002180
Giuffre, Liz (2009) ‘Maintaining Rage: Counting Down without a Host for 20 Years’. Perfect Beat (special issue on Music and Television) 10/1: 39–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/prbt.v10i1.39
——(2012) ‘Trivial Pursuits: The Resurgence of Music Quiz Programmes on Australian Television’. Metro Magazine 166: 132–36.
——(2013) ‘Countdown and Cult Music Television Programmes: An Australian Case Study’. Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media 6 (Autumn/Winter): 31–56.
Goodwin, A. (1992) Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music Television and Popular Culture. London: Routledge.
Johnson, Bruce (1987) The Oxford Companion to Australian Jazz. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
——(2000) The Inaudible Music: Jazz, Gender and Australian Modernity. Sydney: Currency Press.
Lee, Lonnie (2007) Six O’Clock Rock: The Facts. 2nd ed. Liverpool, NSW: Starlite Publishing.
McKee, Alan (2011) ‘YouTube versus the National Film and Sound Archive: Which is the More Useful Resource for Historians of Australian Television?’ Television and New Media 12/2: 154–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1527476410365707
Musgrave, Nan (1959) ‘Television Parade’. Australian Women’s Weekly, 18 March: 74.
Porter, David (1959a) ‘Six O’Clock Rock: 4 August, 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1959b) ‘TV Light Entertainment Programmes August/September 1959: 10 August 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1959c) ‘Adsyd to AdMelb Neil from Porter, 12/8/59’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
Rogers, Bob and O’Brien, Denis (1975): Rock ’n’ Roll Australia: The Australian Pop Scene 1954–1964. Sydney: Cassell.
Semmler, Clement (1959) ‘TV Light Entertainment Programme: “Six O’Clock Rock”: 28 February, 1959’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
——(1981) The ABC-Aunt Sally and Sacred Cow. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
SMH (1958) ‘Sydney Morning Herald’s Guide to TV Programmes on All Channels’. Sydney Morning Herald, 1 December 1958: 14, accessed via Google News. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19581201&printsec=frontpage&hl=en (accessed 18 October 2014).
Stockbridge, S. (1989) ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Television’. Cultural Studies 3/1: 73–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09502388900490051
——(1992a) ‘From Bandstand and Six O’Clock Rock to MTV and Rage: Rock Music on Australian Television’. In From Pop to Punk to Postmodernism: Popular Music and Australian Culture from the 1960s to the 1990s, ed. P. Hayward, 68–85. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
——(1992b) ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Television’. In Stay Tuned: An Australian Broadcasting Reader, ed. A. Moran, 135–42. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Wald, Elijah (2009): How The Beatles Destroyed Rock and Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Webber, Bruce (1960) ‘Six O’Clock Rock: Equity Award, 10/3/60’. Unpublished internal ABC communication held in National Archives, Sydney, accessed May 2014.
Young, Denise (2006) ‘Six O’Clock Rock’. Meanjin 65/3: 24–27.
Published
2015-06-16
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Giuffre, L. (2015). The lost history of jazz on early Australian popular music television. Jazz Research Journal, 8(1-2), 126-143. https://doi.org/10.1558/jazz.v8i1-2.26858
