Skyhooks Reissue 'Living In The 70's' For 50th Anniversary Celebration

It’s arguably one of the most important albums ever released in Australian music history, and now, more than 50 years on, Skyhooks have remastered and reissued their debut album, Living In The 70’s.

Originally released in October 1974, Living In The 70's was a monstrous hit for the Melbourne outfit.

Released via Michael Gudinski's budding Mushroom Records label, its initially muted response quickly shifted in early 1975 when it hit the top of the local charts. It stayed there for a massive 16 weeks, becoming the highest-selling Australian album up to that point.

Produced by Daddy Cool’s Ross Wilson and featuring artwork from Niels Hutchison, it became the soundtrack for Australian music-lovers throughout the titular decade and cemented Skyhooks as one of the most important local bands out there.

“When Skyhooks were recording the Living In The 70's album in 1974, our producer, Ross Wilson, worked us hard,” remembered founding guitarist and songwriter Gren Macainsh.

“I remember when we complained about having to repeat some take or performance, he’d say, ‘Well you better get it right ‘cos you will have to live with it for the rest of your lives’ (or something like that),” he added.

“We all laughed about that at the time, but fifty years later, people still remember the record, so I guess Ross was absolutely right!”

Despite being their debut album, Living In The 70's might as well be considered a greatest hits package for the band, featuring iconic songs such as the title track, Balwyn Calling, Horror Movie, and You Just Like Me 'Cos I'm Good In Bed.

In the latter's case, its controversy became a selling point, and with mainstream radio stations refusing to touch it, it became the first song played on triple j when Holger Brockmann cued it up at 11 am on January 19th, 1975.

To this day, it’s a high point of Australian music, with the record frequently named as one of Australia's best albums. While the likes of triple j, Triple M, and Rolling Stone have all labelled it among the best, the record was also inducted into the National Film And Sound Archive’s prestigious Sounds Of Australia registry in 2011.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the record has now been remastered by David Briggs, with CD and vinyl copies now available via the Warner Records store.

“Living In The 70's is more than just an album; it’s a time capsule of a pivotal era in Australian history,” says Wilson. “Fifty years on, its message and energy remain as powerful as ever.”