Translate

Sunday 28 November 2010

The Four Kinsmen - Live & Well


In 1962 Bernard Mahony and his younger sibling Adrian joined up with brothers Peter and George Fay to form the Four Kinsmen. Their first appearance was on Kevin Dennis Auditions. This show went to air at 6am on a Saturday morning live.The judges were Bert Newton, Frank Wilson and Geoff Brooks. They won and were given a spot on Graeme Kennedy's "In Melbourne Tonight".More success followed with a top 40 record and more TV exposure it was then they decided to turn professionaland take the plunge and leave for England to learn the ropes. After much hard work they were given a 3 month season with Dave Allen at a theatre restaurant which gave them a much needed opportunity to cement their position.
Over the next 3 years they worked with Englebert Humperdink,Des O'Connor,Val Doonican,Benny Hill,Moorecombe and Wise and toured Spain,France Germany and Sweden.While in England they released 3 singles and did a pantomime season along with the New Vaudeville Band.
They then decided to return to Australia and as the seasoned professionals that they now were had no problem gaining work on the club scene in Sydney With their brand of humour singing and new approach to entertaining they were always in demand. In 1974 their hard work was rewarded with a prestigious "Mo Award", they were voted best vocal group and "Entertainers of the Year".The group were in great demand overseas with work in South East Asia and Las Vegas keeping them busy. By 1979 all the travel was starting to take it's toll and Bernard left the group and by 1985 all the brothers had left with their places being taken by new Kinsmen who would carry the name and high standards on until 2004.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Eurogliders - We Will Together


We Will Together/Wildfire



Eurogliders were an Indie pop band formed in 1980 in Perth, Western Australia, which included mainstays Grace Knight on vocals and Bernie Lynch on guitar and vocals. In 1984, Eurogliders released an Australian top ten album, This Island, which spawned their #2 hit single, "Heaven (Must Be There)". "Heaven" also peaked at #21 on the United States, Billboard Mainstream Rock charts and appeared on the Hot 100. Another Australian top ten album, Absolutely, followed in 1985, which provided three further local top ten singles, "We Will Together", "The City of Soul" and "Can't Wait to See You". They disbanded in 1989, with Knight having a successful career as a jazz singer. The band reformed in 2005 to release two additional albums by 2007. "We Will Together" made it to #7 on the Australian charts the B-side was a live track recorded at the Hordern Pavillion and taken from the video Eurogliders Live In Concert.

Johnny Diesel And The Injectors - Don't Need Love

Don't Need Love/Never Last



The single was released in 1988 it came in a limited edition cover and both sides were on the "Johnny Diesel & The Injectors" album. Don't Need Love made it to #10 on the charts and stayed in the charts for 24 weeks not a bad run.

Monday 15 November 2010

Various - Hair Vol. 2


Aquarius/Manchester England/Don't Put It Down/ Walking In Space/Be In/Good Morning Starshine/3500/What A Piece Of Work Is Man/Abie Baby/Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In)/ Hair


I think everybody knows what hair the musical is so I won't go into that. If you want the serious Australian cast version you can get that at Midoztouch. This album is a budget priced album that was obviously put together to cash in on the musical Hair and has the usual cast of unknowns but not quite, there are 3 principal singers 2 gals Janie Day and Susan Casey of whom I know nothing (anybody?) and the guy none other than Johnny Devlin probably short on cash. Some of the songs are quite good in a Budget sort of way they don't quite have polish of the original but I still found it an interesting listen.
I did a bit of searching to get some info on the musicians pretty hard to come by but did find out that Philip Eizenberg was a member of the Ferrets and Southern Comfort with Bobbi Marchini, Mike Bukovsky was in Marcia Hines Band during the Seventies and Ivan Sultanoff name pops up here and there he was involved with 2006 Commonwealth games opening and appears on the the Nick Cave movie sountrack "To Have And To Hold" the others not really any mention that I could be sure was them, there's a full list of those involved on the back scan. The songs they seem to have changed around to suit themselves one example is the song Three-Five-Zero-Zero which has turned into a fairly long jazz jam but probably one of the best things on this album anyway give it a listen tell me what you think.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Ian Moss - Tucker's Daughter


Tucker's Daughter/Islands



After the breakup of Cold Chisel in 1983 Ian Moss layed low for several years before launching a solo career in 1988. His first single, "Tucker's Daughter", co-written with Don Walker, was released on Mushroom Records in March 1989 and was a No. 1 hit. Another Walker composition, "Telephone Booth", also went Top 10. Matchbook, released in August, reached number one on the album charts, remaining at the peak spot for three weeks. Two further singles, "Out of the Fire" and "Mr. Rain" were also minor hits and at the ARIA Awards early the following year Moss won five awards including Best Male Artist and Album of the Year. The B-Side to the single "Islands" is a n0n-album track and a very nice instrumental at that.

"Tucker's Daughter" was the first single from former Cold Chisel guitarist Ian Moss. Co-written by Moss and his Cold Chisel bandmate Don Walker, the song reached No. 1 on the Australian singles chart on 20 March, 1989. "Tucker's Daughter" became the first track on Moss's album Matchbook, released six months later. The album also went to No. 1. Together, this song and the album helped Moss win five ARIA Awards.

"Tucker's Daughter" tells of a labourer who finds himself the attention of his employer's daughter, but instead of returning her affections like the character from the Roy Orbison song "Working for the Man", he decides to "not live under Tucker's thumb" and remain his own man.

Friday 5 November 2010

James Freud - Breaking Silence


Modern Girl/The Television's Hungry/The Saviours/Enemy Lines/Butane Babies/Star To Star/19 Again/No More Telephone/Mean Modulator/Blue Moon



James Randall Freud (born Colin Joseph McGlinchey, 29 June 1959 – 4 November 2010) was an Australian rock musician-songwriter. He was a member of Models during the 1980s and wrote their two most popular singles, "Barbados" and "Out of Mind, Out of Sight".

His autobiographies I Am the Voice Left from Drinking (2002) and I Am the Voice Left from Rehab (2007) detail his career in music entertainment and addictions. On 27 October 2010, Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame by former member Wendy Matthews, Freud's absence from the ceremony was explained as being due to "another bicycle accident". Freud committed suicide on 4 November and is survived by his wife, Sally, and two sons, Jackson and Harrison. It's bad enough that we have lost so many legends lately and every other day there is some news of another with some life threatening disease and now this tragic news RIP James.

Here's James's 1980 album "Breaking Silence" You might like to have a listen and remember James.

Thursday 4 November 2010

Karen Knowles - Wish I Was Loving You



Why Won't You Explain/You Are The Reason/When A Child Is Born/Oh My Papa/Hold Me/La Vie En Rose/Vincent/Love Us All/Amazing Grace/Wish I as Loving You/Let It Be Me/Just For That/What's Another Year/I Never Said I Love You/Pretend/The Rose/The Heart Of Me/All The Tea In China




Karen Knowles' extensive and successful career as a performer, producer and director of her own entertainment company now spans over twenty-five years.Her performance career began with the award winning television program Young Talent Time where she quickly achieved national recognition and acclaim for her weekly appearances and regular request segments. She soon caught the eye and ear of Ron Tudor, a great pioneer in the Australian record industry, who signed her to his Fable label in 1980.
Success was swift - Karen soon made history by becoming the first Australian schoolgirl to receive a Gold record with her first Top Ten hit single Why Won’t You Explain. The following album You Are The Reason reached Platinum status, making her the highest selling female artist in Australia for two consecutive years. She then released her second record Loves Us All which achieved gold status, the Top 30 single You Don’t Know Love and The Third Time album.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Original Australian Cast Recording - They're Playing Our Song
























They're Playing Our Song is a musical with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.
In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven. The two undergo a series of trials and overcome a number of hurdles before finding true love by the final curtain.
They're Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices, and there are no big production numbers.
The original Australian production opened on August 23, 1980 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. It starred John Waters and Jacki Weaver, with Rhonda Burchmore as one of the "Inner Voices." An Australian Cast Recording was released by Festival Records.
Synopsis
Act I
Top pop music composer Vernon Gersch, hoping to find a new collaborator, meets offbeat Sonia Walsk, who has already had some success writing lyrics and is in awe of his accomplishments, at his luxury Manhattan apartment. She is surprised that his Oscar is so light, and Vernon quips, "They're chocolate inside." He is aloof and focused, while she is disorganized and distracted, but Vernon has already written music to one of Sonia's lyrics, and they decide to forge ahead. Sonia, frazzled by her break up with lover Leon, arrives a day late for their first work session. When they begin, she tells Vernon they should get to know each other on a personal level in order for their work to gel, and they decide to have dinner at "Le Club."
Sonia, who has been trying to ease Leon's anguish, is late yet again, and the evening begins badly. She and Vernon argue, then dance in an effort to calm down. The two settle down to enjoy the evening, and they hear their own songs being played over the sound system. Another work session, in which the two really don't listen to each other, follows, but Vernon convinces Sonia to join him for a romantic weekend at a Long Island beach house. The trip to the island in Vernon's small sports car is fraught with engine trouble, calls to Leon, and arguments. They finally arrive at the house, but a phone call from Leon threatens the romantic mood. Determined to concentrate on Vernon, Sonia tells Leon that she can't help him and hangs up.
Act II
It's a week later and Vernon is suffering from insomnia. Sonia manipulates her way into his apartment by telling him she has no place to stay since Leon is back living at her place. Sonia and Vernon's romance and collaboration seems successful for a while, but the relationship begins to crumble because of her inability to send her ex-boyfriend away. Also, away from his piano, Vernon is a bundle of neuroses and unable to express his deepest feelings. After some psychologizing about the difficulties of living and working together, the pair split up at a recording session.
A few months later, while Vernon is in a Los Angeles hospital, Sonia arrives unexpectedly with a tiny red child's piano as a get-well gift. Months later, both have separately come to the realization that, despite their differences, they are better together. Vernon arrives at Sonia's apartment in New York to tell her that he wants to try again. She agrees, and they reconcile with a kiss.