Australian singles charts:
So Tough first entered the Kent charts on 26 July 1958 and peaked at #16. A re-recorded version entered the charts on 21 August 1972, peaking at #7.
The song was #82 on the Top 100 of 1958, and was #52 on the Top 100 of 1972.
Songwriter:
Gary Mears
Producers:
Johnny O’Keefe, Richard Batchens
Record label of Australian release:
Festival
1958 version – Johnny O’Keefe and The Dee Jays:
1972 version – Johnny O’Keefe and The Stuart Park Show Group:
Wikipedia:
Johnny O’Keefe with his group The Deejays issued three singles in 1958, the biggest seller being a cover of So Tough that had been a hit in America for The Casuals and The Cufflinx.
During 1969, O’Keefe toured Vietnam to entertain Australian troops stationed there. On the business front, he signed a new contract with Festival at the end of 1969 and continued to record and release singles, but it was not until July 1972 that he finally scored another hit with a re-recorded version of So Tough.
In January 1973, O’Keefe performed at the second Sunbury Pop Festival. MC Paul Hogan introduced him as a “newcomer” and urged the crowd to “give him a go” and, although he was at first greeted with some jeering, by the end of his set he had completely won over the crowd.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_O’Keefe
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