[5]: 124–126 The beat pop six-piece were influenced by the Beatles (which toured Australia in mid-year), the Hollies, the Who and the Small Faces; they were informed of music trends by relatives and contacts back in Britain.

[1][5]: 125  Cockington observed that Adelaide later created more musically adept bands – James Taylor Move and early Zoot – but Spry provided "overly-enthusiastic" management and touted his group as the "next big thing.

[1] Their reputation spread; with Ed Nimmervoll noting their "ability to be human jukeboxes for the music of the day made them the sensations of Melbourne.

"[2] The Twilights competed in the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds from April 1966, winning the South Australian state final at Thebarton Town Hall over the Masters Apprentices.

A competition rule, which set maximum group membership at five, meant that McCartney sat out their winning performance – he returned for their encore.

[1][4] It included originals, works written by Barry Gibb or by Hans Poulsen, as well as mod-rock cover renditions of concert favourites.

[1] While in London they adopted the latest Mod hairstyles, Carnaby Street clothes and grew moustaches, emulating trends set by the Beatles.

[1][3][14] It was written for the Twilights by the Hollies' members Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash and had been recorded at Abbey Road.

[16] A third track recorded at Abbey Road provided their next single "Young Girl" (May),[1] which was a melancholy and evocative tune written by Pryor,[3][17] and features Britten's use of a variable volume pedal.

[18] Britten embraced Eastern philosophy and introduced exotic instruments including a sitar on its B-side "Time and Motion Study Man", a social observation.

[3] Contemporary music reporter Garry Raffaele reflected on the mediocrity of Australian bands, "[who] had the temerity to introduce instruments like the sitar into their work... better if they had learned to play their guitars first.

Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (June 1967) and the Small Faces' Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (May 1968) "with exacting perfection,"[1] weeks before their respective official releases in Australia.

Go-Set reporters documented the making of the pilot, Once Upon a Twilight, including photos of the group around Melbourne with co-stars, comedian Mary Hardy (band's secretary) and Ronnie Burns.

[1][2] Meanwhile all members of the Twilights joined a one-off studio group, Pastoral Symphony, to release a cover version of "Love Machine" (May 1968); additional vocalists were Ronnie Charles (of the Groop), Johnny Hawker and Terry Walker (of the Strangers).

They were one of the first Australian bands to utilise British-made Marshall amplifiers (as used by Jimi Hendrix), which delivered a powerful sound together with their impeccable presentation and tight musicianship.

[26] The Twilights' shows included comedy and slapstick elements: Shorrock adopted an alter-ego, "Superdroop", dressing in a shabby super-hero jumpsuit (as in the "Cathy Come Home" film clip).

[2] Alongside original material they provided popular Motown and soul tunes and performed cover versions of recent chart hits.

Their next single, "Tell Me Goodbye" / "Comin' on Down" (August 1968), was recorded at Armstrong's Studios in Melbourne – it was their last with MacKay producing – but was largely ignored by radio and the public and did not reach the top 40.

Their final single, "Sand in the Sandwiches" (November 1968), which was produced by New Zealander, Howard Gable, attempted to deliver a jaunty "let's all head off for the beach" theme but failed to achieve the interest of their audiences.

Their last NSW concert was at Sydney Trocadero alongside a line-up of the Groove, Johnny Farnham, the Dave Miller Set, the La De Da's and the Executives, with compères Ward Austin and Dal Myles.

McFarlane summarised, "In terms of style, musicianship and songwriting ability (if not success), Adelaide's favourite sons the Twilights were the closest thing Australia had to overseas role models.

"[1] AllMusic's Richie Unterberger observed, "[they] were not especially innovative, but played competent, harmony-driven British Invasion-styled rock, strongly recalling both the 'beat' and pseudo-psychedelic era Hollies.

In 2006, Aztec Music released a remastered CD version of Once Upon a Twilight, comprising both mono and stereo mixes of the original LP.

[1][2] Pryor was the drummer for a progressive rock band Healing Force with Charlie Tumahai in early 1971 before joining Chain during 1971 to 1972; he then undertook various studio sessions.

[35] The surviving Twilights reunited for an all-star Rock of Ages concert promoted by Aztec Music at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne in 2011.