Zoot might have been one of Australia’s greatest reverse supergroups. Beeb Birtles became a founding member of Little River Band, Rick Brewer joined The Ferrets, Darryl Cotton had a smash hit “Same Old Girl” and an illustrious stage and TV career, and Rick Springfield was responsible for a little ditty called “Jessie’s Girl.” But before all that, they were a force in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
Fifty years after releasing their debut single, the remaining members of Zoot have signed a brand new deal with EMI and released a career defining best-of album, Zoot Archaeology. It includes all the hits you love and a brand new cover of The Dream Academy’s “Life in a Northern Town.”
The album is dedicated to Darryl Cotton, who succumbed to liver cancer in 2012, just one year after rejoining his bandmates on the Rick Springfield and Friends Cruise in the Caribbean. After he passed away, Rick discovered both he and Darryl had recorded versions of “Life in a Northern Town.”
“Sitting in the studio listening to Darryl’s solo vocal gave us all goosebumps,” Rick recalled. Producers combined the two versions and Beeb added a third verse. “Fifty-four years after I met Darryl, we have a new Zoot song,” Beeb said. “Thanks to Rick, I got to sing one more time with my best friend.”
Zoot Archaeology is out now.
Image used with permission from Revolutions Per Minute