W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Cassius Clay - Stand By Me / I Am The Greatest (1964)

 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.

Muhammad Ali [born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr]; (January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978, and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.

He was famous for trash talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, and is identified as a pioneer in hip-hop. He often predicted in which round he would knock out his opponent. As a boxer, Ali was known for his unorthodox movement, footwork, head movement, and rope-a-dope technique, among others.

'I Am the Greatest' is a comedy album by boxer Cassius Clay, released in August 1963 – six months before he won the world heavyweight championship, publicly announced his conversion to Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. It was released by Columbia/CBS. The album helped establish Ali's reputation as an eloquently poetic "trash talker". The album has also been identified as an early example of hip hop music. 

With the success and popularity of Clay's album release, Columbia decided to release a follow up single featuring Clay singing a cover of Carol King's "Stand By Me", with his earlier hit "I Am The Greatest" on the flip side. The single was released in 1964, charting on the Billboard "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles".

Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)
1967

After later controversy, Columbia pulled the LP and single from stores. Ali did not make another record until he teamed up with Frank Sinatra and Howard Cosell to record The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay in 1976.

However, Clay's "I Am the Greatest" single resurfaced again on CD in 1991 as part of the compilation Golden Throats 2: More Celebrity Rock Oddities.

Now I'm sure many of you are wondering why Muhammad Ali didn't like being called Cassius Clay?

In an interview with a well known celebrity magazine, Ali explained "Cassius Clay is a slave name". "I didn't choose it and I don't want it." ' According to The Independent, Ali attended his first Nation of Islam (NOI) meeting in 1961 and then later joined the African American Islamic religious movement in hopes of improving the status of African Americans in the U.S.

This month's W.O.C.K posting pays tribute to one of the greatest boxers that ever stepped into a boxing ring, and as the old saying goes "He could Float like a Butterfly, and Sting like a Bee".  

This post is definately Obscure (thanks to Guitarzman for the rip - MP3/320) but I'd also like to tick the C box for Cassius Clay's Courage in standing up for his rights as an Africian American in the U.S during the 60's.

Track List

Side A - Stand By Me   2:09

Side B - I Am The Greatest    2:12

Mono Single Link (10Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Agro - Don't Go In The Dunny (2002)

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.

Agro and music, what a perfect match! The seven-time Logie Award winner has just crafted his piece of Australian music history with "Don't Go In The Dunny (After Dad's Been In There)".  Like Vegemite, FJ Holden's and the Hills Hoist, Agro is an Australian icon.

Having been on Australian national television since 1980, it is no wonder Agro has a recoginition factor with the Australian public of a massive 98%. At one stage this little sarcastic mat was on television seven days a week.

If it wasn't his own show, 'Agro's cartoon Connection' 6:30am to 9:30am weekdays on the Seven Network, it was regular Friday night anchoring of Steve Vizard's 'Tonight Live'. Combine this with numerous guest appearances on 'Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune','Family Feud', footy shows, Hey, Hey It's Saturday and the like and you've got a Megastar.

Agro also co-hosted with the beautiful Shelley Craft on 'Perfect Match' and was heard nationaliy on the Auststereo radio network.

Jamie Dunn (see right) was the puppeteer behind Agro and his antics. For three decades Dunn has been the voice and personality of children's character Agro.

So, what is a Dunny you might ask?

Well, "Dunny" is a common Australian slang term for an outdoor toilet, privy, or any toilet, originating from the British dialect dunnekin (derived from "dung" and "ken," meaning house). It refers to both the structure and the toilet itself. It is generally considered informal rather than vulgar.

The term gained popularity in Australia during the 1930s, initially referring to unsewered, outdoor toilets. It is used universally in Australia, from rural areas to the city. While not technically "naughty," it is considered very casual language and common slang in the land DownUnder.

This months WOCK post ticks the usual Weird  and Crazy boxes (or should that be WC !  LOL ) and features a 3 track CDS from this lovable and cheeky TV character. (thanks to Ratso for the FLAC rip)

Track List

01 Don't Go in the Dunny

02 Don't Go in the Disco Dunny

03 Don't Go in the Dunny (Karaoke Mix)

Don't Go In The Dunny (46Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Roly Parks & the Sole Burners - ‘Good On Ya Cliff Young” Single (1983)

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.

Whether or not you still support Australia Day, in light of the recent controversy that has arisen with the validity of what Australia Day represents, I hope you will still support the spirit of the day, where we all come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian.

In 1983, Roly Parks & The Sole Burners recorded a single for Wizard Records ‘Good On Ya Cliff Young” b/w “The Good Old Aussie Battler” (ZS 826). The single was produced by Bryan Dawe and Steve Groves who also penned both sides. Cliff Young OAM was an Australian potato farmer and athlete from Beech Forest, Victoria, best known for his unexpected win of the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultra marathon in 1983 at 61 years of age.

It was his monumentous efforts in beating all odds (namely much younger and experienced long distance runners) to win the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon that exemplified the little 'Aussie Battler' metaphor and is a reminder that greatness often wears humble shoes.

Launched in 1983, the Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon earned a reputation as one of the most grueling endurance races on the planet. Spanning 875 km (543.7 miles) through searing daytime heat and freezing nights, it demanded extraordinary preparation, strategic planning, and near-superhuman stamina. It was a race for elite ultramarathoners—athletes who calculated every calorie, nap, and step. That year, top contenders like the legendary Greek ultrarunner Yiannis Kouros had well-honed strategies: scheduled micro-naps, precisely calibrated fueling, and energy-saving strides. So when Cliff Young showed up at the start line wearing overalls and work boots, people thought it was a joke. What most didn’t realize was that Cliff, a native of Victoria, wasn’t entirely new to running. Despite what some internet myths might suggest, he had completed the Melbourne Marathon three times between 1980 and 1982, after taking up competitive running at the age of 56. His personal best? A respectable 3:02:53—remarkable for someone who began so late in life. But this time would reveal just how much more he had in him.

Cliff Young - The Potato Farmer (Centre Front)

The “impossible” feat/feet" of Cliff Young and his sheep

Every day on his farm in Beech Forest, Cliff would run for hours chasing stray sheep across rugged terrain—often for days without rest. So when he calmly told race officials, “I’m used to running for two or three days straight when rounding up the sheep,” it wasn’t just a quaint anecdote—it was his truth. At first, no one took him seriously. Other runners raised eyebrows. Spectators chuckled. Yet, once the race began, Cliff stuck to his own rhythm: a slow, steady shuffle that never stopped. While competitors took breaks to sleep, Cliff simply kept going. “If I stop to sleep,” he reasoned, “I’ll lose too much time.”

By day three, he had caught up to the leaders. By day four, he passed them. With no coach, no sports science, and no sleep, Cliff Young ran continuously for 5 days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes, smashing the previous record by nearly two full days. He finished a staggering 10 hours ahead of the runner-up, George Perdon—himself a veteran, known as the first man to run across Australia back in 1973. At the finish line, exhausted but smiling, Cliff said simply: “I knew I could do it. I just did what I always do.” His time would stand until 1985, when Yiannis Kouros set a new record of 5 days, 5 hours, and 7 minutes. Cliff’s performance even inspired a race in his honor—the Cliff Young Race, held annually from 1983 to 2005.

Cliff Young’s legacy: a new way to run [the shuffle]

Cliff Young didn’t just win a race—he changed the very fabric of ultrarunning. Before him, no one thought it was humanly possible to run nearly 900 km without sleep. After him, scientists and runners alike studied his signature stride: the “Young Shuffle”—a low-impact, ultra-efficient gait that dragged the feet just above the ground to conserve energy. To this day, it’s taught in ultramarathon training camps. But Cliff’s real legacy goes beyond biomechanics. He redefined what endurance means. He proved that patience and grit could outlast speed and youth. That simplicity can beat sophistication. That underdogs—those who don’t fit the mold—often hold untapped potential. Even Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan marathon legend and first man to break the 2-hour barrier (in an unofficial race), cited Cliff Young as an inspiration: “He taught me that limits exist only in the mind.” In Australia, Cliff remains a national icon. His story isn’t just a tale of winning against all odds—it’s a reminder that greatness often wears humble shoes. 

[Extract from www.marathons.com]

Cliffy Young's story resinates with me greatly, as I too was a marathon runner back in the 80's & 90's and totally understood the massive human endurance that is involved with this type of run.  Now, it's one thing to run a 42.195km marathon, but to run 875km is just, simply insane.  I remember watching the coverage of the event on TV over the 5 days and was on Sydney Road (extension of the Hume Highway) joining the thousands of other Melbournians to applaud Cliffy's amazing effort, when he ran past on his way to the finish line in the city.

Perhaps some of you were there also...if so, I would love to hear your thoughts on this amazing story.

In closing, I would like to dedicate this post to all our Aussie sports people who represent our great country and in doing so, exemplify the Aussie Spirit. The plaque shown right is a wonderful reminder of the spirit and legacy that Cliffy Young demonstrated when he undertook a mammoth challenge [as the under-dog] and won. 

This post consists of MP3's ripped from vinyl + label scans (thanks to Ozzie Musicman).

"Good On Ya Cliff Young" / "The Good Old Aussie Battler" Link  (14Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas (1986)

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.

Normally, I would be posting something that is 'cheerful and joyful' for my Christmas WOCK post, but instead I feel compelled to honour the life and music of Chris Rea at this moment. 

Singer Chris Rea, widely known for the festive hit "Driving Home for Christmas", sadly passed away yesterday aged 74. Rea's success came despite the singer suffering a string of health issues. A pancreatic cancer diagnosis at just 33-years-old was followed by operations on his liver and then a stroke later in life.

A somewhat reluctant popstar, the Middlesbrough native was shy of the spotlight, and even admitted rallying against the record label's decision to release his biggest hit - though accepted he was thankful when they eventually did in 1986.

Rea's love of cars and driving was the inspiration behind many of his songs - but when he wrote arguably his biggest hit, "Driving Home for Christmas", the singer was actually serving a driving ban.

Chris Rea in the 80's

During an appearance on the 2020 Christmas special of TV series Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Rea recalls:

"In 1978, I had come to the end of my record contract and had parted ways with my manager.

The record company wouldn't even pay for a train ticket for me to get from London to my home in Middlesbrough, so my wife drove down to pick me up up in her old Austin Mini.

On the way back up, it started snowing and we kept getting stuck in traffic and  "I'd look across at the other drivers, who all looked so miserable.

Jokingly, I started singing 'We're driving home for Christmas...' then, whenever the street lights shone inside the car, I started writing down the lyrics.

It's one of those moments that songwriters get - sometimes you can spend years and years writing. That one was five to 10 minutes. When you have a successful song, you don't remember thinking about it - it just comes out.".

Reluctant or otherwise, he even resisted a more marketable name swap, the fame the track brought Rea is indisputable; nearly 40 years on, the single took a spot at #30 in this year's UK Christmas top 40.

A proud guitarist with influences stretching deep into the blues, Rea recorded 25 solo albums, two of which topped the UK albums chart.

Chris Rea performing 2017

A post on his social media accounts reads: "Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind". [extracts from BBC news with thanks]

So, this December's WOCK posting ticks the Christmas box as usual, but also the enjoyment that Chris Rea brought to our lives through his music and lyrics. And one thing I'm sure, Chris will be still singing this Christmas along with the arch angels.

I hope you enjoy these 1986/2025 releases of his hit single "Driving Home For Christmas" (in FLAC format) and may you all have a safe and joyful Christmas.

Driving Home For Christmas Link (58Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Andre L'Escargot And The Society Syncopators (feat. Glenn Shorrock) - Purple Umbrella [45] (1971) + Glenn Shorrock - Let's Get The Band Together [45] (1971) & Rock 'n' Roll Lullaby [45] (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.

Glenn Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups 'The Twilights', 'Axiom' and 'Little River Band' as well as being a solo performer during various stages of his musical career.

Glenn started singing for the Australian band 'The Twilights' in 1964, eventually clocking up eight consecutive national hit singles including "Needle in a Haystack" and "What's Wrong With The Way I Live". After the Twilights, he helped form another Australian band with mate Brian Cadd called 'Axiom', which evetually released three top 10 hits:  "Arkansas Grass", "Little Ray of Sunshine" and "My Baby's Gone". 

Axiom toured both Australia and England over a 2 year period, but when Axiom decided to go back to Australia for the second time in 1971, Glenn decided to exit the band and said 'goodbye', choosing to remain in England. Like a lot of other people at the time, he was trying to find himself - his marriage had broken up and he was heavily into meditation, macrobiotic food and all that. He was looking for something to do and Carry Spry, who was in London with The Groove (Eureka Stockade), came to his aid. At that time he was hanging out with other Australians, like the Master's Apprentices, and that's when his relationship with Glenn Wheatley began. 

Carry managed to get Glenn a deal with the management record company MAM, which was owned by Gordon Mills, the manager of Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck and Gilbert O'Sullivan. He negotiated a good contract with MAM which paid a weekly wage rather than a big advance. Signed to MAM's publishing arm (which was to eventually prove rather profitable for them), Glenn recorded a considerable number of demos but released only three singles for MAM. Into the picture had stepped Twilights producer McKay, who was also based in London; and the Decca group Quartet, which comprised former Adelaide comrades Terry Britten (his old mate from The Twilight days), Kevin Peek, Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer (all ex members of The James Taylor Move)

The first single cut by this collective under Glenn's name, "Let's Get The Band Together", stiffed (perhaps because he didn't have a live band together) but the second, Mann and Weil's lovely "Rock'n'Roll Lullaby", at least picked up reasonable airplay. Glenn described the flipside, "When God Plays His Guitar" as 'a pretty good indication of where his head was at around that time.'

Another Shorrock MAM single, the mock-French "Purple Umbrella", was recorded under the alias of Andre L'Escargot & His Society Syncopaters, with his Decca group Quartet backing band. The A-Side was written by Frisco & Head, while the B-Side "Petunia" was written by Shorrock. This single is not well known (probably due to the alias name used by Glenn's group) and has become very much a rarity for record collectors, along with his earlier solo releases.

So for this WOCK post, I am ending the drought on these rarities, and I'm providing all three for your enjoyment.  So, it's not rocket science which box this months WOCK post ticks - Obscure, but also just alittle Weird, based on the group alias he chose for his second single. All singles have been ripped to MP3 (320 kps) and artwork has been included where available.

Single 1971

Glenn Shorrock

01 - Let's Get The Band Together

02 - Contemporary Caveman

Single 1971 

Andre L'Escargot And The Society Syncopators (feat. Glenn Shorrock)

01 - Purple Umbrella

02 - Petunia

Single 1972

Glenn Shorrock

01 - Rock 'n' Roll Lullaby

02 - When God Plays His Guitar
 

Rare Glenn Shorrock Singles (43Mb)

W.O.C.K on Vinyl: The Ghouls - Dracula's Deuce (1964)

 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.

Now here's an album that's guarenteed to grab you (down! Igor. down!). Something new and different for all you Monstrous Music lovers. Half the tunes are vocals with great, horrifying lyrics, and half are swinging instrumentals guaranteed to wake the dead (go back to sleep, Igor, the sun's still out)

So whether you're in the mood to mash, jerk, watusi or swim - or just want to lie back on your slab and relax with some wonderful music for queasy listening - this album is for you. [Album liner notes]

This album is actually Dracula parodies of the Beach Boys and surf music in general. It's particularly notable for having come out in 1964, before the heyday of psychedelia. It perfectly presages a lot of retro interest in goofy halloween music, surf rock, sunshine pop, etc. among the garage rockers of the 2020s, purely innocently. No sinister psychedelia or subversion here, just good clean fun.

Cemetary Rockers will really dig this album

While I love hearing a 60’s-era monster party song any time of year, cemetery rockers and blood-sucking bops make up a substantial part of my diet come October. I’ve been reviewing a mix of gleefully ghastly and truly god-awful genre pieces through my Instagram stories all month long, but for Halloween-proper I wanted to dig a little deeper into a record that’s fascinated me for decades: The Ghouls’ Dracula’s Deuce, from 1964.

The Ghouls weren’t exactly a real band, but rather a studio project concocted by Gary Usher, a California producer/musician who carved out a career making music with various fictional ensembles.

Drac loves surf music too

Dracula’s Deuce is a weird beast. It pretty well trades off song-for-song between instrumental and vocal pieces. But it’s also a novelty record to the max, and painfully punny to the core. Considering Gary also had a dozen co-writes with Brian Wilson (most famously “In My Room”), it’s not surprising to see the Ghouls' macabre goofs on iconic tracks from Jan and Dean (“The Little Old Lady from Transylvania”), The Beach Boys (“Be True To Your Ghoul”) and even Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" ("Bela be Good").

While borrowing quite liberally from the surf and hot rod music scenes, it’s hard to miss that Dracula’s Deuce also owes an eternal debt to “Monster Mash”. Vocalist Richie Burns often works a similar Boris Karloff lilt as the Crypt-Kickers’ Bobby “Boris” Pickett; the Ghouls’ “The Graveyard Shift” is musically a beat-for-beat Mash, though it moves the monsters from the party to a back-breaking night of ditchdigging.

Drac's Red Deuce 

The simmering, sax-loaded “Monsterbilly Heaven,” the album’s best vocal track, is an accidentally profound piece about monsters crossing over into a second afterlife, with Drac and Vampira having one last bash before ascending to that big black cloud in the sky. That’s kind of how the Ghouls avoid being mere “Monster Mash” retreads, putting them a rung ahead above more pitiful Pickett bites like Mann Drake’s “Vampire’s Ball”.

That’s not to say the record is without faults. Burns loves dropping these pained cries throughout the vocal pieces that are a struggle to listen to. It’s as if he’s constantly being staked through the heart (maybe he was !) For this reason alone, the instrumentals steal the show. Take “Dracula’s Theme,” a cool-but-creepy bit of whammy-undulated guitar exotica.

While they haven’t repressed The Ghouls’ lone record since the ‘60s, it is streaming through Apple and Spotify. It’s doubly niche, between the hot rod talk and the horror aesthetic, but when it comes to songs about vampires racing custom-plated hearses through a graveyard, you can’t get much better than Dracula’s Deuce.[BY GREGORY ADAMS]

This WOCK post certainly ticks the C box for being Creepy and of course the K  'Korny' Box [Coffin]

Happy Halloween my little Ghouls......have fun finding the link (it's dead easy).

Track List

A1 Dracula's Deuce

A2 Dracula's Theme

A3 Little Old Lady From Transylvania

A4 Weird Wolf

A5 Be True To Your Ghoul

A6 Shake, Rattle And Rot

B1 Monsterbilly Heaven

B2 Blood And Butter

B3 The Graveyard Shift

B4 Voo Doo Juice

B5 Bela Be Good

B6 Coffin Nails

(MP3/320 + Artwork -70Mb)

New Link 1/11/25

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: The Ash - The Singles (1970-71)

 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.

This Melbourne-based hard rock band, which operated between 1969-72, was strongly influenced by Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. There were three different lineups; the second (1971) included several members of noted Sydney band Lotus. The central member, and the only person common to all three lineups, was vocalist Criston Barker (also known as Criston Somerset) but the second lineup is also notable for the presence of drummer Derek Pellicci, who went on to play with Mississippi and LRB.

The Ash's debut single "Avignon" / "Sable", produced by John Farrar, is credited as one of the first locally-produced 45s to be released in a picture sleeve -- packaging which until then was usually only used for EPs. Vernon Joyson describes it as:

" ... a slow ballad in the early Bee Gees mould, whilst the riffy, although poorly recorded, flip side displayed a strong Anglophile influence, midways between Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin."

The group also made a promotional film-clip for "Avignon" and was recently posted on YouTube by Criston (see towards bottom of post).

The Ash (Mk II)

It was the inaugural release for the newly established Havoc label, which was set up by Melbourne jazz saxophonist Frank "The Lion" Smith and agent-manager Rod De Courcy. Although the label lasted only four years (folding ca. 1975 after Smith died suddenly in 1974), HAVOC was notable for concentrating on new releases by Melbourne-based rock bands of the period, and their LPs, which were pressed in New Zealand, were renowned for their superior quality compared to the local product.

There was a major lineup change after the single came out, and by the time they recorded their next single the group consisted of Criston Barker (vocals), Ron Hood (guitar), Gary "Blockhead" Porthouse (bass) and Derek Pellicci (drums); Peter Gregory (ex The Expression) filled in on guitar for a short time.

The second Ash single "Midnight Witch" -- written by Doug Ford of The Masters Apprentices -- was produced by Havoc house engineer Gil Matthews (The Aztecs). Ian MacFarlane in the magazine 'Freedom Train' describes it as:

" ... hard hitting prog-psych, with a series of rich, staccato riffs and a throbbing bass line. The flip side is in similar mould if a little faster."

However Criston says the band was disappointed both with the production and a perceived lack of commitment from the label, so he and Derek moved to Sydney, hoping to make a new start. There they hooked up with Kim Dawson (guitar) and Warwick Wilkes (organ) both formerly of Lotus, plus noted bassist Tim Partridge, to become the the third and final lineup of The Ash. They performed regularly at Whisky A Go-Go, Chequers and numerous other Sydney venues until the group ended in 1972.

The Ash (Mk I) at the Thumpin' Tumb

Review: 'Midnight Witch' b/w 'Warrant' (Havoc H.1002) 1971

Now this is more like it! At least Ash was a decent rock band. They formed around January 1970 and early on signed to The Master's Apprentices' booking management agency Drum (which also looked after The Sect and The Expression). They got plenty of gigs around the Melbourne dance and discotheque circuit. That year Ash also issued one of the first singles on the original Havoc label. Their sound had an English hard-rock flavour, although 'Avignon' was closer to the Bee Gees with harmonies and acoustic guitars.

For the second Ash single the band went all out with the throbbing 'Midnight Witch' and the hard-hitting 'Warrant' on the flip. Fuelled by a series of rich, staccato riffs and fuzz leads, plus the ominous vocals. 'Midnight Witch'is a classic example of where psychedelia crossed over with progressive rock. 'Warrant'picks up the pace a notch or two and makes for a heady ride.

You can add Ash to a list of classic Aussie progressive psych bands like Blackfeather, latter-day Master's Apprentices, Healing Force, Lotus, Bakery, Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute, Fraternity etc at least for this one incredible single. Lyrically it's a putdown rather than a song of praise: "You're just an evil heartbreaker. oh what you do to a man". The earlier connection with The Masters paid off because not only did guitarist Doug Ford pen 'Midnight Witch' but also he played those mind-blowing guitar riffs (and it sounds like him singing as well, although lead singer Criston Barker was probably on hand as well). "Midnight Witch' is so close to the Masters' "Future of Our Nation' (also written by Ford) in feel, chord structure and melody that the correlation is unmistakable.

And this would tie in time-wise, because the Masters had returned to Australia from their first London sojourn in December 1970 and left again in May 1971. So 'Midnight Witch' would have been recorded sometime in between. It doesn't sound like Ford plays on 'Warrant' so it's obvious that the band's two guitarists at the time. Peter Gregory (ex-Expression) and Ron Hood, were pretty hot in the riff department themselves. It even sounds like they're trying to emulate Black Sabbath because they nick a riff or two from 'War Pigs' and the vocal effects from "Wicked World". [review taken from 'The Complete Havoc Singles']

After Ash

Criston, Tim and Derek were soon headhunted for a new band, teaming up with Leith Corbett (Heart'n'Soul, Dave Miller Set) on guitar, to form Arthur & The Argonaughts. After just two rehearsals, they were late entries into the Bonopart's Battle of the Sounds, and in front of a panel of judges which included John McDonald and Stuart Coupe they won the contest outright. They then returned to Melbourne where they became an immediate hit on the local circuit. Ian Ferguson replaced Tim on bass, and the group's brief career culminated in a performance at the Sunbury festival in January 1973.

Leith Corbett then went to England, and Criston went back to Sydney, where he joined a band called Sunday Mourning before returning to Melbourne and forming Freeway, which consisted of Criston (bass). Steve Welch (guitar), Frank Chic (vocals), John Grant (keys), and Bill Lincoln (drums). They recorded one album Riding High.

Ash's Promo Video 'Avignon, 1970

In 1979. Criston joined Air Supply as bass guitarist and he was part of the lineup that recorded the hit album Lost In Love. In 1983 he formed Apollo Bay with Tony Slavich (ex Ariel) on keyboards. Criston has continued in the industry as a producer-engineer, recording several albums, producing numerous video clips and TV shows, writing editorial and composing music for documentaries; he has recently completed a new album of songs, to be released in 2008.

Ian Ryan went on to Chook and Buster Brown. Derek Pellicci joined the expanded lineup of Mississippi around the same time as Beeb Birtles, when the group (previously called Alison Gros) added a rhythm section so that they could tour to promote their debut single and album. Derek stayed on when Mississippi evolved into Little River Band in early 1975.

he Ash performing 'Midnight Witch' on the ABC-TV program Hit Scene, 1971

 
Gary Porthouse was in a number of groups after Ash, such as Kush, Linda George and Plant and Rocksteady. Derek Pellicci asked him to join a new band that was being formed, but wouldn't tell him anything about the band as it was all hush, hush and a big secret. Gary was playing with Kush at the time and said no to Derek's invitation. Later the band turned out to be the 'Little River Band'. As of 2021, Gary was still working in a one man band called Round the Block. [extract from Milesago.com]

Havoc Record label

Havoc Records was established in Melbourne in 1970 by Rod De Courcy and Frank Smith, and although it only operated for about three years, it made a significant impact on the Australian music scene in the early 1970s. Many of the Havoc singles were manufactured in New Zealand, shipped back to Australia and distributed independently in the black company sleeve.

Distribution was later taken up by Tempo Sales together with a new label design, a blue “psychedelic” distributed in the yellow Tempo sleeve. Apparently the label is a collectable label amongst collectors and all are quite rare.

This post consists of FLACs (ripped from CD) and MP3 (ripped from vinyl) as indicated, and includes label scans for all 45's. This WOCK post definately ticks off the Obscue box as Ash was such a short lived Aussie band recording only 2 singles, which are incredibily hard to come by. 

1970 Single MP3 (320)

01 - Avignon  3:02

02 - Sable   3:46

1971 Single FLAC

01 - Midnight Witch  4:06

02 - Warrant  3:02

Ash Link (63Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Daddy Cool - D.C.E.P. The Daddy Cool EP (1971)

 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.

Although Daddy Cool were only around in their original incarnation for less than two years – from 1970 to 1972 – they packed a lot of music into that time. They released two brilliant studio albums, the first of which does for west coast R&B what the Stones were at the time doing for delta blues, the second of which adds a punkoid Mothers Of Invention-like freakishness to it. They farewelled their fans with a live album that shows how their delicious lightness of touch, perfect groove and inspired musical lunacy put them well ahead of anyone else treading the same ‘50s-inspired path.

In January 1971, when both The Sons of the Vegetal Mother and Daddy Cool played at one of Australia’s first outdoor rock festivals at Myponga in South Australia in January 1971, the rapturous crowd response to DC signalled time for the Vegetals. In March, just a couple of months later, Daddy Cool signed to the fledgling Melbourne label Sparmac. By June, “Eagle Rock” had begun a remarkable 17 week stretch atop the Melbourne charts. It was soon No.1 nationally, where it stayed for ten weeks. By July, the group’s amazing first album Daddy Who? Daddy Cool was No.1. and on its way to earning an unprecedented ten gold albums. By the end of August, Daddy Cool were on a plane to The Promised Land.

Daddy Cool 1971
L-R: Ross Wilson, Gary Young, Jerry Noone, Ross Hannford, Wayne Duncan

After returning from the States, they decided to release an EP titled D.C.E.P – which was more of the same, with each member taking the lead on a track. Wilson’s great teen lament “Long After The School Days Are Through” is maybe the pick of a riotous bunch that also included “Flip” and the most widely played track "Lollipop" with vocals by Hannaford, as well as Wayne Duncan taking his only ever lead vocal on The Kalin Twins’ “Three O’Clock Thrill”, and a hard-driven instrumental “Jerry’s Jump”, in honour of their new sax and keyboard player Jerry Noone, who’d previously played in The Vegetals and had made a name for himself in Company Caine. (Ross: “’Jerry’s Jump’ was for Jerry Noone on sax and we play the riff in unison – sax and harp – and there are solos. His name was actually Jeremy Kellock but he called himself Noone for ‘no one’ as it was conscription/call up Vietnam-era and he was dodging that at the time.”). 

The EP reached #12 in the Australian charts. One unique feature of the EP's cover was it's four flap foldout design, as shown above - something that had never been done before by a record company and has made this EP highly sort after by record collectors.

So this month's WOCK post features a rather rare release from an Australian iconic band, and so it ticks the Obscure box in my opinion. I have only seen one other copy in my 50 years of record collecting, and am very proud of my near mint copy.  The EP was ripped to FLAC and includes full Hi-Res Artwork and label scans.

Track Listing

01 - Flip [Vocals: Gary Young]

02 - Lollipop [Vocals: Ross Hannaford]

03 - Jerry's Jump [Sax: Jerry Noone]

04 - Long After Schools Days Are Through [Ross Wilson]

05 - Three O'Clock Thrill [Wayne Duncan]

Daddy Cool were:

Ross Wilson - Vocals, Guitar

Wayne Duncan - Bass, Vocals

Gary Young - Drums, Vocals

Ross Hannaford - Guitar, Vocals

Jerry Noone - Saxophone, Keyboards

D.C.E.P Link (81Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother E.P (1970)

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.

Some 55 years ago, The Hollies recorded 'He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother' in Studio Two at Abbey Roads Studios, London.

… On arriving The Hollies were greeted by a session pianist - Reg Dwight, hired for just £12, who had just released his debut album under the name of Elton John. Drummer, Bobby Elliott, recounts setting up his kit next to Elton with Allan Clarke sitting on a stool nearby and the band nailing the track in the first or second take.

"He Ain’t Heavy…" became one of The Hollies’ most iconic and heartfelt tracks.
The song was originally written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell and first recorded by Kelly Gordon.
Released in September of 1969, the song climbed to No. 3 in the UK charts and reached No. 7 in the US, resonating deeply with listeners on both sides of the Atlantic.

This was the second single The Hollies released after Graham Nash left the group to form Crosby, Stills, and Nash; the first was "Sorry Suzanne." Nash was replaced by Terry Sylvester.

The title came from the motto for Boys Town, a community formed in 1917 by a Catholic priest named Father Edward Flanagan. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, it was a place where troubled or homeless boys could come for help. In 1941, Father Flanagan was looking at a magazine called The Messenger when he came across a drawing of a boy carrying a younger boy on his back, with the caption, "He ain't heavy Mr., he's my brother." Father Flanagan thought the image and phrase captured the spirit of Boys Town, so he got permission and commissioned a statue of the drawing with the inscription, "He ain't heavy Father, he's my brother." The statue and phrase became the logo for Boys Town.

Boys Town Statue

In the Guardian newspaper of February 24, 2006, Hollies guitarist Tony Hicks said: "In the 1960s when we were short of songs, I used to root around publishers in Denmark Street. One afternoon, I'd been there for ages and wanted to get going, but this bloke said: 'Well there's one more song. It's probably not for you.' He played me the demo by the writers [Bobby Scott and Bob Russell]. It sounded like a 45rpm record played at 33rpm, the singer was slurring, like he was drunk. But it had something about it. There were frowns when I took it to the band but we speeded it up and added an orchestra. The only things left recognizable were the lyrics. There'd been this old film called Boys Town about a children's home in America, and the statue outside showed a child being carried aloft and the motto He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. Bob Russell had been dying of cancer while writing. We never got, or asked for, royalties.

 Joe Cocker was offered this song before The Hollies after it had been played first to his producer Denny Cordell. The General Professional Manager for Cyril Shane Music Ltd & Pedro Music Ltd in England at the time explains: "Tony Hicks was in our office looking for songs for the Hollies (our office was not on Denmark Street, it was in Baker Street). Denny called from New York to say 'Joe didn't see the song.' As Tony said in The Guardian, he liked the song and asked for an exclusive the following day. The version he heard was Kelly Gordon, who apart from being a successful producer, also wrote a little song entitled 'That's Life.' His version was slow and soulful which is why I had thought of Joe Cocker to record it. Bobby Russell wrote this song while dying of cancer in Los Angeles.

L-R Terry Sylvester, Tony Hicks, Allan Clarke and 
drummer Bobby Elliott - London, October 1969

We picked up the British rights to 'He Ain't Heavy' from an American publisher Larry Shayne. The song was on a Kelly Gordon album called 'Defunked'. The version was slow and soulful and had Joe Cocker written all over it. Joe turned it down, to his producer's surprise. We had a hit with The Hollies previously called 'I'm Alive,' so we had a relationship with them. Also, we had a great working relationship with the Air London production team, of which their producer Ron Richards was a partner. We never considered playing the song for The Hollies when Tony Hicks was in the office. We were playing songs like 'Sorry Suzanne.' It was only at the end of the meeting I suggested playing Tony this wonderful song, not because it was for them, but just to share the song. We were surprised when he said 'That's the one.'" [extracts from songfacts.com & Wikipedia]

This month's WOCK post comes from a recent find I made at my local flee market - an almost perfect copy of the Hollies 1970 E.P.   The nice thing about this EP is that it features two of my favourite Hollies hit singles:  "Sorry Suzanne" and of course "He Ain't Heavy....He's My Brother". 

Because this EP is now 55 years old, and I have never seen a copy before, I consider it to be Obscure and extremely rare. But the C box can also be ticked this month, not because it's Crazy but because Joe Cocker missed out adding the song to his long list of hits and Kelly Gordon wrote the song while dying from Cancer in 1969 (so sad).   This post consists of FLACs and full artwork with label scans.

Track Listing

A1 He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

A2 Mad Professor Blyth

B1 Sorry Suzanne

B2 I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top

The Hollies were:

Allan Clarke - Vocals

Tony Hicks - Guitar, Backing Vocals

Terry Sylvester - Guitar, Vocals

Bernie Calvert - Bass

Bobby Elliot - Drums

The Hollies EP (71Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Patrick MacNee & Honor Blackman - Kinky Boots (1964, 1983) 12inch Single

.

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.

The Avengers was a British espionage television series that aired from 7 January 1961 to 21 April 1969. It initially focused on David Keel (Ian Hendry), aided by John Steed (Patrick Macnee). Ian Hendry left after the first series; Steed then became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants. His most famous assistants were intelligent, stylish, and assertive women: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), and Tara King (Linda Thorson). Dresses and suits for the series were made by Pierre Cardin.

The series screened as one-hour episodes for its entire run. The first episode, "Hot Snow", aired on 7 January 1961. The final episode, "Bizarre", aired on 21 April 1969 in the United States, and on 17 May 1969 in the United Kingdom.

The Avengers was produced by ABC Weekend TV, a contractor within the ITV network. After a merger with Rediffusion London in July 1968, ABC Weekend became Thames Television, which continued production of the series, subcontracted to ABC Television Films. By 1969, The Avengers was shown in more than 90 countries. ITV produced a sequel series, The New Avengers (1976–1977), with Patrick Macnee returning as John Steed, and two new partners. In 2004 and 2007, The Avengers was ranked No. 17 and No. 20 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever.

The Avengers was marked by different eras as co-stars came and went. The only constant was John Steed, played by Patrick Macnee.

Patrick MacNee as The Avenger's John Steed

Series 2-3 (1962-64)

The first episode broadcast in the second series (1962) introduced Steed's female partner who would change the show into the format for which it is most remembered. Honor Blackman played Mrs. Cathy Gale, a self-assured, quick-witted anthropologist who was skilled in judo and had a passion for leather clothes.

Steed & Gale

Catherine Gale was unlike any female character seen before on British TV, and she became a household name, mainly for her all leather outfit which she regularly wore during the show.

During the first series, there were hints that Steed worked for a branch of British Intelligence, and this was expanded in the second series. Steed initially received orders from different superiors, including someone referred to as "Charles", and "One-Ten" (Douglas Muir). By the third series, the delivery of Steed's orders was not depicted on screen or explained. The secret organisation to which Steed belongs is shown in "The Nutshell", and it is Cathy Gale's first visit to their headquarters.

During the Gale era, Steed was transformed from a rugged trenchcoat-wearing agent into the stereotypical English gentleman, complete with Savile Row suit, bowler hat and umbrella, with clothes later designed by Pierre Cardin. The bowler and umbrella were soon revealed to be full of tricks, including a sword hidden within the umbrella handle and a steel plate concealed in the hat.

Steed in his Pierre Cardin Suit

With his impeccable manners, old-world sophistication and vintage car, Steed came to represent the traditional Englishman of an earlier era.

By contrast, Steed's partners were youthful, forward-looking and always attired in the latest mod fashions. Catherine Gale's innovative leather outfits suited her many athletic fight scenes. Honor Blackman became a star in Britain with her black leather outfits and boots (nicknamed "kinky boots") and her judo-based fighting style. Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman even released a novelty song called "Kinky Boots". Some of the clothes seen in The Avengers were designed at the studio of John Sutcliffe, who published the AtomAge fetish magazine.

Series scriptwriter Dennis Spooner said that the series would frequently feature Steed visiting busy public places such as the main airport in London without anyone else present in the scene: "'Can't you afford extras?' they'd ask. Well, it wasn't like that. It's just that Steed had to be alone to be accepted. Put him in a crowd and he sticks out like a sore thumb! Let's face it, with normal people he's weird. The trick to making him acceptable is never to show him in a normal world, just fighting villains who are odder than he is!"

Series 4-5 (1965-67)

Dianna Rig as 'Emma Peel'

With Honor Blackman's exit in 1964 to pursue other acting roles: the Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (1964) and Julia Daggett in Shalako (1968), a new female partner for John Steed needed to be found. After more than 60 actresses had been auditioned, Diana Rigg's screen test with Patrick Macnee showed that the two immediately worked well together. Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) debuted in October 1965 and her character name in the show was derived from a comment by writers, during development, that they wanted a character with "man appeal". 

In contrast to the Gale episodes, there is a lighter, comic touch in Steed's and Mrs. Emma Peel's interactions with each other and their reactions to other characters and situations. Earlier series had a harder tone, with the Gale era including some quite serious espionage dramas. This almost completely disappeared as Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel visibly enjoy topping each other's witticisms. The layer of conflict with Catherine Gale—who on occasion openly resented being used by Steed, often without her permission—is absent from Steed's interaction with Emma Peel.

Also, the sexual tension between Steed and Catherine Gale is quite different from the tension between Steed and Emma Peel. In both cases, the exact relationship between the partners is left ambiguous, although they seemed to have carte blanche to visit each other's homes whenever they please, and it is not uncommon for scenes to suggest that Steed had spent the night at Catherine Gale's or Emma Peel's home, or vice versa. Although nothing "improper" is displayed, the close chemistry between Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel constantly suggests intimacy between the two.

According to Patrick Macnee in his book The Avengers and Me, Diana Rigg disliked wearing leather and insisted on a new line of fabric athletic wear for the fifth series. Alun Hughes, who had designed clothing for Diana Rigg's personal wardrobe, was suggested by the actress to design Emma Peel's "softer" new wardrobe. Pierre Cardin was brought in to design a new wardrobe for Macnee. In the US, TV Guide ran a four-page photo spread on Diana Rigg's new "Emmapeeler" outfits (10–16 June 1967). Eight tight-fitting jumpsuits were created, in a variety of bright colours and made of the stretch fabric crimplene.

The Avengers began filming in colour for the fifth series in 1966. It was three years before Britain's ITV network began full colour broadcasting.

The Cybernauts

Science fiction and fantasy elements (a style later known as Spy-Fi) also began to emerge in storylines. The duo encounters killer robots ("The Cybernauts"), telepaths ("Too Many Christmas Trees") and giant alien carnivorous plants ("The Man-Eater of Surrey Green"). Stories were increasingly characterised by a futuristic, science-fiction bent, with mad scientists and their creations wreaking havoc. The duo dealt with being shrunk to doll size ("Mission... Highly Improbable"), pet cats being electrically altered to become ferocious and lethal "miniature tigers" ("The Hidden Tiger"), killer automata ("Return of The Cybernauts"), mind-transferring machines ("Who's Who???") and invisible foes ("The See-Through Man").

Diana Rigg was initially unhappy with the way she was treated by the show's producers. During her first series, she learned that she was being paid less than the cameraman. She demanded a raise to put her more on a par with her co-star, or she would leave the show. The producers gave in, thanks to the show's great popularity in the US. At the end of the fifth series in 1967, Diana Rigg left to pursue other projects. This included following Honor Blackman to play a leading role in a James Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, as James Bond's wife Tracy Bond.

Series 6 (1968-69)

When Diana Rigg left the series in October 1967, the British network executives decided that the current series formula, despite resulting in popular success, could not be pursued further. Thus, they decided that a "return to realism" was appropriate for the sixth series (1968–69).

Linda Thorson as 'Tara King' 

20-year-old newcomer Linda Thorson, was chosen as the new female co-star and given the name Tara King for her character. Linda Thorson played the role with more innocence in mind and at heart, and unlike the previous partnerships with Cathy Gale and Emma Peel, the writers allowed subtle hints of romance to blossom between Steed and Tara King. Tara King also differed from Steed's previous partners in that she was a fully fledged (albeit initially inexperienced) agent working for Steed's organisation.

Tara debuts in dynamic style: when Steed is called to Headquarters, he is attacked and knocked down by trainee agent Tara King, who mistakes him for her training partner.

The revised series continued to be broadcast in the US. The episodes with Linda Thorson as Tara King proved to be highly rated in Europe and the UK. However, in the US, the ABC network chose to air it opposite the number-one show in the country at the time, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Steed and Tara King could not compete, and the show was cancelled in the US. Without this vital commercial backing, production could not continue in Britain either, and the series ended in May 1969. 

[Extracts from wikipedia]

This month's WOCK post consists of FLACs ripped from a 12" Single release (thanks to Sunshine) which features picture labels and a glossy green cover (artwork included).  

The Avengers was one of my favourite T.V shows during the late 60's and early 70's (re-runs), especially series 4-5 featuring Emma Peel. As an impressionable and hormonal teenager during this time, the show contained all of the attributes and sex appeal that a young boy desired, and Emma Peel certainly fitted the bill.

The single 'Kinky Boots' definately ticks the K box for this month's WOCK on Vinyl and although the pressing used is from 1983, the original recording was made in 1964 making it rather Obscure as well.

And because this 12" release also features the Theme Music from The Avengers show, it makes it even more desirable, in my opinion. I hope this month's WOCK post brings back fond memories for you as much as it did for me.

Track Listing

01 Kinky Boots

02 Let's Keep It Friendly

03 The Avengers Theme

Kinky Boots Link (46Mb)