Journey - Infinity (1978) + Bonus Demo

 (U.S 1973-1987, 1991, 1995-Present)

The Steve Perry Story

Prior to Steve Perry's arrival,  Journey had been a fairly inconspicuous and mainly instrumental fusion outfit, looking to muscle in on the jazz-rock scene perpetrated by the likes of Weather Report and the Mahavisnu Orchestra.

Journey’s interest in experimental jazz-fusion was confirmed on their self-titled debut album issued in 1975. A classy work, the album resonates with a surety beyond their recent formation, all players coming across as both fluid and experienced. Neal Schon in particular rips up his fretboard like combination of Jeff Beck and Robert Fripp. Check out the seven-minute long Kahoutek where he trades call-and-response licks with Gregg Rolie.

Surprisingly for such complex music, the album sold moderately well, reaching No.138 on the Billboard chart. After George Tickner bailed out of the band, their next two albums – 1976’s 'Look Into The Future' and 1977’s 'Next' – repeated the pattern, with Gregg Rolie making a concerted effort to deliver reasonably effective vocals atop what was clearly a jazz-fusion fanfaronade.

Great players, Journey’s early style and meticulous arrangements would, inevitably, limit their appeal unless radical changes were implemented. Their sound had attracted stellar critical reviews but, as a commercial entity, they were stuck in a rut. Not surprisingly, at the behest of their label, Columbia, changes needed to be made, a radical re-modelling of the band was demanded to expand their appeal.

Effectively this meant adding a proper vocalist/frontman and modifying the musical direction. It was a bitter pill to swallow but the band took it on the chin and cast their net to see what was possible.

Journey with Robert Fleischman (Far Right) 1977

 They settled on Californian Robert Fleischman, who teamed up with the band in June 1977, at the request of label president Bruce Lundvall, who asked Robert to fly to San Francisco and see the band. Fleischman rapidly assimilated with his new bandmates, co-writing a handful of songs, three of which – Wheel In The Sky, Anytime and Winds Of March – would later surface on Infinity.

However, after touring with Fleischman for nearly one year, things fell apart between the band and their nearly acquired vocalist and the decision was made to recruit Perry (who was working as the band's technician) to the position, after he auditioned for the role during a sound check.

It was the beginning of a new chapter for Journey. Equipped with an appealing personality, good looks and a voice to kill for, Perry soon became the focal point of attention. It was now time to unleash his talent in the studio by recording Journey’s fourth and pivotal album, Infinity.

Journey Infinity Publicity Photo 1978

The plan was simple: write songs, hire a producer, select a studio and make an album that would set out their stall for the next 10 years or more. Steve immersed himself in songwriting with all the band members, but mainly with new creative partner Neal Schon, eventually securing co-writing credits on eight of the 10 songs.

Steve and Neal struck up a strong rapport and quickly established a beachhead, strengthening the band’s sound and setting in place a new direction. The emphasis was now on fully formed songs with melodies, hooks and the sort of contemporary buff that made the competition quake in their boots.

The choice of producer was inspired. Band, management and label all agreed on Roy Thomas Baker, the flamboyant British studio craftsman who had worked with some of the most influential rock bands around, including Free and – most importantly – Queen.

After seeing the band live in Santa Monica, RTB (as he is affectionately known) and his trusted engineer Geoff Workman rendezvoused with the band at His Master’s Wheels Studio (formerly Alembic Studios), located on Brady Street in downtown San Francisco.

“They put me in a little apartment on Bay Street,” remembers Steve. “I went to SIR [Studio Instrument Rentals, a well-known rehearsal room] every day and wrote songs with band.

“Then, all of a sudden RTB comes in. We had enormous respect for him, because he’d produced Queen and Free. He was so much fun. The studio [His Master’s Wheels] had an old Neve console and a large tracking room, and the next thing you know he was really giving us a different sound.

 “Neal’s doing what we called ‘violin guitars’. Roy had me stack all the vocals on a 40-track machine, and I really enjoyed that process. Also, Geoff Workman was so instrumental that we ended up grabbing him to do one of the records [Departure] without RTB.

“We rehearsed the material quite a bit before we recorded it so everything was ready to go before Roy got there. What Roy gave us was the opportunity to try different textures and ideas, but the foundational aspect of the songs and the arrangements were done. He really gave us a direction, and from there the band found itself.”

“I have fond memories of working with Roy and Geoff,” says Gregg. “Roy was very much into experimentation, and quite wild in the studio. The multi-tracking of guitars and vocals was a brand new thing for us – all the layering. It was intense work. He created a sound which a lot of the guys didn’t like because it was so edgy, but I happened to dig it.

“Those tracks had a specific sound to them, which is what a good producer does. He was, and still is, a real character. Him and Workman both – they were fun to be around. Workman did a lot of the heavy lifting, inasmuch as getting things done.

 “Geoff had worked with Roy for a long time and knew what he wanted. If Roy disappeared for a couple of hours, Geoff just carried on because he knew what they were doing as a team. We used the same team on the next album, Evolution. It got us on the map.”

Not surprisingly, the biggest impact was the quality and strength of Steve Perry’s vocals.

“I certainly discovered the depth of multi-tracking, as I never had a chance to work on a 40-track machine before,” says Perry. “I’d never had the ability to do eight root notes and then bounce them to one track, then wipe those and do the eight thirds, wipe those then do eight fifths and eight octaves and so on – and suddenly you have a big stack like on Anytime. When they are layered and smeared tight they just really block up. Roy knew how to do that.”

With the album completed, a design makeover followed. The band brought in renowned San Francisco artists Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse (real name Stanley George Miller). The duo had first hooked up with San Francisco’s counter-cultural doyens the Grateful Dead (designing their album covers) and legendary West Coast promoter Bill Graham (designing his gig posters). During the early 70s they had formed the Mouse Studio, and helped rebrand Journey by designing and standardising their cover art, including Infinity’s colourful flaming wings. The pair also came up with a Journey logo.

 Says Perry: “Bruce Lundvall was the president of Columbia at the time, and he quipped that, in order for us to make another record with me singing, we would have to sell one million units. Hence the reason we stayed on the road for 298 shows that year. We started touring in February and didn’t come home for almost a year.

"Wheel In The Sky" was the first single. Neal and I went to a pizza place, and I went over to the jukebox and saw a Wheel In The Sky 45 in that machine – an ecstatic feeling. I didn’t tell Neal, I just put two quarters in, pushed the button and sat down and the song started. Neal looked at me and started laughing. It was a monumental moment. Back then if you were starting to show up in jukeboxes it was a sign that you might be finally starting to happen."

 'Infinity' marked Perry’s initiation into the world of professional recording, a milestone in contemporary aural acrobatics. Within the confinement of 10 songs he effortlessly switched from breezy improvisation (La Do Da) to epic bombast (Wheel In The Sky), providing a template from which future creative diamonds would emerge, forever cementing the appeal of Journey and securing his place in rock’s vocal Hall Of Fame. [ extract from Louder Sound)

Album Review (by Easy Livin' - Progarchives)

Following the spectacular lack of success for their musically credible first three albums, Journey succumbed to pressure from their record company and reinvented themselves. Recognising that they were weak in the vocal department, they initially brought in Robert Fleischman as lead vocalist. He however lasted less than a year, there being only one commercially available recording by the band with his vocal ("For you" can be found on the "Time 3" box set). He did however write other songs with the band, three of which can be found on "Infinity".

Towards the end of 1977, in the most significant move of the band's entire existence, Steve Perry took on the role of lead vocalist. For my money, Perry has one of the best voices in rock. Derided for steering the band away from the fusion based rock which they had played thus far, it must however be acknowledged that his arrival immediately delivered the commercial success the band and their record label craved. On this album Perry shares lead vocal duties with founder Gregg Rolie, but it is already apparent that Rolie's talents are stronger elsewhere.

Noted Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker was brought in to produce the album, Baker bringing with him many of the techniques he had used to great success with Queen.

The opening "Lights", written by Steve Perry and Neal Schon, gives an immediate indication of the way Journey will head forever more. This classic AOR ballad may be ultra smooth, but it has a killer melody and all the ingredients of a live anthem. Perry and Schon dominate the writing on the album as a whole, but the other band members do contribute too.

The songs alternate between the ballads, the anthems and the upbeat rock songs, but all the while they are shorter and much more focused. Gone are the long instrumental breaks, and improvisations are now a definite no go area. The tracks here run from 2½ to 5 minutes, with most being around the preferred single length of 3-4 minutes.

Tracks such as the vocal ballad "Patiently" may sound nothing like anything we have heard thus far from Journey, but sales of the album speak for themselves, and such songs at least secured a future for Journey. Personally, I consider it a wonderful song anyway.

The upbeat "Wheel in the sky" is similar to Gary Moore's "Murder in the skies", melodically at least but not in sentiment. "Wheel In The Sky" was chosen to be released as the album's first single.

The five minute "Winds of March", written during Robert Fleischman's brief time with the band, is the closest we get to anything prog here. The song includes some fine organ and guitar, which sit well alongside Perry's superb vocal.

In all, an album which for my money is unfairly derided, not for the music it contains, but for what it represents in terms of Journey's history. The simple fact is though that the band's record label were ready to drop them. They had to reinvent or die. It is to their credit that they took the bold steps they did. While "Infinity" may represent the end of Journey as a band with progressive credentials, it is still a fine album.

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my vinyl copy, acquired from one of the major Import Shops in Melbourne back in 1979, located in Flinders Street if my memory serves me right. The album cover and records labels have their Record Label details blackened out with texter, a common practice by Aussie import shops at the time. Why, I am unsure. 

 

As a bonus, I am also including a demo of "Wheel In The Sky", recorded in 1977 with Robert Fleischman on lead vocals. Fleischman's vocals have a distinct Robert Plant feel about them, and although good; they lack the refinedness and vocal range of Perry's. Steve Perry is definitely one of the great voices of rock, a one of a kind type of vocalist and will influence a whole generation of aspiring crooners.

Tracks Listing

01. Lights (3:10)

02. Feeling That Way (3:27)

03. Anytime (3:28)

04. Lă Do Dā (2:58)

05. Patiently (3:20)

06. Wheel In The Sky (4:12)

07. Somethin' To Hide (3:26)

08. Winds Of March (5:04)

09. Can Do (2:39)

10. Opened The Door (4:34)

11. Wheel In The Sky (Bonus Demo with Robert Fleischman on vocals)

Line-up:

- Steve Perry / lead vocals

- Neal Schon / electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals

- Gregg Rolie / keyboards, lead (2,3) & backing vocals

- Ross Valory / bass, backing vocals

- Aynsley Dunbar / drums, percussion

Journey Infinity Link (233Mb)

Avion - Selftitled LP (1983) with Bonus Single (1984)

 (Australian 1981 - 1987)

Sydney band Avion (not to be confused with the L.A. act current in the 00’s or the ‘Par’ variety) came into being during 1981. Randall Waller (vocals/guitar) had already released two solo albums (‘Oasis’ in 1978 and ‘Midnight Fire’ in 1980) before forming the band Lionheart which soon evolved into Avion. Completing the original line-up were Martin Toole (guitar), Evan Murray (keyboards), along with Waller’s brothers Kendall (bass) and John (drums). Avion’s musical style was unabashedly influenced by American Adult Oriented Rock, similar to Journey and Boston.

A recording contract with RCA led to the release of their eponymous debut album in 1983 (OZ48). RCA obviously thought the group’s sound better suited the North American market because the album was release there before it was at home in Australia. The album debuted at #67 on the Kent Music Report Top 100 Albums chart (KMR #483, Sep 26) and soon rose to a peak of #48 which it held for two weeks before falling to the bottom of the chart late Oct. It dropped out of the charts November 7 but sold reasonably well to sit just outside the chart for 2 weeks before disappearing mid-late November.

Early Avion (as Lionheart) 1982

Avion did however chart in the UK at No 2 on the Heavy Metal charts for a couple weeks in 1983. A friend Pete Whittred tried to talk them into going over, but their manager Dave Smallbone did not want to take the chance, and convinced them to remain in Oz and trying to make it here. The album didn’t receive much promotion by RCA and although the first single from it ‘I Need You’ was a minor hit (OZ61 – reaching as high as 40 in NSW), Avion didn’t break through in a major way. And so, despite being mixed by the famous Bob Clearmountain and being a high quality example of classic 80's Australian Rock, the album was not a success.

Two more singles - ‘Diamond Eyes’ and ‘Never Let Me Go’ were lifted from the album but neither made the charts. A stand alone single ‘Still The Night’ was released in August 1984 but again didn’t sell well. Lack of airplay didn't help and RCA decided not to renew their contract after the first album.

They eventually signed with EMI, and Paul Gannell came in to replace Toole on guitar for the band’s second album, 1986’s ‘White Noise’. The album included the earlier single releases ‘We’ve Got Secrets’ and ‘Celebration’ but the celebrations were non existent as none made the charts. The band had remained a solid touring outfit throughout this period though, and it was on a late 1987 tour that keyboardist Evan Murray was killed in a car accident. The loss of Murray and the failure to break through commercially finally led Waller to call an end to Avion’s tenure. In 1987, the band self-released a "Live" tape, with the best songs of their career, some never recorded previously which they dedicated to Evan.

Avion 1984

After Evan’s death, John stopped drumming and went into the family business of floor coverings. Kendall played bass with an American gospel band for a short time and Randall worked writing and recording jingles, touring with bands and producing other people’s albums. Randall Waller played in the Sharon O'Neill band for a year, then in 1988 he joined Dragon for their 'Bondi Road' album. He then became a member of Bonnie Tyler's band in 1989 and eventually joined Billy Thorpe's band in 1996.

Avion Live 1983

Randall then had a stint with Jon English in 1998 before jetting back to the US to join Shania Twain in upstate New York. While playing in her band (guitar and vocals for Shania Twain 1998–2004) he also had stints with: Keith Urban (guitar and vocals 1999–2001); SHeDAISY, Rodney Crowell (2003-2005)… in July 2011 he joined Rose Tattoo (guitar July 2011- until 2017) [Extracts from Paul Gannell’s MySpace page and album notes by Ozmuse ]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl (thanks to Deutros) and includes full artwork for both CD and vinyl releases, along with label scans.  It is worth noting that the Australian cover artwork displayed above, is different to that used with overseas releases (shown right).  I have taken the liberty of including their 1984 single "Still The Night" / "Southern Cross" as bonus tracks for your pleasure, freshly ripped from my 45 (another nice little find at my local flee market) which is in mint condition.

If there is sufficient interest in this post, I might be persuaded to post their 2nd LP "Whitenoise' and their 'Live Release Cassette' at a later stage.

#Note: Track 10 "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is not a cover of Ian Hunter's Single

Track List
01 I Need You 3:51

02 Diamond Eyes 4:17
03 Lady Of The Night 2:58
04 We Can Try 3:24
05 Warrior 4:34
06 Never Let Me Go 4:27
07 Where Do We Go From Here 3:40
08 Always Waiting 3:32
09 Who's Crying Now 3:06
10 Once Bitten, Twice Shy 3:19
11 Still The Night (Bonus A-Side Single) 3:54
12 Southern Cross (Bonus B-Side Single) 4:12

Line-up

Randall Waller – Vocals & Guitar.
Martyn Toole – Guitar
Kendall Waller – Bass
Evan Murray – Keyboards
John Waller – Drums

Avion Link (300Mb)

Renee Geyer: Live At Dallas Brooks Hall [Really Really Love You] (1976) / Live At The Basement (1986)

 (Australian 1970 - Present)

Renee Geyer has been classed as one of Australia's top rock/blues singers. But in my mind, she should also be named as one of Australia's top musicians. Because, in her voice there is a perfectly tuned instrument that is superbly controlled.

Over the past two years, Renee has emerged out of the Sydney club session scene into the Top 40 commercial market. Where many singers have had to sell themselves down the drain to achieve that necessary hit single, Renee stood firm - it was her way or forget it.

After her early LP recording in Sydney of 'Sun' she joined RCA Records and recorded 'Renee Geyer' Acclaimed by the critics, this album introduced Renee to a new and younger audience. But Renee was not happy with the finished product. She felt much more at home with her third album 'It's A Man's World', which subsequently went gold.

Renee Geyer Band On Stage At Dallas Brooks Hall 1976

Late last year, after joining Mushroom, Renee recorded another album, entitled 'Ready To Deal' and with her band of musicians which she had so carefully picked - Mal Logan, Barry Sullivan, Greg Tell and Mark Punch, she felt she had recorded a collection of songs which showed the true talents of herself and her band.

Renee Geyer with Molly Meldrum (on right)

Obviously the Australian public thought so too, as this album also went gold within a matter of months. During this time there was a string of successful singles on the Top 40 and Renee's following had expanded to all ages. Performance wise, Renee toured the country appearing at discos and concert halls. With a good steady flow of Jim Beam and Jonnie Walker always at hand, many of Renee's performances were memorable and some were forgettable.

Early 1975 Renee toured with Eric Clapton as support act and granted her vocal performance was excellent, but presentation wise, she was shabby to say the least. Her big problem was that she was too frightened to come out from behind the musicians and be a performer in her own right.

Live At Dallas Brooks Hall (1976)

Dallas Brooks Hall in the late 70's

One could be excused for thinking that she wore Barry Sullivan's bass amp for an earring! Over the next six months her confidence grew and on December 21, 1975 at Dallas Brooks Hall, the Renee Geyer Band headlined their own concert. It was a magical night and in my mind it marked the beginning of 'Miss Renee Geyer - Singer/Performer'.

Apart from the band's own title track, and a version of the jazz standard "Masquerade", she covers contemporary soul/funk tracks by Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, the Temptations, Aretha Franklin (a duet of "It Only Happens" with Doug Williams), Sly Stone, and the Average White Band. Her cover of Watson's "Hard Head" has appeared on a few rare soul/funk compilations before.

Dallas Brooks Hall that night was packed with followers, musicians and groups - their encore was unanimous. This is what this live album is all about, April 11, 1976 at Dallas Brooks Hall, Renee sang goodbye and 'Really, Really...Love You'. [Liner notes by Molly Meldrum]

Live At The Basement (1986)

This is one of Renee's lesser known albums, released mid 1986, but with Renee in the US it did not chart. It was recorded at Sydney's famous Basement club on one of her return trips from the US, just before she went back to form Easy Pieces with members of The Average White Band.

Recorded at midnight on 12th May, 1986, within 12 hours she would be on that plane back to New York and this was a kind of farewell party, to farewell her friends at Sydney's Basement Club. The basement had always heard the best of Renee Geyer. On this occasion the mood was especially electric and celebratory. 

From the moment she opened her set with the rocking "Release Yourself", her message was clear: Miss Geyer was happy to be singing her favourite music, on a familiar stage, with eight of Australia's finest musicians around her.

Renee essentially avoids the synth trappings of her 1980's recordings for her much loved big band soul sound. So with the exception of "Baby I've Been Missing You" from Renee's 'So Lucky' album and the ever present fave "It's A Man's Man's World", the performance here consists of Renee and the band jamming on old soul faves.

And what a big band it was too, with all having played with a who's who of Oz rock royalty and including the grossly underrated Mark Williams on backing vocals. However, he also performs 2 spine tingling duets with Renee on Otis' "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay" and James Brown's "I've Got You (I Feel Good)"

With her own blend of funk and soul, Renee and her band gave a thrilling performance. If proof was ever needed of the special place that Renee Geyer occupied in Australia's music scene over the past 50 years, this is it. [extracts from liner notes and notes by Micko at Midoztouch]

It is interesting to compare these two live recordings, released 10 years apart and clearly shows a maturing in Renee's live presence and confidence on stage. I remember seeing her perform at Waurn Ponds in Geelong in the late 70's and although I was somewhat star struck by her performance, I did sense that she was not fully comfortable being on stage. Mind you, I wasn't really focusing on her voice but rather other attributes that she had !

Nevertheless, these two live recordings provide a great insight into how good a performer Renee Geyer was and her ability to make any of the classics her own.  

This double post consists of FLACs ripped from CD (Dallas Brooks) and Vinyl (The Basement) and  includes full artwork and label scans.

Really Really Love You [Live At Dallas Brooks Hall)

01 Hard Head - 5.33 

02 Shakey Ground - 4.38 

03 Person to Person - 4.08 

04 It Only Happens (Duet with Doug Williams) - 4.18 

05 Booty - 5.06 

06 Masquerade - 6.41 

07 Really Really Love You - 11.08 

Renée Geyer Band were:

Renée Geyer: Vocals

John Pugh: Guitars

Mal Logan: Keyboards

Barry "Big Goose" Sullivan: Bass

Greg Tell: Drums

Russell Smith: Trumpet

Bruce Sandell: Saxophones

Miguel Carranza: Trombone

Doug Williams : backing vocals

Otis Kevinagh : backing vocals

Stanley Brown : backing vocals

Really Really Love You Link (261Mb)

New Link 02/10/2025

Live At The Basement

01 Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay:  5.46

02 Baby I've Been Missing You:  4.25

03 I've Got You (I Feel Good):  5.13

04 It's A Man's Man's World:  7.28

05 Peace And Understanding Is Hard To Find:  5.52

06 Who Was That Girl:  5.31

07 (If You Leave Me) I'll Go Crazy:  3.30

08 Release Yourself:   8.24

The Band were:

Renee Geyer: Vocals

Mark Williams: Backing/Lead Vocals

Steve Housden: Guitars

Jamie McKinley: Keyboards

Geoff Oakes: Tenor Sax

Andy Thompson: Tenor/Baritone Sax

Mike Bukowsky: Trumpet 

Harry Brus: Bass 

John Watson: Drums

Live At The Basement Link (260Mb)

New Link 26/12/2024

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Kevin Johnson - Aussie Rules 'AFL Centenary Season Song' (1996)

 

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

Kevin Johnson is one of the most internationally successful singer/songwriters ever to emerge in this country. He has produced a number of albums, containing close to 90 of his own songs, and with the exception of two tracks he recorded in Germany, all the others were recorded in Australia.

His catalogue has been released internationally, continuously, since 1973, making it 42 years of sustained interest in overseas countries, and he has just signed a long-term world deal with Demon Music Group and Angel Air Records in the UK and Ambition Music in Australia/NZ.

Johnson was born and grew up in the Rockhampton area in QLD, singing in beer gardens, then playing in a band doing covers of Beatles, Rolling Stones etc.

After marrying his wife Jill, he moved to Brisbane, and became a writer of songs for the Col Joye/Jacobsen label ATA having songs recorded by Col Joye, Little Patti, Judy Stone, Sandy Scott, etc. He wrote and recorded “Woman You Took My Life” which was immediately picked up and released by Decca Records in the UK, then covered by Tom Jones.

He then wrote and recorded his first album for Sweet Peach Records “In The Quiet Corners Of My Mind” a concept album telling a story, which received great critical acclaim. He wrote and recorded “Bonnie Please Don’t Go”(She’s Leavin’) which topped the charts in Australia, became the most requested record in Canada, and was then covered in the USA by Jim Ed Brown, who had a major USA hit with it. Brown’s album was then called “She’s Leavin'” and featured another of Kevin’s songs, “Summerset” (original and current title, “I Came to Somerset”). Kevin was awarded Best Australian Male Vocal Single of the year. Kevin then signed a world exclusive writing/recording deal with Tree Publishing/Dial Records in Nashville Tennessee and for the next 2 years stayed in Australia and wrote songs for them.

However, following a big hit with “Bonnie Please Don’t Go” he made no recordings at all for two years, waiting for Dial records in the USA to fulfill their obligations. Kevin tired of this and after those two years asked to be released from his contract.

He then wrote, and produced his second album “Rock & Roll I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life”, the title track of which became an instant hit in Australia, charted for Kevin in the USA and other countries, on the Mainstream Label, and was immediately covered by scores of artists worldwide.

Johnson signed with Festival Records' offshoot Infinity in 1977 to issue further singles and an album, Journeys, which was released in 1978. Additional albums followed including Best of Kevin Johnson (a compilation album, 1979), Night Rider (1981), Spirit of the Times (1985), Now and Then (compilation, 1992) and The Sun will Shine Again (September 1996).

In 1996 Johnson re-wrote "Rock 'N' Roll" for the Australian Football League (AFL) as their official Centenary Song, retitled "Aussie Rules I Thank You for the Best Years of Our Lives". It was used as an introductory theme before AFL games during that season. During the late 1990s it was used as the closing theme for Foster's Aussie Rules, a U.S highlights show.

Kevin Johnson formed a trio, JAM (initialism for Johnson Ashdown McClellan) with Doug Ashdown ("Winter in America" aka "Leave Love Enough Alone") and Mike McClellan ("Song and Dance Man"). They toured Australia through the 2000s. Recently, he has also performed in concert in Sydney, Canberra, and soon at The Palms at Crown in Melbourne promoting that recording, with special guests, his son Scott Johnson (Jersey Boys) and daughter in law Verity Hunt-Ballard (Mary Poppins, Sweet Charity), singing new songs written by Scott, including the single “What We Did”.

So this month's WOCK on Vinyl pays tribute to the great game of AFL and the 2022 season which recently opened with the return of fans to the footy stands, after 2 years of COVID restrictions and turmoil.  I thought it appropriate to share a rare and Obscure CD single from 1996, which was released to celebrate 100 years of AFL Footy.   Ripped to FLAC, this CD single also features Kevin's original song "Rock 'N' Roll - I Gave You The Best Years of My Life" from which the Centenary Song "Aussie Rules" was adapted.  And while I've got your attention - Go Bombers !

Aussie Rules Link (51Mb)

Divinyls - Monkey Grip (1982) Mini Album

 (Australian 1980 - 97)

The Divinyls formed in 1980, founded by Mark McEntee and fronted by lead singer Christina Amphlett. After scoring several gigs, they were discovered by Australian director Ken Cameron. This led to Divinyls providing the entire soundtrack for his 1982 film Monkey Grip. Amphlett was also given a supporting role in the film, playing a temperamental rock singer loosely based on herself, fronting a band played by other Divinyls members. In the film, the band performed their debut single "Boys in Town", as well as other songs "Only Lonely", "Elsie", "Only You", "Girlfriends" and "Gonna Get You", the latter being the first appearance of them in the film. The soundtrack Music from Monkey Grip was acknowledged as a Divinyls album, and when released in 1982, it made the top twenty-five of the Australian Albums Chart.

Monkey Grip

Nora (Noni Hazlehurst) lives with her 11-year-old daughter Gracie (Alice Garner) in a crowded share house in inner-city Melbourne, in the late 1970s. Nora works for an alternative magazine, as she tries to write fiction. Javo (Colin Friels) is an actor, a friend of her boyfriend Martin (Tim Burns). Nora feels a powerful attraction to Javo’s reckless charm. Her friend Eve (Cathy Downes) warns her that he’s a heroin user, but Nora is already in love. Gracie accepts her mother’s choice, as does Martin. Javo becomes a regular around the house and in Nora’s bed. They are mad about each other, except that Javo keeps disappearing to chase heroin and acting jobs.

Nora calls it off and tries to move on, drifting towards an affair with Willie (Harold Hopkins), a drummer in a rising rock‘n’roll band. Javo gets thrown in jail in Bangkok for a few months. When he returns, he and Nora reunite, but he is seeing another woman, the beautiful actress Lillian (Candy Raymond). Nora, Javo and Gracie go to Sydney for a holiday. He promises to kick heroin, but that never happens. Nora returns to Melbourne with Gracie and restarts her life. She begins writing again, moves to a new share house with Eve, and starts seeing Gerald (Don Miller-Robinson), the guitarist from the rock band. Javo reappears, with another declaration of love, but he is still using heroin. Nora tries to summon the courage to end it, for the last time.

Noni Hazlehurst won Best Actress at the 1982 AFI Awards. She had originally auditioned for the role of the singer Angela, who’s played in the film by Christina Amphlett, lead singer of The Divinyls (a group formed in Sydney in 1980). Nora’s daughter in the film is played by Alice Garner, the daughter of Helen Garner. Neither Hazlehurst nor Colin Friels was well-known at the time of their casting.

Chrissy Amphlett

Monkey Grip was released in Australian cinemas in June 1982. In addition to Noni Hazlehurst’s Best Actress AFI Award in 1982, the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Alice Garner), Cinematography (David Gribble) and Editing (David Huggett) awards. [Extract from Australian Screen Online]

This post consists of FLACS ripped from my vinyl, which I bought back in 1982, more than likely from Reading Records in Carlton.  Mini albums were big at the time, and this one was great value with seven tracks for $7.99   (Most mini LPs only had 5-6 tracks) 

Interestingly enough, the CD release is now worth considerably more than vinyl, with eBay prices reaching above $200.  Insane !

Of course, full album artwork for both vinyl and CD is included, along with label scans

Track Listing

01 - Boys In Town

02 - Only Lonely

03 - Elsie

04 - Elsie (Reprise)

05 - Only You

06 - Gonna Get You

07 - Girl Friends

Divinyls were:

Christina (Chrissy) Amphlett - Lead Vocals

Mark McEntee - Lead Guitar, Vocals

Bjarne Ohlin - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals

Rick Grossman - Bass

Richard Harvey - Drums

The Divinyls Mini LP (153Mb) New Link 19/12/2023

Pear Jam - Unauthorised - Jeremy (1994) Bootleg

(U.S 1990 - Present)

This show was supposed to be in LA but Pearl Jam were having their war with Ticketmaster and so they refused to do a show there. Empire Polo Fields: Indio, California was chosen instead.

This show became legendary for the tirade that Eddie Vedder threw because of the shoe throwing. People were pelting the bands with shoes and anything else they could find. Eddie Vedder threatened to wait at the gate and kick the shit out of whoever was barefoot. During ‘Porch,’ Ed invites the audience to spit at him. They finished the show playing behind their amps to keep away from the shoes.

This show, was also problematic with respect to parking and cold temperatures. The unruly crowd was moshing in line during the soundcheck and to PA music! Before Pearl Jam started, a roadie sang a hysterical rendition of ‘Copa Cabana.’

The audience is launching shoes at the stage even before and during the opening acts. In fact, during Eleven’s set, a shoe hits Jack Iron’s bass drum, he stops the song and says that if he finds out who threw it he would make him pay for the damages (quite pissed).

Finally, Pearl Jam hits the stage, with the audience behaving outrageously. Prior to playing "Deep", Ed remarks, “Kill your local rapist, but torture him first, then serve him to your enemy for dinner.” Later: “The first guy I met today gave me this book and asked if I wanted to know the secret for living forever.” Tossing it into the crowd, he says, “Why the fuck would I want to live forever?” During "Porch", Ed invites the audience to spit at him. The agitated crowd, continuing to throw stuff onto the stage, leads Ed to comment that “… me and Jeff are going to the front gate and when you exit, we are going to beat the shit out of every barefoot person here” and “… throw a gun so I can shoot you.” 

The band eventually plays from behind their amps so they won’t be hit by the flying shoes. This audience was awful. The recording of "Blood" from this show is released on the "Daughter" single. "Fuck Me in the Brain" was released later on the third fan club single (as "Ramblings"). The guys deserve a medal for playing this long and this well despite the rowdy crowd. [extract from pearljamfm.com]

Concert Review: Los Angles Times, 8th Nov 1993
'Pearl Jam Blossoms in Desert'

BY STEVE HOCHMAN

INDIO — Early in Pearl Jam’s concert on Friday at the Empire Polo Club in this desert city, singer Eddie Vedder--commenting on the out-of-the-way location--told the huge audience, “You gotta run pretty far to get some space for yourself these days.”

But even Vedder, for all his recent comments about the pressures of stardom, probably never imagined that later he and his bandmates would have to seek space behind the amplifier stacks, running for cover from a barrage of shoes thrown at them by a pea-brained contingent of the audience.

Vedder and the band made the most of this, hiding from the crowd while performing the Dead Boys’ old punk song “Sonic Reducer” in a memorable moment of unplanned rock theater in Pearl Jam’s biggest concert so far of its new tour.

Neither the tongue-in-cheek retreat nor the rest of the show, however, really answered whether Pearl Jam, with its record-breaking album sales, is a band for the ages or the band of the moment.

Vedder left no doubt about his own talents, with his charismatic intensity losing nothing in this vast setting, where 25,000 people--an estimated 15,000 of them having driven the two or three hours from the L.A. area, which the band is avoiding for now--stood in the middle of the California desert singing along to anthems of youthful alienation, suicide and survival.

Vedder was clearly communicating with his fans, and such songs as the new “Daughter” and “Animal” and the now-standards “Alive” and “Jeremy"--portraits of young people haunted by familial betrayal and a world with no ground rules--rang solidly true.

The band, though, didn’t quite seem ready to jump to the arena and stadium headlining status, showing occasional sloppiness that might have been electrifying in a smaller setting, but didn’t really get across in the great outdoors. But maybe it’s good that for all its impact, Pearl Jam has room--and promise--for growth.

The site itself--essentially a really, really big, palm-lined lawn--proved on the whole a success, comfortably accommodating the large crowd with relatively few traffic and parking problems. It was certainly far better than last summer’s “Lollapalooza” shows at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in those respects. [taken from www.latimes.com]

This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped  from my Grapefruit CD which I picked up recently from my local Salvos store.  Just love these Unauthorised boots - they keep popping up every now and then.  This particular release is one of the few that has the correct release date on the front cover and is the first half of the original concert. I suspect the 2nd half of the concert was released under the title of 'Unauthorised - Blood' which I have yet to locate. And so the hunt continues.

This particular concert doesn't start well and to be honest I didn't really enjoy the first 2 tracks. Things start to improve when they play "Animal" but its not until they play their controversial single "Jeremy" when they start to shine.  This is by far the best track here in my opinion, closely followed by "Daughter" and "Alive".  

To make your listening experience more enjoyable, I have taken the liberty of enhancing the volume on all tracks and also removing the first minute of the opening track "Release", as it only contained a few clicks and thuds while the band walks on stage.

Please note that this concert has been released under various titles, such as 'Manifesting Morrison' (by Hawk) and 'One Way Needle' (by Alley Kat). Covers for these releases are shown right

Track Listing

01. Release

02. Go

03. Animal

04. Why Go

05. Deep

06. Jeremy

07. Glorified G

08. Daughter

09. Alive

10. Rearview Mirror

Pearl Jam are:

Eddie Vedder (vocals)

Stone Gossard (guitar)

Jeff Ament (bass)

Mike McCready (guitar)

Dave Krusen (drums)

 

Pearl Jam Unauthorised (114Mb) New Link 27/01/2026