Soundtrack to your studies - 1968

The old way of doing things was still in evidence at the Graduation Ball, which both took place at the Peter Pan Cabaret at the top of Queen Street and had attendees dancing with their partners to the music of a big band.

However the musical tastes on campus were a world away. In the early 60s, Craccum had almost entirely focused its musical coverage on jazz and classical music, but now folk music also appeared alongside the most interesting rock releases. 

The university’s folk club was very active and often invited outside performers, such as the Wynyard Tavern Folk Club, guitarist/singer John Sutherland and Roger Giles (singer of British folk songs and longtime president of the Devonport Folk Club) . The oddest was the Mad Dog, Jug, Jook, and Washboard band who used jugs, horns, and a tea chest bass, though the band was fronted by talented musician Peter Kershaw who was later a member of Killing Floor and Cruise Lane. Members of the folk club also attended the Banjo Pickers Convention in Hamilton at Easter - the largest conglomeration of folkies in the country. 

In the past, the Capping Revue had been a central event on the calendar but poor attendance had seen it gradually decline in importance. Instead the focus turned to the yearly Arts Festival. A large stage was erected outside of the Auckland University Student Union building, which had only recently been completed.

More high profile performances also took place at the Auckland Town Hall. The range of music on offer went from the most traditional… 

To the most en vogue…

The main event was a mixed show of jazz and blues, with the highlight being an appearance by popular singer Tommy Adderly and Wayne Senior with an 18-piece jazz band. Elsewhere the mood once again swung again towards folk, with shows by The Windy City Strugglers and Val Murphy performing with the Hamilton Country Bluegrass Band, who were regulars on TV show, That’s Country. Here they are performing on Australia TV a few years later.

The festival tried to capture the zeitgeist by replacing its usual dance with a ‘freak out,’ which had a full psychedelic lighting set-up and a performance by blues-rock act The Underdogs. 

The winner of the Loxene Golden Disc that year was a foregone conclusion given that Alison Durbin’s ‘I Have Loved Me A Man’ had sold over 30,000 copies. She subsequently moved to Australia where she filmed the clip below of this song and went on to record a top-selling album of duets with John Farnham.

The biggest international to visit Auckland that year were The Who. They played at the Auckland Town Hall and if you want to get a sense of what it was like then here’s a photo from their Wellington show during the same trip.

And here’s a clip from around the time.

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.