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
Put two musicians in a room swapping samples and rubbing shoulders around drum machines for long enough and it will lead to a song, and then an entire project. HORSES, is a sneak "taster" from a brand new collaboration project between beatmaker/producers Jesse Sewell and Carl Fox. Chill swirling synths, ethereal vocals and eclectic beats are all phrases that are being thrown around the studio during the creation process and that's just where this first track has landed. Like much of the material in development, HORSES is focused around Fox's vocal melodies, layered over beats that were the original catalyst for the project. The track premiered on BBC's Radio One Breakfast with Phil Taggart recently and is available for free download on Soundcloud. You'll be able to find it on all your favorite streaming services. Expect a February release for Porsches debut single, which will be accompanied by the project's first live sets. Soundcloud Link
Lobby Loyde formed the psychedelic/hard/blues-rock group Coloured Balls in March 1972 with Andrew Fordham on guitar and vocals, Janis Miglans on bass guitar and Trevor Young on drums.Their first single, "Liberate Rock", had been recorded by Loyde with Aztecs' members, Gil Mathews (on drums), Morgan and Wheeler as studio musicians – it was issued in August. In January 1973, Coloured Balls teamed with guest vocalists Thorpe and Leo de Castro at the Sunbury Pop Festival, their performance was released in November as the "Help Me" / "Rock Me Baby" track on the live album, Summer Jam.The album included Coloured Balls' 16-minute version of "G.O.D.". Fordham had been replaced on guitar by Ian Millar early in the year. Coloured Balls released three singles including "Mess of the Blues" which reached the Top 40 in October.They supported Marc Bolan & T. Rex on their Australian tour. Coloured Balls released their debut studio album, Ball Power, in December, 1973 on EMI, which peaked at No. 13 on the Go-Set National Top 20 albums chart in February 1974. In January'74, Coloured Balls played at the Sunbury Pop Festival alongside hard rockers, Buster Brown, which included Angry Anderson on vocals and Phil Rudd on drums. An article on rare albums in the December 2014 issue of Record Collector magazine had this to say about the album: "Coloured Balls personified the uber-macho "sharpie rock" style beloved of skinheads, men at work and other assorted ne'er do wells who frequented urban Australia's fearsome 70's pub scene. They were a mean bunch, and this record remains a rough-as-arseholes testament to antipodean rock'n'roll. The original EMI pressing is as scarce as a teetotaller in Alice Springs!"
2014 began with Syre and Fresko winning 1st place in the National ABC/TripleJ Run competition, allowing them to represent Australia at the Annual Spring Gala for Chinese New Year in Beijing, performing for over 600+ million viewers in over 70+ countries. And the momentum hasn't stopped there. “Creating a baby is kind of fun…”, but despite this, the husband and wife duo being about to start a family, it doesn’t look like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon. Having recently released their debut EP, Syre & Fresko bring a rock edge now to the table, with some heavy drum performances, embellished with lush guitars and sweeping synths – it’s the sound of raw songs in their truest form, a sound growing around the world, particularly for those less excited about mainstream produced pop, but still maintaining some sweet vocal lines to thread it all together. Admittedly still finding their feet, Syre & Fresko report a couple of fresh new singles on the way to help listeners balance their rock edge, with their melodic folk appeal. It’s truly an exciting time for one of the freshest, musically capable and talented duo’s to ever come out of Australia. “They’re one of Australia’s most talked about up and coming duo’s…” Tracee Hutchison, ABC Australia “Hauntingly beautiful vocals. Very talented - need more music like this…” KovoBand (Melbourne, Australia) “It's amazing what you guys are doing here… I just love visiting again... I could laze out on your sweet “Pillow” (original track) all day at this rate! London loves Syre & Fresko!!” MikeWhitePresents Genre Indie, Pop, Indie-Pop Comparison Foster The People, Florence and the Machine, Chairlift Location Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Any student of Australian rock music would be hard-pressed to argue against the pure fact that, since its inception in the late sixties, Chain has remained our foremost blues-rock band. In keeping with its hallowed name, there are many links to the Chain story…throughout its six year heyday over the early seventies the band, in its many permutations, commanded an undisputed dominance in the blues idiom. Chain has seen many varied line-ups, no less than 40+ different musicians passing through its ranks. Over the years, Perth has provided the setting for a thriving blues-rock scene, spawning many future stalwarts of the idiom who have gone onto greater national success. The original Chain grew out of this hotbed, forming from the ashes of The Beaten Tracks, who won the Perth heat of the 1967 Hoadley's Battle Of The Sounds. The band at that time comprised Warren Morgan (keys), Dave Hole (guitar), Ace Follington (dr), Murray Wilkins (bs) and Ross Partington (vcls); they moved to Melbourne in early 1968 to avail themselves of their prize, ostensibly recording and touring opportunities in the eastern states. While in Melbourne, Dave Hole (long recognised as one of Australia's top blues perfprmers) quit The Beaten Tracks, to be replaced by Tasmanian guitarist Phil Manning (formerly of Tony Worsley & the Blue Jays, The Laurie Allen Revue and Bay City Union, among others) and the band returned to Perth, where they lost the services of Partington. A return to Melbourne in December 1968 saw the group recruit ex-James Taylor Move singer Wendy Saddington, and the first incarnation of (The) Chain was established. Saddington was a blues/soul 'belter' in the vein of Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, and it was she who came up with the band's name, derived from Aretha's classic hit, "Chain Of Fools". Sadly, this line-up of Chain never recorded, Saddington having departed by May 1969 to join Copperwine, and later to forge an erratic but compelling solo career. Chain relocated to Sydney in August and recruited bass player Tim Piper (ex-Chants R&B, Electric Heap, Wild Cherries) and legendary blind keyboardist Claude Papesch (who was also from Electric Heap, and who had been a member of Johnny Devlin & The Devils in New Zealand in the early '60s). This line-up stayed together long enough to record Chain's first single for Festival with house producer Pat Aulton -- "Show Me Home" b/w Morgan's "Mr Time", which was released in September. The single, while not a strong charter, convincingly displayed the group's abilities, and showed the strong and unmistakable influence of The Band -- who profoundly affected so many Aussie acts at the time -- as well as particularly showcasing Manning's fluid guitar style. The single is regarded by many as the earliest example of the "progressive" stance developing rapidly on the OzRock scene around this period. Follington, Piper and Papesch left Chain late in '69, to form Savage Rose, and each went on to reputable careers in a number of other prominent bands. Chain moved back yet again to Melbourne, where its core hooked up with the ex-Wild Cherries rhythm section of Barry Sullivan (bass) and Barry Harvey (drums). Nick-named, respectively, "Big Goose" and "Little Goose", the two Barrys injected a 'fish-arse-tight' cohesion into the band's sound, and helped unveil what was to become the classic, and best-remembered Chain configuration, gaining considerable notice in the southern capital's burgeoning blues-rock performing circuit in the process. (text courtesy of Milesago)
Following the release of their debut EP, Illumina, earlier in the year, Sydney four piece I Know Leopard have wasted no time jumping back into the studio, today unleashing Perfect Picture, the first taste of the band’s sophomore EP. The offering is trademark I Know Leopard –celestial, swimming, string-enhanced pop, a bit of synth and all of the feels. Added straight to full rotation on Australia's national radio tastemaker network Triple J, ‘Perfect Picture’ sees I Know Leopard keeping to their heady sonic intent but this time with a kraut-rock inspired groove. Despite the lively tempo, the song remains meditative like its predecessors with dizzying layers of the lushest of strings and synths throughout. With all the right pop sensibilities for success, their debut EP featuring Hold This Tight, received instant radio support and nods of approval from the discerning ears of bloggers and journalists worldwide.The result was 140,000 Soundcloud spins, a hugely successful national tour and more than a handful of glowing reviews consolidating I Know Leopard’s reputation as king of the indie pop jungle.
Listen to 'Perfect Picture' and 'Illumina EP' on Soundcloud
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".
Dylan Wright is a singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist brought up on Sydney’s southern beaches and has been likened to acts such as Jack Johnson, Jeff Buckley & Ben Harper. Still only in his 20’s, Wright’s songs and vocals deliver a uniqueness and maturity well beyond his years. His smooth vocals and storytelling lyrics have been capturing audiences around the country and they find themselves easily immersed in his songs.
Dylan Wright’s new track OCEAN EYES was co-written with Canadian musician, Andy Brown, and marks the debut single release from Wright’s new EP, THE LONG WAY HOME. With folk and blues influences, Wright’s smooth and catchy vocal melodies establish a mellowed atmosphere that draws the listener into the story of the songs which is underpinned by simple guitar lines, a walking bass and shuffling drum.
OCEAN EYES has been lucky enough to have had a sync on the ‘Possible Worlds: U.S. & Canadian Film Festival’ commercial which aired around Australia in August. Earlier this year Wright was invited to perform a showcase at Canada’s East Coast Music Awards conference where he had the opportunity to connect with musicians and people in the industry whom have many years experience. Wright has had the pleasure of playing alongside many talented musicians over the past few years which include (but are not limited to): Dragon, Ian Moss, Diesel, Tim Chaisson (CAN) and Joshua James (USA). A string of live dates will be announced soon in support of OCEAN EYES and Wright’s new EP. Facebook: http://facebook.com/dylanwrightmusic Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/dylanwrightmusic/ocean-eyes YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn-Jf5NYsWk&feature=youtu.be iTunes Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ocean-eyes-single/id879951729
The Long Way Home EP now available online and for physical purchase
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.
Johnny Rebb (born John Delbridge, 1939) was a mild mannered Sydney butcher's apprentice who got caught up in the swirling high tide of rock 'n' roll attention which followed his win of a theatre talent quest. Crafty manager, Syd McDonagh, kept Johnny busy with club, suburban dance and private functions work, while he pursued a recording deal with the aid of an acetate disc bearing a primitive version of Bobby Helm's "MY SPECIAL ANGEL", EMI took him on for one single (Johnny B Goode/Rebel Rock) but lost interest when it failed to leap into the charts. Late in 1958, McDonagh approached the young Leedon Records; operated by flamboyant entrepreneur Lee Gordon to carry releases from indie American labels. They took Rebb on as their first local artist and a cover of Dough & Rusty Kershaw's "HEY SHERIFF" was rushed out for the Christmas market. It hit #15 in Sydney and #28 in Melbourne, earning Johnny a spot on Six O'Clock Rock and generating a strong female following. From the outset, Johnny's image and recordings were at odds. Shy, well mannered and conservatively dressed, he was dubbed the 'Gentleman of Rock' by press and DJ's, and to cater to this, Leedon deliberately split the contents of his records between energetic rock and mellow ballads. However, in a live situation, he could get on with the best of them, ably abetted by his fiery young backing unit "The Rebels", Comprising Johnny Burns (drums), Johnny Charters (piano), Sonny Neville (guitar), Keith Williams (bass) and the highly regarded Jimmy Slogget (sax). Johnny Rebb was the first Australian artist to be signed by Lee Gordon's Leedon label in 1958. (N.B. — Leedon released more hits by Australian artists than any other label in the late fifties and early sixties.) Johnny's immense Sydney popularity was reflected by the top thirty charting of "COME ON LET'S GO" before the first hit even begun to dip. By the time "PATHWAY TO PARADISE" (an original) was issued in June (a national top ten) he was off on tour through the virtually uncharted regions of Victoria and Queensland. Lee Gordon cross-promoted the records by giving Rebb the support stint to TOMMY SANDS. His popularity grew to such a high point that he was chosen to compare episodes of "Six O'clock Rock' while Johnny O'Keefe was in America. At the very end of 1959 Johnny scored his final national hit with "HIGHWAY OF LOVE" (on the Lee Gordon rather than Leedon label). By the time he moved over to CDB/Cornet, Gordon's two labels had issued 5 singles. 3 EPs (Come On Let's Go, Highway Of Love, Hit It For Six) and an album (Some Swing, Some Sweet). His second Coronet (CBS) single, "THINK ME A KISS" in 1960 (backed with Carl Perkins' L-O-V-E-V-I-LL-E) made top ten in Sydney. Shortly after, he tried his hand in America and one single for Dot (BILLY BLUE SHOES). Returning home in 1963 he continued recording for CBS under producer Sven Libaek, his first effort being a fine version of Ronnie Self's AINT I'M A DOG. By 1964 he had joined forces with surf instrumental kings (turned R'n'B powerhouse) The Atlantics. By 1966-67, Johnny was singing unaccredited on The Atlantics extraordinary 'punk' singles for Festival. He finished the decade off with some moderately interesting Ramrod label issues under his own name and spent most of the early seventies overseas. Johhny Rebb died on July 28, 2014.
Prior to forming Mackenzie Theory, Melbourne-born Rob Mackenzie had played as a guest guitarist with a number of bands, including Friends and Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Rob was a natural and gifted musician. He came from a musical family, and had been brought up playing a wide variety of musical styles. Cleis Pearce, who was born in Sydney, moved around Australia widely with her family as a child. She went through a very intensive and conventional regime of classical music training on violin, and as the eldest in the family, she says she bore the brunt of her parents’ high expectations. One fateful night in September 1971, Cleis attended an Arts Factory performance by a trio from Melbourne. She was immediately enthralled with the music and playing style of the young guitarist, Rob Mackenzie, and when she introduced herself Rob invited her to join them in a jam at the following night's performance. This she did, and on the strength of that one evening’s jamming, Rob obviously realised that he had found a kindred spirit. He invited Cleis to come to Melbourne and form a band with him. After arriving in Melbourne, Rob recruited bassist Mike Leadabrand and drummer Andy Majewski and Mackenzie Theory was born. The name, says Cleis, was simply the expression of Rob’s outlook. He lived for music, constantly talking and theorizing about music and its relationship to life, and putting the band together was the embodiment of his philosophies. Mackenzie Theory's unique style and presentation quickly established them as a major presence on the flourishing early ‘70s Melbourne scene, playing at venues like the TF Much Ballroom, Sebastians and Berties. It's safe to say that there were few, if any rock bands following anything like the same path in Australia. As their popularity grew, Mackenzie Theory made regular appearances alongside the likes of Spectrum, Madder Lake, Chain, The Aztecs and Band of Light. The first MacKenzie Theory recording to be released was the eight-minute "New Song and", which was included on Mushroom's inaugural release, the live triple album The Great Australian Rock Festival Sunbury 1973, issued in April. Cleis recalled the Sunbury performance as a memorable experience. Mackenzie Theory were scheduled to go on at midnight, immediately after a blistering two-hour set by The Aztecs, and it's hard to think of two more wildly contrasting acts. (Cleis says she suspects that some expected Theory's set to be a flop). But in fact, Mackenzie Theory proved to be the perfect “chill out” music to follow the Aztecs' sonic assault and they were warmly received. The band attempted some studio recordings, but, according to Cleis, her complete lack of studio experience combined with what she felt was the unsympathetic attitudes of the studio staff, she does not have happy memories of the experience. Whatever results there might have been were deemed unusable, so Mushroom opted for a compromise and recorded a live-in-the-studio set, which was released as their debut album, the highly-regarded Out of the Blue in July 1973. Cleis concurs with Ian McFarlane's observation that it “did not do justice to the band's powerful stage presence” but it is invaluable as a snapshot of the band in performance and as a document of at least some of what they were capable of. text courtesy of Milesago
Wendy June Saddington also known as Gandharvika Dasi (26 September 1949 – 21 June 2013) was an Australian blues, soul and jazz singer, and was in the bands Chain, Copperwine and the Wendy Saddington Band. She wrote for teen pop newspaper Go-Set from September 1969 to September 1970 as an agony aunt in her weekly "Takes Care of Business" column, and as a feature writer. Saddington had Top 30 chart success with her 1972 solo single "Looking Through a Window", which was written and produced by Billy Thorpe and Warren Morgan of the Aztecs. After adopting Krishna Consciousness in the 1970s she took the name, Gandharvika Dasi. In March 2013 she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and died on 21 June 2013, aged 63. An underrated talent and very sad loss. Wendy Saddington's musical influences included the likes of Bessie Smith, Etta James, Mahalia Jackson, Odetta, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, and the raw blues from the Mississippi delta, along with the swanky soul coming from the American Stax, Atlantic and Motown labels. There was also something of the vulnerability of Edith Piaf in Wendy's pleading, bleeding vocal entreaties. Saddington first came to notice in Melbourne psych-soul outfit The Revolution, before swiftly joining Adelaide's psychedelic/classically flavoured James Taylor Move around late 1967. When Wendy joined the emerging blues-rock ensemble Beaten Tracks, which she named (The) Chain, after the song by one of her heroines, Aretha Franklin's soul classic, "Chain Of Fools". Wendy spent around 18 months touring with Chain, and it was during this time that her passionate, earth-mother Joplin/Franklin vocal style came to prominent notice among promoters and punters alike. Also, her 'outlandish' appearance attracted magazines like Go-Set: a sad waif-like face, heavily mascara-ed around the eyes, framed by the hugest of afro 'do' this side of Jimi's Experience! Wendy favoured simple Levi's, with a basic shirt or cheesecloth kaftan top, copiously accessorised with love-beads and bangles. Saddington's next musical outing was with Jeff St John's highly acclaimed and well-established group, Copperwine, and it's here that we finally have an officially-released recording of her sublime vocal performances! Wendy joined the band in March 1970, just after the release of Copperwine's superb Joint Effort album, and she sang live as co-lead with St John for a concentrated touring regime through to February 1971. In January of that year, with St John temporarily away from the band, Saddington fronted Copperwine for their acclaimed performance at the Wallacia Festival on the central-coast of New South Wales. A live recording of the event was released on Festival's new progressive subsidiary Infinity during '71, which showcased Copperwine's sympathetic backing sensibilities for Wendy's distinctive vocals. On such cuts as the funky opener, Nina Simone's "Backlash Blues", and her heartfelt reading of Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", Saddington continually astonishes with her sensual soul power. Another notable inclusion is Wendy's introspective and idiosyncratic reading of John Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows" (which Wendy introduces as a George Harrison composition!) Other highlights include "Five People Said I Was Crazy " (which, with its wild Ross East guitar solo, Barry Kelly's electric piano flourishes and Wendy's monumental banshee wail, certainly lives up to its title). The closing tour-de-force "Blues In A" completely satisfies the listener as a consummate combination of the music of one of Australia's premier all-purpose prog-blues bands of the time, with definitely one of our most unique and mesmerising blues-soul vocalists.
Before the Little River Band there was Mississippi. They evolved from Adelaide folk-rock band called Alison Gros, a trio consisting of Graeham Goble, Russ Johnson and John Mower. Alison Gros recorded one independent single ("Naturally" / "Would You Really Have To Go?") on the Gamba label in 1970. The band then moved to Melbourne and signed to Ron Tudor's Fable Records, for whom they cut two more singles in 1971, "If I Ask You" / "So Good" (July) and "All The Days" / "Weaver Of Life" (December).
In early 1972, Alison Gros changed their name to Mississippi. They recorded their excellent self-titled debut LP with the addition of session players Peter Jones (piano), Geoff Cox (drums), Barry Sullivan (bass, ex-Chain) and Graham Lyall (flute). It was released in September that year on Fable's new Bootleg imprint, a subsidiary label recently set by Tudor and musician Brian Cadd. The Mississippi album showcased the band's considerable vocal abilities and Goble and Johnson's strong writing skills. The material and the tight harmonizing showed the influence of groups like The Hollies, The Bee Gees, Crosby and Stills, Nash & Young. Their debut single "Kings of the World" (released in July) became a Top 10 hit in October.
There were several more lineup changes, beginning in February 1973 when Russ Johnson left to join Country Radio; he was replaced for a month by Kerryn Tolhurst (who had himself just left Country Radio). When Tolhurst left to form The Dingoes he was replaced by Harvey James. Their next single, "Early Morning" / "Sweet World" was released in July '73, and in October they supported The Jackson Five on their Australian tour. When the tour ended, Deleuca and Mower both left the band. Deluca was replaced first by bassist Andre Santos, then by Charlie Tumahai (ex- Healing Force, Chain, Friends) in December.
In January 1975 they put together a new lineup, adding classically-trained guitarist and arranger Rick Formosa and bassist Roger McLachlan and began gigging. For the first few months they performed as Mississippi, but on the way to a gig in Geelong, Victoria, they decided to change the name to The Little River Band, which they took from a signpost along the road. The rest is History - under the guidance of Glenn Wheatley, LRB were the first Australian band to successfully break through into the American market, and became one of the greatest international successes in Australian music history.
Founding member Russ Johnson died in Adelaide on 15 September 2007 after suffering a stroke.
On paper, Fanny Adams looked like a dream team, with four of Australasia's best musicians combining in a 'supergroup' and intent on conquering the world. Given the talent involved, this should have been a great group who did grand things, but, as so often happened in OzRock, the reality proved to be drastically different. Vince Maloney, Johnny Dick, Teddy Toi and Doug Parkinson were veterans of some of Australia and New Zealand's top bands of the 1960s: Vince Maloney had been in the original 1963-65 lineup of The Aztecs, but quit in '65 (along with the rest of the band) after a financial dispute. He and fellow Aztec Tony Barber then formed a shortlived duo, followed by a stint with Tony Worsley & The Fabulous Blue Jays. Vince then formed his own band The Vince Maloney Sect, which became the house band on the mid-'60s pop show Kommotion. Moving to England, he spent several years as lead guitarist in the late-60s UK lineup of The Bee Gees with drummer Colin Petersen Johnny Dick had joined Max Merritt & The Meteors in 1963 in New Zealand and came to Australia with them in '65, alongside Teddy Toi. After the original Aztecs split from Thorpe, he and Teddy jumped ship and joined the "new" Aztecs, which lasted until 1966. He later teamed up with 'Parko' in the highly-regarded Doug Parkinson In Focus Teddy Toi was a highly respected bassist, already a rock'n'roll veteran whose CV went back to New Zealand in the late '50s with Sonny Day & the Sundowners and included a stint in the second lineup of The Aztecs in 1965-66. Doug Parkinson was (and still is) one of Australia's finest male singers. He started his career in a high-school band The A Sound, followed Newcastle pop outfit The Questions, which evolved into Doug Parkinson In Focus with Johnny, Duncan McGuire and Billy Green, scoring a Top 20 hit in '68 with their superb rendition of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence" and winning the Hoadley's Battle Of The Sounds in '69. Fanny Adams were, unfortunately, short lived. Due to various issues within the band and resistance from a sceptical public, they went their separate ways, but left us with this, now rare, album which showed the enormous talent that was within. text courtesy of Milesago
The original lineup of Ariel was a genuine 'supergroup', combining key members from two of Australia's leading progressive bands of the period: Rudd, Putt and Mills hailed from Melbourne's legendary Spectrum, Gaze and Macara from Spectrum's esteemed Sydney peers Tamam Shud. Lead guitarist Tim Gaze, regarded as one of the hottest players on the scene, had also joined Shud at just 16 and by the time he joined Ariel he had also been a member of Kahvas Jute, and played on their only album, the brilliant Wide Open. Like its predecessor, Ariel was primarily a vehicle for the talents and vision of singer, songwriter and guitarist Mike Rudd, and his longtime bass-player and musical partner, Bill Putt. Like Spectrum, the band began strongly, but lineup changes, record company problems and the changing nature of music in the mid-70s meant that they never achieved the level of success they deserved, and Ariel proved to be Mike Rudd's last really high-profile outfit, although he remains one of the most respected figures in the music scene. Ariel formed in mid-1973, after the breakup of Spectrum. Within a few months of Spectrums's farewell performance their new band (whose name was taken from the character in Shakespeare's "The Tempest") was up and running. Ariel Mk I (1973-74) Mike Rudd (guitar, harmonica, vocals) Bill Putt (bass) Tim Gaze (guitar/vocals) John Mills (keyboards)
Nigel Macara (drums) Strong record company interest in Ariel quickly led to a contract with EMI's progressive Harvest imprint. They released their excellent first LP A Strange Fantastic Dream in December 1973. According to Noel McGrath, the album was also the first use of Moog synthesizer on an Australian rock record (though it's possible Tully may have been the first Australian band to record with one) and producer Peter Dawkins still names it as one of his favourite productions. It fared well commercially and critically, reaching #12 in the LP charts in February 1974, although there was a minor controversy about Stephen Nelson's brilliant, hallucinatory cover painting, which included (shock! horror!) a hypodermic syringe. Airplay for the LP was further hindered by the banning of three songs ("Confessions Of A Psychotic Cowpoke", "Medicine Man" and "Chicken Shit") by the commercial radio industry's self-regulatory body, the FACB. One particularly important outcome for the group was that EMI International's President, Allan Davies, fell in love with the album: "You know, Peter," he enthused to Dawkins, "I can't recall ever hearing a song about necrophilia!" Renowned British DJ John Peel also picked up both album and single and "said some really nice things about both of them". These and other factors led to Ariel being invited to tour the UK and record their next album at Abbey Rd. text courtesy of Milesago
Thaylia Releases New Single 'Love' with music video!
It has been a busy year for Darwin born Aboriginal singer Thaylia. She has been celebrating the success of her Number 1 AMRAP Air It Now chart topping debut single 'Hope'!Following her release she performed at Homeground 2014 at Sydney Opera House, Launch @ Youth Week Festival in Darwin and supported Leah Flanagan for her 'Everything' single launch at her Darwin shows.
Now, she is ready to release her new single 'Love'. The song went live for download by community radio stations earlier this week via the Australian Music Radio Air Play (AMRAP). She also wrote and composed Love, and co-produced with Steve Peach (who has previously worked with notable names such as Stafford Brothers, Icehouse & Marcia Hines) at Stereo Missile Recordings, Sydney. The lyric “Music gives me life, my one and only Love' sums up the spirit and message of the song which is a celebration of the beautiful power of music in bringing love, healing, inspiration and life to people's lives.
The video was produced and directed by Kenny Foo in the heart of Newtown and in the beautiful location of Botany Bay. The concept is based on two realities of Real-Thaylia and Heart-Thaylia. Real-Thaylia represents the damaged or hurt self that is created within us that causes emotional pain in our life, and Heart-Thaylia is her love-filled soul that represents the true nature of who we really are and the great potentiality within all of us to develop into expressive, loving, courageous beings that will ultimately bring us peace and happiness. The story revolves around rebirth, finding courage in the face of adversity, finding solace and salvation in music, self love and acceptance. Show your support for Thaylia and rate and review the track here on TripleJ Unearthed
