Jeff Phillips
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Jeff Phillips (born Western Australia) was an Australian TV show host/personality and pop singer of the 1960s to the early 1990s.
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, he first came to public attention when he took over as compere of Perth TV show, Club 17 in 1966. Moving to Melbourne, he put out a number of single records, but the only one which charted was his cover version of The Shirelles/Beatles song, Baby It's You in 1968. He then became host of his own ABC-TV pop show, Sounds Like Us in 1970. That year saw him win the 1970 TV Week Awards - George Wallace Memorial Logie For Best New Talent. In 1971 he became host of the popular Saturday morning pop music show Happening '71 (or '71 or '72 depending on the year it was broadcast). He continued on that show until 1973.
Following Happening's demise he went to the UK where he was based for several years and released a number of singles including a version of John Paul Young's, Yesterday's Hero. During this time in England he became a regular act at the Speakeasy Club. He then went on to achieve some success in the British variety field on TV Shows such as The Rolf Harris Show and Seaside Special. In the late 1970s he re-located to Los Angeles for a time. He returned to Australia in 1985 to appear in the Australian production of Cats with Debra Byrne and appeared on the Australian cast album. He the went on to club work. Phillips was a minor but regular TVW Channel 7 personality who emerged doing Cliff Richard material on the Tonight shows, a veritable darling of the mums and dads. He made something of a comeback in 1991, hosting the Ten Network TV talent show, Star Search.
Although not known for his songwriting he did write a number of tracks that were released by him as singles. Notwithstanding his lack of chart success he had a long recording career, putting out nineteen single records from 1968 to 1981.
[edit] Discography
- Baby It's You/I Want To Meet Her - 1968 (Australia #34, Melbourne #21,Brisbane #11 )
- What a Wonderful World/By The Time I Get To Phoenix - 1969
- Everything I Touch Turns To Tears/I'm Comin' Home Cindy - 1969
- Wrong or Right/I'm In Love With You - 1970 (Festival)
- I Want To Be Famous Like My Dad/A Love Of Your Kind - 1970 (Generation)
- Movement Of Love/ - 1971 (Generation)
- Gloria/Come Go With Me - circa 1972 (Havoc)
- I'll Never Fall in Love Again/Billy Bullfrog - 1973 (WWA)
- Shake A Hand/Watch My Baby Rock 'n Roll - 1974 (UA}
- Yesterday's Hero/On The Road Again - 1975
- Superman (I Want To Make You Love Me)/The Other Side -1976 (as Jeff Phillips & Tigerwing)
- Crying In The Middle Of The Night/ - 1976
- Here You Come Again/Lone Dancer - 1977 (NEMS)
- Jojo/I'll Be There - 1978 (RCA Victor UK)
- Let Your Love Go/Saturday - 1977
- Rock Me Slowly/Saturday - 1978 (RCA UK)
- Somebody's Stolen My Thunder/ (NEMS)
- L.A. Reggae/Just Another Pretty Face -1981 (Astor )
- Desire/ Sleep With The Angels - 1981 (RCA)
[edit] References
- Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop - 1978
- The Who's Who of Australian Rock - Chris Spencer - Moonlight Publishing
- The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop - Ian McFarlane - Allen & Unwin, Sydney - 1999
- An Australian Rock Discography - Chris Spencer -1990 - Moonlight Publishing
- Gavin Ryan's Sydney & Melbourne Chart Books
- GEMM Vinyl Records sales website
- Go-Set National Top 40 Charts - 18 December 1968
