Marty Rhone - 2010 - Born To Rock FLAC

 Born to Rock 'n' Roll/Feels Like the First Time/Missing You/Heartache Tonight/To Love Somebody/Addicted to Love/Every Breath You Take/Gimme Some Lovin'/Whatever You Want/Long Way to the Top

ENERGETIC, VIBRANT, EXCITING, PULSATING, ELECTRIFYING – Words to describe rock n’ roll? Maybe, but they are also words that encapsulate Marty Rhone’s stage performances, showing that Marty Rhone was BORN TO ROCK!

This is the show that Marty Rhone has always wanted to do. To present a concert that brings together in one sensational show a collection of the greatest rock n’ roll songs of all time and also includes his No1 chartbusters ‘Denim & Lace’ and A Mean Pair of Jeans. Songs that are guaranteed to have the audience singing and dancing in the aisles. “Every song I have chosen excites me and tells it like it is. Rock n’ roll is the most exciting music genre the world has seen.”
Audiences will hear Marty perform his hits plus those of many of the great artists he has performed with during an illustrious career. These include hits by the Bee Gees, the Rolling Stones, the Searchers, Bon Scott of ACDC plus classics from Status Quo, Fleetwood Mac, Bryan Ferry and many more.


                                                                                                 Marty with his mum Judith and dad Eddy

 Marty Rhone was born as Karel (or Karl) Lawrence van Rhoon on 7 May 1948 in Soerabaja, Dutch East Indies (later named Surabaya, Indonesia). His father was Eddy Emile van Rhoon (born Soerakarta, Central Java, 1 July 1917), a clerk and former flying navigator in the Dutch East Indies navy during World War II. His mother was Judith Olive (née Bagshaw, born Sydney, 1 January 1929). She was a singer and actress, who met Eddy through the Sydney jazz scene; he was a visiting pianist while on leave. The couple married in 1947 and Judith accompanied Eddy to Soerabaja. The family migrated to Australia on 21 April 1950 and briefly lived in Sydney and Brisbane, and then moved to Darwin. Eddy worked as a Communications Officer for the Department of Civil Aviation; he was stationed in Darwin from March 1951 until July 1957. The family remained in Darwin until mid-1960, by which time Rhone had a younger sister, Kymn Dale (born 1958) and brother, Martin Richard (born 1960).

Rhone was taught piano by his father but he preferred singing. In August 1959, aged 11, he first performed publicly at Darwin's Mitchell Street Town Hall in Around the World in 80 Minutes – a charity variety concert – alongside his father on piano and his mother. After he finished primary school, the family moved to Sydney, where he attended Crows Nest Boys High School. In mid-1961 he appeared on a talent quest segment of ATN7-TV series, Tarax Show, and was offered a singing spot on a children's show, Kaper Kabaret. In late 1965 he formed a band, The Blue Feelings, and they auditioned for an appearance on Saturday Date, a teen music show.

 After the audition Spin Records owner, Nat Kipner, signed Rhone to a recording contract and the label issued his debut single, "Nature Boy", in February the following year. For his next two singles, "Thirteen Women" (April) and "I Want You Back Again", Rhone was backed by Spin Records label mates, The Soul Agents, a beat pop group. They had formed in 1964 and by 1966 consisted of Jerry Darmic on bass guitar, Roger Felice-Andrews on drums, John Green on guitar and Barry Kelly on organ.


Marty Rhone and The Soul Agents


Rhone's fourth single, "She Is Mine", included the self-penned B-side, "Village Tapestry", which appeared in September. None of these singles charted on the Go-Set National Top 40, however Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described "Village Tapestry" as being "highly regarded among 1960s aficionados". In Iain McIntyre's book, Tomorrow Is Today: Australia in the Psychedelic Era, 1966-1970 (2006), the track was listed by Ian D. Marks as one of the 'Top 7 Proto-Psychedelic Australian Tracks from 1966'. Marks described it as "completely out of left field. With a gentle, almost medieval lilt, autoharps a-strumming and a charming spoken word verse—there was nothing like this released in Australia at the time. Melodic, evocative and delicate". During 1966 Marty Rhone and The Soul Agents supported The Rolling Stones on the United Kingdom rock group's tour of Australia. They also performed on the bill of the P.J. Proby Show at the Sydney Stadium with Wayne Fontana, Eden Kane and The Bee Gees appearing.
 

 Rhone moved to Melbourne and issued five more singles on Spin Records but had "limited success". By March 1970 Rhone was conscripted for National Service until 1972. During his service he attended the Royal Military College, Duntroon, as a member of their band, for 18 months. From April 1972 to July 1973 he acted in the Australian stage version of Godspell at The Richbrooke, Sydney with Rod Dunbar, Peita Toppano and John Waters. The Australian cast soundtrack album was issued as Godspell: a Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew on His Master's Voice. He attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in July 1973 he released a new single, "Goodbye in May".

He composed the music for Ruzzante Returns from the Wars, which starred Ivar Kants and ran at the Parade Theatre, Kensington from May to June 1974 as a one-act play. It is based on the text of Angelo Beolco's Il Parlamento de Ruzante, originally written in Italy during the mid-16th century.[ As a double bill at the same venue, Rhone performed the music he had composed for La Mandragola, a satirical play by another 16th century Italian, Niccolò Machiavelli. It had roles by Reg Gillam, Pamela Stephenson and Ingrid Mason. Rhone followed with appearances on TV soap operas, Number 96 (1974) and Class of '75 (1975).

 By mid-1975 Rhone had signed with M7 Records and issued his next single, "Denim and Lace", which peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was promoted on the Class of '75 soundtrack album. It was co-written by L Lister (aka Jack Aranda) and F Lyons (aka Shad Lyons). Lister and Lyons also produced Rhone's debut album, Denim and Lace, recording at Alberts Studio 139. At the end of the year "Denim and Lace" was the second highest selling single in Australia. His next single, "Star Song", reached the Top 50, the next two were less successful, while the last one for the year, "On the Loose" reached the Top 40. Of the four singles, "On the Loose (Again)" – co-written by Brian Dawe and Steve Groves (ex-Tin Tin) – was used by Rhone to win the 1976 Australian Popular Song Festival. In June 1977 he had another hit with "Mean Pair of Jeans", which reached No. 11. In July that year he issued his second album, Marty Rhone.

In July 1978 Rhone relocated to London. In June the following year he took the role of Lun Tha in the London Palladium presentation of The King and I alongside Yul Brynner and Virginia McKenna. By September 1981 he had returned to Sydney.[20] In 1987 Rhone became a business manager for a trio of brothers, the Australian boxers: Dean, Guy and Troy Waters. In May 1988 Festival Records issued a ten-volume album series, Festival File, including Village Tapestry: The Festival File Volume 9 by Marty Rhone and The Soul Agents. Stuart Coupe reviewed the collection for The Canberra Times, "Never a big pop star, Marty Rhone will be remembered for a number of outstanding singles, a number of which were very advanced in style and production".

Ariel - 1974 - A Strange Fantastic Dream FLAC

Jamaican Farewell/No Encores/Confessions Of A Psychopathic Cowpoke/And I'm Blue/Garden Of The Frenzied Cortinas/Miracle Man/Chicken Shit/Worm-Turning Blues/Wheezer Grunter Module Threadaboy/Hard Way To Go/And If It Wasn't For You/Red Hot Momma



  Ariel was an Australian progressive rock band fronted by Mike Rudd and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after the breakup of their previous group Spectrum (which also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps). The original Ariel line-up was Rudd (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Putt (bass), Tim Gaze (guitar), Nigel Macara (drums) and John Mills (keyboards). Gaze and Macara were recruited from seminal Australian progressive rock band Tamam Shud. 

The band released three studio albums and two live albums between 1973 and 1977, during which there were several line-up changes, with Rudd and Putt the only permanent members. Other members of Ariel included guitarists Harvey James and Glyn Mason and keyboard player Tony Slavich.

Their debut album A Strange Fantastic Dream, produced by Peter Dawkins was released on EMI's progressive label Harvest in December 1973 and reached No. 12 on the Australian LP charts in February 1974. It included their most successful single "Jamaican Farewell", which peaked at No. 34, its success hampered by lack of airplay, especially in Sydney, although it impressed the industry enough to win the FACB 'Single Of The Year'. According to the liner notes for the CD release of the album, there were calls to ban the LP because of its psychedelic cover artwork by Stephen Nelson, which included a figure holding a hypodermic syringe. Airplay for the LP was further hindered by the banning of three songs (the darkly satirical "Confessions Of A Psychotic Cowpoke", "Medicine Man" and "Chicken Shit") by the commercial radio industry's self-regulatory body in Australia, the FACB. Critical reception to A Strange Fantastic Dream was glowing.


The remastered re-release of A Strange Fantastic Dream was described as "extraordinary" by The Sydney Morning Herald in September 2002.

Gaze and Nigel Macara left the band abruptly after a trip to Perth in early 1973, so Rudd and Putt began work on an ambitious science-fiction themed concept work entitled The Jellabad Mutant, which they hoped to record. For rehearsals they brought in drummer John Lee (later a member of The Dingoes) who in turn brought in Harvey James, thereby establishing the second lineup of the group, which lasted until early 1975.

 Ariel recorded a full demo of The Jellabad Mutant and presented it to their label EMI, but it was rejected. On the strength of the first LP, EMI in Britain had arranged recording time for the group at their famous Abbey Road Studios in London, but the rejection of The Jellabad Mutant by EMI Australia forced Ariel to fall back on reworked material from Rudd's previous group Spectrum, supplemented by new songs hastily written by Rudd for the sessions. Despite the problems surrounding the recording, the resultant album Rock & Roll Scars (1975) is now regarded as one of the best Australian albums of the period, although it failed to make any significant commercial impression. It was mixed in the UK by Geoff Emerick, who worked on many of the later recordings by The Beatles, and produced by Peter Dawkins.

Concerning the rejection of the Jellabad Mutant project, Rudd later said:

    It's interesting to speculate what might have happened had we been allowed to proceed with the Mutant with an intact budget [EMI slashed the budget for Rock'n Roll Scars adding to the pressure] and with the time to reflect and be creative with the raw material you hear in the demos. I regret not going in to bat for it at the time. We had a fabulous opportunity with the best technical assistance any band could have wanted. But I didn't sell the dream, even to myself.
 

 After returning to Australia in early 1975 Ariel added a fifth member, singer-guitarist Glyn Mason, formally of Chain, Jeff St John & Copperwine and Home. The five-piece version of the band performed for several months but recorded only one single, although unofficial live recordings of this lineup have survived. It was during this period that Rudd introduced Dawkins to newly arrived New Zealand band Dragon. Dawkins (who had by then moved to CBS Records immediately signed Dragon and went on to produce a string of Australian hit albums and singles with them in the late 1970s.

After the expiration of their EMI contract the group signed with CBS Records for their third LP Goodnight Fiona (1976) and their only other charting single, the non-album track I'll take you high which reached No. 36 in January 1976. They made another trip to the UK in April 1976 but while there drummer John Lee left the band. He briefly joined English group Dirty Tricks and then finally rejoined The Dingoes after they relocated to America. Lee was replaced in Ariel by Nigel Macara.

Harvey James quit Ariel abruptly later in 1976 after he was invited to join leading Australian pop group Sherbet, where he replaced founding member Clive Shakespeare. James' first recording with Sherbet was their Australian No. 1 and UK Top 5 hit "Howzat". James was replaced in Ariel by keyboard player Tony Slavich.

Macara left again in October 1976 and was replaced by another former Richard Clapton Band member, Iain McLennan. The single "Disco Dilemma" was released in April 1977, just before expiration of their CBS contract, after which they signed to local independent label Image Records. They recorded the single "It's Only Love" for their new label; the song featured lead vocals from its writer Glyn Mason.

Ariel announced its breakup in July 1977 and, just before their CBS contract expired, the "Island Fantasy" themed farewell concert was staged on Sunday 21 August 1977 at the Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne. The show was recorded and released over the two albums Ariel Aloha (Oct 1977) and Live - More From Before (1978). These two albums were subsequently reissued in 1980 as Ariel Live In Concert.

Ariel formed in mid-1973, after the breakup of Spectrum. When Spectrum drummer Ray Arnott announced he was leaving to join Ross Wilson's new band Mighty Kong, Putt and Rudd commendably decided to end the band rather than try to recruit a new member, feeling that it wouldn't be possible to recreate the special spirit of that group. Within a few months of Spectrums's farewell performance their new band (whose name was taken from the character in Shakespeare's "The Tempest") was up and running. Ironically, the two new members, Tim and Nigel, had originally come to Melbourne to work with Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford on their new project (which became Mighty Kong) and it was after they departed that Wilson asked Ray Arnott to join, thus precipitating the split of Spectrum!

Strong record company interest in Ariel quickly led to a contract with EMI's progressive Harvest imprint. Their superb debut single "Jamaican Farewell" looked set to repeat the early success of Spectrum but it only managed to reach No.34, its success hampered by lack of airplay, especially in Sydney, although it impressed the industry enough to win the FACB 'Single Of The Year'. They toured as support to Gary Glitter November 1973 and released their excellent first LP A Strange Fantastic Dream in December, with writing credits split fairly evenly between Gaze and Rudd. According to Noel McGrath, the album was also the first use of Moog synthesizer on an Australian rock record (though it's possible Tully may have been the first Australian band to recod with one) and producer Peter Dawkins still names it as one of his favourite productions.

 It fared well commercially and critically, reaching #12 in the LP charts in February 1974, although there was a minor controversy about Stephen Nelson's brilliant, hallucinatory cover painting, which included (shock! horror!) a hypodermic syringe. Airplay for the LP was further hindered by the banning of three songs ("Confessions Of A Psychotic Cowpoke", "Medicine Man" and "Chicken Shit") by the commercial radio industry's self-regulatory body, the FACB.

One particularly important outcome for the group was that EMI International's President, Allan Davies, fell in love with the album: "You know, Peter," he enthused to Dawkins, "I can't recall ever hearing a song about necrophilia!" Renowned British DJ John Peel also picked up both album and single and "said some really nice things about both of them". These and other factors led to Ariel being invited to tour the UK and record their next album at Abbey Road.

Richard Clapton - 1995 - Angeltown FLAC

Dixieland/My Minds Eye/That Moon/Stay With Me/Howl/Paris/Turn My Heart Around/Shine A Light/The Devil In Disguise/Angeltown/Real Life



   Australian singer/songwriter Richard Clapton played with several bands during the late '60s and '70s as he traveled across Europe before returning to Australia in 1972 to begin his solo career.

His debut single, "Last Train to Marseilles," released in October 1972, was not commercially successful and he joined the jazz-rock band Sun for a six-week stint. His debut album, Prussian Blue, was released in November 1973, but his first chart success was with the single "Girls on the Avenue," which reached number two nationally in March 1975. He released the Girls on the Avenue album followed by the album Main Street Jive in July 1976. A European tour followed at the end of the year. Clapton's contribution to the 1977 Highway One soundtrack album, "Capricorn Dancer," peaked at number 20.

Clapton's third album, Goodbye Tiger, was released in August 1977 and is considered one of his finest works. It peaked at number five nationally during November. The next year was spent touring and recording in Los Angeles. Two tracks from the American sessions, "Steppin' Across the Line" and "When the Heat's Off," appeared on the compilation album Past Hits and Previews, released in November 1978. Clapton's American-recorded album Hearts on the Nightline peaked at number 17 and kicked off a national tour. Dark Spaces was released in 1980 and was dedicated to his rhythm guitarist, Andrew Durant, who died in June. Clapton sang three tracks on the Andrew Durant Memorial Concert album of 1981.

A new record deal with WEA in 1982 produced The Great Escape, which peaked at number seven in March. The single, "I Am an Island," peaked at number 20 while the compilation album, The Very Best of Richard Clapton, peaked at number 15 during the same time. Another national tour followed which included bassist Garry Gary Beers and drummer Jon Farriss from INXS as part of his backing band; an association that began when Clapton produced their 1981 album, Underneath the Colours. In 1983, Clapton joined the Party Boys for a short time and appeared on their Greatest Hits (of Other People) album. In 1984, Clapton released his next solo album, Solidarity, and again toured the country. Glory Road followed in 1987, produced by Jon Farriss in return for Clapton's work on Underneath the Colours.

In September 1989, The Best Years of Our Lives, a live album recorded on April 16, 1989, was issued. The next four years were spent undergoing contractual difficulties until Clapton signed a five-album deal with Sony. Between record deals, Clapton remained popular on the touring circuit and went on to release Distant Thunder in 1993 and Angeltown in 1996.

In 1983, Clapton joined The Party Boys, taking over lead vocals from James Reyne (Australian Crawl), the live album Greatest Hits (Of Other People) and a single, "I Fought the Law"—a cover of the Sonny Curtis song—resulted from an extensive tour of the east coast of Australia. Clapton left the band to re-focus on his solo career and handed over vocals to Shirley Strachan (ex-Skyhooks).

In September 1984, Clapton released Solidarity on Mushroom Records which was produced by Opitz, Ricky Fataar, Tim Kramer and Moffatt. For the album he used Graham Bidstrup on drums (ex-The Angels, The Party Boys), James Black on keyboards (ex-Mondo Rock), Kevin Borich on guitar (ex-La De Das, The Party Boys), Fataar on drums, Allan Mansfield on keyboards (Dragon), Graham Thompson on bass guitar (ex-Stars), and backing vocals from Mary Bradfield, Venetta Fields and Mark Williams. Clapton and Borich released the duet single, "Spirit of Sydney" in 1986.

Clapton rejoined WEA in 1987 for his next album, Glory Road, released in October, and its three singles, which were produced by Jon Farriss of INXS as a return favour for the production of Underneath the Colours. A live album, The Best Years of Our Lives was recorded on 16 April 1989 and released in September. His band were Hegerty, Lorange, Moffatt on guitar, Jeff Bartolomei on keyboards, Ben Butler on guitar, and Steve Sowerby on drums. The album peaked in the top 30 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart.
Later years

Clapton was without a recording contract for four years from 1989 and had a few changes of his management until he signed with Sony Music/Columbia Records for the release of Distant Thunder in May 1993. The album spawned four singles and was produced by Clapton. It charted in the top 40 but no single reached the top 50 on ARIA's Singles Chart. His second album for Sony, Angeltown appeared in May 1996 with a single, "Dixieland" in March—neither appeared in their respective top 50 charts. In September 1999, Clapton released a compilation album, "Definitive Anthology", which peaked in the top 30. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 12 October.

Clapton spent four years writing and recording the album, Diamond Mine, at his home studio, a process he described as the most creatively liberating experience of his recording career. It was released in May 2004—eight years after his previous studio album—but did not chart. On his 2006 album, Rewired, also recorded in the home studio, Clapton provided "unplugged" acoustic versions of his early songs.


In 2008, on Australia Day (26 January) Clapton appeared in a performance held at Parliament House, Canberra. To celebrate 35 years of recording, Clapton held a one off concert at the Sydney State Theatre on 28 June. The event was sold out in days and featured a line-up of Australian musicians who had played with him including Jon Farriss from INXS. The performance was recorded for Live at the State Theatre released in October.

 Clapton decided to showcase his pivotal 1977 album Goodbye Tiger at the same venue in September 2009. The first concert sold out in less than an hour and a second was added. The entire album was performed as well as an eclectic mix of old and new songs played in the second set. On the second night Clapton and band were joined by Moss (Cold Chisel) who played a rendition of "I Am an Island". Clapton inducted one of his favourite bands, The Dingoes into the ARIA Hall Of Fame on 29 August. Clapton's portrait by Alexander McKenzie was a finalist in the 2009 Archibald Prize. In October 2010, Goodbye Tiger was listed at No. 15 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.

In August 2012 Clapton's first studio album in eight years, Harlequin Nights, was issued on his own label and distributed by MGM. He was assisted on the album by Danny Spencer on guitar, who also co-wrote some tracks. The Australian's reviewer noted that Clapton "hasn't lost his touch as a songwriter" as the album "veers between the heady optimism of opening track 'Sunny Side Up' and the poignant autumnal reflection of the beautiful 'Blue Skies'" while Clapton is a "troubadour buffeted by uncertain winds and still searching for answers in songs such as the epic 'Vapour Trails' but pushing on regardless in the folksy 'Run Like a River'".

The Seekers - 1976 - Giving And Taking FLA C

Friends/The Rose And The Briar/Giving And Taking/A Part Of You/Country Lanes/Country Rose/Holding On/If I Could Write A Fairy Tale/A Finer Country Day/Standing On Shaky Ground/Where In The World



Around 1972 Bruce Woodley,Keith Potger and Athol Guy began planning a new version of the of the Seekers and they were looking for a replacement for Judith Durham, friend Buddy England suggested Louisa Wisseling and so Seekers II were born . Against the odds, the Seekers jumped straight back into the Australian charts with Woodley's "Sparrow Song" #2 in June 1975 and the album The Seekers #17 in July. In September 1975, they undertook a national tour and released three subsequent singles: "Reunion" (October), "Where in the World?" (April 1976) and "Giving and Taking" (June '76)."Giving and Taking" was lifted from the album of the same name.
Bruce Woodley left in June 1977 to concentrate on songwriting and production, at which point Buddy took over, remaining with them until the group split again. Athol quit in 1978, replaced by another veteran of the Melbourne '60s scene, Peter Robinson (ex The Thunderbirds, The Strangers). This version of The Seekers released one album, "All Over the World" in November 1978, then in 1980 they released " A Little Bit of Country"  with Cheryl Webb replacing Wisseling they continued performing in Australia and overseas until 1981 when they called it a day once again. They would reform again of and on right up until the present.

The album "Giving and Taking" is quite a good album from the opening track "Friends" to the closing "Where in the World" every song a winner while Louisa Wisseling is no Judith Durham she is a fine replacement. My faves are "The Rose And The Briar", "Country Lanes",
"Country Rose" and "Standing On Shaky Ground". Most of the songs were written by Bruce Woodley or co-written by Bruce and John Farrar former member of the Strangers and one time Shadow. There is also a song there from the brothers Gibb and one by Keith Potger.

Brian Cadd - 1975 - The Magic Of Brian Cadd FLAC

Show Me The Way/Silver City Birthday Celebration Day/Class of '74/Sometime Man/ Spring Hill County Breakdown/Every Mothers Son/Handyman/Josie McGinty/Keep On Rockin'/ Ginger Man/Kingston River Travellin' Man/All In The Way (They Use My Face)/Alvin Purple/Let Go/Think It Over

Please note Password for this one is ajh

Brian George Cadd (born 29 November 1946, Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years, he has performed as a member of The Groop, Axiom, Flying Burrito Brothers and solo. He was briefly called Brian Caine in late 1966, when first joining The Groop.

Cadd produced fellow Australian acts Robin Jolley, Ronnie Burns, Broderick Smith, Tina Arena and Glenn Shorrock and established his own record label called Bootleg Records. He also composed or performed music for films, Alvin Purple, Alvin Purple Rides Again, Fatal Vision, The Return of the Living Dead, Vampires on Bikini Beach, Morning of the Earth and The Heartbreak Kid and for television Class of 74, The Midnight Special and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. His songwriting for other acts includes The Masters Apprentices, The Bootleg Family Band, Ronnie Burns, The Pointer Sisters, Little River Band and John Farnham.

In 1972 Cadd turned to producing other acts and recording solo material on his own Bootleg Records label which was set up under Ron Tudor's Fable Records. "Ginger Man" was the first single from Cadd's self-titled debut album, released in November 1972 on Bootleg Records. Bootleg was based along similar lines to US pianist Leon Russell's Shelter Records – signed artists recorded and toured together as a The Bootleg Family Band. Studio musicians used by Cadd became the Bootleg Family Band and had their own hit single by covering Loggins and Messina's "Your Mama Don't Dance", where Cadd provided lead vocals. Cadd also won the composer's section of Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds for 1972 with his song, "Don't You Know It's Magic", this became a top 20 hit for John Farnham (known then as "Johnny" Farnham).[ The song also won the 'Most Outstanding Composition' award at the Tokyo World Popular Song Festival, with Cadd performing there live. Cadd released a second album, Parabrahm, in 1973, and followed with the theme song and score for the 1973 movie Alvin Purple (Australia's first R-rated comedy) and its sequel Alvin Purple Rides Again in 1975. After releasing his third solo album, Moonshine in 1974, Cadd left Australia for the US.

  Based in Los Angeles, Cadd became a studio-bound songwriter, apart from one tour with The Bootleg Family Band. Early in 1980, Brian toured France with the legendary French 'Elvis', Johnny Hallyday. Cadd recorded solo albums for Interfusion, his songs were also recorded by Gene Pitney, Glen Campbell, Dobie Gray, Cilla Black, Wayne Newton, Bonnie Tyler, Joe Cocker and Ringo Starr. His biggest success occurred when The Pointer Sisters covered "Love is Like a Rolling Stone" as a B-side for their version of "Fire" which reached No. 2 on the US Pop single charts. Cadd travelled to Nashville in 1989, joined the Flying Burrito Brothers in 1991 and toured with them for two years, returning to Australia in 1993. In Australia he teamed up with fellow Axiom member, Shorrock for an album The Blazing Salads and a subsequent two-year tour. On tour Cadd played his hit songs, along with those of Axiom accompanied by Shorrock. Veteran rocker Max Merritt had also toured Australia with Cadd.


                                                                                          Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock                 

Returning to Australia, Cadd is based on Queensland's Gold Coast, and has been active in teaching and lecturing on songwriting, in music publishing and other various aspects of the industry in Australia and the United States. In 1997, he built a recording studio Ginger Man Sound. In March 1998 he took over as CEO of The Streetwise Music Group in Brisbane, eventually becoming a co-owner. The company, which is distributed through Warner Music, now has some 20 acts spread over three labels             (Streetwise, Stallion and Belly Laugh).                              

Cadd is the chairman of the Music Industry Advisory Council (Australia), President of the Australian Music Foundation[ and on the board of the musicians' benevolent organisation, Support Act. Cadd lectures at universities as well as continuing to record and perform, he independently released an album of new material Quietly Rusting in 2005

In 2007 Cadd was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
featuring musicians like Mark Meyer, Tony Naylor, Wilbur Wilde and Ross Hannaford together with some of Australia's hottest new players including Paul White, Damien Steele-Scott and James Meston.

The Atlantics - 1989 - Legendary JRA-Ramrod Sessions

Whirpool/Girl Can't Help It/Pretty Thing/You Can't Judge a Book By It's Cover/Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do/It's a Hard Life/I Put a Spell on You/By the Glow of a Candle/You Tell Me Why/Come On/Waiting Here for Someone/ That Loving Feeling/Take a Trip / Flowers/When I Look into My Life/A Girl Like You/Baby Blue/I'll Never Let You Go/I Just Can't Help Believing/ight Shades of Dark Pt. One



Formed in the southern beachside suburbs of Sydney, Australia in 1961, the group began performing locally, and soon gained a following. Contrary to the accepted surfing connotations of their name they actually took their name from a local brand of petrol, Atlantic. In early 1962 they appeared on a local television talent show New Faces, where they were voted "Most Promising Group of 1962." They signed a deal with booking agent Joan King, who convinced the members to quit their day jobs and produce a demo, which she shopped to a variety of record labels. After several rejections, they were signed to CBS Records in 1963. The A&R representative for CBS, Sven Libaek, was especially impressed by the group's original compositions. Most Australian instrumental rock bands at the time merely aped and covered material from The Shadows or, to a lesser extent, The Ventures. The Atlantics had the advantage of having twin lead guitarists, both highly proficient on solo work and both capable of pushing the band along with a driving rhythm. It was this, together with the band members' European cultural influences (largely Greek with some Yugoslav and Hungarian - all members came to Australia as child migrants) that gave their music that passionate edge over other local bands of their day.

 In February 1963, CBS released the first single, "Moon Man" b/w "Dark Eyes". "Moon Man" was an original song written by Peter Hood, and "Dark Eyes" was a traditional tune reinterpreted by the band. While the single was not a hit, it did gain enough attention for CBS to agree to continue to support the group.

By this time the surfing music craze had reached Australia's shores and a host of local bands such as The Statesmen, Jimmy D & the Starlighters (a.k.a. Jimmy D & the Jaguars), The Midnighters, The Telstars, Dave Bridge Trio, The Joy Boys and The Denvermen were all releasing surfing titled instrumental tracks, and in particular, The Denvermen's evocative ballad "Surfside", which had topped Australia's charts in February 1963.

In July 1963 The Atlantics released the single that would become their biggest hit, most well-known song and one which remains a classic of its genre to this day. The monstrous, pounding, driving "Bombora" was written by Peter and Jim and was named after an Aboriginal term for large waves breaking over submerged rock shelves. The B-side was the old traditional English song "Greensleeves". By September 1963, "Bombora" had climbed the Australian charts to reach No 1. It was released in Japan, Italy, Holland, England and New Zealand and in South America. It was nominated as record of the week by US Cashbox magazine and reached No 2 on the Italian charts (where there was even a vocal version released). As well the song was covered by a number of overseas bands. This overseas success made The Atlantics Australia’s first internationally recognized rock act. October 1963 saw the release of their first LP album, predictably named Bombora. They were to release three more albums from 1963 to 1965. On stage the band maintained their reputation at concerts and beachside surf clubs with an exciting, pounding sound combined with a stage act that included them all playing their guitars behind their heads and Theo and Jim on opposite sides of the stage swapping lead lines with one another.

In November 1963 they released the follow-up, another similar thundering surf instrumental, "The Crusher" which, while not quite as successful as Bombora, still made a respectable dent in the Australian charts.

 Their fourth single, "War of the Worlds" however was a total break with the surf sound. Released in March 1964, it was unlike any other of their tracks, or indeed any other instrumentals of the day. A bold and ambitious attempt at a mini Sci-Fi space opera, it had a dramatic buildup intro, tempo changes and dynamic changes. It was way ahead of its time. It featured a battle in space using echo and guitar effects, the like of which would not be heard until Hendrix came along some years later. Disappointingly for the band, many DJ's refused to play it and it failed to make most charts.

By this time The Beatles and the Merseybeat sound had arrived and instrumentals were becoming rather passe. The Atlantics continued to release a number of instrumental singles with titles such as "Rumble and Run" and "Giant" until July 1965. However none of these achieved any commercial success, and did not chart. Their record contract with CBS ended. During 1965 they undertook a far-Eastern tour including Japan.

In 1965, the band members reinvented themselves. They set up their own production company JRA productions. They exchanged their suits and thin ties for casual shirts, T-shirts and jeans and grew their hair long, guitarist Theo Penglis switched to keyboards and they added a vocalist, Johnny Rebb. Johnny Rebb had been a rock star in Australia in his own right in the late 1950s. Indeed he had at one time been known as the "Gentleman of Rock". With Johnny on vocals they proceeded to release a number of tough sounding singles starting with a hard rockin' revival of Little Richard's "The Girl Can't Help It" and Bo Diddley's, R 'n B, "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover". 

 They recorded songs with a variety of styles between 1965 and 1970 including a cover of The Beau Brummels' top 40 hit "You Tell Me Why" with 12 string guitar hook & harmonies, and an instrumental, "Take A Trip," under the pseudonym band name as The Gift of Love. However they only succeeded chart-wise with an excellent version of Screaming Jay Hawkins "I Put A Spell On You", which reached No. 29 on the Sydney charts in 1966. In 1967 they put out the song that is now widely regarded as a classic punk/garage track, Peter Hood's "Come On". During this time Johnny Rebb continued to release a number of singles under his own name with The Atlantics backing him. 

 They also provided backing on a string of singles for Russ Kruger, Johnny Rebb's brother, and female singer Kelly Green. It was during this time that The Atlantics started their own independent label, Ramrod. They were one of the first Australian bands to set up their own independent label. From September 1967 all their recordings and all those for the above artists were released on their Ramrod label. As well they put out recordings by other bands such as The Motivation.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 .

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.

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.