Billy Thorpe: Children Of The Sun

Our Saturday “Bubbling Under” tune was inspired by Greg Rector, an old college friend and follower of this blog. I had forgotten about “Children of the Sun” the title cut from Billy Thorpe’s first American LP release until Greg requested it. The album was a concept recording that is often referred to as a space opera.

Although English by birth, Thorpe moved to Australia as a child and he is generally considered an Australian artist. His first solo US release was meant with a modicum of success as the album charted at 39 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart. The single is truly a bubbling under hit as it peaked at #41 on the Hot 100 – therefore qualifying as a true bubbling under single by our definition.

The album was originally issued in the US on Capricorn Records, which was an outlet for many Southern Rock bands such as the Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, Stillwater, Wet Willie, Elvin Bishop, Dickey Betts, Black Oak Arkansas, Cowboy, and the Dixie Dregs. The label almost became synonymous with Southern Rock acts and typecast as a Southern Rock label.

Besides Billy Thorpe, the label hosted non-Southern Rock artists such as Livingston Taylor, Jonathan Edwards, Captain Beyond, White Witch, Sea Level, and Dobie Gray to name a few – of which Billy Thorpe is one. Thorpe died of a massive heart attack on February 28, 2007. Although nominated prior to his death, Thorpe was posthumously inducted as a member of the Order of Australia later the same year.