Soundtrack to your studies - 1966

One of the most important events on the student calendar was the Graduation Ball, which both took place at the Peter Pan Cabaret at the top of Queen Street with the Arthur Skelton orchestra providing music for dancing and a floorshow featuring vocalists from other notable venues around the city.

Jazz continued to be popular in the pages of Craccum and with the university having its own jazz club. However, this was the year that folk music began to have a real impact. The Folk Society put on their own concerts, to great acclaim.

There were also visits from overseas folkies, such as The New Christy Minstrels who were able to pack out the Auckland Town Hall, even if they aren’t a well-remembered act these days.

The Auckland Town Hall also had a show by singer Gale Garnett, who’d been born in New Zealand but moved to Canada when she was 11 years old. Her biggest hit ‘We’ll Sing In The Sunshine’ reached No.4 on the US Hot 100. She was also an actress, later appearing in the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and many TV series including Kojak.

The winner at that year’s local music awards, The Loxene Golden Awards, was Maria Dallas. Her song ‘Tumblin Down’ had been written by Jay Epae - a singer from Taranaki who’d already had an overseas hit after some time spent in the US (his song ‘Putti Putti’ sold over 50,000 copies in Sweden). However ‘Tumblin Down’ is the song that kiwi audiences will remember.

One of the biggest albums of the year was Bob Dylan’s Blonde On Blonde. He’d caused controversy in folk circles the year before by appearing with a full rock band but here he returns to just an acoustic guitar and harmonica for a rendition of ‘Just Like A Woman.’

What was on your turntable while you were on campus? Suggest songs to add to our 1960s playlist, and you could win $100 Flying Out voucher.