Johnny Ashcroft - Little boy lost

Video from 1978 film of the same name

Little Boy Lost, sung by Johnny Ashcroft was a smash-hit when first released in 1960 at the time young Stephen was lost. In fact it became the third-biggest selling single in Australia's record history, topped by The pub with no beer and Tie me kangaroo down sport. But even that success ran into trouble. At the height of its popularity Australia was shocked by the kidnapping and murder of young Graeme Thorne. To spare the child's family further distress Johnny Ashcroft and EMI records withdrew the song from the air and from general circulation.
Country of Origin: Australia

ABC radio interview with Johnny Ashcroft about this song.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/02/07/2812490.htm

Category:

Music

Tags:

• johnny
• ashcroft
• little
• lost
• australian
• folk
• country
• 60s

[JRG1993s]

Umm... was this story ever turned into a movie?

It's just that the music video here looks an awful lot like a movie...

[janschro]

@JRG1993s Video from 1978 film of the same name ,see video comments

cheers John

[TheWaggaBloke]

G'day just wondering if any one can help me out the was a song it's an old aussie folk song called the whale song albby mangels had it on one of his film.. you know it if ya heard it i

I guess it gose something like this... di di di di di di di O bend ya back and row me lads and take me to me whale... anyways I was wondering if some could post it on the tube.. that's all. Thank a heap.. Rod

[janschro]

@TheWaggaBloke The Whale by Fielding & Dyer ,1972

I sent you a link

Cheers John

[1011mn]

Some one help me out. The song begins "In the wild New England ranges. . ." Is there and area of Australia known as New England? When I first heard this many years ago I thought it was about the New England area of USA.

[janschro]

A region of northern New South Wales ,Australia.

The New England Tablelands, home of Australia's highest waterfall, greatest number of National Parks & Gorges, spectacular views, world renowned fishing

[aussieflstc]

stuff like this makes our country

not the nappy head , aussie hating lebbo crap going on nowadays in this country

[TheSkrewd1]

this song gives me goose bumps

[AccaDC1]

@daddydo60 Where'd you get the DVD, I live in Guyra and I can't find it anywhere

[AccaDC1]

@1011mn In a small town called Guyra, Stephen still lives here too

[AccaDC1]

@janschro In a small town called Guyra, Stephen still lives here too

[lilynick1]

Great song, great story and a happy ending! :)

[rorigiles]

Logging in from Wellington, New Zealand. This song, written by Ashcroft from DJ Tony Withers’s idea, tells the story of Steven Walls who became lost from his parent’s property at Tubbamurra near Guyra, NSW. Five thousand people, seven aircraft, together with Aboriginal tracker William Stanley, searched the rugged bush country, which was rife with dingos and deadly snakes. He was found alive and well four days later. The search for the Little Boy Lost continues to be Australia's biggest.Top post!

[daddydo60]

@JRG1993s Yeah I'v Got The Dvd Of That

[mollymitch1]

@andy92712 gee it's great to have Historians on here as well as people who love their music. This is a great advertisement for Australia and the New England Ranges. Keep it up.Love it, such a sad song with a great ending. keep posting this great music

[andy92712]

The specific area to where young Stephen Walls went missing was in the Guyra area, Guyra is on the New England Highway north from Armidale, and the highway is build through the ranges of the Great Dividing Ranges mainly between North of Tamworth to The Qld Border, the Ranges has it's dangers with the "yellow belly black snakes" and the winters can be very cold, our family used to go to Guyra on shopping days from where we lived near Wongwibinda going towards Dorrigo, or Coffs Harbour

[gramophoneshane]

Good to see (hear) this on youtube. I got this disc in a secondhand shop about 20 yrs ago & have liked it ever since.

Why do yanks always think the world revolves around them lol.

[NicDevlin74]

I want to see the movie.... I saw part of it when I was young