REPOST: Hush - Aloud 'n' Live (1973)

(Australian 1971-1977)
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Hush: a funny name for a rock band that turned thousands of teenies on to hysterical weeping and screaming and which was once barred from entering a country town by the mayor who did not want them "interfering" with the local girls.
Band members were loud in every way: from their satiny costumes and fluffy mullets to their thrusting and wiggling, and their songs, which were mainly a celebration of sex, including "Glad All Over", "Get the Feeling" and their No.1 hit, "Boney Moroney".
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Biography
Hush started as a 5-piece local dance group in Sydney in '71. Musically they just weren't very good. But they were enthusiastic and their repertoire mostly consisted of instantly recognisable, very danceable rock classics (Rolling Stones, Free, and Who numbers). This early line-up of the group contained vocalist Keith Lamb, bassist Rick Lum and drummer Smiley Pailthorpe. They recorded one single for the Phonogram record company, a Keith Lamb original called "You". The flip side was a Neil-Sedaka song "Rainy Day Bells".
Guitarist Les Gock joined the group in August 1972 and the group made the NSW State Finals of a National Battle Of The Sounds competition. Another Sydney group, Sherbet, went on to win the NSW and National finals of that competition. — but Hush were mightily chuffed at even reaching a State final and just 2 years later they would release a single "C'mon We're Taking Over" that was specifically directed at Sherbet, who had gone on to consolidate their own position as Most Popular Group in Australia.

But back to '72. As soon as Les Gock joined the band and they'd made the State final, some internal chemistry within the band started working. Inside a few months the group were suddenly the biggest crowd drawers on the Sydney dance circuit. They certainly poured every erg of collective energy into every performance and large groups of young rock 'n' roll consumers suddenly found something better to do than loll around home on Friday and Saturday nights waiting for their parents to come back from the RSL - they went out to scream and dance and sweat to Hush.
But while promoters were only too anxious to book the group, the prevailing feeling was that Hush were a group of thrashers who were pulling the crowds but that the whole thing would pass away within the next six months.

They were in fact treated much as a novelty — a popular band with no lasting power. This attitude was pretty much reflected when the group signed to the Warner Bros. Record Company which put them in the studios to record an up tempo version of "White Christmas".
Bing Crosby's version of White Christmas is of course the biggest selling record ever made, it's something like 10,000,000 copies in various forms since its its release in late '49.
When set against this standard, Hush's version did particularly dismal business. It sold about 200 copies and got absolutely no airplay.
Well it was a pretty dire record anyway. The sort of record that, on reflection; a band hopes its fans never get to hear.

Having had no luck with record sessions, Hush concentrated on live work for most of '73. They toured interstate and investigated country areas of NSW. It was during this period of touring that the band gained themselves a reputation for sexual shenanigans. It became almost ritualised behaviour for girls to leap on stage and tear off their clothes while the band played Summertime Blues. In Perth, during one particularly high energy bracket, an overwrought female fan had an orgasm on stage.
"Untouched by human hand — all by herself," remembers Keith Lamb fondly.
In October of '73 the band went back into the studio to record their most popular original song, "Get The Feeling". They didn't adapt to studio conditions any better than on previous efforts, and in an attempt to get their on-stage energy onto record they next put down a live album in front of a few hundred selected fans packed into a Sydney studio. The album Aloud 'n' Alive, was released in December of '73, on the Warner Bros. label.

Hush 1973 Promo Shot

Once again the final sound on record conveyed practically none of the band's on stage energy, but the album still sold. The groups fans were able to bridge the gap between the group's live and recorded performances. Quite recently the album notched up enough sales to earn itself a gold record.
The success of the album and the band's vast popularity in country areas around NSW finally inspired airplay of the "Get The Feeling" single in 1974. Hush hit the road with a vengeance, extending their touring schedules to take in country areas throughout Australia. The move extended the concert popularity and got further airplay for "Get The Feeling". In March of '74 Hush moved to the Wizard Record Company and recorded the "Get Rocked album. On every level it was better than anything else they'd ever done in a studio. A single called "Walking" from the album scored them their first national hit and the album sold over 45,000 copies.

The band's third album, 'Cmon We're Taking Over' was made in the euphoria of having scored heavily with 'Get Rocked'.
As already related, the title track of C'mon was a calculated challenge to every other Australian band — especially the most popular, Sherbet.
The album and the single was also a calculated move towards musical sophistication. The band experimented with horn and string arrangements and threw in a couple of ballads for extra artistic effect.

It turned out to be too much too soon. As a single, "Cmon We're Taking Over" received near saturation airplay, but did not prove as popular as the mere basic, raunchier "Walking". The album sold well initially then faltered badly. Hush themselves were struggling with an identity crisis.

They were still regarded as a local dance band who could put on a good stage show and who had somehow fluked a hit record and brief national popularity. The group's attempts to update this image with an artistically credible album, i.e. C'num We're Taking Over, didn't work out as planned and the last straw was that their popularity in their home town at Sydney suddenly plummeted. A Sydney Hordern Pavilion concert in early '75 drew only a few-thousand instead of an expected 4,000.
At this time the band were also not having any joy with a new single, "Boney Moroney". It had been recorded under the direction of producer Robbie Porter but the band didn't like the song very much and when radio stations didn't play it the group felt very frustrated indeed.
They left Australia for a while, touring New Zealand and Noumea for six weeks. The tour on the whole was successful and spirit were further uplifted upon their return to find a few radio stations were actually playing Boney.

And then "Boney Moroney" took off. It gained airplay and high chart positions in state after state and ended up selling over 50,000 copies. It spread slowly all around Australia, staying on most national charts for most of '75 and it ended up being No.1 National Hit for '75 on the Countdown TV series pop charts.
The follow up single, "Glad All Over" was not as highly successful but it was successful enough, and it was also the single that attracted most interest from record companies in England and America — an interest that has resulted in the band being offered a tour of England in late '76. Hush's most recent album, Rough Tough 'N' Ready (released Dec '75) contained both Boney and Glad All Over singles and was a return to the raunchy rock format of the get Rocked era. It was also the closest yet studio approximation to the band's on stage excitement level. [extract from RAM magazine 1976]
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Molly handing over a Platinum Single for Boney Moroney on Countdown

This post consists of a vinyl rip in FLAC format along with album artwork and various band promo shots and photos (sourced from Hush's website with thanks).  Also included is a scan of the RAM Collection Centrefold feature on the band, as transcribed above.  I have also chosen to add a few rare bonus singles to the post - namely their 1972 reggae rendition of "White Christmas" (thanks to Ozzie Music man), their single "Get The Feelin'" and a special single-sided promo single for Colonial Jeans called "Get Flaired' (see below) which was a rework of their popular live track "Get Rocked".  Flaired jeans were certainly the flavour of the day when this promo single was released in 1974, and I reckon I might have had a pair or two myself !

NEW IMPROVED RIP

Track Listing
01 - Take Us Home
02 - Three Blind Mice
03 - Make luv to You
04 - Honky Tonk Woman

05 - Come On Up
06 - Summer Time Blues
07 - Green Skin Girl From Mars
08 - Come On Everybody
09 - Get The Feelin'
10 - Morning Dew
11 - Johnny B. Goode
12 - Long Tall Sally
13 - Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys
14 - Get The Feelin' (Bonus single)
15 - Get Flaired (Bonus Colonial Jeans Promo Single 1974)
16 - White Christmas (Bonus Single)
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Band members:
Keith Lamb (vocals)
Les Gock (guitar)
Rick Lum (bass)
Chris Paithorpe (drums)
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Hush Live Link (299Mb) New Link 22/12/2023
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Hush - Get Rocked (1974) plus Bonus Singles

(Australian 1971 - 1977)
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History doesn't always show the full story, and this is certainly the case with Hush. The band had it's beginnings in 1970 and continued in various forms until the end of the 70s, with 1975 being their most successful time.  Their biggest hit was Bony Moronie, an energetic cover of the Larry Williams US hit from eighteen years earlier, and it was the one of the ten best selling singles in Australia during that year.
No mean feat when you consider that Hush were competing for chart space with the likes of ABBA and The Bay City Rollers, plus the local dynamic duo of Sherbet and Skyhooks, the only Australian acts to do better than the this Sydney based quartet.

Lead singer and founder Keith Lamb was a charismatic front man, demanding attention from his audiences, and Hush were nothing like any of the other home grown rock bands. They were rockers, no doubt, but they had their own persona. Hush is probably the closest Australia ever got to having its own glam rock band.

For several years the band decked themselves in tight fitting satin pants (flares of course!) and shirts, scarfs and sequins, and the tallest platform shoes, looking like they had just done a stint backing David Bowie or Gary Glitter, but the sound was pure rock and roll.

Across a chart career spanning five years they scored ten Top 100 singles, all of which are included here, and six Top 100 albums. By 1978 the band had split up. Whether it was the fact that the group could not endure another line up change, or that their biggest hits were cover versions (Bony Moronie was followed into the Top 10 in 1975 by their creditable version of Dave Clark Five's Glad All Over), the spark of Hush had disappeared. Keith Lamb continued to front bands for a few more years (the Keith Lamb Band and Airport were two of them) and lead guitarist Les Gock has set up a successful production company.

As one of their songs states, nothing stays the same forever, but what remains are fine examples of good time Australian rock and roll songs from the music scene of the 70s, which was always exciting and interesting.

It is interesting to note that their debut album was a live album entitled 'Aloud 'N' Alive', recorded in front of a few 100 hand picked fans in a Sydney studio.  They released their first 2 studio albums in succession in 1974, 'Get Rocked' and 'C'Mon We're Taking Over', both big sellers of the time. Their #1 single "Bony Moronie" appeared on their 1975 album 'Rough Tough 'N' Ready' and gained solid airplay and high chart positions in state after state and ended up selling over 50,000 copies.

In a recent interview with Les Gock for 'The Clothesline', Les reminisces the early days of Hush...

“One of the last times Hush played in Adelaide, talking about 1975,” Les recalls, “one of the support bands we had was The Keystone Angels, who were a Jug band. And we thought, ‘This is all wrong. What are these guys doing as our support act?” Go figure! And it was after that in the dressing room that Doc and the Brewster Bros came in and said, ‘Man, that show was great! We’ve gotta get big amps like that! We’ve gotta play rock and roll!” And lo and behold a couple of years later, there emerges The Angels.

“There are a lot of stories around Hush’s earlier days, for instance we supported (Status) Quo. It was Quo’s very first tour of Australia; no one had seen them. And as soon as we saw them we thought ‘oh my god that is exactly what we want!’ So, if you were a musicologist you would sort of go through and see the influences on Hush from Quo, AC/DC, The Angels, Rose Tattoo – a whole swag of Oz Rock from that era.

“One of the other tours we did was with the Jackson 5. We hadn’t even had a hit at the time and we’d just finished recording our first single "Get That Feeling", and the Jacksons were really like a club act kind of thing – Michael Jackson was incredible!” he adds. “I remember he was fourteen and came into the dressing room and we said ‘Hey, kid! How’re you going?’ You know it was like ‘whatever’, and he was very respectful, very nice. He asked us about one of the songs that we did, so that was cool! It was our first single and we had only just recorded it and played it for the first time at the Hordern Pavilion. It later went top ten in Sydney. [theclothesline.com.au]

.A Little Bit Of Hush Please
(Interview with Hush - Go Set Magazine April 13th, 1974)
The album! That is definitely uppermost on Les's mind and he proceeds with a run-down of each track:
"It starts with the title track, "Get Rocked", combined with the Stones' "Satisfaction" — which, incidentally, is the only song we didn't write on the album. "Get Rocked" is a love song. We had the title and we just wrote the song around it. From the reaction it gets on stage, we knew it was a good song and, on the album, it sounds very funky and sexual."

Peter Rix had mentioned earlier that the boys opened their new stage act with the Theme from 'Enter the Dragon', going into a song called "Nanchunka Man". Les said it was a personal favourite of the group:
"It starts with a fantastic bass run through a wah-wah pedal, some freaky guitar effects and a sudden, terrifying scream from Rick. For those who don't know what 'Nanchunka' means, it is a Kung -Fu weapon made of wood and wielded about on a chain. The song is about an old Chinese legend concerning a Chinese Robin Hood how steals from the rich and gives to the poor. One day he meets the Emperor and there's a sad ending.

"One song that will surprise people who dig Hush and want to see what they can do with a beautiful ballad is 'South Coast Standards'. It's about our band, but it could easily apply to most groups. You know, trying to get a record played and getting down. People used to say about us 'who are these idiots?' but we stuck to our guns and we're doing okay now.
"We wrote the song after doing our third gig in one day.  The audience were a bit a cool and we had to work really hard to win them over, despite our exhaustion. It was a minor achievement for us, but it's a constant battle all the time, so we wrote the song on the way home. We used strings on the track and there's a lovely piano passage.

"Of course, there are the Hush smash-grabbers,, like 'Mind-Rocker' which is in the best Hush tradition. It blasts from start to finish and is guaranteed to turn the oldies off."
Prior to doing an album. Hush spent two glorious weeks on the 'Fedor Shalyapin' — a Russian ship — and it was inevitable the cruise would inspire at least one track:
"We were so relaxed and happy on the ship", said Les, "and one song that captures the serenity is 'Rocking the Boat' which has a Jamaican feel."

"What about 'Francis Rainbow' prompted Keith who, as it turns out, represents the fair young lady in the new stage act. With the new album, Hush have devised a new stage act in which each member represents one of the songs. Rick has designed the outfits and Smiley is spending what precious little spare time they have, at the sewing-machine. Rick is 'Get Rocked', Smiley is 'Mind-Rocker', Les is 'Nanchunka Man' and Keith; 'Francis Rainbow'.
Continued Les: "There actually is a girl called 'Francis Rainbow. It's such a beautiful name and the song represents three different aspects of her personality, the fictional character, not the real life one", he added. "For instance, one part is very dream-like and another is sinful black when she becomes a prostitute.

"What else is there? A strange little song called 'Riff in my Head' which is about walking up one morning with a riff in my head and just going back to sleep. "A more complicated one is 'Raven the Dark' about an Alvin Purple-type character who can't help attracting women. Ernie Rose said the rhythm is so complex, he doesn't know anyone else who could play it. It really shows the sympathy the four members of Hush have for each other. We put it down in one take and Ernie couldn't believe it, so he asked us to do it again and it was just as exact the second time.
'On the other hand, it took about a zillion takes before we achieved the right feel on a sons called The Exit'. It's a syncopated type of song and Ernie really helped us with that one."
Keith commented that he has never sung like he did on that particular track: "Because I was saving my voice, I sang along quietly and sort of weirdly when the guys were putting down the rhythm track, but it so perfectly matched the feeling of the song that we kept it that way."
Back to Les: "You go to dances and find kids bashing each other up because they have no outlet. The song is about a guy who is trying to find the exit."

Phew! It didn't take long for Hush to come up with an interesting, original album and this is not going on their own enthusiastic raves. Literally everyone who has heard "Get Rocked" is amazed that this is the latest offering from "the heavy metal kids'as reviewer. A.8. Guest, so affectionately and aptly described Hush.
Their magic is spreading rapidly. In Melbourne, they won the hearts of thousands, including, it would seem, the entire female population of the Frankston High. "Lovely girls", said Keith. "Melbourne was a real eye-opener for us. We finally discovered the true meaning of a massage parlour!"
When Les says "why do I write such filthy lyrics?" one can only imagine Keith must be one source of inspiration.

Consider his comments on Melbourne disco, Teasers:
"It is the sleaziest, most bauchy whole in the world. A guy from Melbourne group, Fox, jumped out of the window and broke his leg. You know what people are like when they take drugs", he joked. "We wouldn't understand. As for the girls at Teasers, there are more horny, tight-crotched, denim-clad girls there than . .' His voice trailed off as his mind took over.

It was time to say goodbye once more. Hush are in the middle of an Australian tour and they headed for Brisbane at 9 am the next day. After the tour following the release of the album, the band hope to break into the Japanese market. Let's face it. With their sense humour, talent and determination they could break into the Bank Of England.
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This post consists of FLACS ripped from my Wizard vinyl and includes full album artwork and all photos displayed above. As a bonus, I have included their promotional single "Get Flaired" for Colonial Jeans and their #1 hit single "Bony Moronie" (both of which were ripped from my prized 45's in FLAC for the first time).
So get ya flairs out of storage folks and be prepared for some crutch wrenching riffs. And if ya don't, then you can just go and Get Rocked!

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Tracklist:
01 Get Rocked / Satisfaction
02 Walking
03 Raven The Dark
04 Francis Rainbow
05 The Exit
06 Nunchunka Man
07 Riff In My Head
08 Mindrocker
09 Rockin' The Boat
10 South Coast Standards
(Bonus Tracks)
11 Get Flaired (Single Sided Promo 1974)
12  Bony Moronie (Single)


Hush were:
Keith Lamb - Vocals
Les Gock - Guitar, Vocals
Rick Lum - Bass, Vocals
Chris 'Smiley' Paithorpe

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Hush  FLAC Link (284Mb)  New Link 04/04/2020
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Hush - C'mon We're Taking Over (1974) + Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1971-1977)
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Aussie rockers, Hush, came to life in 1971 as a five-piece unit consisting of Keith Lamb (vocals), Chris Nolan (keyboards), Robin Jackson (guitar), Rick Lum (bass) and John Koutts (drums). The band gigged in this incarnation until the middle of 1972, when Nolan, Jackson and Koutts exited. Les Gock (guitars) and Chris Pailthorpe (drums) were enlisted, leaving Hush as a four piece. This newly revitalized lineup went on to win Hoadley’s National Battle of the Sounds contest later that year, putting them squarely in the spotlight and prompting a recording contract with Warner Brothers. By 1973, "Alive 'n Loud" was issued on the strength of their first single, "Get the Feelin", which peaked at #11 on the Aussie charts. Touring ensued and by early 1974, Hush moved to Wizard Records to record their sophomore album.
"Get Rocked" was released in early spring, spawning three singles that were all met with a reasonable amount of success. However, Wizard was not satisfied with the album's triple gold status. Sensing the impending glam explosion that had already swept the UK, the band were pressured to adjust their look accordingly and focus on finding a glam standout that could send them up the charts. The band were quickly shuffled into the studio to record their third album, "C'mon We're Taking Over", which hit store shelves in September of 1974. The album failed to impress critics and fans, causing their lone selftitled single from the album to sink without a trace.
Though their live reputation was formidable, Hush seemed barely on the cusp of something great and luckily Wizard made one last attempt to help the band strike gold. This finally came in 1975, as their fourth album, "Rough Tough n Ready" exploded onto the scene with the help of an explosive cover of "Boney Maroney" and a colorful appearance on the famous, "Countdown" TV program. Soon Hush were the glam darlings of their native country and their tour that year sold out virtually everywhere in Australia. This success lasted thru most of 1976, which also saw the addition of a second guitarist, Jacques DeJongh. This augmented lineup was short lived as Gock departed at the conclusion of the tour in early 1977.
Determined to eclipse the success of their last album, Hush released "Touche" in the summer of 1977, but their audience had all but vanished along with the dying glam scene that helped them achieve such success. One single from the album was issued and failed to chart, prompting Wizard to drop the band later that year. The band effectively ceased to exist by early 1978. In the wake of the split, several of the members went on to issue their own singles to little response. In the years following, Lamb suffered from mental illness and eventually left the business to work in embroidery (Rajmahal) and gaming (TAOC). Gock became a jingle writer and has successfully maintained his career for 20+ yrs. Lum returned to his first career in graphic design, while Pailthorpe became an architect. DeJongh is now a chef. Hush reformed twice, once in 2004 and again in 2006 for short tours but as of this writing, the band is finally put to rest.
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Hush 1974

Album Review
"C'mon We're Taking Over" is easily the band's most unusual work which explains why this album seems to be overlooked by fans of the band. Not subscribing to the overt glam stylings of their subsequent work, the band shoot for depth here and to some extent it works. Tracks like "In My Short Life", "Rocking Gypsy Kings" and "Longing To Get Home" show the band at their most subdued, which came as a surprise for

ardent fans. Though Hush should be commended for attempting to diversify their sound, these tracks all lack the hooks necessary to make them classics. Predictably, it's the fiery rockers that command attention here, as tracks like "Caroline" and the title track illustrate. In truth, most of the material here is bordering on mediocrity, but this interesting nugget deserves revisiting. It's a clear step in a different direction that Hush would never return to in subsequent years [Review by Robots for Ronnie].
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This post consists of a Vinyl rip in MP3 (320kps) format and includes full album artwork. In addition I have opted to throw in some additional  tracks to sweeten the deal.  The first is the A-Side single "Maneater" which was released before the album was and never included due to contractual constraints with Warner Bros (thanks to Happy Camper at Midoztouch).
The second bonus track is an extended version of an earlier single "Get That Feeling" (thanks to Tom Mix Music) and the last is a live rendition of  "Johnny B.Goode" - taped for GTK at the Sydney Town Hall in 1974.
For more information and photos about Hush, I highly recommend you visit the Hush Website
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Track Listing
01 - C'mon Were Taking Over    

02 - Rockin' Gypsy King    
03 - Caroline    
04 - In My Short Life    
05 - Born In The Age Of Rock N Roll    
06 - They're Having A Party    
07 - Temperatures Rising    
08 - Longing To Get Home
09 - Maneater (Bonus A-Side Single)
10 - Get The Feeling (Bonus Extended Version)
11 - Johnny B. Goode (Live Sydney Town Hall 1974)
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Band Members:
Keith Lamb (vocals)
Les Gock (guitar)
Rick Lum (bass)
Chris Paithorpe (drums)
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Hush Link (105Mb)
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Hush - Rough, Tough 'N' Ready (1975) - REPOST -

(Australian 1971-1977)
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Hush's most succesful line-up included Keith Lamb (vocals), Les Gock (guitar), Rick Lum (bass) and Chris Paithorpe (drums). The band came to public notice when they made the final of the 1972 'Battle Of The Bands' and won a recording contract with WEA. But their careers didn't immediately take off and it was only with 'Loud'n' Live' in 1973 that they began to move up the charts. In 1974 they moved to Wizard Records and charted with the single "Walking". Then in 1975 they did a heavy cover of "Bony Maroney", which went to No.1 and their album 'Rough Tough 'n' Ready' went platinum (see picture with Molly presenting the award to Hush)
Countdown changed the career of Hush by exposing them to a much wider audience than they had ever played to while touring. Hush were perfect for television and perfect for Countdown - glitz, glamour, spectacle and catchy riffs. 
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Interview with Hush (RAM Magazine - Jan 2, 1976)
"The Further Dragon Flight Adventures of Hush"

 - Rough 'n' Ready Road Crews and Bad Thoughts for Tasmanian Politicians -

As you know, one of the legends about Chinese restaurants is that the food they serve up to their countrymen is different, richer, more succulent and delicious.
In the kitchens (so the legend goes), there are two pots. One boils and bubbles with rich, secret aromas. This is The Real Thing.
The other contains but a taste test of The Real Thing, this is the stuff they give to Australian diners.
So anyway, there we were in a Chinese restaurant and Les Gock of Hush is ordering in actual, Chinese. He is conversing with the waiter at some length about every dish being ordered. The waiter, his head bent over the menu is shaking his head at some entries, guiding Us through, the maze of listings — pointing to where the secret taste delights are concealed from western eyes.
Keith Lamb who has stepped off a return flight from London a few hours before is sitting back, re-gathering his vitality. And Hush manager Peter Rix, wearing an incongruous denim hat Lamb had brought him as a present, casts an avuncular, friendly eye over the proceedings.
The restaurant, which some years ago used to be a student hang-out with laminex tables and lino floor, but which of recent times has changed over to carpet, piped musak and higher prices, takes some time to deliver the specialities to the table. And ... mmmmmm ... munch, chew, swallow ... jeeze, it's no different from the stuff you get if you order in English,
Ah well, another Oriental Legend hits the scrap heap.
By the way Les 'n' Keith, are the Chinese and Occidental factions in Hush still struggling for supremacy?   
"I'm sick of 'avin' all those bloody dragons and Chinese symbols on stage," mutters Lamb. "The only thing is, Smiley (Pailthorpe, Hush's drummer) and me can't get it together to get something happening".
"Like he wants an Australian flag on stage, but ah'm British mate, an' I want the Union Jack."
"These Westerners are too disorganised to even get close to superior Chinese intelligence," grins Les Gock.
"They're crafty bastards,admits Lamb. "We try not to stay at the same motel with them any more ...."
"Mind you," he adds, "that especially applies to Queensland, where they sometimes try and run Les and Rick (Rick Lum, Hush bass player) out of town at 2.00am in the morning."
"Nothing personal, he assures us. "But I'm a growing pop star with a reputation for wild behaviour to maintain. And I need me sleep."
"The elected member for Bass in the Tasmanian parliament got up in the House and asked why this pop group Hush were allowed into Tasmania since their sexual behaviour on stage had caused them to be banned in many mainland states of Australia," says Peter Rix.
"That's great," says Lamb. "I love all that.., they're such fools aren't they ....
"Nah, I confess all ... I've gotta dirty mind, that's wot it's all about... everything I do on stage is planned to give policemen and Tasmanian politicians bad thoughts.
"'But the group hasn't been banned anyway...er, has it? I mean, we've got this new album to promote y'see ....
"By the way," he asks. "How do I explain to me old mum in England about that press clipping in the album with me masturbating on stage in Adelaide? She'll come over 'ere and drag me back 'ome to England."

Hush On Countdown

"Anyway, Merry Christmas to all politicians in Tasmania and all policemen in Queensland and Adelaide.'
"The Chinese people don't really have Christmas," says Les. "We save on presents to each other. Though sometimes we have to give something to these Westerners, to keep them happy."
"The new Hush album is a good Christmas present," he adds.
Ok lads, tell us about the new album. Try not to be bashful now.
"It represents a return to form for Hush," says Les seriously.
"We really put a lot work into it. It's really a whole different direction to 'We're Taking Over' which is where we tried to experiment in the studio.
"This time we tried to get the band's stage sound onto record and it's worked pretty well I think. Like it's lot more straightforward than 'We're Taking Over'. But on the other hand, the playing is a lot more controlled and better judged.
"And it's much better recorded than the 'Get Rocked' album."
"I'd buy the album," opines Keith Lamb. "I only heard how it finished for the first time this morning, and I really liked it."
"Like I wasn't so hot for 'We're Taking Over' in the end, but this one's hot, and saucy and juicy ... cor!! ...."
Yeah, but everyone says that about their new album.
"Yeah, but not everyone's had the ups and downs we've had over the past year," offers Les. "Like this is our first album for nearly a year and we knew it had to be something special. We really sweated over every detail of it. We worked out exactly what we wanted to do on it, how we wanted it to sound, what sort of energy level we wanted on it."
"And we spent a lot of time getting what we were after. It's a positive direction for the group ...."
Getting down to specifics, the album showcases a strong Hush obsession with life on the road and other forms of rock and roll existences.
"Like Grand Prix," says Les. "That was written watching the Bathurst 500 Motor Race on TV. We had the riff some time before, but that's how we got the words. There's no storyline really, it's a collection of racing images thrown together for a speed kind of effect. We reckoned the life racing car drivers lead is pretty much what happens with rock bands. Lots of moving from one place to another, lots of gearing up for the main event ... a stage show or a big race or whatever.

Les Gock

"The racing circuit has its own groupies too ... women that are really turned on by the idea of speed and the atmosphere ....
'The title track. Rough Tough 'N' Ready is about the road too ... "but it's about our road crew. People think pop groups are rough 'n' ready but we're pampered softies compared to the road crews... if you ever want to find out what really happens on the road ... they're who you should speak to ...."
Hmmmm. That's the Hush road crew whose more boisterous moments on the Tasmanian tour caused official, wrath to fall on the next group coming through ... which just happened to be Sherbet ....
"Yeah, that's them," admits Les.
"What's that?" says Lamb who, having being in England for the past month or so, hadn't heard about that sequence of events in Tas.
"Cor blimey," he gasps when all has been explained. "Can we get back to something a bit lighter now?"
"Anyway," finishes Les. "A road crew lives rougher and tougher than anyone I've ever come across, and we thought it was worth writing about"
And the road theme keeps on featuring throughout the album. Another track, China Doll was written on a stretch of road in the furtherest northern reaches of Queensland.
"It's a fantasy," explains Les. "We were doing about 400 miles a day on that tour and you just don't want to know about reality. It's all flogging down dust roads at 80 mph and running cars into the ground. So you fantasize like mad about something more pleasant. That's the difference between us and the road crew. They handle the reality."
It turns out that another song. Spitfire, is about a recent New Zealand trip.
"New Zealand's very into the 60's and all that psychedelic music," says Keith. "It's our peace, love and light show song ...."

And so it goes. Another track, 9 to 5'er is a look back to the band's life of 3 years ago.
"Working 9-5 and leading very boring lives," says Les. "Nowadays when we meet old friends who are still leading boring lives as clerks or whatever, it's sort of sad. 'Cos they sometimes start apologising for the fact they're still working 9 to 5 ... and they've worked themselves into it so they know they'll be doing the same thing for the next 20 years.
"With us, we don't know what'll be happening to us in two years time, which is a different sort of pressure I suppose ...."
Of the three non -originals on the album, Glad All Over and Boney Moroney have already been released as singles. However the album version of Boney Moroney features some changes from the single version. There's a new mix and a new guitar solo.
Glad All Over also features a new guitar solo and a new-improved mix from the first pressing of the single.
The other non-original on the album, the Beatles' song You Really Got A Hold On Me was found by accident. Keith Lamb was looking for a song (he can't remember the title, but he'd know the tune if he ever heard it again) and came across You Really Got A Hold which Smiley Pailthorpe thought would be good for the band to do.
The other Hush original on the album, How Do You Feel? Alright! started off as an intro for Hush shows some years ago. When rehearsing for the Rough 'n' Ready album it was dusted off and developed from a 10-bar opening into something longer.
And for the last word: "I'm still not hot for Boney Moroney" says Les firmly. "It was a successful single all right. But I just don't feel comfortable with the song ... we gave it the, Hush- treatment, but the song has more to do with Robbie Porter, our producer, than the group. 
It just doesn't fit in with anything the band grew up with."
Still slagging your top 10 hits, eh lads?
"We've got an image to maintain," sighs Keith Lamb.
[by Anthony O'Grady, RAM Magazine #22 Jan 2, 1976 p19]

Keith Lamb (Photo thanks to Greg Noakes)

Irrespective of Les Gock's opinion about the single, "Boney Moroney" took off. It gained airplay and high chart positions in state after state and ended up selling over 50,000 copies. It spread slowly all around Australia, staying on most national charts for most of '75 and it ended up being No.1 National Hit for '75 on the Countdown TV series pop charts.
The follow up single, "Glad All Over" was not as highly successful but it was successful enough, and it was also the single that attracted most interest from record companies in England and America — an interest that has resulted in the band being offered a tour of England in late '76.
Hush's album (released Dec '75) was a return to the raunch rock format of the get Rocked era. It was also the closest yet studio approximation to the band's on stage excitement level.

This post consists of an MP3 rip (320kps) of my vinyl copy along with full album artwork. In addition, I have included a scan of the interview featured above, published in RAM Vol #22, 1976. Also included are 2 bonus tracks, the first being a non-album track entitled "Get What" (B-Side to Glad All Over) which was often played at live gigs, with the audience altering the lyrics by one word ! Need I say more. The second bonus track "Glad All Over" is a live redition lifted from Mushroom's 1980 Concert of the Decade.
So get ya flairs out, let your hair down, and let yourself be entertained by a band that really knew how to rock. For more information on Hush, why not check out their website.
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Track Listing

01 - Grand Prix
02 - Rough Tough 'N' Ready
03 - China Doll
04 - Spitfire
05 - Gladd All Over
06 - 9 to 5'er
07 - You Really Gotta Hold On Me
08 - How Do You Feel? Alright!
09 - Boney Moroney
10 - Get What (Bonus B-Side Single)
11 - Glad All Over (Bonus Live - Evolution Concert)
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Band members:
Keith Lamb (vocals)
Les Gock (guitar)
Rick Lum (bass)
Chris Paithorpe (drums)

Hush Link (107Mb)  REPOST

WOCK On Vinyl - Aussie Radio Jingles

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

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This WOCK posting comes under the 'Obscure' category. Music is a big seller of products and services and is an important part of advertising. In particular, well known bands and artists have been used to reproduce commercial jingles to sell their products, and Aussie bands are no exception. This posting provides a sample of the more classic jingles from such bands as The Easybeats, The Masters Apprentices, The Bee Gees and Hush. Most of these jingles were sourced from a series of CD's called the "Psychedelic Promos & Radio Spots" and contain many other international artists.

One Easybeat's promo for Coca Cola was released in 1966 and was called "Swing the Jingle for Coca Cola". Released on a various artists one-sided EP (EMI Custom, PRS 1610), it included Easybeats Coke Jingle # 1 (Wright-Young). I am unsure of when the second jingle (included here) was released.

In 1968, the Bee Gees wrote and recorded two songs for Coca-cola. It sounds as if Bill Shepherd is doing the orchestrations. I've heard them on tape, but not on any commerical (no pun intended) releases. One jingle is entitled "Another Cold and Windy Day". This tune is reminiscent of "Holiday," and features Robin seeking solace to his miserable and unceasing agony in a bottle of sugared phosphoric acid (otherwise known as Coca-Cola). If Tolstoy were to write soft drink jingles, they would sound like this. "...I turn my face into the sun, the time of winter has begun..."The other clip is "Sitting in the Meadow", which is rather similar to "Sir Geoffrey Saved the World". Robin leads on this upbeat tune, with Barry joining in on the chorus. "Sitting in the meadow, frolic in the grass / Wouldn't you be lazy, everybody asks..." and so on.

Other bands chosen to do Coca Cola jingles have been 'The Who' (things go better with), 'The Moody Blues' (chasing the sun), 'The Troggs' (little miss Mary) and 'The Box Tops' (hey there taxi) to name but a few.

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The Masters Apprentices jingle for Ford was released in May, 1970. (Ford Cortina promo, W&G Custom). This is a fabulous, hard to find, Australian manufactured one sided 7" 45 r.p.m. record from Masters Appentices / The Groop, titled "CORTINA JINGLE / MANDRAKE WINE". It was only pressed in Australia [CAT #ML10064]. This is a split one-side only record that was a product give-away in 1989. It came housed in a plain white diecut paper bag inside a stiff outer white card sleeve.

  Hush was a 1970s Australian Glam Rock pop group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC show Countdown for teenagers and live concerts, and are best remembered for their hit single "Bony Moronie". In 1974, they recorded a one sided promo single for Colonial Jeans called "Get Flaired" (WP-1). I'm sad to say that I remember hearing this jingle on the radio and probably bought a pair of Colonial Jeans because of it - LOL.

All Jingles have been ripped at 320kps because you know what they say - Things Sound Better At 320kps !

Track Listing
01 - The Easybeats - Coke Spot #1
02 - The Easybeats - Coke Spot #2
03 - The Bee Gees- Coke Spot #1
04 - The Bee Gees - Coke Spot #1
05 - Hush - Get Flaired
06 - Masters Apprentices - Ford Cortina Spot

.Aussie Radio Jingles Link (17Mb) New Link 04/05/2021