In February 1967
the Masters Apprentices relocated to Melbourne from Adelaide, and in June they issued their debut
self-titled album on
Astor Records. It was recorded at the newly opened
Armstrong Studios in
South Melbourne and was nominally produced by staff producer, Dick Heming. According to lead singer,
Jim Keays, Heming's input was limited and most of the production was by audio engineer, Roger Savage, with considerable input from
Ian Meldrum. In August 1967 the band released "Living in a Child's Dream" which reached the top ten in most state capitals and peaked at No. 9 on
Go-Set's
National Top 40. The track was written by the group's guitarist, Mick Bower. Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane, described it as "blissful psychedelic pop." Fellow music journalist,
Ed Nimmervoll, opined that it "saw the first dramatic shift in direction for the [band], this time offering a melodic pop piece with psychedelic lyrics. With a national top ten hit on their hands [they] were now one of the most popular groups in the country." It was voted Australian Song of the Year by
Go-Set readers. == Track listing ==