Instrumental guitarist Ash Ravens new self-titled album release..professional adept in multiple genres

Ash Ravens is a professional guitarist, songwriter and teacher currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. Ash has so far played with and filled in with several different bands and solo artists in Los Angeles, USA and Melbourne. He has also toured with up and coming country artist Adrian Thomas at the TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016.

Ash is a graduate of the prestigious Los Angeles College of Music (formerly known as LA Music Academy or LAMA), where he studied with the world's best music educators - Jody Fisher (world renowned jazz educator, author and performer), Tariqh Akoni (Musical Director Josh Groban, guitarist for Chaka Khan etc), Tony Inzalaco (Frank Zappa) Dave Hill, David Pozzy and many others. During his time in Los Angeles, Ash has performed with several bands as a fill-in guitarist and as a member at venues such as House of Blues Hollywood and at the Whiskey.

Ash performs with various bands and artists, does studio/session guitarist work and arranging, along side teaching guitar in Parkhill Primary School Ashwood and privately. He is a member of the long running Beatles Tribute Group - Beatles and Beyond. Being a professional guitar player, Ash understands the value of blending in with the band and his guitar playing style is incredibly 'fluid' - being adept in a multitude of genres and sounds. Ash can fit himself in virtually any band, all the while his original work reflects his unique musical fingerprints and an expression of his soul.

album links:
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2rekXgd | 
iTunes: http://apple.co/2qqgVA6 | 
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2re9vkU | 
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2qPLEYS 

website: www.ashravens.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashravens

Youtube: www.youtube.com/kalapoka666

Ayers Rock...Big Red Rock....1974 album

Ayers Rock were an Australian jazz fusion, progressive rock band which formed in August 1973. Ray Burton (guitar and vocals), Mark Kennedy (drums) and Duncan McGuire (bass), members of Leo de Castro and Friends, left to form the eponymous trio of Burton, McGuire & Kennedy. They added a guitarist, Jimmy Doyle, changed their name to Ayers Rock and invited Col Loughnan (saxophones and flutes) to join. The group signed with independent label Mushroom Records in December 1973. Burton left the following March, and was replaced by Chris Brown (guitar, vocals). With live appearances, coverage in print media and word of mouth the group had a high national profile despite little radio airplay, and journalists praised their musicianship, music and live energy.

The band's first album, Big Red Rock (November 1974), received positive reviews and peaked at number 32 on the Australian Kent Music Report album chart. It featured mainstream rock and three longer, instrumental tracks which introduced progressive styles, including jazz fusion. Label owner Michael Gudinski promoted Ayers Rock in Los Angeles and they signed with A&M Records, the first Mushroom Records artists to sign with an international label. 

The United States release of Big Red Rock in February 1975 was followed by a tour there, later that year. The band played to large crowds, supporting major international artists (including Bachman–Turner Overdrive) before 35,000 people – the first Australian band to perform in large US stadiums. Ayers Rock were named 1975 Musicians of the Year on RAM's "New Year's Honors List".

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Soundtrack Heaven

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The Vintage Music Blog

The Jazz Music Blog

This Jukebox Rocks

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Sebastian Hardie..Four Moments...progressive rock classic from 1975

Sebastian Hardie were Australia's first symphonic rock band. They formed in Sydney in 1967 as Sebastian Hardie Blues Band but dropped the 'Blues Band' reference when they became pop-oriented. By 1973 they developed a more progressive rock style, and later performed as Windchase, but disbanded in 1977. An early member of Sebastian Hardie was Jon English (vocals, rhythm guitar), who starred as Judas Iscariot in the Australian version of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972, he subsequently had a solo career as a singer, actor and playwright. A later member, Mario Millo (lead guitar, mandolin, vocals) became a multi-award winner for his television and movie music.

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Sebastian Hardie's other early members included Graham Ford (lead guitar), Peter Plavsic (bass guitar) and his brother Alex Plavsic (drums). After English and Ford had left, the Plavsic brothers were joined by Millo and Toivo Pilt (keyboards). With their addition, Sebastian Hardie developed extended progressive rock tracks to become a symphonic rock group before they released their definitive album Four Moments in 1975, which peaked at No. 13 on the National albums chart. They followed with a second album Windchase in 1976, but it had less chart success. Millo and Pilt formed the band, Windchase, to release Symphinity in 1977, it was a heavier jazz-fusion album but didn't have chart success and they disbanded.

see more on Sebastian Hardie at Wikipedia here
also at the Mario Millo website

Visit my other music blogs here:

Soundtrack Heaven

The Aussie Music Blog

The Vintage Music Blog

The Jazz Music Blog

This Jukebox Rocks

The Blues and Roots Music Blog

Martin's Music Machine

Twitter @islandmanrocks

The Strangers..1961-1973...A Band With A History That Connects With the Who's Who of Australian Music

The Strangers were a Melbourne based Australian band 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 lineup 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.

In 1966 The Strangers became the resident backing band on the Melbourne based teenage television pop show The Go!! Show in which they appeared each week from 1964 to 1967. After The Go!! Show ended, they became the resident vocal group on HSV-7's Sunnyside Up program. In all, the band appeared on television at least once a week for nine years straight.

At the end of 1962 they signed with Ron Tudor's W&G Records after working as studio band for artists including The Seekers, Frankie Davidson, and Johnny Chester. In 1964 they supported Colin Cook and released an LP called Colin Cook and the Strangers. Charting songs in the Stranger's own name included their first single 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 in Torlido / The Outcast and Undertow, which were released in 1963, and 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).

During the mid-1960's, the band changed labels from W&G Records to Go Records and then to Philips and finally in 1970 onto Fable.Arthur left the band in early 1964, and was replaced on lead guitar by John Farrar who later married Pat Carroll. Carroll and Olivia Newton-John appeared on The Go!! Show as singers. Farrar later joined British post-Shadows group Marvin, Welch & Farrar and then the re-formed Shadows.

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. They had two singer guitarists around 1968, Bill Pyman and Johnny Cosgrove, before Terry Walker joined. In February 1967 Terry Walker replaced Fred Weiland, who left to join The Mixtures. During 1969 Melanie Makes Me Smile made #16 in Sydney, #9 in Melbourne and #7 in Brisbane.

Throughout the band's 14 years, The Strangers underwent numerous membership changes and 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, Maton El Toro) and amplifiers.

Farrar, who married Pat Carroll and moved to USA, wrote a number of hits including 'Hopelessly devoted to you' sung by Olivia Newton-John.

This 2-CD, 50 track compilation contains all their hits plus covers of many other popular songs of their time. 

The Strangers One

The Strangers Two

Tamam Shud..progressive, psychedelic surf rock from the 70's..Evolution and Goolutionites

Tamam Shud were an Australian psychedelic and progressive rock and surf rock band, formed in Sydney, Australia in 1967, which released two albums, Evolution (1969) and Goolutionites and the Real People (1970) before disbanding in 1972. After a lengthy hiatus they reformed in 1993 to release a third album, Permanent Culture in 1994 but disbanded again in 1995.

Tamam Shud evolved from the surf band, The Sunsets, in 1967. The group released two acclaimed LPs, recorded independently, which have both become sought-after collector's items. The band's name, meaning 'finished' in Persian was taken from the closing phrase of Omar Khayyam's Rubayyat, and this phrase (Tamam Shud) was found in a very rare edition of Fitzgerald's translation (a story related by Tim Gaze's father in the "secret" track at the enmd of their 1994 reunion album). The original lineup soon became a popular attraction at Sydney discoqtheques and "head" venues, and like their contemporaries Tully, they were often performed in association with the pioneering Sydney film and lightshow collective Ubu.

The original lineup recorded the group's debut album Evolution in late 1968. It was financed by filmmkaer Paul Witzig, who commissioned the music as the soundtrack to his surfing film of the same name. Because of Witzig's limited budget, the album was recorded live, in a single 2-1/2-hour session, and mixed in just 1-1/2 hours, with most of the tracks being first takes. The independent recording was leased to the CBS label and achieved some commercial success thanks to promotions in the Australian pop magazine Go-Set.

1967-70 
Lindsay Bjerre (guitar, vocals) 
Alex 'Zac' Zytnic (lead guitar) 
Peter Barron (bass) 
Dannie Davidson (drums) 

1970-72 
Lindsay Bjerre (guitar, vocals) 
Tim Gaze (lead guitar, vocals) 1970-71, 1972 
Peter Barron (bass) 
Nigel Macara (drums) 1970-72 
Larry Duryea (aka Larry Taylor) (congas) 1970-72 
Bobby Gebert (keyboards) 1971 
Kevin Sinott (drums) 1970 
Kevin Stevenson (reeds) 1970 
Richard Lockwood (sax, flute, clarinet) 1972

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thanks to Bob for sharing this album

You can also listen to a stream of the full album of The Goolutionites here

..and 3 albums are available on Spotify 

The summer of surf music 50 years later...article from National Film and Sound Archive

If you're into surfing music from the 60's, this article from the National Film and Sound Archive site is essential reading. 

                  

The summer of 1963-64, 50 years ago, was the summer of surf music in Australia. Sixteen Australian recordings with a surfing theme hit the charts, with The Atlantics’ 'Bombora’ and 'Hangin’ Five’ by the Delltones reaching No. 1 on the Sydney charts between August 1963 and April 1964. Another Atlantics instrumental, 'The Crusher’, and Little Pattie’s 'He’s My Blond Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy’ got to No. 2 while the other 12 made it into the Top 40 for at least a week or two. The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, The Surfaris and other American musicians joined them in the charts, but Australian surf music captured the public’s imagination in equal measure...read more here

Aussie Gems and Rarebits...various artists...52 tracks..B-Sides, Little Known Songs and Artists

There are 52 sensational tracks here from the 60s and early 70s. As the cover says: "Little known songs, hard to find B-sides and bands you may not have heard of". From Beat, Garage, Surf, Instrumental, Pop, Rock and everything in between. The download comes with all artwork too.

I've played it through a few times and just about every track is good if not great. Some artists you may know (or at least I do) are The Strangers, Python Lee Jackson, The Rondells, The Cherokees, Ian Turpie, Johnny Young, Marcie and The Cookies and Patsy Ann Noble. It will take you back to those TV shows of the 60s like Go! and Kommotion and have you groovin', stompin', rockin' and whatever other dance you care to remember!

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Board Boogie...Surf'n'Twang from Down Under

Okay, surf's up! If you like instrumentals with a driving drum beat and twangy guitar then this collection of early Aussie surf tunes will more than satisfy your cravings. Includes "Smoke and Stack" from The Aztecs (pre-Billy Thorpe), "Murphy the Surfie" by The Joy Boys and "Expressway" by The Vibratones.

These 30 killer tracks will make you want to polish up your board and head on down to catch the next big wave. Great cruising music or for that beach party or barbeque. Enjoy!

1 The Aztecs – Board Boogie 2:25

2 The Joy Boys– Midnight Surfer 1:54

3 The Playboys – The Mean One 1:36

4 The Joy Boys– Sandy The Surfin' Sandfly 1:45

5 The Fabulous Blue Jays– Jay Walker 2:33

6 The Joy Boys– Swamped 2:34

7 The Nocturnes – Storm Warning 2:25

8 The Surf Riders – Panel Five 2:18

9 The Joy Boys– Gavotte Espresso 2:10

10 The Dee Jays– Twistin' Drums 2:17

11 The Joy Boys– Murphy The Surfie 2:04

12 The Sunsets – Windansea 2:34

13 Laurie Wade's Cavaliers– Cloudburst 1:40

14 The Joy Boys– (Theme From) The Ant Hill 2:02

15 The Playboys – Sabre Dance 2:01

16 The Aztecs – Smoke & Stack 1:54

17 The Resonets– Surf Carnival 1:47

18 The Joy Boys– Boots, Saddle, & Surfboard 2:24

19 The Vibratones – Expressway 1:57

20 The Nocturnes – Riptide 1:52

21 The Dee Jays– Barbecue 1:57

22 Laurie Wade's Cavaliers– The Phantom Guitarist 2:04

23 The Playboys – Theme From Dr. No 2:09

24 The Joy Boys– The Frolic 2:12

25 The Nocturnes – Prarie 2:04

26 The Playboys – Desperado 2:19

27 The Resonets– Shorebreak 2:38

28 The Joy Boys– Standin' & Stompin' 2:16

29 The Dee Jays– Sunday Patrol 2:12

30 The Playboys – Adventures In Paradise 2:31

Board Boogie

The Joy Boys...Shazam!...classic instrumental group from the 60's

The Joy Boys were the Australian equivalent of The Shadows and The Ventures. Twangy, Rockin', Surfin', Stompin' instrumentals that kept the scene buzzin' in the 60s. Originally a jazz band , they became 'Col Joye and the Joy Boys' when Kevin's bother, Col joined in 1957. They had ten Top 10 hits in the Sydney charts alone from 1959 to 1962, including four #1s. Cole became a star on television pop show Bandstand. They disbanded in 1966.

Members were Kevin Jacobsen, Keith Jacobsen, John Bogie, Ron Patton and Norm Day.

This rare compilation collects 30 of their finest which includes their biggest "Southern 'Rora". They were also backing band for legendary singer Col Joye.

The Joy Boys...Shazam!