Song of the Day
The Easybeats vs Richard Thompson---Two Versions of Friday on My Mind
Friday on My Mind- Richard Thompson I love this cover of the old Easybeat's song by folk rocker Richard Thompson. The sound of his custom made Lowden L32C cutaway guitar is amazing. The Lowden L32 (before it, the Lowden L27C) only 6 string guitar I've ever heard that resonates like a 12 string guitar and has the fast fretboard action of Stratocaster. A guitar like the L32C will cost you about $6500, depending on availability. Most of Lowden guitars are special ordered and it's very rare to come across a new one in the retail market. Every Lowden guitar is handmade by one of ten skilled craftsmen under the supervision of master guitarmaker George Lowden in
a little shop in Downpatrick Northern Island..
When the Easybeats were at the top of the charts with
Friday on My Mind in the summer of 1967, Richard Thompson had just formed the first edition of Fairport Convention, a band that was originally influenced by California folk rockers like the Byrds, Joni Mitchell, the Mamas and the Papas and Emitt Rhodes. That all changed when singer Judy Dyble was replaced by the brilliant Sandy Denny in mid-1968 and Denny reshaped the Fair into a folk rock outfit with distinctive Celtic and British Isles folk influences.
Does anyone know who the identity of the all girl group backing Thompson? I thought it might be a couple of members of Lucious Jackson but I'm not sure.
Friday on My Mind- The Easybeats 1967 original of
Friday on My Mind by the Easybeats. I forgot how much I liked this group. They were an archetypal Brit band with their matching tailored jackets, the mod hairdos and their irrreverant humor.
Intrestingly enough the band was formed in Syndney and the singer and the drummer were from Liverpool, the rythym guitarist and the bassist were from the Netherlands and the lead guitarist was from Scotland. The band relocated to England in 1967.
Doesn't lead singer Stevie Wright have an uncomfortable resembalance to Davy Jones of the Monkees? Nonetheless, Stevie has his own impish stage personae which made him an unique frontman for the group.
BTW, the lead guitarist George Young is the older brother Angus and Malcom Young of AC/DC.
CONCLUSION: Both versions are great, so I'm giving the nod to the original version by the Easybeats which I usually do when it's a close call between two competing versions of the same song.