This long forgotten collection was secretly recorded at the Leederville Town Hall in 1957.
Jack Sue formed his first dance band ‘Jack Sue’s White Coats’ at the age of 14 with Bob Seery on drums. A few months later, the band was put on hold when Bob joined the Australian Defense Forces. Jack, too young to sign up for war, had to get special permission as a minor, to play piano at the City Hotel Perth while his mother sat beside the piano collecting tips from allied soldiers as they drank along the bars.
Jack later joined the Norwegian Merchant Navy aged 16 by forging his parents’ signatures and putting his age up. Later, he joined the RAAF and three months later, was inducted into Z Special Unit by forging his parents’ signatures again and putting his age up.
The band reformed post war. It went to a 16 piece orchestra under a new name ‘Jackie Sue’s Dance Band’ but later became a smaller unit under the name ‘Jackie Sue’s Rhythm Boys.’ Jack Sue, Bob Seery and Al D’Arcy stayed together for more than 35 years as one of Perth’s hottest dance bands for all that time.
This collection of 22 tracks of old rare dance music is a style almost forgotten. It was a time when couples danced together around hall floors in their hundreds, to upbeat bouncy music with a unique style of choreography. They lived life to the fullest.
