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Friday 29 December 2017

Steve & The Board - 2000 - ... And The Giggle Eyed Goo FLAC


01 The Giggle Eyed Goo    
02 I'm To Blame    
03 Rosalyn    
04 I've Just Realised    
05 Margot    
06 Rosemarie    
07 I Want    
08 I Call My Woman Hinges (Cause She's Something To Adore)    
09 Little Miss Rhythm & Blues    
10 Farmer John    
11 Love Has Made A Fool Of You    
12 Lonely Winter    
13 Now I'm Older    
14 So Why Pretend?    
15 Good For Nothing Sue    
16 Sally Was A Good Old Girl




The Australian band Steve & the Board made some decent if derivative British Invasion-style records in the mid-'60s, getting some success in Australia with the singles "The Giggle Eyed Goo" and "I Call My Woman Hinges 'Cause She's Something to Adore." All the members were in their late teens when they recorded for the Spin label, and their progress was no doubt eased by having a lead singer, Steve Kipner, whose dad Nat Kipner was the head of Spin Records. The group wasn't a mere manufactured boy band, though, as in fact much of their material was original, contributed by several members (though most often guitarist Carl Keats)


. In their blend of British R&B and pop/rock influences, their recordings were fairly solid straight-ahead rock that criss-crossed attributes of the Beatles, the Byrds, Merseybeat, and raunchier groups like the Pretty Things. They issued just one album, though, and a couple of non-LP singles. All of their sides are available on the Ascension CD reissue of the Steve and the Board ...and the Giggle Eyed Goo album, which adds the non-LP 45 cuts.

Steve & the Board's album had included a Barry Gibb song the Bee Gees never released, "Little Miss Rhythm & Blues," and one of the Keats songs on the LP, "Lonely Winter," would be recorded by the Bee Gees.



The Bee Gees connections would continue in some other post-Steve & the Board careers, and in fact might be what the band is most known for. Drummer Colin Peterson would join the Bee Gees for a while in the late '60s; his replacement in Steve & the Board, Geoff Bridgeford, would himself be in the Bee Gees in the early '70s. Steve Kipner went on to be part of Tin Tin, which had a number 20 hit in 1971 with "Toast and Marmalade for Tea," and recorded a late-'70s solo album for Elektra. He's more well-known, though, as a mainstream pop songwriter, his most successful creation being "Let's Get Physical."

Friday 15 December 2017

The Strangers - 1998 - Best Of The Strangers FLAC

01 Happy Without You    
02 Take The Time    
03 Lady Scorpio    
04 California Soul    
05 Sweet September    
06 Paper Cup    
07 Will You Love Me Tomorrow    
08 Elenore    
09 I Can Hear Music    
10 I Say A Little Prayer    
11 Paperback Writer    
12 Bend Me, Shape Me    
13 Melanie Makes Me Smile    
14 If You Think You're Groovy    
15 Mr President    
16 Looking Through Eyes Of A Beautiful Girl    
17 Sweet Water    
18 Tennessee    
19 Windows Of Your Eyes    
20 Little St. Nick    
21 Standing In The Shadows Of Love    
22 I've Got You Under My Skin    
23 Proud Mary    
24 Sandy    
25 Do It Again    
26 Good Vibrations

The Strangers were an Australian band based in Melbourne, that existed from 1961 to 1975. The band started out playing instrumental songs in a style similar to The Shadows, with influences from Cliff Richard. The original line-up included Peter Robinson (bass), Graeme ('Garth') Thompson (drums), Laurie Arthur (lead guitar) and Fred Weiland (rhythm guitar). Robinson had previously played with The Thunderbirds, and went on to replace Athol Guy in The Seekers from the late 70s.

At the end of 1962 they signed with Ron Tudor's W&G Records, after working as the studio band for artists including The Seekers, Frankie Davidson, Johnny Chester, Merv Benton, Little Gulliver and the Children, Pat Farrar and Joy Lemmon. Arthur left the band in early 1964, and was replaced on lead guitar by John Farrar.

 In 1964 they supported Colin Cook and released an LP called Colin Cook and the Strangers. The first charting record in The Stranger's own name was Cry of the Wild Goose (an instrumental by Terry Gilkyson) / Leavin' Town, which was released in January 1963 and reached number 12 on the Melbourne charts. This was followed by three original instrumentals, Torlido, The Outcast and Undertow, which were released in 1963, two of which reached the Top 40. Other singles included Happy Without You (Kenny Laguna, Shelley Pinz, 1968), Melanie Makes Me Smile (Tony Macaulay, Barry Mason, 1970), Looking Through the Eyes of a Beautiful Girl (1970), If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody (Rudy Clark, 1965) and "Western Union" (Mike Rabon, Norman Ezell, John Durrill, 1967).


 Also in 1964, the band supported Roy Orbison and Paul and Paula on an Australian tour which featured The Surfaris and The Beach Boys. These support gigs influenced some early vocal recordings in Poppa Oom Mow Mow, Sunday Kind of Love, If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody and later In My Room, a Beach Boys ballad.


 In August 1964, The Strangers were selected as the resident backing band on the Melbourne based teenage television pop program The Go!! Show, in which they appeared each week from 1964 to 1967. Farrar married Pat Carroll. Carroll and Olivia Newton-John appeared on The Go!! Show as singers. After "The Go!! Show" ended, The Strangers became the resident group on HSV-7's Sunnyside Up program. In all, the band appeared on television at least once a week for nine years straight.

During the mid-1960s, the band changed labels from W&G Records to Go Records. After the demise of the Go!! Show and its associated record label, they moved to Philips Records, and finally to Fable Records in 1970. 


In February 1967 Terry Walker (ex Glen Ingram & The Hi-Five) replaced Fred Weiland, who left to join The Mixtures. During 1969, The Strangers' cover of Melanie Makes Me Smile made #16 in Sydney, #9 in Melbourne and #7 in Brisbane. Later singles included Mr. President (Trevor 'Dozy' Davies, John 'Beaky' Dymond, Ian 'Tich' Amey) in 1970, and Sweet Water (Fletcher/Flett), a cover of a song by obscure British band Brass Monkey, in 1971.

The group effectively broke up in mid 1970, with Farrar moving to the UK and joining Shadows members Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch in Marvin, Welch & Farrar, and then the re-formed Shadows. Later that year Robinson and Thompson reformed The Strangers (sometimes billed as The New Strangers) with guitarists John Cosgrove (ex Fendermen) and Bill Pyman. Cosgrove left in early 1973 and was replaced by Jim Sifonious (ex Dove), before the band finally broke up in 1975.

Throughout the group's 14 years, The Strangers provided backing for many local and overseas acts. These included: Johnny Farnham, Russell Morris, Johnny Young, Neil Sedaka, Johnny O'Keefe, The Seekers, Merv Benton, Ted Mulry, Lynne Randell, Ross D. Wylie, Yvonne Barrett, Grantley Dee, Pat Carroll, Little Gulliver, Barry Crocker, Buddy England, Ronnie Burns, Town Criers, Masters Apprentices, Axiom, Hans Poulsen and Lionel Rose.

 The Strangers set an exceptional standard for live sound, using the best and 'cleanest' equipment they could procure: German Dynacord microphones and public address systems, multiple guitar effects units, an exponential horn for the bass guitar, and carefully selected and matching guitars (e.g. Rickenbacker 6 and 12 string, and Maton El Toro) and amplifiers.

Farrar later moved to the USA, and has written and produced a number of hits for Olivia Newton-John, including Hopelessly Devoted to You, Have You Never Been Mellow and Magic.

Thursday 14 December 2017

Rose Tattoo - 1982 - Scarred For Life FLAC


Scarred for Life/We Can't Be Beaten/Juice on the Loose/Who's Got the Cash/Branded/Texas/It's Gonna Work Itself Out/Sydney Girls/Dead Set/Revenge


 Rose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life". Their first four albums were produced by Harry Vanda and George Young who also worked with AC/DC. They disbanded in 1987, subsequently reforming briefly in 1993 to support Guns N' Roses on an Australian tour. They reassembled again from 1998 and have since released two more studio albums.

Scarred For Life is the third album by Australian hard rock band Rose Tattoo. Scarred For Life launched Rose Tattoo to international success with the rock anthem "We Can't Be Beaten." A video was filmed for the song "Branded." "We Can't Be Beaten" was covered by the Swiss thrash metal band Drifter on their 1989 album Nowhere To Hide.
 

Personnel

    Angry Anderson - Lead vocals
    Peter Wells - Slide Guitar & Vocals
    Rob Riley - Lead & Rhythm Guitar
    Geordie Leach - Bass
    Dallas "Digger" Royall - Drums

Sunday 3 December 2017

Original Cast Recording - 2001 - Shout! The Legend Of The Wild One




01 David Campbell - Sing (And Tell The Blues So Long)    
02 David Campbell - Wild One (Real Wild Child)    
03 David Campbell - Cry    
04 David Campbell,Tamsin Carroll - Save The Last Dance For Me    
05 David Campbell,Kevin Murphy - Rock And Roll Will Stand    
07 David Campbell - Move Baby Move    
08 Tamsin Carroll - Crazy    
09 David Campbell - (The) Sun's Gonna Shine Tomorrow    
10 Trisha Noble - He Wears My Ring    
11 David Campbell - She's My Baby    
12 David Campbell,Tamsin Carroll - Ready For You    
13 Paul Biencourt - Get A Job    
14 David Campbell - Hit Record    
15 Tamsin Carroll - Chapel Of Love    
16 David Campbell - I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door    
17 Sara Highlands,Carly O'Rourke,Eve Prideaux - Holdin' You In My Holden    
18 David Campbell,Trisha Noble,Katie McCarthy - Mockingbird    
19 David Campbell,Tamsin Carroll - I'm Counting On You    
20 David Campbell - So Tough    
21 Shout!" Cast - Tourin' Time    
22 David Campbell,Aaron Blabey - Purple People Eater/Witch Doctor    
23 David Campbell,Kurt Sneddon - Mr Bass Man    
24 Anton Koritni - Bye Bye Baby    
25 David Campbell - She Wears My Ring    
26 David Campbell - Rock Around The Clock    
27 David Campbell - What'd I Say    
28 David Campbell - Shout!


Shout! The Legend of the Wild One is an Australian musical based on the life of Johnny O'Keefe. It premiered in Melbourne at the State Theatre in December 2000, before seasons in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane through 2001.

The original production was directed by Richard Wherrett and featured David Campbell as O'Keefe.  Each was nominated at the 2001 Helpmann Awards, for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Male Actor in a Musical respectively. The original production was remounted for a national tour in January 2008 starring Tim Campbell as O'Keefe. 

In the mid 1970s Johnny O'Keefe takes his new fiancé to see the Sydney Stadium before it is demolished. He begins to reminisce about his life, growing up in Sydney and falling for Marianne, a German immigrant. When he hears Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets he discovers a passion for rock music and persuades Lee Gordon to promote him.

O'Keefe becomes famous and successful. But he is involved in a car crash and fails to crack the US market. He and Gordon fall out, his marriage collapses and Gordon dies.

However O'Keefe makes a comeback in the 1970s.

Shout! The Legend of The Wild One original cast recording was released in March 2001. The album was certified gold in Australia. It received the ARIA Award for Best Original Cast/Show Album in 2001

Thursday 23 November 2017

Windchase - 1977 - Symphinity (2000) FLAC


1 Forward We Ride 
2 Horsemen to Symphinity 
3 Glad to Be Alive 
4 Gypsy
5 No Scruples
6 Lamb's Fry 
7 Non siamo perfetti 
8 Flight Call
 
Bonus Track
9 Horsemen to Symphinity (Live)  








This is basically Sebastian Hardie in all but name only. The Plavsic brothers left, apparently along with the Sebastian Hardie name (as neither Mario Millo nor Toivo Pilt were original SH members when the band formed). Both Mario and Toivo found themselves with new drummer Doug Bligh, and bassist Duncan McGuire, and decided to name the band Windcase, after Sebastian Hardie's second (and final) album. 

The group decided to go a more proggy Santana route here, most demonstrated on "Horsemen to Symphinity". Here Mario Millo's guitar playing isn't too different from Carlos Santana, while Toivo Pilt's keyboard playing isn't too different from Gregg Rolie. "Glad to Be Alive" is a ballad, at times reminding one of ELO (similar vocal harmonies, not to mention strings). "No Scruples" is a great piece, especially the use of Moog, Mellotron, and string synths. "Lamb's Fry" is an instrumental, fusion-influenced piece. Mario Millo, showing us his Italian heritage gives us "Non Siamo Perfetti", where he does Italian-influenced acoustic renditions of themes from "Rosanna" (from Four Moments) and "Windchase" (the Sebastian Hardie album). "Flight Call" is another ballad. Many people tend to look down on this album in comparison to Four Moments, because the inclusion of two soft rock songs, "Glad to Be Alive" and "Flight Call", the rest is rather excellent progressive rock.

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Merv Benton - Come On And Get Me


A1 (I Do The) Shimmy Shimmy    
A2 Mess Of Blues    
A3 Lotta Lovin'    
A4 Cincinatti Fireball    
A5 Twenty Flight Rock    
A6 Come On And Get Me    
B1 Baby, Let's Play House    
B2 Nervous Breakdown    
B3 Love Me Tender    
B4 Pretty Girls Everywhere    
B5 Don't Leave Me Now    
B6 Honey Don't







 The Merv Benton story is a fascinating chapter of the Beat Boom in Australia. From his base on the Melbourne dance circuit, Merv gained national attention and quickly became one of the most popular male singers in the country. In early 1964 he signed with Melbourne's W&G Records and became one of their most prolific artists, releasing seventeen singles, six EPs, and three LPs between 1964 and 1967, and scoring an impressive run of fifteen Top 40 singles in his hometown (several of which also charted in other cities). But in 1967, at the height of his popularity, Merv was struck down by throat problems that ended his singing career.

 Merv (real name Mervyn Bonson. b. 12 August 1942) grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir and went to school at Preston High, where he was an enthusiastic tennis player. After he left shool he joined a major Victorian bank as a trainee but as a teenager he listened avidly to rock'n'roll on Melbourne radio and was captivated by the music of Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. Merv saw his first Lee Gordon 'Big Show' in 1957, which featured Bill Haley & The Comets, The Platters and Freddie Bell and it was Bell especially who fired Merv's desire to become a singer.

His entry into showbiz was a classic tale, not dissimilar to that of American comedy star Adam Sandler. He started to attend dances at which pioneering Melbourne rock'n'roll band The Planets were the headliners, and he became friends with several of the group, especially the pianist Graeme Howie. Unbeknownst to Merv, Graeme entered him in a talent contest at the local Canterbury Ballroom in October 1960. By the time his name was called it was too late to back out, but as it turned out his very first public performance -- singing "Don't Leave Me This Way" -- won him first place. The same night he met young promoter Brian de Courcy.

A week later Merv met with De Courcy and decided to tfollow his dream of becoming a singer. Brian installed Merv as the vocalist with The Ramrods, a group led by Ian B. Allen and he was soon performing with them at venues like Whittlesea Hall and the Preston Migrant Centre. He quickly built up a strong local following -- creating what historian Noel McGrath charmingly describes as "mild hysteria" -- and even before his first record release he had his own fan club, with over 250 members -- a remarkable feat considering his only exposure at this stage was at local dances in Melbourne.

 Early in 1964 Merv was invited to make some demo recordings for the W&G label. The session was produced by Johnny Chester and the backing was provided by Les Stacpool (guitar), Albert Stacpool (keyboards), Frank McMahhon (bass) and Mick Lynch (drums); also in the studio was the renowned Stan Rofe, who helped advised and encouraged many Australian acts including Merv.

W&G were happy enough with the demo to select two tracks from it for Merv's debut single -- a version of Elvis Presley's "Baby, Let's Play House", backed by "Endless Sleep", which was the first in a string of Top 40 singles, reaching # 17 on the Melbourne charts, which in turn led to TV appearances on Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight. 


He was soon back in the studio to cut his next single; the original choice was Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't" but this was abandoned after The Beatles' version was released. a version of the Eddie Cochran classic "Nervous Breakdown" (b/w "Don' Cha Think It's Time") -- this time backed up by W&G's brilliant 'house' band, The Strangers -- but amid the hullaballoo of The Beatles tour was largely ignored and only reached #40 on the Melbourne charts, although Merv says that it was one of his most requested numbers.

Merv's look has been described as being in contrast to the new wave of long-haired, Liverpool-sound groups of the era but this is something of a misnomer. Films and photos of the period wll reveal that Merv's style was actually fairly typical of the time -- take a look at an old Aztecs clip, for example -- and with his clean-cut image and matinee-idol good looks, immaculately coiffed hair and sharply tailored clothes he undoubtedly won the hearts of young fans all over Australia.

Merv's next single, "Be Sweet" b/w "You're The Dog" (Aug. 1964) was issued as a reaction to criticism the W&G label was getting from radio. W&G's two-trackstudio was fairly primitive, even by the standards of the day, and some Melbourne DJs were critical of the poor sound on W&G recordings. This became a perennial problem for Australian artists and led to the long-standing practice of taking major releases to the USA to be mastered, due to Australia's relative lack of expertise in that area. Both songs on this sngle were covers of German pop songs which W&G had sourced through its publishing connections. The instrumental tracks were completely recorded in Germany, with Merv's vocals overdubbed vocals over the top. It helped to restore Merv's chart fortunes, reaching # 22 in Mebourne.


 Merv's first year as a pop star was frantic -- in just nine months he had released four singles, one EP and one LP By the end of '64, the 19-year-old singer had appeared on appeared on national television shows such as Brian Henderson's Bandstand and Johnny O'Keefe's Sing Sing Sing, and W&G released his debut album, Come On And Get Me, by which time he had become a regular on national and local TV pop shows; and had toured the country supporting Merseybeat star Billy J. Kramer.

Merv's career peaked during 1965, thanks to a continued run of successful singles. "I Got Burned" / "Cincinatti Fireball" (May) became a double-sided hit and proved to be his most successful 45 -- the A-side reached #3 in Melbourne, and the B-side was Top 5 in both Brisbane and Adelaide. His cover of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Yield Not To Temptation" (August) reached #6 in Melbourne and also made the Adelaide Top 40. Merv's version of Crahs Craddock's "Don't Destroy Me" (October) was a Top 20 hit in Melbourne, and is also notable as one of the very first Australian pop singles to be released in a picture sleeve. Merv recalls that Noel Watson's "Can I Believe It's True" was always intended as the A-side and that he was disappointed when radio picked up "Don't Destroy Me" instead.

 His next single "(I Do) The Shimmy Shimmy '65" (Dec. 1965) was evidently a filler track, issued by W&G to maintain Merv's release schedule. It was in fact a 'very simple remix' of the B-side of "Come On And Get Me"; the only difference was an additional backing vocal by Noel Watson, and Merv recalled: "No-one was more surprised than I when I heard it on the radio."

Throughout the year he toured around Australia with his new backing group, The Tamlas. The original lineup was Charlie Gauld (guitar, ex-Thunderbirds), Ian B. Allen (bass, ex-Planets), and Eddie Chappell (drums, ex-Checkmates), but for most of their career The Tamlas comprised Chappell, the legendary Les Stacpool (guitar, ex-Chessmen), Noel Watson (guitar) and Dennis Tucker (bass, ex-Rondells). The lineup that backed Merv on most of his recordings was Les Stacpool and Noel Watson (guitars), Murray Robertson (keyboards), Dennis Tucker (bass) and Eddie Chappell (drums), with backing vocals on most of the singles by the trio of Pat Carroll, Anne Hawker and Julie McKenna.

Merv was evidently widely popular -- on her Brisbane In The Sixties site, Queensland rock fan Di Bingham cites Merv as one of her favourite Aussie performers of the period. He released four more singles in 1966 and, says McGrath, "created great excitement amongst female fans wherever he sang". He continued into 1966 "on the crest of a wave" with his winning formula of re-recordings of rock'n'roll standards. However it was at this time that he gradually began to be troubled by a nagging throat problem.

 By August 1966 his throat condition had become so serious that he was forced to withdraw from a major concert at Melbourne's Myer Music Bowl. Later that month it was announced that he was suffering from a paralysed larynx, and that he would be out of action for two years. However Merv himself has since revealed that this story was not true -- he was in fact suffering from the growth of polyps on his vocal cords, the same problem that threatened Elton John's career in the 1980s. The condition necessitated surgery, but this was years before the precise laser techniques of today, and unfortunately Merv's vocal cords were lacerated during the operation. The result was that he was not even able to speak, let alone sing, and he faced a long recuperation.

Merv: "By the time my throat had healed some six to eight months later, there was no interest (except for a few loyal fans) in the career of Merv Benton. Due to the lack of positive interest, I made the decision that it was time to bow out gracefully as one could; it was time for the dream to end. For those few short years that I lived what I had dreamt. I thank all the fans and all those that supported and contributed to allow me to realise that which occurred."

W&G had some unreleased material stockpiled, and Merv was able to make a few TV appearances, miming his last few singles on television. One of his last public appearances was on The Go!! Show, and it is all the more poignant seeing it now, knowing that the hopeful predictions of his return would come to naught. Unfortunately for Merv, the temporary retirement became permanent. It was a indeed tragedy for the young singer who had only recently been voted Australia's third top male vocalist, after Normie Rowe and Ronnie Burns, in the inaugural Go-Set Pop Poll.

With the end of his show business career, Merv returned to work with the State Savings Bank of Victoria in their public relations department. However he began to feel stifled and frustrated with bureaucracy, so, he relocated to Queensland in 1969 and set up his own real estate development business.

However, Merv did make some final recordings for W&G after recovering from his throat problems. Accompanied by Melbourne group The Fendermen, he returned to the studio in 1970 to cut a number of country tunes that were released on the album Great Country Songs (Movin' On). This is a now something of a rarity, but several tracks were included on the Canetoad CD compilation Great Shakin' Fever.

In the early 1980s Merv returned to the recording studio after he was approached by his old fried Ian B. Allen to perform again in Melbourne. Merv agreed when he found out that the backing band, The Allstars, included Les Stacpool on guitar, the legendary Henri Bource on sax and Murray Robertson on keyboards (both ex Thunderbirds), Ron Chapman on drums and Ian on bass. This group recorded a 5-track EP, with Merv singing on three of the cuts.

In 1991, Merv migrated to the USA and became a consultant and manager for the American Child Care Centres chain. However he has made occasional live musical appearances and in the early 2000s he he has returned to Melbourne from his new home near Phoenix, Arizona Australia to perform at an annual Sixties concert. Thanks to Mustang for this one.

Thursday 16 November 2017

Doug Parkinson - 1973 - No Regrets FLAC


A1 Takin' It Easy
A2 Tell Him I'll Be All Right 
A3 I Ain't Gonna Live That Way No More 
A4 And Things Unsaid 
A5 No Regrets 
B1 Sweet Rock and Roll 
B2 Lonely 
B3 Get What You Can 
B4 Light My Fire 
B5 Dear Prudence 
B6 Love Gun  








In 1973 Doug gathered an all-star session band to record his first solo LP, the aptly-titled No Regrets, released in May on Polydor. The studio line-up was led by keyboard player John Capek (piano; ex-Carson) with Graham Morgan, Peter Figures and Russell Dunlop (drums), Tim Partridge (bass), guitarists Kevin Borich, Billy Green, Ross East and Jimmy Doyle, Roger Sellers (percussion), Don Reid (flute, sax) and Terry Hannagan (vocals). Capek co-wrote five tracks, two with Doug himself and three with Terry Hannagan; Doug contributed his first solo composition, the opening track, And Things Unsaid, and the album also featured a new version of "Dear Prudence", plus Ray Burton's "Love Gun", Kevin Borich's "Sweet Rock & Roll" and a cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire". The album was re-released in 1980 as part of Polydor's budget priced ‘Rock Legends' series.

Thursday 9 November 2017

Rockmelons - 1992 - Form One Planet FLAC






01 That Word (L.O.V.E)
02 Stronger Together
03 Form One Planet
04 It's Not Over
05 Love's Gonna Bring You Home
06 Rain
07 More Tales of the City
08 Dance Floor
09 Ain't No Sunshine
10 Bubble and Squeak 





 Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, are an Australian Pop/Dance/R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. Primary members are Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Australian top five hit singles in the early 1990s with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "That Word (L.O.V.E.)", both sung by Deni Hines. The associated album, Form 1 Planet, peaked at #3 on the ARIA albums chart in 1992, and was certified platinum in Australia.



The group concept was formed in 1983 at a warehouse party in Sydney when Raymond Medhurst (keyboards) wanted a band to perform for a private party. He contacted the Jones brothers Bryon (keyboards, bass guitar, backing vocals) and Jonathon (keyboards, guitar, drums) (both ex-Les Ukuleles, No Heavy Lifting), they asked Medhurst's schoolmate, Vincent Dale (keyboards) (ex-Ish with Bryon Jones) to join.


In 1991, Rockmelons recruited vocalist Deni Hines and recorded their cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" which reached #5 in Australia in January 1992, and was certified gold. Their follow-up single "That Word (L.O.V.E.)" (written by B. Jones, J. Jones, Medhurst and Robin Smith) reached #4 in Australia, and was also certified gold.[4] By 1992, Doug Williams had joined as a vocalist whilst Hines left to have success as a solo artist, with the "It's Alright" single (1995) peaking at #4 in Australia. Rockmelons were nominated for ARIA Album of the Year award in 1993 for Form 1 Planet, which peaked at #3 in Australia in August 1992 and was certified platinum by ARIA.

Monday 6 November 2017

John Rowles - 1992 - 14 Classic Hits FLAC


1.Smoke gets in your eyes
2.Lonely is the night
3.Ain't no mountain high enough
4.When a man loves a woman
5.Hey
6.Everything I do (I do it for you)
7.MacArthur Park
8.Mustang Sally
9. Soul Medely
Hard to handle, Higher and higher, Sweet soul music, Midnight hour
10.Don't let the sun go down on me
11.River deep mountain high
12.The sun ain't gonna shine anymore
13.I want to know what love is
14.Sexual healing



  John Edward Rowles OBE (born 26 March 1947) is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, and he was best known in New Zealand for his song from 1970, "Cheryl Moana Marie", which he had written about his younger sister.

Rowles was born in Whakatane, New Zealand, and is part Māori. His father, Eddie Hohapata Rowles, played for the 1938 Māori All Blacks. His mother was white. He was brought up in Kawerau, in the North Island of New Zealand. Rowles' birth name was simply John Rowles; he added the middle name "Edward" after his brother of that name died at a young age.

Rowles is best known in New Zealand and Australia, though he has also performed in the United States, particularly Las Vegas, Nevada and Hawaii, where he was managed by Kimo Wilder McVay. In the United Kingdom he was best known for the hit, "If I Only Had Time", which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in spring 1968, and stayed in the chart for eighteen weeks. This was a cover version of the French song "Je n'aurai pas le temps" with which the French singer Michel Fugain had a hit in 1967. The song also charted big in the Netherlands, reaching #2, after which the Franck Pourcel Orchestra had a minor hit with an instrumental version of the song, bearing the original French song title. In the US Nick DeCaro and his orchestra charted with his instrumental version, released as the B-side of the single Caroline, No in late 1968, peaking at #71 in the Cash Box Top 100 in early 1969.

 Rowles had another Top 20 hit in the UK with "Hush Not a Word to Mary", also in 1968. This song also charted in the Netherlands. In the USA "Cheryl Moana Marie" got noticed in the summer of 1970 by some West Coast radio stations, but it lasted until the end of 1970 for the song to chart nationally, peaking at #64 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #78 in the Cash Box Top 100 resp. in early 1971.
In 1974 Rowles received the Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer.

New Link Installed 29.09.2019.




Sunday 22 October 2017

Martin Plaza - 1986 - Plaza Suite FLAC


Pit Stop/I Could Be So Good/Concrete And Clay/Out The Door/Best Foot Forward/Miss You Like Mad/Chalk And Cheese/Use Me All Over/Rollerina/Bats And Balls


Martin Plaza is the pseudonym of Martin Edward Murphy (born 1 January 1956), who is a vocalist/guitarist/songwriter with Australian pop/new wave band Mental As Anything. Plaza also has a solo music career and in 1986 had a No. 2 hit in Australia with his cover of the 1960s Unit 4+2 song "Concrete and Clay". Plaza has worked in other bands and is an accomplished artist.

Best known as the most familiar vocalist/songwriter in Mental as Anything (that's Martin Plaza you hear singing on "If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?," "Rock and Roll Music," "Brain Brain," and many others), Plaza took advantage of the first real break in the Mentals' career and released his debut solo album in 1986. Plaza Suite was not a departure from what the Mentals were doing on their previous album, Fundamental as Anything, although the production was slicker and keyboard-dominated (Plaza is a guitarist). To be honest, most tracks here could have been on Mentals albums, but that's neither here nor there.

 
With a batch of great songs, Plaza sounds confident and self-assured on this album, never letting the album's slick sound take over. His voice is still one of the best in the business, a perfect mixture of Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Bryan Ferry. The album is mostly self-penned, and his brilliant cover of "Concrete and Clay" fits in with the originals perfectly (as of 2003, he was still performing this song with the Mentals live). Sounding like the poppier side of Rockpile, Plaza and the Mentals have always specialized in great songwriting, and almost every track here is no exception to that rule. The opener, "Pit Stop," contains all the elements of the perfect Plaza song: playful yet heartfelt vocals, a hooky melody, and an earthiness beneath the shiny surface. Other highlights include the perfect pop of "Miss You Like Mad" and "Use Me All Over," the funky "I Could Be So Good," and the joyous "Best Foot Forward."

New Link Added 17.05.2020

Friday 20 October 2017

Brian Cadd - 1972 - Brian Cadd (Vinyl) FLAC


Fairweather Friend/Tell The World To Go Away/Where The Music Is Playing/Josie McGinty/Tell Me About Freedom Again/Ginger Man/Pappy's Got The Blues/Silver City Birthday Celebration Day/Suite For Life


Born in Perth, Western Australia, Brian moved to Melbourne just as the Beatles phenomenon hit Australia.

He joined "THE GROOP" in 1966 and wrote all of their many hit singles and albums including WOMAN YOU’RE BREAKING ME and SUCH A LOVELY WAY.


 
                             The Groop Max Ross, Richard Wright,Ronnie Charles, Brian Cadd and Don Mudie


Upon their demise, he formed "AXIOM", Australia's first "Supergroup" with Glenn Shorrock who was later the lead singer of THE LITTLE RIVER BAND. He once again penned all of Axiom's hits before the band broke up in England in 1969. These include LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE, ARKANSAS GRASS and MY BABY’S GONE.
 
Returning to Australia he joined Fable Records as head of A&R and chief producer. Fable launched a rock label called Bootleg Records in 1972 and Brian ran the label as well as being its first artist. The label became the most successful Independent record company in the history of Australian popular music up to that time. The next few years saw many gold and platinum records as a solo artist and an array of prestigious awards for film scores, title songs and TV themes. In addition he produced many acts and wrote and produced some of Australia's most successful advertising music. Hits from this era include: GINGER MAN, LET GO, DON’T YOU KNOW IT’S MAGIC, ALVIN PURPLE, CLASS OF 74 and MAMMA DON’T DANCE.


 Axiom Don Mudie, Don Lebler, Glenn Shorrock, Brian Cadd and Chris Stockley

 In 1976 he was signed to CAPITOL RECORDS as an artist and moved to Los Angeles. For the next 20 years he worked in all aspects of the International music scene from writing, production, publishing, management and the planning, development and administration of several successful music production companies. Additionally he created FAIRYDUST MUSIC, a worldwide publishing company now owning in excess of 300 song copyrights.
 
In 1989 Cadd relocated to Nashville where he built the SALAD BOWL STUDIO facility and owned and operated several successful music production companies. For 7 years he participated in the enormous explosion of country music onto the national and then international music scene.

During this period he also wrote for, produced and ultimately joined the legendary FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS alongside original members ‘Sneaky Pete Kleinow’ and Chris Etheridge. The band released an album ‘Eye of a Hurricane’ and toured the U.S. and Europe extensively over the next several years.
 
Brian Cadd moved back to Australia permanently in 1997 after 25 years working in the International music industry in both the U.S. and Europe. A part of the enormously successful tour LONG WAY TO THE TOP in 2004, he has continued to tour Australia due to the huge ‘Boomers’ audience out there, still rocking. 

In July 2007, he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. In the same year he was inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
 
Apart from his Australian touring, writing and production, Brian also spends several months a year travelling the world writing and recording, particularly in Nashville and throughout Europe.
 
As a writer, Brian has provided songs for an amazing string of artists both in Australia and internationally including: Joe Cocker, Ringo Starr, The Pointer Sisters, Bonnie Tyler, Yvonne Elliman, Little River Band, Charlie Daniels, Glen Campbell, Flying Burrito Brothers, Dobie Gray, Gene Pitney, Johnnny Halliday, Sylvie Vartan, Cilla Black, Trini Lopez, Russell Morris, John Farnham, Gina Jeffries, The Groop, Axiom, The Masters Apprentices and many more.

Monday 9 October 2017

Dinah Lee - 1996 - Dinah Lee - 1964-67 FLAC


Don't You Know Yockomo/Reet Petite/Do The Blue Beat/Who Stole The Sugar/The Nitty Gritty/Hey Chickie Baby/I'll Forgive You, Then Forget You/What Did He Say/What Kind Of Love Is This/ Is It True/Hot Spot/Pushing A Good Thing Too Far/That's It, I Quit/I Can't Believe What You Say/Let Me In/Johnny/Don't You Just Know It/He Don't Want Your Love/The Right Time/Not In This Whole World/ Summertime/He's Sure The Boy I Love/New Orleans/98.6/Too Many People/ I Keep Forgettin'







 Diane Marie Jacobs (born 19 August 1943, Waimate), known as Dinah Lee, is a New Zealand-born singer who performed 1960s pop and then adult contemporary music. Her debut single from early 1964, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", achieved No. 1 chart success in New Zealand and in the Australian cities, Brisbane and Melbourne. It was followed in September by her cover version of Jackie Wilson's, "Reet Petite", which also reached No. 1 in New Zealand and peaked at No. 6 in Melbourne. The Australian release was a double A-sided single with "Do the Blue Beat". On her early singles she was backed by fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors. Lee appeared regularly on both New Zealand and Australian TV variety programs, including Sing, Sing, Sing and Bandstand. She toured supporting Johnny O'Keefe, Ray Columbus & the Invaders and P.J. Proby. According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer of in both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had".


 Dinah Lee was born as Diane Marie Jacobs on 19 August 1943 in Waimate, South Island, New Zealand. After her parents separated, she was fostered by a family near Christchurch where she attended Cashmere High School. Her father was a saxophonist, who worked selling carpets in a Christchurch department store and, part-time, ran a teen dance club – The Country Club Cabaret. In 1958, Lee was asked to sing at the club on Saturdays and became popular with local patrons. As a 15-year-old, she had her first professional gig with Bobby Davis & the Dazzlers in a small hall and they later worked in a coffee lounge. In 1962, Lee was working with Christchurch group, Saints, and dating their guitarist and vocalist, Phil Garland. By year's end Saints had split and Lee and Garland formed The Playboys with Mark Graham on guitar, Brian Ringrose (ex-Ray Columbus & the Invaders) on guitar, Dave Martin on guitar and Graeme Miller on drums. They relocated to Auckland for a residency at Top 20 Club, Lee shared lead vocals with Garland, one of her covers was Huey "Piano" Smith's "Don't You Know Yockomo?" popularised by American R&B artist Dee Dee Sharp. Playboys returned to Christchurch, but by 1963, Lee returned to Auckland to pursue her solo career, she supported gigs by Max Merritt & His Meteors or Ray Columbus & the Invaders. Playboys recruited Graeme's brother Dave on vocals and later became The Dave Miller Set in Sydney.

Lee adopted the latest Mod fashions following advice from boutique owner, Jackie Holme – a page boy haircut, white make-up, op-art clothes and white boots. After being recommended by Merritt, she joined the Startime Spectacular Tour of North Island which was headlined by Bill & Boyd and Max Merritt & His Meteors – Merritt's band backed her during her set. Her performances were more animated and energetic than typically demure female pop artists. Lee was heckled at some regional venues and her mother was unable to recognise her when catching up at an airport. Tour organiser, James Haddleton, became her manager and she was signed with Viking Records, an independent label based in Wellington and she was promoted as 'Queen of the Mods'.


Dinah Lee's debut single, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", was released in August 1964 – under the name Diane Lee, chosen by Viking – and peaked at No. 1 in New Zealand. Viking used Merritt's band to back her in the studio and after the first pressings had sold out, Viking changed the attribution to Dinah Lee. Ray Columbus & the Invaders' single, "She's a Mod" became the first by a New Zealand act to reach No. 1 on an Australian chart. Only weeks later, Lee's single, "Don't You Know Yockomo?" was issued there by EMI on their HMV label and reached No. 1 in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Lee's second single, "Reet Petite" was a cover of Jackie Wilson's hit and had also been recorded with Merritt's band, when released in September it reached No. 1 in New Zealand. Her third single, Ray Rivera's "Do the Blue Beat", followed in October in New Zealand. "Reet Petitie" and "Do the Blue Beat" were issued as a double A-sided single in Australia and reached No. 3 in Adelaide and No. 6 in Melbourne. Lee toured New Zealand and Australia on Starlift '64, promoted by Harry M. Miller, with a bill headed by The Searchers, Peter and Gordon and Del Shannon. Backing Lee at some gigs were Ray Columbus & the Invaders and, in Sydney, a newly formed group – The Easybeats. With "Reet Petite" charting in Australia, rock'n'roller Johnny O'Keefe invited Lee to appear on his television series, Sing, Sing, Sing and join his Sydney club shows.

 Upon return to Auckland, Lee issued her fourth Viking single, "Who Stole the Sugar?" in November. She featured on two half-hour specials on New Zealand TV, while "I'm Walking" was issued as her next Australian single by HMV. By year's end, Viking had also released two extended plays, Don't You Know... and Yeah, Yeah We Love Them All and her debut album, Introducing Dinah Lee.

In early 1965, Lee appeared on Australian TV shows, Bandstand and Saturday Date. One of her Bandstand performances was at Myer Music Bowl with headlining Jamaican Blue beat singer Millie Small.  Lee travelled to the United States to appear on Shindig! – she sang with Glen Campbell – and on other TV shows. Lee then went to the United Kingdom where she released, "I'll Forgive You Then Forget You" on Island Records' label Aladdin. In August–September, Lee toured New Zealand and Australia with US pop sensation, P.J. Proby – noted for splitting his pants on stage in the UK in February – who had been banned by the BBC. In Australia, HMV released "Let Me In" to coincide with the tour. Lee won 'Entertainer of the Year' at New Zealand's inaugural NEBOA Awards in late September – soon after she decided to base herself in Australia. Late in the year, Viking released a string of singles, "He Can't Do the Blue Beat", "Nitty Gritty" and "That's it I Quit", in New Zealand. In November, they released her second studio album, The Sound of Dinah Lee.

 Late in 1965, Dinah Lee relocated to Sydney and in March 1966 she undertook a second tour with Small. Lee's next single was "He Don't Want Your Love Anymore" but her chart success had begun to decline. On 29 June 1966, Australian teen newspaper, Go-Set published "The Dinah Lee Story" and she appeared on their front cover. Her public popularity was still high – she was voted No. 2 'Female Vocal' in Go-Set's pop poll in October and was in the top 5 for 1967 and 1968. Lee continued to release singles in 1966, she toured with Proby in September–October and followed with a third studio album, The Mod World of Dinah Lee late that year. In April 1967, she became the 'face' for Yardley Cosmetics' commercials on Australian TV. Her July single for Viking and HMV was "Sorry Mama" but neither company renewed her contract.

Lee spent most of the late 1960s on the night club circuit with occasional variety TV appearances. Lee successfully sued her former manager, Haddleton, for money owed and re-took control of her financial interests. According to Australia rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer of in  both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had." Lee entertained troops in Vietnam in the late 1960s on Australian Broadcasting Commission-sponsored tours (under her birth name, Diane Jacobs) and was awarded the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal.

In the 1970s, she continued to release singles including "Tell Him" in 1972 on Polydor. In 1974, she joined O'Keefe on his comeback show, The Good Old Days of Rock'n'Roll, at St. George's Leagues Club. Her next single, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" appeared in 1976 on Festival Records. "I Can See Clearly Now" was released in 1979 on Laser Records.

In 1982, a compilation, Best of Dinah Lee was issued on Music World. By 1984, she had become involved in body building winning the 'Australian Female Body Builder of the Year' in the over 35s category. In the 1990s and 2000s, Lee continued performing on the club circuit and became a motivational speaker.

ABC-TV series, Long Way to the Top, was broadcast in August 2001. Lee featured on "Episode 2: Ten Pound Rocker 1963–1968" where she discussed the mod look and her appeal to rebellious teens, "I had this image and it wasn't cute and pretty". The TV series inspired the Long Way to the Top national concert tour during August–September 2002, which featured a host of the best Australian acts of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Lee's performances of "Yokomo"  and "Reet Petite" at the final Sydney concert, as well as an interview with promoter, Michael Chugg, feature on the associated DVD, Long Way to the Top: Live in Concert released in 2002.

Pseud0 Ech0 - 1985 - L0ve @n @dventure FLAC


Love An Adventure/Don't Go/Try/I Will Be You/Girl/Living In A Dream/I Ask You Why/Lonely Without You/Lies Are Nothing/Lies Are Nothing



 Pseudo Echo are an Australian new wave band that formed in 1982 in Melbourne. The original line-up consisted of Brian Canham (vocals, guitars and keyboards), born 3 July 1962, Pierre Gigliotti (as Pierre Pierre) (bass guitar, keyboards), Tony Lugton (guitars and keyboards) and Anthony Argiro (drums). A later line-up included James Leigh (keyboards) and his brother, Vince Leigh (drums). In the 1980s, Pseudo Echo had Australian top 20 hits with "Listening", "A Beat for You", "Don't Go", "Love an Adventure", "Living in a Dream" and their cover of "Funky Town" (from Lipps Inc.), which peaked at No. 1 in 1986. In 1987, it reached No. 1 in Canada and New Zealand, No. 6 in United States and No. 8 in United Kingdom.


They released their debut album, Autumnal Park in 1984 which peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report. Love an Adventure followed in 1985 and reached No. 14. Their third album, Race (1988) peaked at No. 18 and in 1990 the group disbanded. They reformed in 1998 and issued Teleporter in 2000. Rock music historian Ian McFarlane, stated they "combined flash clothes, blow-wave hairstyles, youthful exuberance and accessible synth-pop to arrive at a winning combination ... and found a ready-made audience among teenagers who fawned on the band's every move".

Love An Adventure is the second studio album by Australian new wave band, Pseudo Echo. The album peaked at No. 14 in Australia and produced three Australian top twenty singles, including "Don’t Go", which peaked at No. 4.

In 1987, an alternate version of the album featuring re-recorded vocals and several different tracks, including their 1986 worldwide hit cover of "Funkytown," was released in North America by RCA Records. 

Following the success of Autumnal Park, Pseudo Echo returned to the studio in 1985, with an altered line up. Tony Lugton and Anthony Argiro both left and joined other bands. They were replaced by brothers James Leigh and Vince Leigh (aka Vincent Dingli).
Reviews

Michael Sutton from allmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying: Their cover of Lipps Inc.'s ‘’Funkytown’’ was sadly misrepresentative of the album's stylish, hook-loaded dance rock. Pseudo Echo want people to move their feet and this album is stocked with dance floor scorchers such as "Living in a Dream", "Listening" and the funky "Try". "Funkytown" may have given Pseudo Echo a glimpse of commercial success, but the rest of 'Love an Adventure' proved that they were capable of more.

Sunday 8 October 2017

0l' 55 - 1976 - Take !t Gre@sy FLAC


A1 Summertime Summertime (Intro)    
A2 Irridescent Pink Sock Blues    
A3 I Wonder Why    
A4 Almost Grown    
A5 Think It Over    
A6 Get A Job    
A7 Doin Fine    
A8 Only Sixteen    
B1 This Little Girl    
B2 On The Prowl    
B3 New Girl In School    
B4 Skateboard Thrills    
B5 Looking For An Echo    
B6 Goodnight Sweetheart    
B7 School Days (Outro)



 Take It Greasy was the debut studio album to be released by Australian 1950's retro band Ol' 55. The album peaked at number 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report and was certified 3x platinum. At the time, 1950s music and culture had gained a newfound interest in Australia amongst a younger generation, largely due to the influence of the very popular TV show Happy Days and earlier investigations into doo-wop by the group Daddy Cool.

 Ol' 55 was an Australian band specialising in retro, 1950s-era Rock 'n' Roll. They formed as Fanis in 1972 in Sutherland, Sydney. Drummer Geoff Plummer was working with Glenn A. Baker at the NSW Department of Media and invited Baker to hear his part-time band, including Patrick "Meatballs" Drummond, Rockpile Jones and Jimmy Manzie. In 1975, Baker took on their management, renamed them as Ol' 55 for the Tom Waits song (as covered by The Eagles), and recruited front man Frankie J. Holden and, later in the year, saxophonist Wilbur Wilde.

The band enjoyed popularity with a style that bordered on parody but managed to combine novelty retro kitsch and clever theatrics with a keen sense of pop dynamics and an acute understanding of rock 'n' roll. The band scored five top 20 hits on the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart and their debut album, Take It Greasy peaked at No. 3 on the Australian albums chart in 1976. After line-up changes, Ol' 55 disbanded in 1983.

Monday 25 September 2017

Roxus - 1991 - Nightstreet FLAC


Rock 'n' Roll Nights/My Way/Bad Boys/Midnight Love/Where Are You Now/Nightstreet/This Time/First Break From The Heart/ Stand Back/ Jimi G



Roxus were an Australian hard rock band which existed between 1987 and 1993. Members included Juno Roxas - lead vocals, Dragan Stanić - guitar, Darren Danielson - drums, John 'Stones' Nixon - bass guitar and Andy Shanahan - keyboards. Their debut album, Nightstreet was released in August 1991 and peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Their most successful single, "Where Are You Now?", reached No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold.



Roxus formed as Bah Ragah in 1987 in the Melbourne south-eastern suburb of Springvale with Joseph La Ferlita (Joe Cool) on guitar; Darren Danielson (ex-Windsor Jamm) on drums; John 'Stones' Nixon (Windsor Jamm) on bass guitar; Juno Roxas on lead vocals (Party Pies); and Andy Shanahan on keyboards. Roxus gained a considerable live following. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, found the group played a "blend of tuneful, Van Halenesque hard rock and Living Colour-inspired funk around the Melbourne pub circuit ... with their carefully cultivated image of black leather, ripped jeans, cowboy boots, bandannas and big hair". In 1989 Roxus supported international bands, Poison and Bon Jovi, on their respective Australian tours. Also that year Dragan Stanić replaced Joe Cool on guitar. The band came to the attention of music commentator and promoter, Ian (Molly) Meldrum, who signed them to his Melodian label via Mushroom Records. The group issued two singles in 1989, "Stand Back" in July and "Body Heat" in November. In 1990, they released a live EP, including live versions of the tracks "Stand Back" and "Body Heat".


In April 1991 Roxus supported US band, Warrant, on their Australian tour. In September that year their debut album, Nightstreet, was released, which reached No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. In July they issued their most successful single, "Where Are You Now?", which is a power ballad that received considerable radio airplay and peaked at No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart and No. 11 on the AMR Singles Chart. In August, they followed up with "Bad Boys", which reached No. 39 on the ARIA chart, "Jimi G" was released in September.

In 1992, American AOR maestro Jeff Paris was hired to produce what was to be Roxus' second album. Recorded at Platinum recorders in Melbourne, the sessions engendered four tracks; "Invisible Man", "What You Don't Know", "Stop Playin' With My Heart" and "All The Way". The recording were cut short with unanimous decision to replace Danielson with a drum machine after time restrictions became an issue, with Danielson unable to provide adequate rhythm tracks.


 Roxas and Stanic returned to Los Angeles with Paris, to mix the four completed songs. The album however, was never completed and on New Year's Eve, 1992, Roxus played their last show before disbanding early in 1993.
Afterwards

After Roxus had disbanded, Juno Roxas went solo and recorded the album, Far From Here, on Melodian in 1994. He has worked as a musician and producer in both Los Angeles and Melbourne. Stanić continued playing locally in a range of projects including De-Arrow, Among Thieves and Kream. By March 1993 Danielson and Nixon had joined Melbourne rockers, Chocolate Starfish. Shanahan became a lecturer at RMIT University in Sound Production.

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Stevie Wright - 1975 - Black Eyed Bruiser FLAC


Black Eyed Bruiser/The Loser/You/My Kind Of Music/Guitar Band/The People And The Power/Help, Help/Twenty Dollar Bill/I've Got The Power



Black Eyed Bruiser is the second studio album from Australian singer Stevie Wright. The album was not as commercially successful as its predecessor Hard Road and would be the Wright's final album released with production team Vanda and Young and record label Albert Productions.

After the success of Stevie Wright's debut album Hard Road and it's lead single "Evie", producers Harry Vanda and George Young returned to Albert Studios with Wright to record the follow-up album. The recording of the album was problematic as Wright's heroin addition, unbeknown to Vanda and Young, had escalated. During one session, Wright's manager Micheal Chugg saw Wright doing heroin, out of sight of George and Harry who were in the recording booth. Chugg walked into the booth and told them to, "Come with me, I want you to see this." He led around to where they could see Stevie sniffing heroin from aluminium foil and said, "There you go, that's your problem, end of story". 


Because Wright was going through drug rehabilitation, he was not able to promote the album. The album sold less than the more successful Hard Road, although the lead single "Guitar Band" reached No. 13 on the Australian Charts and No. 8 in Melbourne.

The compact disc is currently out-of-print and has become quite rare. A digital edition was available on iTunes as of June, 2014.


Stevie Wright may well be regarded as the forgotten man of Australian rock & roll thanks to a career that was curtailed and shortened by a long-running battle with drugs. Wright joined the Easybeats in 1964 and had several Australian hits, including the worldwide smash "Friday on My Mind," before the band broke up in 1969. He then formed the band Rachette and produced Bootleg's debut single, "Whole World Should Slow Down." He performed with Rachette at the Odyssey Music Festival in 1971 before briefly joining Likefun in Perth. He returned to Sydney to perform in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar and stayed with the production from 1971-1973. During 1972 he also performed with Black Tank and appeared on the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack, released in 1973.

Stevie with Ray Hoff and  Shirley Read in Like Fun


He then began work on his debut album Hard Road with Easybeats' songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young. Released in April 1974, the album peaked at number five on the national charts and spawned Wright's best-known hit, "Evie," which peaked at number two. After touring the country with his band, the All Stars, he followed Hard Rain with Black Eyed Bruiser, another fine example of Australian '70s rock. It produced the hit "Guitar Band," which peaked at number eight in December 1974.

The All Stars left to back John Paul Young in 1975 so Wright formed the Stevie Wright Band but, by this stage, Wright's drug addiction had begun to curtail his career. He performed a few gigs with Sacha in 1976 and performed "Evie" alongside performances by the cream of Australian pop and rock at the Concert of the Decade in November 1979, captured on the double album Concert of the Decade (1980).




He next appeared on Flash and the Pan's 1982 release, Headlines. The single "Waiting for a Train" hit number seven in the U.K. and Headlines became Flash and the Pan's third consecutive number one hit in Scandinavia. His career, however, soon derailed again when Wright appeared in court charged with housebreaking in January 1984 while undergoing drug rehabilitation. Wright was arrested for heroin use in the same month after being found unconscious in a hotel toilet. The Easybeats reformed for a successful six-week national tour in October 1986. Wright formed the band Hard Rain in 1988 and released the album Striking It Rich in 1991.  

 

New Link Added 01.07.2021