Various Aussie Artists - Seventies Downunder Volume 1, Raven Records (1991)

(Various Australian Artists 1970-75)

A continuation of Raven’s overview of the formative years of one of the world’s most highly acclaimed musical forces – Oz Rock. This volume, dealing with the first half of the 1970s, brings together 19 exceptional performances – not novelty chart hits but bands and records of credibility and consequence – Chain, Healing Force, Daddy Cool, Jeff St John & Copperwine, Spectrum, Country Radio, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Axiom, Blackfeather, La De Das, Carson, Skyhooks, AC/DC and others. With an extensively annotated colour booklet, this is one of Raven’s most impressive and essential releases.

Liner Notes (by Glenn A Baker)

The infectious insanity which began with The Beatles just couldn't last. lt wasn't allowed to. The established order of the music industry had been bowled-for-six in 1964, and for three years, rock music galloped unfettered, unashamedly innocent, naive and enjoyable. But by 1967 the 'moguls' of showbiz raised their ugly heads and the adrenalin ride was over. The clumsy but sympathetic rock TV shows were castrated, radio banished the last traces of raw R&B rock from the airwaves and, in a final blow, record companies, managers and promoters bought sufficient consolidated pressure to bear on groups to make them follow a new version of the established order.

The screaming died because the fun died, music took upon itself a dreaded element of seriousness. Records were no longer made for fun, those few groups not dumped by their record companies saw recording as a 'new art'. The age of psychedelic and progressive music was upon us and under those labels was created some of the most intelligently complex and, alternatively, appallingly self-indulgent music imaginable.

The entire fabric of 'fandom' had undergone drastic change as well. Fans were split into two camps: teenyboppers and 'heads'. The boppers supported The New Dream, Zoot and bubblegum, while the heads (prodominatly male) got off on a level of musical snobbery, which decreed that the universe revolved around a stoned, hirsute guitarist gazing at his sandalled feet during a twenty minute solo. The newly emerged drug culture can be held responsible for the latter group ('mind expansion' failed because of the poor quality of raw material it had to work upon).

The change in Australian music and society between 1967 and 1970 was drastic and severe. Music moved out of Melbourne's (the new pop capital) steamy discos into Sydney's thriving dances and finalty on to open acreage. We intently watched Monterey and Woodstock and then (following a fine tradition of aping the rest of the world) tried rock festivals ourselves. Off we trooped to Ourimbah, covering ourselves with flowers and professing undying love for fellow man. A few years later we tired of sitting in muddy fields dodging beer cans and gave the whole thing up as a bad joke.

Protest went down much the same path, as the fine and just cause of anti-war activity became little more

than a trendy 'be-in'. We didn't change the world much, as hard as we tried.

The music made in this country after the end of the 60s certainly reflected the indulgence and the uncertainty but some of it also, as the selections herein doth attest, began to display a startling innovation born of both isolation and the distillation of myriad influences. This collection picks up the story of Oz Rock from 1970 and takes us through its final half-decade in the international wilderness.
From 1975 on, thanks to Little River Band, Rick Springfield, AC/DC, John Paul Young and others (and to a change in focus from England to America), it was no longer a one-off or fluke to have Australian music on the charts of the world.

Assembled here is a breathtaking array of styles - soul, blues, country-rock, heavy metal, rock'n'roll, progressive hippy rock, unashamedly commercial pop and more. If you listen carefully enough you can discern a thread running through it all - a thread that inevitably led up to Men At Work, Split Enz, Cold Chisel and INXS. After this period though, Oz Rock was a little more calculated, a little less starry-eyed.

Now, for those interested in details.....

Max Merritt & The Meteors

Beloved soul/r&b masters Max Merritt & the Meteors had been in Australia (from NZ) for five years before scoring their first national hit, with a storming version of The Impressions' U.S. charter, "Western Union Man", from their self-titled top ten album. By this stage, Max was the only Kiwi still on board, the other slots being filled by rotund drummer Stewie Spears, bassist Yuk Harrison and saxophonist Bob Bertles. By the mid 70s, Max was recording in England for Arista and had scored a number one hit in Australia with "Slipping Away".

Jeff St. John & Copperwine

The soaring, soulful voice of Jeff St John had first been heard in 1967 when The Id made top ten with "Big Time Operator". By the end of that year he was recording with the unsuccessful Yama and, in 1969, returned to the airwaves as leader of Copperwine, a sturdy outfit comprising of Harry Brus, Barry Kelly, Peter Figures, Ross East and fellow vocalist Wendy Saddington. This cover of the Rotary

Connection's "Teach Me How To Fly" reached top twenty in Sydney in January 1971, by which time Saddington had split. A year later, Jeff did the same thing and Copperwine recorded under their own steam.

Axiom

With Glenn Shorrock from the Twilights, Brian Cadd and Don Mudie from the Groop, Chris Stockleigh from Cam-pact and Don Lebler from the Avengers, Axiom was fairly hailed as Australia's first 'Supergroup'. After cracking the top ten first out in late 1969 with "Arkansas Grass", the unit made top five in April 1970 with Cadd's hymn to his newborn daughter, "A Litte Ray Of Sunshine". 

Although they turned out a superlative album with 'Fools Gold' and then left to work in Britain, the momentum (to say nothing of the artistry) evaporated and disbandment occurred in March 1971. A few years later, Shorrock was leading the Little River Band.

Daddy Cool

Like Shorrock, Ross Wilson is an incredible survivor, his chart career beginning in 1965 with the Pink Finks and continuing to this day with Mondo Rock and solo ventures. Daddy Cool, the merging of the Party Machine and the Rondells, took shape in the first half of 1970 as a rollicking, good- time band amid a sea of hairy heavyweights. Mixing covers of obscure, vintage r&r and r&b with clever appealing originals, Daddy Cool offered a joyous celebration of rock'n'roll which took them to number one for eight weeks with their debut single, "Eagle Rock".

Carson

Carson, formed in 1970 as Carson County, deftly cashed in on the Canned Heat boogie climate to become rock festival staples. By 1972, when "Boogie" became a top thirty hit, the lineup included vocalist Broderick Smith, guitarist Greg Lawrie, Healing Force pianist Mal Logan and Chain bassist Barry Sullivan. After a chart album with 'Blown', Carson dissolved, early in 1973.

Spectrum

Some months before Ross Wilson got his new band to number one, his Party Machine partner Mike Rudd had already done just that with the bluesy, shuffling, "l'll Be Gone". Spectrum did not enjoy any further singles success but did make a series of albums which are amongst the most adventurous 'art rock' works to come out of Australia, Rudd later led Ariel and the Heaters.

Healing Force

The airy, seductive "Golden Miles" was the only hit for the band which formed in Adelaide late in 1970 (at the hands of Twilights drummer Laurie Pryor) and always seemed a shadowy, semi- permanent entity. Signed to the same label as Daddy Cool (Sparmac), Healing Force recorded no albums and had a sole hit. Vocalist Charlie Tumahai turned up in England in 1975 as a member of Be Bop Deluxe.

Blackfeather

Like Golden Miles, "Seasons of Change" was an intriguing, compelling piece, though in this case the inspiration seemed to be the gothic/medieval oveltones favoured by the British progressive/heavy metal bands of the day. Written by Blackfeathers's resident guitar wizard, John Robinson, for Bon Scott's Adelaide band Fraternity, it proved to be a far bigger hit for its originators.

The highlight cut from the 1971 album 'Mountains of Madness', it was sung with great power and distinction by Neale Johns.

Masters' Apprentices

"Because I Love You" was the peak of the writing and conceptual prowess of Masters' Apprentices guitarist Doug Ford and vocalist Jim Keays, who, with bassist Glenn Wheatley and drummer Colin Burgess, had given yet another dimension to one of the most venerable names in Oz Rock history. Recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2 in London (at the same time John Lennon was recording Working Class Hero in Studio 1), this splendid, shifting piece, with predominating acoustic guitar, became a hit all over again at the end of the 80s when it was rerecorded and reissued after being used in a television commercial.

The Zoot

Like many bubblegum bands trapped by a profitable image, Thc Zoot had a heavyweight heart just begging to be exposed. Their crashing, thunderous treatment of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" was as impressive as it was unexpected and gave them their only top five hit, at the beginning of 1971 .

This unit proved to be a useful stepping stone - guitarist Rick Springfield was in the U.S. charts as a sole heartthrob a year later, bassist Beeb Birtles followed him there in 1976 as a member of Little River Band, vocalist Daryl Cotton recorded Stateside with Cotton, Lloyd & Christian, and drummer Rick Brewer was at number one on the Austalian charts in 1977 as a member of the Ferrets.

Chain

A tad heavier and immeasurably more credible was the grunting, grinding Chain and their 1971 Melbourne number one, "Black And Blue". Formed in 1967 and originally featuring the mighty Wendy Saddington, Chain hit its commercial stride in 1970 with the compact lineup of vocalist Matt Taylor, guitarist Phil Manning, drummer Barry Harvey and bassist Barry Sullivan. There seems to have been, on and off, in some format or another, a version of Chain in operation ever since, rendering the name synonymous with quality rock blues.

La De Das

The La De Das had as many musical lives as the Masters Apprentices. Beginning life in New Zealand as a down-down-under Blues Magoos in the mid 60s, they ended up as a high-powered Sydney-based hard rock quartet (then trio) in the early 70s, led by guitar hero Kevin Borich. A major concert and festival drawcard, they enjoyed only occasional radio support; the strongest being for the elastic, athletic "Gonna See My Baby Tonight", which made top ten in November 1971.

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

By 1972, rock chameleon Billy Thorpe probably thought that his popchart topping days were over. By then he was a wild rock warrior - pony tail flying, vocal chords quavering, decibels mounting. There was a new Aztecs and a new attitude but Thorpie could never suppress his inherent commerciality. Even a humorous piece of self-deprecation like "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" was able to strike a responsive chord with the crowds.

Country Radio

Greg Quill was a writer for Go-Set magazine who happened to possess as much talent as most of the people he wrote about. A quality folk/country singer-songwriter, he recorded an album for EMI ('Fleetwood Plain') before signing up with Festival as Country Radio. 

Although members came and went with peak hour railway frequency, the band managed to score a substantial hit in August 1972with its second single, "Gypsy Queen", written by Greg and guitarist KerrynTolhurst. A 'live' studio album fared reasonably well but by the end of 1973 it was all over. Greg cut an impressive solo album, 'The Outlaw's Reply', before moving to Toronto, Canada, where a full circle turned and he became a leading rock journalist.

The Dingoes

Canada also proved to be a receptive market for the band Broderick Smith formed after Carson. The Dingoes, featuring Chris Stockleigh from Axiom and Kerryn Tolhurst from Country Radio, played a meaty version of country-rock overlaid with a blues sensibility. After a top thirty 1974 hit with the evocative "Way Out West", they headed way up north and spent most of the next five years flogging themselves across North America seeking a big break that sadly never came.

Matt Taylor

Uncompromising white bluesman MattTaylor recorded three solo albums for Mushroom Records between 1973 and 1975, one of which ('Straight As A Die'), sold almost as well as his Chain album. Originally not on his LP (but later added to CD reissues as a bonus track) the sprightly and disarmingly honest "I Remember When I Was Young", gave him a top thirty Melbourne hit.

Stevie Wright

When Vanda & Young returned from Britain in 1973, their first project was to restore the chart prominence of their Easybeats comrade Stevie Wright, a vocalist who had been asked to front Mott The Hoople. In 1974, they appeared live with him at the Sydney Opera House and wrote/produced the extraordinary epic "Evie", the only 11 minute plus single to go to number one anywhere in the world.

This renewed association lasted for three hits and two fine albums.

Skyhooks

Australian rock has given us few finer experiences than Skyhooks, an underground-cult politico Carlton rabble which tore the country apart with a glam rock parody built upon pithy, smart-arse lyrics that provided a long overdue observation of the contemporary Australian experience. No kangaroos or elderly emus but dreary Melbourne suburbs and unrestrained adolescent lust. "Living ln The Seventies", the title track to the band's debut album (which instantly became the biggest domestic selling Australian album in history) is as close to an anthem as we had in that era.

ACDC

And talking about anthems.....Like the resuscitation of Stevie Wright, the rise of hard rock powerhouse AC/DC was the work of Vanda & Young, who shaped the raw energy of the young band to fill an international vacuum they were convinced existed. The double-punch of Bon Scott's leering, lascivious and decidedly tongue-in-cheek vocal assault and Angus Young's brash, exuberantand bluesy guitar work proved irresistible in a country where no-frills working-class rock'n'roll had ahrvays been warmly embraced. "It's A Long Way To The Top" was AC/DCs third hit, reaching the top five at the end of 1975.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from CD and includes full album artwork.  In my opinion, this is one of the best Aussie Rock compilations from the Seventies.  It should also be noted that Raven's follow up release was titled "Do Y'self A Favour! The Countdown Years 1975-79 (Seventies Downunder Vol. 2) which was released in 1993.  

Track Listing:

1. WESTERN UNION MAN – Max Merritt & the Meteors

2. TEACH ME HOW TO FLY – Jeff St John & Copperwine

3. A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE – Axiom

4. EAGLE ROCK – Daddy Cool

5. BOOGIE PART I – Carson

6. I’LL BE GONE – Spectrum

7. GOLDEN MILES – Healing Force

8. SEASONS OF CHANGE – Blackfeather

9. BECAUSE I LOVE YOU – The Master’s Apprentices

10. ELEANOR RIGBY – The Zoot

11. BLACK AND BLUE – Chain

12. GONNA SEE MY BABY TONIGHT – La De Das

13. MOST PEOPLE I KNOW, THINK THAT I'M CRAZY - Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

14. GYPSY QUEEN – Country Radio

15. WAY OUT WEST – The Dingoes

16. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG – Matt Taylor

17. EVIE PART 2 – Stevie Wright

18. LIVING IN THE 70’s – Skyhooks

19. IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP – AC/DC

Seventies Downunder Vol 1 Link (466Mb) New LInk 17/05/2026

Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band - Oz Blues (1981)

(Australian 1980 - 1981)

Astor Records Publicity Release
(Matt Taylor-Phil Manning Band)

The decade of the 80's has brought with it a reunion which has the potential of becoming a major force in Australian contemporary music. Just as Australian music is entering its most fruitful period in the world marketplace, the reunion of Matt Taylor and Phil Manning to write and play together again after eight years , will surely see a place for them as leaders in the style of rock/blues.

As Matt is affectionately known as the 'boss of Oz blues', Phil holds the respect of his peers as the finest exponent of the rock guitar Australia has produced, proof of which is borne in the guitar Phil was commissioned to design in '74 by "Maton", a model sharing high sales success bearing the name of its designer, "Phil Manning Custom Stereo".

The idea of the reunion came initially from Matt who, in 1980, guided the very successful 'Matt Taylor Band' through two Eastern States tours - realising by promoter and punter reaction alike, the vast desert of blues based rock 'n' roll music available in Australia.

As one concert reviewer saw it, "the four piece band stood out like an oasis in the middle of a desert of unimaginative new wave bands - on the strength of two performances, it's even tempting to say that the Matt Taylor Band is among the best live acts in Australia".

Wishing to record more product, yet not having a compatible collaborator in the current Matt Taylor Band line-up, the resignation of Dave Hole for pursual of his own musical interests was perfectly timed for the approach to Phil - a proven musical combination both in the studio and on stage - who had been living in self-exile, on a farm in Tasmania for nine months.

Christmas Eve, 1980, saw Phil land in Perth with his family, to launch into rehearsals on Boxing Day. The Matt Taylor - Phil Manning Band opened their Perth season on 7th January, performing five sell-out shows in their first week against Australia's undisputed top live drawcard. Audience reaction was 'over the top' and convinced 96FM to their FIRST 'live to air' with the band from Perth's Melbourne Hotel on 17th January - the eve of their debut East States tour.

The balance of the quartet, rhythm section from the Matt Taylor band - well honed, precise, pumping, the wild Scot Roy Daniels on bass and Ric Whittle on drums.

Roadrunner Album Review

Some months ago I saw the Matt Taylor-Phil Manning Band support Roy Buchanan at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, and their bracket was the only thing that saved the night from being a total disaster. They played a set of clean, tight and punchy rock/blues with a minimum of fuss and received a duly warm reception.

This album presents the band much as it sounds in the live arena. It is a no-frills production with minimum over dubbing and no flashy effects. The music is simple, straightforward and basic, rarely straying from some permutation of the 12bar formula, and is thus not to everybody's taste.

However, Manning and Taylor have been treading the board for more years than I can remember (or they care to), and are without any shade of doubt very good at what they do, which is 'playin' the blooze'.

The album gets off with "Nothing", a basic twelvey that features some good harp-playing from Matt Taylor. Matt's voice is nothing if not distinctive, and is tailor made (excuse me) for this sort of sleaze. This one rocks into "Nice Friends", another 4 chord rocker done with style. Phil Manning takes lead vocals for "The Line", a rollicking song that reminds me of Mungo Gerry. Manning's voice is somewhat unprepossessing, sounding akin to a higher pitched Eric Clapton, but it handles the task satisfactorily.

"Laughing" is a nice and sleazy medium pacer with some impressive harp right on the end. Side One closes with "Spring Hill" which was a highlight of the live set I saw.

Side Two continues along as expected and includes a rework of "I'm A Man" called "Mannish Boy". "Tammy" is blues/rock with a swing feel, and the closer "boogie 2" is just what the title suggests, and full on, fast boogie.

Overall, this is a record for blues enthusiasts and long-time fans of Manning and Taylor. I can't see it breaking any broader ground that that. There are some fine moments provided by excellent solo work on guitar and harmonica, and the rhythm section is tight and solid. As far as recent Australian blues production go, I think the Kevin Borich and Dutch Tilders collaboration has the edge, but 'Oz Blues' is definitely a worthwhile effort. [Review by Stan Coulter, Road Runner Mag, 9th Oct 1981]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl and includes full album artwork and label scans. All photo's, brochures and the Road Runner Review are also included.

In my opinion, this gem slipped through the net when it was released and deserved a lot more media coverage and radio play.

Track Listing:

01.Nothing

02.Nice Friends

03.The Line

04.Laughing

05.Spring Hill

06.Blow

07.Mannish Boy

08.Tammy

09.Comin' on Strong

10.Boogie 2 (Son of Boogie)

Musicians:

Matt Taylor - vocals, harp

Phil Manning - guitar, vocals

Roy Daniel - bass

Ric Whittle - sonor drums

 

Matt Taylor/Phil Manning Link (276Mb)

New Link 27/01/2026

REPOST: Various Artists - Garrison: The Final Blow Unit 1 & 2 (1973)

(Various Australian Artists 1973)
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The Garrison discotheque was a small two-storey building sandwiched between a chemist shop and a billiard parlour in High Street, Prahran (Melbourne). Thursday to Sunday nights it rocked through the early hours of the morning to the sounds of the best rock bands in Australia. Against strong opposition, the local council forced its closure in June 1973. 

Two albums were recorded over Garrison's last five nights - Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th of June. The three groups featured on Unit (volume) 1 are "Ray Brown's One Ton Gypsy", "Madder Lake", and the group "Friends," who would later be known as "Ayers Rock". Friends contributed two songs, an early version of "Lady Montego" (as featured on Big Red Rock) and "Freedom Train", with it's incredibly long break / solo by drummer Mark Kennedy. "Boy You Shot Me Down" by Ray Brown is also worth a listen. Unit (volume) 2 is worth grabbing for the collection, but Unit 1 is the better complilation.

 

This four-piece version of Friends only lasted until the middle of the year. In early June 1973 they were one of the groups that played at the closing nights of the Garrison venue in Melbourne and the group folded soon after the Garrison farewell, with Burton Kennedy and McGuire all leaving to form their eponymous trio, which evolved into the original lineup of Ayers Rock, who re-recorded "Lady Montego" on their debut album.

This is a unique, live Australian rock'n'roll album that is certain to stand the test of time. Garrison has gone but because of this album the music will last forever - we had the final blow.

I've split the downloads into two (in case you already have one of the units), rips were taken from my recently acquired vinyl (thanks to market seller John Tait) in glorious FLAC format and includes full album artwork (sourced from Midoztouch with thanks) and label scans.

                                     **  NEW FLAC FORMAT **

Track Listing

Unit 1

01 - Madder Lake - Bumper Bar Song

02 - Madder Lake - When Is A Mouse

03 - Madder Lake - Rodney's Birthday

04 - Ray Brown - Covered Wagon

05 - Friends - Lady Montego

06 - Friends - Freedom Train

07 - Ray Brown 's One Ton Gypsy - Boy You Shot Me Down

Garrison Unit 1 Link (254Mb)  New Link 28/03/2023

Track Listing

Unit 2

01 - Chain With Matt Taylor - Grab A Snatch And Hold It

02 - Sid Rumpo - Now I`m Free

03 - Sid Rumpo - Forty Days And Forty Nights

04 - Dutch Tilders - Sweet Marie

05 - Chain - Do What You Wanna Do

06 - Matt Taylor - Roberta

07 - Alta Mira - My Soul`s On Fire

Garrison Unit 2 Link (268Mb) New Link 28/03/2023

REPOST: Western Flyer - Live To Survive! (1979)

(Australian 1977-79)

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An Australian blues legend, Matt Taylor has been playing his brand of Australian-twinged blues music since the mid-'60s. His first band, the Bay City Union, was formed in March 1966 and was one of Australia's first traditional Chicago blues bands. Taylor briefly sang with the Wild Cherries before forming the Horse, and then briefly stepped in as lead singer with Cam-Pact for a two-week tour of Sydney during early 1970. He then joined blues band Genesis in February, who released a collaborative single with Carson County Band, titled "Bad Luck Feeling"/"Back Home" under the banner the Meating. They toured until August 1970 when Taylor left to join Chain, the move proved fruitful with the hit single "Black and Blue"/"Lightning Ground" and the groundbreaking album Toward the Blues.

After their success Chain took a break and Matt Taylor moved to Western Australian in the 70’s. He played solo around Perth and realised Perth was a viable proposition for a blues player to make a living. Many local bands were working five or six nights then. He formed Western Flyer in 1977, released an album 'First Flight' to the open arms of blues fans and played to full houses across Australia.

Western Flyer toured nationally 3 times, did the "Countdown" thing, and released 5 singles. A late seventies release, this is a live album by this blues rock act with the occasional rural overtones. This is their second album, featuring Matt Taylor who brings the blues to the band and Brian Peacock (NZ ex-Procession) who brings a more rural pound, this is a pretty good live album. The playing is good and the band were either very experienced musos or went on to bigger things; Mick Elliot (guitar) had played with Sid Rumpo, Bandicoot and Jim Keays, Bruce Devenish (drums) was a jazz drummer who wrote and played with the jazz band that featured in Rock Mass For Love (see Bakery) back in 71 and played with Phil Manning in 75. James Gillard (bass) occasionally played with Skyhooks and went on to feature in bands such as Broderick Smiths Big Combo, Russell Morris and Mondo Rock.

The final gig for Western Flyer was at the White Sands Hotel in Scarborough. After convincing the hotel manager his new band would fill the hotel the following week The Matt Taylor Band featuring Dave Hole on guitar and Ric Whittle on drums pulled in the promised crowd. This was in the punk era and at that time there was one blues band touring Australia and that was The Matt Taylor Band. After two years Dave Hole left the band and Phil Manning, who was twiddling his thumbs in Tasmania, flew to Perth and joined Matt. The extremely successful ‘Oz Blues’ album was recorded under the name of The Matt Taylor And Phil Manning Band.

Standout track on this album for me is Matt Taylor's first hit single (as a solo artist from 1973) - "I Remember When I Was Young". The rendition on this live set is slightly different to his earlier version with a distinct groove and tempo that makes it a great addition to this recording.

This NEW IMPROVED rip was taken from vinyl in FLAC format and includes full album artwork (Thanks to Sunshine for the RIP)

Track Listing

01 - Throw Me A Line

02 - Nannup Tiger

03 - Sunburst

04 - Runaway

05 - The Promised land

06 - Again
07 - I Remember When I Was Young

.

Band Members:

Matt Taylor - Vocals/Harp/Guitar

Brian Peacock - Vocals/Guitar

Mick Elliot - Guitar

James Gillard - Bass

Bruce Devendish - Drums

.

Western Flyer Link (300Mb) New Link 10/01/2023

REPOST: Various Artists - Sunbury '74 (Parts 1 & 2)

(Various Australian Artists 1974)
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The 70's was a period in Australian Rock Music when the industry showcased its very best at the annual Sunbury music festival. On each Australia day weekend from 1972-1975, 35,000 plus people would travel to a picturesque site 30 minutes from Melbourne, in anticipation of witnessing some of the greatest performance of our own rock bands. For those who attended it was an event not to be missed and still considered today to be the most successful rock music festival of its kind held in Australia.
The Sunbury Music Festivals were organised by a group named Odessa Promotions, said to be members of the Melbourne TV Industry. The principal of the company was John Fowler, and it’s said that the company included people who had previously worked on shows such as Uptight, a pop TV show of the late ‘60s. The company went into liquidation after the final concert of ‘75, which was a financial disaster compared to the previous festivals.

There’s just as much mythology about the spirit of the Sunbury Music Festival, with some regarding it as Australia’s Woodstock, a keypoint in more innocent times that embraced peace and a laid back life, while others saw the Sunbury festivals as an event that mirrored the decline of that flowery period with some suggesting that the festivals steadily became a beer-soaked yob fest.
While the Sunbury Music Festivals did much for the Aussie music scene, featuring an all-Australian line-up in ‘72’s first festival, it also attracted well-known acts from overseas in the later festivals with British bands Queen appearing in ‘74 and Deep Purple taking the stage in the festival of ‘75.
John Fowler's Odessa Promotions flexed their muscles for Sunbury '74. But getting Daddy Cool to reform wasn't enough. They decided to impose their first 'international' act on the festival.    So far, Sunbury had been a celebration of Australian music. Their international guests were unproven and no one had heard of Queen. They were just two albums old and yet to make any significant name for themselves. Where Queen were treated like. . kings...down to being chauffeured to the site, the Australians of course made their own way. (Nothing's changed of course. Ask the Australians who were forced to appear for free at Rumba recently). The rest of the Sunbury '74 performers resented Queen being there, resented everything their presence represented. The audience also resented the English band being there. For them, the Australian music was more than enough. Making things just a little worse, there was a mix-up over daylight savings. Queen had been booked to appear an hour before they expected. They made everyone wait until the sun went down. Queen didn't do themselves any favours, but they were SO unknown, and SO insignificant no-one held it against them later. Only for Queen was it a day they would never forget.
When Queen took to the stage, the band was largely unknown at that time on Australian shores and they were unfortunately heckled from the stage following their performance, allegedly after the announcer of that year’s festival asked the audience, “D'you want anymore from these pommie bastards or do ya want an Aussie rock band?”

 
Before leaving the stage to jeers that labelled them “pooftahs” who should go back to Pommyland, Freddy Mercury, Queen’s iconic front man (who was nonetheless fond of bottoms) boldly and bravely fired a parting shot back at the audience. He declared that when his band Queen would next visit Australia, they would be the biggest band in the world. And true to his word when they returned to our shores in ‘76, QUEEN were indeed one of the most globally acclaimed bands. [extracts from onlymelbourne.com.au]
 
The following is an account of the Sunbury '74 concert through the eyes of one of the festival's compares (and a well known celebrity from the Countdown era) - none other than Ian 'Molly' Meldrum. Reporting in his regular weekly column 'Ian Meldrums Keyhole News' (GoSet magazine, Feb 9,1974. p10), Molly gives us a wonderful run down of each band who played over the three days, and helps capture some of the excitement that occurred at what some people consider to be the best Sunbury of all. For more information about the Sunbury festival, see Milesago.com.

 

SUNBURY BLOODY SUNBURY …POP ORGY…well, that was the headline in one of Melbourne’s better known Sunday papers…their editorial went on to describe how Sunbury became Sin City…of how sex, violence, drugs, and beer-swilling teenagers turned the festival into an orgy.  Wow, SUNBURY ’74 must have been sensational…I wish I’d been there…the funny thing is that I was there for the whole 3½ days and apart from a few isolated incidents involving some yahoo’s, no way known could you describe Sunbury as a violent festival…and as for the open use of drugs, well the drug squad who were there in full force must have been blind-folded because they only made a couple of arrests…thousands of contraceptives sold??...strange that the Chemists report that they only sold about a dozen. 
In other words, WHAT A LOAD OF BULL!...in fact, I would go as far as to say that Sunbury’74 was one of the most peaceful and most organised festivals you could ever hope for…Nude Bathing?...Well, why not?...I mean, who cares?...we have, thank you, grown up at least that much…and let’s face it, it’s papers like this Sunday rag that have made us immune to it all…they thrive on the Tits and teeth bit…unfortunately the thing they forgot to mention was the great line up of talent that kept us entertained over the three days…unfortunately this column is too short to give mention to everyone…but believe me, in one way or another, all deserve a pat on the back…my fear that this year’s Sunbury would be dreary and boring like Sunbury ’73, was completely unfounded…

Friday Night and Sherbet Slayed ‘em
Friday Night…a beautiful clear sky and the satellite city is already in full swing…and wouldn’t you know once again I opened my big trap once too often RE: SHERBET…I did say a couple of weeks back in the column that I couldn’t understand why the group was performing on the first night when most of the audience would be still hitching up their tents etc etc…Wrong…the audience hill was packed and I must say that Sherbet were magnificent…but the guys should give thanks to PIRANA, ROSS RYAN and BAND OF LIGHT who were on before them because they really put the audience in a great mood…PIRANA played a beautiful set and it’s hard to believe that they are not a bigger name in this country because they deserve to be…ROSS RYAN was good but Ross’s outstanding performance was to come on Sunday…BAND OF LIGHT were, I thought, tremendous… surely they are destined to do big things on the Australian music scene this year…and then there was SHERBET… what a performance!...it was their first ever Sunbury and let me tell you right here and now that they made up for the previous two years when they were unable to appear…For months I’ve been raving about their stage act and musical talents but every time I see them they just never cease to amaze me…I’ll go as far as to say that they have probably one of the finest stage acts in the world…and I’m sure the likes of Bowie, Rod Stewart and Elton John, if they were ever given the chance to see them, would agree with me…need I say that Sunbury loved them…it should, in SHERBET’S book, go down as one of the highlights in their already dazzling career…because Sunbury is a fest and in my book, and they may disagree because I believe they weren’t happy with their performance, they get 10 out of 10
To finish off Friday night, HOME, one of Australia’s up and coming groups put the final seal to the night’s superb display of entertainment.

Hot Saturday
Saturday was HOT, really, really HOT…and the drink and watermelon stores were doing great business…sure, people drank booze and happily I report that gone from the festival were the dozens and dozens of kids that were there last year staggering around till the early hours of the morning…by mid-afternoon temperatures had soared to 35 but this didn’t put a downer on UPP’s energy…here is another group that’s full of visual excitement…sure, they’ve got a long way to go but I have every confidence that over the next six or seven months they will build up the following they need and they’ll be up there with the best of them…next on were the 69’ers and as usual they provided the laughs for the day…they really are an incredibly funny group and I hope that they never lose their sense of humour…like last year, they more than wowed the crowd…and to finish off their set they had an all-out cream cake fight…as compare, they were the first act that I had to bring off stage and I’m sure you will agree that it was rather fitting that I ended up with a complete sponge-cake and cream all over my face.  SKYHOOKS were the next on and unfortunately I feel that this group needed a night-time spot when they could make full use of the lights…because they are as much into theatre as they are into music….but one thing’s for sure, watch out for the name SKYHOOKS…they’ve arrived

and they’ll be here for quite a while…SID RUMPO proved to all and sundry what fine musicians they are and after their performance I eagerly await their forthcoming album…MATT TAYLOR was on next doing his solo bit…and what can I say about MATT?... he defies all convention of a ’74 pop star… I mean, name one other pop star who gets out on stage, sits down, and says to 30,000 people, Gidday…but you can’t help but love his music…and as usual, in his own peculiar way, he got the audience going… MATT was rewarded with a fine ovation and an encore…but Matt had a surprise in store for them the following day…DINGOES were next on and boy, can they rock and roll…I absolutely love this group and obviously with the response they got, so did the Sunbury crowd…but the one thing that I feel is missing is visual projection from lead singer, BRODERICK SMITH…he possesses an incredible voice…he looks good, but for some reason he fails to project….there’s an old say Brod, If Ya Got It, Flaunt It, so Start Flaunting!  Next on were CHAIN…and has this group got themselves together up in Brisbane…all the reports and fears that the group would break up were dispelled five minutes after they started playing on stage…we all know what a fine group of musicians there are but now with the added confidence that the Australian public really do appreciate them, this group has really come alive…fortunately or unfortunately for Barry Harvey, they don’t miss him as a drummer at all…the group is tight as I’ve ever seen them…why even Phil’s developed a personality…it was a brilliant musical set and it put the crowd into a great mood for what was to come.

And what was to come was four hours of sheer musical entertainment…the BALLS hit the stage with LOBBY not far behind…and did that audience develop balls!..Wow!...sure, the skinheads and the tattoo freaks love them, but so did everyone else…and I think it would be fair enough to say that the group put on their best performance ever…and LOBBY, me boy, there’s no denying it, you’re every bit a Pop Star…and what a great sight it is to see 30,000 people cheering and yelling and rocking their hearts out…ooooh, it sends shivers up me spine…and thumbs up (in the rude sense) to all those self-appointed critics who have written in to the paper over the past few months criticising this group and labelling them boring…cause when 30,000 get their rocks off on Ballpower, they must have something…next on was a surprise…it was the LA DE DAS and I thought they were bloody fantastic…it would be hard for any group to follow LOBBY successfully but the LA DE DAS did it and did it in fine style…it’s amazing the sound that can be created by just three musicians…and watch out girls because lead singer KEVIN BORICH is about to become a sex symbol…a job well done LA DE’s…

Go Set Magazine Article

Billy’s Not Over The Hill – A Rainbow Fixed That
 Next was one of the two Sunbury miracles…I must admit I felt like an ant walking out on stage with all these towers of equipment surrounding me…it looked as if we were about to restage the Commonwealth Games…but Aztec energy was about to be let loose…just before I made the announcemen I asked BILLY if the group would be wanting to do an encore…and he replied, Don’t Ask Me Man, You’ll Know From The Reaction Of The Audience…and I must confess that I thought, God, I hope last year’s no indication of audience reaction…’cause in ’73 an encore they did not want…Sunbury ’74 was possibly the greatest test this group had to go through, and I mean the Greatest…and BILLY knew it…gone is the denim and replacing it it are the superb tailor-made velvet and leather jackets etc…the next hour was one of the most amazing sights I’ve ever witnessed since I’ve been connected with pop scene…the AZTECS didn’t Wow the audience…they destroyed them!...BILLY had them literally eating out of his hands…you know, words can’t describe what happened…they did new songs, they did old songs…and ten minutes into their set BILLY was wearing the biggest smile you could imagine…he knew he had them back…one song, what was it?...you can’t go round saying What on stage??....F*CK I think…front of stage in the press and group arena it was packed…the COLOURED BALLS were down there, the DINGOES…you name them, they were there, all clapping and cheering…and the audience of 30,000 up on the hill with their arms above their heads, the bare-breasted ladies up on guy’s shoulders weaving and rocking, the Excitement…it was really Too Much…and what about when part of the audience  started chanting the AZTEC “Suck More P…” slogan…a saying that derived from their days at the Whitehorse Hotel…it spread through the audience like wildfire and BILLY said “Keep it up, Keep it up”…and then he and the group wrote a song, there on stage about suck more p…
I firmly believe that audience was ready to do anything for BILLY at that stage…after a couple more numbers like Oop Poo Pah Doo, BILLY announced that he was going to do a number that we’d either hate or love…”Here’s One For The Knockers”, he said…and, my God, he did a song that he made a hit eight years ago, ‘Over The Rainbow’…we all looked at each other in disbelief, but it was sounding great!...and on his alone THORPIE can take the title of Australia’s Top Superstar, because that he is…well, the audience just went beserk after that and they just continued to scream and yell, clap and shout and rock and roll…they finally walked off stage and I passed BILLY and I almost felt tempted to say, well it doesn’t look as if you’re going to do an encore…but I didn’t exactly want to wear a guitar at that stage…and the crowd was just screaming for more, and I do mean screaming…in the middle of my Do Ya Wanna Hear More, my voice suddenly cracked in the excitement and like, for the next two days they had to put up with a rather croaky demented Meldrum…there was no doubt that AZTEC energy was back!
What a hard job for ARIEL to follow this…but like the LA DE DAS with LOBBY, ARIEL did a grand job…all the work and effort that’s been put into their visual stage act is really starting to pay off though I must admit that the big explosion on stage that they created fair frightened the daylights out of me…they performed A Strange Fantastic Dream and is it any wonder that the album is selling so well?...what a shame the group, due to an energy crisis in England, are unable to go there in March because at this stage they are very together…obviously the gigs that they have done supporting overseas bands have helped instill a lot of confidence performance-wise into the group…musically you cannot fault them…visually they are progressing in leaps and bounds…MISSISSIPPI were the next on and this group possesses a brilliant range of harmonies…they lack the visual side but they make up for it with their voices and playing…I’m sure everyone out there agreed that they’re really nice to listen to.

Sunday – Madder Seals Crown
Sunday was just as hot and the St.Johns ambulance brigade were working overtime treating people for cut feet, heat exhaustion and other minor injuries…what would a festival like this be without them?...I shudder to think…GLENN CARDIER played a beautiful set that afternoon and it’s easy to see why he was given a Commonwealth Grant…he may not be everyone’s cup of tea but with that selected audience he really does entertain…RICHARD CLAPTON is another who performed that day and although he was very nervous, he proved what a talent he has, both as a singer and as a songwriter…CAPTAIN MATCHBOX were very entertaining…like SKYHOOKS, they are more a theatrical group and it’s good to see that the Australian music scene has now found a place for this type of group…one highlight of that afternoon had to be KUSH and LINDA GEORGE…KUSH are a brilliant brass-orientated group and with JEFF up front camping his way through song after song, ’74 should see this group emerge as a top seller on the record market…LINDA GEORGE was superb…she’s undoubtedly one of Australia’s finest female singers and you can see her confidence growing day by day (an unintentional pun!)…It’s also good to see that Sunbury has come of age and is able to present artists of her caliber on such a festival…there were some fine vocal backings also by the COOKIES…

Matt Taylor

Next on were the DINGOES who gave another fine rock and roll performance…another appearance by MISSISSIPPI and then MATT TAYLOR hit the stage with a rock group backing him…and what emerged was the MATT of old, the MATT TAYLOR that we once knew as lead singer of CHAIN…he really got that audience jumping and in so many ways I strongly feel that MATT should perform with a rock group more often…and what a gas to hear him sing once again “Grab A Snatch And Hold It”…it was yet another great performance by MATT and the audience fully appreciated it…and then came the big wait…for the appearance of QUEEN…apparently there were a lot of hassles with setting up the equipment etc. and I am not going to attempt to go into who was right and who was wrong…but one thing I will say…I don’t think any group should be subjected to the insulting remarks that were made on stage prior to them going on…after all, they were asked to come here and they wanted to give the best performance they could give…the remarks made by this certain person who, I might add, was not one of the comperes, were unfair and totally unjustified… and worse still, it put a downer on the whole audience…QUEEN finally hit the stage,  with all the odds stacked against them…no, they didn’t receive the greatest applause in the world but with a very tight set, they did swing the audience back and at the end the audience gave them a polite but genuine applause…unfortunately the next day they could not appear because their lead singer was legitimately ill…perhaps a few people will have to eat their words over the next year if QUEEN make the top ranks on the international scene.

Queen at Sunbury

The saving grace of the night was the next act that was on…it was MADDER LAKE and they were really fantastic…first they had the hard task of pulling the audience out of their downer…once they achieved that they worked on the audience to bring them to what had to be the all-time high of the day…like the night before with THORPIE, the audience started to dance and wave their hands in the air etc…MADDER LAKE for the first part of their set, performed their new album, ‘Butterfly Farm’ and if you go by the audience reaction they should have no worry about it being a top seller…for the latter part of their show they performed numbers from their ‘Stillpoint’ album as well as their hit singles…and the audience ..well, need I say, just went ape…my only regret was that every programmer from interstate weren’t there to see MADDER LAKE perform…they are without a doubt one of Australia’s unique sounding bands…they are full of originality and are full of entertainment…just ask any one of the 30,000that were at Sunbury.

Queen's Setlist

After MADDER LAKE came JOHN GRAHAM and BLACKSPUR…Now there’s an under rated artist for you…but keep at it JOHN because they’re going to wake up soon…AYERS ROCK then hit the stage and what fine group of musicians they are…and full credit to them for getting the audience rocking and rolling again at 2.30 in the morning…they lack nothing in musicianship whatsoever and perhaps need a front man to give them some visual effect…once this is achieved I would imagine the sky’s the limit…both their performance this night and the following day proved that we have some really top-line Australian musicians…I thought they were great…to finish off the night, well as a matter of fact it was the very early hours of the morning, MACKENZIE THEORY played an amazing set…they really are an unbelievable group…there can be no other group like them I the world…and if they stick together then I’m sure someone from overseas is going to grab them…the worth of this group speaks for itself, but might I add that there were around about 4000 people who stayed up until 4 o’clock in the morning just to listen to this group…the group also played on the second stage and packed it out…

Daddy Who? Daddy Cool (Getting ready to go on stage at Sunbury 74)

Monday – 35C Cool Entertainment
Monday was a very tiring day…it was hot and muggy…once again PIRANA, AYERS ROCK, SID RUMPO and CHAIN entertained the crowd…ROSS RYAN made his second appearance that day and I would imagine it was one of the best performances he’s ever given…ROSS has always been full of confidence and unlike so many artists, he really knows how to work his audience…he has, over the last 12 months, emerged as one of Australia’s top singer –songwriters and his performance that day proved why he has become just that…
One group that emerged on that Monday who were virtually completely unknown before was BUSTER BROWN…they really got the crowd rocking so Watch Out For Them…that’s a definite name to put in your little black book…but Monday really belonged to DADDY COOL…they played as though they’d never ever broken up…and they somehow re-created the excitement of ’71…the crowd just went mad…Absolutely Deliriously Mad…just prior to the group coming on, they adored the stage with three giant Australian flags and during their performance they issued to the audience hundreds of toy flags…the scene was quite unbelievable…the did all their old hits…look, what more can you say…DADDY COOL HAD RETURNED…and so had the excitement…I really believe that they could have played all day and all night and the crowd still would have called for more…it was a great ending to a really successful festival…
I thank all and sundry who organised the festival, especially Odessa Promotions...and Mr. John Fowler…Sunbury ‘74 proved that the Australian music scene id very much alive…but more than that, it proved that Australian artists and musicians are amongst the finest in the world…
Sunbury Pop Orgy???...No!...Sunbury was full of Fun, Music and Entertainment…yes, this year at Sunbury a man died but also for the first time at Sunbury a baby was born… MOLLY xxxxxx
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Now, firstly it should be noted that there are some discrepancies in Molly's account which should be noted. It has been reported (by Milesago.com) that Skyhooks were booed off stage at Sunbury 74 (apparently the audience wasn't really ready for all of the glam and glitter that they brought to the table) and it is because of this that their first lead singer 'Steve Hill' left the band and was replaced by Graham "Shirley" Strahan, and of course the rest was history.  So, I guess Molly forgot to mention this in his report.
Another discrepancy lies with Milesago documenting that Blackfeather performed at Sunbury '74, yet Molly makes no mention of them playing in his extensive account. Likewise, another Sunbury review in GoSet by columnist Mitch entitled 'Front Row Reviews' (Feb 16, 1974) makes no reference to Blackfeather in amongst his listing of bands.  So, unless someone can provide direct proof, I think Milesago has got it wrong.
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One real mystery associated with the recordings released by Mushroom on their Anti RipOff label (see below) is the inclusion of a recording made by an unknown group called 'Full Moon'. There has been much speculation about who they were yet 'Full Moon is absent from any reviews or articles in the GoSet Magazine at that time. There was a UK group with the same name (but are certainly not the same band) based on their style of music.

One hint that might help, is when Molly refers to a 'second stage' when discussing MacKenzie Theory's performance. It is possible that Full Moon may have performed "Freedom Jazz Dance" on this second stage to a smaller crowd, and the recording used to diversify (or fill) the Mushroom release - Part 2.
Apparently, the new concept of a 'second performing stage' was added to the Sunbury festival in 1974 to include "alternative performances such as jazz recitals, theatre, dance, mime, poetry and acoustic music." which seems to fit in with this explanation.
As to the identity of the band Full Moon, ChickaMunro provides us with the only info at hand, on the Midoztouch forum when he reports:  'From the front cover of a promo booklet from Open Sky Productions, who were putting on a gig at the Dallas Brooks Hall, Nov 1975'.
Ayers Rock, Silver Sun, Phil Manning, in concert at The Dallas Brooks Hall
Conceived in our illustrious Gardenvale, Silver Sun makes it's first public appearance tonight.
After months of solid slogging in that fine suburb, the band features John Pugh, a former member of Healing Force and FULL MOON, on lead guitar and vocals. Barry Sullivan,...bass,...Sunil De Silva from Skylight and the Dingoes on drums...Sam McNally...Mal Logan...jazz, soul and blues...funky...Herbie Hancock...Marvin Gaye..."
This has something to do with the whole Healing Force thing - who also had their biggest gig at Sunbury 73, didn't they? Also the Company Caine precursors had Pugh - and so the trail leads all over the place in Melbourne.  Any further information about this mysterious group would be gratefully received !

One final note, before I close this 'rather long post'. Apparently, Sherbet was supposed to have "Hound Dog" included on one of the featured albums but pulled the plug at the last moment for some reason and Thorpie's XXX rated track "You Can't Go Around Saying F*ck On Stage" was pulled by Mushroom in fear of legal repercussions.  In addition, EMI would not allow its acts to appear on these albums, hence the absence of tracks by Ariel, Coloured Balls, Mississippi, Ross Ryan etc..
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This post consists of FLAC rips taken from vinyl, both in excellent condition.  Full album artwork is also included for both vinyl (mine) and CD (thanks to Bondie), a multitude of newspaper articles (from Go Set magazine thanks to RAM) and photos (sourced from The Age archives and anddum.com with gratitude).

Artwork and associated Sunbury literature are also included as a separate download for those you who already have the music, and only want this support material. 

IMPROVED RIP
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Track listing:
(Sunbury '74 - Part 1)
01 - Lizards (Madder Lake)
02 - I'm a Dingo (The Dingoes)
03 - Gonna miss you babe (Chain)
04 - Big Shake and Hi Honey Ho (Daddy Cool)

05 - New Orleans (Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs)
06 - Hey What's the Matter (Skyhooks)
07 - Roll over Beethoven (Buster Brown)
08 - Buster Brown (Buster Brown)
(Sunbury '74 - Part 2)
01 - Payday Again (The Dingoes)
02 - Morning Magic (Ayers Rock)
03 - Supreme Love (Mackenzie Theory)
04 - Love On The Radio (Skyhooks)
05 - We'll Never Do The Same Again (Matt Taylor)
06 - Wang Dang Doodle (Sid Rumpo)
07 - Sweet Home Chicago (Sid Rumpo)
08 - Freedom Jazz Dance (Full Moon)
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Sunbury '74 - Part 1&2 FLAC Link (476Mb) New Link 20/10/21
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Sunbury '74 Artwork and Photos (36Mb)