Go-Set

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Go-Set
Victoria, Australia
St Kilda
Carlton
Sydney, New South Wales

Go-Set was the first Australian

Ian "Molly" Meldrum, rock writer / music historian Ed Nimmervoll and radio DJ Stan Rofe.[2] It spawned the original Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine in late 1972.[2][4]

History

Foundation: 1964–1967

1st issue, 2 February 1966

In 1964,

manager, Peter Raphael, joined Frazer and Schauble and together they founded Go-Set Publications. Raphael brought in photographer Colin Beard and advertising manager Terry Cleary. Waverley Press, which owned Waverley Offset Printers, had printed Lot's Wife, and agreed to print Go-Set on credit. Schauble, Frazer and Panther produced the newspaper from their home in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern.[2]

The first edition of Go-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 the military draft, was described as a feature writer.[2] The first issue showcased Tom Jones (see right) and Herman's Hermits interviewed by Panther and photographed by Colin Beard at Palais Theatre, St Kilda. Initial sales were low, about 3000 to 5000 but Issue 3, which covered The Rolling Stones tour in Melbourne and Sydney, doubled their sales.[2]

Initially Go-Set was intended for Melbourne distribution only. A book distributor, Bill Robinson, managed circulation throughout

Victoria, and several weeks later the newspaper was introduced to Sydney 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 for Western 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 for Go-Set in July 1966,

swinging 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 for Normie Rowe as 'Best Male Vocal', Lynne Randell as 'Best Girl Vocal' and The Easybeats as 'Best Group'.[3] The following year, Normie Rowe was crowned as the inaugural 'King of Pop' on TV series The Go!! Show, also on Channel 0.[3][6]

Go-Set had become the indispensable chronicle of the local scene, described by Jim Keays, lead singer of The 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 with

The Small Faces, The Easybeats
and others.

In America they covered the

Sonny and Cher, The Mamas & the Papas and covered a recording session with The Byrds
. In Brett's absence, Meldrum became the principal local feature writer while Vera Kaas-Jager covered the local photography for Beard.

Offshoots: 1968–1973

August 1972

Over its nine-year history there were many significant additional contributors including

pen-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 for Go-Set from August 1966 until its demise in 1974. His writing style represented his own

in jokes. Meldrum became editor of a monthly Go-Set offshoot, Gas, which was aimed at younger teen girls and was first published in October 1968 with a feature on The Monkees; its last issue was in March 1971.[citation needed
]

Nimmervoll, an architecture student, started with Go-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 editing Go-Set's

counter-culture supplement, Core, which was influenced by the US magazine Rolling 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, and High Times, co-founded with Macy McFarland and Pat Woolley, which published August 1971 – 1 January 1972. Frazer left Go-Set in February 1972 (after Waverley Press took control of the company) and founded The Digger in September 1972. Frazer also launched the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine first as a supplement in the fourth issue of Revolution, then as a fully-fledged magazine in early 1972. Frazer left Rolling Stone Australia in 1974 but continued with The 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 on The 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 bought Go-Set and relocated its headquarters to Sydney.[2]

Last edition and beyond: 1974–current

In December 1973, Nimmervoll left Go-Set and founded Juke Magazine in 1975. Subsequently, he established Take 40 Australia and, since 2000, he has edited HowlSpace, 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 the

IPC Magazines, after which Go-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 of

Hey Hey Its Saturday
.

Frazer has edited and managed political magazines in America and, with Jim Hightower, published The Hightower Lowdown, a progressive political newsletter, from 1999 through 2013, after which he returned to Australia.[12]

In 2012, Brett published

Prix Medicis étranger in France.[15]

Go-Set Australian national charts

From March 1966, Go-Set published radio station

Perth.[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 first Kent Music Report was published by David Kent, which became Australia's official national charts. The Kent Music Report appeared just before the last Go-Set charts were published on 24 August 1974.[17]

References

  1. ^ Barry McKay (2006). "Where to find publicly available copies of Go-Set". Pop Archives. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k David Martin Kent (September 2002). The place of Go-Set in rock and pop music culture in Australia, 1966 to 1974 (PDF). University of Canberra (MA). Canberra, A.C.T. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2015. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1
    . Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  4. ^ a b Kent, David M. (2000). "Go-Set: Life and Death of an Australian Pop Magazine". Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  5. ^ a b Jeffrey Turnbul. "Go-Set Australian Chart Website: What was Go-Set". Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  6. ^ "Top 40 TV". Televisionau.com. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "Go-Set Australian charts - 5 October 1966". Pop Archives. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  8. ^ Clarke, Julie (2 May 2006). "Starstruck boy from Oz made it". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  9. ^ Menzel, Maree (22 July 1972). "For you and your guy". Go-Set. p. 21.
  10. ^ "Howlspace: the living history of our music". MusicAustralia. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2008.
  11. ^ "Ed Nimmervoll". MusicAustralia. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  12. ^ Phillip Frazer (7 March 2009). "The Lowdown is 10!". Hightower Lowdown. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  13. ^ "The Interview: Lily Brett".
  14. ^ "Miles Franklin Literary Award, The 2013 Longlist". The Trust Company. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  15. ^ "Prix Médicis 2014 : Antoine Volodine supplante Éric Reinhardt". Le Figaro (in French). 4 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  16. ^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 23 May 1970". Pop Archives. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  17. ^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 24 August 1974". Pop Archives. Retrieved 27 March 2009.

External links

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