"The Loved One" is a song by Australian R&B/rock band the Loved Ones and was released in May 1966 as the debut single ahead of their extended play The Loved Ones (also known as the Blueberry Hill EP), which appeared in December. The song also featured on their debut long play album, Magic Box, in October 1967. "The Loved One" reached No. 2 on the Australian Top 40 singles charts in 1966.McFarlane . Retrieved 16 March 2010.
Background The Loved Ones were formed in Melbourne in 1965 by Gerry Humphrys, Ian Clyne and Kim Lynch.Spencer et al, (2007) 'Loved Ones, The' entry. Retrieved 16 March 2010. They had previously been members of a youthful trad jazz band, the Red Onion Jazz Band, in which Humphrys and Lynch had played clarinet and tuba respectively.Spencer et al, (2007) 'Red Onion Jazz Band' entry. Retrieved 16 March 2010. They recruited drummer Gavin Anderson and ex–Wild Cherries guitarist Rob Lovett.Spencer et al, (2007) 'Wild Cherries, The' entry. Retrieved 16 March 2010. The band were renowned as an exciting, if erratic, live act in a Stones–Animals mould and quickly rose to prominence in the local club and dance scene.
The group's visual impact was heightened by their striking mod stage attire. The band had a strong focal point thanks to the charismatic stage presence, saturnine good looks and growling blues-influenced baritone voice of Humphrys. The Loved Ones were one of the first Australian rock bands to use electric piano as part of their regular stage setup, and their distinctive keyboard-based sound set them apart from most of their contemporaries.
They signed to the In Records label (a subsidiary of W&G Records) early in 1966. They shot to national prominence, scoring a major Australian hit with "The Loved One", which reached No. 2 on the Australian Top 40 singles charts in May. "Ever Lovin' Man" was issued in July and reached No. 9. A reworking of Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" appeared on their first extended play, Blueberry Hill, in December—together with the two previous singles. "Sad Dark Eyes" followed in January 1967.
They released an album in 1967 titled Magic Box, a collection of their singles. The Loved Ones split later that year in October, just two years after they were formed.
In 2001, "The Loved One" was selected as No. 6 on the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)'s list of Top 30 Australian songs of all time.APRA Top 10 28 May 2001
In 2011, "The Loved One" was on the soundtrack, and over the opening titles, of the ABC TV drama Paper Giants.
Track listing
Personnel The Loved Ones' members Gavin Anderson – drums Ian Clyne – piano Gerry Humphrys – vocals Rob Lovett – guitar Kim Lynch – bass guitar
INXS version
"The Loved One" was recorded twice by INXS. The original studio version was issued as a stand-alone single in March 1981, in Australia only. It reached No. 20 on the national charts, and was later featured on their 1982 compilation album Inxsive.
The band re-recorded the track (in a substantially different arrangement) for their 1987 international hit album Kick. INXS also frequently performed the song live, and one such version is featured on their 1991 live video, Live Baby Live.
Track listing (original 1981 single)
Releases YearFormatChart peakAUS Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974. Note: Chart positions back calculated by Kent in 2005.LabelCatalogue No.May 19667" single (The Loved Ones)2InINS-2610March 19817" single (INXS)20Deluxe103741
References
General Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. Specific