Musicians

Vic Simms

Origin
La Perouse, New South Wales, Australia
Genre/styles
Country | Jazz | Rock
About Vic

Vic Simms is a Bidjigal man. His birth name is William Victor Simms.

When I see the talents that are existing at the moment up on the charts and sort of making it into the mainstream... it gives the impression that it was well worth going through the hard times of music.

— Vic Simms

Discography

Album formats explained

Album formats

  • 10": 10 inch vinyl records were played at 45 or 33 1/3 rounds per minute (rpm). The former could hold 9, the latter 12 minutes of music per side.
  • 7": 7 inch records (often referred to as 45s) were played at 45 rpm or 33 1/3 rpm, with about 4:30 or 6 minutes of music per side.
  • LP: Long play, is a vinyl record played at ​33 1⁄3 rpm with a 12 or 10-inch diameter.
  • EP: Extended play, are vinyl records that allowed two or even three songs on each side.

Yo-Yo Heart (7")

Sorry, no image for: Vic Simms - Yo-Yo Heart (7")
Released
October 1961
Tracks
  1. Yo Yo Heart
  2. I Wanna Bop

Introducing Vicky Simms

Sorry, no image for: Vic Simms - Introducing Vicky Simms
Released
1962
Tracks

Sorry, no tracklisting available.

Notes

This is a very rare album of Vic Simms.


I'm Counting Up My Love (7")

Sorry, no image for: Vic Simms - I'm Counting Up My Love (7")
Released
February 1962
Tracks
  1. I'm Counting Up My Love
  2. She's Got Soul

Yo-Yo Heart EP

Vic Simms - Yo-Yo Heart EP
Released
March 1962
Tracks
  1. Yo Yo Heart
  2. I Wanna Bop
  3. I'm Counting up My Love
  4. She's Got Soul

Back Into The Shadows

Sorry, no image for: Vic Simms - Back Into The Shadows
Released
1973
Tracks

Sorry, no tracklisting available.


The Loner

Vic Simms - The Loner
Released
1973
Tracks
  1. Get back in the shadow
  2. Poor folks happiness
  3. Little barefoot urchin
  4. Try to understand
  5. The loner / Stranger in my country
  6. Everyone had known but me
  7. Living my life by the days
  8. Karen's song
  9. Anybody's nobody
Notes

"Australia's great lost classic album of black protest music."

The Loner story: In 1973 Vic Simms was 26 years old and mid-way into a seven year sentence in Bathurst Jail for robbery. In jail he had bought an acoustic guitar for two packets of cigarettes, learned to play chords and started to write songs about his life and the injustices he saw around him.

Representatives of a charity group heard Simms singing in the prison yard and took a cassette of his songs to record company RCA. The company brought in a mobile studio and recorded ten of Simms' original songs in a single one hour session. Initially, Simms' music enabled him to sing his way out of Bathurst Jail.

He was one of the first indigenous performers to sing at the Sydney Opera House and went on the prison circuit singing for other inmates. Offended by the patronising attitudes of both RCA and the NSW department, Simms struck out on his own when he was released from prison in 1977.

The original LP is exceedingly rare and few copies are known to exist. It sells for over U$100 at actions.


Koala Bear

Sorry, no image for: Vic Simms - Koala Bear
Released
1988
Tracks

Sorry, no tracklisting available.


From The Heart

Sorry, no image for: Vic Simms - From The Heart
Released
1996
Tracks

Sorry, no tracklisting available.


Find Vic Simms albums & CDs

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Use the Aboriginal music timeline to view albums over time.

Cite this page

Korff, J 2018, Vic Simms, <https://mail.creativespirits.info/resources/music/vic-simms>, retrieved 26 April 2024

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