Renee Geyer: Live At Dallas Brooks Hall [Really Really Love You] (1976) / Live At The Basement (1986)

 (Australian 1970 - Present)

Renee Geyer has been classed as one of Australia's top rock/blues singers. But in my mind, she should also be named as one of Australia's top musicians. Because, in her voice there is a perfectly tuned instrument that is superbly controlled.

Over the past two years, Renee has emerged out of the Sydney club session scene into the Top 40 commercial market. Where many singers have had to sell themselves down the drain to achieve that necessary hit single, Renee stood firm - it was her way or forget it.

After her early LP recording in Sydney of 'Sun' she joined RCA Records and recorded 'Renee Geyer' Acclaimed by the critics, this album introduced Renee to a new and younger audience. But Renee was not happy with the finished product. She felt much more at home with her third album 'It's A Man's World', which subsequently went gold.

Renee Geyer Band On Stage At Dallas Brooks Hall 1976

Late last year, after joining Mushroom, Renee recorded another album, entitled 'Ready To Deal' and with her band of musicians which she had so carefully picked - Mal Logan, Barry Sullivan, Greg Tell and Mark Punch, she felt she had recorded a collection of songs which showed the true talents of herself and her band.

Renee Geyer with Molly Meldrum (on right)

Obviously the Australian public thought so too, as this album also went gold within a matter of months. During this time there was a string of successful singles on the Top 40 and Renee's following had expanded to all ages. Performance wise, Renee toured the country appearing at discos and concert halls. With a good steady flow of Jim Beam and Jonnie Walker always at hand, many of Renee's performances were memorable and some were forgettable.

Early 1975 Renee toured with Eric Clapton as support act and granted her vocal performance was excellent, but presentation wise, she was shabby to say the least. Her big problem was that she was too frightened to come out from behind the musicians and be a performer in her own right.

Live At Dallas Brooks Hall (1976)

Dallas Brooks Hall in the late 70's

One could be excused for thinking that she wore Barry Sullivan's bass amp for an earring! Over the next six months her confidence grew and on December 21, 1975 at Dallas Brooks Hall, the Renee Geyer Band headlined their own concert. It was a magical night and in my mind it marked the beginning of 'Miss Renee Geyer - Singer/Performer'.

Apart from the band's own title track, and a version of the jazz standard "Masquerade", she covers contemporary soul/funk tracks by Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, the Temptations, Aretha Franklin (a duet of "It Only Happens" with Doug Williams), Sly Stone, and the Average White Band. Her cover of Watson's "Hard Head" has appeared on a few rare soul/funk compilations before.

Dallas Brooks Hall that night was packed with followers, musicians and groups - their encore was unanimous. This is what this live album is all about, April 11, 1976 at Dallas Brooks Hall, Renee sang goodbye and 'Really, Really...Love You'. [Liner notes by Molly Meldrum]

Live At The Basement (1986)

This is one of Renee's lesser known albums, released mid 1986, but with Renee in the US it did not chart. It was recorded at Sydney's famous Basement club on one of her return trips from the US, just before she went back to form Easy Pieces with members of The Average White Band.

Recorded at midnight on 12th May, 1986, within 12 hours she would be on that plane back to New York and this was a kind of farewell party, to farewell her friends at Sydney's Basement Club. The basement had always heard the best of Renee Geyer. On this occasion the mood was especially electric and celebratory. 

From the moment she opened her set with the rocking "Release Yourself", her message was clear: Miss Geyer was happy to be singing her favourite music, on a familiar stage, with eight of Australia's finest musicians around her.

Renee essentially avoids the synth trappings of her 1980's recordings for her much loved big band soul sound. So with the exception of "Baby I've Been Missing You" from Renee's 'So Lucky' album and the ever present fave "It's A Man's Man's World", the performance here consists of Renee and the band jamming on old soul faves.

And what a big band it was too, with all having played with a who's who of Oz rock royalty and including the grossly underrated Mark Williams on backing vocals. However, he also performs 2 spine tingling duets with Renee on Otis' "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay" and James Brown's "I've Got You (I Feel Good)"

With her own blend of funk and soul, Renee and her band gave a thrilling performance. If proof was ever needed of the special place that Renee Geyer occupied in Australia's music scene over the past 50 years, this is it. [extracts from liner notes and notes by Micko at Midoztouch]

It is interesting to compare these two live recordings, released 10 years apart and clearly shows a maturing in Renee's live presence and confidence on stage. I remember seeing her perform at Waurn Ponds in Geelong in the late 70's and although I was somewhat star struck by her performance, I did sense that she was not fully comfortable being on stage. Mind you, I wasn't really focusing on her voice but rather other attributes that she had !

Nevertheless, these two live recordings provide a great insight into how good a performer Renee Geyer was and her ability to make any of the classics her own.  

This double post consists of FLACs ripped from CD (Dallas Brooks) and Vinyl (The Basement) and  includes full artwork and label scans.

Really Really Love You [Live At Dallas Brooks Hall)

01 Hard Head - 5.33 

02 Shakey Ground - 4.38 

03 Person to Person - 4.08 

04 It Only Happens (Duet with Doug Williams) - 4.18 

05 Booty - 5.06 

06 Masquerade - 6.41 

07 Really Really Love You - 11.08 

Renée Geyer Band were:

Renée Geyer: Vocals

John Pugh: Guitars

Mal Logan: Keyboards

Barry "Big Goose" Sullivan: Bass

Greg Tell: Drums

Russell Smith: Trumpet

Bruce Sandell: Saxophones

Miguel Carranza: Trombone

Doug Williams : backing vocals

Otis Kevinagh : backing vocals

Stanley Brown : backing vocals

Really Really Love You Link (261Mb)

New Link 25/02/2024

Live At The Basement

01 Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay:  5.46

02 Baby I've Been Missing You:  4.25

03 I've Got You (I Feel Good):  5.13

04 It's A Man's Man's World:  7.28

05 Peace And Understanding Is Hard To Find:  5.52

06 Who Was That Girl:  5.31

07 (If You Leave Me) I'll Go Crazy:  3.30

08 Release Yourself:   8.24

The Band were:

Renee Geyer: Vocals

Mark Williams: Backing/Lead Vocals

Steve Housden: Guitars

Jamie McKinley: Keyboards

Geoff Oakes: Tenor Sax

Andy Thompson: Tenor/Baritone Sax

Mike Bukowsky: Trumpet 

Harry Brus: Bass 

John Watson: Drums

Live At The Basement Link (260Mb)

New Link 05/09/2023