particularly in Australia. Joe Dolce's 'Shaddap You Face' was one of the biggest spending 8 weeks at #1 over the summer of 80/81. Another novelty hit in Australia during 1980 came from a curious music ensemble calling themselves The Veterans. Hailing from Belgium (although possibly with Dutch connections), The Veterans had released the song 'There Ain't No Age For Rock 'N' Roll' in 1979 on the European Shiva Productions label. I've no information on how it faired on their native Belgian charts but the song was released in 1980 in Australia on the Festival label and thanks to a quirky promo clip aired on the ABC's Countdown, and with Molly Meldrum's seal of approval, the song rocketed to #6 on the Australian singles charts mid year. My take on the song and the group is that its' Vaudeville takes on pop - and wins!The only name I have come up with associated with the members of The Veterans is one Jimmy Norris. I can't tell you if he was the old guy that fronted the band or anything more about the group's lineup. If you know anything more please let me know. The Veterans released two more singles in their home market, 'I'm Jogging' and 'I'm A Disco Freak'. I haven't heard either but judging by the titles both were also novelty songs.
The following promo clip isn't the official one I recall appearing on an episode of Countdown, but it appears to be a TV promo appearance from the time. Anyway you'll see an eccentric group of performers presenting a quirky little song:
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