Morning of the Earth...1972 original film soundtrack...music by Taman Shud, Brian Cadd, G.Wayne Thomas

Morning of the Earth is arguably the first surf movie that went beyond waves and into something of a (wordless) meditation on life based on surfing. The film is a product of it's time (very early '70's - first years of shortboard transition) and is full of back-to-the-country hippy vibes as well as some beautifully filmed surfing on Australian, Hawaian and Bali waves. The soundtrack is therefore a mixed bag of Australasian country folk (G.Wayne Thomas, Brian Cadd) and psychedelic prog-rock (Taman Shud). Like the film the soundtrack is a bit of a time machine back to a by-gone era. It is for the nostalgic or those wanting a good compilation of early 70's Australasian psych-folk stuff. The film is still one of the all-time classic surf movies too so check it out. (Amazon review)

Very few soundtrack recordings give themselves to anything more than a passing link to the film as a movie soundtrack should. Morning Of The Earth defies that definition! it cleverly assembles (in that era) Australia's finest musicians and makes a group statement through the music of a land that existed once where you could grab a change of shorts a board and a couple of cassettes in the panel van and head on up the coast! (discogs review)

Tracklist:
–G. Wayne Thomas Morning Of The Earth 5:09
–Terry Hannigan I'll Be Alright 4:05
–Taman Shud First Things First 4:09
–Brian Cadd Sure Feels Good 3:44
–G. Wayne Thomas Open Up Your Heart 3:41
–John J. Francis Simple Ben 7:41
–Taman Shud Bali Waters 6:13
–Brian Cadd Making It On Your Own 6:00
–G. Wayne Thomas Day Comes 2:55
–Taman Shud Sea The Swells 6:13
–Peter Howe I'm Alive 3:41
–Brian Cadd Come With Me 4:56

Morning of the Earth

Stars...Paradise...debut album from 1977

Stars were a country and rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1975 and disbanded in 1979. Founding members were Glyn Dowding on drums; Malcolm Eastick on guitar and vocals; Mick Pealing on vocals; and Graham Thompson on bass guitar. They were joined by guitarist, songwriter, Andrew Durant in 1976 and relocated to Melbourne. Thompson then left and was replaced by a succession of bass guitarists including Roger McLachlan (ex-Little River Band) and Ian McDonald.

They were touted as the "rock'n'roll cowboys" and played the local pub and club circuit. They were noticed by Little River Band's guitarist Beeb Birtles and were signed to Mushroom Records. Birtles produced their debut single, "Quick on the Draw" which reached the Australian Kent Music Report top 30 in July 1976. Their second single, "With a Winning Hand" peaked into the top 40 in October.

The band's debut album, Paradise, peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report in 1978 and included their highest charting single "Look After Yourself" which reached No. 21 on the related singles chart. Their second album, Land of Fortune, was released in 1979 but did not reach the Top 50. By that time Durant had been diagnosed with cancer, the band had their last performance on 5 November and Durant died on 6 May 1980 at age 25. A tribute performance by Stars members and other Australian acts followed in August and a double-LP, Andrew Durant Memorial Concert was released in 1981. It peaked at No. 8 on the albums chart with proceeds donated to Andrew Durant Cancer Research Foundation.

Post Stars, Eastick joined Broderick Smith's Big Combo (1979–1982) and later provided guitar for different artists including Max Merritt and Jimmy Barnes. Pealing formed his own band Mick Pealing and the Ideals (1980–1981), they were also a backing band for Renée Geyer, he then formed The Spaniards (1983–1986) and worked with other artists including Eastick. McLachlan toured with Cliff Richard in 1978, worked with John Farnham (1987–1988), briefly rejoined Little River Band (1998–1999) and was a member of Mighty Oz Rock with Pealing in 2004.

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Hush...Get Rocked! and C'Mon We're Taking Over....Aussie Glam Rock from the 1970's

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Hush were a very successful 1970's Australian Glam Rock group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC TV show Countdown for live concerts and teenagers. During their peak they were more popular than AC/DC, and actually toured with them as headliners.

Hush were formed, with Keith Lamb on vocals, in the Sydney suburb of Seven Hills in 1971 as a five piece band including a keyboardist. Keyboardist Chris Nolan had previously been with a band called Grandmars Observers. Hush first came to attention when they made the NSW finals of Australia's national rock band competition Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds in 1972. They first made the Australian charts in October 1973 with their own composition, "Get The Feeling". By this time they were down to the "classic" four-piece line-up of Keith Lamb (vocals), Les Gock (guitar), Rick Lum (bass) and Chris "Smiley" Pailthorpe (drums). By the time they made No. 1 on the charts in September 1975 with a rocked up, driving version of Larry Williams' Bony Moronie, they were riding the wave of the glam-rock craze in Australia.

They released their first 2 albums in succession in 1974, "Get Rocked" and "C'Mon We're Taking Over", both big sellers of the time.

They were well placed to make an unforgettable performance on pop TV show Countdown's early colour episodes with their colourful outfits. In 1976 they added a second guitarist, Jacques De Jongh. Rick Lum left soon after. The band broke up in 1977.

In August 2004, Hush reformed for the Nordoff-Robbins charity event. The line-up was Keith Lamb, Rick Lum, Smiley Pailthorpe and Les Gock performing together for the first time over 25 years. Les Gock's son Adam joined them on stage.

In September 2006, Hush played Australia wide with many other artists who appeared on Countdown during the seventies in the Countdown Spectacular Tour. 

                                   

Website: http://www.hushmusic.com.au/

Past members:

Keith Lamb; Rick Lum; Robin Jackson; John Koutts; Chris Nolan; Les Gock;

Chris Pailthorpe; Jacques De Jongh

Years active - 1971–1977

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

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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.

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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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Paul O'Gorman..Poet and the Painter..singer songwriter's only album from 1978

Paul O’Gorman was an unknown quantity when he entered the 1976 Australian Popular Song Festival. Former Cherokees guitarist Doug Trevor believed in Paul’s abilities as a performer and the two began writing songs together. When they entered the Festival in '76 they thought they were in with a chance, though they faced stiff competition from some big names, including Steve Groves and Beeb Birtles.

Paul presented Doug's composition of 'You're More To Me' at the 1976 Australian Pop Song Festival. They succeeded in winning second place. In 1977 they re-entered the Festival and this time they won with a song entitled 'Ride, Ride America'. From there they took the number to the International Song Festival in Tokyo and took off two of the major prizes — Best Song and Best Song Performance.

What happened to Paul after making the final that year was a short but great journey into the world of pop stardom. He enjoyed a couple of hit singles, played to international audiences and cut a lone LP, The Poet And The Painter (Infinity Label), before leaving it all behind to work behind the scenes in publishing, management and entertainment law. 

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Track Listing
01 - You're More To Me
02 - Love Again
03 - Poet And The Painter
04 - Lisa
05 - Are You Travellin' With Me
06 - Having Love Behind
07 - (You And Me And) Love In The Morning
08 - Doesn't It Show
09 - Ramblin Old House
10 - Ride, Ride America
11 - May It All End With You

Vocals - Paul O'Gorman
Acoustic Guitar - Paul O'Gorman, Jonathan Coben
Electric Guitar - Jonathan Coben, Mario Millo
Bass - Chris Stafford, Roger Corbett
Drums & Percussion - Dave Hicks
Keyboards - Raddy Ferreira, Ian Hunt
Trumpet/Flugel Horns - Boof Thomsen, Ray Bensted
Trombones - Bob McIvor, Derek Long, Ron Spillett, Peter Haslam
Cellos - Hans Gyors, Donna Noble
Mandolin - Mario Millo
Flute - Errol Buddle
Harmonica - Greg Foster
String Leader - John Lyle
Backing Vocals - Alison MacCallum, Janice Slater, Sally Rogan
                 Peter Brandon, Mick Leyton, Joe Andre

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

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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

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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

Greg Quill and Country Radio...Fleetwood Plain...classic 1971 album

The blending of rock with elements of country music and folk was one of the most important directions in music in the late Sixties and early Seventies. Singer-songwriter Greg Quill and his band Country Radio were pioneers in this field in Australia. Many people will remember Country Radio for their popular and enduring hit "Gypsy Queen", which made the Australian Top 20 in late 1972. 

Prior to forming Country Radio, Quill was already well-known on the Sydney folk scene as a solo performer, and he also ran The Shack, the fondly-remembered folk venue at Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the late 1960s. A meeting with publisher and producer Gus McNeil led to Greg being signed to Gus's new Cellar Music publishing company. Gus produced Greg's first commercial recordings, the single "Fleetwood Plain" and the subsequent album of the same name, recorded for EMI in 1970, on which he was backed by John Walsh (bass), Chris Blanchflower (harmonica), Orlando Agostino (guitars) and members of Pirana, the band which had formed from the final lineup of McNeil's old backing group The Nomads -- Graeme Thompson (bass), Jim Yonge (drums),  Tony Hamilton (lead guitar) and  Stan White (piano). The LP was released on EMI's new progressive subsidiary, Harvest.

1. "Empty Pockets/Leaving The City" 
2. "Fleetwood Plain" 
3. "Paradise" 
4. "Just Goodbye"  
5. "I'd Not Let You Be"  
6. "Song To David" 
7. "Commissar" 4:32 
8. "Observations From A Second Storey Window" 
9. "Windy On The Main" 
10. "Susannah Lee"  
11. "If You Ever" 

12. "Kitty's Song" 

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Renee Geyer..self-titled first album..1973..a hidden gem of blues and soul standards

Renée Rebecca Geyer (born 11 September 1953) has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R'n'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 1970's 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 1970's 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".

Her first album released in 1973 is a collection of blues and soul standards with tracks that were originally done by Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Bill Withers and Van Morrison. 

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Dragon...first 2 albums...Universal Radio 1974 and Scented Gardens For the Blind 1975..rare and sort after

Before Dragon became the huge success they were in Australia, they recorded two albums in New Zealand that have now become very sort after. 

Dragon originally formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in January 1972, with a line-up that featured Todd Hunter on bass guitar, guitarist Ray Goodwin, drummer Neil Reynolds and singer/pianist Graeme Collins. All had been in various short-lived bands in Auckland. Collins is credited with using I Ching to provide the name Dragon. Their first major gig was an appearance at The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival in early January 1973. By 1974 several personnel changes had occurred, with Todd Hunter's younger brother Marc Hunter joining on vocals and Neil Storey on drums. The band recorded two progressive rock albums in their native New Zealand, Universal Radio in 1974 and Scented Gardens for the Blind in 1975, both on Vertigo Records.

Their debut album "Universal Radio", a progressive rock style production, became a bestseller underground , and the group, meanwhile, had earned a reputation for their shocking concert paraphernalia . With a troupe of mimes, transvestites, pregnant strippers, a rotting pig's head on a microphone stand, as well as the musical mayhem and stage equipment - all worked to boost the scandalous reputation of the group.

Tracks:

01. Universal Radio - 8:33

02. Going Slow - 6:14

03. Patina - 11:45

04. Weetbix - 2:55

05. Graves - 6:56

06. Avalanche - 11:08

Bonuses:

07. Black Magic Woman (Unreleased Live) - 6:37

08. X-Ray Creature (Single A-Side of Marc Hunter, 1973) - 3:05

09. Dinghy Days (Single B-Side of Marc Hunter, 1973) - 3:30 

Personnel:

Marc Hunter - lead vocals, percussion

Ray Goodwin - lead guitar, vocals

Ivan Thompson - organ, piano, Moog synthesizer

Todd Hunter - bass, flute (09), vocals

Neil Storey - drums

+

Graeme Collins - piano (08)

Herb Mann - lead guitar (09)

Rick Shadwell – producer

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Their second album, "Scented Gardens For the Blind", continued the progressive initiatives, but differed with a softer art rock sound.

Tracks:

01. Vermillion Cellars – 3:25

02. La Gash Lagoon – 8:20

03. Sunburst – 8:37

04. Greylynn Candy – 4:58

05. Darkness – 4:45

06. Scented Gardens For The Blind – 7:35

Personnel:

Ray Goodwin - lead guitar, vocals

Marc Hunter - lead vocals, saxophone, percussion

Todd Hunter - bass, vocals

Ivan Thompson – keyboards

Neil Storey – drums

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Autumn..Comes Autumn..rare album from 1971...underrated Sydney band that had more talent than was recognized

AUTUMN ...Sydney 1970-72

Tony Romeril (vocals) 
Glenn Beatson (drums) 
Rick Graham (bass) 
Steve McMurray (guitar) 
Greg Jacques (organ) 1969 - Apr 1971 
Allan Magsuball (guitar) Apr. 1971- early 1972 
Charlie Wright (keyboards) late 1971- early 1972

Like their contemporaries The Executives, The Affair, New Dream and Zoot, Sydney band Autumn has been unfairly labelled as a lightweight pop band, mainly on the basis of their early recordings. They've also been tagged as 'one-hit wonders', although in fact they had four hits. Fronted by grievously underrated lead vocalist Tony Romeril, Autumn was a superb band with a strong following in their home city of Sydney, and they could tackle pop, country-rock and heavy/progressive rock with equal ease.

Like their close contemporaries The Flying Circus, Autumn formed at a time when rapid and significant changes were taking place in the music scene and the formerly homogeneous "pop" field was diversifying into several distinct genres. The trends that were drawing 'pop' musicians towards progressive music, "heavy rock" and country rock was counterbalanced by the popularity and commercial success of so-called "bubblegum" pop. This created to a situation where, as Glenn A. Baker has observed, "being identified as a pop band "drew automatic derision and critical dismissal".

Autumn's chart success with straight-ahead pop material has obscured the fact that this was a highly competent group, with tastes and abilities which went well beyond the confines of the three-minute formula pop single. Their true talents were not really showcased on record until their last few recordings for the Warner label and, as Glennn Baker notes "... nobody, save those who caught them live, came to realise what a sturdy, musically adept and diverse unit they were."

During the second half of 1971 Autumn released an EP, A Patch Of Autumn, followed by their hugely underrated second album Comes Autumn. Although it is dismissed by Vernon Joyson as "unremarkable", it in fact contains some outstanding material. As Aussie music archivist "MidozTouch" has noted, "Autumn's second album is so strikingly different in style and sound from their first LP that one could be forgiven for thinking they were recorded by two different groups". This included re-recordings of some of their Chart material, including Allan Magsuball's riff-tastic psych-prog nugget "Get It Down" (one of several fine tracks he contributed), a re-recorded version of "Lady Anne", and the country-styled hits "Falling" and "Miracles". This excellent LP, which has never been reissued, is one of the genuine lost treasures of early 70s Australian rock. Like all the early '70s Australian Warner recordings, the original LP is now quite rare and has become a sought-after collector's item.

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see also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bHIyiBhE3Q

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 

Daddy Who Daddy Cool...all time classic best selling Aussie album

Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan (bass, Vocals), Ross Hannaford (lead guitar, bass, vocals), Ross Wilson (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica) and Gary Young (drums, vocals) . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks. Their debut July 1971 LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool also reached number 1 and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. Their name comes from the 1957 song "Daddy Cool" by US rock group The Rays, Daddy Cool included their version on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool.

The album was originally issued in a textured cover and featured a cartoon rendering of band members by Melbourne artist Ian McCausland which became the group's logo. While Daddy Cool's guitarist, Ross Hannaford, was responsible for overall album cover design, McCausland created the band's graphics and much of their visual image. Most of the original songs were written by guitarist, vocalist Ross Wilson except "Bom Bom", which was co-written with Hannaford. The rest of the album contained 1950s R&B covers - The Rivals' "Guided Missiles", Etta James' "Good Rockin' Daddy", Marvin & Johnny's "Cherry Pie", The Rays' "Daddy Cool" and Chuck Berry's "School Days".

Daddy Cool's music featured 1950s Doo-wop style rock cover versions and originals which were mostly written by Wilson. On stage they provided a danceable sound which was accessible and fun. Their second album was Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven from January 1972 and reached the Top Ten. Breaking up in August 1972, Daddy Cool briefly reformed during 1974–1975 before disbanding again, they reformed with the band's original line-up in 2005. Their iconic status was confirmed when they were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame on 16 August 2006.

Daddy Who?... Daddy Cool was also released in the US on the Warner/Reprise label and the band toured in support of its release. Two singles were lifted from the album: "Eagle Rock" #1 on the Australian national singles chart and "Come Back Again" which reached #3.

The album was re-issued in 1975 (with different sleeve under the title Daddy Who? Daddy Gold!) on Wizard Records (also owned by Porter) and in 1982, with the original artwork but non-gatefold sleeve.

The Australian release on Sparmac Records contains different tracks than the US Release on Reprise Records five months later. The Australian release includes the tracks "Good Rockin' Daddy" and "Cherry Pie" not found on the Reprise Records edition. The US release includes the tracks "Flip", "Lollipop" and "Just As Long As We're Together" not found on the Sparmac Records edition.

In October 2010, it was listed at No. 14 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums

1. "Daddy Cool" (Frank Slay/Bob Crewe) - 2:31
2. "School Days" (Chuck Berry) - 3:03
3. "Come Back Again" - 4:51
4. "At The Rockhouse" - 3:42
5. "Guided Missile" (Alfred Gaitwood) - 3:02
6. "Good Rockin' Daddy" (Richard Berry/Joseph Bihari as "Joe Josea") - 2:21
7. "Eagle Rock" - 4:07
8. "Zoop Bop Gold Cadillac" - 3:56
9. "Blind Date" - 4:12
10. "Bom Bom" (Ross Wilson/Ross Hannaford) - 2:34
11. "Cherry Pie" (Joseph Bihari as "Joe Josea"/Marvin Phillips) - 3:40
12. "Flip" (Carl Green) - 2:26 (bonus track from US release)
13. "Lollipop" (Beverly Ross/Julius Dixon) - 1:36 (bonus track from US release)
14. "Just As Long As We're Together" - 2:32 (bonus track from US release)

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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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Jeff St John's Copperwine...Joint Effort

Those who might have forgotten the supreme vocal prowess of Jeffrey St John were convincingly reminded of it when, on 18 October 2000, the wheelchair-bound survivor of the '60s and '70s OzRock took the main podium at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Paralympic Games, dressed in a satin shirt depicting the Australian flag. He belted out the National Anthem in his inimitable style, and there were few dry eyes left in the house, not just because of the spectacle itself, but because fans were witnessing the return of one of Australia's finest-ever soul/rock singers.

Jeff St John was named Jeffrey Leo Newton when he was born in 1946, and grew up in Sydney. Jeff was diagnosed at birth with spina bifida, a congenital disability that causes malformation of the spine and resultant posture and walking difficulties. For much of his youth, Jeff walked with a caliper on his right leg, and underwent numerous painful operations. But the kind of tenacity to overcome this affliction that Jeff has maintained throughout his life, first became evident in his formative years. As he told Who Weekly magazine in October 2000:  "I was told If you want something badly enough and put the work in, there's always a solution to achieving your goal". That goal turned out to be music. Jeff's early ambitions were fully encouraged by his parents, whose house was constantly filled with all kinds of music. "They had glorious voices. On house-cleaning days we'd be wandering around singing excerpts from musicals!"

In 1965 Jeff joined forces with an established Sydney blues-rock outfit called The Syndicate who he met by chance at the Sydney Musicians Club in early 1965. With members including guitarist Peter Anson (from legendary Sydney garage-R&B monsters The Missing Links) The Syndicate with Jeff on board soon evolved, via The Wild Oats, into The Id (named after the popular Johnny Hart cartoon strip The Wizard of Id), with Jeff also adopting the stage name he has used ever since.

Copperwine (aka Jeff St John's Copperwine), was formed in early 1969. Aided by Ross East and Peter Figures, plus Alan Ingram on bass and keyboardist Barry Kelly (from Marty Rhone's Soul Agents), St John wowed punters at the Ourimbah "Pilgrimage For Pop", Australia's first major outdoor rock festival, held at Ourimbah, NSW at the end of January 1970. The band's dynamic repertoire mixed quality prog-flavoured group originals with powerful renditions of Sly & the Family Stone's funk classic "Sing A Simple Song" (a stage fave for many Australian acts of the time including Southern Comfort and The Affair), a storming version of The Temptations' psych-soul masterpiece "Cloud Nine" and Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home."

This body of songs was captured by producer Pat Aulton and remains one of the most accomplished and musically adventurous long players of the time. The punningly-titled "Joint Effort", released in 1970, won considerable critical acclaim, but failed to generate significant sales.

In retrospect, Joint Effort reveals at least three truths -- the album was one of Festival Record's most consistent sellers for many years, it's a fine artifact of what was musically going on with OzRock in this heady and fertile time, and it documents what a fine band Copperwine was and provided conclusive proof that Jeff is one of the best rock vocalists this country has ever produced.

Jeff St John & Copperwine (1969-72) 
Jeff St John (lead vocals)
Harry Brus (bass 70-72)
Ross East (guitar, vocals)
Peter Figures (drums)
Alan Ingram (bass, vocals 69-70)
Barry Kelly (keyboards, vocals)
Glyn Mason (vocals, guitar) 1972
Wendy Saddington (co-lead vocals 70-71)
Phil Wooding (guitar 69)

1 Cloud Nine
2 Sing A Simple Song
3 Fanciful Flights
4 Any Orange Night
5 You Don't Have To Listen
6 I Been Treated Wrong
7 Days To Come
8 Reach Out
9 Can't Find My Way Home
10 Train
11 I Remember
12 Environment In 3 Parts
13 Teach Me How To Fly
14 Freedom Blues
15 Hummingbird
16 Keep On Growing

Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs..More Arse Than Class..1974

"Gonna create a disturbance in your mind..."

Thorpie's message in 1973 was without doubt loud and clear! He and the ever-changing personnel of The Aztecs commanded a pre-eminent position in Aussie rock. While artists such as Ross Wilson, Mike Rudd, Lindsay Bjerre and Gulliver Smith strove to push out and pull down boundaries in their music, Thorpie and friends continued to provide high-octane, no-nonsense rock for the masses.

In August , Billy switched record labels from the independent Havoc to the newly-opened local division of Atlantic Records, which was by then a subsidiary of the Warner group. Atlantic released the singles "Movie Queen" and "Don't You Know You're Changing?" in quick succession. Although the later singles of 1973 were ostensibly solo releases, they nonetheless featured most of the extant Aztecs line-up (with help from Chain pals Phil Manning and Barry Sullivan).


Before disbanding, the Aztecs recorded one more album for Atlantic. Right at the beginning of 1974, the More Arse Than Class LP came out, provoking predictable cries of protest from conservatives about the title and its 'disgusting' gatefold cover, which opened out to show the naked, hairy posteriors of the four band members! The music on the record was where the true arse was though -- and it kicked it!

It remains the Aztecs most successful studio album, and apart from the undiluted power of its music, is a strong testament to the skills of erstwhile Aztec drummer/producer/engineer/archivist Gil Matthews. Also notable was the return on bass duties of Billy's old cohort Teddy Toi. 

1 Boogie Woogie
2 Walking Down The Street
3 Don't You Know You're Changing
4 No More War
5 I Wanna Know
6 Back On The Road Again
7 Slowly Learning How
8 A Little Bit Of Lunacy, Maestro Please
9 I Wanna Know
10 Pig's Blues
11 Mame
12 Movie Queen
13 Kawasaki
14 Kawasaki (Long Version)
15 Slowly Learning How (Demo Instrumental)

Vocals, Bass – Teddy Toi
Vocals, Drums, Percussion – Gil Matthews
Vocals, Guitar – Billy Thorpe
Vocals, Piano, Organ, Harpsichord – Warren Morgan

Tracks 1-7 reissue of 1974 Album
Bonus tracks
8-10 Live At Bill Armstrong Studios, 1973
11-12 Singles 1973
13-14 Ads 1973
15 Demo 1973

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