Single:
Big Time Operator entered the Australian singles chart* on 7 January 1967 and peaked at #11. The song was #84 on the Top 100 of 1967.
Songwriters:
Ray Smith, Tony Colton
Record label of Australian release:
Spin
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
Jeff St John (Jeffrey Newton) appeared with a number of bands during the late 1960s and early 1970s including; John The Syndicate aka The Wild Oats (1965), The Id (1966–67) with Bob Bertles (tenor sax 1967), Jeff St John & Yama (1967–68), Jeff St John & Copperwine (1969–72), with Harry Brus (bass 1970–72) and Wendy Saddington (co-lead vocals 1970–71), Jeff St John Band (1972–73) and Red Cloud (1975–76).
St John was born in Sydney with spina bifida and spent much of his life in a wheelchair. He died in March 2018 at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, as a result of a bacterial infection following surgery.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_St_John
Lyrics:
Started out a newsboy on a paper
For a time, I worked an elevator
All the time I knew that later
I would be a higher rater
I’m gonna be a big time operator
Tell me what you gonna do now
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 60s
Also on Bang a Gong: Teach Me How to Fly by Jeff St John & Copperwine
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
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