Richard Clapton - Goodbye Tiger (1977) plus bonus tracks

 (Australian 1972 - Current)

Richard Clapton took his name from his two greatest inspirations — Keith Richard and Eric Clapton. In the early '70s he spent time playing avant-garde rock in Berlin and recorded his debut album 'Prussian Blue' but eventually returned to Sydney to record his next album with Festival Records.

In 1975, Clapton had the critics on side, but Festival Records insisted on a hit single. However, it was the song they picked as a B-side called “Girls On the Avenue” that reached #1 on the national charts and put Clapton at the top of his class. Like Americans Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen, Richard Clapton developed a sound based on melodic rock while his lyrics were poetic musings on his state of mind or the state of the nation.

These two came together on the 'Goodbye Tiger album'; at that time Clapton’s most successful to date. The record was a new highpoint and as a result there was significant international interest in Richard as a recording artist. 'Goodbye Tiger' was described by music historian Ian McFarlane as “his most celebrated work, an album full of rich, melodic and accessible rock with a distinctly Australian flavour. It established Clapton’s reputation as one of the most important Australian songwriters of the 1970s….

The Making of the Goodbye Tiger LP

In 1976, Richard Clapton decided to return to Germany using money he had acquired via an Arts Council grant, having just finished working on the soundtrack to an Australian surfing movie called 'Highway One' with David Elphick and Steve Otton. It was during this time that he conceived the lyrics and song structure for "Deep Water". The album also featured his next single "Capricorn Dancer".

The bizarre thing about the Australia Council grant, as he soon found out, was that recipient's weren't required to account for anything. He was finally asked for a report of the work he had produced in 1976 - in 1996. Fortunately for the Australia Council he wrote the set of songs for Goodbye Tiger with his grant.

Richard managed to find board with best friend Volker and his girl friend Andrea in their new apartment on Kaiser Wiolhem Strasse, in Berlin. It was here where he commenced work on his next album.

In Richard's biography, he recalls:

"When we arrived back at the apartment, I sat down and wrote 'Goodbye Tiger' all in one go. Dr Pepper called me 'Tiger', an old 'ocker expression of endearment. It's a real blokey nickname. The lyrics may sound fictitious and poetic but the words are virtually literal, and journalistic in their own way. The lyric was pretty much a transcript of our conversation back in David's hotel room a few nights before, my itching to be 'chasing those dolce vita times'." [The Dr Pepper that Richard refers to was a good friend from Australia, a true Beat Writer who opened a record store in Melbourne called Archie and Jugheads. Writing as Doctor Pepper, he was the most feared and loathed music critic in all Australia, but a great writer who wrote for Juke magazine]

"I already had the basic idea for "Deep Water", an invented story about Michael Hegerty's sister, Christine, down on Bondi Beach back in Sydney. Christine was a real ham, hence all the stuff about doing the foxtrot on the beach at night with the fireflies dancing in the promenade lights. I decided to marry that part of the song to an incident that had recently occurred on Palm Beach Road, after a drinking and pot smoking binge. I'd been toying with the idea of writing an opus that would encapsulate Sydney life within that seven minutes and it all just fell into place.

"Lucky Country" was next, another quick and painless birth. The first time I went out in the snow [after visiting Norre Nebel, the northernmost tip of Denmark], I walked down to the frozen beach; it all struck me as incredibly weird. There I was, up near the North Pole, writing songs about the Antipodes. And yet it was so easy. I'll die happy knowing that I wrote three of my best songs - 'Tiger', 'Deep Water', and 'Lucky Country - in just a few days. Bang, bang, bang!

Richard was keen to stay in Europe, but back in Australia "Capricorn Dancer", which came out as a single in early 1977, looked like it was going to be a big hit. Festival's Phil Matthews implored him to come home and promote "Capricorn Dancer" and record one more album for the label. Clapton made it very clear that Richard Batchens and other people at Festival wouldn't mess with his music ever again. He was really starting to assert his independence at this time. Phil, an all-round great guy, kept sending Richard reassurances by telegram.

After a short stint in America, where he meet up with the Dingoes who were recording an album with Garth Hudson from The Band, Clapton finally decided to return to Australia and studio time was booked for him to start work on Goodbye Tiger.

Richard also recalls:

"We were to record "Deep Water" first up. I went into the studio with Michael Hegerty on bass, Kirk Lorange on guitar and a funny Greek drummer called Jimmy Penson. He'd played in a very successful blue/boogie band called Blackfeather, he was a damned good drummer and all round nice guy. Jimmy was like a hilarious parody of an archetypical Greek. He wasn't dumb, but he would ham it up just for everyone's amusement.

In between sessions, we were playing at the Station in Melbourne to a more than packed house. The gig was going really well but a grumpy Kirk Lorange kept screaming at Jimmy to 'lay back', musician talk for 'slow down the beat'. Jimmy had the dopiest look on his face as if he didn't understand. Every time Kirk would scream 'lay back', Jimmy would lean further and further back on his drum stool until he was on the verge of falling off the stage. Michael and I were laughing so hard we could hardly play. That's Jimmy playing drums on 'Deep Water' and 'Capricorn Dancer'.

Also in the studio with me were Cleis Pearce (on viola) and drummer Greg Sheehan, who'd both played in an 'acid jazz' outfit called Mackenzie Theory. It didn't seem likely, but they were a good fit. Diane also rejoined what was to become the notorious 'Goodbye Tiger' band.

Feuding erupted almost immediately between Richard Batchens and the band. Kirk and Michael joined together in one of several factions; they regarded themselves as the 'sane' members of the band. Greg and Cleis were Balmain hippies who survived on macrobiotic food and LSD. Richard Batchens's main ally was John Frolich, the engineer, a Palm Beach hippie and original New Age guy. I was just the pivot for everyone else to cling on to.

The project lapsed into an orgy of booze and drugs. Half the band was tripping, the rest were stoned. I was still not much of a druggie, and as usual found the drug taking irritating, but tried to remain tolerant for the sake of the album. My album. Soon enough, though, I became a complete drunk, unable to cope with the relentless tension. I kept waiting for the next bomb to go off.

I was totally miserable. I desperately wanted to quit the album because I really didn't believe that we'd ever finish it-or survive. But I knew I'd relinquished the opportunity to relocate to America or to Europe, and was damned if I was going to let this bring me down.

How on earth we managed to record that album in that state still amazes me. Because I was short of material, I came up with an idea. 'Let's get totally trashed,' I announced, 'and I'll write a song "while-u-wait".' Why not?

Kirk was stoned and late for the session. By now Batchens and I were drunk; we started calling Kirk a 'pussy' and a 'wimp'. After threatening to quit there and then, Kirk reluctantly plugged into the powerful amp that I'd hired for him, a 100-watt Marshall. I sat in an isolation booth utterly wasted, and just started playing. I was so drunk, I started doing a Captain Beefheart impersonation, growling rather than singing. You can hear me bursting into laughter throughout the track, which was called 'I Can Talk to You'.

The intensity was incredible. Kirk detested Cleis and vice versa; the dogfight between these two for solos I think created one of the best moments in Australian recording history.

Kirk Lorange, Richard Clapton & Richard Batchens
 during 'Tiger' recording session, 1977

As the album progressed, things worsened, if that was possible. Batchens stayed drunk; I was either stressed or depressed. Batchens still insisted on humming 'hook' lines to Kirk Lorange, which caused enormous friction between them. Ironically, the guitar hooks' on 'Deep Water' and 'Lucky Country' were actually Richard Batchens's, so maybe his ideas weren't that bad.

Kirk and Richard's war climaxed during a night at the 'Pyrmont Hilton', where a scuflle broke out. Richard had to be restrained from wanting to seriously bash Kirk; he may have even landed a couple of punches. Kirk quit the album and I went to meet Jim White, the general manager of Festival.

'I can't work with Batchens,' I told him. I felt really awful, because I loved Richard in a very odd sort of way, but he was so out of control that he was sidelined. I set to work producing most of Kirk's guitar parts myself but Richard produced Kirk's solo on 'Deep Water', which he played while he was perched right up against the brand new $10,000 speakers in Festival's control room, his guitar literally five centimetres from the speaker cone. I shudder to think of the consequences had we blown up their new speakers. Sounds great, though.

Richard Batchens eventually talked his way back onto the project, and we closed off the studio from the outside world, including the band. We eventually brought in session players to apply the finishing touches.

The last stages of the album were intensely emotional.

Richard and I were still reeling from all the earlier dramas. I must say, in all fairness, that Richard did an excellent job with recording my vocals; no longer did he demand repeated takes.

I would never concede that those vocals are my best, but this is where I really learnt to sing in a recording studio. We ended the album as we'd begun: drunk. We'd drink in the afternoons and watch the sun go down over Pyrmont-and then we'd walk down to the studio and work until early morning.

I have always been frustrated about the lack of real insanity or 'pushing the envelope' in Australian recordings. My theory about the enduring popularity of Goodbye Tiger is that it was the first homegrown album that captured a journey to the outer stratosphere. All the anger and bitterness actually manifested itself into something quite passionate and beautiful. Don't ask me why; it just worked. It was worth the pain.

There was a lot going on elsewhere in my life during the few months of recording Goodbye Tiger (a marathon by local standards, incidentally. I was befriended by the legendary radio DJ Billy Pinnell, who introduced me to Stan 'the Man' Rofe, the music guru of 3XY. Billy so passionately believed in 'Capricorn Dancer' that together we gatecrashed the pub where Rofe drank in private.

Stan the Man was Melbourne radio; quite frankly, this little stunt could have seriously damaged both our careers. It was a very risky punt. But we managed to get Stan on side, and he single handedly made 'Capricorn Dancer' a big hit and set up the Goodbye Tiger album nicely. Even before the album appeared in October 1977, pre-orders had exceeded 35,000 copies, gold' status, a first for me." 

[extracts taken from Richard Clapton's autobiography 'The Best Years Of Our Lives', Published by Allen & Unwin, 2014, p138-143].

Richard Clapton - A Star Is Born
by Anthony O'Grady.
(RAM Magazine Nov 18th, 1977 p.9)

Well, here we are at a record company reception for Richard Clapton's new album 'Goodbye Tiger', You can tell the record company have a lot of faith in Richard these days because the PR boys are pouring out the company scotch like profligates, and there are platters piled high with cold cuts and cheeses. Not only that, there's hints that hot dishes will be served later, plus actual champagne while the album is being previewed.

You can tell Richard is in high esteem with the nabobs of the music bizz too, 'cos they're all here. Receptions are similar in a way to concerts - the more people who turn up, the higher the standing of the artist. The throng have now reached that delicate point where they're just lubricated enough to be cheerful, but haven't yet tipped over the edge into frantic oblivion and wild partying. With a good sense of timing, the managing director asks everyone to down whiskey glasses and move around to the studio for champagne and Goodbye Tiger.

They've done out the studio a treat. What looks like a big tiger skin {but isn't} is pinned to the wall. Posters and pix of Rich abound - Two gargantuan speakers point down at waiting rows of blue chairs. Two projectors aim cocked and loaded slide mounts at white screens. Richard Clapton is in the studio control room guzzling a tube - He's not nervous mind you, he always jangles up and down on the spot. Well, maybe a little nervous.

Ritchie Batchens his producer is hurling himself around the room and seems slightly more controlled, and Suzie (Richard's dark-haired, vivacious, slender girlfriend) is smiling like she's actually relaxed- "Tell 'em to piss off," say's Richard as the throng gather outside. "Clear the studio, wipe the tape. - I want to redo the vocals."

"This album was recorded totally alcoholically" proffers Batchens peeling another tube. "That's the problem with bands today," says Richard. "They can't keep up with the drinking". It's very quiet in the control room, you can hear the gurgle of emptying cans. On the other side of the blanked out sound proofed glass though, a champagne party is starting to build momentum. Suddenly blam! the tape starts twirling and the speakers roar, drowning out anything softer than a Concorde Sonic Boom.

Goodbye Tiger has eight tracks: "Down In The Lucky Country", "Wild Child", "Goodbye Tiger", "I Can Talk To You", "Deep Water", "Out On The Edge Again", "Hiding From The Light" and "Wintertime in Amsterdam". The ones that blare forth most memorably are the songs I can remember from concert performances - "Down in the Lucky Country", "Wild Child" and "Deepwater". "Deepwater", the single, has a strange, stop-flow rhythm - a smooth melody interrupted with guitar slashes and sultry solo piano notes. "Lucky Country" is a foot tapper the whole way through and "Wild Child" is a sort of reggae/funk/country hybrid.

There's lot's of variation and change of pace on the album: "Goodbye Tiger" and "Wintertime in Amsterdam" flow slow and thick as foam from a chilled beercan. "I Can Talk To You" is a grunting, heavy-metalloid rocker conversation stopper, and "Out On The Edge Again" has the abrasive rasp and edge of a sandpaper throat, post-hangover.

No doubt there are lots of um.. lyrical implications under the initial effect of the music, but it's hard to get 'em on one high volume listen. Love the part in "Deepwater" though where Richard screams "sitting on the Palm Beach Road / I'm so drunk and the car won't go." Don't know its deeper meaning though. [Ed - Clapton later relates the story in his 2014 autobiography, p124-126] 

The tape finishes and people actually down their champagne to clap and cheer. The throng bustles upstairs for hot eats and more drinks, the partying starts in earnest. Surrounded by happy drunks Clapton looks a lot happy and relaxed himself.

"Are we confident his album won't be lost in the Christmas rush?" answers a Record Company PR person. "We're confident it'll go gold in a few weeks - Richard Clapton is heading our entire Christmas promotion."

That's how it is at receptions; 'A Star Is Born every time'.

Especially if it's your fourth album and you've just spent nine months on the road. But a good nosh-up always helps. "Especially if you like drinking" says Richard.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from CD (my vinyl is a little worn) and includes full album artwork for both media, including label scans (thanks to Beergut for the rip).

Bonus tracks were sourced from the 'Highway One' soundtrack that Clapton contributed to in 1976, just before he worked on his Goodbye Tiger album. 

Track Listing

01 Down In The Lucky Country 3:42

02 Wild Child  3:32

03 Goodbye Tiger 5:42

04 I Can Talk To You 6:15

05 Deep Water  5:26

06 Out On The Edge Again 3:10

07 Hiding From The Light 4:36

08 Wintertime In Amsterdam 6:10

09  Highway One [Bonus Track]   3:47

10 Highway One #2 (Children Of The Sun) [Bonus Track]  5:15

11 Longshore Rider [Bonus Track]  2:55

12 Babe Rainbow [Bonus Track]  4:54

13 Capricorn Dancer [Bonus Track]   3:50

Band Members:

Guitar and Vocals - Richard Clapton

Bass Guitar – Michael Hegerty

Drums, Percussion – Greg Sheehan

Lead Guitar – Kirk Lorange

Viola – Cleis Pearce

Backing Vocals – Diane McLennan

Guest, Backing Vocals – Dalvanius

Guest, Guitar – Gunther Gorman

Guest, Keyboards – Tony Ansell

Guest, Saxophone – Tony Buchanan

Producer – Richard Batchens

Goodbye Tiger Link  (421Mb)

REPOST: Richard Clapton - Past Hits & Previews (1978)

(Australian 1972 - 2008)
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Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, New South Wales. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" (1975) and "I Am an Island" (1982). His top 20 albums on the related Albums Chart are 'Goodbye Tiger' (1977), 'Hearts on the Nightline' (1979), 'The Great Escape' (1982), and 'The Very Best of Richard Clapton' (1982). 

As a producer he worked on the second INXS album, Underneath the Colours (1981).
In 1983, he briefly joined The Party Boys for a tour of eastern Australia and their live album 'Greatest Hits (Of Other People 1983)' before resuming his solo career. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane described Clapton as "one of the most important Australian songwriters of the 1970s" [extract from Wikipedia]
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The following is an in depth interview conducted by Ed St.John with Clapton, for the Rolling Stone Magazine in Feb, 1978.
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Richard Clapton's Dilemma - Caught between the tiger and the edge
It's always Interesting to see a sensitive artist cope with commercialism Jackson Browne, for instance, is a fully competitive rock performer and still writes good songs. Richard Clapton, on the other hand, finds the necessary compromise a hard one. When I met him one recent Saturday night in Sydney he was in a genial and friendly mood, a perfect example of good public relations, It was only later, fatigued by a strenuous performance and other accumulated pressures, that his touchy alter ego came to the fore. I guess I should have asked you if you liked Spanish food", he laughed as we sat down to a meal of garlic prawns and Mateus Rose in a Spanish restaurant in King's Cross. In fact his tastes are somewhat cosmopolitan when working his constant companion is a bottle of tequila, and his favourite city is Berlin. As we ate we were Joined by Cleis Pearce and Greg Sheehan, the viola player and drummer on Clapton's latest album 'Goodbye Tiger'. They are no longer in the band, so when they ran into us another bottle of Mateus was called for and a small reunion was held.
About a quarter past nine we realised that the gig at the Stage door Tavern was due to start in three quarters of an hour. We made a hasty departure back to the motel and I returned to my car to find a parking ticket in the wiper. Later on, at the Stage door "Ladies and Gentlemen," yells Clapton In the darkness, doing a perfect imitation of a roadie Introduction, "would ya please Welcome next years King of Pop - Richard Clapton!" The lights come Up and the band swings into the first number. Clapton moves up to the mine, as if for the first time, and grins I may not look like the King of Pop, but...
In concert Clapton seems to tap an energy reserve which is unused during the rest of the day. He throws himself into the spirit of the song like few songwriters do, and with Diane McLennan pouting beside him on backing vocals they make quite an act. He later explained the reasoning behind this "I owe these people a lot, you know. They've gone and spent seven dollars on the album, and they've just paid four more tonight, so they deserve everything I can give." A pause. "But, ah, they certainty get their money's worth," he adds, quickly. The encore that night proved his point, as he swung from Water pipes in the ceiling and leaped about the stage whilst singing a Chuck Berry song, finally ending up in a tangled heap on the floor with Diane and microphone stand. All part, I suppose, of giving them their money's worth. Offstage Clapton is just about as slow moving as he is energetic on-stage. He is by admission a lazy person, and this combined with his dislike of interviews makes it hard to get him headed towards his motel so that we can get something down on tape. We finally agree to meet there and I am a little consoled to find that I can put my parking ticket back under the wiper and park in the same place.

By the time road manager, Neil McCabe, had gone down to the bar and bought drinks and Clapton had gone into the next room to fetch a tape recorder it was two in the morning, and as a result of the strain and the drink he had fallen into one of his notorious bad moods. I turned on the recorder, but before I had chance to ask a question he had launched into a marathon attack on competition, the record industry, the media, status, the money motive and people who don't think the way he does. In this mood he hates them all. In the course of it I gained the factual skeleton of his career, fleshed out with the outlook and prejudices of someone who was proving to be a fascinating, yet aggressively private, person.
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Born in Sydney, Clapton was part of the post war boom which became the militant generation of the Sixties. Having finished school, he moved to London in 1967 to study graphic art where he formed his first working band. Three years later his visa expired and he was forced to move to Berlin, a city which was to influence him greatly in his most formative years.
The people he lived with in Berlin had lived through much of the Sixties in the large German communes hotbeds of radical thought which spawned such diverse children as Tangerine Dream. The people he lived with, he says," were just coming out of it when I knew them. Basically I think they were growing up."

However he had much contempt for their idealism, a lot of the theory is still evident in his work. During this period he formed another band; and when a large recording deal was offered to them, they poured all their money into improvements, to be then told that the company wanted to buy songs only.
For the next six months Clapton lived almost at starvation point, having spent all his money. By the time he returned to Australia. In 1972, he had become very bitter about the entire competitive capitalist ethos, and to this day places little emphasis on material wealth. He quotes from George Orwell's Down And Out in Paris And London: "If you don't have a shilling, you don't have nothing to worry about. If you have a shilling you worry. Signed by Festival two days after his return, his first album, Prussian Blue, introduced Clapton to the Industry, but despite acclaim it didn't sell particularly well.

Of the title track he says 'Prussian Blue' was an unusual composition for me, because normally when I write it's all very spontaneous, a sort of stream of consciousness thing. I'm very influenced in this regard by people like Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath. But with "Prussian Blue" I spent months toying around with the words, perfecting it. Compared with the other stuff, the word games and everything are all a bit childish really. He chuckles to himself. "Most people said that was really advanced, but anybody can be complex and metaphysical if they want to." By 1975 there was more than critical acclaim when the title track of his new album. 'Girls On The Avenue', made it to the Top five. This was followed strongly a year later by
'Mainstreet Jive', finally assuring him of a firm position in the Australian music scene.
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In typical fashion he had been delaying an overseas trip financed by an Arts Council grant, so he rushed off his soundtrack contribution to surf film 'Highway One' and left in October, 1976 for a trip that took him to America, England and most importantly, back to Berlin, where he wrote most of the material for Goodbye Tiger. The trip proved worth while, for the first time in his life Richard Clapton is doing well out of his music.
If you average it out I haven't made that much. I could have made much more money in the Public Service and have a house in Lane Cove - but I don't." He pauses, taking a sip of his Bloody Mary and pulled back his curtain of hair. I live in motels ... I've got nothing. Who'd be stupid enough to work for nothing? 'which is virtually what we're doing, We make money, sure, but we spend it just as quickly trying to keep the vibe up. The emotion is evident in his voice. He pauses.
I don't think anybody should ever forget that what we're doing is art? You can never get away from that so it's a funny business ... marketing art," he laughs. "It's a paradox in itself.'
However, often people try to delve into his work in search of profound hidden meanings, Clapton insists that the superficial ideas are all that are intended. With the exception of rarities like 'Prussian Blue' the songs are not at all contrived. On the contrary, according to their writer, they are Spontaneous expressions of feelings, not designed to stimulate thought, national identity, pity or anything else. But if they do, he says, that's good. Or does he want to deter people from looking. They often find things that he didn't know about. Speaking of a review by Paul Gardiner in ROLLING STONE two issues ago, he marvels, I wasn't aware I'd written an album about Australia until I read it in Paul's review. The material was written in Germany but he's right all the same.

I find a great satisfaction in having Goodbye Tiger accepted," he says, referring to the album's rather startling sales figures. "Australians are so embarrassed by themselves that they refuse to admit to any identity and I think they should strive to find one, for better or worse." It's three o'clock in the morning, and as I take my leave a particular phrase keeps coming back to me, one which I felt seemed to capture the essence of what he'd been saying -
"I think that over the last few years I've learnt a lot about a lot of things, just finding out that simplicity is one of the hardest things in the world to achieve."
Richard Clapton is a man of contradictions. He considers the entire system of competition and stardom a farce, yet he continues to be considered as one of Australia's top rock performers. He says he doesn't understand the exact meaning of most of his songs, yet his audiences hail him as a sensitive and perceptive artist. Perhaps the strangest thing is that both he and the people are right.
(Interview taken from Rolling Stone 9 Feb 1978 - sourced from The Avenue / Richard Clapton)

This post contains a CD rip in FLAC format and includes full album artwork for both vinyl and CD formats. I have also sourced a live rendition of Clapton's biggest hit 'Girl's On The Avenue' taken from the 'Concert Of The Decade' compilation album, released in 1979.
'Past Hits & Previews' is the first 'greatest hits' album that Clapton released, although he also chose to release two new tracks alongside his classics at that time - "Stepping Across The Line" & "When The Heat's Off".
Also worth noting is that "When The Heat's Off" has never been issued on any other release (either Vinyl or CD) making this compilation rather special.
All other tracks were taken from his prior LP's, 'Prussian Blue', 'Girls On The Avenue', 'Mainstreet Jive', 'Goodbye Tiger' and the rare soundtrack 'Highway One'.

                        NEW IMPROVED RIP
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Track Listing
01 - Stepping Across The Line
02 - Girls On The Avenue
03 - Goodbye Tiger
04 - Capricorn Dancer
05 - I Wanna Be A Survivor *
06 - When The Heat's Off
07 - Deep Water
08 - Blue Bay Blues
09 - Need A Visionary
10 - Suit Yourself
11 - Girls On The Avenue (Bonus - Live)
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Band Members (1972-78):
Richard Clapton (Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Vocals)
Kirk Lorange (Slide guitar) Red McKelvie (Pedal Steel)
Gunter Gorman, Ritchie Zito, Red McKelvie, Mike McLellan (Guitar)
Michael Hegerty, Greg Lyon, Reggie McBride, Ronnie Peel, Phil Lawson (Bass)
Greg Shegan, Doug Bligh, Lain McLennan, Doug Lavery, Dave Ovendon, Jim Penson, Loppy Morris, Keith Barber (Drums)
Tony Ansell, Wayne Finlay, Lance Ong, Mike Perjanik (Keyboards)
Diane McLennon, Rita Jean Bodine, Lori Balmer, Michael Adler (Backing Vocals)
* Kevin Borich (Guitar)
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Richard Clapton Link (275Mb)
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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)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Richard Clapton, Kevin Borich & Friends - Spirit Of Australia (1986)

 On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future. Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.

With respect to Australia's Music Industry, we can be very proud of the contributions that our Aussie Musos have made in entertaining people from every nation with music and song, with many of our artists achieving world wide acclaim. Therefore, I would like to celebrate Australia Day by posting this double 'instrumental' single by two of our country's most respected musicians from the 70 / 80's, namely Richard Clapton and Kevin Borich.

I suspect this 'promo single' was released specifically for either the 1986 Sydney to Hobart yacht race and/or the Australia Day celebrations. The single features Richard Clapton's A-Side instrumental entitled "Spirit Of Sydney" and Kevin Borich's rendition of "Advance Australia Fair" on guitar as the B-Side.  

I particularly enjoy Borich's powerful interpretation of the Australian National Anthem which I suspect was inspired by Jim Hendrix's 'Star Spangled Banner' played at the Woodstock Festival (minus the machine gun interludes)

I hope you enjoy these two tracks and wish all Aussie's a fantastic and safe Australia Day !

Ripped from vinyl to MP3 (320kps), this post also consists of artwork and label scans from the single release.

The Spirit Of Sydney (13Mb)

The Party Boys - Greatest Hits (Of Other People) 1983

(Australian 1982–1992, 1999, 2011)

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The Party Boys were an Australian music group from Sydney that was formed in 1982, they were a popular band during the 80’s era. A talented young bass guitarist, Paul Christie formed this band in association with iconic legend Kevin Borich.

Both of them were already engaged in diverse music projects at that time. Thus, “The Party Boys” and its journey officially started  between Paul and Kevin.

True to their name this band was really “The Party Boys” and they really knew how to perform and have a rocking good time.

In the path of progressing, many talented musicians like Kevin Borich, Ross Wilson, Richard Clapton, James Reyne, Marc Hunter and Australia’s one and only Angry Anderson occasionally joined this band and helped them to produce various successful music creations. After consistently performing for a period of ten years, the journey of this well-known music band ended in 1992, they did get back together in some form during 1999 and 2011 for some performances..

The first line-up of this band comprised of two experienced music professionals – Paul Christie and Kevin Borich. In 1982, when Paul Christie decided to leave his earlier music band (Mondo Rock), he decided to form a new group and performed cover songs at the local Australian pub circuit.

By showcasing commendable music performances, they easily grabbed the attention of the Aussie audience. They performed hundreds of gigs at various local pubs. One of their live albums, named as “Live at Several 21sts” (released in 1983), witnessed massive popularity and great recognition with Aussie radio listeners. This album reached number # nine position on the Australian national charts. 

In November 1983, the band members issued another superior music production – their second live album – “Greatest Hits (of Other People)” - but this time with Richard Clapton at the helm singing lead vocals. Just like its predecessors, this album too gained a great acclaim from the proficient music critics. Furthermore, “Greatest Hits (of Other People)” achieved number # 25 position on Australian charts.

Richard Clapton and Harvey James QUICKLY moved on to other projects which opened the door for Skyhooks vocalist Shirley Strachan to join the project on vocals and with Rose Tattoo's Rockin' Rob Riley replacing Harvey James. [extract from aussieradios.com]

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Richard Clapton - The Best Years Of Our Lives

(a brief account off  Clapton's time with the Party Boys)

In 1983, I was recruited into The Party Boys, a so-called 'supergroup', a really popular live act. From the outset, this band was, as the name implied, the hardest-living group of musos in Australia. Talk about the party that never ended.

Harvey and Clapton

My first night with them took place at Tharen's, a very upmarket restaurant in Darlinghurst. EMI Records was hosting the night; the band's first album had just gone gold. What could have been a great meal was left untouched while band and label raised hell. We then moved on to James Reyne's room at the Sebel Townhouse—I was filling in for James in the band—and proceeded to trash it, doing silly rock star stuff like pulling paintings and mirrors off the walls, tossing things around, just wreaking havoc.

At the first rehearsal, I arrived and patiently waited for the rest of the band—Kevin Borich, Harvey James, bassist Paul Christie and Angels' drummer Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup— who eventually arrived several hours late and then proceeded to party on. Before I knew it we were on stage at the Manly Vale Hotel, drunk as skunks and playing like maniacs to a full house.

I wasn't too enamoured with the band's music, which was all famous covers, because PC, the band demagogue, would insist everything we played be transposed. Consequently, as James had warned me, I had to struggle with ludicrously inappropriate keys, which left me sounding either like Mickey Mouse or Satan. The tour ran for two long weeks, and although we each made fantastic money, to me it felt like artistic prostitution.

There are two very funny stories from this period, however, which should be recounted. During that first tour, Buzz Bidstrup (the Angels drummer) and I became good friends and maintained each other's sanity throughout all that pressure. One night Buzz and his wife Kaye invited me and Jimmy and Jane Barnes around for a small, intimate dinner party. Everyone was drinking fine and expensive wine, but unfortunately I have always been very allergic to the histamines in wine. Jimmy began ribbing me for not partaking but I stood my ground because I knew that pretty soon I would go red in the face and become very inebriated. Nevertheless, much to my chagrin, I allowed myself to be talked into having a few glasses of wine. Just as the wine was taking effect, I realised that-it was unusually strong and immediately regretted drinking some. To make matters worse, Jimmy insisted we get stuck into the vodka.

Jimmy then produced a home video camera he had hidden away and methodically began setting it up on a tripod in front of me.

'Whaddya doin', Jimmy?' I asked, my brain turning to jelly.

Jimmy said nothing, then suddenly joined me on the lounge and introduced The Jimmy Barnes Tonight Show. My mouth was dry, and I could hardly speak. I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.

Jimmy began doing takes of his Tonight Show, with me as his special guest, much to the hilarity of everyone else. Jimmy is actually fantastic at this stuff, and could very easily make a successful talk show host if he ever chooses that fork in the road. (He did have his own TV show in the new millennium.)

However, by this stage I was catatonic and we sat there doing take after take, with Jimmy intro'ing his show and me pissed out of my brain. The only words I could utter were: 'Whaaaaat are ya doin?', 'Why?', or 'Switch that fuckin' thing off, for Christsake.' I guess you had to be there but it sure was funny at the time.

A certain guitarist came out on my next outing with The Party Boys. The guitarist was renowned for leaping off a PA stack at the Newcastle Workers Club, and during the ensuing solo, exposing himself to the audience. His nickname was The Beast.

I'd planned a return trip to Berlin straight after the tour. The tour ended in the rural NSW town of Taree; we all woke up quite late in a seedy motel. I had an impressive camera, complete with an expensive motor drive. I took about a dozen shots of the band, then forgot all about it.

I arrived in Berlin some weeks later. I'd completely forgotten the photo shoot in Taree. Volker and I went out soon after my arrival, and I finished the roll of film by shooting the old Gestapo HQ, the Reichstag and other prominent Nazi buildings that I thought might be demolished. I was very serious about the shots, taking light readings and being careful with my exposures.

I left the film with a laboratory close by the apartment where we were living. A young, pretty Berlin girl was working behind the counter and insisted on going through every shot with me to ensure that I was satisfied with the processing. She worked her way backwards through the shots of Berlin, diligently asking for my approval of the colours and exposures.

Then she burst out laughing, and asked me who this was in the first dozen frames.

'Oh,' I said nonchalantly, flashing back to Taree, 'you see, I'm a rock musician from Australia, and this is a band I play with called The Party Boys.'

'Ach ja!' she said, then proceeded to giggle.

In the band shots, The Beast was progressively rolling up his short shorts to reveal his penis in the last half dozen shots. Here I was, 20,000 kilometres away, trying to explain (in German) about this amusing character, and how this wasn't common behaviour for Australian men. [extract from Richard Clapton - The Best Years Of Our Lives, Allen & Unwin Books, 2014. p220 - 224]

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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my OZ label vinyl (EMI) and includes full album artwork and label scans. Regrettably my copy did not come with an inner sleeve which I have seen on ebay (see right).
This is an interesting album as the 'hits' come from a diverse range of artists ranging from Bob Dylan, to Del Shannon, to Jimi Hendrix and not only features Clapton on lead vocals, but also showcases Borich, Christie and James taking the lead on a few tracks.

If you like this album and you're ready for a party, then you'll find their other 4 albums elsewhere on the blog - enjoy.

.Track Listing

01.  I’m A Rocker

02.  I Fought The Law

03.  Highway Chile

04.  Runaway

05.  Sweet Emotion

06.  Sugar Shack

07.  Stealer

08.  Street Fighting Man

09.  Mercury Blues

10.  Rainy Day Woman No’s 12 & 35

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The Party Boys were:

Graham Buzz Bidstrup - Drums, Bass,
Vocals

Kevin Borich - Guitar, Vocals

Paul Christie - Bass, Drums, Harmonica, Vocals

Harvey James - Guitar, Bass, Vocals

Richard Clapton - Lead Vocals

with Don Raffaele - Saxophone

The Party Boys FLAC Link (255Mb)

New Link 03/01/2024

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Richard Clapton - Dark Spaces (1980)

(Australian 1972 - Current)
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Richard Clapton took his name from his two greatest inspirations — Keith Richard and Eric Clapton. In the early '70s he spent time playing avant-garde rock in Berlin but returned to Sydney. In 1970 he was broke and became a singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar.  It was a time for songwriters with a local eye to make good. Richard Clapton had been playing Van Morrison songs in Sydney folk clubs, despite the critical plaudits for his debut album Prussian Blue.
Festival Records then put the hard word on the poet to write a hit single. "They were going to drop me if I didn't come up with a hit single," says Clapton. "Because I was so artsy fartsy and precious my response was, "F*ck you!" Eventually, when I came skulking back I was given these Carole King and James Taylor albums and I took 'em home still sulking. I remember Festival at the time thought "Girls On The Avenue" was absolute rubbish. Their comment was, "We asked you to write a hit single. Where's the chorus? This is a pile of rubbish. It's just a myriad of ideas you've stuck together like a Frankenstein monster."

His single "Girls On The Avenue" was a major chart hit in 1975 and Clapton became the bard of the decade. The single reached #2 on the national chart. Its success powered the release of his second album which bore the song's name. Clapton almost overnight became Australia's premier singer-songwriter. The album Goodbye Tiger (1977) was one of the landmark records of the time and articulated the state of the nation. Clapton went to California to record 'Hearts On The Nightline' and turned political with the 'Dark Spaces' album. [extract from The Real Thing: 1957-Now, by Toby Creswell & Martin Fabinyi, Random House, 1999. p78-79]
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Full Bio
Richard Clapton is one of Australia’s foremost singer/songwriters. Clapton paved the way for three generations of songwriters to write about the experience of being Australian.
When he began his recording career in 1974, Australia was still in vice-like grip of the cultural cringe. He plunged into the deep water and in his wake followed the Skyhooks and Paul Kelly, Cold Chisel, INXS, Midnight Oil and hundreds of others. Clapton’s songs are still omnipresent on the radio. His records chart the political landscape of the nation and the turbulent lives of two generations.
Clapton grew up in Sydney in the 1960s. He hopped a plane for London and then later to Germany where he wrote a first album, Prussian Blue (1973). It was the first major “singer-songwriter” album in Australia.

In 1975, Clapton had the critics on side, but Festival Records insisted on a hit single. However, it was the song they picked as a B-side called “Girls On the Avenue” that reached #1 on the national charts and put Clapton at the top of his class. Like Americans Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen, Richard Clapton developed a sound based on melodic rock while his lyrics were poetic musings on his state of mind or the state of the nation.

Richard Clapton At Sydney Opera House 1980

By 1975, Clapton had set the themes he was to explore for the coming three decades. There were frequent escapes to his spiritual second home in Berlin to recharge and get a fresh perspective on Australia; there was Clapton’s love/hate relationship with the pop music culture; his often-tormented sense of growing up and his eye for the political landscape and how it affected Australians. Clapton mastered that most difficult of show business acts – the high wire that requires the balance of radio-friendly tunes and candid, from-the-heart lyrics.

Richard Clapton Band 1981

These two came together on the 'Goodbye Tiger album'; at that time Clapton’s most successful to date. The record was a new highpoint and there was significant international interest in Richard as a recording artist. A period living overseas in Los Angeles brought forth the sophisticated 'Hearts on the Nightline'. Then back in Australia in 1980 he released the searing 'Dark Spaces', an indictment on the meanness and mendacity that would blow through the 1980s. Ten years after his first release, Richard Clapton was a tribal elder to whom younger artists like Jimmy Barnes, INXS and Cold Chisel turned as a mentor. INXS asked Clapton to produce their second album, Underneath the Colours, and they became firm friends. They, and Cold Chisel, returned the favour on Clapton’s The Great Escape album. INXS drummer Jon Farriss produced The Glory Road album, and few records capture the roller coaster ride of the late 1980s as well as Glory Road. These albums brought Clapton’s melodic gifts and his love of electric rock & roll into lockstep. There were always the words though. No one better documented the 1980s than Richard. Richard frequently went to the edge — emotionally, politically, financially — and sent back his incisive postcards.

In the 1990s Richard continued to write and record and tour .His 1990s songs reflect a hard-won maturity. Indeed, Richard counts 2003’s Diamond Mine as amongst his best albums – and the critics unanimously agreed. In 2005 he set about making the first acoustic album of his career. Clapton stripped back some of his favourite songs – re-imagining them in a different environment. The result is his 17th album – Rewired. This project was never intended to be a greatest hits record – and indeed many of his greatest hits aren’t here. It’s an experiment in hearing Richard Clapton in a new way. Richard Clapton is now in his 40th year, since his first album, “Prussian Blue” in 1974 but shows no signs of slowing down. He has released over 20 albums which have cumulatively sold over one million copies. He is the only rock artist to have received an Australia Council arts grant from the government which enabled him to travel around the world and write the songs for “Goodbye Tiger”. In 1999 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

In 2008, he played his first sold out concert at Sydney’s iconic State Theatre, and on 2nd November 2013 he played his 7th concert in 6 years (selling out two full houses in 2009).

His latest release “Harlequin Nights” is his first album in 6 years and has been written and recorded over 4 years. After almost 40 years of honing his craft, this is arguably Clapton’s finest album and shows that Richard is now at the peak of his powers. The album features eleven brand new tracks. Some of the songs are simply “classic Clapton”, but there is also an ample serving of less predictable and innovative material – the combination that has made his albums famous.
“Harlequin Nights is in some ways a bookend to Goodbye Tiger,” he said. "Goodbye Tiger was a collection of songs written by a young man in his twenties in 1977 about the experiences of the world we lived in back in those days. This new album is a collection of songs written by the same songwriter some 35 years later about the world we live in today. There is a noticeable seismic shift between the two albums but this simply documents how much our lives have changed in all this time.” During the album’s long gestation, Clapton has endured a marriage breakdown, taking him on a personal journey which influenced his continuing musical evolution, culminating with a new relationship with his home studio and a songwriting partnership with guitarist Danny Spencer.

“Richard Clapton has never been rich. He has never had the pleasure of passing through life in a luxurious rock star bubble. In a career that now spans almost 40 years he has battled everything from bad managers and capricious record companies to debt, taxes, personal tragedy and a thousand room service dinners. The fact that he's come through it all with his sanity intact - and his abilities at the peak of his powers - surprises all who know and love him. [extract from theharbouragency.com]
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This post consists of  FLACs ripped from my virgin vinyl (taped and rarely played) and includes full album artwork for both LP and CD. Please note that the CD release for this album is long deleted and currently unavailable. This is a long time favourite album of mine and I just love the title track, so I'm glad I can share this with you as my first post for 2015. I hope you can stick around for some more great Australian albums and the occasional bootleg.

Note: Richard Clapton dedicated this album to his long time friend Andy Durant who sadly passed away from cancer, shortly after the release of this album.  

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Track Listing

01 - I Just Can't Make It
02 - High Society
03 - Shadows
04 - Sophisticated Girl
05 - Dark Spaces
06 - Get Back To The Shelter
07 - Le Club Des Fools
08 - The Working Class Life
09 - Metropolis
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Richard Clapton Band are:
Richard Clapton (Rhythm Guitar, Vocals)
Andy Durant (Rhythm Guitar)
Mark Moffatt (Lead Guitar)
Clive Harrison (Bass)
Kerry Jacobsen (Drums)
Tony Ansell (Piano & Organ)
Sam McNally (Synthesiser on High Society)
Mark Meyer (Drums on Metropolis)
Ralph Tyrell (Synthesiser on Dark Spaces)
Tony Buchanan (Saxophone)
The Strutters: Ann, Michel & Kortni (Background Vocals)

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Dark Spaces FLAC Link (258Mb)  New Link 30/08/2015

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