THE EASYBEATS : Friday On My Mind (1966)

In the beginning, there were The Beatles, then there was...everyone else! The Easybeats were one of Australia's top bands in the 1960s, bringing the British Invasion down under! This track was their biggest hit, mainly because it broke big in the UK and Europe. As such, these guys will always show up on almost every '60s Beat compilation. But truly, they had SO many more good songs than this one, so they're worth digging into.

Here's a blurb:
"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the British Invasion-style number became a worldwide hit, making #1 in Australia, #6 in the UK, #16 in the USA, and charting in several other countries. In 2001, it was voted "Best Australian Song" of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association.

The minor-key verses of "Friday on My Mind" depict the tedium and drudgery of the work week, taking each day at a time ("Monday morning feels so bad/Coming Tuesday I feel better"). These verses are adorned with a Middle Eastern-sounding guitar figure. The build-up to the chorus features a slowly rising vocal, culminating with a shout of "Cos I'll have Friday on my mind!", and launching into a major-key refrain celebrating the pleasures of the weekend in the city.

Though the song has long been termed a "working class anthem", George Young maintained it had "more to do with their outlook on the world than any class statement". According to Harry Vanda, the track's distinctive guitar opening was inspired by a film performance featuring The Swingle Singers: "It went tudutudutudu, which made us all laugh. In the train back from the gig, we were imitating them and suddenly it sounded good. They became the first notes of Friday On My Mind." (Wikipedia)

Song: "Friday On My Mind"
Single A-side (Parlophone) Nov. 17, 1966

LINEUP:
Stevie Wright : vocals
George Young : guitar
Harry Vanda : guitar
Dick Diamonde : bass
Gordon "Snowy" Henry Fleet : drums

Of course, after the band split in 1970, guitarists George Young and Harry Vanda went on to be successful producers in Australia, including the first SEVEN albums by AC/DC! (NOTE: George Young is the big brother of Angus & Malcolm Young from AC/DC). These guys will get their own post later...

Get it here : Friday On My Mind

As a bonus, here is David Bowie's version of the song from his 1973 album "Pinups":

Get it here : David Bowie - Friday On My Mind