Various Artists - Andrew Durant Memorial Concert (1980)

 (Australian 1980)

Andrew MacLeish Durant (2 October 1954 – 6 May 1980) was an Australian musician-songwriter. He was a member of country rock group Stars (1976–79) providing guitar, harmonica, and backing vocals. He was also a session and backing musician for a range of artists. He died of cancer, aged 25. On 19 August 1980 a tribute performance was held in his honour, with a live double-album recorded by various artists, Andrew Durant Memorial Concert, which was released on 9 March 1981. All but three tracks were written by Durant. It peaked at No. 8 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and reached No. 40 on the End of Year Top 100 Albums Chart for 1981...R.I.P

Andy's Story

Andrew was born in Adelaide on 2nd October, 1954, the youngest of six children. Four of his five brothers and sisters played guitar at various times, and this influence, together with the blues and folk records they brought home during their teenage years induced Andy to show a musical interest at a very early age. He taught himself to play guitar around the time he started High School, and developed to the point where he performed solo at school concerts. At the age of fifteen he bought his first electric guitar and started jamming with other beginners in the area; playing material from the Beatles, The Band, Cream and Grand Funk Railroad.

He quickly earned respect as the best local musician, showing a strong talent for guitar, harmonica and vocals. Songwriting ideas were also starting to come through at this time.

His friends also remember him for his performances at parties. playing accurate renditions of Dylan songs such as "Love Minus Zero - No Limit", "George Jackson", and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door".

In late 1972 Andy, Glyn Dowding and I formed a band called Astrakhan, with the intent of developing a career- Towards the end of the band's 18 month life Andy introduced his first original song to our repertoire of material by groups such as Free and Deep Purple. He left Astrakhan just before it disbanded, and formed a band called Mirrormere, to play more experimental music under the influence of bands such as King Crimson.

In 1975, I formed Stars with Glyn. Mick Pealing and Graham Thompson. and after working for a year and earning ourselves a record contract in Melbourne, we asked Andy to rejoin us as rhythm guitarist/ harmony vocalist. He accepted, expressing an interest in developing his songwriting. Within only a few months he became the major writing force in the band, producing some ten songs, most of which were recorded for the Stars 'Paradise' album released in January 1978. These songs, which were to earn Andy his reputation as a songwriter, were his first serious works.

The Stars -1978

The success of Paradise led to a consistent national touring schedule for Stars. which, together with line-up changes, detained the release of the follow-up album 'Land of Fortune' till June 1979. ln August 1979, after months of hesitation. Andy submitted himself for medical tests to investigate the unusual growth of a mole on his back. The tests confirmed that the mole had become malignant. This form of cancer is called melanoma. Stars fulfilled their September commitments with a replacement guitarist while Andy recuperated after a removal operation. He resumed live performances with the band in October after further tests indicated an "all clear" on his health.

In November, Stars disbanded due to disappointing sales of the 'Land of Fortune' album, coupled with the need for new direction and a change of pace after four years of constant touring.

Andy was invited to Sydney in December to play guitar on Richard Clapton's current album, 'Dark Spaces', but had to abandon the project before completion due to the discomfort of severe back pains. He returned to Melbourne and after extensive medical tests at the Peter MacCallum Hospital, was diagnosed as having "secondary's" in the form of bone cancer. Extensive chemotherapy and ray treatment were prescribed immediately, but by February 1980, Andy was bedridden. To enable him to remain at home with his family regular ambulance transport was provided to and from the hospital.

Andy made clear his wish that his condition be kept secret, for the entitlement of his privacy, and to avoid the pain it would cause his many friends. He had great determination to win his battle and despite his illness, his talent and love for song writing continued to grow. The small group of family and friends who surrounded him encouraged him to further the musical statement he had already made. Andrew Durant died on Tuesday, May 6th. 1980, aged 25.

This Memorial Concert was conceived as a gesture of love and respect from Andy's friends and peers. The full potential of his talent may never be realized, but his music remains and it is befitting that it be performed in its entirety. Showtime will realise the magnitude of the entire entertainment industry pulling together to make this unique event possible.

The plan commenced with the intention of using proceeds of the concert to establish the annual "Andrew Durant Songwriter's Award". Sponsorship since received now enables us to direct the majority of the proceeds to the Peter MacCallum Hospital for further research into the drugs used in Andrew's treatment.

A copy of the Hospital's letter acknowledging the proposal is included below for your reference.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from both Vinyl (original 2LP release) and CD (bonus tracks) and includes full album artwork for both media, along with label scans

I saw Andy Durant playing with Stars back in 1977, during the 'Nightmovies Concerts' and was a huge fan of his guitar playing. His passing was a huge shock to the Australian Music Industry and fan community and his legacy will never be forgotten. This post is a tribute to both his amazing contributions to the Australian Music Scene and the strength he demonstrated as a Cancer patient.

Artists who contributed to this memorial concert were: Mick Pealing, Malcolm Eastick, Glyn Dowding, Renee Geyer, Broderick Smith, Ian Moss, Don Walker, Graham Thompson, Kerryn Tolhurst, Jimmy Barnes, Richard Clapton, Rick Formosa, John-James Hackett, Glyn Mason, Mick O'Connor, Billy Rogers

LP Track List

A1 Back Again 4:35
A2 Pick Up The Pieces 5:42
A3 Paradise 3:48
A4 Jive Town 3:51
A5 Good Times 1:17
B1 Last Of The Riverboats 4:03
B2 Jupiter Creek 4:19
B3 Ocean Deep 5:31
B4 Look After Yourself 4:03
C1 Innocent Bystanders 4:02
C2 Iceman 6:15
C3 Solitaire 6:02
C4 Wasted Words 5:22
D1 Song For The Road 4:55
D2 Mighty Rock 7:17
D3 Knockin' On Heavens Door 9:41

Bonus Tracks

01 - Let's Get Moving

02 - Living A Lie

03 - Red Neck Boogie

04 - West Is The Way

Andy Durant Memorial Concert Link (726Mb)

Jimmy Barnes - Waitin' For The Heartache 12" Single (1988)

(Australian 1972-Present)

I have decided to post this Jimmy Barnes 12" single in the light of the recent re-release of the complete Cold Chisel catalogue. It only seems right that this blog should pay tribute to the voice that made Cold Chisel so famous. Barnes recorded seven albums with Cold Chisel between 1978 and 1983, including two live albums (the second of which, Barking Spiders Live 1983, was released in 1984), and he is arguably now Australia's highest-profile rock singer. Barnes launched his solo career less than a month after Cold Chisel's Last Stand tour came to an end. Early in his solo career, Barnes was determined to break into the US market and signed to Geffen Records for release there, where he released his first solo venture 'Bodyswerve', closely followed by his 'For the Working Class Man' album. 'Freight Train Heart' was Jimmy's third solo album, released in late 1987 in Australia by Mushroom Records and in early 1988 in the US by Geffen. It spent five weeks at the top of the Australian Album charts in Dec 1987-Jan 1988.

 'Freight Train Heart' saw the fiery Scottish-Australian belter very much repeating the formula of 1985’s 'For the Working Class Man', only this time, with significantly more polish. Like his previous effort, Barnes was backed by some of the very best musicians of the US' AOR scene, Freight Train Heart contains contributions by various members of Journey, Rainbow and REO Speedwagon. Most of the tracks were written by Barnes and producer Jonathan Cain, however "Waitin' for the Heartache" was co-written by Barnes and Desmond Child. A pure AOR power ballad primed for US radio, "Waiting for the Heartache" was sappy and extremely melodic, although not without a distinct edge (no doubt provided by Barnes’ gritty vocals), and the song no doubt would have been a hit had it been recorded several years earlier by Foreigner or Journey. "Seven Days" (the B-Side) was a Ron Wood track originally written for him by Bob Dylan. This was the last song recorded for the album, and featured INXS drummer Jon Farriss, bassist Chris Bailey and Rick Brewster from The Angels. Brewster, Johnny Diesel, Peter Kekell and The Angels' Jim Hilbun were all hired after Barnes returned with the uncompleted master tapes from the initial recording sessions at the Power Station in New York, where he had fought for creative control with both Cain and Geffen Records [extract from Jimmy Barnes Website] 

. The following is an extract taken from a biography I read recently entitled "Too Much Ain't Enough' by Toby Creswell (1993). 

As the preface says: Behind Jimmy Barnes' passionate voice is a man - and this is the story of his struggles, triumphs and wild times along the way..... A worthwhile read if you come across this book, I might add. . 

Freight Train Heart was scheduled for a Christmas 1987 release. Although Jim could still hear the shortcomings of Cain's initial recordings, he was proud of the end result. The first single released from the album, "Too Much Ain't Enough Love", had been a sore point with Geffen records. Even without the presence of Robert Cray, the song soared easily into the No. 1 spot over the Christmas period. This had been one of the most challenging albums he had ever made and Jimmy intended to launch the record with the same gusto that he had always applied in the past. Naturally, he hit the road on what was called the Drivin' Wheels tour. Beginning in Launceston on November 28, it would be his largest run ever, with a gross of over $3 million. Once again Jimmy experimented with his band. For the lead guitar spot, Jimmy chose Diesel, the young Perth hot shot he had used on the Sydney sessions for Freight Train Heart Johnny Diesel was actually the stage name for American-born Mark Lizotte, the son of a saxophonist and clearly a musical prodigy. He acquired the nickname as a consequence of his role as frontman for Johnny Diesel and the Injectors. The quartet - Diesel, plus bass player Johnny Dalziel, drummer Yak Sherritt and sax player Bill Bremmer - had come to the attention of Angels drummer Brett Eccles. who encouraged the group to move east. When Jane scouted the band for Jimmy months previously, she knew that they would make a good combination.

Diesel didn't want to break up his own band, but the prospect of going on the road with Barnes was too good to miss, so the Injectors were hired as the support act. Diesel then played a second set as a part of the Barnes band. Diesel, an expatriate from Massachusetts, was ideal for this hybrid outfit. English-born, LA-based drummer Tony Brock had a Scottish wit which assured him of a spot. Brock was an adept feel player who was also well versed in using electronic percussion, computers and drum machines. American guitarist Dave Amato had been playing with Jimmy on and off for some years, as had pianist Peter Kekel. On bass was his old pal from the Angels, Chris Bailey. Jimmy was becoming increasingly confident as a performer. After the difficulties and frustration of the studio, Jimmy was glad to be back on stage, where he was in total control. His bands were finally starting to gel with the sound he was hearing in his head. Jimmy was now an established star arid the insecurities of three years previous had disappeared. The Barnes show now rocked harder than ever. He had perfected the dual-guitar sound that lent itself to relentless hard rock The sound was more in spirit with his early days as a Free fanatic than the rock 'n' rolling Cold Chisel. The polish that had been applied to these songs in the studio was stripped off in favor of a more elemental passion. 

The shifting personnel of the band meant that Barnes could no longer draw on improvisation to give his shows an edge, so he adopted a different tack From now on. his bands would be tighter, but they would also be louder and harder than anyone else around. Once he reached a point where he knew he could rely on the band behind him, he became more relaxed on stage. Where once a smile might have cracked Barnes's lips at the end of a song, indicating his surprise that the band had made it to the coda intact, now he regularly smiled on stage, out of the simple joy of playing music. Once upon a time, Jimmy Barnes had covered his face with his hands or turned his back on the audience or drunk himself blind. Now, Barnes's on-stage body language had an entirely different message. He stopped hunching over and began to use the entire stage, conducting the band and relating directly to the audience. He wasn't about to hire a choreographer and start dancing like Michael Jackson, but he looked fit and in charge. In the aftermath of Freight Train Heart Barnes toured Australia extensively through 1988. (pp 212-214)

.This post consists of a rip of the 12" Single release - "Waitin' For A Heartache" (MP3 / 320kps) which features the title track on Side-A and two versions of the track "Seven Days" on Side-B. The first is the shorter standard release referred to as the American Mix and the second is a longer 12" mix. All artwork and label scans are included. Thanks to Rob Maccoll for the black&white photos of Barnsey from 1988. . 

Track Listing 

01 - Waitin' For A Heartache (4:23)

02 - Seven Days (American Mix) (3:16)

03 - Seven Days (12" Mix) (6:03)

Jimmy Barnes Link (33Mb)