Sunbury Pop Festival '72 – Max Merritt

New Zealand-born Max Merritt and his band the Meteors visited Australia for the 1972 Sunbury Pop Festival, having moved to the UK 2 years earlier. On the Sunbury stage the band performed a cover of the song ‘Try a Little Tenderness’.

Written in 1932 by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M Woods, the song was reimagined and popularised by Otis Redding in his 1966 recording.

In 1967 Redding finished his legendary performance at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival in California with this soulful hit. The festival was Redding’s last major performance before his untimely death.

In the same year as Redding’s Monterey appearance, Max Merritt and the Meteors had recorded a cover of the song, with Merritt’s low, husky voice a fitting tribute to Redding.

Fading between the performance and attendees listening, kissing, dancing and swimming, this clip is taken from the final scenes of the Sunbury ‘72 documentary and it joyfully summarises the good vibes of the festival.

After Sunbury, Max Merritt and the Meteors went on a national pub tour before returning to England, and then coming back again to play at Sunbury 1973.