Harry Vanda

Harry Vanda (born Johannes Hendricus Jacob Vandenberg, 22 March 1946, in The Hague, The Netherlands), is a Dutch-Australian popular music singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer.

Career

His family migrated to Australia in 1963, and settled in Sydney. Vanda came to fame there in 1964-65 as the lead guitarist in Australia's most popular and successful group of the 1960s, The Easybeats.

In 1966 he began a successful and enduring writing partnership with rhythm guitarist George Young; together they penned all of The Easybeats' late 1960s recordings, including their major international hit, "Friday On My Mind".

After returning to Australia in 1973, Vanda & Young took over as the house producers for leading Australian independent record production company, Albert Productions, and publisher J. Albert & Son. From 1974 onwards they enjoyed huge success in Australia and elsewhere, writing and producing hits for a number of popular Australian groups and solo singers, including John Paul Young, Cheetah, Stevie Wright, Ted Mulry, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, William Shakespeare, Mark Williams and, most notably, AC/DC, in which George Young's brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, are the guitarists, producing landmark albums such as Let There Be Rock, Powerage, If You Want Blood You've Got It, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, High Voltage/TNT, amongst others.

Vanda and Young also had major international success with their own studio-only project Flash and the Pan, scoring many hits round the world over a 15-year run, particularly in Europe where they had many chart topping records.

Most recently Vanda has left the long time partnership with Albert, and started Flashpoint Music with his producer/engineer son, Daniel, setting up Australia's premier private studio.

Harry Vanda used a 1964 Hofner Verithin 1574 with Bigsby tremolo and 511 pickups, before switching in 1965 to a Gibson 345 which it is believed he proudly uses to this day. In The Easybeats Vanda also often played a cherry-red Maton 12-string electric guitar, which he donated to the collection of Powerhouse Museum in Sydney in 1999.

Selected list of songs written by Vanda and Young

• "Friday On My Mind" - The Easybeats, David Bowie, London, Gary Moore (1987), Richard Thompson
• "Good Times" - The Easybeats, INXS & Jimmy Barnes (1986), Australian Idol - The Final 10 (2004)
• "Evie, Parts 1, 2 & 3" - Stevie Wright (1974), Pat Travers Band (1978), The Wrights (2004), Suzi Quatro
• "Hard Road - Stevie Wright, Rod Stewart
• "Black Eyed Bruiser - Stevie Wright (1975), Rose Tattoo (2007)
• "Love is in the Air" - John Paul Young (1978)/(1992)
• "Standing In The Rain" - John Paul Young (1976)
• "I Hate The Music" - John Paul Young (1976)
• "Yesterday's Hero" - John Paul Young (1975), Bay City Rollers (1976)
• "Down Among the Dead Men" - Flash and the Pan (1978)
• "Hey St Peter" - Flash and the Pan 1976
• "Walking in the Rain" - Flash and the Pan, Grace Jones
• "Waiting for a Train" - Flash and the Pan
• "Midnight Man" - Flash and the Pan
• "Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life)" - Meat Loaf
• "Show No Mercy" - Mark Williams (1990)

External links

• Albert Music: Easybeats Facts