A-Reefer-Derci ! - various artists - Recorded live at the Reefer Cabaret, Melbourne, December 30th and 31st, 1975

 

The Reefer Cabaret was the successor to the fabled TF Much / Much More Ballroom concert 'happenings' promoted by Bani McSpedden and John Pinder in 1971-72. Like the Ballroom, the Reefer Cabaret was not the name of a venue per se (like Catcher or the Thumpin' Tum) but rather the title for a regular concert event held in one of the large community halls in Melbourne that could be rented on a casual or regular basis for dances, meetings and similar functions -- in this case, the Dallas Brooks Hall in inner Melbourne, and built by the local chapter of the Order of Freemasons.

Like the Ballroom shows, the Reefer Cabaret events were usually held monthly and typically featured long concert-style performances, with multiple musical acts on the bill, interspersed with comedy, poetry readings, theatrical, dance or novelty performances. The first Reefer Cabaret show was held on 3 August 1974 at the Dallas Brooks Hall and ran at different venues until sometime in 1976.

Mushroom commemorated the Reefer Cabaret by recording the final concerts and compiling a selection of tracks on the valedictory 2LP set A-Reefer-Derci, (1976), which featured performances by Ariel, Ayers Rock, the Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, the Renee Geyer Band, Skyhooks and Split Enz.

A1 Renée Geyer Band – It's A Man's Man's World 5:15

A2 Split Enz– Amy (Darling) 5:02

A3 Split Enz– Lovey Dovey 3:21

A4 Split Enz– Time For A Change 3:44

B1 Ayers Rock – Boogie Woogie Waltz 10:55

B2 Ayers Rock – Gimme Shelter 7:18

C1 Ariel – I Can't Say What I Mean 4:28

C2 Ariel – Rock 'N' Roll Scars 4:10

C3 Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band– Roll That Reefer 4:16

C4 Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band– The Prefect 3:12

D1 Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band– Out In The Suburbs 4:13

D2 Skyhooks– Revolution 4:39

D3 Skyhooks– Smut 4:45

D4 Skyhooks– Saturday Night 2:51

A-Reefer-Derci ! 

Little River Band - A Collection (1975-1983)

 

Little River Band (LRB) originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums reached the top 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart including Diamantina Cocktail (April 1977) and First Under the Wire (July 1979), which both peaked at No. 2. Nine singles appeared in the top 20 on the related singles chart, with "Help Is on Its Way" (1977) as their only number-one hit. Ten singles reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Reminiscing" their highest, peaking at No. 3.

They have received many music awards in Australia. The 1976 line-up of Glenn Shorrock, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles, George McArdle, David Briggs and Derek Pellicci were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) hall of fame at the 18th annual ARIA Music Awards of 2004. Most of the group's 1970s and 1980s material was written by Goble and/or Shorrock, Birtles and Briggs. In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, named "Cool Change", written by Shorrock, as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. "Reminiscing", written by Goble, received a 5-Million Broadcast Citation from BMI in 2020.

The group have undergone numerous personnel changes, with over 30 members since their formation, including John Farnham as lead singer after Shorrock first departed in 1982. None of the musicians now performing as Little River Band are original members, nor members in the 1970s. In the 1980s, members included Farnham, Wayne Nelson, Stephen Housden, David Hirschfelder and Steve Prestwich.

Little River Band (1975)

After Hours (1976)

Diamantina Cocktail (1977)

Sleepercatcher (1978)

First Under the Wire (1979)

Time Exposure (1981)

The Net (1983)

Keep On Rockin' (Australian Pop Of The 70's Vol.5) - various artists

 

1-1 Brian Cadd– Keep On Rockin' 4:39

1-2 Doug Ashdown– Winter In America (Leave Love Enough Alone) 3:18

1-3 Autumn – Yellow River 3:05

1-4 Daryl Braithwaite– Old Sid 3:25

1-5 Ariel – Jamaican Farewell 2:50

1-6 Stars – Back Again 4:13

1-7 Marcie Jones– Gonna Get Married 3:40

1-8 The Strangers – Melanie Makes Me Smile 3:03

1-9 Ray Burton – Too Hard To Handle 2:57

1-10 Johnny O'Keefe– So Tough 2:24

1-11 Fielding & Dyer– The Ghost 3:18

1-12 Ted Mulry Gang– My Little Girl 3:37

1-13 Kevin Johnson – Man Of The 20th Century 4:12

1-14 Russell Morris– Live With Friends 3:40

1-15 Flake – Under The Silent Tree 3:52

1-16 Ol' 55– Stay (While The Night Is Young) 4:08

1-17 Railroad Gin– Do Ya Love Me 3:16

1-18 Ray Burgess– Touch Me 4:27

1-19 Digby Richards– Raincoat In The River 3:02

1-20 John St. Peeters– So Many Ways 3:33

1-21 Stuart & McKay– Hey Billy 2:59

1-22 Finch – Short Changed Again 2:55

2-1 Sherbet– You're All Woman 2:54

2-2 Lotus – Lotus 1 (I'll Be Gone) 3:47

2-3 Doug Parkinson & The Southern Star Band– I'll Be Around 3:18

2-4 William Shakespeare – Just The Way You Are 3:10

2-5 Jon English – Handbags And Gladrags 5:22

2-6 Richard Clapton– Down In The Lucky Country 3:38

2-7 Abigail – Je T'Aime (I Love You) 3:19

2-8 Moscos & Stone– Trouble In The City 3:07

2-9 Mississippi – Kings Of The World 2:31

2-10 Sinclair Bros.– Yesterfool 4:11

2-11 Colleen Hewett– Carry That Weight 2:53

2-12 Mark Holden– I Wanna Make You My Lady 2:41

2-13 The Flying Circus– Turn Away 3:42

2-14 Col Joye– Heaven Is My Woman's Love 2:47

2-15 King Harvest – Wichita Lineman (Introducing By The Time I Get To Phoenix) 4:16

2-16 Supernaut – Too Hot To Touch 4:04

2-17 Samantha Sang– You Keep Me Dancing 2:53

2-18 Gerry & The Joy Band– Ongo Bongo 3:34

2-19 Pat Carroll– All Kinds Of Everything 3:03

2-20 Ronnie Burns– Prophet 4:20

2-21 Renee Geyer– Stares And Whispers 3:25

2-22 Reg Lindsay– Armstrong 2:41

2-23 Rabbit– Too Much Rock 'N' Roll 3:24

Keep On Rockin' (Australian Pop Of The 70's Vol.5)

Buffalo - A Collection

 

Buffalo was an Australian rock band formed in August 1971 by founding mainstay Dave Tice on lead vocals (ex-Head). Fellow founders, also from Head, were Paul Balbi on drums, John Baxter on guitar, and Peter Wells on bass guitar; together with Alan Milano on lead vocals (ex-Mandala). Milano left after their debut album, Dead Forever... (June 1972), and Balbi was replaced on drums by Jimmy Economou. Their next two albums, Volcanic Rock (July 1973) and Only Want You for Your Body (June 1974), were also issued by Vertigo Records. After 1975 line-up changes resulted in a more commercial sound and the group disbanded in March 1977. 

Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane noted that there was "nothing subtle about Buffalo's primal, heavyweight sound, but it was delivered with a great deal of conviction ... combining the dense, heavy riffing ... with the progressive blues chops ... the band certainly captured the arrogant disposition of the times in a bold and thunderous fashion". 

Alongside Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs and Blackfeather, Buffalo pioneered Australia's heavy metal, pub rock and psychedelic rock movements. 

After Buffalo disbanded, several members went on to other projects. Peter Wells formed Rose Tattoo, playing both slide and bass guitar, he also had a solo career. Peter Wells died on 27 March 2006, aged 58. Dave Tice went to the UK to join The Count Bishops (alongside Paul Balbi) but returned to Australia to work as a solo artist and as a member of The Headhunters. As of July 2005, he was playing with ex-AC/DC bass guitarist Mark Evans as Tice & Evans.

Dead Forever - 1972

Volcanic Rock - 1973

Only Want You For Your Body - 1974

Mother's Choice - 1976

Average Rock'n'Roller - 1977

Buffalo Revisited - Volcanic Rock Live - 2022

re-uploads - Bee Gees, Tamam Shud, Autumn, Spectrum, Golden Miles

 

Bee Gees - Brilliant From Birth

Tamam Shud...Evolution and Goolutionites

Autumn..Comes Autumn

Spectrum...Part One and Milesago

Golden Miles - Australian Progressive Rock 1967-1974

Ross Ryan - a collection

Ross Edwin Ryan (born 13 December 1950) is an American-born Australian singer-songwriter and producer. His signature tune, "I Am Pegasus", was released in September 1973, which peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Singles. Its parent album, My Name Means Horse, was released in February 1974, which reached No. 3 on the Australian Album charts.....more

My Name Means Horse (1973)

After the Applause (1974)

Smiling For the Camera (1977)

The Greats of Ross (1990)

One Person Queue (2003)

 

The Angels - A Collection (1977 - 1998)

 

The Angels are an Australian rock band that formed in 1974 in Adelaide as the Keystone Angels with Bernard "Doc" Neeson on lead vocals and bass guitar, John Brewster on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, his brother Rick Brewster on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Peter "Charlie" King on drums. In 1976, King was replaced by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey took over bass duties so Neeson could focus solely on vocals, and they changed their name to just 'the Angels'. 

Their studio albums that peaked in the Australian top 10 are No Exit (1979), Dark Room (1980), Night Attack (1981), Two Minute Warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond Salvation (1990). Their top 20 singles are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (live, 1988), "Let the Night Roll On" and "Dogs Are Talking" (both 1990).

They were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in October 1998 with the line-up of Bailey, John and Rick Brewster, Eccles and Neeson. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane declared that "The Angels had a profound effect on the Australian live music scene of the late 1970's/early 1980's. [They] helped redefine the Australian pub rock tradition... [their] brand of no-frills, hard-driving boogie rock attracted pub goers in unprecedented numbers. In turn, The Angels' shows raised the standard expected of live music. After 20 years on the road, the band showed little sign of easing up on the hard rock fever." Chris Bailey died of throat cancer on 4 April 2013, aged 62. Doc Neeson died of a brain tumour on 4 June 2014, aged 67.

The current line-up are touring Australia with their 50th anniversary tour in 2025.

The Angels (1977)

Face To Face (1978)

The Tour EP (1978)

No Exit (1979)

Out of the Blue EP (1979)

Dark Room (1980)

Live - Denver, Colorado (1980)

Greatest Hits (1980)

Live At The El Mocambo (1980)

Live - Melbourne (1980)

Night Attack (1981)

Two Minute Warning (1984)

Howling (1986)

LiveLine (1988)

Beyond Salvation (1989)

Red Back Fever (1991)

Their Finest Hour..and Then Some (1992)

Evidence (1994)

Skin and Bone (1998)