Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg, better known as his stage name Harry Vanda, is an Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as lead guitarist of the 1960s Australian rock band the Easybeats who with fellow member George Young formed the 1970s and 1980s songwriting and record production duo Vanda & Young.
Vanda performing in 1968
The Easybeats were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in late 1964. They are best known for their 1966 hit single "Friday on My Mind", which is regarded as the first Australian rock song to achieve international success; Rolling Stone described it as "the first international victory for Oz rock". One of the most popular and successful bands in the country, they were one of the few Australian bands of their time to foreground their original material; their first album Easy (1965) was one of the earliest Australian rock albums featuring all original songs.
The US album Friday on My Mind
The Easybeats on the Dutch television program ...Puntje, puntje, puntje... in August 1968. Tony Cahill, who replaced Snowy Fleet on drums, is pictured left.
The Easybeats at a press conference at the Sebel Townhouse Hotel before embarking on a reunion tour of Australia in 1986.
