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One of Australia’s biggest bands of the late ’60s and early ’70s, Zoot is celebrating its 50th anniversary by returning to where their recording career began – with EMI Music.

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 “EMI signed a very young and naïve ZOOT back in 1968. Fast-forward 50 years and ZOOT is thrilled to be back with EMI, where it all started, for the release of ZOOT ARCHAEOLOGY.” – BEEB BIRTLES

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EMI Managing Director John O’Donnell says:“It’s incredibly exciting for all of us at EMI to release ARCHAEOLOGY, an exhaustive and proud collection of the work of the brilliant, influential ZOOT. Brimming with naïve genius and youthful power-pop energy, ZOOT, as evidenced on ARCHAEOLOGY, lit a fire that would subsequently burn brightly all over the world.” – JOHN O’DONNELL

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The ZOOT members have dug deeply into their archives for ARCHAEOLOGY, which features the first song the band recorded, a cover of The Move’s ‘I Can Hear The Grass Grow’, as well as the band’s EMI debut, ‘You’d Better Get Goin’’. The album also includes the hits ‘Monty and Me’ (produced by Molly and featuring a whistling Johnny Farnham), ‘One Times, Two Times, Three Times, Four’, plus their classic hard rock cover of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’, a Top 5 hit and Go-Set’s Best Australian Single of 1971.

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“Listening back to all these tracks I can hear what a great band ZOOT was.” – RICK SPRINGFIELD

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ZOOT ARCHAEOLOGY also features live covers of The Beatles’ ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ and Neil Diamond’s ‘Shilo’, plus rare photos of the band, and liner notes written by Beeb and Rick.

ZOOT ARCHAEOLOGY is dedicated to singer Darryl Cotton, who passed away in 2012, and was still a teenager when he started the band with Beeb in Adelaide.

After Darryl died, Rick discovered that both he and Darryl had recorded separate versions of ‘Life In A Northern Town’.

“Sitting in the studio listening to Darryl’s solo vocal gave us all goosebumps,” Rick says. Combining the two versions, he then asked Beeb to sing the third verse. “Fifty-four years after I met Darryl, we have a new ZOOT song,” Beeb smiles. “Thanks to Rick, I got to sing one more time with my best friend.”

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ABOUT ZOOT:

ZOOT is Darryl Cotton – lead vocals, Beeb Birtles – bass/vocals, Rick Brewer – drums/percussion, Rick Springfield – guitar/vocals. 

ZOOT relocated to Melbourne in August 1968, where their management decided to dress them all in pink, creating the infamous “Think Pink – Think ZOOT” campaign. Later, when the band tired of the pink image, and with their music moving in a heavier direction, they burned their pink clothes live on the music television show Happening ’70. They also recorded Rick’s ‘Hey Pinky’, a savage shot at everyone who had bagged the band for wearing pink. They announced the single with an unusual photo shoot. “We decided to promote the release by appearing naked from behind,” Beeb recalls, “as if to say, Kiss My Arse!”

ZOOT were crowned Australia’s Best Group in Go-Set in 1969. They released their only album, JUST ZOOT, in 1970, before splitting the following year.

ZOOT are often referred to as “a supergroup in reverse”. Following ZOOT, Beeb Birtles was a founding member of Little River Band, the first Australian band to have a gold album in the US, where they had six Top 10 hits.

Rick Springfield relocated to America, where he has had 17 Top 40 hits, including the chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning ‘Jessie’s Girl’.

Rick Brewer joined The Ferrets, who released two albums and the classic single ‘Don’t Fall In Love’.

And Darryl Cotton had a Top 10 solo hit with ‘Same Old Girl’, as well as a successful stage and TV career, hosting the much-loved The Early Bird Show. He was also part of Burns, Cotton & Morris (with Ronnie Burns and Russell Morris) and Cotton, Keays & Morris (with Jim Keays). 

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ZOOT ARCHAEOLOGY

out now

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Connect with ZOOT
Website / Spotify

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AMNPLIFY – JAS H