The Kiwi Music Scene 1968

1968: NEW ZEALAND MUSICS most successful year. 19 KIWI TRACKS REACHED THE TOP 10 IN 1968 – This vibrant and colourful year has now been compiled as a 2CD set featuring 58 tracks which equates to 75% of all local singles released that year. Complete with a16 page chronological timeline booklet. There were over 120 singles released by local artists, of these 88 were aimed at the pop music market. 21 releases charted in the National Top 20 with a staggering 19 going on into the Top 10 making 1968 a landmark year for local music, a record that stood for over 40 years. It was also a year of change across all aspects of the industry. The local record label landscape changed dramatically from the previous years. Since recorded music started in New Zealand it was predominantly the small indie labels such as Zodiac, Viking, Prestige,Viscount and Impact among a host of others who ruled the release sheets during the preceding years, while the local branches of majors such as HMV and Philips generally lagged behind in both quality and quantity.During the previous year (1967) HMV slowly upped the ante and with a new studio complete with a new 4 track desk finally realised their hit-making potential. New producers were added to their already proficient engineering and A&R staff and they soon built up an impressive catalogue of local recordings that still sound relevant and fresh 50 years later. Philips Records went into hibernation and their place was taken by Polydor who set about signing a sway of local artists including Ray Columbus, The Dedikation, The Shevelles, The Chicks, Tommy Ferguson and John Rowles brother Frankie Price.