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Tuesday 24 May 2016

Tony Barber - 1967 - If You Need Somebody To Love


If You Need Somebody To Love/Sunshine Shadows


After Tony left Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs he had a short but fairly successful solo career he released an album 5 singles and 3 EP's all on the Spin label and 1 single on the Phono Vox label this was to be his last recording.

Buffalo Drive - 1972 - Life's Been Good To Me


 Life's Been Good To Me/Security Woman


Buffalo Drive are an Australian band formed, Adelaide, South Australia in 1971 and disbanded in 1973.
Also the group changed their name to "Fair Dinkum" also "Buffalo" in 1973.

Members include

Rod Boucher - Guitar, Vocal
David Jackson - Bass
Rodney Dunn - Drums
Vello Nou - Keyboards


Singles include

Mornig Good Day - Raw Prawn Polka - 1971
Jumpin' Fo Joy - Fortune Teller - 1971
Life's Been Good To Me - Security Woman - 1972
Money Stride - Go Away Woman - 1973

Friday 20 May 2016

Hush - 2000 - Best Of Hush


Bony Moronie/Glad All Over/Get Rocked/Caroline/Rough Tough 'N' Ready/Rockin' Gypsy King/Walking/C'mon We're Taking Over/Too Young To Know/The Exit/Lies/You Really Got A Hold On Me/Sunday/Nunchuka Man/Nothing Stays The Same Forever/9-5'Er/Messin' Around/China Doll 


Hush was a 1970s Australian glam rock pop group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC show Countdown for live concerts and teenagers.

Hush were formed, with Keith Lamb on vocals, in the Sydney suburb of Seven Hills in 1971 as a five piece band including a keyboardist. Keyboardist Chris Nolan had previously been with a band called Grandmars Observers. Hush first came to attention when they made the NSW finals of Australia's national rock band competition Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds in 1972. They first made the Australian charts in October 1973 with their own composition, "Get The Feeling". By this time they were down to the "classic" four-piece line-up of Keith Lamb (vocals), Les Gock (guitar), Rick Lum (bass) and Chris "Smiley" Pailthorpe (drums). By the time they made No. 1 on the charts in September 1975 with a rocked up, driving version of Larry Williams's Bony Moronie, they were riding the wave of the glam-rock craze in Australia.

 They were well placed to make an unforgettable performance on pop TV show Countdown's early colour episodes with their colourful outfits. In 1976 they added a second guitarist, Jacques De Jongh. Rick Lum left soon after.

After the band broke up in 1977, Keith Lamb was temporarily heartbroken. He formed other bands including Hush 2, Larry, and Airport. He is now a partner in the international embroidery company, Rajmahal, and is co-author of the successful card game series TAOC The Art of Conversation. Keith co-wrote songs for Status Quo following the breakup of Hush, including top 10 hits such as Ol' Rag Blues. Les became a jingle writer and won a major campaign in the early 80s. Smiley became an architect. Jacques De Jongh plays and records still, and is also a chef. Rick Lum works in graphic design.

 In August 2004, Hush reformed for Nordoff-Robbins charity event. The line-up was Keith Lamb, Rick Lum, Smiley Pailthorpe and Les Gock performing together for the first time over 25 years. Les Gock's son Adam joined them on stage.

In September 2006, Hush played Australia wide with many other artists who appeared on Countdown during the seventies in the Countdown Spectacular Tour. Another original member, guitarist Robin Jackson, currently playing with Chris Turner & The Wolftones, re-joined them for the Countdown Spectacular Tour     LINK  MP3



Allusions - 2000 - The Allusions Anthology 1966-1968


Gypsy Woman/Fever (Burns My Brain)/The Dancer/Roller Coaster Man/Looks Like Trouble/Ninety Seven Cigarettes/Roundabout/I'll Be Home/Seven Days Of Rain/Two Of A Kind/Mr. Love/And She's Mine/I Gotta Move/Blue Tomorrow/In My Solitude/Shop Around/Lady Of Leisure/Out Of Order/I Believe/Theme From "My Names McGooley"/Stop Gently 



The Allusions were as a Sydney-based quintet that burst out of nowhere in 1966, scoring a couple of major hits in Sydney. Although they disappeared into obscurity after their short career ended, this is a band that deserves much more recognition.

The Allusions formed in late 1965, its members drawn from several other accomplished Sydney groups, and boasting four singers. Their leader, singer-guitarist-composer Mike Morris, had previously played with Dennis & The Dellawares; Terry Hearne had been the bassist in popular instrumental group The Dave Bridge Trio, led by ace gutarist and Joy Boys founder-member Dave Bridge. Terry Chapman and Kevin Hughes had both been members of the early '60s Sydney surf band The Midnighters.

Within a short time of forming, The Allusions were signed to Robert Iredale's Leopold Productions, one of Australia's first independent record production companies (which had also recently signed Max Merritt & the Meteors) and their recordings were issued on EMI's Parlophone label. It's possible that their rapid signing came about because Robert Iredale was already familiar with Morris' talent -- it's known that The Dellawares provided backing for The Bee Gees on some of the trio's early recordings, which Iredale had produced.
 
 The Allusions shot to prominence in early 1966 with their captivatingly melodic version of the old Rick Nelson hit "Gypsy Woman", backed with "Fever (Burns My Brain)", a Mike Morris original. The single proved a disc-jockey's dream, securing solid airplay on Sydney's 2SM and 2UW, registering impressive sales and peaking at #12. The Allusions' reading in turn inspired The Saints to record the song as a single B-side in 1981.

With this hit under their belt, the group was given the opportunity to record two original songs (both penned by Morris) for their mesmerising follow-up. "The Dancer" / "Roller Coaster Man" developed the polished sound and strong harmonies of their debut, and echoed The Beatles' "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You". The A-side, the song for which they are best remembered, fared even better than their debut, making the Sydney Top Ten (#9) and giving great hopes for this 'mysterious' outfit among punters and pundits alike. However, because of the parochial nature of radio and the pop scene at the time, The Allusions' chart success was limited entirely to Sydney, and their Singles made no impact whatsoever in Melbourne.

Morris' impressive songwriting ability and the success of the two singles persuaded Iredale to finance the recording of a full album -- a comparitively rare occurrence at that time for a new and relatively unproven group. The original LP is now a sought-after rarity, with copies changing hands for as much as $50; copies with the older-style black Parlophone label are particularly sought-after. Happily all the tracks from this rare gem of mid-Sixties OzPop have been included in the complete Allusions Anthology, recently released by Canetoad Records.

The LP contains a variety of material, mixing originals by Morris with covers such as Smokey Robinson's "Shop Around". Some commentators have been rather critical of the album, reserving particular scorn for the song "I Believe", but Chris Spencer opines that "it's not as bad as some make us believe, and doesn't sound out of place on this collection".
 

                                                Original cover of their Long Play album
 

Terry Chapman quit the band in July 1966, not long before their third single was recorded, apparently unhappy with the Beatles-ish direction in which Morris was taking them. He went on to join one of Australia's first psychedelic groups, The Knack, which included drummer Craig Collinge, formerly of The Librettos and later of Procession. Chapman's replacement was Bruce Davis, who had worked with Morris in The Dellawares.

Their third single "Looks Like Trouble" (Oct. 1966) didn't chart, although the follow-up "Roundabout" (another Morris original, released in March 1967) managed to scrape into the bottom of the Top 40. An EP, The Dancer, followed in April, compiling the A-sides from the first three Singles, plus "Roller Coaster Man". 

According to Vernon Joyson, some time during 1967 The Allusions also recorded as the (uncredited) backing band for Digger Revell on his LP To Whom It May Concern. Another Allusions curiosity from this period is a promotional single -- which the group recorded under the pseudonym The Telemen -- the A-side of which was a version of the theme from the popular TV sitcom My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?.

The Allusions released two more Singles, "Seven Days Of Rain" (July 1967) and "Mr Love" (February 1968), but neither was successful. Between these two releases, Mike Morris left the band in late 1967, and he was replaced by John Spence. The Allusions continued as a four-piece until October 1968, when Terry Hearne quit to join Digger Revell's backing band. Mike Morris then rejoined, to raise money for an overseas trip, but by this time the momentum of their early success had dissipated, and in the face of changing trends they split for good in early 1969.

Not much is known about what happened to the members after their brief spell in the limelight; what little we have gleaned comes from Vernon Joyson's entry on the band in his book. Mike Morris worked with a number of local country-rock bands after returning to Australia. Terry Hearne was reported to be still playing with Digger Revell in the 1990s, although that was presumably ended by Digger's arrest conviction on charges of marijuana cultivation and trafficking, and his subsequent incarceration. Sadly, drummer Kevin Hughes committed suicide in 1975. 

The Allusions left behind a fine batch of records that are highly sought after by collectors of quality sixties Aussie pop. The evidence we have is that they could indeed "rock out" -- exemplified by the spirited cover of The Kinks' "I Gotta Move" on the LP, which arguably rivals the original -- along with strong similarities to other early beat-boom merchants like The Zombies and The Searchers. They used "I Feel Fine"-style guitar feedback too, before it was remotely de rigeur. If this band will be remembered at all though (and they should be), it would be for their extremely tight and inventive sound, those complex vocal harmonies, and their mastery of the three-minute beat-pop single idiom.




Thursday 12 May 2016

Masters Apprentices - 1972 - Toast To Panama Red


Answer Lies Beyond/Beneath the Sun/Games We Play I/Games We Play II/The Lesson So Listen/Love Is/Melodies of St Kilda/Southern Cross/Thyme To Rhyme


The Master's Apprentices began life in Adelaide as The Mustangs, playing Shadows-styled instrumentals. The line-up consisted of Mick Bower, Gavin Webb, Rick Morrison and Brian Vaughton. At the start of 1965, the band recruited Jim Keays as singer, adopted a rawer R&B-derived sound and became The Master's Apprentices. The band members chose the name because they were as much influenced by the blues masters such as John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Jimmy Reed as they were by the current crop of British R&B bands like The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Pretty Things and The Yardbirds. 

  In 1966, The Masters were placed third in the Adelaide heat of the Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds. A year later, Astor issued the band's debut single, the compelling `Undecided', which had been written by Bower and Morrison. The flip featured Bower's extraordinary anti-war song, `Wars or Hands of Time'. That classic single hit the Top 10 in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney during April, and the band commenced a hectic schedule of touring. The sudden success was too much for Vaughton and Morrison, who were replaced by Steve Hopgood and Tony Sommers (ex-Johnny Young's Kompany) respectively. The band's second raucous R&B single, `Buried and Dead'/`She's My Girl', was a Top 20 hit in Sydney during June 1967, and coincided with the release of the debut album The Master's Apprentices. The band's next single was the blissful psychedelic pop of `Living in a Child's Dream' (another Bower original)/`Tired of Just Wandering' which peaked at #4 in Sydney and #9 in Melbourne during September. The song scored Go-Set's Song of the Year Award and Most Successful Australian Group of 1967 Award for the Masters. 

  The pressures of major success began to take its toll and Mick Bower left the band after suffering a nervous breakdown. He was replaced briefly by Rick Harrison before Peter Tilbrook (ex-Bentbeaks) came in as a permanent member. Without Bower's songwriting skills on which to call, the band had to search for suitable songs from outside sources. For their next single, The Masters chose a Brian Caine (later Cadd) song called `Silver People'. The band re-arranged the song and released it as `Elevator Driver'/`Theme for a Social Climber'. Before the single's release in February 1968, Sommers and Hopgood were replaced by Doug Ford (hot-shot guitarist from The Missing Links and The Running Jumping Standing Still) and Colin Burgess (ex-Untamed and Haze).

    In May 1968, Webb left to be replaced by Glenn Wheatley (bass; ex-Bay City Union). In June, the band issued the single `Brigette'/`Four Years of Five', which was the first Ford/Keays collaboration. This was another pleasant dose of flower power pop and became The Masters' fifth hit in a row. The new line-up contested the 1968 Hoadley's National Battle of The Sounds final in July. The band came such a close second to The Groove that they were awarded a complimentary prize of boat tickets to England. 1968 ended with Tilbrook leaving, Astor releasing the two-year-old `But One Day'/`My Girl' as a farewell single, the band signing on with influential manager Daryl Sambell and being voted Most Original Group and Second Most Popular Group (behind The Twilights) in the Go-Set Pop Polls. The Masters' first single for 1969 (on EMI/Columbia) was the vapid bubblegum song `Linda Linda' (the B-side `Merry-Go-Round' was tougher). 

 By the end of the year, the band had scored two Top 20 hits with the hard rock singles `5-10 Man'/`How I Love You' (July) and `Think About Tomorrow Today'/`A Dog, a Siren and Memories' (December). The Masters also issued their second album, Masterpiece, in 1969 and set up the Drum Agency (motivated by the business-minded Glenn Wheatley) to manage acts like Sect and The Expression and promote concerts. `Turn Up Your Radio'/`Jam It Up' became the band's biggest hit to date (peaking at #7 nationally in May 1970). `Turn Up Your Radio' has since become an Australian rock classic. Just as the single peaked, the band left for England. Once in London, The Masters began to absorb all the heavy trends of the English scene and the results were heard on the evocative `Because I Love You'/`I'm Your Satisfier' single (December 1970) and Choice Cuts album (May 1971).

 Recorded at Abbey Road Studios with producer Jeff Jarrett, the masterful Choice Cuts was brimming with complex, shifting arrangements. Powerful material like `Because I Love You', `Death of a King', `Rio De Camero', `Song for a Lost Gypsy' and `Michael' highlighted Doug Ford's exemplary guitar technique. Choice Cuts stood out like a diamond in the rough at the time, and it remains one of the finest Australian progressive hard rock albums ever issued. With the band's return to Australia in December, `Because I Love You' reached #12 and Choice Cuts #11 in July 1971. The album was issued in England (renamed The Master's Apprentices) and when news arrived that it had garnered positive reviews in NME and Melody Maker, The Masters set off again for the UK in May.

    One month later, the live Nickelodeon album and single `Future of Our Nation'/`New Day' came out in Australia. The album had been recorded at Perth's Nickelodeon Theatre in December 1970, on the first date of the band's national tour, and was one of the first live albums ever issued in Australia. In England, the band recorded a final album, A Toast to Panama Red, and single, `Love is'/`Southern Cross'. Like Choice Cuts before it, A Toast to Panama Red was a groundbreaking album of rarefied skill and tremendous scope yet, upon release in January 1972, it sank without trace. It was simply too musically advanced for the local industry of the day to comprehend. A Toast to Panama Red is one of the great lost treasures of the Australian progressive rock era. Reissue specialists Raven included the transcendent `Melodies of St Kilda'/`Southern Cross' on the essential Various Artists compilation Golden Miles: Australian Progressive Rock 1969-74 (1994). 

 Even before the album came out, The Masters had broken up. Keays and Wheatley returned to Australia but Ford and Burgess kept The Masters' name alive for another year as a three-piece (with Denny Burgess, ex-Throb on bass). The three-piece line-up's only studio recording, `Freedom Seekers', later appeared on the rarities compilation Jam It Up! (April 1987). Colin and Denny Burgess returned to Adelaide at the start of 1973. They attempted to form a new band, Hard Rock Theatre, with Keays (vocals), Peter Jesser (guitar) and Peter Staben (keyboards), but the venture never got off the ground. Colin moved to Sydney, where he joined the nascent AC/DC as its original drummer. 

 Jim Keays worked as a staff writer for Go-Set magazine before launching a successful solo career. Wheatley went into band management and proved his business acumen by becoming one of the most successful rock entrepreneurs in Australia during the 1980s. He formed the Wheatley Brothers Organisation and was instrumental in the local and international success of Little River Band and John Farnham. In 1974, EMI issued the Now that It's Over (Best of) compilation and a farewell single, `Rio De Camero'/`Thyme to Rhyme' (August). Raven Records kept interest in the band alive during the 1980s with the release of the essential Hands of Time  compilation and the Jam It Up! rarities collection. Raven reissued Choice Cuts in 1988 with the previously B-side only track `New Day' added.

    In 1983, Colin and Denny Burgess formed hard rock band His Majesty with Japanese singer Yukiko Davis and Spike Williams (guitar). His Majesty launched itself in a blaze of publicity, but neither the singles `Glory Boys'/`Champagne Cocaine' (November 1983) and `C Me Comin''/`Randy' (February 1985) on the Regal label nor the band's live shows attracted sufficient interest from the public. The band broke up in 1987.

 In March 1988, Keays, Ford, Webb and Colin Burgess re-formed The Master's Apprentices and set off on the successful Birth of the Beat national tour. Roger Faynes (guitar, keyboards; ex-Koo De Tah) joined in order to fill out the live sound. The band signed a new deal with Virgin Records and, to promote the tour, the label issued The Very Best of the Master's Apprentices. In November 1988, The Masters released their first new album in 17 years, Do What You Wanna Do, which featured one side of live cuts and another of studio tracks. A re-recorded and rearranged version of `Because I Love You'/`I'm Your Satisfier' (live) was issued as a single (October) and became a hit all over again to a whole new generation of fans. The Masters' last single was `The Birth of the Beat'/`Birth of the Beat' (November). 

 Although Keays and Ford recorded demos in 1990, no new records were forthcoming. The two songwriting partners collaborated on Keays' third solo album, Pressure Makes Diamonds, which came out in 1993. In April 1995, Keays re-recorded a version of `Turn Up Your Radio' with the aid of Australia's finest trash-pop exponents, Hoodoo Gurus. EMI issued the Greatest Hits compilation on CD with the new track added. Keays and Ford re-formed The Masters again in 1997 for several tours. The line-up also featured Peter Farnan (guitar, keyboards; on loan from Boom Crash Opera, John Favarro (bass; from The Badloves) and Tony Day (drums; ex-Girl Overboard).

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Stars - 1979 - Land Of Fortune


Land Of Fortune/Red Neck Boogie/Gold Fever/Last Of The Riverboats/Innocent Bystanders/Wasted Words/In And Out Of Love/ All Good Things Will Come To You In Time/I'm Ready/Never Coming Back


 Stars were an Australian country and rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1975 and disbanded in 1979. Founding members were Glyn Dowding on drums; Malcolm Eastick on guitar and vocals; Mick Pealing on vocals; and Graham Thompson on bass guitar. They were joined by guitarist, songwriter, Andrew Durant in 1976 and relocated to Melbourne. Thompson then left and was replaced by a succession of bass guitarists including Roger McLachlan (ex-Little River Band) and Ian McDonald.

The band's debut album, Paradise, peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report in 1978 and included their highest charting single "Look After Yourself" which reached No. 21 on the related singles chart. Their second album, Land of Fortune, was released in 1979 but did not reach the Top 50. By that time Durant had been diagnosed with cancer, the band had their last performance on 5 November and Durant died on 6 May 1980 at age 25. A tribute performance by Stars members and other Australian acts followed in August and a double-LP, Andrew Durant Memorial Concert was released in 1981. It peaked at No. 8 on the albums chart with proceeds donated to Andrew Durant Cancer Research Foundation.


Adelaide band Astra Kahn formed in 1972, including Glyn Dowding on drums, Andrew Durant on guitar, and Malcolm Eastick on guitar and vocals. They disbanded by 1973 with Dowding and Eastick forming Flash in 1974 with Mick Pealing on vocals. In May 1975, Dowding, Eastick and Pealing formed Stars with Graham Thompson on bass. As a country, rock band they were touted as Australian rock'n'roll cowboys and played the local pub and club circuit. They were noticed by pop group, Little River Band's guitarist Beeb Birtles, they signed to Mushroom Records and relocated to Melbourne. Birtles produced their debut single, "Quick on the Draw" which reached the Australian Kent Music Report top 30 in July 1976. Durant joined in August on guitar and became their principal songwriter.

Their second single, "With a Winning Hand" peaked into the top 40 in October. Founding bass guitarist Thompson left and was replaced first by Michael Hegerty and then by Roger McLachlan (ex-Little River Band). The band supported Joe Cocker on his Australian tour in mid-1977. They released their third single, "Mighty Rock" which reached the top 30 in August. By November, Ian MacDonald replaced McLachlan and they released, "Look After Yourself" which became their highest charting single at No. 21. It was issued ahead of their debut album, Paradise (January 1978) which peaked at No. 11 on the Kent Music Report albums chart. The album spawned two more singles, "Back Again" in April and "West Is the Way" in June. In September, founding drummer Dowding was replaced by John James Hackett (ex-Phil Manning Band).



Stars continued touring including supporting The Beach Boys and Linda Ronstadt on their Australian tours in 1978–1979. A second album, Land of Fortune appeared in June 1979, it was produced by Ern Rose and Eastick. By that time Durant had been diagnosed with cancer and Stars performed a last concert on 5 November. A live album, 1157—titled for the number of career gigs—appeared in July 1980, which was produced by Eastick. Durant had died on 6 May at age 25. A tribute performance by Stars members and other Australian acts followed in August and a double-LP, Andrew Durant Memorial Concert was released. It peaked at No. 8 on the albums chart with proceeds donated to Andrew Durant Cancer Research Foundation.



Delltones - 1963 - 20 Golden Greats (1979)


Come A Little Bit Closer/Sitting In The Moonlight/Rag Doll/Hangin' Five/Surf CityWalk Like A Man/Walkin' Along/Paper DollLittle Darlin'/Poison Ivy/Get A Little Dirt On Your Hands/Out The Back/Glad All Over/Cotton Fields/Do You Wanna Dance/Candy Man/Tonight We Love/Walk/Blue Moon/Billy's Rock 'n' Roll.





The Delltones are a popular Australian rock 'n roll band, originally formed in 1958. They started out as a vocal harmony group with members: Brian Perkins, Noel Widerberg, Ian 'Peewee' Wilson, and Warren Lucas. In 1962, their single "Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands" was in the top five on the Australian charts. Lead vocalist Noel Widerberg died in a motor vehicle accident. His position was later filled by Col Loughnan.

The Delltones have been performing for Australian audiences for over five decades; their most successful recording years were in the 1960s. Wilson is the only current member from the original line-up. In the mid-1980s, he transformed the group from a vocal quartet to a five-piece vocal band. This, along with other stylistic changes, led to the band's resurgence and the chart topping, rock ‘n roll revival album, Bop Til Ya Drop. The Delltones remain one of the most consistent live entertainers in Australia and have been entertaining Australian audiences for over five decades. Wilson is the only current member from the original line up.

Sunday 8 May 2016

Norman Gunston - 1977 - I Might Be A Punk (But I Love You Baby)


I Might Be A Punk (But I Love You Baby)/Love Me Tender



Norman Gunston was a satirical TV character performed by Australian actor and comedian Garry McDonald. Norman Gunston was primarily well known in his native Australia, and to a lesser extent, the United States during the mid to late 1970s. He was the only Gold Logie winning fictional character on Australian Television, with McDonald collecting the award in character.

Gunston's single record releases sold sufficiently well to enter the Australian top 40 charts. Parody tributes included Punk rock (I might be a Punk but I love ya baby), Sherbet (Howzat), ABBA (Salute to ABBA), KISS (KISS Army), Boz Scaggs (Nylon Degrees), Billy Ray Cyrus (Achy Breaky Heart), and Peter Allen (I Go to Rio) (Allen was present when Gunston parodied him on ABC's pop show Countdown, and didn't seem amused, although he would have been aware of the character having previously appeared on Gunston's ABC show as a guest.)

In 1976, Gunston released an album titled The Popular Ballad Animal, which covered both contemporary and classic era compositions, several of which Norman had performed on his show, including his theme song, "I Who Have Nothing". In particular, notable tracks include Gunston's bizarre but inspired interpretations of Liza Minnelli's "Liza With a Z", David Gates' "If", Tom Jones' "Delilah", Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns", "Jailhouse Rock", "Piano Man", "Vesti La Giubba", "A little love and understanding", "Daddy what if?", and the Judy Garland classic "Over the Rainbow".

In 1978, Gunston released another covers album Nylon Degrees (sending up Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees in both title and cover art). His next album, 1984's Join The Dots, included out-takes and previously unreleased rare recordings, title and cover art parodying Culture Club's Colour By Numbers.

Gunston appeared as a guest harmonica player at Frank Zappa's concert at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia on 20 January 1976 which was later released as FZ:OZ (2002).


Stonefish - 1986 - From 20.000 Fathoms



Cement Head/Guitar Radiation/Boobalooba Beach/Hook In My Mouth


 Here's a cool surf instrumental EP released on the Citadel Records label back in 1986.  This was a one off collaboration when Dom Mariani of The Stems had a little time on his hands to gather some an old band mates and record this cool 4 track 12" EP.  The line-up consisted of Dom, two ex members of his old band The Go-Starts, Greg Hitchcock (gtr) and Velo Zupanovich (bass) along with drummer Dave Shaw.  Greg was playing with The Bamboos at the time and Velo was in a band called The Reaguns with Dave.  Dave would later join The Stems when original drummer Gary Chambers was sacked.  The 4 tracks on this EP are all surf inspired instrumentals that sit nicely along side say Dick Dale, Link Ray and the like, not a bad tune on this baby.  The original pressing in 1996 was 1000 copies with another 500 pressed in 1999 with no changes to the art or label.

Saturday 7 May 2016

Normie Rowe - 1968 - Everything's All Right


I Want You Back Again/You Thrill Me/Bald Headed Lena/Let Me Tell You/She Used To Be Mine/Everythings Alright/Lindy Lou/Gonna Leave This Town/That's Why I Cry/Too Bad You Don't Want Me/I Keep Forgetting/Poor Fool



Normie Rowe AM (born Norman John Rowe on 1 February 1947 in Melbourne, Australia) was the preeminent male solo star of Australian pop music in the 1960s. Known for his bright, edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Pat Aulton, house producer for the Sunshine Records, Spin Records and Festival Records labels. Backed by his band The Playboys, Rowe released a string of Australian pop hits on the Sunshine Records label that kept him at the top of Australian charts and made him the most popular solo performer of the mid-1960s. Rowe's double-sided hit "Que Sera Sera" / "Shakin' All Over" was one of the most successful Australian singles of the 1960s.

Between 1965 and 1967 Normie was Australia's most popular male star but his career was cut short when he was drafted for compulsory military service in late 1967. Rowe's subsequent tour of duty in Vietnam effectively ended his pop career, and he was never able to recapture the success he enjoyed at his peak.

This Universal Record Club release from 1968 is a pastiche of Normie's first two albums "It Ain't Necessarily So....But It Is" and "a Go Go".


Tuesday 3 May 2016

Steve Gilpin - 1973 - Knowing


There's An Island/Tulsa Turnaround/You Don't Need A Ring/Finders Keepers Losers Weepers/You Are The One/Hey Little Girl / Knowing/Little Boy Sad/Ray Of Sunshine/ Lucky Old Sun


Steve Gilpin's only solo album released in 1973.
Posting this one after a request from Basil and thanks to John for sending it to me.

Monday 2 May 2016

Steve Gilpin - 1972 - Anna, No Can Do


Anna, No Can Do/Bridge Over Troubled Water-Youve Got A Friend


Stephen Anthony "Steve" Gilpin (28 April 1949 – 6 January 1992) was a New Zealand-born vocalist. In November 1972 he won the national final of TV talent show, New Faces. In 1977 he was a founder of Mi-Sex, which became one of the most popular new wave bands in New Zealand and Australia in the late 1970s to early 1980s. They had relocated to Australia in August 1978 and reached number one on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart with "Computer Games" (1979) and had top five hits with "Computer Games" and "People" on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Gilpin also had a solo career including releasing material before forming Mi-Sex. He joined various groups after their disbandment and performed as a solo artist. In November 1991 he was severely injured in a car accident, he lapsed into a coma, and died in Southport Hospital on 6 January 1992, aged 42.







Stephen Anthony Gilpin began his music career as a cabaret singer in hotels. In 1972 he issued two singles, "Spring" and "Stoned Me", on Strange Records, and another single, "Anna, No Can Do", on HMV Australia. In November that year he was the winner of New Zealand TV talent show, New Faces, ahead of Shona Laing. He followed with a string of singles until his focus shifted from cabaret to rock music.