Various Artists - 20 Great Australian Hits Vol 2. (1979)

(Various Australian Artists Early 70's)
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Fable Records
Ron Tudor's Fable Records was the most successful Australian independent recording company of the early 1970s. It was also one of the most productive 'indie' labels of the period, issuing over 300 singles and dozens of EPs and LPs. Fable released a wide variety of music from rock groups to mainstream vocalists; its catalogue also included Christian gospel music by singing group The Proclaimers, comedy recordings by Frankie Davidson, and novelty items like Drummond's 'chipmunk' version of "Daddy Cool" and the quaint piano version of The Mixtures "In The Summertime." Fable was officially launched in April 1970 with a batch of five singles (all by Australian artists) and the success it enjoyed over its first nine months was nothing short of spectacular, seven of its first twelve singles made the national Top 40, and of the forty-one singles Fable released between April and December 1970, seventeen became hits, including two national #1s by The Mixtures' "In The Summertime" and "The Pushbike Song" and four other Top 10 hits by Hans Poulsen, Liv Maessen, Jigsaw and John Williamson. Fable won many industry awards during its fifteen year life. [extract from Milesago]
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Here is a short account of some of the more popular names that appear on this second Fable Records compilation, released by EMI in 1979.
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Brian Cadd
Brian Cadd (b.1946), singer/songwriter, had been a member of 1960s Melbourne band 'The Groop' before forming Axiom, the band for which he wrote the hits "Arkansas Grass" and "A Little Ray of Sunshine" at the dawn of the 1970s. Axiom recorded two very fine LPs, Fool’s Gold (Fable, 1969) and If Only (Warner-Reprise, 1971), the latter recorded in Los Angeles and produced by the legendary Shel Talmy.
After the break-up of Axiom in March 1971, Brian and fellow band member Don Mudie returned to Australia but they continued working together.
Brian began to establish his solo presence when he and Don Mudie issued the duo single "Show Me the Way", released on Ron Tudor’s Fable Records in December 1971. It was a very respectable success, reaching #17 in February 1972 and charting for 12 weeks. By this time, Brian had become Fable’s A&R manager and chief producer, and in this capacity went on to write, play on and produce Robin Jolley's 1972 hit "Marshall's Portable Music Machine" (a virtual Cadd solo single in all but name and lead vocal) and Robin’s subsequent solo album.
Brian also produced Hans Poulsen’s second solo album Lost and Found, Coming Home the Wrong Way Round (1972), the album 1972 AD for Frieze (Beeb Birtles and Daryl Cotton) and he produced and contributed to albums and singles for Stephen Foster, Fat Mamma, The Strangers, New Dream, Dutch Tilders, Bluestone, Kerrie Biddell and Daryl Somers.
In 1972, the year he founded record label 'Bootleg Records', Brian’s first fully solo recordings were "Sure Feels Good", "Making It on Your Own" and "Come With Me" and these appeared on the soundtrack album of Albie Falzon’s classic surf film 'Morning of the Earth' (Warner, May 1972) alongside tracks by Hannagan, Tamam Shud and G. Wayne Thomas.
That year also saw Cadd take out the composer's sections of the Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds competition and the Tokyo World Popular Song Festival with"Don't You Know it's Magic", later released as a single by John Farnham.
In 1973, Cadd penned the music score for the film Alvin Purple, reprising the effort for the sequel Alvin Rides Again; he is shown here recording the soundtrack for the first film. In 1974, he became the first Australian artist to perform on the American music show Midnight Special. He remained in the USA until 1981, during which period his songs were covered by the likes of Glen Campbell and Gene Pitney and the Pointer Sisters. Back in Australia he continues to work as a singer songwriter and producer [extract from National Portrait Gallery]
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The Bootleg Family Band
Geoff Cox (drums)
Tony Naylor (guitar)
Gus Fenwick (bass)
Brian Fitzgerald (keyboards) 1973-75
Russell Smith (trumpet)
Penny Dyer (vocals)
Angela Jones (vocals)
Louise Lincoln (vocals)
Clive Harrison (bass) 1975
Ian Mason (keyboards) 1975
Aussie artist Brian Cadd originally put together The Bootleg Family Band as the house band for the independent rock label Bootleg, which Fable Music’s boss, Ron Tudor, had established with Brian in 1972. The idea was that the Bootleg house band would provide core musical backing for records and tours for Brian and the other artists signed to the label. Besides backing Cadd and other Bootleg artists, the Bootleg Family Band recorded four singles and scored two major hits under its own name. Their debut was a Top 5 hit, "Your Mama Don't Dance" (Feb. 1973) and featured Brian Cadd. The second single "Wake Up Australia", once again featuring Cadd (June 1973), failed to reach the Top 40 but the third single, a cover of Betty Everett's "Shoop Shoop Song" (July 1974), delivered another Top 10 hit.
The four single A-sides were combined for the four-track Bootleg Family Band EP alongside their fourth and last single "Green Door" (February 1975), which barely scraped into the Top 100.
By 1975 it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the large band on the road, so in May the line-up was cut back to a four-piece comprising Naylor and Cox with new members Ian Mason replacing Fitzgerald (who moved to America) and Clive Harrison replacing Fenwick.
Renamed simply 'The Bootleg Band', this line-up was used for mostly for touring, although they issued a final single "How Do I Try?" / "Rockin' Hollywood" in October 1975, which scraped into the lower half of the Top 100. When Brian Cadd relocated to the States at the end of '75, Mason left the group (he subsequently joined Ariel) and the remaining members renamed themselves Avalanche [extract from Tom Music Mix and Milesago].
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Bobby & Laurie
Laurie Allen (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Bobby Bright (vocals, guitar)
backed by The Rondells:
Dynamic vocal duo Bobby & Laurie was one of the leading acts in the first wave of Australian 'beat pop' 1964-67. They cut a series of fine recordings which rank alongside those of Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Ray Brown & The Whispers, The Easybeats, Normie Rowe and MPD Ltd as milestones of Australian pop in the mid-60s.
Although perhaps not as well remembered today as some of their contemporaries, they were one of the most popular and successful acts of their day, and deserve a lot more recognition for their contributions. Bobby, Laurie and the members of their regular backing band, The Rondells were all important figures in the development of the Melbourne rock scene, and their History is also a great illustration of the intricate (and sometimes confusing) interconnections between the many groups of the '60s and '70s.
Bobby & Laurie was one of the first Melbourne acts to adopt the new 'longhaired' image pioneered by The Beatles and the Stones, and they rapidly became a popular drawcard. Like several other important artists of the time, they became regulars The Go!! Show, and this led to a contract with the allied Go!! record label.
Their first single, released in August 1964, was a superb Laurie Allen original, "I Belong With You". One of the breakthrough songs of the Australian Beat Boom, the single is notable for many reasons. It was the inaugural release on the Go!! label (G-5001), and the first song by a Melbourne 'beat' act to break nationally and it was produced by the great Roger Savage, who had recently emigrated from the UK, where he had worked with Dusty Springfield and The Rolling Stones. The song's catchy, foot-stomping bridge (probably influenced by The Dave Clark Five hit "Bits & Pieces") helped propel it into the Top Ten in March 1965, and it became one of the most successful singles of the year, charting for 19 weeks. The song also won Laurie an Australian Record Award for 'Best Composition' in 1965. [extract from Milesago]
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The Cherokees
Billy Dale and Barry King (Guitars)
Peter Tindall (Bass)
Barry Windley (Drums)
Named after a popular ice cream of the time, the Melbourne based Cherokees were formed in 1961 from the remnants of Johnny Chester's backing band the Chessmen and began playing Shadows-styled music around Melbourne, Australia. Starting as a vocal and instrumental act, the group switched to vocals only in 1965 with great success. Signing with W&G Records, the Cherokees released two singles and the rare 'Here Come the Cherokees' album in 1965. They began playing pop reminiscent of the Beatles and moved to the short-lived Go! label. Several of their singles made the Top 40 in Melbourne.
Their first single coupled the U.S group The Five Whispers' track Moon In The Afternoon with a Doug Trevor original Running Wild. Trevor had been the lead guitarist with the Marksmen and later joined the Cherokees on bass and guitar. Lindsay Morrison (rhythm guitar), Peter 'Max' Bliney (drums), Marty van Wynk (guitar) and vocalists Mike McGuire and Kevin Smith were group members at various times. The group were selected to support the Monkees' 1968 tour, and continued into the 1970's. The single "Sally" was produced by Brian Poole, and probably recorded in England. The last single was produced by Keith Glass and Doug Trevor. A further album was listed in W&G catalogues (WG-B-1914) but not released.
By 1967, the Cherokees were playing swing-styled music and several more singles again made the Melbourne Top 40. An album followed, Oh Monah!, but with the collapse of Go!, the band was left without a deal. Despite releasing one more single on Festival records and supporting the Monkees during their tour of Australia in October 1968, the Cherokees broke up at the end of the year.
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This post consists of a 320kps rip (mp3) of my 'near mint' vinyl copy of this compilation LP and includes full album artwork. I hope you enjoy this 2nd great Fable Records compilation of Australian artists, a personnel favourite of mine.
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Track Listing
01 - Let Go (BRIAN CADD)
02 - Melanie Makes Me Smile (THE STRANGERS)
03 - Put Another Log on the Fire (BILL & BOYD)
04 - Your Mama Don't Dance (BOOTLEG FAMILY)
05 - She's My Kind of Woman (JOHNNY CHESTER)
06 - Mama's Little Girl (LINDA GEORGE)
07 - Madamoiselle Ninette (JIGSAW)
08 - Gwen - Congratulations (JOHNNY CHESTER)
09 - Show Me The Way (BRIAN CADD & DON MUDIE)
10 - It's Only Love (ARIEL)
11 - A Rose Has To Die (JIGSAW)
12 - I Belong With You (BOBBY & LAURIE)
13 - Boom Sha La-La-Lo (HANS POULSEN)
14 - Neither One Of Us (LINDA GEORGE)
15 - Through The Eyes Of Love (BOBBY & LAURIE)
16 - Ginger Man (BRIAN CADD)
17 - The Shoop Shoop Song (BOOTLEG FAMILY)
18 - The Love Moth (LIV MAESSEN)
19 - Oh Monah (CHEROKEES)
20 - My Girl Bill (CASH BACKMAN)
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20 Great Australian Hits Vol 2. Link (139Mb) REPOST
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Various Artists - 20 Great Australian Hits Vol 1. (1977)

(Various Australian Artists Early 70's)
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Fable Records
Ron Tudor's Fable Records was the most successful Australian independent recording company of the early 1970s. It was also one of the most productive 'indie' labels of the period, issuing over 300 singles and dozens of EPs and LPs. Fable released a wide variety of music from rock groups to mainstream vocalists; its catalogue also included Christian gospel music by singing group The Proclaimers, comedy recordings by Frankie Davidson, and novelty items like Drummond's 'chipmunk' version of "Daddy Cool" and the quaint piano version of The Mixtures "In The Summertime." Fable was officially launched in April 1970 with a batch of five singles (all by Australian artists) and the success it enjoyed over its first nine months was nothing short of spectacular, seven of its first twelve singles made the national Top 40, and of the forty-one singles Fable released between April and December 1970, seventeen became hits, including two national #1s by The Mixtures' "In The Summertime" and "The Pushbike Song" and four other Top 10 hits by Hans Poulsen, Liv Maessen, Jigsaw and John Williamson. Fable won many industry awards during its fifteen year life. [extract from Milesago]
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Here is a short account of some of the more popular names that appear on this first Fable Records compilation, released by EMI in 1977.
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The Mixtures
Laurie Arthur (guitar, vocals, 1965-67), Greg Cook (drums, vocals, 1970-71), John Creech (drums, vocals, 1965-70), Rod De Clerk (bass, vocals 1965-67), Buddy England (vocals 1969-70), Mick Flinn (bass, 1967-72), Dennis Garcia (organ, 1967), Mick Holden (drums, 1971), Gary Howard (drums, 1970-71), Alan "Edgell" James (bass, 1966), Idris Jones (vocals, 1967-69 and 1970-71), Don Lebler (drums, 1971-76), Chris Spooner (bass, 1972-76), Fred Weiland (guitar, 1967), Peter Williams (vocals, guitar, 1971-76)
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Australian musicians Terry Dean and Rod De Clerk met in Tasmania in 1965. They then met Laurie Arthur, a member of The Strangers, and the three decided to form a band together after a jam session. They quickly signed to EMI that same year and released three singles. They went through several line-up changes over the following few years, then signed to CBS Records in 1969. A few further singles followed before transferring to Fable Records in 1970.
As a result of the 1970 radio ban, during which many Australian radio stations refused to play Australian and British music released by major labels, the Mixtures recorded a cover of Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" and received much more airplay than had initially been expected for a group on a small record label.
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The single went to #1 in Australia for six weeks. They followed up with "The Pushbike Song", which went to #1 in Australia for two weeks, hit #2 in the UK Singles Chart, and went to #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.
The Pushbike Song (1971)
This single is often mistakenly attributed to Mungo Jerry, as "The Pushbike Song", is reputed to be very Mungo Jerry-esque in style, but was in fact their own composition. Oddly enough, The Mixtures also have a song called "Henry Ford" on the same album as "The Pushbike Song". "The Pushbike Song" made the Top 10 in the U.K. and Australia in 1971.
Their next single "Henry Ford", only peaked at #43 but the followup single "Captain Zero" went to #5 in 1971, and was their last big hit. The group released material together for several more years before breaking up in 1976.

Bluestone
Terry Dean (vocals, guitar), Mike Burke (guitar, banjo), Edward Fry (bass), John Creech (drums, vocals), Gavan Anderson (lead guitar, vocals), Nigel Thompson (bass, vocals)
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Brian Cadd signed Bluestone to Bootleg Records which in time released eight singles and a self titled L.P. Terry Dean from Melbourne formed Bluestone after he had enjoyed a very successful solo career in the 60’s and 70's, recording a number of hit records, performing regularly in Melbourne and interstate and appearing nationally on TV shows including The ‘Go’ Show, and ‘Happening 70’.
‘Bluestone’ was heavily influenced by west coast American country rock including artists such as ‘The Byrds’, ‘The Flying Burrito Brothers’, ‘The Eagles’, Jackson Brown, Emmylou Harris and numerous other influential songwriters as well as performing and recording much of its own material.
Dean’s backing band around that time was the original Mixtures line up. Gavan Anderson (guitar and vocals) and Nigel Thompson (bass and vocals) joined the band in 1975 and this line up remained together until ‘Bluestone’ disbanded in 1984..

.The bands’ first album, self titled ‘Bluestone’, was released to excellent reviews in 1974 and helped to cement the band as a major force in Australian country music. The single from the album, ‘Wind and Rain’, was a hit across Australia in 1973.
By the 1980’s the band made the move into straight country releasing a 2nd L.P. for Avenue Records in 1982. 1st single was the chugging soft rocker "Single Again" (similar in style to Darryl Cotton's Same Old Girl), on which former Fraternity/Flying Circus member guests with some typically fine guitar work. It was perhaps the best chance at a hit in late 1981 but did not have the hoped for success. A 2nd single "Remember", was another excellent, commercial release that showed some almost new wave influences surprisingly. And yet it also failed as did this fine album which followed in April 1982. The album itself also showed more diversity than one might have expected after Bluestone's debut.
Since the mid 1980’s, the members of ‘Bluestone’ have gone on to pursue successful careers in the music industry. Terry Dean formed the successful duo ‘Dean & Carruthers’ with Garry Carruthers and they celebrated 25 years ‘on the road’ in July, 2010. Terry recently established ‘Terry Dean’s Guitars’ selling some of the world’s finest acoustic instruments. John Creech has continued his career as ‘drummer to the stars’ touring with ‘Kylie’ in the early 1990’s and with ‘Cotton, Keays & Morris’, Brian Cadd, Mike Brady and many others. Gavan Anderson has worked with numerous artists and bands including ‘Spot the Aussie’, Brian Cadd, Max Merritt and, most recently, Andy Cowan and has released a number of his own solo EP’s. Nigel Thompson continues to work with various bands including well known 60’s band ‘The Substitutes’ and various other bands and has continued his involvement in events management and promotion.
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Jigsaw
Dennis Tucker (Bass & Vocal), John Caldeerwood (Guitar & Vocal), Eddie Chappel (Drums & Vocal), Ron Gilbee (Rhythm Guitar & Vocal)
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Jigsaw were at one time Johnny Chesters backing band but eventually managed to forge a career of there own. Alas Jigsaw have never had their own studio LP release, only an EP and a multitude of singles, 13 in total. They did however share two albums with Johnny Chester, each having one side each, with Jigsaw also backing Johnny Chester on his tracks. The first collaborative album was selftitled (pictured below) and included such hits as "Yellow River", "Albert The Albatross", as well as Chester's singles - "Glory Glory" & "Shame And Scandal (In The Family)". The 2nd, entitled 'Going Places' featured "How Do You D"o and their last big hit "Mademoiselle Ninette".
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Johnny Chester
With a recording career that began in 1961 and continues even stronger today, Johnny Chester is one of Australia's most enduring recording artists.
His singing career started in 1959 when at the age of seventeen he began running a dance in the St Cecilia's Church Hall in Melbourne's suburban West Preston. With his mum selling tickets, his dad on the door and great support from the teenagers in the area the local dance soon grew too large for the venue and so was moved in late 1960 to the much larger Preston town hall.
Here with the enormous support of legendary radio disc jockey Stan 'The Man' Rofe the dance became the most successful of its time and Johnny soon came to the attention of W&G Records. This was all during the time in Melbourne when rock'n'roll was king.
During the 60s, whilst establishing himself as a recording artist and songwriter, he hosted two national television series for the ABC. He toured with a host of overseas stars including the Beatles, Roy Orbison, Dion and the Everly Brothers and worked as associate producer of the national 'Kommotion' Televison show and a disc jockey on Melbourne's number one radio station 3UZ as well as doing an entertainment tour of duty for the Australian and American forces in Vietnam.
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During the 70s we saw a major musical transition take place as Johnny Chester moved via a varied but well charted course in to Country Music.
Johnny Chester made records for Fable from 1970 until 1976. He recorded with both studio musicians and Jigsaw who became his permanent backing band while Johnny produced their records. In 1971 they released their first album for Fable titled Johnny Chester and Jigsaw, from which the single "Shame and Scandal in the Family" was released. It went to Number One in several states.
Winning along the way three consecutive Golden Guitars at the Australasian Country Music Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year and many other accolades as well both here and overseas. He continued to tour with his own show and with international acts like Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Roger Miller, Charlie Pride and Freddy Fender. He also hosted two more national television series for the ABC. From 1989 to 1991 he hosted several weekly radio programs including his 'Soundabout Club' and his 'World of Country Music' for Radio Australia, our international broadcaster. [taken from Johnny Chester's Website]
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Axiom
Brian Cadd (keyboards, vocals),Doug Lavery (drums) 1969,Don Lebler (drums) 1969-71,Don Mudie (bass),Glenn Shorrock (vocals),Chris Stockley (guitar)
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Formed in Melbourne in 1969, Axiom were arguably Australia's first true supergroup. Yet, in spite of a wealth of talent and promise, some notable chart successes and two superb Albums of original material, they failed to achieve lasting popularity, due in part to waning public support in Australia as they vainly tried to crack the fickle English market, and the band fizzled out after less than two years. Nevertheless, Axiom deserve to be recognised as an important musical bridge between Sixties pop and Seventies rock in Australia, as one of the first serious attempts to make Australian rock with international appeal, and as one of the finest bands of their time.
Axiom were touted as Australia's first supergroup, because it contained 5 seasoned musicians, rather than one or two gifted musicians in a band of 4 or 5 members. They had chart success with their first single, "Arkansas Grass", reaching number 1 only in Brisbane, but top 5 elsewhere, but to many its 2nd single, "A Little Ray of Sunshine" is probably more fondly remembered. (It's interesting to compare how the band's singles charted in different states. In three states, only three of their releases charted ("My Baby's Gone" was the third single to reach the charts, whereas in Adelaide, all five were represented. In two states "Arkansas Grass" was more popular than "Ray of Sunshine" whereas in Adelaide, "My Baby's Gone" was the highest charting of any of their releases there!)
The featured track here "Little Ray of Sunshine" shot to #5 in April 1970 and has since become a standard. Their first two Axiom singles are rightly considered classics, and the latter, a perennial favourite, has become one of Glenn Shorrock's trademark songs, and was even celebrated with its own stamp in Australia Post's 1998 'Australian Rock' stamp series. It was followed by Axiom's brilliant debut LP Fools Gold, which was both widely praised and a significant commercial success, reaching #18 on the album chart in June.
Fool's Gold unquestionably ranks as one of the best and most original Aussie albums of the period. It was also a significant step forward in creative control, being one of the very first Australian rock albums released on a major label that was produced by the artists themselves. Axiom was able to take advantage of the great improvement in sound provided by the new 8-track facilities at Armstrong's Studios, which showcased a selection of superb songs, brilliantly performed.
All members of Axiom went on to further their careers in the industry, but perhaps the better known of the group were Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock, both of whom have had enormous solo careers. Don Mudie who co-wrote most of the material on the band's two albums, did not pursue the limelight to the same extent. [extracts from Milesago and Howlspace]
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This post consists of a 320kps rip (mp3) of my 'near mint' vinyl copy of this compilation and includes full album artwork. I hope you enjoy this great Fable Records compilation (the first of two) and stay tuned for the second which I plan to post soon.
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Track Listing
01 - The Pushbike Song (THE MIXTURES)
02 - The World's Greatest Mum (JOHNNY CHESTER)
03 - Old Man Emu (JOHN WILLIAMSON)
04 - Santa Never Made It Into Darwin (BILL AND BOYD)
05 - Catfish John (HAWKING BROTHERS)
06 - Snowbird (LIV MAESSEN)
07 - Butterfly (MATT FLINDERS)
08 - Yellow River (JIGSAW)
09 - Glory Glory (JOHNNY CHESTER)
10 - Daddy Cool (DRUMMOND)
11 - Knock Knock Who's There (LIV MAESSEN)
12 - Shame And Scandal (JOHNNY CHESTER)
13 - Picking Up Pebbles (MATT FLINDERS)
14 - Wind And Rain (BLUESTONE)
15 - In The Summertime (THE MIXTURES)
16 - Carroll County Accident (BOBBY AND LAURIE)
17 - A Little Ray Of Sunshine (AXIOM)
18 - How Do You Do (JIGSAW)
19 - Cinderella Rockefella (ANNE AND JOHNNY HAWKER)
20 - Captain Zero (THE MIXTURES)
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20 Great Australian Hits Vol 1 Link (125Mb) New Link 13/09/2014
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W.O.C.K on Vinyl - Brady Bunch (Christmas LP 1970)

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Before things get too serious
here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.

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Christmas with The Brady Bunch (also known as 'Merry Christmas from The Brady Bunch') is an album released by Paramount Records in 1970. It was re-issued by MCA Records in 1995. As its title suggests, the album consists of Christmas standards performed by the children who played the kids on the sitcom 'The Brady Bunch' during the 70's. The Brady Bunch: Barry "Greg" Williams, Maureen "Marsha" McCormick, Chris "Peter" Knight, Eve "Jan" Plumb, Susan "Cindy" Olsen, Mike "Bobby" Lookinland (vocals). For those expecting the bell-bottomed fun of their hit single "It's a Sunshine Day," think again. On their 1970 debut, the Brady Bunch serve up traditional arrangements of such holiday fare as "The First Noel," "Silent Night" and "Frosty the Snowman."

The TV Series
The Brady Bunch was one of the last of the old-style fun-around-the-house situation comedies, full of well-scrubbed children, trivial adventures, and relentlessly middle-class parents. The premise here was a kind of conglomerate family, formed by a widow with three daughters who married a widower with three sons; a nutty housekeeper, Alice, thrown in to act as referee; plus, of course, the family cat and a shaggy dog, Tiger. All of these smiling faces lived in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house in the Los Angeles suburbs, from which Dad pursued his nice, clean profession as a designer and architect.
Typical stories revolved around the children going steady, family camping trips, competition for the family telephone (at one point Dad installed a pay phone), and of course war in the bathroom. The children ranged in age from 7 to 14 at the series' start, and the oldest son, Greg, played by Barry Williams, soon became something of a teenage idol; he was receiving 6,500 fan letters per week during 1971. Barry and several of the others tried to parlay their TV success into recording careers in the early 1970s, but without notable success. Re-runs of The Brady Bunch were aired as part of ABC's weekday daytime lineup from July 1973 to August 1975, and an animated spinoff titled The Brady Kids ran Saturday mornings on ABC from September 1972 to August 1974.
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Did You Know? Trivia
464 girls and boys were interviewed by producer Sherwood Schwartz to find the Brady kids.
In addition to the albums recorded by the Brady kids, there was an album featuring only Maureen McCormick and Christopher Knight. It was a commercial failure.

'Reed, Robert' was written out of the final episode because he refused to appear in it. It was no secret that Reed hated his role of Mike Brady and it was not the only time he was written out of an episode.
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The theme song during the first season, unlike subsequent seasons, was not sung by the Brady kids, but by a group known as The Peppermint Trolley Company.

We saw the Brady's bathroom many times, but not once did we see a toilet. The popular joke was that the Bradys are so good, clean, and wholesome that didn't even go to the bathroom. The truth is, they had intended putting a toilet in the bathroom, but the network censors wouldn't allow them.

Sherwood Schwartz originally wanted Gene Hackman for the role of Mike Brady, but Hackman wasn't considered well-known enough at the time.
Tiger, the Bradys' dog disappeared after the second season of the show. In reality, Tiger ran away and supposedly got hit by a car. The reason the dog house remained was because one of the studio lights fell and burned a hole in their beloved Astro-turf, so they moved the dog house to cover up the burn hole.
Even though this show stayed on for five seasons, it never was a ratings hit. The highest it ever got was number 34 in the rating charts, but stayed on the air due to its popularity amongst children.
The Brady kids attended Westdale High School, Filmore Junior High and Clinton Elementary School.
The Brady's next door neighbors, the Ditmeyers, were talked about, but only Mr. Ditmeyer was seen on one occasion.

The girls originally had a cat named Fluffy, but it was only seen in the pilot. The cat was gone by the time the second episode aired.

Originally, both Mike and Carol were going to be divorcees. However, when the concept was announced, A.B.C. was very much against it. It was then decided to make Mike a widower and leave Carol the divorcee. Carol's last name from her previous marriage was Martin.

Even though Greg dated a lot, you never actually saw him kiss any of the girls he went out with. In fact, the only Brady kid to have a kissing scene was little Bobby.

(Did You Know Facts from The Internet Movie Database at Sitcom Online) 

Like previous posts of past, I have chosen to post the December 'WOCK on Vinyl' a little earlier than normal, to coincide with the Festive Season. The rip supplied was found somewhere in cyberspace (probably close to the North Pole) and includes mp3's (192kps) and limited artwork. I have chosen to include the Brady Bunch TV Theme as a bonus track to make this a truly Korny post with a Christmas twist.
.I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed and Merry Christmas, and in the very words of Jan Brady, I intend to continue Marcia! Marcia! Mar-sharing my vinyl with you all, in the new year..
 
Track Listing
01 The First Noel
02 Away in a Manger
03 The Little Drummer Boy
04 O Come All Ye Faithful
05 O Holy Night
06 Silent Night
07 Jingle Bells
08 Frosty the Snowman
09 Silver Bells
10 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
11 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
12 We Wish You a Merry Christmas
13 The Brady Bunch 1970 TV theme (Bonus)
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Brady Bunch Christmas Link (32Mb) New Link 18/10/2024
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Tangerine Dream - Phaedra (1974)

(German 1967–present)
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Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member. Drummer and composer Klaus Schulze was briefly a member of an early lineup, but the most stable version of the group, during their influential mid-1970s period, was as a keyboard trio with Froese, Christopher Franke, and Peter Baumann. Early in the 1980s, Johannes Schmoelling replaced Baumann, and this lineup, too, was stable and extremely productive.
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Tangerine Dream's early "Pink Years" albums had a pivotal role in the development of Krautrock. Their "Virgin Years" and later albums became a defining influence in the genre known as New Age music, although the band themselves disliked the term.
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Tangerine Dream released the album 'Phaedra' in 1974, an eerie soundscape that unexpectedly reached #15 in the United Kingdom album charts and became one of Virgin's first bona-fide hits. Phaedra was one of the first commercial albums to feature sequencers and came to define much more than just the band's own sound.
This album's name derives from Greek mythology and it was the opener for the band's international career in May 73. For most of the sequences, the Moog sequencer was used for the first time on a Rock & Pop record.
The creation of the album's title track was something of an accident; the band was experimenting in the studio with a recently acquired Moog synthesizer, and the tape happened to be rolling at the time. They kept the results and later added flute, bass-guitar and Mellotron performances. The cantankerous Moog, like many other early synthesizers, was so sensitive to changes in temperature that its oscillators would drift badly in tuning as the equipment warmed up, and this drift can easily be heard on the final recording. This album marked the beginning of the period known as the Virgin Years.[extract from wikipedia]
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Phaedra remains Tangerine Dream’s most recognized and best-selling album today. Despite this, it also thankfully remains a challenging work to absorb, to the extent that I’m somewhat surprised it enjoyed the commercial success that it apparently did. In any case, we’re talking indispensable stuff with this one. With the move to Virgin and improved production, Phaedra represents peak work from this band –a classic of ambient and electronic music that sounds just as great today as it did back then.
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Album Review
The watershed album for Tangerine Dream, 'Phaedra' was their first release for Virgin Records, . If 'Zeit' was music recorded on Jupiter, then this was music recorded on Pluto, it is icy, distant, alien. The beginning moments of the title track always manage to bring shivers up my spine, as we are gently blown by a jet stream from up above, until slowly descending down into a mechanical throbbing like something you'd imagine hearing in a mad scientist's lab or in the shadowy corridors of an H.R. Giger painting. Gradually, this throbbing speeds up, until an angelic mellotron choir parts the waters. Soon over this, enter a wavering mellotron string lead, swirling in and out like quicksilver, and in the hands of VCS3 manipulation, almost sounding like a Moog at times. This early climax, perhaps the most incredible section of the title track, then hangs a sharp left turn unexpectedly into a new terrain of pulsing sequencing that would become the band's signature for the remainder of the 1970s. This similarly builds slowly to a peak, before screeching to a halt altogether once it reaches its top limits. Then the listener is left alone on an immense, deserted beach, with only synth-gulls and lonely mellotron to provide companionship. The haunting disorientation of the children's playground in the distance is the icing on the cake. On my remastered CD, this is placed as the beginning of the next track, "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares," and as I never owned the original LP I assume that's where it should be — but for me it will always be the close of title track.
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"Mysterious Semblance" is pretty much Froese and one of the all-time classic mellotron tracks: ten minutes of pure, unadultered 'tron beauty. To date, the only other track I've heard yet that equals it as a mellotron showcase is Popol Vuh's "Aguirre." Despite its foreboding title, it is for the most part a soothing, peaceful piece, and one that can't help but evoke the blue and white upper-reaches of the sky, especially with the windy bursts of white noise that augment the mellotron's song. The two remaining tracks, "Movements of a Visionary" and the Baumann-composed, quiet-as-a-whisper "Sequent 'C'" are also quite strong.
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Phaedra remains Tangerine Dream's most recognized and best-selling album today. Despite this, it also thankfully remains a challenging work to absorb, to the extent that I'm somewhat surprised it enjoyed the commercial success that it apparently did. In any case, we're talking indispensable stuff with this one. With the move to Virgin and improved production, Phaedra represents peak work from this band--a classic of ambient and electronic music that sounds just as great today as it did back then. [review by Joe McGlinchey]
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I have vivid memories of hearing the haunting sounds of Phaedra for the first time while attending a mate's party in my teenage years, when the party had died down and everyone was too drunk to dance. The sounds that came out of his pseudo-surround sound system (read: wall mounted speakers in garage) were something I'd never heard before and the almost 17min trip to another galaxy was profound to say the least. Tangerine Dream (or any other German band to be exact) were unknowns in Australia at the time, but Phaedra definitely changed this for ever. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of this now legendary LP, especially as it also featured the novel Virgin label logo, which I'd never seen before either.
I now share this album with you in this post, an mp3 rip (320kps) taken from that very same copy which I have nurtured over the years. I am also including artwork for both LP and CD along with some select photos of the original lineup. The above photo of Peter Baumann playing at the time of Phaedra's recording was sourced from TangerineMusic with thanks.
So sit back, relax, and let the mirage of Phaedra sounds take you on a journey to far away mythological places and times.
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Track Listing
01 - Phaedra (16:24)
02 - Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares (9:33)
03 - Movements of a Visionary (7:42)
04 - Sequent C (2:10)
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Band Members:
Edgar Froese (Mellotron, Guitar-bass, vcs3 synth, organ)
Chris Franke (Moog Synthesier, keyboards, vcs3 sA)
Peter Baumann (Organ, e-piano, vcs3 synth, flute)
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Tangerine Dream Link (83Mb) New Link 13/11/2024

Mondo Rock - Aliens (Mini LP) 1987

(Australian 1977–1990, 2007-present)
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Mondo Rock formed in February 1977, the band’s first single ‘The Fugitive Kind’ making Top 30 nationally and their debut album Primal Park making Top 40. After line-up changes in 1980 Wilson was back within three months with a new band, a new record deal and brand a new sound. Standing alongside him were guitarist Eric McCusker, a songwriter of skill and focus, James Black on keyboards, Paul Christie on bass and J.J. Hackett on drums - the definitive Mondo Rock formation. The band rapidly became one of the most popular in Australia; a powerful draw card on the national touring circuit.

At the heart of Mondo Rock's chemistry were the exceptional songwriting talents of both vocalist Ross Wilson and guitarist Eric McCusker who brought to the group diverse, but complementary ideas, along with James Black's inventive & compelling keyboard lines and Paul Christies rock solid bass.

Ross Wilson has given us ‘Eagle Rock’, ‘Come Back Again’, ‘Living In The Land Of Oz’, ‘A Touch of Paradise’, ‘Cool World’ and ‘Bed Of Nails’, providing a strong creative contrast to the more precise, pop-based McCusker, who focussed on personal relationships with ‘State Of The Heart’, ‘No One Comes Close’ and ‘Come Said The Boy’.

Eric's ‘State Of The Heart’ and Ross's ‘Cool World’ were immediate Top 10 hits, while the ‘Chemistry’ album shot into the Top 3. Two more hits were forthcoming from this landmark album; the title track and ‘Summer Of '81’. ‘Nuovo Mondo’ was another Top 10 album in mid 1982, yielding three singles ‘No Time’, ‘The Queen and Me’ and ‘In Another Love’.

Their fourth album ‘The Modern Bop’ went Top 5 spawning the enduring McCusker-penned ‘Come Said The Boy’ (a national #2 smash) and the Wilson-Black co-write ‘Baby Wants To Rock’. By 1984 Mondo Rock were at the forefront of Australian music on equal footing with the likes of Cold Chisel, INXS, Australian Crawl, Angels and Divinyls. So much so that the 1985 ‘best of’ ‘Up To The Moment’ went straight into the Top 10.

’Boom Baby Boom’ was a hit album in 1986 & the single ‘Primitive Love Rites’ achieved the prominence the band had become accustomed to. After the 1988 Aliens EP, Ross recorded a successful solo album, ‘Dark Side Of The Man’, before reuniting with McCusker in 1990 for ‘Why Fight It’, the final Mondo Rock album, recorded with American producer Waddy Wachtel.
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Ross Wilson's most recent solo venture is his brilliant 'I Come In Peace' which was released in July, 2010. To have a listen to the title track, just pop over to his Website and slect the MUSIC link.

Alongside Wilson and McCusker, the latest lineup of Mondo Rock features the celebrated Mondo alumni: Paul Christie (who enjoyed a #1 national hit with ‘He's Gonna Step On You Again’ as leader of the Party Boys), original keyboardist James Black, now also known as the maestro extraordinaire leader of the RocKwiz Orchestra and drummer Kerry Jacobson, a chart topper in his own right as a founding member of Dragon. All members are at the top of their game & eager to demonstrate just what a kick-ass outfit this is.

Mondo Rock recently released a 30 year commemorative edition of Chemistry in 2011. All touring and release info for Mondo Rock can be found at their website


This post consists of a mp3 rip (320kps) taken from my vinyl 12" copy of this Mini LP. I have also included full album artwork along with select photos of the band and some of of their more popular albums.
I really like 5 track offering from Mondo Rock - the opening track kicks off with a rockin' / popin' original "A Woman Like You" collaboratively written by the three song writers in the band - McCusker, Hackett and Wilson. Next is an anthem type track (typical Wilson style) entitled 'Aliens', where the chorus spells out the word - A L I E N. Very catchy indeed.
The flip side of this Mini LP starts with a Stones cover "I'm Free" which the Rolling Stones performed in the mid-60's. Mondo's version is better in my opinion. Next is the better known track "Primitive Love Rites" which was released as a single in November, 1986, however the version on this Mini LP is a different mix to the single (commonly referred to as the L.A Rhythm Mix), and is therefore worth grabbing if you are a hardened Mondo Rock fan.
The final track on this powerful Mini LP is "Working My Way Back" which features some nice Sax overtones by Ross, who also joins Wilson and McCusker in the song writing credits.
Overall, a great release by the Mondo's but its shortness leaves you wanting more.

Track Listing
A1. A Woman Like You
A2. Aliens (Walk Among Us)
B1. I'm Free
B2. Primitive Love Rites (L.A. Rhythm Mix)
B3. Working My Way Back

Band Members:
Ross Wilson – Vocals
Eric McCusker – Guitar
James Gillard – Bass
Andrew Ross - Sax, Keyboards
John James Hackett – Drums
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Mondo Rock Link (49Mb)
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John Cougar Mellencamp - Unauthorised (1993)

(U.S 1976 - Present)
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John Cougar Mellencamp started as the walking embodiment of heartland rock — the passionate, plain-spoken, and extremely popular Eighties branch of singer-songwriters — scoring early hits that showcased themes such as pink houses, chili dogs, and bloodied plows. However, Mellencamp continued to grow artistically well beyond his commercial peak, earning praise from critics and racking up a formidable list of Top 40 hits along the way.Mellencamp was born on October 7, 1951, in Seymour, Indiana, with a form of spina bifida, a potentially crippling neural tube defect that required surgery and a lengthy hospitalization. Coddled by his mother and encouraged by his father to excel, Mellencamp grew into a self-proclaimed rebel.

At 17 he eloped with his pregnant girlfriend, Priscilla Esterline, began attending community college and working a series of blue-collar jobs. He had written a number of songs before he moved to New York at age 24 to begin a music career. There he met David Bowie's manager, Tony DeFries, who christened Mellencamp "Johnny Cougar," helped get him what has been reported as a $1 million deal with the Mainman label, and oversaw the recording of his 1976 debut, Chestnut Street Incident. The album, which mostly consisted of cover tunes, failed to hit, and a second recording in 1977, The Kid Inside, wasn't even released initially. (Both were later reissued and summarily trashed by critics.)

MCA dropped Mellencamp, who, it has been reported, was not even aware that he had "adopted" the Cougar stage name until he saw the first album cover. That and other early experiences in the music business no doubt contributed to the sometimes jaundiced view of show business that Mellencamp has expressed repeatedly through the years.

Four years later Mellencamp signed (this time as the more mature-sounding John Cougar) with Riva Records and, working with Rod Stewart's manager, Billy Gaff, recorded two more albums, the latter of which, John Cougar (Number 64, 1979), included an original, "I Need a Lover," that had previously been a radio hit for Pat Benatar. The song also became a hit for Mellencamp, reaching Number 28 in the U.S. and topping the chart in Australia. Nothing Matters (Number 37, 1980), produced by Steve Cropper, sold 900,000 copies and contained the hits "This Time" (Number 27, 1980) and "Ain't Even Done with the Night" (Number 17, 1981). Cougar divorced his first wife in 1981, and that year married Vicky Granucci. (They would later divorce, too.)

Two years later came Mellencamp's commercial breakthrough, American Fool (Number One, 1982). The videos for its hit singles — the Grammy-winning "Hurts So Good" (Number Two, 1982), "Jack and Diane" (Number One, 1982) and "Hand To Hold On To" (Number 19, 1982) — quickly became MTV staples, and Cougar toured as an opening act for Heart.

The next year's Uh-Huh (Number Nine, 1983) came out with American Fool still on the charts and included "Crumblin' Down" (Number Nine, 1983), "Pink Houses" (Number Eight, 1983) and "Authority Song" (Number 15, 1984). That year Mellencamp, who by then had begun calling himself John "Cougar" Mellencamp, embarked on his first headlining tour.

With Scarecrow (Number Two, 1985) he stayed the hard-rock course, producing another string of hits: "Lonely Ol' Night" (Number Six, 1985), "Small Town" (Number Six, 1985), "R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A." (Number Two, 1986), and "Rumbleseat" (Number 28, 1986).

In 1985 Mellencamp, with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, was a co-organizer of Farm Aid. He appeared at Farm Aid concerts I through VI. Over the years, he also has given concerts to call attention to the American farmer's plight, and in 1987 he testified before a congressional subcommittee on the issue. In addition, he has been an outspoken critic of beer- and cigarette-company sponsorship of concert tours and refuses to allow his music to be used in commercials.

Mellencamp's style took a dramatic turn with The Lonesome Jubilee (Number Six, 1987), which blended traditional American folk instrumentation (for example, Lisa Germano's violin and accordions) in a number of songs that lamented rather than celebrated contemporary Middle America. Its hits were "Paper in the Fire" (Number Nine, 1987), "Cherry Bomb" (Number Eight, 1987), and "Check It Out" (Number 14, 1988).

His next albums, more deeply introspective in some ways, each sold about a million copies, but the hits were fewer and farther between than in previous years. Big Daddy (Number Seven, 1989) included the somewhat cynical semi-autobiographical "Pop Singer" (Number 15, 1989), and Whenever We Wanted (Number 17, 1991) — his first album as just John Mellencamp, without the "Cougar" — featured "Get a Leg Up" (Number Fourteen, 1991) and "Again Tonight" (Number 36, 1992). The "Get a Let Up" video featured model Elaine Irwin, who became his third wife.

Human Wheels (Number Seven, 1993) yielded no major hit singles. Dance Naked (Number 13, 1994) featured the Number Three hit cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night," a duet with singer and bass player Meshell Ndeg éocello. Mellencamp's plans to embark on a large 1994 North American tour were scuttled after he was diagnosed with a heart condition. Although initial reports described Mellencamp's problem as an arterial blockage, he later admitted that he had suffered a heart attack.

As if to comment on his brush with mortality, Mellencamp titled his next album Mr. Happy Go Lucky (Number Nine, 1996) and sought out dance-mix specialist Junior Vasquez to put an urban spin on his signature heartland sound. Tony Toni Toné bassist Raphael Saadiq and North Mississippi diddley-bow player Lonnie Pitchford were among guest performers. "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" (Number 14, 1996) was a hit, and a second singel, "Just Another Day," reached Number 46. Not all was happy-go-lucky, however, as Mellencamp terminated his relationship with his label the following year.

Though he owed PolyGram/Mercury five albums, he was free to sign with Columbia after signing off on The Best That I Could Do: 1978-1988 (Number 33, 1997), a hits collection, and the acoustic Rough Harvest (Number 99, 1999). His emancipatory release was called John Mellencamp (Number 41, 1998), and featured guest appearances by ex-Guns n' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin and drummer Stan Lynch of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

For his first album of the new millennium, Cuttin' Heads (Number 15, 2001), he enlisted Public Enemy front man Chuck D and acoustic soul singer India.Arie for a set of socially conscious songs including his duet with the latter on "Peaceful World," which reached Number 11 on the adult chart. He threw another curve ball with Trouble No More (Number 31, 2003), a gritty set of folk, blues and country covers including Robert Johnson's "Stones in My Passageway" and Woody Guthrie's "Johnny Hart."

After spending much of 2003 and 2004 politicking against President Bush — participating in the Vote For Change tour alongside the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Springsteen, Babyface and R.E.M., and actively supporting the John Edwards campaign — Mellencamp returned to the studio for Freedom's Road (Number Five, 2007). More typically Mellencamp, it included the rootsy, heartland anthem "Our Country" (Number 88), which found the singer going back on his anti-commercial stance when it appeared in a car advertisement. It also included a protest duet with Joan Baez, "Jim Crow."

Of all the left turns Mellencamp has made in his career, none could have been more radical than Life, Death, Love, Freedom (Number Seven, 2008), which stripped away the Mellencamp sheen and let the brooding songs about growing old float in a misty, atmospheric soundscape. It turned out to be one of the most critically acclaimed albums of his career. He followed it with a live album in 2009. Portions of this biography appeared in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

This post features a concert recorded live in Indiana, USA on the 4th July, 1992. Specifically, the concert was held in Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, Indianapolis, Indiana during Mellencamp's "Whenever We Wanted" tour. (The concert has been released under the title of 'John Cougar Mellencamp - Unauthorised' by JOKER records, 'Workingman's Rock & Roll' (see cover below) and 'John Mellencamp Live - Indiana 1992' by LSD records)
This series of live import CD's were only available in New Zealand for a short time and were then banned from entering the country. The stores

which had stocks were able to sell what they had left, but no more were able to be imported. The first run copy had a cover with no picture on it, however, this later release featured a more pleasing picture cover featuring Mellencamp himself.
The quality of the sound recording is A+ and no doubt comes from a Soundboard tape.
The rip consists of mp3 (320kps) taken from CD and includes full album artwork. I have also included the Johnny Cougar single "I Need A Lover" as a bonus track to complete the set.
I have not been able to locate any details regarding Mellencamp's tour band other than that his long standing drummer Kenny Aronoff was on board (see pictured right).
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Track Listing
01 Paper In Fire
02 Jack And Diane
03 Lonely Ol' Night
04 Check It Out
05 Rain On The Scarecrow
06 Get A Leg Up
07 Jackie Brown
08 Small Town
09 Pop Singer
10 Crumblin' Down
11 R.O.C.K. In The USA
12 Play Guitar
13 Hurts So Good
14 Pink Houses
15 Cherry Bomb
16 I Need A Lover (Bonus Single)
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John Cougar Mellencamp Link (149Mb) REPOST
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