Thursday, October 31, 2013

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Bogislav (1972)

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

L-R: Dave Frogatt, Don Walker, Ron Carpenter, Tim Crozier (seated), Dave Highet
Formed in Armidale (NSW) sometime around 1970-1971, the original Bogislav line-up comprised of University of New England (UNE) students Ron Carpenter and Dave Frogget, along with Laurie Wheaton, Chris Hales and Rob Barwick. About a year later the band was joined by Dave Highet, who initially provided flute and vocals, before moving to bass after Laurie Wheaton left. Ron Barwick was later replaced temporarily by Andy Richardson. In addition to playing at UNE (including college balls), Bogislav secured regular gigs in Armidale and nearby towns. The band also travelled to Tamworth on a number of occasions. Although heavily influenced by heavy rock and blues acts like Cream, Led Zeppelin, Traffic, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Deep Purple, the band also played classic songs from the era by bands like the Rolling Stones (“Gimme Shelter”), Chicago and Santana (“Soul Sacrifice”). Brian ‘Lanky’ Moore recalls the band jamming on “Gimmie Shelter” with seminal hard rock band Blackfeather during one memorable Armidale gig. The band also performed numerous original songs.

Battle Of The Sounds Review 1972
Sometime in 1972, Chris Hales left the band and was replaced by another UNE student, Don Walker (later of Cold Chisel fame). That same year the Bogislav entered Hoadley’s National Battle of the Sounds, but didn’t play the Armidale heats (believing that another local band, Mantra, was more likely to win).  A decision was made to play the Grafton and Tamworth events so as to increase its chances. This paid off because although the band got beaten in Tamworth by Just in Time, Bogislav won the Grafton heats. Around the same time, Andy Richardson left the band and was replaced by Tim Crozier (formerly from the Newcastle band Luke’s Harp). Crozier, who was then living in Sydney, had previously been asked to join the band after Ron Barwick’s departure but that fell initially through. With only a few days notice before the Northern NSW zone final (held in Newcastle), Crozier learned the songs from a tape and had one rehearsal with the band – the day before the event. Despite competing against a strong line-up, notably Newcastle bands Amageddon and Mata Hari, Bogislav went on to win. It then competed in the State Finals (held in Sydney) which was won by pop band Sherbet (which later went on to win the National competition). The 1972 competition also happened to be the last sponsored by the Hoadley company.

Hoadley's Battle Of The Sounds
Following its success in the Battle of the Sounds competition Bogislav returned to Armidale where it put its high reputation to good use by securing regular gigs through- out Northern NSW. The band is believed to have broken up in late 1972 when several members completed their studies and moved away from the area. Most of the group went on to join other bands either in Armidale or elsewhere, with Don Walker beconing the most well-known after co-founding Cold Chisel in Adelaide the following year. Ron Carpenter also played in an early AC DC line-up before joining former Bogislav members Dave Froggat abd Dave Highet to form Aleph (see previous post), one of the most popular Northern NSW touring bands of the mid-late 1970s. [extract from http://havegravity.com with thanks]
.
This month's WOCK on Vinyl is a true rarity, consisting of two very Obscure 'Live' Recordings of the band (MP3/320kps) when they competed at the 1972 Hoadley Battle of the Sounds Zone Final, Newcastle, NSW. (Images courtesy of Tim Crozier “Bogislav” Newcastle Bands Database – online and Music courtesy of Brian Moore via http://havegravity.com with thanks).
.
Track Listing
01 - All Along The Watchtower
02 - Friends, Beggars, Louts and Thieves (Bogislav original)
.
Personnel: Rob Barwick (vocals) ; Ron Carpenter (drums/vocals) ; Tim Crozier (vocals) ; Dave Frogatt (guitar/vocals); Chris Hales (organ/vocals) ; Dave Highet (flute/bass/vocals) ; Andy Richardson (lead vocals/guitar) ; Don Walker (keyboards/vocals) ; Laurie Wheaton (bass)
.
Bogislav Link (27Mb)
.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Aleph - Surface Tension (1977)

(Australian 1974-1978)
.
Although based out of Sydney beginning in 1974, and later on the New South Wales North Coast, Aleph’s connection with the Northern Tablelands was through Ron Carpenter, Dave Froggatt and Dave Highet, all of whom were former members of the Armidale band Bogislav.  Aleph was initially a six-piece outfit which performed an all original repertoire. Utilising Mellotrons, moogs, Oberheim synths and elaborate guitar effects, along with traditional rock instruments, the band’s music during the early years has been described as full-blown, complex symphonic rock in the vein of Yes, Genesis and King Crimson. In this respect the band, along with Sebastian Hardie, helped pioneer the art/prog rock  genre in Australia.

At the end of 1974 Aleph recorded six songs at Sydney’s Albert’s Studios. Another band recording its debut album there at that time was  AC/DC. Interestingly a connection existed between the two bands through Ron Carpenter. The drummer had only recently left AC/DC after having spent much of 1973 and 1974 playing in several of its early line-ups (AC/DC and Aleph later even played a gig together at the Sydney Haymarket ca. 1976/76). By late 1974 Aleph had also begun playing gigs around Sydney, and over the next few years steadily built a following through its consistently high level of musicianship. The band also secured a contract with Warner Brothers around this time.
Aleph
Although Aleph’s reputation as one of the country’s leading art rock bands was building, these early years were quite difficult, with a number of factors conspiring against the possibility of national success. The most serious was the band’s 1976/77 national tour which unfortunately resulted in a significant financial loss. The recording quality of the debut album, 'Surface Tension', was also deemed unacceptable by the band and they subsequently asked Warner Brothers to allow them to re-record the songs. Warner denied the request, however, and went on to release  the LP in 1977. This eventually led to the band and record company terminating their association. Aleph then lost lead singer Joe Walmsley to illness in 1978, and that same year had its custom PA repossessed as a result of being $400,000 in debt. The band was also forced to abandon its touring for several months after Ron Carpenter was asked to fill in as temporary drummer for Cold Chisel. Carpenter also spent much of 1979 pouring his energies into the band 'First Light', which recorded and released a self-financed album that same year.

In 1979, Carpenter convinced the remaining members of Aleph (and their families) to relocate to Byron Bay where the band subsequently based itself. Over then few years, however, the line-up whittled down from a five piece to quartet and finally a trio, with Carpenter eventually taking on lead vocal duties. Although conceived as an all originals band, Aleph had by this stage been forced to play a selection of covers – with these ranging from punk and new wave to electronica and classic rock. The creative decisions in this area worked well and the band managed to secure almost nightly gigs throughout Northern NSW and the Queensland Gold Coast through until 1983. Carpenter has since recalled that the band also eventually managed to pay off most of its previous debt.

Along with Idol Minds (Lismore), Aleph is considered to have been one of the most popular and hardest working bands to come out of the NSW North Coast during the pub rock era. [extract from http://havegravity.com]

The Album
Sydney-based symphonic rock band Aleph's one album, "Surface Tension", featured full-blown, complex progressive rock in the Yes/Genesis/King Crimson vein. 
Joe Walmsley's high-pitched vocals recalls Yes singer Jon Anderson, while Dave Froggett's guitar style is very much in the manner of King Crimson's Robert Fripp. The only other local bands playing in a similar style at the time were Sebastian Hardie and Windchase. 'Surface Tension' failed to chart unfortunately. Prior to the album's release, Aleph issued a cover of The Yardbirds' "Little Games"/"Of The Essence" as a single. Walmsley left before the album appeared at the end of 1977.  Unable to find a suitable replacement, the band fell apart in early 1978. Later in the year, Ron Carpenter formed 'First Light', which issued a self-titled, self-financed album in 1979.
.
In "Banshee", the first thing I noticed were the familar vocals by Joe Walmsley, sounding like an acute version of Sting. The music is nice, and even when they claim influences from King Crimson, I see more influences from Alan Parsons Project and Styx to be honest.
"Man Who Fell" sounds alittle like Asia with some Neo Progressive fugues included.
"Morning" is a strange song with Neo Classical Metal connections at the start that suddenly turns into AOR. "Mountaineer" has a very classical oriented intro that reminds me more of the album 'Joy' by the Ventures rather than to a true progressive release, then the keyboards turn into some sort of Wakeman fest, but sadly the structure remains very light and doesn't really progress into something bigger.
Finally, "Heavens Archipielage" provides a nice piano at the intro but then turns into an AOR track with strong Asia hints. Overall, this is a great album that shouldn't be missed.
.
This post consists of MP3 (320kps) ripped from a vinyl (not mine) and there is not a pop or crackle to be heard - quite amazing. Full album artwork is included including a wonderful gatefold poster of the band.
Copies of this album go for $200+ on ebay, so grab your digital copy now.  It is also my intention to post a couple of live tracks recorded by Aleph's earlier inception 'Bogislav' when they played at the 1972 Hoadley’s National Battle of the Sounds, in my next WOCK on vinyl post - so stay tuned.
.
Track Listing
01. Banshee - 5:43
02. Man Who Fell - 5:44
03. Morning - 4:14
04. (You Never Were A) Dreamer - 4:17

05. Mountaineer - 14:35
06. Heaven's Archaepelago - 6:32
.
.
Band Members:
Mary Jane Carpenter - keyboards
Ron Carpenter - drums, , percussion
Dave Froggett - guitar, vocals
Mary Hansen - keyboards, synthesizers
David Highett - bass
Joe Walmsley - vocals

.
.Aleph Link (94Mb)
.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Jimi Hendrix - Early Jimi Hendrix (1983)

(U.S 1963-1970)
.
Jimi Hendrix left the Isley Brothers during 1965 and soon picked up with Curtis Knight and the Squires just before Christmas in the same year. Adding needed flash to their unit (as he had done for the Isley Brothers), Hendrix was a welcome addition to the group. While it was difficult to become known while playing with the Isley Brothers, with Curtis Knight and the Squires it was much simpler. They played the local clubs of New York City and New Jersey, and as an emergent band they gave him the attention he craved and felt he deserved.
Jimi meet Curtis Knight by chance, while residing in the same hotel as Knight, and after chatting for a while in the lobby of the Hotel America, Knight asked Jimi to join the Squires and he promptly agreed. Although Knight was a guitar player and bandleader, he made the bulk of his money running prostitutes. "He was a pimp with a band", recalled Lonnie Youngblood, another musician on the scene at the time. According to Knight, Jimi considered quitting music that same month and had once again pawned his guitar to pay his rent. Knight loaned Jimi a guitar, and realised that as long as Jimi was borrowing the instrument, he had some control over him. Knight would use Jimi as the main facet of his band over the next eight months. Although the Squires were vastly inferior to the other bands Jimi had played with, there was one major benefit to the group: Knight put Jimi front and centre and promised to make him a star.
[extract from 'Room Full Of Mirrors' (A biography of Jimi Hendrix) by Charles Cross, 2005. p120]


Their repertory included top forty R&B, some originals, and some up-tempo songs for extended boogie. They performed two of these— "Driving South" and "Killing Floor"— often. Because they played primarily discos and small dance halls, they had to maintain extended danceable numbers. While Hendrix had more chances to solo, his main job was to augment the rhythm section and melody lines in unusual ways for the dancers.
Hendrix appeared with the Squires at the post-Christmas show at Georges Club 20 in Hackensack, New Jersey. The relief of finally being past Christmas was evident. The crowd was lively and plenty drunk. Curtis Knight was delighted to have such a top-notch guitarist in his group. "... I'd like to let everyone know that you're being recorded. This is being recorded live here at the fabulous Georges Club 20 in Hackensack, New Jersey. . . . What are you going to do for the people, Jimmy, on Christmas plus one?" Hendrix slurs in a Louis Armstrong grate, "A little thing called 'Driving South.'" Curtis Knight picks up; "A little thing called 'Driving South'—in D. If you ain't never been there you gonna take a trip with us now, baby. If you ain't got no car, put on some skates." The Squires hit some butt-bumping rhythm and are gone. "Driving South," a one-chord back-beating tune with plenty of room on the top for continuous soloing by Hendrix, as Knight names off cities and states, going deeper and deeper into the Southland. "Eat it! Eat it!" Curtis Knight shouts to Hendrix, as Jimmy displays his novelty attraction, playing the guitar with his teeth.
Hendrix's attack is sharp and piercing on treble reach. His soloing is bluesy with long loping lines that ride over several beats of the up-tempo song. As the towns get deeper and deeper into the South, Hendrix's guitar gets bluesier and bluesier, getting down into the deeper registers of the Delta sound, where the guitar plays bass notes as well as lead figures. Hendrix climbs out of the Delta with a long upward-sliding wail that skirts the psychedelic. Toward the end, Jimmy joins the rhythm by Doodling bass figures against the beat. Then Knight shouts, "Eat it! Eat it!" again, and Jimmy goes back into a riffing guitar frenzy for a while, then back to noodling with the rhythm as "Driving South" goes out.

Jimi Hendrix, Ditto Edwards, Curtis Knight, Lonnie Youngblood, Ace Hall
Howling Wolf's "Killing Floor" starts out in a light whimsical rhythm with a high-ranged bass line pizzicato "Batman"-like theme, nearly happy-go-lucky. Then Curtis Knight's rhythm guitar speaks out, right on the beat, with a rhythm guitar electric chik, chik-chik, chik, chik-chik and then starts scratching like a twitching electrical charge inside a tube, piercing the rhythm with syncopated washboardlike percussion swinging in on the four, advancing the rhythm subliminally. And then Jimmy comes in on his Fender Duo-sonic Telecaster playing a longer rhythm figure in harmony with the rhythm guitar. Then he joins the percussive scratching, his Telecaster sounding like a rattlesnake, harmonizing metamusically, creating an echo subtone scratching against the backbone in buck dance rhythm licks. Hendrix applies a slow arc of contrasting harmonies against Knight's steady rhythm; they swing in a modal arc as Hendrix explores the sound. He does not dominate the rhythm guitar; rather, he lays back in that Charlie Christian space, unobtrusive in an echo vector dewailing on the other side of the sound. Jimmy arcs the harmony completely perpendicular, his Telecaster creates a flashing lightninglike stroke of complete fusion before returning to the melody stroke. Jimmy starts his solo in a low-register geechie stutter, then goes on in a legato statement that is blues, poetic, and beautiful. He ranges into his personal style at the top toward another place in the melody, and then quickly returns to an earthy declamatory style full of the articulations of the blues, and comes down to hit the head of the lyric right on.
Ditto Edwards - drums, Jimi Hendrix - guitar, Curtis Knight - guitar
Lord knows I should've been gone 
Lord knows I should've been gone 
I'm justa messin' round 
Cryin' on the killing floor

Jimmy goes crazy as they take it out in staccato rhythm. He climbs the wall with the whimsical yet sinister melody and joins the rhythm as well with heavy contrasting comments on the bottom of the floor. His wails scale against the ceiling, the nonchalance of the melody turning into a flash of manic murder intensity at the peak. They descend, and the song ends to a cacophony of applause, shouts, cusses and banging glasses.
Some of the other clubs Hendrix played with Curtis Knight and the Squires were: The Purple Onion, a Greenwich Village discotheque; The Queen's Inn; The Cheetah Club in Times Square and Ondines on the chic Upper East Side. [extract from Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky 'The Life Of Jimi hendrix', by David Henderson, 1978. p50-51]
.
Jimi Hendrix - guitar, Curtis Knight - guitar, Lonnie Youngblood - sax
This record album is titled 'Early Jimi Hendrix'. It was released on the BARON label and is record #105. The jacket cover states: "recorded live by Ed Chalpin at George's Club 20 in Hackensack New Jersey during a performance by Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Knight in 1965".
"George's Club 20" was located in Hackensack, New Jersey which was on the corner of Moore and Bridge Street near the Courthouse.
Georges Club 20
There are many variations of this show out there on LP and CD and this particular release by Baron is a 7-song LP. Another release on CD called 'Hackensack Blues' has 10 songs, but only 4 match with this LP. I think I've also seen a 20-song version somewhere on the internet.
If you listen to the first cut "Drivin' South", Jimi is introduced as "Jimmy James" - the name he went by back then, but there's no mistaking that voice when you hear it. By the way, he had a band in 1966 called "Jimmy James and the Blue Flames".
During that introduction, he's asked by Curtis Knight, "What are you gonna do, Jimmy, on this Christmas plus one?", so this confirms the performance date of December 26, 1965.
Although the sound of these recordings cannot be compared with the sound obtained in a studio nowadays, these recordings must be regarded as indispensable, as they document the starting period of one of the great rock masters of all times.
.
This post consists of FLACs ripped from my pristine Vinyl which has been rarely played (I taped all of my Hendrix records as a teenager, to preserve the quality of the vinyl)
Also included is full album artwork, along with a select range of photos of Jimi playing with Curtis Knight & The Squires. Some photos were also taken from the two Hendrix biographies cited above (with thanks)
I've also provided the cover from the Hackensack Blues CD release, which is worth while pursuing.
Note: I have previously posted a 4 track E.P entitled 'Jimi James And The Blue Flames' which features "I'm A Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City" which were recorded after Jimi's sessions with Curtis Knight and is also worth a listen.
.
Tracklist
01  -  Driving South        
02  -  I'm A Man        
03  -  On The Killin' Floor        
04  -  California Night        
05  -  Ain't That Peculiar        
06 -  What'd I Say        
07  -  Bright Lights, Big City

.
.
Early Jimi Hendrix FLAC Link (209Mb)  New Link 23/05/2017
.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Shirl - It's All Rock 'n' Roll To Me (1980)

(Australian Artist 1973-2001)
.
Shirl was, of course, Graeme Strachan who became a sensation as lead singer in super-group of the seventies, the 'Skyhook's.
He grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Mt.Waverley and was the son of a successful builder.
He was an avid surfer, and his nickname "Shirley" was given to him by his surfer friends because of his long, sunbleached and very curly hair, referring to Shirley Temple.
When he left school he began working as a carpenter and it was around this time that he started singing with local amateur bands. Graeme also had a passion for surfing and it was his surfer mates who nicknamed him 'Shirley' because of the fair, curly hair and cheeky nature that caused him to resemble Shirley Temple.
Early in 1974 he joined Skyhooks and they recorded their legendary Living In The 70's album, which went on to become the most successful Australian LP ever released. From there the band produced a string of hit singles and albums, and it became obvious that Shirley's extroverted personality was an important factor in building their popularity.
Late in 1976 he recorded his first solo single, which consisted of a revival of Brenda Holloway's 'Every Little Bit Hurts' backed with a song he had co-written with Warren Morgan called 'Cruisin' Out On You'. The record became an instant success and climbed as high as number three on the national charts.
Despite Shirley's individual popularity and several offers to move into TV, he has preferred to continue to devote himself to Skyhooks and give his activities with them top priority.
In June, 1977 he released his second solo single, which featured 'Tracks Of My Tears' (previously a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) and a song called 'Missing You' which had been written by Shirley and Bob Spencer (from Skyhooks).
Although his schedule with Skyhooks has been exceptionally busy, Shirley's plans for late 1977 — early 1978 included the possibility of a solo album.
Shirley's decision to leave Skyhooks permanently will obviously allow him to concentrate more on his solo activities. The split in January '79 followed a six month break from performing and recording. Shirley disliked the strain of touring, which had begun to affect his health, moved to sunny Queensland. During the latter part of 1978 he started doing his own radio show on the Gold Coast station 2MW.

Shirl's Neighbourhood

In October, he released his third single, 'Mr Summer', written by Warren Morgan. It was backed with 'Song For A Friend' written by Shirley and Rick Formosa and came out on Mushroom Records. The disc was not successful. His debut album was planned for release early in 1979. [extract from Noel McGrath's 'Australian Encyclopedia of Rock', 1977 & 1979]

Strachan left Skyhooks in 1978 and then worked as a radio and television presenter. He became known to a new generation as the host of children's television series Shirl's Neighbourhood in the early 1980s. He released a covers album in 1980 entitled 'It's All Rock 'n' Roll To Me', as featured here. In the 1990s he was a regular presenter on home makeover program 'Our House' where he resurrected skills from his pre-Skyhooks carpentry trade. He was also instrumental in several Skyhook reformations during the 1980s and 1990s.
Sadly, Shirley Strachan was killed in a helicopter crash at Maroochydore, Australia (2001) while on his second solo flight. He had just turned 49.
.
Shirl the Carpenter on 'Our House'
OK - I'm gonna be honest here. This is certainly not the greatest album, and there are some tracks on this album that Shirl probably should never have tried coverin'. "Sailing" is just not up his ally, although he was a great surfer in his spare time!  But the guy did have a great voice (especially when singing upfront with Skyhooks) and a he was very determined bloke. So, I guess he probably said to his producer, I'll just give it shot and see what happens. Tracks that do work, are probably the first track "Wake Up Little Suzie" and the two Leo Sayer covers "When I Need You" and "More Than I Can Say".
His dynamic high-pitched voice may have been a powerhouse complement to the whirling electric guitars of Skyhooks, but here on this album of a diverse range of covers, his talent is somewhat wasted.
What really appeals to me with this album however, are the backing artists that worked with Shirl on this album. Names like Ross Hannaford, Wayne Duncan and Gary Young (ex Daddy Cool)  and Joe Camilleri (ex Jo Jo Zep) ensured that Shirl's voice was accompanied by the best musicians in the business, and even received assistance from his ex-Skyhook compatriot Fred Strauks.
.
The post consists of FLACs ripped from my chessy vinyl copy and as usual includes full album artwork. I have also chosen to include the A/B sides of his first solo single "Every Little Bit Hurts" which was released in 1976.
.
Track Listing
01 - Wake Up Little Suzie

02 - Pretty Woman
03 - Get Back
04 - January
05 - Another Saturday Night
06 - More Than I Can Say
07 - It Doesn't Matter Anymore
08 - Sailing
09 - Heard It Through The Grapevine

10 - Just One Look
11 - Elenor
12 - It's All In The Game
13 - Dock Of The Bay
14 - When I Need You
15 - A Little Bit More
16 - Every Little Bit Hurts (Bonus Single)
17 - Cruisin' Out On You (Bonus Single)

.
Band Members:
Graeme 'Shirl' Strachan - Vocals
Ross Hannaford - Guitars & Vocals
Jeff Burstin - Guitar
Wayne Duncan - Bass & Vocals
Gary Young - Drums & Vocals
Fred Strauks - Drums
Joe Camilleri - Sax
Peter Sullivan - Keyboards

.
Shirl Link (319Mb)  New Link 03/05/2020
.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Various Artists - Devastator (1977)

(Various Artists 1976-1977)
.
Here's another compilation album, this time it is one of my favourite albums, partly because of the amazing Front Cover artwork and partly for the great selection of artists & tracks from 1977.  This album has had more spins on my turntable than I can count, but I never tirer from listening to it.  Featuring bands such as Jo Jo Zep, The Saints, AC/DC, Redhouse, Flash & The Pan  and solo artists like Harpo and Ray Sawyer, this compilation has something for anyone who appreciates 70's music.
The following are brief notes on the bands and their albums from which the tracks were taken.

.
Mark Holden
Mark Holden's career defies the limits of the capsule biography. Born in Adelaide in 1954, he was a top pop star in Australia with regular appearances on Countdown and had five hit singles 1976-1977.
In 1976, he released his breakthrough record, "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again". As the single became a national hit, Mark left Target and transferred his activities to Melbourne where he began appearing regularly on all the top nat
Meanwhile, Mark's next single, 'I Wanna Make You My Lady', sold even better than its predecessor and, in October 76, he released his second album, Let Me Love You, which sold over 50,000 copies during the next six months. That same month he began appearing in the television series Young Doctors, which was screened on the nine network. In November, Mark made his first big live appearance at the Superock concert in Melbourne and received a tumultuous reception. At the TV Week King of Pop awards for 1976, he was voted Best Newcomer. Two more singles followed — 'Last Romance' (November 76), and 'Hey My Love' (February 77).
The new year got off to a great start with Mark winning two television logic awards, one for the Best New Talent, and the second for the Most Popular Teenage Personality. Now a recognised star, he headlined his own TV special for the 0/10 network called All Need Is Love.
Mark On Countdown with Red Carnation
Mark spent April of 1977 writing and preparing for his third album (Encounter). The following month he travelled to England to gather additional material for recording purposes. The Encounter album was assembled and released in August. By the end of the year, it obtained sales of over 50,000 copies. The first single to be lifted from the LP was 'Reach Out For The One Who Loves You'.
In recent years he has been on Australian TV as an Australian Idol and X Factor judge, and he has also worked in various roles as a radio presenter. Along the way he completed his legal studies and now practises as a barrister in Melbourne.

ional television shows (Countdown, the Don Lane Show, and, naturally, on old friend, Ernie Sigley's show). However, the record did take a little time to get off the ground as he ran into trouble with the Musicians' Union over payment of musicians who appeared on the promotional film clip. As they numbered over thirty, its screening became an uneconomic proposition and the song therefore failed to get its share of TV exposure.
.
TMG
British-born singer-songwriter Ted Mulry first became known through such sweet, melodic songs as his own Julia (1970) and Vanda & Young's Falling In Love Again (1970). His career really took off in the mid-70s with the Ted Mulry Gang (later TMG), a rocking goodtime band familiar through TV's Countdown and such hits as "Jump In My Car" (1975) and "Darktown Strutters' Ball" (1976).
The success of "Jump In My Car" (a number one hit and total sales of over 80,000 copies) stimulated new interest in their debut album and by May '76 it had gone gold. Early in the piece though one track on the LP, "Dyna", had caused some problems. It was a popular song on stage and one verse included a four letter word which had to be blanked out on the album.
The band's next single, 'Darktown Strutter's Ball'/'She's For Me', made the top five in charts all around Australia and at the end of May, 1976 they released their second album entitled 'Struttin'. A track from it called "Crazy" was lifted from the LP and it became their third hit.
To promote the album's release the group set off on their first national tour ('Struttin' Across Australia') and in the meantime a contract for world-wide release of their records was signed with Phonogram. Then in June they teamed up with Sherbet for their 80 day Australian tour.
Ted and the boys wasted no time in coming up with their third album Steppin' Out, which was the first record by the band to carry their new abbreviated name of TMG. It was released in October '76 and displayed a greater emphasis on melody and harmony than their first two albums. It sold rapidly, going double gold after only two weeks in the shops. Coinciding with its release the band set off on yet another tour around Australia.
The title track from the album was released as a single and it charted in November '76. Then in January '77 a further song, "Jamaica Rum", was lifted from the LP and it became the band's fifth hit single.
. 
Pussyfoot
Pussyfoot was the name of a British recording act of the late 1970s. The act consisted of former The Mixtures member, songwriter, producer and musician Mick Flinn, and vocalist Donna Jones. Flinn remained behind the scenes, and Jones was marketed as a solo artist. In 1976 they recorded a disco song "The Way That You Do It", and first attracted public attention when the song's suggestive lyrics caused it to be banned by the BBC.
In Australia, the television show Countdown began playing the video clip, and exploited the British ban on playing the song. Over several months, Jones became a sensation and a sex symbol. The song was released as a single by EMI Records and spent eight weeks at number one on the singles chart from December 1976.
.

Harpo
Harpo (born Jan Harpo Torsten Svensson) is a Swedish pop star known under the stage name Harpo. He was popular in Sweden and around Europe in the 1970s and is best known for his worldwide hit "Moviestar", which reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 2 in the Australian Singles Chart in 1976.
He released a number of follow up singles, notably "Motorcycle Mama" (number 9 in Germany) and "Horoscope" (number 1 in Denmark and number 3 in Germany), as well as releasing a number of releatively successful albums, including 'Smile' from which this featured track was taken.
In 1977, the newspapers made a fuss about Harpo when he refused to go to Military Service and he consequently went to prison for a year. Towards the end of seventies he left his musical career and started to raise horses and to paint.
In 2005, he continued his music career and published new album material and continued touring in Germany where are his most devoted fans. Harpo has continued to work in the music business, releasing an album of new material as recently as 2005 and continues to tour to this day. He remains popular in Germany and toured there throughout 2007.
.
Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids
Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids, now known as Flash Cadillac, were an American retro rock 'n' roll band. They are best known for their portrayal of the group Herbie and the Heartbeats in the film American Graffiti, to which they contributed three songs: cover versions of "At the Hop" and "Louie, Louie", and the original composition "She's So Fine".
They appeared on American Bandstand - one of the only bands to do so without having released an album. They were offered the job of playing the band Herbie and the Heartbeats in the George Lucas movie, American Graffiti. Later they appeared in an episode of the TV show Happy Days as Johnny Fish and the Fins, and in the 1979 movie Apocalypse Now. The band commissioned surf artist Jim Evans to paint the cover of their third album, Sons of the Beaches.
The band hit the hot 100 in 1974 with their version of the Barry Blue/Lynsey De Paul classic, "Dancing on a Saturday Night" and then again in 1976 with "Did You Boogie (With Your Baby)" (peaking at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100) from their album 'Sons of the Beaches'.
.
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band whose popularity was highest in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at teeny-bopper acts of the 1970s". For a relatively brief but fervent period (nicknamed "Rollermania"), they were worldwide teen idols. The group's line-up featured numerous changes over the years, but the classic line-up during its heyday included guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, singer Les McKeown, bassist Alan Longmuir, and drummer Derek Longmuir.
By early 1975, they were one of the highest-selling acts in the UK. That year saw a successful UK tour (which prompted newspaper headlines about "Rollermania"), and a 20-week UK television series, Shang-a-Lang.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby" stayed at No. 1 in the UK for six weeks in the spring of 1975, selling nearly a million copies to become the biggest seller of the year, and the subsequent single "Give a Little Love" topped the charts that summer, their second No. 1 hit. Two full-length LPs were produced during this period: Once Upon a Star (1975) and Wouldn't You Like It? (1975).
At the peak of their popularity in the UK, comparisons were made to The Beatles. Also by this time, Bay City Roller fans had a completely distinctive style of dress, the main elements of which were calf-length tartan trousers and tartan scarves.
The group released an album titled 'Dedication' in 1976, and hit the charts with a cover version of the Dusty Springfield song "I Only Want to Be with You", which reached US No. 12 and No.8 in Australia. [extract from wikipedia]
.

Ray Sawyer (aka Dr Hook)
Ray Sawyer, the spirited, eye patched lead singer of the group Dr. Hook, whose soulful and sometimes comic vocals fronted the bands breakthrough to the “Cover Of The Rolling Stone” an international superstar status in the early 70's and 80's, has been touring the United States, Canada and Countries Overseas, since the break-up of the Band in 1984.  His trademark eye patch was acquired following a 1967 auto accident that left him without his right eye and kept him laid back for two years. When he was back on his feet, Ray set out for Los Angeles in 1968, working his way back east to New York where the nucleus of Dr. Hook was formed in time to record the score to a Dustin Hoffman film "Who is Harry Kellerman (and why is he saying those terrible things about me)".
Accumulating 60 Gold & Platinum Records worldwide with Dr. Hook, He has gained the confidence of a seasoned entertainer, Ray still to this day travels the World with his Band.
Ray's first solo adventure (selftitled) only had a minor hit with "Daddy's Little Girl" and the album was a characterisic mixture of sleazy humour and country-music sentiment which his band was noted for [extract from http://www.raysawyer.com/]
.
Flash And The Pan
The title was actually a pseudonym for songwriters, producers, musicians and ex-Easybeats George Young and Harry Vanda. Their partnership began in 1963 when the two met having both just migrated to Australia. They went on to become part of the Easybeats a year later and the band became one of our most successful groups ever.
Following the dissolution of the Easybeats, George and Harry returned to the UK early in 1970. Their financial situation was not very healthy at this point. Gradually they found work as independent producer/musician/songwriters. They also formed a session group to work on the co-op style label Youngblood, and set up a buy-a-session situation. The idea was that the financer could pay for a session and the group would provide the songs and the playing. The result could be released under any name. Their releases included some under the name of the Marcus Hook Roll Band.
Interestingly enough, although the Marcus Hook Roll Band album was done for a London company, it was actually recorded at the EMI studios in Sydney during a trip back to Australia. Apparently Malcolm and Angus of AC/DC were also on the album. Harry and George even had offers to form an actual group to promote the record. However, this was not the direction they wanted to move in.
Vanda and Young
Instead, they concentrated on promoting, writing for and producing a number of extremely successful Australian artists including Stevie Wright, William Shakespeare, John Paul Young and AC/DC. By now they were regarded as the country's most successful song-writers ever. It was now time for their next project.
This was to write and produce for themselves. They recorded "Hey! St. Peter" during 1976 and adopted the title of Flash & the Pan. The single made number three in Australia and later in 1977 it made the charts in a variety of European countries including Belgium and Holland (Harry's birthplace). Despite the record's success, Harry and George confirmed that their primary objective was to continue writing and producing.
For their admirers an album called The Vanda—Young Story was released on EMI in 1976. It included a collection of tracks they had created, by various artists, as well as a couple by the duo themselves.
.
The Walter Murphy Band
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. was an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was rising in popularity.
In 1974, Murphy was writing a disco song for a commercial, when the producer gave him the idea of "updating classical music," which "nobody had done lately." He then mailed a demo tape to various record labels in New York. Although response was unimpressive, a rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 In 'C' Minor" generated interest amongst the owner of Private Stock Records, Larry Uttal. Murphy agreed to produce the song under contract and recorded it in 1976, creatively dubbing it "A Fifth of Beethoven". The record was credited to "Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band" upon encouragement from the company, who believed it would become a hit if credited to a group rather than an individual. However, two days following the record's release, Private Stock discovered the existence of another Big Apple Band; the record was later re-released and credited to "The Walter Murphy Band" before dropping the tradition altogether.
The song was a smash hit, and reached number 80 on the Hot 100 on May 29, 1976, eventually reaching number 1 within nineteen weeks, where it stayed for one week. An album under the same name was released later during the year; the album notably featured a rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" entitled "Flight '76", which reached number 44 on the Hot 100. He released four albums within the following six years, and in 1982, released his final single, a medley of "Themes From E.T.which climbed to 47 on the Hot 100. [extract from wikipedia]
.
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.
In 1976, following the recording of their next album, 'Something Special', Charmaine, one of the original members, left the group. "Something Special," was the family's biggest selling LP, reaching #13 on the Billboard album charts. Produced by Perren, the LP spawned another smash million-seller, "Hot Line" (#5 on Billboard Hot 100) as well as "High School Dance" (#17 on Billboard Hot 100).
Now there are some groups whom you really can't appreciate if you know nothing but their hits--groups that, for all their unevenness, produce enough good music to earn a special place in the hearts of listeners avid for something more than catchy tunes. And while The Sylvers can't claim to deserve "retrospectives," and will never have afficianadoes raving about unreleased recordings, they deserve better than to have their early work completely ignored by this compilation.

So if by some miracle you like the Sylvers' music, but weren't around back in the mid-70s (before the silliness of disco and the wretched "Boogie Fever"), then do yourself a favor: try to get recordings of the first three Sylvers' albums (entitled, respectively, The Sylvers, The Sylvers II, and The Sylvers III). The first shows a photograph of the original six Sylvers, and though time may have made the absolutely huge afros the Sylvers' men wear a little comical, you will have to agree that never in the history of music has there been a group whose members, male and female, were so incredibly beautiful! As for the music, the Sylvers may suffer in comparison to the Jackson 5 (as they were known then) because their music was not as infectious, but then, as far as musical sophistication goes, the Sylvers were infinitely more inventive. To hear this, you need only consider the fact that the Jackson 5 were mostly earthy energy, while the Sylvers could combine earthiness with the angelic.
.
Little River Band
Original line-up: GRAHAM COBLES (guitar/vocals); BEEB BIRTLES (guitar/vocals); GLENN SHORROCK (lead vocals); RICK FORMOSA (guitar); ROGER McLACHLAN (bass); DEREK PELLICI (drums).
The band was formed in 1975 as a direct descendant of sophisticated pop group Mississippi (which included Graham, Beeb and Derek). They added Rick and Roger (who toured with Godspell) and then last, but not least, Glenn (ex-Twilights and Axiom). Apparently the name was derived from a sign bearing the name Little River which they spotted while driving to one of their early gigs in Geelong.
Their aim was to establish a sound based on tight, intricate harmonies backed up by expert musicianship. Glenn Wheatley (ex-bass player with the Masters Apprentices) took over their management and they wasted no time in starting work on their first album. In September, 1975 the band's debut single 'Curiosity (Killed The Cat)' was released. The song was written by Beeb and was taken from their then recently completed 'Little River Band album'. Both releases became immediate best sellers and the LP had gone gold by February, 1976. In January 76 the band's second single, 'Emma' made the charts and by now they were being recognized as Australia's most sophisticated rock group. 
Fuelled by the successful Australian hit singles "Curiosity Killed the Cat" and "Emma", the band began making promotional visits to the US in September 1976, which resulted in a US hit single, "It's a Long Way There" (edited down from the album track, which ran over 8 minutes long). It broke into the US Top 30 and galvanised the commitment of the band members.
Note: once you hear the full album version of this song, the single edit becomes insignificant in comparison, as it is missing the brilliant guitar solos that make this track one of their best releases. It's a bit like drinking decaf coffee!
.
Redhouse
Original Line-up: JOHNNY DALLIMORE (lead guitar, vocals); JAQUES DE JONGH (second guitar); JACK GREEN (bass); GARY CROTHALL (drums).
The band was founded in Geelong by Jack Green and by mid 1973 they were being recognised as the town's top group. In those days they were known as the Redhouse Roll Band and they even released a single, 4O Lucky Man' which was issued on Atlantic in November 73.
They worked the pub circuit in Melbourne constantly and their only hang up seemed to be a number of line-up changes.
In June, 1976 Jaques left to join Hush and was replaced by GRAHAM MATTERS (who had appeared in the movie Oz and in the rock musical The Rocky Horror Show) on vocals and keyboards. At the same time GARY QUINCE joined on rhythm guitar and the band, now five piece, shortened its name to Redhouse.
Later in the year they entered the charts with a song they had penned themselves called 'I Like Dancing' which reached #21 on the Australian charts. It was followed by another single, 'Who's Foolin' and an album entitled One More Squeeze which apparently the boys were not happy with, since they had not been involved in the mixing of the tapes.
Then in March, 1977 Gary left to join Finch and he was replaced by ROBIN RILEY (ex-Lois Lane). Midway through the year they supported Sherbet on their national tour and a third single, Thank You'was released.
More hassles occurred in September with their split from EMI and Graham's departure from their ranks to take part in the stage show Chorus Line. A short time later Robin left and Jaques rejoined temporarily while Hush were off the road.
During December the band completely reformed. Jack took over management of the group and Gary's brother, RICK CRO-THALL (who had been part of their road crew) took over on bass. At the same time JOEY AMENTA (ex-Taste) joined on guitar. The final line-up consisted of Rick, Gary, Joey and John.
.
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcon
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons are an Australian blues and rock music band which features singer, songwriter and saxophonist, Joe Camilleri (aka Jo Jo Zep). The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits, including "Security", "Hit and Run", and "Shape I'm In".
In late 1975, Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were formed in Melbourne as Jo Jo Zep and His Little Helpers. The band was put together after Ross Wilson (ex-Daddy Cool), who was waiting out his recording contract, had turned to producing other artists for the label, Oz Records. He decided to produce a version of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run", as a one-off Christmas single for Mushroom Records.
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons signed with Oz Records and, in July 1976, released their first single, "Beating Around the Bush". The track was written and sung by Burt and peaked at No. 73 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The song was also one of two tracks by the group on Wilson's soundtrack for the feature film Oz (1976). The follow-up single was a cover of Otis Redding's "Security" sung by Camilleri, which peaked at No. 98. In February 1977, the band released their debut album, 'Don't Waste It', which was produced by Wilson and contained both singles. The album featured lead vocal turns by Camilleri, Burt and Power. The songwriting was mostly by Burt, with a few cover tunes, and one song by Camilleri. Although the intent was to be a serious R&B band, the musical direction was never set in stone. The band released 8 albums up to 1984, when they finally called it a day, and Joe Camilleri set off the form the Black Sorrows.
.
The Saints
The Saints were to Australia what the Sex Pistols were to Britain and the Ramones to America. Picking up the germ planted by the defunct Stooges, MC5, Velvet Underground, and New York Dolls, The Saints sparked the Far East punk rock movement with a blasting, blistering, scorching sound no one had heard before. Moreover, The Saints were blitzing the unsuspecting in their home of Brisbane in 1973, long before the Sex Pistols or the Ramones had even begun. Australians today hold The Saints in greater reverence than any rock band in its history, save for the Easybeats. After their incendiary, self-released debut 7" single
"(I'm) Stranded" b/w "No Time" blew minds of a raving British press on import in 1976, subsequent sales of the single proved to the industry that the upstart punk movement was in fact commercially viable. The Saints pocketed a worldwide deal with EMI Australia, who rush-released "(I'm) Stranded" in Australia and Britain (and in the U.S., on the heavyweight punk label of the time, Sire Records) to capitalize on the new trend. Their first LP was actually nothing but eight rough-and-raw demo tracks the band had no intention of releasing, plus the two sides of the much better, cleaner-sounding single. The heavy, buzzing racket on the eight demo tracks borders on unintelligible, they're so cheaply recorded, but nothing can stop a collection of cracklers this intense, with two absolutely astounding, blues-heavy ballads thrown in for great balance -- "Messin' with the Kid" and "Story of Love" drip with genuine, bratty soul. Of the hard-fast tracks, even today's punk fans are amazed at the sheer tenacity and outright fire of "Nights in Venice," "One Way Street," and "Erotic Neurotic." Hear history burning. [extract from http://www.allmusic.com]
.
AC/DC
Original line-up -MALCOLM YOUNG (guitar); ANGUS YOUNG (guitar); PETER CLARK (drums); ROB BAILEY (bass); DAVE EVANS (vocals).
Malcolm and Angus were younger brothers of ex-Easybeat George Young who played an important role in advising and directing the band. The boys began playing with a variety of musicians in 1973, consolidating with the above line-up in April 1974.
The band began working to develop the AC/DC sound, but their progress was temporarily delayed with Rob and Peter leaving to be replaced by PHILLIP RUDD (drums) and MARK EVANS (bass).
This change was followed by the departure of vocalist Dave Evans to join Rabbit, and led to the new notorious line-up including singer BON SCOTT. Bon was an experienced rock performer, having worked in top bands Fraternity and the Valentines and seemed to be the spark AC/DC needed to set the rock scene on fire.
Their single, 'Can I Sit Next To You Girl?', sold only moderately. However, the follow-up, 'Baby, Please Don't Go' (which was a hit for British blues group, Them), entered the charts in March 1975 and became a national hit.
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was their third studio album, released in 1976. The album has been certified 6x platinum in the US, selling at least six million copies, becoming the third-highest selling album by AC/DC in the US. The album contained a number of fan-favourite songs, including the title track "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Jail Break" and "Problem Child".
The single "Jailbreak" preceded the album's release in Australia and the UK. After the album's release, the single for "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" was released in Australia in October 1976, in the UK in January 1977, and in the US in 1981 (when the album was finally released there).
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap also led to more AC/DC appearances on Australia's Countdown music program, following those in support of High Voltage and T.N.T. These appearances included a live performance of the album's title track, as well as a music video for "Jailbreak".
.
This post consists of a vinyl rip in MP3 format (320kps) and includes full album artwork, along with all album covers featured and the record labels for this EMI compilation.
.
Track Listing
01 - Last Romance - MARK HOLDEN
02 - Jamaica Rum - T.M.G.
03 - Way You Do It (The) - PUSSYFOOT
04 - Horoscope - HARPO
05 - Did You Boogie… - FLASH CADILLAC AND THE CONTINENTAL KIDS
06 - I Only Wanna Be With You - BAY CITY ROLLERS
07 - (One More Year Of) Daddy's Little Girl - RAY SAWER
08 - Hey St. Peter - FLASH IN THE PAN
09 - Fifth Of Beethoven - THE WALTER MURPHY BAND
10 - Hot Line - SYLVERS
11 - It's A Long Way There (edit) - LITTLE RIVER BAND
12 - I Like Dancing - RED HOUSE
13 - I Wanna Make You My Lady - MARK HOLDEN
14 - Security - JO JO ZEP AND THE FALCONS
15 - I'm Stranded - SAINTS
16 - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC

.
Devastator Link (124Mb)  New Link 06/01/2021

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Charlie - Fantasy Girls (1976)

(U.K 1971 - 1986, 2009)
.
Recently, I posted Charlie's 1983 Selftitled album, which featured their hit single "It's Inevitable" and consequently, received a request by a blog follower Vergervc to post their first album 'Fantasy Girls' from 1976.  I have therefore decided to make this my first post for October, and in future will  post any other requests I receive, at the start of each month.
.
Charlie was a British rock band that was formed in 1971 by singer/songwriter Terry Thomas. The group was most active as a recording unit from the mid-1970s through 1986. Charlie never charted in their home country, but had four minor hits in the US: 1977's "Turning To You"; 1978's "She Loves to Be In Love"; 1979's "Killer Cut" and 1983's "It's Inevitable".
.
The band was briefly called "Charlie Cuckoo" (after a racehorse), but soon became known simply as "Charlie".  The band debuted as a recording act in 1976, with the album 'Fantasy Girls'. They toured the UK in the spring of 1976 as support act to the Dutch progressive rock band Focus to promote the album. Their second album, No Second Chance, began the practice of featuring a photograph of a female model as the album's cover. "Turning To You", off that album, became Charlie's first chart hit, peaking at US #96.
.
Early Charlie
Charlie had a more substantial hit in 1978 with "She Loves to Be In Love," which peaked at #54 in the United States. The following year, the band again had a minor hit with "Killer Cut", which rose to US #60.
Julian Colbeck, who had replaced Martin Smith after the first album, departed four albums later in 1980 amid some turmoil. He writes, "Finally, the touring band line-up of Terry Thomas, John Anderson, Eugene Organ, Steve Gadd, and myself ceased operations once Arista refused to release Here Comes Trouble, and our caring, sharing management company immediately cut off all our money in 1980. That's a whole other story but, for the record, our final gig was in 1979 at the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island on Monday 29 October, alongside Foreigner." Thomas commented "Arista our new label in the U.S. wanted more songs - our company in the UK - Trident Audio Productions - refused to put us in the studio or spend any more money. The UK record company - Polydor - wouldn't release it until it had a U.S. release. Effectively Charlie had no record label and no money to live on. Eugene and Julian decided to leave."

In 1982, Terry Slesser joined the group as new lead singer, while Thomas, still a member of the band, began concentrating more on the instrumentation. In 1983, the group had their most successful hit single, "It's Inevitable", which peaked just inside the US Top 40 at #38. The MTV music video featured a rousing pie fight. The accompanying self-titled album was a flop, however, and the band folded.
.
In 1986, Thomas resurrected the band with a new crew and released In Pursuit of Romance. Thomas writes, "This was basically a contractual album - Steve had gone off to work with Iron Maiden as a drum tech and John had a job in the telecommunications industry. I ended up making the whole album by myself - it put me in the hospital!".  After a long lay off, in 2009 Charlie released their first album of new material in 23 years, 'Kitchens Of Distinction'. The album began life as a Terry Thomas solo project, but as the finished product included contributions from Martin Smith and Julian Colbeck, the decision was made to credit the CD to Charlie.
Drummer Steve Gadd died on 27 March 2013, after a year long battle with cancer.
.
Album Review
The core of Charlie's sound is derived from veterans of such bands as Argent, Axe, and lead singer/songwriter Terry Thomas, so right away one who is familiar with the groups can derive what the group would sound like without even listening. But what's surprising about Fantasy Girls is the level of gloss that's thrown over a layer of raw rock grit. The guitars are compressed and the arrangements are quite similar to their contemporaries, specifically that of Boston (especially on "Miss Deluxe"), but the quality on this ten-song session is erratic at best and shows a group just starting to get its footing and identity together. To Charlie's credit, they take bits and pieces of their contemporaries and take only what really works, but when listened to as a whole, Fantasy Girls can be inconsistent but wonderful for those looking for no-frills rock & roll. [Review by Rob Theakston]
.
Post consists of an MP3 rip (320kps) taken from Vinyl and includes full album artwork along with the alternative European cover (see above).  My favourite tracks on this album are "Prisoners", "Greatcoat Guru" and "It's Your Life" with their catchy riffs, lyrics and extended guitar breaks.
.
Track Listing
01 - Fantasy Girls
02 - Miss Deluxe
03 - TV Dreams
04 - Prisoners
05 - First Class Traveller
06 - Greatcoat Guru
07 - Please Let Me Know
08 - Don't Let Me Down
09 - It's Your Life
10 - Summer Romances
.
Band Members:
Terry Thomas (Lead vocals, guitar)
John Anderson (Backing vocals, bass)
Steve Gadd (Drum)
Martin Smith (Backing vocals, guitar)
.
Fantasy Girls Link (98Mb)  New Link (27/10/2014)
.