On these pages you will find some information on Flash and the Pan. I am not an expert on this band, I just like to give some information to fellow fans as I could find little information about Flash and the Pan (F&P) on line. Let me give a summary right here and now!

You could say that F&P originated in The Easybeats. This Australian band was very original and had a charisma similar to the Rolling Stones. They started in 1964 and a year later they had a manager. The group consisted of englishman Stevie Wright who had been in the country for some years and who was the front man of a band called 'The Langdells`. The rest of the band were the dutch guys Dick Diamonde (Dingeman Vandersluys) and Harry Vanda (Johannes Vandenburg), a scottsman named George Young and Gordon 'Snowy` Fleet from Liverpool.

Some of the most well-known songs are `Friday On My Mind' and 'Hello, How Are You?`. The band influenced quite a number of (to be) artists like David Bowie, Lou Reed, Meatloaf, Blondie and Rod Steward.

After The Easybeats split up, Vanda and Young began writing, producing and recording. Many songs from The Easybeats were sung all over the world by that time. The Shadows, Schocking Blue, Marmelade, The Tremeloes; all these bands and more played their songs. From now on, these two men are known as Flash and the Pan!

Some of their hits are 'Hey St. Peter`, 'Down Among The Dead Men` and 'Waiting For A Train`

Some facts about the early days.

Did you know that:

• David Bowie, Lou Reed, Meatloaf, Peter Frampton, Gene Simmons, Cheap Trick, Blondie, Dead Kennedys and Rod Stewart have all sung Easybeats/Vanda & Young songs?
  
• in 1965 their popularity resulted in the phenomenon "Easyfever" and that general mayhem reigned, even unsurpassed by "Beatlemania" or "Rolling Stone Mania" when they turned up?
• 300 kamikaze girls forced their way into George Young's house to run amok, trampling little Angus (George's brother) and siezing anything they could get including poor old George?
• they toured Europe with the Rolling Stones?
• they were heroes upon returning to Australia and that hey were welcomed by the Mayor of Sydney?
• that the song 'Good Times` made paul Mccartney stop his car on the motorway to ring the BBC if they could play it again?
• that Lou Reed once declared the song 'Falling Of The Edge Of The World` "one of the most beautiful records ever made"?
• that Bill Shepard from the Bee Gees did a string arrangement in 'Come In You'll Get Pneumonia`? and that Olivia Newton John (and Pat Caroll) did the backing vocals?
• they helped to create AC/DC, led by George's two younger brothers, Angus and Malcolm and produced the 6 first albums?
• that they had their songs recorded by Grace Jones, Bay City Rollers, Suzi Quatro, Johnny O'Keefe, Ted Mulry, John Miles, Savoy Brown, Cissy Houston and others?
• they sent John Paul Young to the top of international charts with 'Love Is In The Air?
• they were responsible for the rise of Rose Tattoo and the Angels?
• that in 1973 they penned and produced 'Evie` for Stevie Wright which got every possible award that year to become the only 11 minute song to ever make nr. one anywhere in the world?

That as background information. To be honest, much of these facts don't tell much about F&P at all! Only when you hear some of the songs made by F&P, you will know what makes this band so nice.

Therefore, I made some wave files that you may download. I picked the ones that I (obviously) find most descriptive of their music. You may find these files on the Flash and the Pan Sounds Page. I also have an MP3 on occasion. But you just have to stick with the ones I will offer here now and then, I don't want to run over the copyright issue too much. But as I am actually promoting Flash and the Pan, I hope 'they' won't mind if I offer one now and then. Besides, it is unlikely many folks see these pages:-)

I also made a discography. Check out the Flash and the Pan Discography Page.