House of Hits: The Great Untold Story of Australia's First Family of Music

Few, if any, of AC/DC's fans would have any idea that the band's unmistakeable brand of raucous, hardcore rock was delivered to the world via a small Australian family music publishing business, J. Albert & Son. In fact, the lives of most Australians have been touched in some way by the Alberts, through sheet music, Boomerang Songsters, any number of radio stations owned by Alberts or bands and artists like the Easybeats, John Paul Young, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, the Angels, Rose Tattoo and AC/DC. Who is behind this business that has been quietly shaping and influencing Australia's musical landscape, culture, entertainment and media for most of its existence? Alberts had its beginnings as an unassuming watch and clock repair shop in suburban Sydney in 1885. Today it is one of Australia's oldest family-owned and run businesses, which is now in its fifth generation of ownership. Yet few people have heard of the company, and know nothing of the family that still runs it, because the family has never before agreed to have its story told. Until now. Jane Albert - herself a journalist and fifth generation family member - has had unprecedented access to company documents, family diaries, family members, letters and of course the vibrant gallery of Australian artists who have made Alberts the success it is today: Young brothers George, Malcolm and Angus, Harry Vanda, Stevie Wright, Angry Anderson, John Paul Young and music personalities Molly Meldrum and Michael Chugg.

Author Biography

Jane Albert worked for News Ltd as a journalist, deputy arts editor and sub-editor on The Australian, Sunday Telegraph and Daily Telegraph. She now works as a freelance feature writer, specialising in the arts. Her work has been published in the Bulletin, the Weekend Australian and Dance Gazette, among others.