Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs....the "heavy" version...Lock Up Your Mothers

Billy Thorpe himself openly acknowledged that the 'heavy' version of the Aztecs owed much to 'guitar hero' Lobby Loyde. Lloyde already had a cult following due to his stints in two of the most original Australian bands of the 1960's, The Purple Hearts and The Wild Cherries. While his stint in the new Aztecs was short (from December 1968 to January 1971), his musical influence proved crucial in steering Thorpe in a completely new direction, and he strongly encouraged Thorpe to keep playing guitar.

The new Aztecs' blues-based heavy-rock repertoire was dramatically different in style from the original group, and they quickly became famous (or notorious) for the ear-splitting volume at which they played. Thorpe had also drastically changed his appearance—he grew a beard, often wore his now shoulder-length hair braided in a pigtail, and he had long since traded the tailored suits for jeans and T-shirts. Needless to say this did not endear him to people who came to the shows expecting the 'old' Billy Thorpe of the "Poison Ivy" era, and this led to sometimes violent confrontations with disgruntled fans and promoters.

Their breakthrough recording was an ambitious album, The Hoax Is Over, recorded in September 1970 with new drummer Kevin Murphy. The album was an unequivocal signal of the Aztecs' new direction, containing only four tracks, three of which were Thorpe originals. The LP is dominated by two extended tracks: a version of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Gangster of Love", which clocked in at 24:35 and ran the entire length of Side 1 (an unprecedented move in Australian pop music) and Thorpe's own "Mississippi" which ran 19'35". According to Thorpe, the band (which at this time comprising himself, Murphy, pianist Warren Morgan, guitar legend Lobby Loyde and bassist Paul Wheeler), were all high on LSD and jammed continuously while engineer Ernie Rose just let the tapes roll. The result heralded the fully-fledged arrival of the new Aztecs and live shows at Melbourne venues consolidated the band's reputation and drew enthusiastic responses.

Lock Up Your Mothers

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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Healing Force...short lived but legendary Aussie progressive rock supergroup

The legendary Healing Force were something of a 'supergroup', and its history intersects with several other important bands of the period, notably King Harvest and Friends. They made only one single, but it is still widely regarded as one of the flagship Australian progressive rock releases of the early '70s. All the members had a wealth of experience -- Pryor had been the drummer in the The Twilights; Charlie was from Nova Express; Logan was from The Rebels and Wells had been a member of Perth's prog-rock pioneers Bakery.

Original line-up: 
Laurie Pryor (drums) 
Charlie Tumahai (vocals, bass) 
Mal Logan (organ) 
Lindsay Wells (guitar) 

Other members: 
Lindsay Wells (bass, guitar) 
Ray Findlay (bass) 
John Pugh (guitar) 
Joe Tattersal (drums) 
Mal Capewell (sax, flute) 
Gus Fenwick (bass)

In July 1971, they released their one brilliant single. The 'A' side, "Golden Miles", by Lindsay Wells, is one of the most admired Australian progressive rock recordings of the period and it rates as the best Australian progressive recording of the era. It was deservedly successful and spent nineteen weeks in the Melbourne charts, barely missing out on entering the Top 30. It features rippling Hammond organ by Logan with a beautiful melody line and a dramatic chorus, highlighted by the soaring vocals of the late, great Charlie Tumahai. The flip-side, "The Gully", another Lindsay Wells composition, was heavier but almost as good. Just before the single hit the charts, Charlie quit to join Chain and the group returned to a four piece. Pryor left soon after and was replaced by Joe Tattersall (ex-Barrelhouse), but then Lindsay also left and the band fizzled out.

In November 1972, Healing Force reformed with Logan, Pryor and Pugh, plus newcomers Gus Feniwck (bass) and Mal Capewell (ex-Company Caine) on reeds. This version performed at the Sunbury Pop Festival in January 1973, with Charlie rejoining especially for the show. One track from their set, "Erection", was included on the Mushroom Records Sunbury '73 album. They disbanded shortly afterwards, during preparations for a planned LP, leaving their considerable promise sadly unfulfilled.

This is a four track (unofficial) EP, compiled from their one single and 2 extra live tracks:

1. Golden Miles
2. The Gully
3. My Boogie
4. Poem of Joy (from the GTK tapes)

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see also Golden Miles progressive rock compilation on this blog

Buster Brown...Something to Say...1974...Working Class Heavy Rock

The roots of Rose Tattoo, AC/DC and everything else that's good about working class Australian rock, Buster Brown released only one album, Something to Say, in 1974. Featuring the likes of Angry Anderson and Phil Rudd, the band were very popular on the pub circuit and with the 'sharpie' crowd.

Their sound was hard rock mixed with blues rock influences. They formed in Melbourne in 1973 with Gary 'Angry' Anderson on lead vocals (ex-Peace Power and Purity), John Moon on guitar, Paul Grant on guitar, Phil Rudd on drums, Ian Ryan on bass guitar (ex-Ash, Chook) and Chris Wilson on keyboards.They enjoyed local notoriety and played at the 1974 Sunbury Festival in January. Later that year, Mushroom Records released a Various Artists live album, Highlights of Sunbury '74 Part 1, which included the group's tracks "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Buster Brown". Early in the year, Geordie Leach replaced Ryan on bass guitar. Along with Coloured Balls, Billy Thorpe, Madder Lake and Chain, they were supported by suburban-based sharpie gangs.

Their first album, Something to Say was produced by Lobby Loyde and released in 1974. Rudd left to join an early version of AC/DC while Anderson continued with new line-ups and eventually disbanded the group in November 1975. Anderson joined Rose Tattoo which later included former Buster Brown band mates, Geordie Leach on bass guitar and Dallas 'Digger' Royall on drums.

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Sid Rumpo....Rhythm and Blues band from Perth...First Offense album from 1974

Sid Rumpo were an Australian R'n'B group which formed in Perth in November 1971. They issued their debut album, First Offense, in April 1974 on Mushroom Records/Festival Records but disbanded by the end of that year. The band were formed by John Hood on lead guitar and harmonica (ex-Jelly Roll Bakers, Juke); Noel Herridge on drums (Adderley Smith Blues Band); Owen Hughes on bass guitar (Jelly Roll Bakers); Robert Searls on lead guitar and vocals; and Ken Wallace on piano. In 1972 they won the Western Australian state final in the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds. 

They appeared at both the 1973 and 1974 Sunbury Pop Festivals. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "one of the unique features of the band's sound was the use of dual, harmony guitar lines which had the effect of enhancing the natural spaciousness of the music. To top it off, Searls was one of the great gravel-throated blues wailers of the day".

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