GTK is the acronym for 'Get To Know' It was a short T.V. show on ABC Ch 2. It was a great education and eye opener for young music lovers in the early 70's. I think it was on just before the 7pm News. Great days, great memories.

I saw Billy Thorpe a couple of years before he passed away. He and Jimmy Barnes were great performers, and seeing them on stage was dynamite! RIP Thorpie!

Hard to believe the same guy does the sweetest version of 'over the rainbow, the smoothest summer song (It's almost summer) and a cool space opera (Children of the sun). A true Aussie legend....RIP Billy.

One of the greats that spearheaded the Australian pub rock sound and scene in Australia. He was a teeny bopper in the mid 60's, but changed drastically as the 60's moved towards the 70's. He and Lobby Loydd created the ground that AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Cold Chisel and many others were to stomp on over the years. I used to see these monsters a lot in the 70's. Billy left Australia for the US and had success with an album called ''Children Of The Sun'', which is still loved by American rock fans, but is barely noticed in Australia. You need to do ''Most People I Know''. That's his signature hit.

I have heard some of their stuff before but didn't realise they came fi Oz. They have a great Sound.

The word Legend is thrown around these days for virtually any new artist who has a hit single...But in the case of Billy Thorpe he is a TRUE LEGEND. Here in Australia his music has been a cornerstone of many of our lives and in my case from a very young age until his sad passing in 2007 at the age of only 60. His band the Aztecs had many changes over the years with Billy going solo and reforming the Aztecs time and time again. He has a deluge of hit songs but in my opinion (and I am sure many others would agree) his signature song "Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy" to the most sweetest summer song "It's Almost Summer' or his own wonderful version of "Over The Rainbow". On a side note there were many loud bands around and then there was Billy's and in one case he was doing a show on a pier one day and his music was so loud it killed all the fish in a fishtank nearby. A one of a kind person who was loved by virtually all who ever meet him saw him perform or saw him in an interview, a down to earth lovely soul who loved his fans and would often spend ages signing autographs after a show or chatting to his fans. That was our Billy. Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘❤❤🎵🎵🎶🎶🎵🎵

They were just so damn loud! That's my memory of their concerts!

used to watch gtk before the 7 oclock news but never saw this - many thanks

Wendy always loved Billy. He worked with her back in those days. RIP to both of them. 💗

Another Aussie legend band. There was loud bands and then there was Thorpie. They were So loud that it was reported the brick building next door to a venue they were playing at had their foundations cracked.If you thought Acca Dacca,The Angels etc were loud, he went next level. It got so loud that Health and Safety moved in and made it compulsory to have "noise" limiters installed in pubs. If it reached an unhealthy level it would cut the power to the band for a few seconds, and if they didn't lower their volume levels it would be repeated until the band got the hint. (pissed off the band(s) no end. Apart from those days, Thorpie also made a name for himself in the USA,after he reached his peak in Aust. I remember seeing live at a pub one night we left about 30 mins early to go to a house party not far away from the pub, we were 2 blocks away and could still hear them. (the poor neighbours)

I play bass, as does my uncle. I didn't really get into Billy Thorpe, but he was one of my uncle's favourites, and hearing this, it's easy to see why.

.....and now I have reason to explore a lot more of Billy Thorpe's music. In my travels I bumped into this - Children of the Sun - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lb98aqR9zM7KmWw.html I cannot believe I've never heard this before. Might need to start my own reaction channel! LOL This song is not just a song, it's an experience. :)

Excellent! Billy Thorpe was one of the greatest. I recommend watching some of his interviews- he seemed very down to earth

Billy Thorpe, like so many Aussie artists of that era was born o'seas. The (Live - GTK) version of "Most People I Know" by his band is brilliant His ad lib flurries in that are great

Wow, great rockin' music

Another Aussie band same groove and timeframe, around 1971 Buffalo is worth a listen. Shylock or Sunrise from Volcanic Rock are a good place to start.

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iKh4lLmJqti4pH0.html GTK is the acronym for 'Get To Know' It was a short T.V. show on ABC Ch 2. It was a great education and eye opener for young music lovers in the early 70's. I think it was on just before the 7pm News. Great days, great memories. Thorpie's aim was to sing louder than his amplified Guitar. For a quite a while Thorpie and The Aztecs were the loudest Rock Band on the Planet. Thorpie's Guitar work is right up there with best on Earth. "Lock up your Daughters" Thorpie and The Aztecs are on the loose. Every time I see this video, I smile and cry at the same time. When I met Thorpie he was a very polite gentleman. RIP - Thorpie 29 March 1946 - 28 February 2007

It's almost Summer is a great vibe and simply makes you feel good. Billy's vocals were unbelievable.

This performance in the Melbourne ABC TV studios in May 1971 was so loud. It cracked the windows in the building!! Lol. According to the director he had to explain to ABC management why all the windows shattered!! Lol

Matt Taylor & Chain - I Remember When I Was Young Live 1982 - "Mushroom Evolution Concert".

Just a legend and an innovator.

I can't imagine a band on a tv show today (like a late night chat show or breakfast tv) just breaking down into a jam rather than keeping to the strict radio edit version of their song.

He was just so damn good! I loved watching GTK for stuff like this. Countdown was fine, but it didn't have the respect for live music like GTK did.

i have the Aztecs live at Sunbury double LP that i bought back in the day still a favorite RIP Thorpie

Sonic wall of high voltage rock 'n' roll. AC/DC came from this.

Well done family early 70s Aussie Rock is a winner

My older brother was a big fan of these guys. Probably still is, but I haven't talked to him about his music since Billy's passings in 2007. Drummer, Gil Matthews, is in the video for ''State Of The Heart'', and was playing with Mondo Rock in '79/'80. He pulled out of the band because he got sick of all the sticky carpet in our pubs and venues. Even tough guys can get sick of walking those dry beer stained carpets. Cheers, Hayley

I got to see Aztecs once at the Hordern Pavilion in 1974. I would have been about 12, but I looked 16 because I stood at six foot tall. I would do the sharpie shuffle in these big boots that would add a couple of inches to my height. He was just frenetic on stage and his audience ate it all up. I have seen so many performances and hand on heart, he was one of the best. Australia's finest rockers (Jimmy Barnes, Bon Scott, Angry Anderson, etc) all got their lessons from this guy! Please take a listen to ''Somewhere Over The Rainbow'' and ''Most People I Know Think I'm Crazy''.

You're doing the mighty Billy Thorpe now? Alright then, I'm subscribing to your channel for that. He wrote a great book about his time in Kings Cross called Sex and Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll. I used to see these guys in the early 70's and they were loud!!! Thanks for giving 'em a go!

For some more classic Aussie rock, check out Billy Thorpe and Rose Tattoo live doing "Goin Down".

Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs formed in 63 and predate Deep Purple by 5 years who formed in 68

I loved this, it reminds me of early Led Zeppelin a lot, as well as some Deep Purple too.

Plenty of musical camps loved this guy. Even the punks in Australia held him in high regard. Nothing much good old sonic high voltage from the guy that had been at it longer than The Easybeats. He was there in the very early 60's and even played and toured with The Easybeats, and knew Malcolm and Angus when they were kids. When he and Lobby Loydd created their own wall of sound, it charged something in the Australia rock environment and almost everybody that rocked in OZ had a bit of Billy Thorpe in them. AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Birdman, The Saints, The Choirboys, Divinyls.. It's all Billy's spirit in them.

I remember their song ''Most People I Know Think I'm Crazy'' getting play on Radio 1 but nobody could buy the single here in the UK. It would have been a hit if the distribution company didn't fook up getting the single in the shops. That ruined their chance here in the UK.

This is a real rocker. Plagerised no doubt but still great.

The 70's on a bean bag at home with headphones on.🔥🤙

Billy is a Legend of Australian Music - you really should spend some time looking into him. They were as important as the Easybeats

Pay attention to Gil Matthews on drums. He was a drumming child prodigy years before he joined Aztecs. He's also a business man that managed to get Pokemon marketed in Australia in the 2000's. He also runs an awesome label called Aztec music which reissues a lot of out of print Oz rock on CD. Billy's not so bad either.

I first saw Thorpie and The Aztecs at the Melbourne Town Hall in 1971 with about 5000 others. Then I went to the Sunbury Festival in 1972 and got into some punch ups with a few sharpies while Thorpie and Aztecs were blasting out some heavy duty sounds that would drive anybody nuts. But great stuff! Gil "Rathead" Matthews is on drums, Warren "Pig" Morgan on keyboards, I think.... Anyway, I remember watching this performance on GTK back in 1971... I felt sorry for the TV staff because Thorpie and the boys were the loudest band in Australia at this time. I think they caused some damage in the studio because of the volume. RIP Thorpie!

🤘🤘

Only second time I heard this. Something not made for radio, ha ha. Very monotonous to begin with so it not something I would want to hear often but vocals, though not much to them, are crazy good. Really can tell what time period this from. If I was from that era probably would have loved this band and The Doors of this era. I suspect back then ,there was some nights they would be very loud as a band. There not many artists I would listen to such a long jam but if it this guy from this era or Prince a decade or so later, I more than happy to hear such amazing jam sessions. Did they even play these guys on the radio back the? I would assume 3 to 4 minutes a song on radio is all stations would allow .

I loved Billy Thorpe And The Aztecs in the early to mid 60's. I got to see them live when they were doing songs like ''Poison Ivy'' and ''Somewhere Over The Rainbow''. But the long-hair and heavy blues rock thing just wasn't for me. Daddy Cool was more my thing. The song I liked the most from this period was ''The Dawn Song'', which is probably forgotten in the passage of time.

I'm too stoned to comment right now.

Great to finally see Thorpie on your channel! You can't live without trying a bit of Aztecs. I got too see them live in '74, and they just blew the roof off the joint. Drummer, Gil ''rathead'' Matthews was only 8 when he was touring the US with Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. Billy Thorpe was on fire when he had rathead backing him. After his short stint with Mondo Rock, Matthews got into the business world and got rich off distributing Pokemon in Australia. Anyway, Thorpie was a powerhouse in Australia and loved by many. I think ''Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)'' is the next Thorpie track that should be checked on your channel. Thanks again for giving Thorpy and The Aztecs a listen!

I used to see them play around town and they were off their heads. The things that makes today's people cringe about rock 'n' roll debaucherous past was right there for all of us to see. Drugs, barechested women and a lot of swearing and amazing drumming and guitar solo's. He really was one of those guys that just didn't give a.. He was quite a defiant guy. RIP Thorpie

I got dragged to see Thorpie and would have my ears ringing for weeks after. I remember a show The Aztecs were doing with Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. Everybody was booing CMWB and cheered Thorpie when he took the stage. After the show, Thorpie's roadies came out and shouted ''who wants to f@ck The Aztecs?''. The whole room of girls cheered, and then Mic Conway of CMWB got up and shouted ''Who wants to f@ck us?''. Everybody booed and shouted ''f*ck off'' at him. It was just hilarious! I liked Captain Matchbox more, but I wouldn't have been caught dead saying it that night. Those Thorpie fan girls were mostly Brushes, who were the female counterparts of Sharpies.

*Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Most People I Know (Audio + Video merge 2024)* This needs to be done next. I have created the video with the original audio. You cannot go wrong with this, but you will definitely go wrong if you try other uploads of this song, because they're all poor in audio and visual quality. Trust me on this when I say that ''Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Most People I Know (Audio + Video merge 2024)'' is the best you will get on KZfaq. Just before our summer, I think it would be good to do this one: Billy Thorpe - It's Almost Summer (Audio + Video merge 2024) I will work on other Billy Thorpe videos and leave them for you guys to use if you need to. I will do the same for The Zoot. It is really great to see Billy Thorpe finally get a look in on this channel. He is a greatly respected figure in Australia and was loved by many. Jimmy Barnes revered him! I'm sure there's a Deep Purple influence in their music. If you're keen to get back to The Black Sorrows and think you've given enough space between now and the last Jo Jo Zep song you did (half of Jo Jo Zep And The Falcons is The Black Sorrows), give this one a shot: *The Black Sorrows - Never Let Me Go - Official Video - 1991* Joe Camilleri isn't singing on this one. One of the Bull sisters does the vocals on this, and it's a nice break from the usual male singers that represent Aussie music. Thanx!

Nice Reaction you guys. That was Billy doing a rocker. This is him doing a standard. Just him and another guy on an acoustic guitar in a rehearsal studio somewhere. It would have to be my favourite live version of this song ever. It’s a must to add to your list. Keep up the great work.👍 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/brJdlbyCqcmliac.htmlsi=K_ng4iggasPjc4fo

I'm guessing, but the timeline suggests that they had been listening to Led Zep and Deep Purple. Mainly , Whole lotta love, and Child in time , live.

RIP William Richard Thorpe AM (29 March 1946 - 28 February 2007) was an English-born Australian singer-songwriter, and record producer As lead singer of his band Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Thorpe also performed as a solo artist. He relocated to America from 1976 to 1996; after moving, he released the space opera Children of the Sun, which peaked in the top 40 of the Billboard Pop Album chart in 1979] He worked with ex-Aztec Tony Barber to form a soft toy company in 1987 and co-wrote stories for The Puggle Tales and Tales from the Lost Forests. Thorpe also worked as a producer and composed music scores for TV series including War of the Worlds, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Columbo, Eight Is Enough and Hard Time on Planet Earth. he had success in the 1960s with "Blue Day", "Poison Ivy", "Over the Rainbow", "Sick and Tired", "Baby, Hold Me Close" and "Mashed Potato"; and in the 1970s with "Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy". Featuring in concerts at Sunbury Pop Festivals and Myer Music Bowl in the early 1970s, the Aztecs also developed the pub rock scene and were one of the loudest groups in Australia. Peace out.

Kia Ora hello guys. Last night at the Auckland winter Ska festival was awesome until we got a text message that my partner's son's Dad had been rushed to hospital thought he was having a heart attack had tests and has got liver and pancreatic cancer (Simon bass player for The City Newton Bombers) so me Tori and her son spent the night at Auckland hospital with Simon it Sucks me and Simon have been friends since 1985 . He's been given week's to live 😢😢😢😢

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Most People I Know (1972). One of the greatest rock n roll songs of all time! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gbyBjL2LxK6xeYk.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jtp6pJhnyNbDlJ8.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fJmDfa-mmZitlYE.html Sorry - I get a little carried away about this song. Should be listened to at least 1000 times in a person's life!

I think there's a lot more to Billy Thorpe's body of work than just something to compare to Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. I don't like to erode the notion that Billy Thorpe has credibility in his own right. There's a lot more to his catalogue than simply being a good rocker and a plagiarist. Rock 'n' Roll groups are often derivative of the past and present and only those that keep their heads in the sand would deny Zeppelin being plagiarists. Zeppelin have been recognised as such. You can look up how many songs they took from others by simply doing a KZfaq or google search. What Billy and the boys are demonstrating on this GTK performance is one out of many things the band were capable of doing. ''Most People I Know'', ''Somewhere Over The Rainbow'', ''The New Breed'', ''Children Of The Sun'', and even later songs like ''Since You've Been Gone'' show is ability. He was very much is own man.

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Most People I Know (Audio + Video merge 2024)