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Saturday 27 August 2016

Kevin Borich - 1981 - Shy Boys Shy Girls


Can't Help It/Getting So Excited/Working On A New Day/Shy Boys, Shy Girls/Heart Breaker/ Waiting For You /They Got My Number



 Kevin Borich Express was formed in early 1976 by Borich on lead guitar, lead vocals and occasional flute with Harry Brus on bass guitar (ex-Blackfeather) and Barry Harvey on drums (Wild Cherries, Chain). They recorded a track, "The End of Me" before Brus and Harvey were soon replaced by Reuben San Fiansco on bass guitar and Gil Matthews on drums. Subsequent line-ups were typically a three piece with a succession of bass guitarist and drummers. They released their debut single, "Goin' Somewhere" in October using Fiansco, and John Annas on drums (Wendy Saddington Band), following in March 1977 was their debut album, Celebration! with Annas, and Tim Partridge on bass guitar (Mighty Kong, The Johnny Rocco Band). The album was favoured by critics and peaked in the top 30 on the Australian albums charts.

In early 1977, Borich supported the tour by UK rock guitarist, Jeff Beck. Mid 1977 saw the release of the band's follow-up album Lonely One. This was followed in October by supporting the Rockarena tour with Fleetwood Mac, Santana and Little River Band – Borich was invited on-stage to jam with Carlos Santana. In May 1978, the band toured USA in support of Australian heavy rockers, AC/DC, with Annas, Paul Christie on bass guitar and keyboard player Tim Shafer (Gary Wright Band). This line-up recorded, No Turning Back which was released in March 1979.


By mid-year, Partridge had returned with both Christie and Shafer departing, and together with Annas, Borich recorded Live!, using the 2JJ mobile studio equipment over performances in Melbourne and Wollongong. Live! contains one of the most incendiary and atmospheric versions of Little Red Rooster ever recorded along with a number of Borich standards.

In July, Kevin Borich Express appeared on Renée Geyer's album, Blues License. A European tour by Kevin Borich Express resulted in a compilation album being released in Germany. After the tour, John Watson (Heavy Division) replaced Annas on drums and the band recorded, Angel's Hand in November 1979.[ Similar line-up changes continued into the early 1980s with Michael Deep replacing Partridge in April 1980. This line-up collaborated with solo artist Dutch Tilders to record Blues Had a Baby and They Called It Rock'n'Roll in 1981 on RCA Records. Kerry Jacobsen (Dragon) replaced Watson on drums for Shy Boys Shy Girls mini-LP in late 1981

Sherbet - 1973 - On With The Show


We Can Make It Right/Summer Satisfaction/ Jubilee Morning/Cassandra/Roll Me Over/ Chicago/Jungle Jiver/Sweet Valentine/Au Revoir


On With the Show is an album by Sherbet released in 1973. The album spent 12 weeks in the Australian charts, reaching a highest point of #6.

Alongside Skyhooks, Sherbet was the most successful Australian pop band of the 1970s. With a run of 20 consecutive hit singles to its credit, and 17 albums that yielded ten platinum and 40 gold disc awards, Sherbet was the first domestic act to sell a million dollars worth of records in Australia.

Under the direction of astute manager Roger Davies, the band also pioneered the concept of the national rock tour by undertaking arduous, cross-country treks to play in the far-flung corners of the continent. Sherbets carefully cultivated image tended to alienate the `serious music fan, although the bands ability to deliver well-crafted pop music has never been in doubt.



 The original Sherbet line-up emerged from the ashes of two Sydney dance bands, Downtown Roll Band and Clapham Junction. Englishman Clive Shakespeare formed Downtown Roll Band in 1968 with Doug Rae, Danny Taylor, Pam Slater (vocals), Francis Ma (vocals) and Adrian Cuff (organ). The band played Stax/Volt soul, James Brown and Tamla Motown covers before calling it a day in March 1969. Dennis Laughlin and Sam Sees previous band, Clapham Junction, ran its own discotheque called the Union Jack. There were a number of different Clapham Junction line-ups.


 

 Following Laughlin and Sees departures in early 1969, the line-up of Jim Willebrandt (vocals), William Mahoney (vocals), Derek Lewis (guitar), Peter Noble (bass) and David Mills (drums) recorded a single for the Du Monde label, `Emily on Sunday/`Good Time Music (November 1970). Shakespeare formed Sherbet in April 1969. Taylor left three months later to be replaced by Alan Sandow (ex-Daisy Roots). At the end of the year, the band recorded its debut single for Festival, `Crimson Ships/`Everything.

By the time the single appeared in March 1970, Daryl Braithwaite (ex-Bright Lights, House of Bricks, Samael Lilith) had replaced Laughlin and Bruce Worrall (ex-Bright Lights, House of Bricks, Samael Lilith) had taken over from Rae on bass. Laughlin went on to join Toby Jugg. Well before Sherbet commenced its national touring schedule, the band had honed its performance skills with an unbelievable eight-month residency at Jonathons discotheque in Sydney.

 Throughout the residency, the band played seven hours a night, four nights a week. After that, the members of Sherbet were ready to take on the world! The next member to leave, however, was See who departed in October 1970 to join Flying Circus. From there he joined Fraternity, Greg Quills Southern Cross, The Stockley See Mason Band, the Jimmy Barnes Band and the John Farnham Band among others.

New Zealand-born Garth Porter (Hammond organ, electric piano ex-Toby Jugg) came in as Sees replacement and the band signed to Festivals new subsidiary label Infinity. `Can You Feel It Baby?/`The Love You Save (#22 in August 1971) and a cover of Delaney and Bonnies `Free the People/`All Our Yesterdays (national #36, Sydney #5 in December) were the bands first national hit singles. In January 1972, Tony Mitchell (ex-Wheelbarrow, Harry Young and Sabbath) replaced Worrall on bass.   

 1972 proved to be a watershed year in Sherbets development. The band supported Creedence Clearwater Revival on a national tour the singles Ted Mulrys `Youre All Woman/`Back Home (#13 in August) and `Youve Got the Gun/`Do It (#29 in December) were hits the band took out first place in the Hoadleys National Battle of the Sounds final the debut album Time Change A Natural Progression (December) came out and finally Sherbet was voted Top Australian Group in the Go-Set Pop Poll.

Sherbet issued two singles during 1973, Leiber and Stollers `Hound Dog/`Can I Drive You Home? (#21 in July) and `Cassandra/ `Time Change (#5 in October). `Cassandra came from the bands second album, On with the Show (#6 in November), and was the first real indication of the Porter/Shakespeare-penned pop masterpieces that were to follow. Both records made extensive use of Porters newly acquired Mellotron, which gave Sherbet a distinctive edge and sound over other Australian pop groups of the day. The band ended the year with the Best Australian Group honour at the TV Week King of Pop Awards.

Saturday 20 August 2016

Blackfeather - 1974 - Live At Sunbury FLAC




Get It On/I`m Gonna Love You/Still Alive And Well/Slippin' And Slidin'/Boppin the blues & Let's Twist Again & I Just Love To Rock 'n' Roll



The original version of Blackfeather was formed in early 1970 by guitarist John Robinson, bassist Leith Corbett and drummer Mike McCormack (all from the final lineup of recently disbanded Sydney group The Dave Miller Set), plus lead vocalist Neale Johns. Corbett and McCormack left soon after, replaced by Robert Fortesque (bass) and Alexander Kash (drums). Corbett subsequently reunited with singer Dave Miller to record the duo album Reflections of a Pioneer.

The second lineup of Blackfeather soon became a major draw-card around NSW and the group was signed by Festival Records' newly-founded progressive subsidiary Infinity Records, for whom they recorded their acclaimed debut album At the Mountains of Madness (1970). The LP was co-produced by Robinson and Festival staff producer Richard Batchens (who went on to work with Sherbet and Richard Clapton), and it featured the hit song "Seasons of Change". During this time Robinson had become close friends with members of the group Fraternity, including keyboardist John Bissett and singer Bon Scott (both of whom contributed to the Blackfeather album). He gave them "Seasons of Change" to record as a single, and also sought an undertaking from Infinity that they would not release the original Blackfeather version to compete with it. However, as soon as Fraternity's version reached the top of the charts in their home town of Adelaide, Festival reneged on the agreement and rush-released Blackfeather's version as a single; it reached #15 nationally, #39 in Sydney, and charted for 16 weeks.

 Despite this success, internal frictions escalated and there were more lineup changes. Kash and Fortesque both quit after the album came out; Kash was briefly replaced by Terry Gascoigne, then by Steve Webb, and Fortesque by Harry Brus, who had briefly worked with Robinson in the original lineup of the Dave Miller Set back in 1967). After a heated argument at Festival studios during a recording session in early 1971, Robinson and Johns parted ways but, unknown to Robinson, manager Peter Conyngham had registered the Blackfeather name and thus owned the rights to it and Johns subsequently formed a new version of Blackfeather.
Robinson, Webb and Brus struggled on as a trio for a short time before disbanding. Robinson's later ventures included work with local all-star group Duck and a sought-after solo album, Pity For The Victim. He eventually retired from performing in the 1980s and became a teacher and composer.
The new Blackfeather led by Neale Johns (as lead vocalist and songwriter) included Warren Ward (bass), Jim Penson (drums), guitarist Alex "Zac" Zytnick (ex Tamam Shud) and pianist Paul Wylde. Zytnick left in December 1971 (replaced by guitarist Billy Taylor (ex-Flake), followed by Penson at the start of 1972.


 In July they released the single, "Boppin' the Blues" (b/w "Find Somebody To Love"), a reworking of a 1956 Carl Perkins song, which became a number one hit in Australia in October 1972 for the band. The song featured Aztecs member Gil Matthews on drums. Since the group was between drummers at the time, the single was actually cut with Aztecs drummer Gil Matthews; drummer Trevor Young joined temporarily just before the single was released, but Young and Billy Taylor left soon after. Young was succeeded by Greg Sheehan but Taylor wasn't replaced and Blackfeather continued as a four-piece for the next few months. This lineup recorded the second Blackfeather LP, the Howard Gable-produced live album Boppin' The Blues, recorded from shows at Melbourne Town Hall and the Q Club in September, and released in December 1972. Paul Wylde quit at the end of 1972. He was replaced by two guitarists, Lindsay Wells (ex-Healing Force) and Tim Piper, which returned Blackfeather to the harder, guitar-based style of the Robinson era. They performed at the second Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973 and their set was recorded and released the following year as a live LP; one track ("I'm Gonna Love You") also featured on Mushroom Records' inaugural release, the triple-album recording of the concerts, released in April 1973.
The third Blackfeather single, a version of Little Richard's "Slippin & Slidin' " was issued in February 1973, by which time Sheehan had quit. He was briefly replaced by John Lee, but the group only lasted a short time and split in April. Lee then joined the newly-formed country rock group The Dingoes and later joined the second lineup of Ariel.



Johns formed a new version of Blackfeather in 1975, with Billy Taylor, Ray Vanderby (ex-Band Of Light, keyboards), Billy Rylands (bass) and Doug McDonald (drums), but this lasted only a short time. In early 1976 Johns formed a more pop-oriented version, with Vanderby, Lee Brosman, Warwick Fraser and Stewart Fraser (then aged just 14). Johns quit in November 1976 and went overseas, but the remaining members stayed together; picking up John Swan on lead vocals and Wayne Smith on guitar they renamed the group Feather. In mid-1977 Swan's brother Jimmy Barnes announced that he was quitting Cold Chisel to join Feather, but his farewell performance went so well that he decided to remain with Chisel.

Johns returned to Australia in 1977 and in June 1978, after a brief stint with the band Fingerprint, he formed a new version of Blackfeather that reunited the '72 lineup of Wylde, Ward and Young. By October all the members except Johns had left, and replaced by Ray Oliver, Rick Rankin, Jeff Rosenberg and Huk Treloar. Ex-Dingoes drummer John Strangio briefly replaced Treloar, but this version folded by the end of the year.
Johns formed a final Blackfeather lineup in 1983 with Hinton, Andy Cowan (ex-Madder Lake), Judge and Vizzone but this too was short-lived.
In the 2000s Johns has occasionally performed under the Blackfeather name in collaboration with bassist Kerry McKenna and guitarist Brendan Mason.

Wednesday 17 August 2016

Renee Geyer - 1998 - The Best Of 1973-1998 (2 Disc) FLAC


CD 1 Oh! Boy/It's a Man's Man's World/Sweet Love/Heading in the Right Direction/I Really Love You/If Loving You Is Wrong/Shakey Ground/Stares and Whispers/Quicker Than the Eye/Say I Love You/I Can Feel the Fire/Baby I've Been Missing You/Do You Know What I Mean/You Don't Know Nothing About Love/Crazy/Foggy Highway/Difficult Woman/I'm the Woman Who Loves You

CD 2 Say You Love Me (Groove 21_20 Mix)/It's A Man's Man's World (Drum 'N Bass Mix)/Moving Along (Bass 'N Garage Mix)/Booty (World Mix)/Sweet Love (Nuff 2 Mix)/Spilt Milk (Michael den Elzen Mix)/Money (That's What I Want) (Dicko & Mastie Remix)/It's A Man's Man's World (Wicked Beat Sound System Mix)



Renée Rebecca Geyer (born 11 September 1953, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and "Say I Love You" in the 1980s. Geyer has also been an internationally respected and sought-after backing vocalist, whose session credits include work with Sting, Chaka Khan, Toni Childs and Joe Cocker.

In 2000, her autobiography, Confessions of a Difficult Woman, co-written with music journalist Ed Nimmervoll, was published. In her candid book, Geyer detailed her drug addictions, sex life and career in music.[ She described herself as "a white Hungarian Jew from Australia sounding like a 65-year-old black man from Alabama". She spent more than ten years based in the United States but had little chart success there. Geyer returned to Australia in the mid-1990s and her career has continued into the 21st century with her 2003 album, Tenderland, which peaked at #11 on the ARIA albums charts.

Rock historian Ian McFarlane described her as having a "rich, soulful, passionate and husky vocal delivery". Geyer's iconic status in the Australian music industry was recognised when she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 14 July 2005, alongside The Easybeats, Hunters & Collectors, Smoky Dawson, Split Enz and Normie Rowe. Geyer and fellow 1970s singer, Marcia Hines, are the subjects of Australian academic, Jon Stratton's 2008 Cultural Studies article, "A Jew Singing Like a Black Woman in Australia: Race, Renée Geyer, and Marcia Hines"

MP3



Wednesday 10 August 2016

Sherbet - 1972 - Time Change A Natural Progression FLAC


You've Got The Gun/Thinkin' About You/Midnight Blues/Do It/Time Change/Love The One You're With/Movie Star/Can You Feel It Baby/Free The People/You're All Woman


 Time Change... A Natural Progression is the debut studio album by Sherbet released in 1972.

Sherbet (aka Highway or The Sherbs) are one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. The 'classic line-up' of Daryl Braithwaite on vocals, Tony Mitchell on bass guitar, Garth Porter on keyboards, Alan Sandow on drums, and Clive Shakespeare on guitar provided their teen-orientated pop style. In 1976 Shakespeare left and was soon replaced by Harvey James. Sherbet's biggest singles were "Summer Love" (1975) and "Howzat" (1976), both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom. The band was less successful in the United States, where "Howzat" peaked at No. 61. As The Sherbs they also reached No. 61 in 1981 with "I Have the Skill". The group disbanded in 1984. Subsequent re-unions have occurred since 1998.

According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, "alongside Skyhooks, Sherbet was the most successful Australian pop band of the 1970s. With a run of 20 consecutive hit singles to its credit, and 17 albums that yielded ten platinum and 40 gold disc awards, Sherbet was the first domestic act to sell a million dollars' worth of records in Australia". In 1990 Sherbet were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame alongside classical composer and pianist, Percy Grainger. On 15 January 2011 Harvey James died of lung cancer. On 15 February 2012 Clive Shakespeare died of prostate cancer.



Saturday 6 August 2016

John Justin - 1986 - Justice


Justice/Flash King Cadillac/Outback/Little Miss Love/Good Thing Going/This Crowd/Frontier Man/So Far So Good (Tonight)/After The Heat/Watching Winters Pass


John Justin hailed from Melbourne he and the band were in a similar mould to Pseudo Echo but with a more glam rock sound punters from melbourne are probably more familiar with him from his time with glam rock bands Modesty and An Affair he released a single "It's Magic/Only with you" (any body have it) in 1984, he then recorded this album in 1986 and then one more single in 1987 David Essex's "Rock On/Ride To Live" wouldn't mind a listen to this as well .

Friday 5 August 2016

Allison Durbin - 1979 - Bright Eyes


Lotta Love/Sharing The Night Together/If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me/Some Girls/Darlin'/Sweet Dream People/You Make Me Feel Like Dancing/Bright Eyes/My Eyes Adored You/Behind Closed Doors/You Needed Me/You Are So Beautiful/On The Inside/Lost In Love



Allison Durbin was born in Auckland in 1950, where she grew up and attended Westlake Girls High. Having started singing at the age of 5, she spent six years with Uncle Tom's Friendly Road Children's Choir, along with her six brothers and sisters. Whilst at high school, Allison began to haunt the local youth clubs, where she got to know the bands quite well. She was always hassling the bands at Dave Dunningham's Surfside to get them to let her get up on stage and sing a song or two, to show off her vocal talent. In 1963, she entered and won a talent quest at the Surfside Ballroom, prompting Dunningham to contact Eldred Stebbing from Zodiac Records.

 Stebbing was impressed and before she had turned 14, Allison Durbin had recorded her debut single, "Count On Me"/"Lover's Lane", for Zodiac. It didn't sell very well, so another was tried, "Rules Of Happiness"/"Two Shadows" with the same result. It was her third single that got her going. She did a cover of "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" with "Little Brother" on the reverse and this version out-sold the original by Herman's Hermits, giving Allison her first hit. She did one more single in 1965 for Zodiac called "Mix It Up"/"Little Girl Go Home".

In 1966 Allison then teamed up with the Mike Perjanik Band in the studio and released two singles on the Impact label. The first was "Sailor Boy"/"My Last Date", followed by "Borrow My Love"/"Don't Let It Happen". Before long she was featuring as the band's vocalist in their live work. Now only 16, she set off on a nationwide dance spot tour with special guest Tommy Adderley. After this, she did it again as part of the 'Impact Label Show", before appearing in a series of engagements in the South Island.

In October 1966, she and the Mike Perjanik Band moved across the Tasman for a residency at Sydney's Coogee Bay Hotel, before moving into the prestigious Latin Quarter in May 1967. After nine months, she left the band to pursue a solo career. She worked clubs and hotels, and returned briefly to New Zealand to tour with Gene Pitney. She was booked for a large amount of TV work, appearing on Bandstand, the Go Show, It's All Happening and others, all of which helped to put a professional gloss on her performances and win her new fans.

By the time Allison returned to New Zealand in late 1967, she was a professional. She'd learnt her craft and her television appearances displayed none of nervousness other 17 year olds betrayed. Now managed by Doug Elliot, she was signed up to a new contract with HMV in 1968.

Durbin's first HMV release was a cover of Morgana King's "I Have Loved Me A Man", backed with "Sand". Produced by Howard Gable, the song sold in excess of 30,000 copies in New Zealand, easily the best-selling local release of the year, spending two weeks at number one and collecting the 1968 Loxene Golden Disc Award. With little promotion, it also cracked the Australian charts, running abreast with the Morgana King version. Her first album "I Have Loved Me A Man" was also released at this time.
 
 From the album another single was released called "Don't Come Any Closer"/"One More Tear". It reached number 3 on the national charts in December 1968. In April 1969 a new single, a cover of Joe South's "Games People Play" backed with "You've Lost That Loving Feeling/Soul and Inspiration" also made the charts, peaking at number 4. In 1969, Allison was awarded the "New Zealand Entertainer Of The Year Award", even though she had basically been living in Australia for nearly two year.

In 1969, Allison married Howard Gable and they settled in Melbourne. Initially she divided her time between the two countries, enjoying substantial success in both. But as the seventies progressed, she concentrated on the more lucrative Australian market. A second album "Soft and Soulful" was also released in 1969.

Allison's popularity was also huge in Australia, with her picking up the "Queen Of Pop" award for Best Female Artist, three years running in 1969, 1970 and 1971. During those years, singles continued to be released concurrently in New Zealand and Australia. They included "Sha La La La Lee"/"Cry Like A Baby", "He's Bad Bad Bad"/"Am I The Same Girl", "Don't Make Me Give In"/"World Of Music" in NZ and "Words Of Silence" in Aust, "Hallelujah"/"Tonight I'll Say A Prayer", "Holy Man"/"Letter To Bill", "Golden Days"/"Make The Feeling Go Away" and "Words Of Love"/"I Have A Son". Next came her best selling Australian single. It was a cover of Ocean's "Put Your Hand In The Hand" backed with "Didn't We". It reached number 24 on the National charts in May 1971.



In 1971 Allison recorded an album with John Farnham, who had been voted "King Of Pop" during the same years Allison received her awards. It was called "Together" and from it two singles were released. The best was "Baby, Without You" and it reached number 27. Her next solo album came in 1972, "Amerikan Music" and the title track was the last single to make the charts for her, reaching number 33.

Allison then tapered off her singing work to concentrate on her family and by the time she did return in 1976, her days as a pop singer had passed. She moved into country music with great success. Joining the Hammond label, she produced six albums, one each year from 1976 to 1981. They were 1976, "Born A Woman", 1977 "Are You Lonesome Tonight", 1978 "Three Times A Lady", this one achieving triple-platinum status with sales of over 150,000 copies, 1979 "Bright Eyes", 1980 "Shining Star" and 1981 "My Kind Of Country". Missing a year she released "Country Love Songs" in 1983.

In 1986, Hammond released a best of album called "The Very Best Of Australia's Queen Of Country". Two years later a "best of" album of her pop songs came out on the Axis label, called "Amerikan Music".

1992 saw a return to the recording studio for Allison, after a number of years of dealing with personal issues. The album was called Reckless Girl and the songs are quite different to her recent country songs and earlier pop hits. Sadly it seems that this is the last studio album for Allison, as her personal life has caught up with her once again.


None of the Hammond Country albums were ever released in New Zealand, so in 1996 EMI put together a selection of songs from these albums and released a CD called "Country Classics" in New Zealand.

In 2001 EMI released a CD called "The Very Best Of Allison Durbin" which contains most of her early New Zealand singles.

Thursday 4 August 2016

Flying Circus - 1995 - Best Of 1969-71 FLAC


Hayride/La La/Run, Run, Run/She Don't Care About Time/The Last Train/All Fall Down/I Remember Jo'Anne/3667/Silvertown Girl/Reprise: Goodnight Irene/Giselle/Israel/Kempsey Mail/Turn Away/The Longest Day/Ballad of Sacred Falls/Finding My Way/Early Morning/Shame Shame/Groovy Night/I Think I'm Gonna Feel Better/So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star/Twilight Journey/To Put Up With You/You Ain't Goin Nowhere







The Flying Circus was a pioneering Australian country rock band who had a number of pop hits in Australia from 1968 to 1971 and then re-located to Canada from 1971 to 1974 where they also achieved a degree of success.


The Flying Circus were formed in August 1968 in Sydney starting out as a country/folk-rock band. They performed "harmony-rich covers of Byrds, Dylan and Dillards country songs". Like The Byrds, a prominent part of their early sound came from the featured use of a 12 string Rickenbacker guitar. They were brought together by lead guitarist Doug Rowe who had been a member of New Zealand band, The Castaways, before coming to Australia. The original line-up was Doug Rowe [lead guitar, vocals], James Wynne [lead vocals, rhythm guitar], Bob Hughes [bass, vocals] and Colin Walker [drums].Bob Hughes left in early 1969 and went on to become a well known screen actor with credits including the hit TV sitcom Hey Dad..!, ABBA: The Movie, but in 2014 he was found guilty of sexually molesting girls on the set of Hey Dad...! and was sentenced to a jail term. He was replaced by bassist Warren Ward, an experienced musician.


They signed to EMI records in late 1968 and made one of their first major appearances at an outdoor concert in Sydney's Domain on Australia Day 1969. After recording, with the original line-up, a cover of the song, "Shame Shame" (which was not put out at that time), they had their first chart success soon after with their debut single, a cover of the Buzz Cason – Mac Gayden song, "Hayride", in early 1969. As the song was firmly in the bubblegum pop genre (e.g. the Chipmunks sounding intro), this resulted in the band being branded with a bubblegum image, although their stage performances and later recordings were in the country rock vein.

Nothwithstanding its trite nature, "Hayride" was initially banned from release in New Zealand because of the lyric "...making love in the hay..." The song gained vital Australian national exposure thanks to a pioneering promotional film-clip which was shown on nationally-screened TV pop shows such as Uptight!. Their second single, another Cason-Gayden song, "La La", was an even bigger hit, and arguably a more sophisticated performance, but this only served to reinforce their image as a bubblegum band.



The group recorded their self-titled debut album around this time, produced by Mike Perjanik. The album was an odd mixture of styles. Alongside the band's original country-rock numbers they included their pop hits and a medley of songs from the popular musical Hair.

Greg Grace left in June 1969 (to form Hot Cottage); Warren Ward left in September, to form Stonehenge and later performed on the hit "Boppin' The Blues" by Blackfeather). Ward was replaced as bass player by Terry Wilkins (ex-Starving Wild Dogs, Quill).

"Run Run Run", released in December 1969 was their last "bubblegum pop" release. It sounded much like the first two Cason-Gayden hits although this one was actually written by Doug Rowe.


With their next release, the EP Frontier, the band returned to their country-rock roots; it featured four pure country songs, including Terry Wilkins' "When Will I See You As You" and covers of Bob Dylan's, "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", and Merle Haggard's, "The Day The Rains Came Down".

In April 1970 they added a fifth member, noted lead guitarist & pedal steel player, Red McKelvie, (ex-Starving Wild Dogs, Quill). McKelvie's arrival steered the group towards straight-ahead country music and the change was evident on their second LP, Prepared in Peace, released in July 1970, consisted entirely of original songs in folk and country styles. Despite uneven production and (at times) under-rehearsed performances, the result was one of the best Australian albums of 1970: many of the songs are outstanding and, over forty years later, it is hard to fathom the fact that tracks like "One Way Out," with its magic refrain 'All aboard,' and "It's So Hard," a masterpiece of the 'crying in my beer' genre, have not become Australian standards. Despite being critically well received, the album was not a major commercial success. This was chiefly attributable to the fact that no single was released off it, which greatly restricted its exposure over the airwaves. It is also likely that the album's lack of success was also partly due to the effects of the 1970 radio ban, a controversial 'pay-for-play' dispute between Australian commercial radio and an alliance of major record labels, which saw singles from the affected companies (including EMI and its subsidiary imprints) banned from airplay on commercial radio across Australia for six months between May and October 1970. However, also in July that year, the band scored a dramatic victory over teen favourites Zoot in the Grand Final of the prestigious Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds band competition.


 In October, Flying Circus released the single, "Israel" written by Red, backed with "Giselle." Red McKelvie, however departed the band the same month. He went on to form the country-rock groups Powderhorn and Third Union Band and played with Richard Clapton's band – he is responsible for the distinctive slide guitar work on Clapton's breakthrough hit "Girls on the Avenue".

Red McKelvie's departure marked a shift to a rockier but still country-tinged style. This was emphasised by the adding of a keyboard player, Sam See (formerly with Sherbet and subsequently with Stockley See and Mason) and reflected in the next album, a much more straight-ahead rock LP, although there was still some country, such as "The Longest Day", which chronicled the events surrounding the band's Hoadley's competition win. This album, with the joking title Bonza, Beaut & Boom Boom Boom, again consisted of all original material by the group. Two singles, "Turn Away" and "It Couldn't Happen Here", were released from the LP, but they only charted modestly. The band had a penchant for writing and recording songs about steam trains, with titles such as "Kempsey Mail", "3667", and "The Last Train", mainly due to the presence of James Wynne, a lifelong train enthusiast who later became an artist noted for his paintings of steam trains.


As result of the image problem that followed them from their early days and, that in Australia at that time, they were too country for rock audiences and too rocky for country audiences, they became frustrated by the lack of serious recognition in Australia. This led them to use their Hoadleys prize to head for North America, basing themselves in San Francisco. Lead singer Jim Wynne left the band, ultimately for good. They ended up in Toronto as they were unable to attain US working visas. The trip to Canada met with some success and they gained a deal from Toronto music agency Music Factory for a $10,000, two-month tour. The single "Turn Away" was also released in the USA but to no success.

July 1971 saw them back in Australia where they released their next single, the Crosby, Stills & Nash influenced track, "The Ballad of Sacred Falls" which was released in September. They headed off back to Canada in late 1971 where they worked regularly for most of 1972. During the brief time in Australia in 1971, Sam See left to join progressive group Fraternity (which included Bon Scott as lead singer) and Greg Grace rejoined to replace him. Flying Circus found Canadian audiences much more receptive to their style than in Australia and from then on they effectively became part of the Canadian rock music scene. After scoring a reputed million-dollar contract with Capitol Records, they cut their highly regarded Gypsy Road LP, which consolidated all their past hard work. The single "Old Enough (To Break My Heart)" reached No. 19 on the Canadian charts and the follow-up, "Maple Lady" made the lower end of the Billboard Hot 100.




They returned to Australia for the second Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973, but their local popularity had waned by then, and the band received a less than enthusiastic reception. They returned to Canada, where Sam See rejoined the group (having left Fraternity while in England). Greg Grace again left the band (for the final time), later becoming the roadie for Canadian band Wireless, which included three ex-members of Australian band, Autumn. Greg Grace continued his roadie career as sound/stage tech for Canadian rock band, Glass Tiger. Toured extensively throughout Canada and with Tina Turner in Europe in 1987.

The Flying Circus went on to put out one more rock album, Last Laugh, in 1974. The line-up on this album was Doug Rowe, Terry Wilkins, Sam See and Colin Walker. However by the end of 1974 the group had run its course. Sam See and Terry Wilkins toured and recorded with Canadian band Lighthouse. Doug Rowe remained in Toronto, where he set up his own studio and lived for some years before eventually returning to Australia. By 1982 he had returned to Australia where he joined the country-rock band, Grand Junction, which went on to win a Golden Guitar at Australia's annual Tamworth Country Music Festival for "Married Women", although the track was recorded using Peter Johnson on vocals, who left the band prior to it winning the Golden Guitar.