15 December 2022

Most people I know think that I'm crazy

Thursday music corner: Manchester-born Billy Thorpe (1946-2007) arrived with his parents in Australia as a child. In 1964 he had his first hits with the Aztecs, which for a time until the emergence of the Easybeats was Australia's preeminent beat group. After a much-publicised bankruptcy and a hiatus for the Aztecs, the band had a new lease of life and adopted a louder, blues-rock style that built a considerable live following and eventually paid major dividends. 

Their most well-remembered track, Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy), was popularised by this storming live performance at the January 1972 Sunbury Music Festival (which also featured emigre New Zealanders The La De Das and Max Merritt & the Meteors). The single version of the song reached number 2 in the Australian charts and the August 1972 double live album Aztecs Live at Sunbury reached number 4 in the Australian album charts and was certified gold four times over.

Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs - Most People I Know (Think I'm Crazy) (live, 1972)

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