THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO / OLD BROWN SHOE
Apple A-8793
Released: 19 June 1969
Apple A-8793
Released: 19 June 1969
APPLE
AU8793apple.a
Music royalty stamps
Music royalty stamps
AU8793apple.c
No music publ royalty stamps
Different layout of non-templated elements
No music publ royalty stamps
Different layout of non-templated elements
AU8793apple.b
Music royalty stamps
Various horizontal/vertical spacing differences on Side 2 label
Music royalty stamps
Various horizontal/vertical spacing differences on Side 2 label
In true domino effect, this single was also held back a few weeks due to the ongoing chart action of 'Get Back'/'Don't Let Me Down'.
Both tracks appear as folddowns of the stereo mixes. While the term "folddown" tends to equate to the word "avoid", the single sounds quite good, with a nice deep bass and solid sound.
It is commonly believed that broadcasting of this single was banned in Australia. That was not quite the case; broadcasting of the A-side was pro-actively restricted by the Federation of Australian Commercial Broadcasters (FACB), who cited numerous standards by the Australian Broadcasting Control Board (ABCB) as the basis for their recommendation, predominantly that "no program may contain any matter which is blasphemous, indecent, obscene, vulgar, suggestive or of doubtful propriety".
Radio stations could still play the single, however, they risked sanctions and other penalties from the FACB, or ultimately the Government-run ABCB, should they choose to do so (penalties may include delayed access to new releases amongst others).
This created a bit of a kerfuffle with stations, who at the last minute had to find or pull together edited versions of the track to suit broadcast, as EMI (Australia) did not do so. One Sydney station indicated on air on the night of release that they couldn't play the single yet "due to technical difficulties that their engineers needed to rectify".
Some stations created their own edits while others managed to obtain a copy of the edit created by HMV (New Zealand) for broadcast on New Zealand radio. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that EMI (Australia) may have distributed limited copies of the New Zealand edit, but no documentation was ever found within EMI (Australia) to support this.
Written on one edited single that the author has seen was "BLOODY SILLY - DO NOT PLAY", so DJs didn't appear too fond of the edit either!
The single remained available until the late 1980s. At some point in the early 70s, side 1 was recut ('B').
Both tracks appear as folddowns of the stereo mixes. While the term "folddown" tends to equate to the word "avoid", the single sounds quite good, with a nice deep bass and solid sound.
It is commonly believed that broadcasting of this single was banned in Australia. That was not quite the case; broadcasting of the A-side was pro-actively restricted by the Federation of Australian Commercial Broadcasters (FACB), who cited numerous standards by the Australian Broadcasting Control Board (ABCB) as the basis for their recommendation, predominantly that "no program may contain any matter which is blasphemous, indecent, obscene, vulgar, suggestive or of doubtful propriety".
Radio stations could still play the single, however, they risked sanctions and other penalties from the FACB, or ultimately the Government-run ABCB, should they choose to do so (penalties may include delayed access to new releases amongst others).
This created a bit of a kerfuffle with stations, who at the last minute had to find or pull together edited versions of the track to suit broadcast, as EMI (Australia) did not do so. One Sydney station indicated on air on the night of release that they couldn't play the single yet "due to technical difficulties that their engineers needed to rectify".
Some stations created their own edits while others managed to obtain a copy of the edit created by HMV (New Zealand) for broadcast on New Zealand radio. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that EMI (Australia) may have distributed limited copies of the New Zealand edit, but no documentation was ever found within EMI (Australia) to support this.
Written on one edited single that the author has seen was "BLOODY SILLY - DO NOT PLAY", so DJs didn't appear too fond of the edit either!
The single remained available until the late 1980s. At some point in the early 70s, side 1 was recut ('B').
SILVER/BLACK - STYLE 'C'
AUAB3427A8793
First appeared in Oct 1982 with the release of the Australian 20th Anniversary Singles Collection
Visit the "AB34" page for more information or to see an image of the picture sleeve
First appeared in Oct 1982 with the release of the Australian 20th Anniversary Singles Collection
Visit the "AB34" page for more information or to see an image of the picture sleeve
CHART PERFORMANCE
BRISBANE |
SYDNEY |
MELBOURNE |
HOBART |
ADELAIDE (SA) |
PERTH (WA) |
GO-SET (AUS) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chart Entry |
21-Jun-69 |
27-Jun-69* |
21-Jun-69 |
18-Jun-69 |
04-Jul-69 |
27-Jun-69 |
05-Jul-69* |
Highest Position |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Weeks In |
12 |
14 |
17 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
Listed as "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" except * "The Ballad Of John And Yoko/Old Brown Shoe"
