Paul Kelly And The Dots - Talk (1981) plus Bonus Single

(Australian 1978 - 1982)

While travelling around Australia, Paul Kelly made his first public performance as a singer/song writer in 1974 in Hobart. He later recalled:

His first published song, "It's the Falling Apart that Makes You", was written after listening to Van Morrison's Astral Weeks at the age of 19, although in an interview with Drum Media he recalled writing his first unpublished song: "It was an open-tuning and had four lines about catching trains. I have got a recording of it somewhere. It was called 'Catching a Train'. I wrote a lot of songs about trains early on, trains and fires, and then I moved on to water". In 1976, Kelly played with the Adelaide band 'The Debutantes' before joining pub-rockers The High Rise Bombers from 1977 to 1978.  The High Rise Bombers included Kelly (vocals, guitar, songwriter), Martin Armiger (guitar, vocals, songwriter), Lee Cass (bass guitar), Chris Dyson (guitar), Sally Ford (saxophone, songwriter), John Lloyd (drums), and Keith Shadwick (saxophone). Chris Langman (guitar, vocals) replaced Dyson in early 1978. In August, after Armiger left for The Sports and Ford for The Kevins, Kelly formed Paul Kelly and the Dots with Langman and Lloyd. The High Rise Bombers recorded two tracks, "She's Got It" and "Domestic Criminal", which appeared on The Melbourne Club, a 1981 compilation by various artists on Missing Link Records.

Kelly had already established himself as a respected songwriter and other Melbourne musicians would go to see him on their nights off. He was introduced to Hilary Brown at one of the Dots' gigs and they later married the relationship is described in "When I First Met Your Ma" (1992). Brown's father supplied Kelly with a gravy recipe used on "How to Make Gravy" (1996). Their son, Declan, was born in 1980.

The Dots included various line-ups from 1978 to 1982. The band released their debut single "Recognition" in 1979, which did not reach the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart top 50. Paul Kelly and the Dots signed to Mushroom Records and issued "Billy Baxter" in November 1980, which peaked at No. 38. Rock music historian, Ian McFarlane described it as a "delightful, ska-tinged" track. Kelly's first television performance was "Billy Baxter" on the national pop show Countdown. Their debut album, Talk, followed in March 1981, which reached No. 44 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Late in 1981 Paul Kelly and the Dots recorded their second album, Manila, in the Philippines' capital. It was issued in August 1982, but had no chart success. Release was delayed by line-up changes and because Kelly was assaulted in Melbourne he had his jaw broken.

In an October 1982 interview with Australian Women's Weekly, Kelly indicated he was more pleased with Manila than Talk as "It has more unity ... with this one we didn't have people dropping into the studio to play." Years later Kelly disavowed both Dots albums: "I wish I could grab the other two and put 'em in a big hole". The 1982 film, Starstruck, was directed by Gillian Armstrong and starred Jo Kennedy. Paul Kelly and the Dots supplied "Rocking Institution" for its soundtrack and Kelly added to the score. Kennedy released "Body and Soul", a cover of Split Enz' "She Got Body, She Got Soul" as a shared single with "Rocking Institution". Acting in a minor role in Starstruck was Kaarin Fairfax, who later became Kelly's second wife. Kelly was without a recording contract after the Dots folded in 1982. [extract from radioswissjazz]

PAUL KELLY and THE DOTS

(Review from Tharunka (Kensington, NSW : 1953 - 2010), Tuesday 3 March 1981, page 17)

The most commonly used excuse for people not frequenting many music venues is the cost involved -- and understandably so. Cover charges usually range from three to five dollars — then the expense is tripled after a few drinks.

Well, this time there's no excuse. Friday the 13th need not be unlucky if you show up on the PERC Lawn, with whatever you care to inebriate yourself with (or alternatively, the luxury of the bar balcony). Three bands for the price it takes you to get out-of-it.

The concert commences with multi-racial, reggae band Untabu-X.followed by Sydney band The Brix, then Paul Kelly and the Dots. For those unfamiliar with the headlining band, maybe the following will convince the more apathetic, that the concert is a bargain at half the price (?).

Paul Kelly and The Dots base themselves in Melbourne and if you haven't seen them on one of their rare Sydney excursions, you may have heard the single "Billy Baxter", which included Joe Camilleri (Jo Jo Zep) and Wilbur Wilde also from the Falcons and OL'55 on saxophone. Actually, Joe Camilleri, as well as including two of Kelly's songs on his own albums, has recently finished producing The Dots debut album entitled "Talk", The album has attracted quite a bit of controversy due to the length of time it's taken to record. Recording began in June last year. Line-up changes postponed the completion date then Joe went overseas with the Falcons. The release date is now set for March 13th!!

When asked if satisfied with the end product, Kelly was less than enthusiastic. The band has been through many line- up changes and he has "enough new material for a double album".

Delving into Kelly's past, he began as a solo act playing his material in Sydney pubs on acoustic. He changed from acoustic in Sydney to electric in Melbourne four years ago. The High Rise Bombers were formed with Sports this point, a song smith only, and his voice and words were lost in the volume of electrics and brass.

Kelly's image changed with the forming of The Dots. Instead of the music drowning his lyrics, he learnt to project power that transformed his poetic lines into raging dance songs. Paul Kelly is now regarded as Australia's Bruce Springsteen. He wrote the title track from the movie Hard Knocks and recorded the vocal tracks lying on the studio floor (he'd put his back out)And the Falcons aren't the only ones to realise Kelly's talent as a song writer. Flowers have also recorded Kelly's "Leaps and Bounds".

The line-up you'll see on the 13th includes Chris Dyson and Chris Wilde on guitars, Alan Brooker on bass and drums, courtesy of Tony Thornton.
So Friday 13th may have more in store for you than being run down by a bus!

This post consists of FLACs ripped from CD (thanks to RAM) and includes full album artwork for both Vinyl and CD. In addition you will find two bonus tracks taken from their earlier single "Seeing Is Believing" / "Angel In Me" (1980) which were not included on 'Talk' (many thanks to Crossocean for making this rare single available). As we all know, Paul Kelly moved onto bigger and better things as a solo artist when the Dots dissolved in 1982, however his contribution to Aussie Rock and helping to make Melbourne the centre of the pub rock circuit must not be overlooked.

Irrespective of what Kelly's thinks about this release, I would encourage you to listen to it yourself to pass judgement.

Tracklist
01 Promise Not To Tell 3:20
02 The Lowdown 3:32
03 Want You Back 3:10
04 Fall Guy 3:36
05 Hard Knocks 3:54
06 Billy Baxter * 2:43
07 Recognition 3:04
08 Cherry 4:30
09 The Way Used To 3:08
10 I Have To Watch You Loving Him 3:16
11 Please Send Me 2:52
12 Seeing Is Believing (Bonus Single) 2:48
13 Angel In Me (Bonus Single) 2:42

Paul Kelly - Vocals, Guitar

Chris Dyson, Chris Worrall - Guitars, Vocals

Alan Brooker, Paul Gadsby - Bass

Tony Thornton - Drums

* Wilbur Wilde, Joe Camilleri - Saxophone

Paul Kelly & The Dots Link (253Mb) New Link 30/12/2023

Note: Used the new Blogger Editor Interface for this time and I hate it!  Formatting commands are horrible and just don't work properly.

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