First Light - First Light (1978)

(Australian 1978-1979)

In early 1978, the band Aleph fell apart. Later in the year, Ron Carpenter formed First Light, an obscure band from Northern NSW which issued a self-titled, self-financed album. Some sources report the release date as being 1979 [see havegravity.com], however according to John Sayers [at johnlsayers.com], a friend of his who knew the band, stated that 1978 was the correct release year. I'm gonna go with 1978. 

Australian band First Light's rare self-titled album is a concoction of mid-70's jazz-rock, jazz-fusion and progressive rock with prominent and proficient interplay between the sax, electric piano and the electric guitar with the occasional moog lead; one online reviewer comparing them to Aussie bands Mackenzie Theory and Crossfire. The music is predominantly instrumental with the exception of three tracks which feature female vocals - the standouts are the dreamy flute, mellotron and classical guitar driven prog of 'Zenith' (the sound on this track is quite different to the rest of jazz-oriented material on the album) and the frantic jazz-rock track 'Earthwave', which features some Linda Hoyle-esque vocals courtesy of Marian Henderson.

                                                   

The album was privately released on the M.F.S. label, which had been based out of the Music Farm Studios in Coorabell, Northern NSW. The only other album on this label is the 1977  'Just Playing' Compilation', used to promote the newly-created studios and the many artists and bands based in the Byron Bay area; this release seems to be much more difficult to track down than the First Light album, which is quite rare itself.

First Light consisted of John Gray on Guitars, Harry Freeman on pianos and keyboards, Graham Jesse on saxophones and flute, Allan Freeman on bass and most notably, Ron Carpenter (see left) on drums and mellotron, who was the main composer for Australian prog-rock band Aleph, drummed for AC/DC at one point in time and also played with Bogislav in the early 70's.

Moreover, John Gray and Harry Freeman were also in the progressive rock band Aeon, who are featured on the aforementioned 'Just Playing' compilation; although the musicianship on that song is nowhere near the standard on this album.

Allan Freeman (see right) moved on as a session player for Terry Gorka, Cascade and Kerrie Biddell  [Bass] and eventually joined the Delltones in 1984, playing on their LP's 'Tickled Pink', 'Out In The Open', 'Oasis', and 'The Sunshine Club'  [Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Producer] 

Album Review
by Julian Ryan at progressreview.blogspot writes:

My favourite fusion album from Australia, no question. It really covers a lot of territory in one album, with Mahavishnu-style guitar arpeggios, softer jazz ballads, acoustic guitar solo, etc. I'll let the music speak for itself. First example, the stunning ballad (track A5 called Zenith), starting with a chromatic descending arpeggio on acoustic guitar, leading into a beautiful female chorus singing the lines, the chord changes, to a musician, are just astonishingly creative. As usual flute provides a delicately bucolic and transcendental experience to the whole. Again, there has never been another song with this sequence, guaranteed-- (in the stanza not intro) (major chords unless otherwise indicated) C, Dflat, Bflat, Eflat, Eflat minor, Dflat, Eflat7, Bflat, C7, Gminor7, Gmajor. An incredible sequence that works because of the wavering melody which pulls all the disparate keys and modulations together.

The ninth track (Solar Illusion) is your basic Mahavishnu guitar-fusion machine, but beautifully composed:

' First Light is a mighty fine instrumental jazz rock effort. Sunny in its approach, with some fine guitar leads, at times reaching a Santana like intensity, but falls just short (sadly). Some nice ensemble unison runs with sax, flute, electric piano, and the female voice on side 2 gives it a Northettes feel, that adds points.

I would suggest, then, that Side2 is the better of the two. Though not by a whole lot. The music is highly melodic, and isn't showoff-y in the slightest. Sits comfortably between jazz fusion and progressive rock, though I would categorize it as the former.

Back cover says: "Mellotron and special effects kindly supplied by Aleph". Solid effort. File next to Crossfire, Mackenzie Theory and Galapagos Duck. A natural choice for Aztec to re-release I think.

Martin Pruckner, the famous krautrock specialist from Germany tells us: "FIRST LIGHT from Australia is the band formed by ALEPH drummer Ron Carpenter. He also played with ACDC in 1974 and COLD CHISEL in 1978. Release date must be 1979 I guess." '

This record deserves to be bought as vinyl to be truly enjoyable--but good luck finding a copy!

This post consists of FLACs ripped from vinyl (thanks to Kinetic at Midoz Forum) and includes full album artwork for vinyl only.  Although this album has been released on CD by Paisley Press in 2022, I have yet to source the artwork for it. [If any blog followers have this release on CD, please share the artwork via the comments section]

Track List:

Side One:

A1. First Light 04:00

A2. Emerald Tide 04:04

A3. Sonidos Negros 02:55  

A4. Duologue 05:15

A5. Zenith  04:02

Side Two:

B1. Earth Wave 04:40

B2. Tropical Inequation 05:03

B3. Azure Azimuth 03:27

B4. Solar Illusion 04:48

B5. Fire In The West 02:16

Personel:

John Gray - Electric, Classical and Acoustic Guitars

Harry Freeman - Electric and Acoustic Pianos, SH 5 and Moog synthesisers, string ensemble

Graham Jesse - Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxes, Flute

Allan Freeman - Bass Guitar, Vocals

Ron Carpenter - Drums, Mellotron, Vocals

Marion Henderson, Beth Freeman, Jeanette Freeman - Vocals

Gerald Frape - Percussion

First Light Link (254Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Bogislav (1972)

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

L-R: Dave Frogatt, Don Walker, Ron Carpenter, Tim Crozier (seated), Dave Highet

Formed in Armidale (NSW) sometime around 1970-1971, the original Bogislav line-up comprised of University of New England (UNE) students Ron Carpenter and Dave Frogget, along with Laurie Wheaton, Chris Hales and Rob Barwick. About a year later the band was joined by Dave Highet, who initially provided flute and vocals, before moving to bass after Laurie Wheaton left. Ron Barwick was later replaced temporarily by Andy Richardson. In addition to playing at UNE (including college balls), Bogislav secured regular gigs in Armidale and nearby towns. The band also travelled to Tamworth on a number of occasions. Although heavily influenced by heavy rock and blues acts like Cream, Led Zeppelin, Traffic, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Deep Purple, the band also played classic songs from the era by bands like the Rolling Stones (“Gimme Shelter”), Chicago and Santana (“Soul Sacrifice”). Brian ‘Lanky’ Moore recalls the band jamming on “Gimmie Shelter” with seminal hard rock band Blackfeather during one memorable Armidale gig. The band also performed numerous original songs.

Battle Of The Sounds Review 1972

Sometime in 1972, Chris Hales left the band and was replaced by another UNE student, Don Walker (later of Cold Chisel fame). That same year the Bogislav entered Hoadley’s National Battle of the Sounds, but didn’t play the Armidale heats (believing that another local band, Mantra, was more likely to win).  A decision was made to play the Grafton and Tamworth events so as to increase its chances. This paid off because although the band got beaten in Tamworth by Just in Time, Bogislav won the Grafton heats. Around the same time, Andy Richardson left the band and was replaced by Tim Crozier (formerly from the Newcastle band Luke’s Harp). Crozier, who was then living in Sydney, had previously been asked to join the band after Ron Barwick’s departure but that fell initially through. With only a few days notice before the Northern NSW zone final (held in Newcastle), Crozier learned the songs from a tape and had one rehearsal with the band – the day before the event. Despite competing against a strong line-up, notably Newcastle bands Amageddon and Mata Hari, Bogislav went on to win. It then competed in the State Finals (held in Sydney) which was won by pop band Sherbet (which later went on to win the National competition). The 1972 competition also happened to be the last sponsored by the Hoadley company.

Hoadley's Battle Of The Sounds

Following its success in the Battle of the Sounds competition Bogislav returned to Armidale where it put its high reputation to good use by securing regular gigs through- out Northern NSW. The band is believed to have broken up in late 1972 when several members completed their studies and moved away from the area. Most of the group went on to join other bands either in Armidale or elsewhere, with Don Walker beconing the most well-known after co-founding Cold Chisel in Adelaide the following year. Ron Carpenter also played in an early AC DC line-up before joining former Bogislav members Dave Froggat abd Dave Highet to form Aleph (see previous post), one of the most popular Northern NSW touring bands of the mid-late 1970s. [extract from http://havegravity.com with thanks]
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This month's WOCK on Vinyl is a true rarity, consisting of two very Obscure 'Live' Recordings of the band (MP3/320kps) when they competed at the 1972 Hoadley Battle of the Sounds Zone Final, Newcastle, NSW. (Images courtesy of Tim Crozier “Bogislav” Newcastle Bands Database – online and Music courtesy of Brian Moore via http://havegravity.com with thanks).
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Track Listing
01 - All Along The Watchtower
02 - Friends, Beggars, Louts and Thieves (Bogislav original)
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Personnel: Rob Barwick (vocals) ; Ron Carpenter (drums/vocals) ; Tim Crozier (vocals) ; Dave Frogatt (guitar/vocals); Chris Hales (organ/vocals) ; Dave Highet (flute/bass/vocals) ; Andy Richardson (lead vocals/guitar) ; Don Walker (keyboards/vocals) ; Laurie Wheaton (bass)
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Bogislav Link (27Mb)
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Aleph - Surface Tension (1977)

(Australian 1974-1978)
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Although based out of Sydney beginning in 1974, and later on the New South Wales North Coast, Aleph’s connection with the Northern Tablelands was through Ron Carpenter, Dave Froggatt and Dave Highet, all of whom were former members of the Armidale band Bogislav.  Aleph was initially a six-piece outfit which performed an all original repertoire. Utilising Mellotrons, moogs, Oberheim synths and elaborate guitar effects, along with traditional rock instruments, the band’s music during the early years has been described as full-blown, complex symphonic rock in the vein of Yes, Genesis and King Crimson. In this respect the band, along with Sebastian Hardie, helped pioneer the art/prog rock  genre in Australia.

At the end of 1974 Aleph recorded six songs at Sydney’s Albert’s Studios. Another band recording its debut album there at that time was  AC/DC. Interestingly a connection existed between the two bands through Ron Carpenter. The drummer had only recently left AC/DC after having spent much of 1973 and 1974 playing in several of its early line-ups (AC/DC and Aleph later even played a gig together at the Sydney Haymarket ca. 1976/76). By late 1974 Aleph had also begun playing gigs around Sydney, and over the next few years steadily built a following through its consistently high level of musicianship. The band also secured a contract with Warner Brothers around this time.

Aleph

Although Aleph’s reputation as one of the country’s leading art rock bands was building, these early years were quite difficult, with a number of factors conspiring against the possibility of national success. The most serious was the band’s 1976/77 national tour which unfortunately resulted in a significant financial loss. The recording quality of the debut album, 'Surface Tension', was also deemed unacceptable by the band and they subsequently asked Warner Brothers to allow them to re-record the songs. Warner denied the request, however, and went on to release  the LP in 1977. This eventually led to the band and record company terminating their association. Aleph then lost lead singer Joe Walmsley to illness in 1978, and that same year had its custom PA repossessed as a result of being $400,000 in debt. The band was also forced to abandon its touring for several months after Ron Carpenter was asked to fill in as temporary drummer for Cold Chisel. Carpenter also spent much of 1979 pouring his energies into the band 'First Light', which recorded and released a self-financed album that same year.

In 1979, Carpenter convinced the remaining members of Aleph (and their families) to relocate to Byron Bay where the band subsequently based itself. Over then few years, however, the line-up whittled down from a five piece to quartet and finally a trio, with Carpenter eventually taking on lead vocal duties. Although conceived as an all originals band, Aleph had by this stage been forced to play a selection of covers – with these ranging from punk and new wave to electronica and classic rock. The creative decisions in this area worked well and the band managed to secure almost nightly gigs throughout Northern NSW and the Queensland Gold Coast through until 1983. Carpenter has since recalled that the band also eventually managed to pay off most of its previous debt.

Along with Idol Minds (Lismore), Aleph is considered to have been one of the most popular and hardest working bands to come out of the NSW North Coast during the pub rock era. [extract from http://havegravity.com]

The Album
Sydney-based symphonic rock band Aleph's one album, "Surface Tension", featured full-blown, complex progressive rock in the Yes/Genesis/King Crimson vein. 
Joe Walmsley's high-pitched vocals recalls Yes singer Jon Anderson, while Dave Froggett's guitar style is very much in the manner of King Crimson's Robert Fripp. The only other local bands playing in a similar style at the time were Sebastian Hardie and Windchase. 'Surface Tension' failed to chart unfortunately. Prior to the album's release, Aleph issued a cover of The Yardbirds' "Little Games"/"Of The Essence" as a single. Walmsley left before the album appeared at the end of 1977.  Unable to find a suitable replacement, the band fell apart in early 1978. Later in the year, Ron Carpenter formed 'First Light', which issued a self-titled, self-financed album in 1979.
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In "Banshee", the first thing I noticed were the familar vocals by Joe Walmsley, sounding like an acute version of Sting. The music is nice, and even when they claim influences from King Crimson, I see more influences from Alan Parsons Project and Styx to be honest.
"Man Who Fell" sounds alittle like Asia with some Neo Progressive fugues included.
"Morning" is a strange song with Neo Classical Metal connections at the start that suddenly turns into AOR. "Mountaineer" has a very classical oriented intro that reminds me more of the album 'Joy' by the Ventures rather than to a true progressive release, then the keyboards turn into some sort of Wakeman fest, but sadly the structure remains very light and doesn't really progress into something bigger.
Finally, "Heavens Archipielage" provides a nice piano at the intro but then turns into an AOR track with strong Asia hints. Overall, this is a great album that shouldn't be missed.
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This post consists of MP3 (320kps) ripped from a vinyl (not mine) and there is not a pop or crackle to be heard - quite amazing. Full album artwork is included including a wonderful gatefold poster of the band.
Copies of this album go for $200+ on ebay, so grab your digital copy now.  It is also my intention to post a couple of live tracks recorded by Aleph's earlier inception 'Bogislav' when they played at the 1972 Hoadley’s National Battle of the Sounds, in my next WOCK on vinyl post - so stay tuned.
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Track Listing
01. Banshee - 5:43
02. Man Who Fell - 5:44
03. Morning - 4:14
04. (You Never Were A) Dreamer - 4:17
05. Mountaineer - 14:35
06. Heaven's Archaepelago - 6:32.
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Band Members:
Mary Jane Carpenter - keyboards
Ron Carpenter - drums, , percussion
Dave Froggett - guitar, vocals
Mary Hansen - keyboards, synthesizers
David Highet - bass
Joe Walmsley - vocals
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.Aleph Link (94Mb) New Link 13/11/2024
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