classic and rare Australian popular music from the 1950's, 1960's. 1970's and beyond..including rock and roll, pop, beat, rock, surf and progressive, plus contemporary artists, new releases, reviews and other fun stuff

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Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts

Sunday, October 6, 2024

(When The Sun Sets Over) Carlton (Melbourne's Countercultural Inner City Rock Scene Of The '70s)

 


1-1 Skyhooks– Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)

1-2 The Sports– Who Listens To The Radio?

1-3 Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons – So Young

1-4 The Dots – Lowdown

1-5 Stiletto – Middle Of The Bed

1-6 The Bleeding Hearts – Hit Single

1-7 Daddy Cool – Boy You're Paranoid

1-8 Mighty Kong– Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You)

1-9 Mondo Rock– Primal Park

1-10 Mark Gillespie – Suicide Sister

1-11 High Rise Bombers– Faster Than Light

1-12 The Toads – Eudil

1-13 The Pelaco Bros – Mechanics In A Relaxed Manner

1-14 The Relaxed Mechanics – Truckin' Casanova

1-15 Millionaires*– Gossip

1-16 The Kevins – Out At Night

1-17 Martin Armiger & Buzz Leeson – No Reason

1-18 Parachute – The Big Beat

1-19 Spare Change – Let's Get Rich Together

1-20 Glory Boys – The Ballad Of Good & Evil

1-21 Eric Gradman Man & Machine– Crime Of Passion


2-1 Martin Armiger– I Love My Car

2-2 The Bleeding Hearts – Boys (Greg Macainsh Demo Version)

2-3 Stiletto – Rozalyn

2-4 The Dots – I See Red

2-5 Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons – Only The Lonely Hearted

2-6 The Sports– Suddenly

2-7 Mondo Rock– Telephone Booth

2-8 Daddy Cool – Saturday Night

2-9 Skyhooks– Hey, What's The Matter (Steve Hill Demo Version)

2-10 Company Caine– Buzzin' With My Cousin

2-11 The Indelible Murtceps – Blue Movies

2-12 Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band– Roll That Reefer

2-13 Stephen Cummings & Dave Flett – The Third Degree

2-14 Rock Granite– You Got Me Where You Want Me

2-15 Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons – Someday It's Gonna Come To You (1976 Demo Version)

2-16 Mark Gillespie – Comin' Back For More

2-17 Autodrifters – Locked Out Of Love

2-18 Fabulous Nudes– I'll Be A Dag For You, Baby

2-19 The Pelaco Bros – Truckdrivin' Guru

2-20 Peter Lillie & The Leisuremasters– Hangin' Round The House

2-21 The Sports– Live, Work & Play (Nightmoves Live Version)

2-22 High Rise Bombers– Radio Show

2-23 Eric Gradman Man & Machine– The Bright Boy

2-24 Skyhooks– This Is My City


(When The Sun Sets Over) Carlton


Thursday, September 19, 2024

The Clarion Set (The Story Of Australian Independent Label Clarion 1965-1974)

 


Compilation of the pioneering 60s/early 70s Australian independent Clarion label. A smorgasbord of driving R&B, sunshine pop, studio psychedelia and progressive rock recorded in Perth, Western Australia. Based in Perth, teenager Martin Clarke was working at a local radio station when he converted a spare bedroom into a makeshift recording studio. That modest early venture evolved into Martin Clarke Recording Studios, which opened in 1962 to become Perth's first professional recording facility. By the time the studio purchased a four-track in 1966, Clarke had launched the Clarion label, working with a constant stream of solo singers and beat/R&B groups. With a raised profile after Perth TV personality Johnny Young had a national hit with the Easybeats-penned 'Step Back', Clarion signed a number of promising new acts that included The Valentines (featuring a pre-AC/DC Bon Scott) and Young's TV colleague Robbie Snowden. Clarion went on to have a number of regional and national successes, releasing interesting music into the 70s (British expatriates The Birds and Chalice, plus local progressive rockers Fatty Lumpkin) before Clarke wound down the label and relocated to England. 

'The Clarion Set' assembles the pick of the label's roster, with choice selections from the aforementioned acts as well as female-fronted folk rockers Gemini, powerhouse R&B/soul vocalist Ray Hoff, pre-Valentines garage band The Spektors and in-house psychedelic experiment The Vegetable Garden. (Amazon review)

1965-1967

1-1 Russ Kennedy And The Little Wheels– I've Got My Eyes On You (And I Like What I See)

1-2 The Times – Glad, Not Sad

1-3 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– Bama Lama, Bama Loo

1-4 The Spektors– Gloria

1-5 Johnny Young– Cara-lin

1-6 Mort And The Mobees– Choose Who I Like

1-7 Terry Walker With The The Hi Five– Long Time Gone

1-8 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– The Uncle Willie

1-9 Glen Ingram With The Hi-Five– Skye Boat Song

1-10 The Kompany– Tell Her No

1-11 Russ Kennedy And The Little Wheels– I've Been Watching You

1-12 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– My Good Friend Mary Jane

1-13 The Spektors– On My Mind

1-14 Johnny Young– Step Back (demo)

1-15 Russ Kennedy And The Little Wheels– Little Wheel

1-16 Maggie Hammond– Go Laddie

1-17 Glen Ingram With The The Clan – Take This Hammer

1-18 Colin Cook– Cry I Do

1-19 The Valentines – Every Day I Have To Cry

1-20 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– Looking For My Pig

1-21 Mort And The Mobees– Can't You See

1-22 Maggie Hammond– High Flying Bird

1-23 The Valentines – I Can't Dance With You

1-24 Johnny Young– Good Evening Girl

1-25 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– Tossin' And Turnin'

1-26 Russ Kennedy And The Little Wheels– Too Much Monkey Business

1-27 Glen Ingram With The The Clan (8)– That It's Me

1-28 Robby Snowden– No One Really Loves A Clown

1-29 Maggie Hammond– You Won't Be Leaving

1-30 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– Ain't Doin' Too Bad Pts. 1 And 2

1967-1969

2-1 Johnny Young– Hold On

2-2 The Proclamation– King Of The Mountain

2-3 The Valentines – Love Makes Sweet Music

2-4 The Kompany– The Family Way

2-5 The Clan – Peeping Tom

2-6 Chris James – Da Doo Ron Ron

2-7 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– Love, Love, Love

2-8 Johnny Young– Come On Up

2-9 Robby Snowden– Talkin'

2-10 Glen Ingram– I'll Be Doggone

2-11 The Birds– No Good Without You

2-12 The Valentines – Sookie Sookie

2-13 Johnny Young– Craise Finton Kirk (Royal Academy Of Arts)

2-14 Robby Snowden– Sunshine Rides On A Trolley

2-15 The Troupadours– Come Home Baby

2-16 Colin Cook– You Baby

2-17 Ray Hoff & The Off Beats– I've Got To Get You

2-18 The Soul Purpose – Hip Huggin' Mini

2-19 Robby Snowden– Do You Want To Dance

2-20 The Troupadours– Near To Me

2-21 The Valentines – Peculiar Hole In The Sky

2-22 Johnny Young– Geno Pts 1 And 2

2-23 The Clan – Sunday Afternoon

2-24 Robby Snowden– Just A Little

2-25 The Troupadours– Little Boat

2-26 The Kompany– Little Joe The Boxer

2-27 Strawberry Fair– Come Back And Shake Me

2-28 The Proclamation– Tea And Sympathy (Don't You Worry)

2-29 Johnny Young– Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Show You

2-30 The Valentines – She Said

2-31 Colin Cook– Riot In Cell Block Number 9

1969-1974

3-1 The Birds– Magic Words

3-2 Chalice – In My World

3-3 Swingshift – Somebody To Love

3-4 The Vegetable Garden– Hypnotic Suggestion

3-5 Gemini – Sunshine River

3-6 Willpower – Soul Finger

3-7 The Soul Purpose – Boogaloo Down Broadway

3-8 Strawberry Fair – Things We Said Today

3-9 The Vegetable Garden– Even Stevens

3-10 Fatty Lumpkin– Got To Get Back T' Nellie

3-11 Chalice – Ebenezer

3-12 The Birds– Dust In My Pants

3-13 Gemini – Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)

3-14 Chalice – Mr. Won't You Help Me

3-15 The Soul Purpose – Share

3-16 Willpower – Spinning Wheel

3-17 Swingshift – We Can Work It Out

3-18 The Birds– Rene

3-19 Fatty Lumpkin– Don't Knock My Boogie

3-20 Chalice – Nearly Gone

3-21 Gemini– Butterfly Wings

3-22 Swingshift – Here, There & Everywhere

3-23 The Birds– I See The Rain

3-24 Chalice – Nine To Five Girl

3-25 Fatty Lumpkin – Millionaire




Monday, June 3, 2019

Australian Celebration...various artists compilation album from the 90's



Tracklist:
01 –Deborah Conway It's Only The Beginning
02 –Hunters & Collectors Holy Grail
03 –Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls To Her Door
04 –Jimmy Barnes Stone Cold
05 –Archie Roach From Paradise
06 –Kate Ceberano Think About It
07 –Ian Moss Tucker's Daughter
08 –Peter Andre Gimme Little Sign
09 –Rockmelons That Word (L.O.V.E)
10 –Models Barbados
11 –Yothu Yindi Tribal Voice
12 –Frente! Ordinary Angels
13 –Kylie Minogue Celebration
14 –The Badloves Lost
15 –Toni Pearen I Want You
16 –Neil Murray Holy Road
17 –Nathan Cavaleri Josh's Boogie
18 –Roxus Where Are You Now ?
19 –Skyhooks Million Dollar Riff
20 –The Angels Love Waits








Monday, January 25, 2016

Australian Legends...40 track collection by various artists...special Australia Day post



This 40 track collection brings together the cream of Aussie music from the 60's to the 90's from the Bee Gees' "Spicks and Specks", The Masters Apprentices' "Turn Up Your Radio" and Rusell Morrris' "The Real Thing" to LRB, The Angels, Men At Work, Farnsey and Barnesy, INXS, Crowded House, Kasey Chambers, Silverchair and everything else in between. Just perfect for that Australia Day barbecue!

So crank it up, and HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!







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Friday, June 12, 2015

Pirana and Pirana II...1971-72...underrated and semi-legendary prog-rock band from Sydney


Critics have pigeonholed Pirana as mere Santana clones, and while comparisons are understandable and the influence of Santana is obvious, this arguably did the group a considerable disservice. Its dynamic and rhythmic performance at the definitive Sunbury music festival in 1972 drew inevitable comparisons to the Latin-rock champions of Woodstock, due in no small measure to their superb performance of Santana's "Soul Sacrifice". But there was much more to Pirana than that facile categorization allows.

Beyond that, we can hear examples of fine, melodic songwriting -- mainly from keyboardist Stan White on the first album, but consummately taken over by guitarist and vocalist Tony Hamilton on the second -- that displays a diversity of influences while still keeping the band's innate individuality. 

For a start, Tony Hamilton's guitar was never less than wonderful. He sang commandingly, with soul, atop Jim Yonge's fluid drumming, supported by the anchorage of Graeme Thompson's throbbing bass. Keyboards were vital to the Pirana sound, and Stan White and his successor, Keith Greig, provided rich Hammond organ reinforcement for the overall feel of the band.

In Pirana, members came and went, but it is essentially the core band comprising Duke-Yonge, Thompson, Hamilton and Greig (who replaced Stan White after the first LP), who made the records and sustained the bulk of the band's performing tenure, and must be most remembered as the definitive entity.

Pirana's first recordings were as the backing group for Greg Quill's 1970 solo album Fleetwood Plain. They signed to Harvest in 1971 and issued two singles. Here It Comes Again (May) was reputedly the first local single released in stereo, and can still be found on Raven's Golden Miles compilation CD.



In concert they were always regarded as a top-drawer act; they went down a storm at the inaugural Sunbury rock festival, and their live version of Santana's "Soul Sacrifice" earned them a track on the Sunbury '72 album. EMI issued their second LP Pirana II in November 1972, by which time Richard McEwan had replaced Hamilton on guitar. Andrew James replaced Greig in 1973 and Phil Hitchcock replaced Graeme Thompson on bass in 1974. The band continued to work on the dance and pub circuit, but they didn't record again, and they eventually broke up in late 1975.

(from Original article by Paul Culnane on Milesago)



Sydney 1970-75
Stan White (keyboards) 1970-1971
Keith Greig (keyboards) 1971-72
Jim Duke-Yonge (drums) 1970-1973
Tony Hamilton (guitar) 1970-75
Graeme Thompson (bass) 1970-75
Phil Hitchcock (bass) 1974
Andrew McCue (keyboards, flute) 1973
Richard McEwan (guitar, vocals) 1972
Paul Spetter (drums) 1973

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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Mighty Kong...successor to Daddy Cool...All I Wanna Do Is Rock..1973


Mighty Kong was the 'supergroup' successor to the legendary Daddy Cool, which broke up in August 1972. It was also the fifth (and technically the last) in the line of groups that featured Ross "The Boss" Wilson and Ross Hannaford, which began with Pink Finks in 1965. Despite its all-star lineup, culled from three of the top groups of the time, the band was short lived and never really achieved its considerable potential, effectively relegated to being a footnote in the larger story of Daddy Cool. The main relic of this period was their excellent (and greatly underrated) LP, All I Wanna Do Is Rock.

Personnel:
Ross Wilson - chief vocals, pignose guitar (09)
Ross Hannaford - guitar, deep throat
Russell Smith - guitar, lead vocals (03)
Tim Partridge - bass guitar
Ray Arnott – drums
+
John Fishbach - producer, engineer

Tracks:
01. All Through The Day (Into The Night We Play) – 6:02
02. Callin’ All Cats (The Cats Are Callin’) – 4:01
03. Some Other New Address – 4:05
04. Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You) – 2:57
05. All I Wanna Do Is Rock!! #1 – 4:15
06. Jungle In My Blood – 5:57
07. Got My Beliefs – 4:34
08. With A Smile Like That (How Could We Refuse) – 7:30
09. Homesick & Horny – 4:18
Bonuses:
10. Callin' All Cats (The Cats Are Callin') [Single Version] – 3:28
11. All I Wanna Do Is Rock [Unreleased Studio Jam] – 8:40










Monday, January 26, 2015

Stevie Wright..Hard Road...1974...blockbuster solo debut from legendary Easybeats singer



Stevie Wright's first taste of fame was with the now legendary 60's group, The Easybeats. Together with Harry Vanda and George Young, they created some of the most memorable and iconic music to come out of Australia in the 1960's. They rivaled The Beatles in their talent and success and scored an international hit with "Friday On My Mind".

After the breakup of The Easybeats, Stevie went solo and released his debut solo album, Hard Road, in 1974. Produced by none other than his former Easybeats partners, Harry Vanda and George Young, the album was a huge success in Australia, topping the charts everywhere.

Hard Road is without question Stevie's finest hour, and it remains one of the best Australian albums of the period. The classic Vanda-Young tracks -- the autobiographical "Hard Road", "Didn't I Take You Higher?" and the epic "Evie" were ably complemented by Stevie's own strong compositions "Movin' On Up", "Commando Line", "Life Gets Better" and "Dancing in the Limelight".

Stevie's groundbreaking debut solo single "Evie (Parts I, II and III)" is a genuine rock epic. It is arguably the perfect rock'n'roll song, encapsulating the three basic themes of all love songs -- (A) "Baby it'll be great once we're together, (B) "Baby, it's so great now that we're together" and (C) "Baby, it's so bad since you left me". Clocking in at a whopping eleven minutes in total, it seemed an unlikely chart contender, but the three parts were wisely split across the two sides of the single, and the head-on power rock of "Evie Part I" proved irresistible. Lyrically, it revisited the perennial "gonna have a good time tonight" theme of "Friday On My Mind" and "Good Times" and musically it is perhaps the ultimate distillation of the full-frontal hard rock Vanda & Young had previously essayed on V&Y classics like "Good Times", and showcased the no-frills hard-rocking sound which they would soon hone to perfection with AC/DC.

Released in May 1974, Evie shot to the top of charts, peaking at #2 nationally during July. It did especially well in Melbourne, where it stayed at #1 for seven weeks. The Hard Road album also peaked at #5 nationally and #1 in Melbourne. It was released on Atlantic in the USA and Polydor in the UK and made a strong impression overseas -- Suzi Quatro later covered "Evie", and Rod Stewart included a version of "Hard Road" on his Smiler album. "Evie" is now widely considered to be one of best Australian singles of Seventies.

To promote the records, Stevie hit the road with his aptly-named backing group, The All Stars. The band's lineup shifted several times during its existence but it featured many top-flight players including Warren "Pig" Morgan (piano; ex-Chain, Aztecs), Tim Gaze (lead guitar; ex-Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute, Ariel) and Johnny Dick (drums; ex-Meteors, Doug Parkinson In Focus, Aztecs).





Monday, September 1, 2014

Galadriel..rare 1971 self-titled album from talented Sydney progressive rock band


Despite their musical excellence, Sydney band Galadriel never achieved any commercial success during their short career, and they were forgotten for many years. Ironically, their eclectic and ultra-rare 1971 LP has now became one of the most collectible artifacts of Australian '70s progressive rock.

Taking their name from the Elven Queen of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Galadriel was formed in 1969 by guitarist and songwriter Garry Adams and drummer Doug Bligh. They soon made a name for themselves on the thriving Sydney dance/discotheque circuit. They often played at Sydney's "Joseph's Coat" disco and shared gigs with many of the top progressive groups of the day including Kahvas Jute, Blackfeather and Spectrum.

The band signed with Gus McNeil's Cellar Music, which was also the publishing company for Spectrum's Mike Rudd and Coutnry Radio's Greg Quill. Around October 1970 Galadriel recorded ten original songs at Sydney's United Sound Studios with American engineer-producer Tom Lubin. They shopped the recordings around for several more months without success, but eventually they were signed by the Polydor label, who released the LP and their second single "Standing In The Rain" / "Working", in May 1971. These were Polydor's first local rock releases in Australia and although the recordings were remarkably good, Polydor evidently lacked the experience and clout to get it noticed and regrettably both album and single sank without trace.

Late in 1971 they prepared to record their second album. Tracks slated for the new LP included the epic live highlight "Song For Your Reason", "In The Night" and "Poor Boy", one of their most commercial numbers, which was earmarked as a probable single. Unfortunately, the second Galadriel LP was never recorded.

(text courtesy of Milesago )









Friday, July 11, 2014

Spectrum...Part One and Milesago...1971..progressive rock from legendary band


During their short but illustrious career, Spectrum were in the vanguard of progressive rock in Australia, and they left a legacy of innovative and imaginative music. The central figure in Spectrum was singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Rudd (no relation to Kevin!), one of the many outstanding expatriate New Zealand performers who have contributed so much to the Australian music scene. 

Mike arrived in Australia in 1966 as rhythm guitarist for the NZ group Chants R'n'B. Chants only lasted a short time after they arrived in Australia, but Mike remained in Melbourne, where he soon teamed up with young singer-songwriter Ross Wilson and guitarist Ross Hannaford. Their first band The Pink Finks (which had also just broken up) worked in a similar vein to Chants, and had some local chart success in Melbourne. Mike was invited to be the bass player in a later lineup of their next band, the short-lived but legendary Party Machine (1967-69). This was followed by the more experimentally-oriented Sons of The Vegetal Mother (1969-71).

Sons of the Vegetal Mother was an occasional project rather than a full-time band, but Mike was apparently involved on a regular basis, even after the formation of Spectrum, and he played bass on the Vegetal's only recording, an ultra-rare EP called The Garden Party, of which only about 250 copies were ever pressed. Although close connections between them continued, by 1970 Wilson and Hannaford were concentrating on the Vegetals new offshoot Daddy Cool, so Rudd decided to put together his own band, continuing down the progressive path he had been following with Party Machine and the Vegetals.

Although Mike later described the formation of the band as "incredibly haphazard", his choices were all fortunate ones. Bassist Bill Putt, from Melbourne bands Gallery and The Lost Souls formed a lasting friendship and musical partnership with Mike, and they worked together until Putt's recent passing. Organist Lee Neale happily left his current band, Nineteen 87, who were apparently scornful of his lack of 'pop image'. A hotshot young drummer called Mark Kennedy, who had already worked with Putt in Gallery, completed the lineup. Kennedy's musical strength helped carry the band through a difficult first year, during which time the band honed their skills and found their sound.

Initially, Spectrum drew on the work of contemporary bands like Traffic, Soft Machine and Pink Floyd and they played covers of these groups in the early days, but they soon outgrew these formative influences, developing their own highly individual style. Many elements contributed to this –- their synergistic playing style, the rock-solid yet supple rhythm Putt-Kennedy rhythm section, Lee Neale’s superb keyboard playing, Mike's skewed, rather Goonish sense of humour, which was manifested in his wry song titles and lyrics, his expressive finger-picked guitar, and of course his voice, one of the most distinctive in Australian music. 

See full story here at milesago.com




Mike Rudd (vocals, guitar, recorder, harmonica) 
Bill Putt (bass) 
Mark Kennedy (drums) 1969-70 
Ray Arnott (drums, vocals) 1970-73
Lee Neale (keyboards, vocals) 1969-72
John Mills (keyboards) 1972-3


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Jim Keays 1946-2014 RIP....an Australian rock legend whose career spanned 6 decades

..another Aussie music legend has left us..we remember you Jim and the contribution you made to Australian music history....




VALE JIM KEAYS: 1946-2014


“Jim had an aura about him; you always knew when he was in the room,” is how the best remembered of the bass players that passed through the ranks of The Masters Apprentices, Glenn Wheatley, recalled singer-songwriter and the one constant throughout the entire Masters’ existence, Jim Keays, who succumbed, at 10.30am, Friday 13 June, to pneumonia from complications resulting from a seven-year battle with multiple myeloma cancer. Keays was 67. 



As a special tribute, this is Jim's highly acclaimed solo album from 1974 with the hit title track "Boy From the Stars".





                            ..you're a legend, Jim...now you're up there with the stars...




Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Raven Records Sixties Downunder Series Volumes 1 to 4...Essential Collections for Aussie Music Fans


These collections from Raven Records have been posted on this blog previously and I wanted to bring them back again to reiterate what a classic collection of tracks they feature and also for anyone who may not have seen the original posts. They are essential for any serious Australian music aficionado. Here they are again:


volume one

volume 2

volume 3

volume 4












Saturday, March 22, 2014

The Dingoes...debut album from 1974..a fine example of Australian country rock


The Dingoes were a country rock band initially active from 1973 to 1979. Formed in Melbourne they relocated to the United States from 1976. Most stable line-up was John Bois on bass guitar, John Lee on drums, Broderick Smith on vocals and harmonica, Chris Stockley on guitar and Kerryn Tolhurst on guitar. Mal Logan (who provided keyboards on the first LP) on keyboards joined after Stockley left due to illness. The Dingoes debut single, "Way Out West", was released in November 1973, which peaked in the top 40 of the Australian Kent Music Report singles chart. Subsequent singles were "Boy on the Run", "Smooth Sailing" and "Into the Night", which did not reach the top 50. They had three top 40 albums, The Dingoes in 1974, Fives Times the Sun in 1977 and Orphans of the Storm in 1979.

On 27 August 2009, The Dingoes were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame alongside Kev Carmody, Little Pattie, Mental As Anything and John Paul Young. The Dingoes reformed in late 2009 and released a new album "Tracks" in 2010 which was followed by a tour of Australia. A live album 'Live at Last' came out after the tour.

Track list

  1. "Come On Down" (Stockley) 
  2. "Boy On The Run" (Smith/Stockley) 
  3. "The Last Place I Wanna Be" (Tolhurst) 
  4. "Way Out West" (Dingoes) 
  5. "Pay Day Again" (Tolhurst) 
  6. "Goin' Down Again" (Tolhurst) 
  7. "Aaron" (Tolhurst) 
  8. "My Sometime Lady" (Tolhurst) 
  9. "Sydney Ladies" (Smith/Tolhurst) 
  10. "Dingoes Lament" (Du Bois) 

Produced by The Dingoes & John French 

Recorded at TCS Studios Melbourne, January 8-11, 13-23, 1974 



                                      click here for more information

Line up
Ray Arnott (drums, vocals) 1974 
John Bois (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals) 1973-79 
Andrew Jeffers-Hardin(g) (guitar) 1979 
John Lee (drums, percussion, vocals) 1973-74, 1976-79 
Mal Logan (keyboards) 1973 
Broderick Smith (vocals, harmonica) 1973-79 
Chris Stockley (guitar, vocals) 1973-79 
John Strangio (bass) 1973 
Kerryn Tolhurst (gtr, mandolin, vcls) 1973-78


                                              

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Madder Lake...Stillpoint 1973 ..A Progressive Rock Classic



Madder Lake were one of the most original and distinctive of the "new wave" of Australian groups that emerged around 1970. They were also an important and popular part of the of the Melbourne music scene. It's unfortunate that they're only known for their extant recordings -- their two excellent 1970s Albums and one "Best Of.." compilation -- because they are prolific writers, and according to Mick Fettes they have "literally hundreds of songs" stockpiled,waiting to see the light of day.

band members:
Andy Cowan (keyboards, vocals) 1973-75
Mick Fettes (vocals) 1971-75, 1978-
Ian Holding (bass) 1976-78
Jack Kreemers (drums) 1969-??
Tony Lake (vocals) 1976-78
Brendan Mason (guitar, vocals)
Kerry McKenna (bass, vocals)
John McKinnon (keyboards, vocals) 1970-73
Colin Setches (vocals) 1976-78

The original lineup — McKenna, Kreemers, McKinnon, Mason and Fettes — all met in 1968, while studying at the Swinburne Institute of Technology, Melbourne's renowned arts and media college. The entry in Noel McGrath's 1978 rock encyclopedia says that Madder Lake was their first band, but in fact all the members had been through the usual round of teenage beat groups before meeting at Swinburne. The band which became Madder Lake evolved from an earlier student band, which included Kerry McKenna and Brendan Mason, who had been playing together since their early teens. By the time they began studying at Swinburne, Kerry and Brendan already had their own established band, San Sebastian, gigging regularly around the Melbourne area.

Madder Lake evolved a distinctive sound very early on. According to Mick, the group's sound was very much in place by 1971. And while influences can be identified — English progressive groups like King Crimson, Family, Traffic — one listen to the Stillpoint album should convince you that they were very much their own band. They were as musically dynamic and accomplished as any of the contemporary English groups, like early Genesis, but with none of the latter's fey qualities. A focal point was the energetic,bear-like presence and tough, bluesy voice of Mick Fettes. It's become a convention to compare his singing to Joe Cocker, but it's really only a surface similarity. If you listen with open ears you quickly pretty realise that Mick was (and is) very much his own singer. Another often overlooked feature of the group was their strong harmony singing.

Stillpoint, released in 1973, remains one of the classics of progressive Australian music from the 1970's and still sounds fresh today. If you haven't heard hit then have a listen now.


  1. Salmon Song 8:23
  2. On My Way To Heaven 4:53
  3. Helper 5:12
  4. Listen To The Morning Sunshine 5:03
  5. Goodbye Lollipop 3:37
  6. A Song For Little Ernest 4:29
  7. 12LB. Toothbrush 6:02