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

(Various Australian Artists 1970-75)

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

Liner Notes (by Glenn A Baker)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Max Merritt & The Meteors

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

Jeff St. John & Copperwine

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

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

Axiom

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

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

Daddy Cool

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

Carson

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

Spectrum

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

Healing Force

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

Blackfeather

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

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

Masters' Apprentices

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

The Zoot

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

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

Chain

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

La De Das

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

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

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

Country Radio

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

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

The Dingoes

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

Matt Taylor

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

Stevie Wright

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

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

Skyhooks

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

ACDC

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

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

Track Listing:

1. WESTERN UNION MAN – Max Merritt & the Meteors

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

3. A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE – Axiom

4. EAGLE ROCK – Daddy Cool

5. BOOGIE PART I – Carson

6. I’LL BE GONE – Spectrum

7. GOLDEN MILES – Healing Force

8. SEASONS OF CHANGE – Blackfeather

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

10. ELEANOR RIGBY – The Zoot

11. BLACK AND BLUE – Chain

12. GONNA SEE MY BABY TONIGHT – La De Das

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

14. GYPSY QUEEN – Country Radio

15. WAY OUT WEST – The Dingoes

16. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG – Matt Taylor

17. EVIE PART 2 – Stevie Wright

18. LIVING IN THE 70’s – Skyhooks

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

Seventies Downunder Vol 1 Link (466Mb)

Richard Wagner - Selftitled (1978)

(U.S 1964 - 2014)

Chances are that you’re familiar with guitarist and songwriter Richard 'Dick' Wagner’s talents even if you don’t recognize his name. As frontman for the mid-to-late 1960s Motor City hard rock outfit 'Frost', Wagner was a contemporary of such legends as the MC5, the Stooges, Bob Seger, and Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes. After Frost had run its course, Wagner formed the power trio Ursa Major (with former Amboy Dukes bassist Greg Arama). That band’s lone Bob Ezrin-produced their 1972 magnum opus, a magnificent beast of shimmering, buzzing guitarwork, explosive rhythms, and Wagner’s wordy, Dylan like lyrics; but went absolutely nowhere on the charts.

Although Ursa Major’s self-titled LP flopped and the band broke-up, Wagner developed a friendship with their young producer and Ezrin – fresh off a hit with Alice Cooper’s 'School’s Out' album. Ezrin would eventually use Wagner as his secret weapon in the studio. The guitarist would record and tour with Cooper throughout his initial solo years and well into the 1980s, writing hits like “Only Women Bleed” and “I Never Cry.”

Ezrin then partnered Wagner and fellow Detroit guitarist Steve Hunter with Lou Reed, the pair bringing lightning to Reed's 'Berlin' and thunder to the live 'Rock N’ Roll Animal'albums. Wagner would later play on sessions (and hits) by Etta James, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, and Kiss (playing acoustic guitar on “Beth”). It was the dueling guitars of Wagner and Hunter that set fire to Aerosmith’s “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” from the band’s 'Get Your Wings'.

Solo Debut Album
Given their friendship and strong working relationship, it was therefore only natural that Ezrin would produce Wagner’s 1978 solo debut album. Both men pulled names from their extensive artist connections, lining up a talented studio band for the project that included guitarists Steve Hunter and Domenic Trioano (from the James Gang); bassists Prakash John (Parliament/Funkadelic) and Bob Babbitt; and drummers Whitey Glan and Allan Schwartzberg. Considering Wagner’s hard rock credentials, his solo debut comes across – at first spin – as a relatively lightweight affair; kind of like a boxer dropping pounds to punch down in a lower weight class. That doesn’t make it a bad album, just an unexpected cruiserweight effort, with a greater reliance on melody and songcraft than previous, which would serve Wagner’s songwriting efforts well in the future.

Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper Tour)

The album opens with a cover of Andy Pratt’s elegant “Some Things Go On Forever,” a piano-driven ballad that manages to channel a bit of the old Ursa Major magic nonetheless with intertwined guitars and beefy rhythms. “Don’t Stop The Music” is a similar construct, albeit a Wagner original, and it treads awfully close to Gary Wright's “Dreamweaver” turf with a chiffon arrangement, ethereal instrumentation, floating vocals, and Ernie Watt’s wired jazz-funk sax solo playing off of Wagner’s soulful fretwork. The song itself is an ode to rock ‘n’ roll and the DJs playing it on the radio, lyrically concealing a deceptive romantic undercurrent.

Don't forget ya guitar Richard

“Nightwork” echoes Wagner’s late-career return to the blues, the song a hard-luck tale turned smooth R&B romp with sultry backing vocals and subtle horn flourishes. It’s Wagner’s fluid guitarplay that stands out, though, driving the performance into a more soulful corner, the guitarist mixing scraps of Ernie Isley, George Benson, and Sly Stone in creating his own bluesy, funky contemporary edge. By contrast, “Heartlands” comes across as a country-flavored symphony with acoustic string plucking and a folkish lyrical slant with Wagner’s plaintive vocals up front and high in the mix, wearing his sentiment on his sleeve before the entire band kicks in and swerves the entire affair into the melancholy-tinged “Oceans.”

With a little louder guitars and a tougher arrangement, I could easily see “Oceans” as an Ursa Major jam. It’s more nuanced here, though, with swelling, lush instrumentation; obligatory whale cries in the background (it was the late 1970s, after all…); and some prog-rock styled playing that wouldn’t sound out-of-place on a Pink Floyd album. “Go Down Together” is the album’s foot-stomper, Wagner’s opening solo knocking down anything Ted Nugent tried to do during the decade. An up-tempo six-string rocker with honky-tonk piano, strident rhythms, and sizzling fretwork, it’s one of Wagner’s finest rock ‘n’ roll moments with a great storyline and an overall vibe that could have made it a big hit if FM radio hadn’t gone all wussy and corporate by ’78.

Swerving the listener once again, “Small Town Boy” is nifty slice of pop-rock fluff with island rhythms similar to those of Pablo Cruise and is probably the most radio-friendly tune on the album. Wagner takes his cue from Nashville with the country-rock tune “Hand Me Down Heartaches,” a lovely melody surrounding finely-crafted lyrics and backed by the slightest of twangy instrumentation that works mostly because of Wagner’s earnest, emotionally-charged vocals.

Wagner closes his solo debut with the grandiloquent “Motor City Showdown,” a street-savvy medium-tempo soft-rocker just a step away from Jim Steinman with its swells of orchestration surrounding and coddling Wagner’s oblique ‘Sharks vs. Jets’ story-song lyrics. It’s a strange but effective song to end the album with, veering dangerously close to the prog-rock edge in its ambition but with an undeniable singer/songwriter veneer lying close to the surface. It’s a gorgeous performance, and the musicians imbue it with a sort of majesty and grandeur that’s out-of-sync with contemporary rock sounds (circa 1978). Appropriately, Wagner’s searing guitar solo on his trusty Mockingbird guitar is threaded through the outro, ending the album with a quiet dignity.

CD Reissue cover with name change

Unfortunately, the album sold poorly in spite of the guitarist’s reputation – probably due to Atlantic Records’ enormous blunder of naming the disc Richard Wagner (rather than Dick Wagner, the name by which he performed), which allegedly confused record stores into stocking it in the classical music section with Richard Wagner, the German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas. With the albums reissue on CD in 2014, Real Gone Music has corrected this mistake and re-titled the album 'Dick Wagner'.

Decidedly less blustery than much of Wagner’s earlier band work, his never less than stellar guitar playing provides the steely muscle rippling beneath the surface of many of the album’s songs. Dick Wagner is definitely an album of its time, and yet also curiously out-of-step with late ‘70s trends in rock music, which just further spotlights Wagner’s unique vision and talents. If you’re not expecting the second coming of Frost or a sequel to Rock N Roll Animal, you’ll find a lot to like among the lofty pop-rock tunes to be found on Dick Wagner. [extract from The Reverend's Rock 'n' Roll Archives]

This post consists of FLACs freshly ripped from my near mint vinyl (purchased from Reading Records in Carlton, Melbourne back in the late 70's) and includes full album artwork for both CD and vinyl, and label scans.  Although I enjoy listening to this album, I have always compared it to Dick's co-guitarist Steve Hunter's solo album 'Swept Away', released the year before (see my post), which I actually enjoy listening to more. Interestingly enough Hunter plays rhythm guitar on Wagner's album however Wagner didn't play on Hunter's album, although Bob Ezrin did, playing keyboards. Go figure.

Track Listing:

A1 Some Things Go On Forever*   3:37

A2 Don't Stop The Music 5:44

A3 Nightwork 4:34

A4 Heartlands 1:38

A5 Oceans 5:30

B1 Go Down Together 4:07

B2 Small Town Boy 4:21

B3 Hand Me Down Heartaches 5:11

B4 Motor City Showdown 6:19

All tracks written by Richard Wagner except *Andy Pratt

Band Credits:

Backing Vocals – Brooks Hunnicutt, Laurel Massé, Lisa Roberts, 

Bass – Bob Babbitt, Prakash John

Drums – Allan Schwartzberg, Whitey Glan

Guitar – Domenic Troiano, Steve Hunter

Keyboards – Bob Ezrin, Dave Tyson*, Fred Mandel, Paul Griffin, Phil Aaberg*

Lead Vocals, Guitar, Soloist [All Guitar Solos], Backing Vocals – Richard Wagner*

Percussion – Jim Maelen*

Modern Folk Quartet*, Tony Kosinec

Saxophone [solo] – Ernie Watts (tracks: A2)

Producer, Engineer, Mixed By [Remix] – Bob Ezrin & Brian Christian

Orchestrations – Allan Macmillan, Bob Ezrin

Richard Wagner Link (214Mb)

REPOST: Robin Trower - Live In Concert, New George's San Raphael, CA - KRQR-FM Broadcast (1988) - Ex SB

(U.K 1973-Present)

.
Robin Trower's career has spanned more than four decades, starting first with Procol Harum and then as a solo artist in the early 70's. He is one of the finest guitarists in Rock n' Roll history. Throughout his long and winding solo career, Robin Trower has been called the "White" Hendrix due to his uncanny ability to channel Hendrix' bluesy / psychedelic, Fender Strat-fueled playing style. This of course was what attracted me to his music in the first place as I am a huge Hendrix fan also. However, by the dawn of the '80s, it became quite obvious that Trower's stardam was rapidly fading, as each album sold less than its predecessor. A brief union with ex-Cream bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce spawned a pair of releases, 1981's B.L.T. and 1982's Truce, before Trower returned back to his solo career. The mid-late '80s saw Trower try and expand his audience with several releases that attempted to update his blues-rock style (such as 1987's slick produced Passion), but none returned the guitarist back to the top of the charts. Nevertheless, I believe this 2nd incarnation of Trower's band was as good as that first one which featured the lengendary James Dewar on vocals. In fact, Trower's album, 'Living Out of Time' (2004), featured the return of veteran bandmates Dave Bronze on bass, vocalist Davey Pattison (formerly with Ronnie Montrose's band Gamma) and Pete Thompson on drums - the same lineup as the mid 1980s albums 'Passion' and 'Take What You Need'.
The FM concert provided here features the same band members, and the recording was made on Trowers promotional tour for his then up and coming 'Take What You Need' LP. The concert was played at New George's San Raphael on 27-01-1988 and broadcast by a San Francisco FM radio station - 97.3 KRQR. This is a good show...KRQR used to do weekly live broadcasts from New George's for a short period of time in '88, the majority of which were local acts. This was one of the big names that they managed to broadcast. There were also shows by Paul Collins (The Beat), Eddie & The Tide, and Soft White Underbelly (a.k.a. Blue Oyster Cult). A small correction worth noting: the town actually spells it "Rafael," not "Raphael."

.I particularly like this concert as Trower's guitar playing is not self indulgent and he gets down to business immediately by giving the audience what they want, "Too Rolling Stoned" starts the concert and then the band proceeds to provide a mixture of new material blended in with the old. Davey Pattison's vocals are very strong and he is able to reproduce the old material with uncanny similarity to that of Dewar. Trower's guitar work is nothing short of brilliant and is consistently supported by his rhythm team with 'David Bronze' on bass and 'Pete Thompson' on drums. The combined tracks 'Day Of The Eagle / Bridge Of Sighs' are spectacular, with Trower demonstrating total control of feedback and guitar work that almost mesmorizes the listener. The new material is strong and tight, showing that the band was well rehearsed at the time. This is probably one of the best soundboard recordings I have heard and almost out does his earlier commercially released live material on 'Trower Live!' and 'Beyond The Mist'. All in all, this is a classic set and should not be overlooked if you are a Trower fan.

The rip was taken from Cassette in FLAC format (thanks to Draftervoi at Voodoo Wagon) and includes customised artwork, along with artwork from alternate bootleg releases (see below)

New Improved Rip and Artwork

.Track Listing

01 Too Rolling Stoned
02 Love Attack
03 Day of the Eagle
04 Bridge of Sighs
05 Second Time
06 No Time
07 Take What You Need
08 Rock Me Baby
09 Tear It Up
10 Little Bit of Sympathy

11 Lady Love

12 Into The Flame

Band Members:
Robin Trower - Guitar
Davey Pattison - Vocals
Dave Bronze - Bass
Pete Thompson - Drums

Robin Trower Link (692Mb) 

New Link 04/10/2025

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)

Alison Gros - Singles Collection (1971)

(Australian 1970-1971)

Alison Gros 1970
(Performing on Adelaide TV show 'In Time')

Alison Gros formed in Adelaide in 1970. Their name was presumably taken from the famous English folk song of the same name (which was memorably covered by Steeleye Span, among others). The group's main claim to fame is of course its founding member, Graeham Goble (Mississippi, Little River Band).

Band members were: Graeham Goble - Guitar, Lead Vocals, Russell Johnson - Guitar, vocals, John Darcy - Guitar, Vocals, John Mower - Guitar, Lead Vocals, Roger Linden - Bass, Rob Leedham - Bass, Shane Simon – Drums.

Their first single, released in 1970, was the first recording issued on on the shortlived Adelaide label Gamba, which issued about a dozen singles during 1970-71. The band relocated to Melbourne in 1971 and signed with Ron Tudor's Fable Records. They released two Singles on Fable during the year, both of which scraped into the bottom of the National Top 100. Their first Fable single (written by Goble) "If I Ask You" managed to reach #15 in the Adelaide charts.

Alison Gros performing "If I Ask You" on 'Hit Scene' ABC Channel 2, Melbourne, July 22nd, 1971
 
The groups's main claim to fame (if that's the right word) is the novelty pop recordings they made for Fable in the early '70s under the pseudonym Drummond. The first Drummond single was a version of George Harrison's "For You Blue" which came out in early 1971 but barely dented the charts, only reaching #94.

Alison Gros performing "I Think About" on 'Move', NWS Channel 9 Adelaide, South Australia 1971
 
However the next Drummond record ranks as one of the most bizarre Australian one-hit wonders of the decade. In mid-1971 Fable released Drummond's novelty version of the song "Daddy Cool". It was a blatant cash-in on the current popularity of Ross Wilson's Daddy Cool, who had taken their name from the song. At the time Drummond's version came out, Daddy Cool were dominating the singles charts with "Eagle Rock" and they had included a version of the old rock'n'roll standard (in a much more 'authentic' reading) on their hit debut LP.

Alison Gros performing "Love Song" on 'Move', NWS Channel 9 Adelaide, South Australia 1971

Proving the old adage that no-one ever lost money by over-estimating the taste of the general public, Drummond's novelty 'chipmunk' rendition of "Daddy Cool" rocketed up the charts, toppling "Eagle Rock" from the #1 spot in August. In all it spent a staggering 34 weeks on the national chart in the second half of 1971 and became one of the biggest selling Australian singles of the year.

Fable issued three subsequent singles under the Drummond moniker, but the members of Alison Gros were not involved -- these were recorded by anonymous session players, (presumably members of the Bootleg Family Band). By the end of 1971 Alison Gros had 'morphed' into Mississippi and recorded an excellent self-titled debut LP with the addition of session players Peter Jones (piano), Geoff Cox (drums), Barry Sullivan (bass, ex-Chain) and Graham Lyall (flute). It was released on Fable's new Bootleg imprint, a subsidiary label recently set by Tudor and musician Brian Cadd.

Founding member Russell Johnson died on 15 September 2007 after suffering a stroke. [Extract from Milesago Website]

This post consists of FLACs (thanks to Stacky at Ausrock) and single label scans but alas no artwork. Also included are bonus tracks in MP3 (320) format, sourced from the mp3.pm website

Track Listing:

01 Naturally

02 Would You Really Have To Go

03 If I Ask You

04 So Good

05 All The Days

06 Weaver of Life

07 In The Morning

08 It Must Be You

09 Changing

10 Don't Go

11 Sweet World

12 Three And A Half

13 We Are Together

14 I Think About

15 If I Ask You [Version 2]

16 Daddy Cool (Drummond)

Bonus Tracks:

17 California Dreaming

18 Everybody's Talkin

19 Love Song [Live on Move 1971]

20 Teach Your Children

21 You Ain't Goin Nowhere

Alison Gros Link (306Mb)

Johnny Farnham - Sings Hits From The Movies (1974)

(Australian 1967 - Present)

By the mid-1970s, Johnny Farnham's recording career had begun to dwindle and he turned more to stage musicals and television.

Official; 'King Of Pop' from 1969 - 1973, personable, enthusiastic Farnham was regularly on the charts until 1974, when the likes opf Daryl Braithwaite, John Paul Young and Shirley Strachan displaced him as a premier teen figure. After his fevered poip popularity of the late sixities, he turned his hand to a remarkable array of activities, including lead roles in stage productions of Charlie Girl, Pippin and the pantomime Dick Whittington, the hosting of television shows Opportunity Knocks, Bobby Dazzler and Survival, and the capturing of a major award at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokoyo. In 1972, he was crowned 'King Of Moomba'.

In 1972, Farnham released the album 'Johnny Farnham Sings the Shows' which featured his recent hit 'Charlie Girl', and the following year released 'Hits Magic & Rock 'N Roll' featuring the Brian Cadd penned hit "Don't You Know It's Magic".

Farnham and 'Queen of Pop' for 1972–1973, Colleen Hewett, combined on the 1973–1974 stage musical, Pippin, and its associated show album released in 1974.

The original Australian production of Pippin opened in February 1974 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. It starred John Farnham as Pippin, with Ronne Arnold as the Leading Player, Colleen Hewett as Catherine, Nancye Hayes as Fastrada, David Ravenswood as Charles and Jenny Howard as Berthe. The production transferred to Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney in August 1974. A cast album was released.

Also in 1974, Farnham and Hewett were co-hosts of It's Magic, a children's TV series on Channel Ten.

Farnham released the 'featured' album 'Johnny Farnham Sings Hits From The Movies' in 1974, however it failed to chart at a time when more popular Australian artists were dominating the charts with glam and boogie rock.

Farnham's success continued virtually on the basis of his talent and personality alone and in the late to mid seventies his career was reduced to nightclub and cabaret performances trading on his past. Even his record company lost faith in him and eventually dropped him.

In 1980, changing from Johnny to the more mature John Farnham, he set about resurrecting his career. The trigger was a dramatically rearranged impassioned performance of the Beatles' "Help" on a nationally broadcast Royal Command TV concert. He reminded everyone what a fine singer he was, and in July released Uncovered, a well received comeback album recorded under the production eye of Little River Band's Graham Goble. In September 1982 long-time Farnham fan Goble was inspired to convince the rest of LRB they should take the radical move of removing Glenn Shorrock, singer of all the band's hits, and making Farnham their lead singer. The band's American record company was in shock. So were non-Australian fans. It was a hurdle Farnham could not overcome, and at the end of 1985 he left LRB and began work on a new make or break solo album.

The anthemic single "You're The Voice restored Farnham to #1 for the first time in 17 years. The carefully crafted adult contemporary October 1986 album 'Whispering Jack' was No.1 for 18 weeks, and became the biggest selling album in Australian history. "You're The Voice" sold a million copies in Europe and reached the top ten in England.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my pristine vinyl copy and includes full album artwork and label scans.  As far as I can tell, this album has never been released digitally, so grab it while you can folks.

(Note: This is another blog follower's requested post - enjoy RSVL)

Track Listing

SIDE A

01 Cabaret

02 Speak Softly Love

03 Everybody's Talkin'

04 The Summer Knows

05 Carnival

06 Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo

SIDE B

07 Medley:  Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head / The Rain In Spain / Singing In The Rain

08 Theme From 'Love Story'

09 Where's The Birdie

10 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

11 Mrs Robinson

Johnny Farnham Link (205Mb)