Jo Jo Zep And Falcons - Dexterity 'Mini LP' (1981)

(Australian 1975–1983, 2001-present)

In 1979, Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons signed with Mushroom Records after Oz Records had folded. By now, the songwriting was being looked after by Burstin, Camilleri, and Faehse working together as a trio, and Camilleri was the group's lone front man. As well, the group had included another musical direction: reggae.

Meanwhile, Mushroom was eager to connect with the 'new wave' in England and brought over Peter Solley, an English producer and latter-day Procol Harum member, to produce another Mushroom artist, The Sports. One night Solley saw Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons perform, and on the strength of their new song, "Shape I'm In", asked to produce the group. The first single, "Hit and Run", from the album, Screaming Targets, was pop reggae and reached No. 12 on the charts in August 1979. Camilleri said he "never thought 'Hit and Run' would do anything but maybe the lick was infectious enough – though as a song it was a bit stupid – but it got us a deal all over the world. It was a wacky thing and all of a sudden we were away in a different arena".

The band toured the United States, the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, including performances in The Bottom Line club in New York, and at the Montreux Jazz & Blues Festival. In July 1980, the band had been the opening act at the Oakland Coliseum, in San Francisco, supporting Journey, Black Sabbath and Cheap Trick. Camilleri told a hostile audience, which was throwing objects (including eggs) at the group, "Is it any wonder your parents lost the Vietnam War – you can't even shoot straight!" After the international experience, the band started to lose some of its impetus.

Back home, the singles continued with "Shape I'm In", "Puppet on a String", "I Will Return". In August 1980, the band issued the album Hats Off Step Lively in Australia. In July 1981, Dexterity was released. The band continued touring internationally, but tensions within the group were increasing and in June 1981, Camilleri pulled Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons off the road.

We could have done it if we'd kept punching, but the band actually disintegrated, basically, looking back, because we were too tired. We should have just taken a year off. But what happened was we were right at the end of the period when, in order to flog a record in the States, you were virtually out promoting the one you had out the year before. So it was a totally asynchronous situation. We were having to dig into what we viewed as archives when we went out of the country. So we were having to promote Screaming Targets when we already had Hats Off Step Lively out here. It was at a time of the most intense development of original material in the band's life so the result was extremely disruptive. – Camilleri

In September 1981, a revised version of Hats Off Step Lively was issued in North America, titled simply Step Lively. The album featured a selection of tracks from the Hats Off Step Lively and Dexterity albums, augmented by two newly recorded cover tunes ("Gimme Little Sign" and "But It's Alright") produced by H.W. Casey and Rick Finch of K.C. and the Sunshine Band. However, the group had fractured by this point (Young, Power and Wilde all dropped out) and was not available to promote the North American LP release. Step Lively ultimately flopped commercially despite some good reviews.

In June 1981 Joe Camilleri disbanded the Falcons. Young and Power joined Rock Doctors, and Wilde formed his own band, Big Kombi. Camilleri, Burstin and Faehse then gathered a new rhythm section featuring bassist Simon Gyllies (Mondo Rock), and drummer Freddie Strauks (Skyhooks) and started exploring Latin American rhythms, particularly salsa. However, The 'Falcons' moniker was dropped around the time Faehse dropped out, and beginning in 1982, the act was known simply as Jo Jo Zep. The new Jo Jo Zep line-up soon expanded....

"I had a big hit with 'Taxi Mary' but that was without this band, and 'Walk On By', but it was too late really. I couldn't see myself playing in an 11 piece salsa band. It was only a minute in my life. I enjoyed the band and enjoyed the tour but I realised I didn't have my friends behind me anymore. I had to start again. Then I reunited with half the band at the start of what became The Black Sorrows". – Camilleri

Joe Camilleri

Joe Camilleri was a front man who knew no equal. He could blow your head clean off at a distance of 40 years. First time I recall Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons was at the La Trobe Uni Hall, when Joe was all over the stage; head in the drum kit, doing the splits, blowing solos like his life depended on it. Joe was a driven guy. He quit school early, worked dumb jobs that he wasn’t going back to. So when he was playing music there was no fall back position. Everything mattered. That meant the band could do a 20 minute version of King of Fools with Camilleri improvising this hysterical rom com in the middle section or a sublime 20 minute sax improvising “The Cthulhu” or if things could go badly then he might throw his guitar on the floor and storm out the back door with the band vamping on not knowing whether he was coming back. 

Often as not they played without a set list. Joe bought the jazz gimmick that a good show was determined by being in the moment. Nothing was ever really good enough for him either. He mastered one instrument and took up another. He was restless; he had an artistic twitch. I think he felt he had more to prove than most of his peers. I think he soaked up so much from his idols that he felt he had to find a different voice and he immersed himself in jazz and ska, in pop and R&B. Camilleri has been so deep into so many things that he is totally original. 

Above is the promotional video made to promote Dexterity, featuring excerpts of some of the Mini LP's tracks.  Only Joe Camilleri appears in the clips. Dexterity was the sixth studio album by Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons. It was released in July 1981 and peaked at number 92 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

If you liked the clip then check out this Dexterity 10″ Mini LP for some of the most inventive R&B pop of the time or indeed his past 20 years. You won't regret it.

Ripped to FLAC from my priceless / pristine 10" vinyl, this post also includes full album artwork and label scans.

Tracklist

01 Sweet  (3:45)

02 Tighten Up  (3:23)

03 Flexible  (1:55)

04 Fallen Heroes  (3:45)

05 Nosey Parker  (3:17)

06 Johnny Kain  (2:54)

07 Fool Enough  (3:35)

08 Rub Up Push Up  (3:00)

09 Please Please Please  (1:12)

Band members:

Joe Camilleri - Vocals, Guitar, Sax

Jeff Burstin - Guitar, Vocals

John Power - Bass, Vocals

Gary Young - Drums, Vocals

Tony Faehse - Guitar, Vocals

Dexterity Link (154 Mb)