The Charade...lost gem of an album from Australian vocal group from the late 1960's

A regular reader and contributor of this blog was kind enough to share this rare gem of an album, and it's been sitting on my hard drive for some time, almost forgotten. Unfortunately, I don't have much information on the group themselves, but if anyone out there knows any other details I would be more than appreciative.

The Charade released this one album on EMI back in 1969. They were a vocal group consisting of the following personnel: DAVID COOPER gtr vcls, BRIAN O'TOOLE gtr vcls, SIOBHAN SHEPPARD vcls. The album was produced by Gus McNeil, and arranged by The Charades and Gus McNeil. It was engineered by David Woodley-Page and John Taylor.

Several of the tracks on the album were written by Paul Williams/Roger Nichols, 3 of which were from Paul Williams' early band The Holy Mackerel. There are also covers of "Cinderella Rockefella", "Classical Gas", "Windy" and Gene Clarke's "Train Leaves Here This Morning". The vocals and instrumentation of the group are nothing short of superb, and the production of the album is as good as anything similar from the era. 

Their sound is akin to the likes of The Seekers, Peter, Paul and Mary and The Mamas and The Papas. 

1.BITTER HONEY
2.THE LADY IS WAITING
3.CINDERELLA ROCKFELLA
4.L.A.BREAKDOWN
5.TO PUT UP WITH YOU
6.WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
7.CLASSICAL GAS
8.PEACE OF MIND
9.TRAIN LEAVES HERE THIS MORNING
10.HAND-ME-DOWN MAN
11.CYCLES
12.WINDY
13.OUT ON THE SIDE
14.LOVE SO FINE
15.SONG TO RAYMONDO
16.TAKIN' LIFE EASY

click here for more information

There is also a podcast link from Southern FM which tells the Charade story as told by Charade member David Cooper.

This first video on YouTube is them performing "Keep the Customer Satisfied" on Australian Bandstand. The line-up is noted as Linda Keene, Brian O'Toole and David Cooper.

This second video is "Hand-Me-Down Man" from the album

There are several other videos on YouTube including their covers of "Melting Pot", "California Soul" and "Carpet Man". Just search on "The Charade Live on Bandstand".

There are also several clips of Linda Keene and Brain O'Toole performing at the memorial concert for Greg Quill.

Dig Richards and The R'Jays .. A Tribute Anthology

Digby 'Dig' Richards (12 September 1941 in Dunedoo, New South Wales – 16 February 1983) was a rock and roll singer, mostly active during the late 1950s and 1960s as lead singer with The R'Jays (previously called the 'Red Jeans', and later becoming the 'Rajahs').

The band played their first dance in August 1958 and auditioned with Festival Records in 1959. They were one of the first three acts to receive a recording contract by the label; the others were Johnny O'Keefe and Col Joye and The Joy Boys. Dig Richards and the R'Jays' first single was 'I Wanna Love You' which was written by Richards' 15 year-old brother and which peaked at No. 8 on the Sydney record charts.

Dig Richards and the R'Jays were the first group to play live on Brian Henderson's Bandstand.They were also regulars on Six O'Clock Rock with O'Keefe. From August 1959 they were the house band on music television show Teen Time, which ran on Sydney's ATN-7 until about 1962.

Richards was seriously injured in a car accident in October 1959 on the approaches to Sydney Harbour Bridge. After 1962 he became a solo performer and taught himself to play the guitar. In 1964 he compered a children's TV quiz show, the Ampol Stamp Quiz, with co-host Little Pattie. He continued performing and recording into the 1970s, as Digby Richards with a mainly Country style. In 1979 Richards toured Europe as the support act for Dolly Parton. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1983.

This generous 69 track compilation contains his early rock and roll recordings plus his later more popular styled tracks.

CD1

1 I Wanna Love You

2 Jive After Jive

3 Raincoat In The River

4 Bad Boy

5 Lotta Lovin'

6 I'm Through

7 Blue Room

8 Johnny B. Goode

9 Carol

10 Hush A Bye

11 Young Love

12 Kansas City

13 I'll Try

14 Too Young

15 You Are My Sunshine

16 Teenager In Love

17 (Real Gone) Annie Laurie

18 South Of The Border (Original Version Concept)

19 Comin' Down

20 Ain't She Sweet

21 Sweet Sue, Just You

22 What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For

23 Love Is Just Around The Corner

24 Hey Good Looking

25 My Blue Heaven

26 Love Struck

27 A Different Kind Of Love

28 The Story Of My Love

29 Quarrels (Are A Sad Sad Thing)

30 His And Hers

31 No Peace Of Mind

32 You Gotta Love Me

33 My Baby's Not A Baby Anymore

35 My Babe

34 Bony Moronie

36 Please Don't Tease

CD2

37 My Little Lover

38 Livin' Lovin' Wreck

39 Come On And Dance With Me

40 Dee Dee Darling

41 Watcha' Gonna Do

42 Comin' Down With Love

43 Love Express

44 Dear Lady Twist

45 Do Re Mi

46 Alice (In Wonderland)

47 I'm In The Mood For Love

48 Mary From The Dairy

49 Puff (The Tragic Wagon)

50 Ricketty Ticketty Tin

51 Sixteen Tons

52 John Henry

53 Frankie & Johnny

54 Miss Blues

55 A Long Way From Home

56 The Whole Wide World

57 Sally's Leaving In The Morning

58 La Bamba

59 A Little Piece Of Peace

60 (Real Gone) Annie Laurie (Unreleased Version)

61 Goose On The Loose (Dig Live At Dig's Place)

62 Alexander's Ragtime Band

63 Brazil

64 Midnight Stage

65 Dark Eyes (Live on Teen Time)

66 Harlem Nocturne (Live on Teen Time)

67 Little Boxes (on Sing, Sing, Sing)

68 Move Baby Move

69 Dig Deep (South Of The Border) [Previously Released Stuff Up]

Dig Richards and The R'Jays .. A Tribute Anthology

                                           

Col Joye and The Joy Boys..Yes Sir, That's My Baby

Colin Frederick Jacobsen (born 13 April 1936 in Sydney), better known by his stage name Col Joye, is an Australian pioneer rock musician, popular entertainer and entrepreneur. Joye was the first Australian rock and roll singer to have a number one record Australia-wide and experienced a string of chart successes in the early Australian rock and roll scene.

Recording as a solo artist and with his backing band, The Joy Boys, which included his brothers Kevin and Keith, Joye enjoyed a string of hits on the local and national singles charts of Australia beginning in 1959. Joye's first single, "Stagger Lee" was a cover of the Lloyd Price US original however his third single "Bye Bye Baby", reached No.3 on the Australian Kent Music Report charts in 1959, followed by "Rockin Rollin Clementine" also peaking at No.3.,His fifth single, "Oh Yeah Uh Huh", became his most successful, peaking at No.1. He also had other charting singles, including "Yes Sir That's My Baby" peaking at No.5 nationally.

Joye was an original member of Brian Henderson's Bandstand television program, and appeared regularly on this show for fourteen years. Joye also toured Australia with fellow Bandstand acts, including Judy Stone, Sandy Scott, and Little Pattie. Joye's popularity leveled off with the changes to the music scene around the time of the rise of the British invasion, and especially The Beatles, and it was not until 1973 that he had another hit record, with "Heaven Is My Woman's Love" reaching No. 1 on the Go-Set charts.

This 64 track compilation contains all his hits plus bonus interviews.

CJJB001
CJJB002
CJJB003