Ray Brown and Moonstone - Mad House (1970) + Bonus Single

(Australian 1964 - 1996)

Ray Brown's success in the mid 60's fronting the Whispers is well known. They were one of the top Australian bands around between 1965-66 and played frequently with Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Tony Worsley & The Blue Jays, Easybeats, Normie Rowe & The Playboys & Max Merritt & The Meteors.

Ray Brown and the Whispers regularly stomped the stage at Surf City taking over from The Aztecs when they began to tour nationally. 

These mods spooled out a string of hits that were so airwave-friendly they could have been designed by a radio-preogrammer.  "20 Miles", "Pride", "In the Midnight Hour" and "Fool Fool Fool" swamped the Top 10 in 1965 and their star shined so brightly that they were the first Australian band to have an album released in both mono and stereo!

Ray Brown & The Whispers (1964 -1967)

However, their career went sour the following year when the band realised their management was screwing them.  By the end of 1966 the pressures of a terrible recording contract signed by Ray while still under 21 became too much and he left the band.

After a short lived solo project during 1967 Ray packed his bags and headed to the US to pursue a solo career. Over the next two years he worked in the states and recorded a solo album 'Just Ray Brown' for Capitol, produced by legendary American composer-arranger-producer David Axelrod. Despite the 'name' producer and a large budget  [Capitol spent $30,000 on it and put in a 30-piece orchestra], it flopped, largely due to poor choices of material forced on Ray by the record company.

With a broadened musical palette and a hands on course in the then current US counter culture, Ray Brown headed back to Sydney during 1969 and landed at Mal Clarke's (Tony Worsley & Blue Jays) place at Bondi Beach crashing on his lounge. By now, Ray was a bearded, long-haired, fringe jacketed hippy, who had discovered both song writing and pot during his brief sojourn. A far cry from the clean cut, suited and booted teen heart throb he was before he left the Whispers. He wanted to form a band, put some songs together, record them, make some quick cash and head back to the States ASAP. So both Brown & Clarke decided to join forces as Ray Brown and Moonstone.

Ray Brown & Moonstone

During 1969 Ray Brown and Moonstone (see left) played 3 East Coast tours taking in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane showcasing songs to be recorded later in the year. Memories are sketchy at best from the short recording sessions for this album as it seems mind altering substances entered the building shortly after the band set up for their first session with only Ray & Engineer Richard Batchens escaping the festivities on the other side of the recording booth. The majority of the album was recorded over a few days with guests including John Sangster, Jimmy Doyle, Jimmy Thompson (who plays drums on much of the album), Pee Wee Clark & Ed Gaston.

Their sole album release 'Mad House' was an anomaly of the time in Australia. A potpourri of West Coast late 60's U.S sounds. Sitar, tampoura, dholak, tables, banjo, violin, pedal steel guitar, flute, cello, piano are some of the instruments you'll hear on this unique album!

The album was released in 1970 with little fanfare from the record company and after one single release in March 1970 "Oh, Sarah / King Velvet", Ray decided to pull the plug on the group. It wasn't long after, that Ray headed back to the States into the Californian sunshine for one more shot at fame. [extracts from Ross Summerell's Facebook & The Real Thing '1957-Now' by Tony Creswell & Martin Fabinyi]

Ray spent most of 1971 back in the USA, returning to Australia in November to unveil his new progressively-oriented outfit, 'One Ton Gypsy' which featured three lead vocalists -- Ray, Alison MacCallum and Graham Lowndes -- plus a lineup of industry heavyweights backing them up. OTG went through numerous lineup changes, and known members included Chrissie Amphlett (Divinyls), Ronnie Peel, guitarists Tim Piper and Ray Oliver (Healing Force, Friends) drummer Laurie Pryor (Twilights, Aztecs), Ray Rivamonte, guitarist Lindsay Wells (Healing Force) and pianist Paul Wylde (Blackfeather).

One Ton Gypsy regrettably made no studio recordings, and lasted only until 1973, eventually folding due to the cost of keeping such a large outfit on the road. The only extant tracks by this remarkable all-star band are the two songs they performed at the closing of the Garrison venue in Melbourne in mid-1973, which were recorded by Mushroom and later released as the LPs Garrison: The Final Blow. Whether any other songs from One Ton Gypsy were recorded at this event, and if such recordings have survived, is unknown.

Ray recorded a superb solo single "Steel Guitar" / "Covered Wagon" for the newly-launched Mushroom label in November 1973. He continued to perform solo, and also revived the Whispers (with new lineups, including Wilbur Wilde) for concert appearances into the 80s.

A former footballer, Ray was always known for his fit and non-indulging lifetyle, so it came as a great shock to friends and fans when he died suddenly on August 16, 1996 from a heart attack, suffered while he was out walking in Annandale with his sister Rose Butler. Ironically, after years of relative obscurity, his funeral was well covered by the news media and it was a fitting tribute that a veritable Who's Who of Australian music attended to farewell this pioneer performer. He was just 51. [Extract from Milesago]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl, along with hi-res album artwork and labels [thanks to Sunhine at Ausrock for rip & artwork]. 

As a Bonus, I am including his solo single release "Steel Guitar" / "Covered Wagon" from 1973 - an absolute ripper in my opinion [thanks to Ozzie Musicman for the single rip].

Track List:

A1 Story Of Ali  (3:49)

A2 Mr. Blue  (3:26)

A3 King Velvet  (4:23)

A4 Start Of A New Day  (3:13)

A5 Oh, Sarah  (3:23)

A6 Flight Of The Gulls  (4:52)

B1 Run Sylvie Run  (8:31)

B2 Call Me A Drifter  (2:24)

B3 Passing The Time  (2:02)

B4 Carry Me Back To L.A.  (4:34)

B5 Danville Queen  (3:09)

B6 Busted  (3:57)

Bonus Single:

01 Steel Guitar  (3:40)

02 Covered Wagon  (2:55)

Ray Brown & Moonstone (1970-71) were:

Ray Brown (vocals)

John Carr (guitar, bass)

Allan Carroll (drums)

Mal Clarke (guitar, bass, sitar)

Pat Clifford (bass)

Jimmy Doyle (guitar)

Jimmy Thompson & John Sangster (drums, percussion)

Russ Hinton (guitar)

Nick Lyon (violin)

Eligio "Ali" Sincic (sitar)

Ray Brown and Moonstone Link (343Mb)

Various Artists - Dutch Woodstock 2CD (1970; 2013)

(Compilation 60's  / 70's Artists)

A mere ten months after the legendary festival on Max Yasgur‘s farm, the festival aesthetic was in full flower (despite the December ’69 nightmare of Altamont), and across Europe, all manner of festivals were put together. One such festival was The Dutch Woodstock held in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1970

Even by its obvious comparisons, The Dutch Woodstock is not the correct name for this famous outdoor concert. More properly it was billed as The Kralingen Music Festival, with posters working the better title as the Holland Pop Festival. It seems in both past and present, both promoter and label are working a marketing angle. The Dutch Woodstock comes as a single DVD and a two CD set, the latter having more music than the former. 

It's a record of the three day festival in both an audio and visual format, and certainly a piece of genuine early rock history. The roster for the concert is rather impressive: The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, T-Rex, Canned Heat, Country Joe, Pink Floyd and many more. Here's how you get your first comparison to 1969's The Woodstock Music & Art Fair (the proper title).

Speaking primarily to the DVD release, the sound quality is nearly substandard and the video is simply 8mm footage transferred to digital format as best as possible. What's more important is the images that are captured, notably of the bands and the concert goers. To the former, the band's appearances and performances straddle between lucid and lively to nearly rote and mechanical which was probably more or less affected by the abundance of chemicals and herbs available. And available they were, as you can see from images of the audience freely smoking marijuana and hashish. 

There's also an abundance Sixties sexual libertarianism going on as both men and women were walking around and swimming, in the nearby lake, naked. Again, with these references, comparisons to Woodstock are inevitable. Speaking to some individual performances, nothing captures the era, the Sixties counter-cultural revolution, better than Jefferson Airplane doing White Rabbit. While it's one of the best sounding recordings here, it's also one of the most rigid: playing the record over the loud speakers could have trumped it. 

Perhaps the most interesting performances from the festival come from the young Pink Floyd. It's the band sans Syd Barrett performing during their A Saucerful of Secrets and Ummagumma period, and prior to the universal success of Dark Side of the Moon. The recordings here are Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun and A Saucerful of Secrets, both of which are largely instrumental and come of as massive prog rock jam sessions. It's hard not to miss the significance of 1970's Holland Pop Festival as a picture of pop culture history, especially for Europeans. Considering the cultural and musical statement that the American Woodstock made, making their own at the Dutch Woodstock seemed rightfully compelling.

So the Holland Pop Festival went down in history as a groundbreaking event. Not only was it the first multi-day pop festival in the Netherlands featuring world-famous bands, but it also marked the fact that youth culture was taken seriously in the Netherlands from that moment on. It did away with the stifling atmosphere of post-war Netherlands and ushers in the era of individual freedom. The policy of tolerance regarding soft drugs also originated at the festival. For this reason, the Holland Pop Festival has acquired a legendary status over the years.

Festival Account by Jeremy Dunn

The Holland 70 Pop Festival (aka Dutch Woodstock) was a three-day musical celebration held in Auguust 1970 at Kralingse Bos (Kralingse Forest) in Rotterdam. Despite the rain, an estimated 100,000 heads showed up to witness an astounding event and an incredible lineup. But where to begin?

For my money a mesmerising Floyd performance which clearly shows they were way out on their own and much appreciated by the crowd.

The Quintessence showed just what a powerful singer Phil 'Shiva Shankar' Jones was. This was a singer who was greatly admired by Jim Morrison.

Al Stewart was such an unexpected jewel at the festival, his performance had such an ethereal and yet dignified feel, he was definately his own man there - no concessions, no sing-alongs.

Marc Bolan, performing at the end of his Tyrannosaurus Rex phase, with such grace and style too, nice guitar licks. A year later would see him on 'Top Of The Pops' and wowing all the teenage hearts.

It's A Beautiful Day, played during a storm and kicked up a storm themselves, and what can you say about Jefferson Airplane (with a very pregnant Grace Slick), Santana, Family, Country Joe, Canned Heat - all were in great form, too.

Festival Entrance

 Soft Machine, with Robert Wyatt head down flailing into his kit with that fabulous hat, Mike Ratledge and Elton Dean playing like there was no tomorrow, and the late great Hugh Hopper making sense of it all with his solid bass line. How did he ever do that?

The Byrds put in an astounding performance, despite appearing like roadies who had just wandered onto the stage.

The Byrds On Stage

Dutch WOODSTOCK? Don't kid yourselves, this is HOLAND, the festival had it's own unique character, the people, the atmoshere, the lineup, so comparison is pointless.

This post conists of MP3 (320) ripped from CD and comes with full album artwork and featured festival photos. Although no vinyl releases are available, bootleg recordings have been released and I have decided to add this one to the blog for its musical and historical significance.

TRACKLIST

CD1

01. Cuby And The Blizzards - Dust My Blues - 4:45

02. Canned Heat - Human Condition - 3:08

03. Canned Heat - So Sad - 5:31

04. Livin' Blues - Big Road Blues - 2:41

05. Al Stewart - Zero She Flies - 2:19

06. Quintessence - Giants - 2:38

07. East of Eden - The Sun of East - 15:49

08. East of Eden - Irish Theme - 3:19

09. Country Joe - Freedom - 3:54

10. Dr John - Mardis Gras Day - 4:31

11. Family - Drowned in Wine - 4:28

CD2

01. Santana - Gumbo - 3:57

02. Santana - Savor - 4:28

03. Santana - Jingo - 4:28

04. Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit - 2:18

05. Jefferson Airplance - The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil - 3:02

06. It's a Beautiful Day - Wasted Union Blues - 7:23

07. It's a Beautiful Day - Bulgaria - 4:01

08. T.Rex - By The Light of the Magical Moon - 3:18

09. The Byrds - Old Blue - 3:35

10. The Flock - Big Bird - 4:49

11. Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job - 6:03

12. Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun - 3:42

13. Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets - 6:21

Notes: 

Renaissance is listed on the poster, but did not play.

A second small stage, located in a tent, hosted additional acts such as Ekseption, Focus, and the Oscar Benton Blues Band. Pink Floyd performed at the festival on June 28, 1970.

Dutch Woodstock Link (267Mb)

Tommy Bolin - Teaser (1975) & Private Eyes (1976)

(U.S 1968 - 1976)

Tommy Bolin died in a Miami hotel of 4th December 1976 due to multiple drug intoxications. He is buried in Sioux City, Iowa, where he was born just 25 years earlier. The death of one so young is always a tragedy, but that it happened to a talent as unique as Tommy was somehow worse.

Most people know Tommy as the guy who replaced Ritchie Blackmore on the final incarnation (before the 1984 reformation) of Deep Purple.

Although some Purple fans felt uncomfortable with Bolin's style, many more seem to have hunted backwards from his one studio LP with Purple - 1975's 'Come Taste The Band' - for an all too small collection of works that make him one the world's finest exponents of the electric guitar, not to mention a first-rate singer and songwriter.

Tommy Bolin LP's with Zephyr, Billy Cobham and the James Gang

After being expelled from school for refusing to cut his hair, he moved to Denver, Colorado, and built a reputation with Zephyr (1968-72), the jazz-rock sexet Energy (who did not record), and his first foray into the limelight with the James Gang (1973-74). During this time, he guested on many records, notably jazz-rock drummer Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' (1973). In just two days, Bolin laid down the kind of guitar leads that have rarely been equalled.

Deep Purple (feat. Tommy Bolin)

Among the fans of the record was one David Coverdale, who, two years on in his capacity as singer for Deep Purple, suggested Tommy's name as a likely Blackmore replacement. In April 197, as Blackmore bowed out, Tommy signed a recording deal which led to his first solo record, 'Teaser', then bravely took the job with 1974's biggest selling act in the US. It was a busy month by any standards. 'Teaser' was released almost simultaneously with Purple's 'Come Taste The Band', and together they enabled the name and music of Tommy Bolin to reach the wide audience it so richly deserved.

Come Taste The Band

Come the spring of 1976, Purple had split, he was finally free to play his own solo tour and took to the road premiering material he would record in July for his second LP 'Private Eyes'

On drums was Bobby Berge (ex-Zephyr and Energy) and Stevie Wonder/Frank Zappa sidekick Norma Jean Bell played saxophone. One-time Vanilla Fudge member Mark Stein played keyboards, while Reggie McBride played Bass and provided backup vocals.

Reggie McBribe, Tommy Bolin, Norma Jean Bell

Together they turned in something of a classic, spanning the full range of Tommy's enormous songwriting styles from lilting ballads like "Sweet Burgundy", through the bold-as-brass funk of "Shake The Devil" to the heavy fuzzed riffing of the epic "Post Toastee" (reputed to be an edit of a take, twice the length of the final album cut).

Ironically, the longer cut was an attack on the very lifestyle that was to kill him - and, without wishing to dwell on Tommy's excessive use of recreational chemicals, his indulgences did have some effect on his recording sessions, cutting them back and preventing 'Private Eyes' from being a double album. Nevertheless, it remains a stunning if unintentional 'farewell' tribute. One can only speculate about what might have been. Tommy Bolin is sadly missed.... [by Neil Jefferies, Kerrang Magazine 1991]

Bolin continued working at a breakneck pace, guesting on the self-titled debut by Canadian Led Zeppelin clones Moxy. Sadly, Bolin was found dead from a heroin overdose on December 4, 1976, in Miami, FL (the day after opening a show for Jeff Beck), at the age of 25.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl (Teaser) and CD (Private Eyes) and includes full album artwork for each, along with label scans and associated photos displayed above.

Like many others, my first introduction to Tommy Bolin was through his brief involvement with Deep Purple, and once I got over 'that exit' by Blackmore, I began to appreciate Bolin's talent for what it was. I purchased both of his solo albums (and was flawed by his musicianship) and then undertook to find his past recordings with the bands as listed above. To this day, I think Bolin was a freak of nature and one can only imagine what he may have produced if he had not fallen victim to drug abuse.

It's hard to say what tracks I like the most on these two albums, as they are all GREAT, so I'm gonna pass and let you decide. If you haven't heard these albums yet then you are in for a real treat folks.

Teaser

Side 1
01 The Grind (3:26)
02 Homeward Strut (3:55)
03 Dreamer (5:08)
04 Savannah Woman (2:45)
05 Teaser (4:27)
Side 2
06 People, People (4:55)
07 Marching Powder (4:14)
08 Wild Dogs (4:40)
09 Lotus (3:57)
Bonus Tracks (MP3 / 320)
10 Dreamer (Early L.A. Demo 1974)
11 Teaser (Acoustic Home Demo 1973)

12 Wild Dogs (Early L.A. Demo 1974)

Band Members:
Tommy Bolin - Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals
Stanley Sheldon, Paul Stallworth, Bob Berge - Bass
Jeff Porcaro, Pairie Prince, Michael Walden - Drums
Phil Collins, Sammy Figueroa, Rafael Cruz - Percussion
David Foster, Jan Hammer, Ron Fransen - Keyboards
Dave Sanborn - Saxophone
The Sniffetes - Backing Vocals

Teaser Link (307Mb)

Private Eyes

Track Listing
01. Bustin' Out For Rosey
02. Sweet Burgundy
03. Post Toastee
04. Shake The Devil
05. Gypsy Soul
06. Someday Will Bring Our Love Home
07. Hello Again
08. You Told Me That You Loved Me
Bonus Tracks
09. Post Toastee (Acoustic Demo)
10. Gypsy Soul (Acoustic Demo)

11. Sweet Burgundy (Acoustic Demo Naked)

Band Members:
Tommy Bolin - Guitar, Lead Vocals
Reggie McBride - Bass, Vocals
Mark Stein - Keyboards, Vocals
Bobby Berge - Drums, Percussion
Bobbye Hall - Percussion
Norma Jean Bell - Saxophone, Vocals

Private Eyes Link (290Mb)

Deep Purple - Live In London (1982) FLAC

(U.K 1968 - 1976, 1984 - Present)

As Deep Purple Mk 2 ended their Japanese tour in June of 1973 and news of Gillan and Glover's departure reached fans around the world, it looked to many of us like the end. Yet even as papers printed details the remaining trio of Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and lan Paice were already looking for new members. Ex-Trapeze bassist Glenn Hughes was recruited almost at once and the line-up was completed in August with David Coverdale, whose vocals had stood out amidst a deluge of demo tapes the others had waded through that summer.

So almost exactly a year after the upheaval, Deep Purple - hot on the heels of their new studio album - were back in Britain for their long awaited homecoming tour. Kicking off up in Scotland, pausing only for a flying visit to Holland, they wound their way across the rest of the country during May, concluding the visit with an isolated replacement show at Southend in late June. This previously unreleased live set comes from that tour, taped before a capacity crowd at the Kilburn State Gaumont in London on May 22nd 1974 for an In Concert programme by the BBC; who found it easier to record a concert from the tour rather than get the band into the studio as in previous years.

Deep Purple's set kicked off with a sizeable chunk of the new album and from the title track BURN which opened the show, they were clearly not going to rest on laurels laid down by earlier lineups. It was followed by the then current single "Might Just Take Your Life", the influence of new blood clearly showing in the band's shift towards a heavy blues based sound; a shift in which however they didn't neglect the hard rock for which they were known and loved. Jon's gentle keyboard introduction
to "Lay Down Stay Down" precedes some excellent work from the whole band, the energy and enthusiasm which all but disappeared just a year before had returned in earnest. 

"Mistreated" climaxes the opening quartet of numbers, more than fulfilling the promise shown by the studio version. Ritchie rips into a magnificent opening barrage before settling into the riff as Coverdale's deep heartfelt vocals weigh in. Together they dominate the performance of what was for many people the highpoint of the show.

On to the second side and with Jon's introduction over, Ritchie leads the crowd into a brief song (and dance) before switching pick-ups, boosting the volume, and hitting the riff which conquered America - "Smoke On The Water", to their credit one of only two oldies they retained. 

The band then took the show to a close with two lengthy numbers of which "You Fool No One" is included here in full. One of their most adventurous numbers, it made good use of the dual vocal capabilities of Coverdale and Hughes adds some excellent bass work to back up Paice's phenomenal drumming. Ritchie belts out the tune like a demon, lets fly with a mammoth tremolo arm blitz and then contrasts it nicely with a gentle blues solo; underneath it all Jon's Hammond adds the final touches to a classic track.

Since it was first broadcast, this recording has remained an (officially) unheard but much demanded item amongst MK 3 Deep Purple fans. Rather hastily mixed at the time for an experimental broadcast in quadra phonic on June 6th, 1974 the tapes have here been completely remixed, whilst special cutting had enabled us to include almost an hour of unedited music in its original running order - only the rather over-long set closer "Space Truckin" being omitted. The material captures well the line-up's energetic performance at the height of their popularity and provides a worthy souvenir of their only British tour. Less than a year later Ritchie himself was bowing out, and the group's live form never fully recovered. [Liner notes by Simon Robinson]

An account from the Deep Purple Appreciation Society

In May of 1974, Deep Purple were on tour in England and Wales (having played Scotland the previous month), for the first (and last) time with the new Mk3 line-up, singer David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes having replaced Gillan and Glover.

The shows were tremendous, with Blackmore, having gained more control over the musical direction, in particularly awesome form - effortlessly ranging from quiet blues to hard riffing. Although following Mk 2 wasn't an easy task, the band pulled it off and while some people missed the older material, few could deny the new set - already honed by a big American tour - was extremely powerful.

The band played the larger theatres and town halls right across the country, with a set list firmly based around the new Burn album issued just three months before. Only "Smoke on the Water" and a lengthy much revamped "Space Truckin'" remained from Mk 2 days, with "Highway Star" as part of the encore. London did well, with three shows at different venues; Hammersmith Odeon, Lewisham Odeon and the Gaumont in Kilburn. This last show was recorded officially and broadcast by the BBC (and later issued on vinyl as "Live In London"). The opening number "Burn" at Hammersmith was also filmed (see below). The tour, which was supported by Ronnie Dio's band Elf, ended in Coventry on the 28th.[extract from deep-purple.net]

Deep Purple - Burn ( Hammersmith Odeon 1974 )

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my recently purchased vinyl from a record store in Athens, while holidaying in Europe last year. Full album artwork and label scans are also included, along with all post photos. The condition of the vinyl and album cover are almost mint and this is definately one of my prized additions in my record collection. Like many Deep Purple fans, it took me some time to adjust to the new lineup when Gillian and Glover left the band, however Coverdale's voice and the funky sound of the MK3 outfit soon grew on me and their LP Burn has remained high on my playlist over the years.

Recorded live on 22nd May 1974 at Kilburn State Gaumont in London, the album features over 57 minutes of  Heavy Rockin' Music.  Due to the lengthy running times of both vinyl sides, the recording is lacking in the low register, so I have taken the liberty of enhancing the bass line during the riping process.

It should be noted that the Side 2 record label incorrectly lists a third track "The Mule", although there is a brief interlude (maybe 1 min) within "You Fool No One" where the main riff from The Mule is played, but quickly returns back to chorus for You Fool No One.

The track listing on the back cover of the album only lists two tracks on the second side.

Track List:

01 Burn   

02 Might Just Take Your Life

03 Lay Down Stay Down

04 Mistreated

05 Smoke On The Water

06 You Fool No One

Deep Purple MK3:

Lead Vocals – David Coverdale

Bass Guitar, Vocals – Glenn Hughes

Drums – Ian Paice

Electric Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore

Keyboards – Jon Lord 

Live In London Link  (342Mb)

REPOST: Loverboy - Big Ones (1989)

(Canadian 1979-1989, 1991 - Present)
.

If you partied at all in the 80s, chances are your soundtrack included Loverboy. The band captivated legions of loyal fans and helped define the original party rock era of the 1980s. They have sold more than 20 million records worldwide and touched generations of music fans.

Formed in 1979 in Calgary, Canada, Loverboy signed their first deal with Columbia Records Canada in 1980 and immediately went into the studio with producer Bruce Fairbairn and Canadian Music Hall of Fame member Bob Rock to record their self-titled debut album. The band’s music was driven by the powerful vocals of Mike Reno, the relentless rock groove of lead guitarist Paul Dean, the bass stylings of Scott Smith, the melodies of keyboardist Doug Johnson and the heavy rhythms of drummer Matt Frenette. They turned their collective talent into hits such as “Turn Me Loose” and “The Kid Is Hot Tonite.” Loverboy flew off the shelves, setting record sales for a debut album at the time with over 700,000 albums sold in Canada.

Soon after its U.S. release, the album surpassed two million copies sold in North America and four million worldwide. At the 1982 JUNO Awards, Loverboy’s debut garnered an unprecedented six wins in one night.

The band struck platinum yet again with their sophomore release, Get Lucky (1981). It featured the mega-party anthem, “Everybody’s Working For The Weekend,” a song entrenched in popular culture and a mantra for the working masses. The band subsequently garnered two more consecutive wins for Group of the Year (1983, 1984) and another JUNO Award for Album of the Year in 1983.

From 1980 through 1987, the band released four multi-platinum bestsellers featuring such classics as “Hot Girls in Love,” “When It’s Over,” and “This Could Be The Night,” as well as the smash hit “Heaven In Your Eyes,” recorded for the movie Top Gun.

On stage, Loverboy delivered energy, skill, style and showmanship, establishing themselves as a major live act and building a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in rock. They played more than 200 shows in 1980, embarked on an eight-month world tour in 1983 to promote their third album Keep it Up, and hit 100 cities across North America with the release of their fourth album, Lovin’ Every Minute of It (1985).

The band filled arena after arena, becoming one of the top five grossing touring acts and the first Canadian group to be awarded Columbia Records’ Crystal Globe Award for selling over five million records outside their native country.

The release of Wildside, their fifth album, followed in September 1987. While the band scored a minor hit with "Notorious", co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the album sold relatively poorly and the band broke up in 1988 due to tensions between Dean and Reno.

Dean released a solo album, Hardcore, in May 1989 and a Loverboy greatest-hits album, Big Ones, was released later that same year, in October, to fulfill Loverboy's obligation to Columbia Records. The group briefly reunited in late 1989 to tour to promote it, but broke up again at the tour's conclusion.

The band finally returned to the stage for a benefit concert in 1992 for friend and fellow recording artist Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod. The reception to their performance from music fans and industry professionals was over whelming and prompted the band to go back on tour.

In November 2000, the band suffered a tragic loss when founding bassist Scott Smith lost his life in a boating accident. The surviving members came together and, with the introduction of new bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve, dedicated their next album, a live greatest hits collection called Live, Loud & Loose, to Smith’s memory.

Reno & Smith

In 2005, Loverboy marked their silver anniversary by embarking on a North American summer tour to perform their greatest hits over the previous 25 years, along with some new songs. After a decade away from the studio, the band next recorded the tough-rocking 2007 release, Just Getting Started, starting a creative new chapter in the long history of Loverboy.

The band continues to tour with an average of 60 to 80 shows a year across North America – a testament to their lasting popularity and impressive longevity in the music business. That’s right: they’re still working for your weekend. [extract from the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame Website]

This post consists of  FLACs ripped from my CD and comes with full album artwork for both CD and Vinyl formats, along with label scans.  I must admit that I had always thought of Loverboy as being a one hit band, but when I heard this compilation it became immediately evident that Loverboy had produced a string of hits that easily measured up "Turn me Loose".  The CD release, featured here contains 14 tracks whereas the vinyl release only has 10.  "Working For The Weekend", "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Notorious" (all top 10 hits) are all there along with a string of other catchy tunes, proving that this Canadian band were a force to be reckoned with. So, let me 'turn you loose' and encourage you to grab a copy while it stays Hot Tonite"

                               

                 +++++ New Improved Rip +++++

.

Track Listing

01 Working For The Weekend 3:43

02 For You 5:56

03 The Kid Is Hot Tonite 4:29

04 Lovin' Every Minute Of It 3:34

05 Lucky Ones 3:52

06 Hot Girls In Love 4:01

07 This Could Be Night 5:00

08 Ain't Looking For Love 4:42

09 Turn Me Loose 5:38

10 Notorious 4:42

11 When It´s Over 5:09

12 Too Hot 4:26

13 Take Me To The Top 6:13

14 Heaven In Your Eyes 4:03

.

Loverboy were:

Mike Reno (Vocals)
Paul Dean (Guitar)
Scott Smith (Bass)
Doug Johnson (Keyboards)
Matt Frenette (Drums)

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Loverboy Big Ones (447Mb)
  New Link 03/09/2026

W.O.C.K on Vinyl: John Vincent and Celsius '69 Present Ken Noath and the Ocker Rockers - Almost Live at the Findon [EP] (1974)

 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.

Disc Jockey John Vincent was one of Adelaide’s most-loved radio personalities in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s Heard on air, seen on TV, compering dances or performing musically under the pseudonym Ken Noath (sometimes Ken Oath *) & The Ocker Rockers. Having originally started in country radio, Moved to Hobart's 7HO in early sixties. John moved to Adelaide and Radio 5AD sometime in the mid 60s.

In the early 70s he moved to Radio Earth Station 5KA and started recording with Adelaide Band Celsius 69 (AKA Fahrenheit 451), The In-Sect, and others.

He started releasing the odd single in 1967. And they were truly odd. 'Owyagoing' was the first, followed by "classics" like Madge's Charity Badges, 'Owyagoing Santa Claus etc etc. In the early 70s he was a regular guest on Barry Ion's TV chat show and to differentiate between his radio & performing personas, Vincent adopted the moniker "Ken Noath", apparently inspired by expletives heard at his concerts.

John Vicent was also known for live performances of his comic turns, with bands like Celsius 69, Fahrenheit 451 and The Ken Noath Ockestra.

After his stint in Adelaide, he moved east to commence work as the breakfast announcer at 2GB. John Vincent had been plagued with serious health problems for most of his life and he found the pace of radio affecting his wellbeing, eventually retiring from the airwaves in the 90s. He died in 2009.

This live EP is a good example of his great Ocker satire and musical proness.

RCA lifted these tracks from an LP on the totally obscure Slack label. Slack Records was a one-off pressed by the optimistic Nationwide/EMS outfit who never achieved distribution much beyond Adelaide, although in the mid ‘70s they released a bewildering number of singles and LPs sourced locally and from overseas.

Ken says 'Owyagoing'

These tracks are very local, featuring Adelaide radio person John Vincent belting out his tongue-in-cheek “ocker rock” live at the Findon Hotel in 1974. Suburban Aussie rock at it’s very worst/best, depending on your attitude. Celsius 69 were a good rock band with an excellent lead guitarist (Jimmy Jonas) and bass player John Bywaters (best known as a longtime member of The Twilights).

*  "Bloody oath" (often colloquially intensified or misheard as "blood oath" or "Ken Oath") is an iconic Australian slang phrase meaning "absolutely," "you bet," or "it's the absolute truth"

So, this month's WOCK post ticks most boxes, Crazy, Korny, even Obscure [Ken Oath !] and are some of the funniest satirical recordings I've ever heard.  Ripped to FLAC, this post also includes artwork and label scans.  Well, that's it from me until next month folks...... I'm off to put a snag on me barbie - blood oath! 

Track Listing:

01 - (Thump Thump, Bash Bash) Jungle Music

02 - The Flasher

03 - I Forgive You

04 - Watermelon Song

Ken Oath's EP  (64Mb)