Good Times

Album: Vigil (1968)
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, The Easybeats are looking forward to a good time, complete with girls and rock and roll (what else could you need?). It was written by group members George Young and Harry Vanda. Young is the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young of AC/DC.
  • The Australian charts were dominated by British and American acts in the '60s, and The Easybeats were one of the few homegrown acts to become wildly popular in the country - by 1966 their concerts were packed with so many screaming girls that it drowned out the music. That year, they scored an international hit with "Friday On My Mind," but were hampered by drugs and by problems with their business affairs, and never fully recovered. The follow-up single, "Hello, How are You," tanked and their next album took them in a more psychedelic direction. When "Good Times" appeared in 1968, it was a return to form, but by then the band had lost their momentum.
  • Steve Marriott, who at the time was a member of Small Faces, sang backing vocals.
  • INXS recorded this with Australian singer Jimmy Barnes in 1986 to promote a series of concerts in Australia. In 1987, this version was used in the movie The Lost Boys, and became an international hit, reaching #47 US and #18 UK. The film was directed by Joel Schumacher, who returned the favor by directing the INXS video for "Devil Inside."

Comments: 2

  • Ken from BostonThe song is about partying. The singer's parents are gone and he's going to have some friends come over–Boney Maronie, Long Tall Sally, Short Fat Fannie–three girls from early rock n roll hits– with Jim and Slim. They're going to crank up some music, dance all night and have a good time. Unless you're convinced "dance all night" is code for sex and he's arranging an orgy.
  • Jesus from Delton, MiMary, Mary your on my mind,
    The folks are gone, and the place'll be mine,
    Oh, Mary, Mary, wanna be with you,
    And this is what I'm gonna do,

    Mike from Santa Barbara was wrong
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