Johnny Noble hailed from Newcastle NSW and made a solid start in the early 1960s with his various groups and solo singles. He recorded on the Linda Lee label, a subsidiary of Festival, along with other big acts like Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and entertainer Jackie Weaver. Johnny Noble was lead singer in two 1960s bands “Johnny Noble and the Mods “and “Johnny Noble and The Incas”. He was the intended second vocalist for “The Aztecs” which later became Billy Thorpe’s permanent backing group. Billy was their third vocalist. There is an Aztec album titled “Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs with Poison Ivy & Introducing Johnny Noble”.
A potted history of the Aztecs:
At first the fledgling Aztecs were an instrumental band who changed to a vocal group by hiring Tony Barber. Tony didn’t last long and went solo, so the Aztecs needed a lead singer. They added Johnny Noble for the concerts and they even started to record an album with him but in the end Johnny Noble did not want to join the Aztecs full time. While searching for a replacement some of the Aztecs met the former child actor Billy Thorpe, who wanted to start a new career in the music business. They completed the album together and changed the group's name to Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs. In 1964 their first single release "Blue Day" charted in Sydney only, but their second single, their cover version of "Poison Ivy" became number one in the national Australian charts, staying in the Top 40 for 16 weeks.
After the Aztecs charted, Johnny Noble in 1965 fronted a new group poised to rival his record label stable-mates, the Aztecs. He released a single as Johnny Noble and The Incas. It sank without a ripple.
Singles:
As “Johnny Noble and the Mods” 1964
'That’ll be all right'
As “Johnny Noble” 1964
'Lonely city'
'Young and beautiful’
As “Johnny Noble & the Incas” 1965
'Like I’ve never been gone'
Nowadays, Johnny Noble has been working live with former members of the Beachcombers (use search function top left to find songs by the Beachcombers).
Johnny’s biggest hit was “Lonely City” which reached #21 in Sydney in 1964. Here is the download of the single:
http://rapidshare.com/files/211658112/Johnny_Noble_-_Lonely_City.mp3
Sorry old chum, but Johnny Noble didn't replace Tony Barber as the Aztecs singer. Barber replaced departing rhythm guitarist Valentine Jones after Billy Thorpe secured the lead singer spot courtesy an audition Surf City manager engineered. Noble was finding it increasingly difficult to keep coming down from Newcastle, which these days is a more than two-hour drive and back then much more of a haul, so in the end it worked out better all round. So Billy was the Aztecs second singer and Tony became the band's first vocal track songwriter, composing their Linda Lee single, Blue Day. Cheers.
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