W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Bruce Woodley: The A.N.Z Bank Travelling Man (1971)

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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.

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Bruce William Woodley, AO, is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was a founding member of the successful pop-folk group the Seekers. The Seekers first disbanded in 1968, and Bruce Woodley consequently chose to pursue a solo career. 

Bruce's first solo venture was a production company called Pennywheel, which saw him release a number of products for children, including a "Build an Alphabet" set of blocks and the 1969 EP and board book, "Friday St. Fantasy". In 1969 Bruce headed off to America to sell the songs he'd been writing, and was to remain there for several years. During this period he collaborated with a number of writers including John Farrar and Australian folk singer Hans Poulsen. Their composition "Boom-Sha-La-La-Lo" became a hit for Poulsen.

Bruce Woodley 1971

In 1971, Bruce released his first solo album, entitled Just Good Friends. In a reaction to the folk stereotype of the Seekers, the original album cover featured two naked models having sex. This was deemed too raunchy for Australia and the cover was replaced by a photo of Woodley. The original cover, however, was allowed in New Zealand, and this version of the album is a collectors item today. 

Bruce also released a solo single around the same time that was called "The ANZ Bank Travelling Man". This single was a promotional advertisement and was given out free to employees of that institution as part of the promotion in 1971. Another interesting fact about this song is that Fredd Bear's Breakfast-A-Go-Go show (which aired on ATV Channel 0 and is now ATV-10) aired Bruce Woodley to promote the single (see YouTube Clip) and Fredd Bear did a comedy dance routine to the instrumental B side (see YouTube Clip). This is believed to be the only performance by former Seekers member Bruce Woodley of his advertising jingle for 'The ANZ Bank Travelling Man." 

The B-Side is a slight reworking/edit of the instrumental version of "The ANZ Bank Travelling Man" by Bruce Woodley (performed by the Geoff Hales Orchestra)

Bruce Woodley Today

Three years later, Bruce contributed to an Australian-themed album put out by Viscount cigarettes, called The Roaring Days Vol. 1. A second volume never eventuated. He also had a hit song called "Love Me Tonight Baby". The album featured Bruce performing the traditional folk song "Eumerella Shore" and some of his own compositions, including "The Bush Girl", which he would later re-record for a double album in 1987, with the Seekers in 1997 and 2000, and with daughter Claire Woodley in 2001.

The year 1987 saw Bruce involved in the preparations for the Australian Bicentenary, and the release of an Australian-themed double album, songbook and cassette tape, featuring covers of traditional songs and some of Bruce's own compositions. The set was called "I Am Australian", after a jingle that he wrote to tie together the various threads of the project, tapping into the need he perceived for a national song in which people could take pride. One of his colleagues on the project was Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers, who helped compose the words of the title song; another was noted folk singer Rose Bygrave. The recordings also featured a children's choir including Claire Woodley. [extract from america.pink]

Here's the hyper-rare clip from Melbourne's legendary children's TV show "Fredd Bear's Breakfast-A-Go-Go". One of two known pieces of surviving original footage of the program, it features former Seeker Bruce Woodley being interviewed by Colin McEwan, and performing his ANZ bank jingle, in what appears suspiciously like some sort of cross-promotional deal between the show and ANZ...

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So, this month's WOCK On Vinyl is a super rare and Obscure single from the early 70's which deserved greater exposure to the wider public. This is a great track and worthy of a place in the WOCK on Vinyl hall of fame.  This post consists of FLACs ripped from my pristine condition 45, found at my local flee market in amongst a pile of less interesting 45's. Also included are label scans for both sides of the single.

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The A.N.Z Bank Travelling Man (32Mb)  New Link/Host 9/01/2019

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Jimi The Human & Spectre 7 - No Turning Back (1989)

(Australian 1983 - Present)
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Jimi Hocking (born 7 June 1963) otherwise known as Jimi the Human is an Australian musician. He has been a member of hard rock groups, The Angels(1988) and The Screaming Jets (1994–97, 2010–present). As a solo artist he has fronted various backing bands playing hard rock, electric and acoustic blues by providing lead guitar, vocals, mandolin and keyboards.

But more so, Jimi Hocking is a songwriter, singer and guitarist of the highest calibre, the electric love child of T-Bone Walker, BB King and Jimi Hendrix. He struts the stage with his band, playing his ‘showy’ guitar style while pulling all the classic stunts ... behind the head ... the duck walk ... even the splits!

Jimi is in his element live on stage, whether it be a small cafe or a massive festival. His combination of banter and story-telling, wailing guitar and mandolin with superb songwriting and performance makes Jimi one of the 'must-see' acts in blues today.

Jimi’s affinity with the guitar started as a boy when his father, Kevin Hocking (a well known pianist and composer) realised that Jimi was more interested in Chuck Berry than his piano lessons, and so presented him with a primitive acoustic guitar for Christmas. These humble beginnings led to an ongoing career in music, with Jimi playing electric guitar, acoustic guitar and mandolin.

The mid-1980's was when Jimi cut his teeth, playing hundreds of pub shows fronting bands like The Astroboys and The Astros. In the late-1980’s and early-1990’s Jimi had his own career as a hard rock artist. Known as Jimi the Human he released two recordings ... the Top 20 live album 'No Turning Back' and 'Living in Luxury' in 1993.

The combination of high speed picking and blues bends on these albums left an indelible impression on many guitarists ... including Joe Satriani, Edgar Winter and George Thorogood, all with whom Jimi toured. In fact, when Jimi played a little guitar to blues legend BB King in 1989 (while he visited Australia with U2) BB exclaimed, “I’ve been watching you ... and you're good!”.

Jimi with Spinal Tap in the 80's

Even before the 'Jimi the Human' era, Jimi had a reputation as a gun guitarist, so when misfortune struck seminal Oz rockers The Angels in 1988 when Bob Spencer broke his arm, he was asked to join the band to perform guitar duties on their 'Live Line' concert tour ... which he did with only one rehearsal!

In the mid-1990's Jimi was hired as lead guitarist for the popular Australian rock band 'The Screaming Jets'. For four years Jimi toured with the band and played lead guitar, mandolin and keyboards on their 1995 Top 5 'Self-titled' album, as well as the follow up release 'World Gone Crazy', receiving two gold records for his efforts.

Jimi with the Angels

Even while with the Jets, Jimi was still writing and performing his own material, releasing his solo acoustic album 'Standard Bohemian' in 1998. In 1999, Jimi defied his critics and released his first blues album, ‘Blue Guitar’ … despite pressure to keep to the rock stage, Jimi insisted he would play the music that was close to his heart. The results speak for themselves, with ‘Blue Guitar’ selling as well today as it did when it was released, Jimi's switch from rock to blues has been vindicated many times over since then!

The acoustic album 'Based On Actual Events' was released in 2001, and Jimi also won his third 'CAV' best acoustic performer award. However, not content as a local icon, 2001 was also the year Jimi first headed to New York, for well-received gigs in Manhattan and New Jersey. He was also invited to sit in with artists at Bleecker Street's popular ‘Terra Blues’ club, demonstrating his flawless ability to improvise as well as perform his own material.

Jimi with the Screaming Jets

In 2002, Jimi was busy on the Australian festival circuit, but he also put his ‘Biscuit Boy’ studios through its paces. He recorded, played on and produced Dave Gleeson's (of The Screaming Jets fame) first solo album ‘Wanted Man’, while also chalking up a solo blues album. 'Give Jimi Some Love!’ features original songs, plus a couple of blues classics given Jimi's unique touch.

2003 and 2004 saw Jimi on the road, travelling many miles throughout Australia and the USA. He also released a compilation of his 'rock' days titled 'The Spectre 7 Years' - a whole bunch of re-recorded, re-mastered tracks plus some great live material from the era. Jimi also took out the coveted MBAS 'Blues Performer of the Year' for 2004.

Certainly 2005 was a remarkable year for Jimi. Crowned winner of the Solo/Duo section of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA, Jimi subsequently embarked on a comprehensive US tour, appearing at festivals and clubs to great reviews. Meanwhile his blues albums were added to play lists in the USA, Europe and London.

2006 began with the release of ‘The Ultimate Bootleg (vs2)’. Jimi's 10th album was a re-make of his first independent acoustic album, featuring all new recordings of original songs and bonus tracks. 2006 also marked the 20th anniversary of Jimi's first indie release, 'The Astros' self-titled (and vinyl) EP, which still sounds so fresh, it's like you're in the same room as the band!

2007 saw Jimi release 'Blue Mandolin', his first album of mandolin-based tunes. Jimi's unique style of 'blues mando' made an instant impact on the local scene, with Jimi performing mandolin tunes in a number of guises: solo, trio, ensemble, even as a part of his electric blues shows! See the Video page for a clip of 'Skinny White Boy', a song considered by many to be Jimi's signature tune, and visit YouTube for heaps of live bootleg videos by fans.

Mercury was in retrograde during 2008, which for Gemini's meant not much new was supposed to happen! Even so Jimi continued tracking his latest blues album, and spent the rest of the year on the road, with memorable appearances with his mandolin at the Port Fairy and Woodford Folk Festivals, to name but a couple. He was also named Producer of the Year for his work on 'Blue Mandolin' and best Male Blues Artist at the VicTas Blues Awards. A slow year indeed!

In 2009 Jimi finally settled on tracks for his long awaited 12th studio album 'Electric Mojo Machine', an album that saw Jimi fall in love all over again with his Les Paul Gold Top, the guitar it all started on. Somehow he managed to get it recorded (and re-recorded!), mixed and released by late in the year - all this while averaging a dozen live sets of blues a week! He also appeared at a swag of festivals including Woodford in QLD, Queenscliff in VIC and, a bit further from home, the Himalayan Blues Festival in Kathmandu!

2010 and Jimi is on the road with his Blues Machine promoting the 'Mojo' album, and back with bandmates The Screaming Jets for some rockin' shows, including a tour support to Jimi's all time favourite rockers, Status Quo.

2011 is another year on the road for Jimi, visiting festivals all over Australia and taking his Blues Machine to India and Nepal. In January the band recorded a live show at the Nighthawk Blues Cafe and, with David Briggs at the helm, 'Live In The Moment' became Jimi's 15th record and his first live album in 20 years.

If all that ain't enough, Jimi has also written music for film and TV, and recorded and played for many other artists in a career now spanning 25 years. He continues to write, record and perform with astonishing enthusiasm ... but he wouldn't have it any other way, after all, "the blues is for life!"  [Extract from Jimi Hocking's Website]

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Considered by many to be my ultimate rock statement, 'No Turning Back' was recorded live to a full house at Melbourne's legendary Corner Hotel ... sweaty blues-based pub rock with head-turning solo's!!  If you like screaming Les Pauls through Marshalls cranked to 11, then this one is for you.

The band is really tight and they had a great groove and a raw edge.

This post consists of a MP3's (320kps) taken from the CD release (thanks to Tom at Midoztouch2 for the rip) and includes full album artwork for both CD and LP. 

This album definitely has an Angels feel to it with a hint of punk thrown in (see their cover of the Sex Pistols "Holidays In The Sun"). Another great track is their cover of Quo's "Down Down". This relatively unknown release should not be dismissed - its damn good !

Note: If you are looking for another CD release of Jimi's Spectre 7 material, there is a CD floating around called 'The Spectre 7 Years' (see cover below) which would be well worth picking up.

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Track Listing

01 The Wizard 4.51

02 Out On The Town 2.43

03 Down, Down 6.54

04 Streetwise 3.35

05 Runaway Guitar + Edge Of Insanity 6.05

06 Whites Of My Eyes 3.17

07 The Question 4.01

08 Quicksand 4.01

09 In The Dark 3.41

10 Robot Man 2.47

11 No Turning Back 5.05

12 Holidays In The Sun 3.28

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The Band:

Jimi Hocking (Guitar, Vocals)

Josie Jason (Guitar)

Didi Kies (Bass)

Christian Muehike (Drums)

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No Turning Back (115Mb)  New Link 23/12/2023

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Headband - Happen Out (1971)

(New Zealand 1970 - 1973, 1975)
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In the early sixties, singer Tommy Adderley enjoyed a  couple of minor hits and became a popular television performer. He then spent two years in Australia, returning home a seasoned cabaret performer. With a genuine love of the blues, he had always dreamed of forming a group similar to John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.

In 1970, Adderley, inspired by the then current line-up of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, formed a group to try an emulate their sound. His own Bluesbreakers was an unusual line-up, including an electric violin, but no drums. This was the sound Adderley had in mind. It didn't take too many rehearsals, however, before Tommy realised that this drumless unit wasn't working out, so Jimmy Hill was brought in on drums. At this point, the group was renamed Headband.

L to R: Kristian, Craig, Hopp, Hill and Adderley (1971)

Headband debuted at Molly Hatchetts nightclub in February 1971. This club closed shortly after, so Adderley purchased the old Bo-Peep club in Durham Lane in Auckland. He refurbished it and re-opened it as Grannys in June 1971. This gave Headband a permanent venue at which to play. It also became the venue at which great bands like Dragon and Ragnarok made their debuts.

In late 1971 Jack Stradwick (formerly with Action) left and he was replaced by Billy Kristian, who along with Jimmy Hill had previously played in Ray Columbus's Invaders. With this line-up, an album called "Happen Out" was recorded for HMV coming out in 1972, and featured a large proportion of original material. A single was taken from it, "Ballad of Jacques Le Mere"/"The Error Of My Ways". It reached number 14 on the national charts. Two further singles came from the album, "Good Morning Mr Rock'n'Roll"/"Dip Tank" and "Love Is Bigger Than The Whole Wide World"/"The Loving Tree", with the latter reaching number 12 in September 1972. the Adderley-written ‘Good Morning Mr Rock ‘n’ Roll‘, became the Headband’s most widely known song, getting to No.1 on the Radio Hauraki Hit List. Another single "Time"/"Paranoia" failed to sell.

L to R: Hill, Stradwick, Hopp, Craig and Quinnell - Adderley is seated (1970)

The debut album also featured the longest track recorded in New Zealand to date, the 15 minute ‘The Laws Must Change’, about the marijuana prohibition. “Tight and gutsy,” the Auckland Star was quoted as saying.

Headband at Ali Babas

Headband did a Universities tour during 1972, but apart from that they seldom performed outside Auckland. The group finally disbanded in 1973, with Adderley concentrating on his nightclub. But after numerous run-ins with the law, he was forced to close the venue in 1976.

Tommy resurrected Headband for a national tour, single and album in 1975. He had a new line-up featuring himself, Hopp and Hill, plus bassist Neil Edwards and keyboards player Len Whittle. The album was called "Rock Garden" with a single "I Get High (On Music)"/"Hey Little Schoolgirl" coming from it. Nothing more came from the group after this.

In 2000, a new CD was released called "The Headband Collection", which was simply a compilation of both albums, with no new material surfacing.
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This post consists of FLACs  ripped from my prized vinyl, which I picked up at the market only just recently.  And what a find, the vinyl is in pretty good condition and the cover is not bad for its age. I've seen this album for sale on eBay for $250+  and my copy cost me a buck!
Gotta say I was a pretty happy camper that day.  I really like this album, and every track is stand out material, but the best track would have to be "The Laws Must Change".  The use of violin on top of some great guitar and vocals makes this Kiwi Blues and Psychedelic release an absolute must for the record collector.
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Track Listing

01 - Mood One-Time To Kill
02 - Lisa, Listen To Me
03 - Dip Tank
04 - The Ballad Of Jacques La Mere
05 - Headband Grooving
06 - Good Morning Mr. Rock And Roll
07 - Love Is Bigger Than The Whole Wide World
08 - Mood Two-The Laws Must Change
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Line-Up:
Tommy Adderley (Harmonica / Vocals)
Alan Quinnell (Guitar)
Ronnie Craig (Guitar)
Jack Stradwick, Billy Kristian (Bass)
Dick Hopp (Electric Violin / Flute)
Jimmy Hill (Drums)
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Headband FLAC Link (333Mb)
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Bon Jovi - In These Arms Unauthorised (1994) Ex.Bootleg

(U.S 1983 - Present)
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Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, pianist and keyboardist David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres. The band's lineup has remained mostly static during its history, with the only exceptions being the 1994 dismissal of bass player Alec John Such, who was unofficially replaced by Hugh McDonald, and the departure of long time guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora in 2013. In 1986, Bon Jovi achieved widespread global recognition with their third album, Slippery When Wet. The band's fourth album, New Jersey was equally successful in 1988. After touring and recording non-stop during the late 1980s, the band went on hiatus following the New Jersey Tour in 1990, during which time Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora both released successful solo albums. In 1992, the band returned with the album 'Keep the Faith'.
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Their 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead' Tour ran during the second half of 1993 and it is from this tour that the featured bootleg recording was taken.. (Note: The front cover says "Live in New Jersey, USA 1993" but the track listing is the same as the second half of their set list for the concerts at Milton Keynes National Bowl, England, UK on Sept 18/19 1993, as reported by bootlegzone.com).
The tour was an extension of the 'Keep the Faith Tour' which was in promotion of the 1992 multi-platinum album 'Keep the Faith'. The tour returned to Europe, Asia and North America and also visited countries such as Australia and Argentina, which were not visited during the initial Keep the Faith tour earlier in the year.
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Milton Keynes Bowl

Concert Review
(Bon Jovi at Milton Keynes Bowl - September 18th 1993)
Support Acts: Billy Idol / Little Angels / Manic Street Preachers

Another excellent concert from Bon Jovi on their I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour in support of their Keep The Faith album. Recorded live for Radio 1 in the UK hence this is a great bootleg of the gig. As is normal with Bon Jovi set lists change regularly and on the second night an extra 4 song encore was played...as recorded on this bootleg. Bon Jovi are so consistent live that I can honestly say that I have never seen a bad show. Old time pros in 1993 after being together a decade and coming through the aftermath of the Slippery / Jersey mammoth success

The Manic Street Preachers opened the day and as big a fan as I am of theirs today wasn't their crowd and they were unfortunately largely ignored. As mentioned elsewhere I was and still am a big fan of The Little Angels who were one of the support bands and were as usual fabulous. Not so impressed with Billy idol who for every great song (Rebel Yell, White Wedding, Mony Mony etc) there were twice as many duds. When he really rocks then he is capable of great things but too much dross in there as well.
Review sourced from storiesfromthemoshpit.com

Ticket: September 18th 1993
Ticket Price: £20.00

Full Concert Setlist
I Believe
Wild in the Streets
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
Can't Help Falling in Love
(Elvis Presley cover)
Bed of Roses
Keep the Faith
I'd Die for You
Dry County
Lay Your Hands on Me
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Play Video
Bad Medicine
Shout
(The Isley Brothers cover)
Help!
(The Beatles cover)
Wanted Dead or Alive
In These Arms
Livin' on a Prayer
I'll Be There for You
With a Little Help From My Friends

Souvenir Coke Cans (Concert Sponsors)

Feature Article

'Jon Bon Jovi says he hasn’t spoken to former bandmate Richie Sambora in ‘Over Three Years’

Bon Jovi is one of those bands that many of us find to be a guilty pleasure, much like Journey. Their music is cheesy, goofy, a bit over-dramatic, and sounds incredibly dated, yet remains iconic and will undoubtedly live on through classic rock radio and Spotify playlists into the future. Throughout rock history, there have been iconic pairings of lead singers with guitar players that have gone on to help define these bands. Guns N’ Roses has Slash and Axl, Aerosmith has Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, The Rolling Stones have Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Led Zeppelin had Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Much in the same vein, Bon Jovi had Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.

Ritchie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi

According to Billboard, Bon Jovi are preparing their first post - Richie Sambora album to be release later this year. The reasons for Sambora’s departure in 2013 still aren’t even entirely clear, with Sambora making statements in the past about how tough life on the road was for him, but Jon Bon Jovi claims he hasn't even spoken with Sambora since then. He just stopped showing up.

“I haven’t seen him in over three years. He just didn't show up for work anymore. And that’s the truth of the matter,” Bon Jovi said. “And, you know, life goes on.”

No doubt Bon Jovi will still see success in a post-Sambora world, but the legendary pairing is going to be what fans will clamour for. Oh well, there can be a big reunion tour somewhere down the line if these two can somehow meet in the middle. Then they’ll be… halfway there. Until then, fans will be livin’ on a prayer in hopes of the two making up. Have hope, though; if Axl Rose and Slash could reconcile, that means that anything — literally anything — is possible. [as reported on uproxx.com By: Dave Walsh 05.11.16]

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This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from my Australian Grapefruit Bootleg CD. The quality of the recording is close to a 10/10 and is one of the best bootlegs I've heard in the Unauthorised Series.
Full album artwork along with alternative bootleg covers released for this Radio Broadcast are included. Other titles for this concert are "Long Way Home", "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" and "Live At Milton Keynes". The first half of the concert was released by Grapefruit under the title Bed Of Roses, which unfortunately I don't own - but I'm still looking !

Hope you enjoy this 'boot' which features great audience participation and Bon Jovi firing on all cylinders.

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Track Listing

01 - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead [w/ Jumpin' Jack Flash] (08:23)

02 - Bad Medicine [w/ Shout] (10:55)

03 - Help! (03:11)

04 - Wanted Dead Or Alive [w/ Little Wing] (10:26)

05 - In These Arms [w/ Livin' On A Prayer] (14:46)

06 - I'll Be There For You (09:54)

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The band:

Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, guitar

Richie Sambora – guitars, backing vocals, talkbox

Alec John Such – bass, backing vocals

Tico Torres – drums, percussion

David Bryan– keyboards, piano, backing vocals

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Bon Jovi Link (141Mb)  New Link 20/11/2024

Easybeats - Steady On (1995) Bootleg

(Australian 1964–1969, 1986)
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Although the Easybeats did not set out to seek trouble, it always seemed to find them. They were snappy dressers with long hair, and the girls went berserk at the sight of them. Harry told the Verbatim radio program:

We were never the sort of guys to throw TVs out of hotel windows. But with all the hysteria, it was always pandemonium. So you didn't have to do much. You could be nice and polite and still get into a lot of trouble because of all the pandemonium surrounding us. Then there was the women, which didn't go down well with the guys. It was a really weird ride.

Long hair was at the root of the problem. It seems a trivial matter today, but in those days, anything longer than 'short back and sides' was a symbol of a particular youth sub-culture. If you were a male follower of the British explosion, you threw away your Californian Poppy hair oil and let your hair grow over your ears and collar. Parents didn't like it so it became a symbol of rebellion. Unfortunately, other Australian male sub-cultures equated long hair with being effeminate, triggering a violent homophobia. Bobby and Laurie reputedly had the longest hair in Australia, but Stevie Wright was not far behind: 'My father was a sergeant in the army and you know what sergeants think about long hair.' While on their second visit to Melbourne, Mike Vaughan employed his favourite trick of inviting local DJs to a free function. The venue for this one was at the very plush Windsor Hotel opposite Parliament House. The boys dressed up and were on their best behaviour. On this occasion, a bunch of labourers happened to be drinking at the public bar. George describes what happened next:

They started laughing at us, calling us poofs and abusing the shit out of us. Eventually one of them called us 'Pommie Bastards' or something. So fuck it, we tore into these guys and started beating the shit out of them - disc jockey, politician, we didn't give a shit. Of course we got a hiding in the end, but it was worth it - you can only take so much.

The boys were totally outnumbered and outsized by the hefty labourers. George, Stevie and Snowy were all 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) or less and Dick not much more! After the fight broke up, they returned inside, battered, bloodied and dishevelled, fearing that they had blown their chance to make a good impression in Melbourne. Fortunately, the DJs thought it was great and acclaimed this as the most enjoyable launch they had ever attended. The reports that appeared the next day trumpeted: 'Sydney group the Easybeats proved that long hair was no indication of sissyness!' But more importantly, they started playing the record.

George's brother-in-law, Sam Horsburgh, usually accompanied the band as road manager and protector. During a trip to Goulburn which Sam was unable to take, they were confronted by some local louts at a roadhouse. A fight broke out and the Easybeats sought refuge inside. Realising that they had to get moving, but suspecting that the three men would be waiting for them somewhere along the highway, they loaded up their station wagon with bottles, bricks and a big cast iron gas cylinder. Soon enough, the three did appear but received a pelting with bottles and bricks. The final act of aggressive self-defence was to open up the tailgate of the station wagon and push out the cylinder which then crashed into the louts' car, sending it careering off the road.

The Easybeats did a tour of northern Queensland with the bluesy R8B outfit Purple Hearts. While guitar legend Lobby Loyde was waiting for a hamburger in a country town, an old local redneck objected to the length of his hair and put a knife to Lobby's throat. George Young and Harry Vanda were close at hand and leapt to action. Lobby described what happened: 'George head-butted the prick. He's about two foot tall but, mate, don't get in his road, he's a killer. He just went boof! Then big Harry leaned over him and said, "Don't get up", which he didn't do. Harry could throw a good blow too, I might tell you.'

[Extract from Vanda & Young: Inside Australia's Hit Factory, by John Tait, New South Books 2010. p28-30]

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The Steady On Story

In the history of 20th century popular culture, there was little to rival the global phenomenon of Beatlemania.  Even behind the Iron Curtin of the U.S.S.R, the British Invasion had crept through, via the underground bootlegs of tapes and records printed on X-rays (known as “Records On Bones”). In Siberia, a young man named George Crotty was one of the many Soviet teenagers taken by the pop group.  At aged 19, his love for beat music was such that he was already fronting his own beat band called The Q. To his friends, he was given the nickname Nesa Bitls (pronounced Nesher Beatles).

In the late 1960’s, Crotty immigrated to Sydney, Australia.  Because of his easy going nature and exuberant personality, he found it easy to make friends.  His passion for the rock music of the 1960’s continued as he began to collect the rock groups of his newly adopted country.  One Australian group in particular was The Easybeats.  The high regard in which Crotty held the band was well known through-out the collector’s circuit.  And being based in Sydney, the spiritual home of the group and their label Albert Productions, it was inevitable.

In the mid 1970’s, he summoned the courage to visit the label.  With the goal of meeting his idols Harry Vanda and George Young, he was successful beyond his wildest dreams.  His open personality and unabashed enthusiasm for the duo’s music made him a friend to everyone at Alberts – including Harry and George.  If that wasn't enough, after sometime, George Young gave Crotty access to the recordings the group had accumulated in the Albert Studio Vaults.  With his domestic grade tape recorder, Crotty began to make copies of the band’s acetates, demo reels and studio outtakes for his own private collection.  Although the quality of Crotty’s tape recorder wasn't “professional”, it was still an honour to have recordings these unreleased treasures.

By 1978, he had collected quite a substantial amount of music. Crotty decided to compile the songs recorded from the early period of The Easybeats’ career and have them privately pressed to vinyl.  At a very small run (said to be “around twenty”), he had no intention of selling the album commercially, they were simply intended as presents to friends and the people at Alberts as a “thank you” for their kindness. He referred to it as his “tribute album.” In keeping with the compilation’s period, he designed a cover and wrote liner notes in the style of a pop album from the early/mid 60’s.  The liner notes express his love for the band – “The Easybeats are my favourite group and all their songs are music to my ears.  The time is now and 1965 will be remembered as the days of that E.A.S.Y. beat”.  The album was called “Steady On”, after one of the demo recordings found LP.

After completion, he mailed copies of the record to his record trading friends across the world.  Next was to present the LP to his friends at Albert Productions.  But it was to his dismay to learn that his project had not gone over as well as he had hoped.  Although Crotty’s intentions were good (if naïve), Albert Productions were understandably shocked at the thought of these recordings being leaked to the public (and more importantly – bootleggers). It was probably made worse by Crotty crediting the LP to Albert Productions, especially with the poor quality of the album’s audio.  When word of this got back to Crotty, he air-mailed his collector friends, begging them not to sell their copies or reveal they owned a copy.

In 1979 – Raven Records would secure the licence to officially release some of the songs on an E.P. titled 'Mean Old Lovin’.  This would include 4 of the songs from Crotty’s disc.  But to date – no other songs featured on the original L.P. have been officially released by Albert Productions or any other label with an approved  licence to the material.

The album became something of an enigma to Easybeats fans.  It was even described and pictured in an issue of Record Collector magazine.  Eventually, 12 years after it was pressed, seven of the tracks surfaced on a bootleg CD bearing the “Steady On” name [Tendolar TDR-061] along with other Vanda & Young related rarities.  Some of the songs from the original LP were retitled.

Crotty reputation as one of Australia most renowned collectors of Garage Rock, Psychedelic and Australian artists from the 1960’s continued to grow throughout the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s.  He would go on to organize two fondly remembered “60’s Reunion Parties” early in the new millennium. These reunited many fans and artists from the past, but he had to retire from this as his health began to fail. Sadly, in 2010 Crotty passed away from a fatal heart attack.  Since Crotty’s passing, the LP has appeared in various online auctions sites.  Demanding prices into the thousands, it has often being mistaken as an “official” lost album or a test pressing.  [extract from theeasybeats.wordpress.com]

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Album Review

Twenty-nine-track, single-CD compilation of rarities from a group that one would not expect to be targeted by bootleggers. Much previously unreleased material has already surfaced on a variety of legitimate Easybeats reissues, and you'd think it would be quite a challenge to dig up some more. But the compilers of this package have managed, the most notable find by far being seven previously unreleased studio tracks from 1965 and 1966. These are very straightforward original British Invasion-influenced rockers, very much of a piece with what you'll hear on the group's first two official Australian albums; there aren't any standouts, but on the other hand it's certainly up to the level of what ended up on those LPs. 

Of particular interest is "The Bells," from their very first demo session, which has a slightly more retro feel than even their earliest singles, with its 1963 rockaballad feel. The program continues with some Vanda-Young productions issued under the names of Haffy's Whiskey Sour, Marcus Hook Roll Band, and Paintbox. No dates or info are given for these with the CD, but they sound like early-1970s pop-hard-rock productions, acceptable but not remarkable. Then there are eight fuzzy-fidelity live 1966 performances from the Bill Hendersons TV program "Bandstand", some of which sound like they might be lip-synched with crowd noise (and the song titled "Unknown" on the sleeve is in reality "Wedding Ring," their second big Australian hit). The disc is padded out with eight "true stereo versions" of songs from their first three Australian LPs, ending with the "Vanda-Young & JP Young" song "Yesterday's Hero," which has a mid-1970s feel and was covered by the Bay City Rollers. It seems to fade out prematurely, but no matter: the song isn't that good anyway. [Review by Richie Unterberger at AllMusic]

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I'm posting this album in response to a request I received recently from a blog follower. The post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from CD and comes bundled with artwork for both LP and CD releases (Note that the track listing on the CD is far more extensive than the vinyl).  

The source of this rip is unknown as I found it on the internet many years ago and no details of the uploader were recorded. The two grey scale photos above were sourced from John Tait's book with thanks.

If you enjoyed reading the introductory story about the Easybeats or would love to read more (in particular Vanda & Young), I highly recommend you get hold of John Tait's book 'Vanda & Young: Inside Australia's Hit Factory' which is available through his website.  See right.

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Tracklist

01 - Steady On

02 - I Believe In You

03 - Mama

04 - I Need Your Lovin'

05 - The Bells

06 - Nothin Happens

07 - I Can Still See The Sun

08 - Shot In The Head

09 - Bye, Bye Blackbird

10 - Natural Man

11 - Come On Round

12 - Take It From Me

13 - Easy As Can Be (live)

14 - Unknown (live)

15 - Women (live)

16 - In My Book (live)

17 - I'll Make You Happy (live)

18 - Come And See Her (live)

19 - She's So Fine (live)

20 - I'll Make You Happy (live)

21 - I'm Gonna Tell Everybody

22 - Girl On My Mind

23 - It's So Easy

24 - You Are The Light

25 - Someday, Someway

26 - What About Our Love

27 - Say You Want Me

28 - My, My, My

29 - Yesterday's Hero (with JPY)

The Easybeats:

Stevie Wright - Vocals

Snowy Fleet - Drums

Dick Diamonde - Bass

Harry Vanda - Guitar, Backing vocals

George Young - Guitar, Backing Vocals

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The Easybeats Link (163Mb)

Pink Floyd - Unlicensed Live Vol 2 (1993) Bootleg

(U.K 1965 - 1996, 2005)

Pink Floyd have always been synonymous with a sophisticated and elaborate stage show featuring state-of-the-art lighting and concert sound: but it wasn't always like that. The early days were as rudimentary as you could imagine, and their status has only been earned through years of constant refinement.

Their earliest known use of projections to accompany their music was at All Saints' Church Hall in west London in September 1966, but perhaps the most significant advance in Pink Floyd's use of light shows came from their former landlord. "The most important starting-point for the light show was Mike Leonard and Hornsey College of Art," recalled Mason. "That was the idea that the music could be improvised and the lighting could be improvised to go with it."

Pink Floyd's first touring light show was built the same year by managers Andrew King, Peter Jenner and his wife Sumi using closed-beam spotlights mounted on wooden boards, and activated by domestic light switches. "The result was these hugely dramatic shadows behind [the band], which I'm sure everyone thought was brilliant," mused Jenner. "Of course, it was a complete fuck-up, as all the best things are." Projectors and oil slides soon became a common feature of all their shows, and Pink Floyd employed a variety of operators who were often regarded as fifth members of the band.

Reunited Pink Floyd 1987

However, as the Sixties drew to a close so, too, did the pivotal role of the light shows. Instead, Pink Floyd began to concentrate on their sound production, as audiences would listen politely and intently. This in turn led to the development of the Azimuth Co-ordinator, a new 360-degree surround-sound system designed to throw effects and pre-recorded tracks around the room, which became a feature of all subsequent tours. It made its début in 1969, with a series of shows that incorporated Pink Floyd's increased sense of experimentalism and featured the band sawing wood to construct a table, and monsters roaming the audience.

Their appetite for spectacle grew through the early Seventies. In 1971 they played an open-air show at Crystal Palace in London that featured a huge inflatable octopus emerging from the lake in front of the stage.

David Gilmour 1989

By 1972 Pink Floyd were touring more than nine tons of equipment, transported by three trucks and requiring a crew of seven to assemble it for each performance. As Richard Wright remarked at tie time, "Sometimes, I look at our huge truck and tons of equipment and think: 'Christ, all I'm doing is playing an organ!'"

However, it was their shows at Earl's Court in May 1973 that provided a real foretaste of things to come. A Chinese gong burst into flames; a giant robot emerged from clouds of dry ice; a huge rocket soared over the heads of the audience; and a giant mirror ball reflected beams from two batteries of red lasers.

As the venues became bigger, so too did the production, and in June 1974 Pink Floyd employed for the first time their trademark circular screen, which was used to project specially-prepared film and animation sequences, including a remarkable flying clock sequence for 'Time' designed by lan Ernes.

But their shows didn't always go as planned. At a show in Pittsburgh on June 20, 1975, a specially built pyramid, designed to sail above the stage and radiate beams of light, became dislodged in a gust of wind. The helium balloon inside was never seen again; nor was the pyramid, which crashed into the stadium's car park, where it was promptly shredded by souvenir-hunters.

On Pink Floyd's 1977 tour several large-scale inflatables were made, symbolizing the typical 'nuclear-age' family and comprising a businessman, his wife, 2.5 children, a TV set, a Cadillac and a fridge full of worms. Appropriately, the tour motif and newly-acquired mascot, the giant inflatable pig, was also used, and in some cases detonated, to dramatic effect: but the most striking addition was the disturbing animated film designed by the satirical cartoonist Gerald Scarfe which accompanied 'Welcome To Machine'.

With the Wall shows in 1980 and 1981 Pink Floyd produced their most overwhelming spectacle to date as a huge wall was constructed across the stage during the show; a replica Stuka dive-bomber buzzed the audience, and both the wall and circular screen showed newly designed animations by Scarfe. In addition, three giant puppets, representing the villains of the piece, made appearances at key points.

However, it was for their final tour, in 1994, that Pink Floyd will always be remembered, having played to their largest attendances to date. A large semi-circular shell housed the screen and some 400 moving lights; lasers, a mirror ball and pigs on a vast scale accompanied spectacular new film sequences, and an IMAX projector recreated liquid-oil patterns to illuminate the revival of the Barren song Astronomy Domine'.

The production was transported by 49 trucks, with two Boeing 747s and a huge Russian Antonov military freight plane transferring the equipment from the US for : European tour.

It's hard to imagine it all began with a plank of wood, some domestic light switches and a few spotlights. [extract from 'The Treasures Of Pink Floyd', by Glenn Povey. Murdoch Books. 2012, p46]

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Concert Details

This is a bootleg recording of  Pink Floyd's concert held on the Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, in Venice, Italy, on 15 July 1989.  Over 100 million viewers in 23 countries saw the the Italian TV broadcast.

During 1988-1989, Pink Floyd grossed $135 million on their Delicate Sound Of Thunder Tour - making it the most successful musical tour of all time. In Fobes magazine's chart of the world's highest paid entertainers, Pink Floyd ranked seventh, ahead of all other rock groups. Mason later called the tour "the most enjoyable ever".

Towards the end of their tour Floyd went to New Zealand and Australia - their first visit since 1971. Back in Europe again, Floyd played in Venice on July 15, 1989, over 200,000 fans swarmed St Marks Square for a free concert performed on a floating stage 24 meters high and towed by a barge 90m by 30m in size, in the Grand Canal.

This was probably the most controversial concert of Pink Floyd's career with Venetian locals protesting over noise levels and disruptions to their daily life.

To pacify critics Pink Floyd played at a reduced volume, but there were still claims of damage to marble cladding and lamp-posts were broken by fans climbing them for a better view.

The city authorities failed to provide facilities for the visiting fans, many of whom slept in St. Marks square. They left behind them 300 tons of litter, which had to be cleared by the Army.

Here's what David Gilmour of Pink Floyd said~

"We had a really good time, but the city authorities who had agreed to provide the services of security, toilets, food, completely reneged on everything they were supposed to do, and then tried to blame all the subsequent problems on us."

The City council apologised to Venice residents for the inconvenience, promising that no similar concert would ever be allowed. Disgusted with the lack of respect for the city and its inhabitants, locals staged a 7 hour sit-in at the City Hall shouting “Fools, scoundrels. Resign, Resign. You’ve turned Venice into a toilet!”  The Venetians wanted blood and in the end, the Mayor Casellati and the entire city council resigned. Therefore, this concert can be placed in the books as being truly unique.  [For more information, see ultimateclassicrock]

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This post consists on MP3's (320kps) ripped from my Aussie AMCOS CD Bootleg (released in 1993) and covers the second half of the concert. Full album artwork and concert photos are included, along with alternative bootleg release covers - namely 'Venetian Nights', 'Live In Venice', 'Laguna Di Venezia' and 'Piazza San Marco Venezia'

The quality of the recording is exceptional and comes close to their official Delicate Sound Of Thunder set.  Hope you enjoy this recording of Pink Floyd's most controversial concert.

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Track Listing

01. Time

02. The Great Gig in the Sky

03. Wish You Were Here

04. Money

05. Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two)

06. Comfortably Numb

07. Run Like Hell

Pink Floyd:

David Gilmour - Lead guitars and Lead vocals

Nick Mason - Drums and Percussion

Richard Wright - Keyboards and Vocals

with:

Tim Renwick - Guitars

Gary Wallis - Percussion

Jon Carin - Keyboards, Synthesizers and Vocals

Guy Pratt - Bass and Vocals

Scott Page - Saxophones

Rachel Fury, Durga McBroom and Lorelei McBroom - Backing Vocals 

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Pink Floyd Unlicensed Link (115Mb)  New Link 30/12/2023

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