Jim Keays - The Boy From The Stars (1974) + Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1964 - 2014)

Jim Keays fronted the successful Master's Apprentices until they broke up in the U.K. 1971. This marked a career change and he returned to Australia, where he worked for Go-Set magazine, formed the Rock On Agency, and appeared at the Mulwala Rock Festival in April 1972. In March 1973, he starred in the Australian version of the Who's Tommy and in January 1974, Keays participated in the third annual Sunbury Festival.

Keays then returned to music, recording his debut solo album, 'The Boy From the Stars', a concept album about an extraterrestrial visitor who attempts to warn people of the earth's imminent destruction. Keays, playing the role of the boy from the stars, wrote most of the music and all of the lyrics. "Kid's Blues"/"Inter-Planetary Boogie" (December 1974) and "The Boy From the Stars"/"Take It on Easy" were released as singles and Keays undertook an ambitious tour in support of the album, but due to the size of the show, only three concerts were staged. The anti-drug song "Give It Up (Cocainut)"/"Love Is" was released in June 1975. 

Keays and his fellow Master's Apprentices bandmembers were inducted into the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 1998. In 1999, Keays published his first book, His Master's Voice, which told the story of the Masters Apprentices. In January 2000, Raven Records reissued Keays' 1974 solo album, The Boy From the Stars, with five bonus tracks. The Mavis's contributed a cover of "The Boy From the Stars" to the original soundtrack of the Australian film Sample People in May 2000 [by Brendan Swift]

Jim Keays talks about The Boy From The Stars

At some stage in our lives most of us embark on a search to look for the meaning of life in general and/or our own lives in particular: where are we from, why are we here and where are we going? 

For some, the search lasts a few days, for others weeks, months or years. For a few it is a lifetime's pursuit.

During my career with The Master's Apprentices there was no time for searching: the pace was far too hectic for any kind of introspection. But as soon as it was all over I began to ponder these universal questions. At the same time the 'hippie' movement had begun to force the world into realising that the planet was in some danger, and many changes needed to be made to save it from destruction socially, politically and environmentally. I researched everything from astrology, tarot, alchemy, UFO's and homeopathy to eastern and western religions, science, philosophy, physics, eastern and western medicine, politics and everything inbetween.

All this searching seemed to synthesis itself into a concept in my mind that eventually manifested itself into a batch of songs with a thread of a story that incorporated many of the things that I had learned and absorbed.

And so, 'The Boy From The Stars' was born. Simply, the story of a visitor from an advanced but belevolent civilisation somewhere in the cosmos, who tries to alert us to our impeding fate in an effort to help us avert it. (all in a positive way I might add. This is not a doom and gloom senario!).

After writing the songs, came the job of assembling the players for the recording sessions. I wanted the best there were for my grandiose project, and one by one I set about matching the player with the song. I heard sounds in my head that hadn't been invented yet, so somehow I had to create them, or cause them to be created, from musicians at the cutting edge of the newly emerging technology of the time (a time that preceded the electronic explosion of the mid-seventies).

'The Boy From The Stars' Photo Collage

The late Steve Dunstan, Bruce 'Wings' Bryan, Mal Logan, Peter Robinson and Andrew Vance were experimenting with new sounds from the earliest forms of the synthesiser. In the case of Steve Dunstan, he was inventing new electronic musical instruments and giving them such bizarre names like the 'zapophone'. These musicians supplied the sounds, and together they attempted to create the cosmic soundscapes that I had in mind.

Long standing friends, such as Phil Manning and Barry 'Big Goose' Sullivan from Chain, the late Duncan McGuire, Mark Kennedy and Col Loughnan from Ayers Rock, Lobby Loyde, Ross Wilson, Marcia Hines, Billy Green and many others that have since become stalwarts of Australian music history, all took part in creating what was probably one of the first 'concept' albums produced in this country.

Because of the intricacy of the recording, live versions of the show were both complicated and costly. Consequently I only ever staged three performances. The first was at the Sunbury Music Festival in Jan, 1975, the second was the Dallas Brookes Hall in Melbourne and the third was a Freedom from Hunger benefit concert at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. The Myer Music Bowl concert was almost totally rained out and my performance was severly cut back in production value and length to accomodate the large bill which also included ACDC, Daddy Cool and Hush among others. The whole concert was something of a disaster, played out to a scant crowd in very bleak conditions, and for me, was quite forgettable. The Dallas Brookes Hall show was a sell-out and, despite a few production hiccups, was a great success.

The highlight (or lowlight, depending on how you look at it!) happened at the very opening of the show. I'd had a perspex space capsule constructed which was suspended from the ceiling, with me inside, and during the first song it gradually descended onto the stage.

Unfortunately it toppled over on landing, rolled across the stage and trapped me inside so that I couldn't get out through the door! The roadies had to run onto the stage and roll the capsule around so that I could clumsily stumble out. 'Spinal Tap' style !  But despite this rather comical interlude, we continued on and ended up with a standing ovation.

Jim Keays Lineup For Sunbury 75'

It was the debut performance at Sunbury, however, that really worked to perfection. It was a balmy Friday night (before the torrential rain that marred the Saturday and Sunday nights) and the usually rowdy audience sat hushed and transfixed through the entire show. It entailed three acts, elaborate sets and props and several costume changes (Renee Geyer was my backstage dresser). On stage was a 14-piece band incorporating most of the players from the album sessions, plus Glenn Wheatley who had just returned from overseas and pleaded to be part of the action.

When the capsule was lowered from the stage roof, the audience gasped - it was totally unexpected and certainly not the style of performance for which the 'suck more piss' Sunbury crowd was ready. I had a feeling that it may have been a bit too cerebral in this type of setting. During the second act, as the lights dimmed over suitable cosmic sounds, a gang of roadies brought out about 40 small trees that I'd hired from a nursery to create a forest on stage.

The show climaxed with a rousing rendition of "Reason To Be Living", and I came off to complete silence. I thought that they must have hated it; there wasn't a sound for what seemed an eternity. Then suddenly the audience erupted into rapturous applause - it had taken them that long for it to sink in, but it turned out to be a great personal triumph and one of the highlights of the festival.

The headlining act that year, Deep Purple, were paid an enormous sum and, other than for myself, they were the only act to get paid. Luckily, I had the foresight to do a deal with a sponsor who paid for the whole show up front. Sadly all of the other artists that appeared that year ended up doing it for nothing.

I conceived 'The Boy From The Stars' in every detail: the songs, the players, the album cover, the sponsorship, the costumes (with help from Richard Tyler - now an internationally famous fashion designer), the photography, even the lettering. Every aspect from top to bottom. It was something I was totally passionate about, a two-year labour of love but in the final analysis it was worth every day.

The album and the two singles lifted from it all charted at the time, but as is the case with many albums, they seem to generate more interest, momentum and importance the older they get. Maybe, as many have suggested, this album was ahead of its time, for it now seems that 'The Boy From The Stars' has gained a cult following and has become quite sought after in the collectors market. The title track has now been brillantly covered by The Mavis's to be featured in the movie 'Sample People'.

Jim Keays passed away on June 13, 2014.
He had been suffering from Multiple Myeloma for seven years.

Included on this special 25th Anniversary CD Edition are a couple of bonus tracks that weren't part of the Boy concept (with the exception of "Inter-Planetary Boogie", a studio jam that was relegated to the B-Side of the "Kid's Blues" single). Nevertheless, they are songs recorded around the same period and previously unavailable on album. Ian McFarlane from 'Raven Records' recently tracked down the long-lost master tapes of the complete, unreleased Sunbury 1975 concert. Two of the tracks, "Nothing Much Left" and "Urantia", have been added for curiosity value. Despite the rough-hewn sound quality, I'm sure you'll  agree that the performances stand up remarkably well.

I hope you enjoy the album for what it is - an historical document from an important period of development in Australian popular music. 

[Liner notes by Jim Keays - July 1999] 

Jim Keays Costume

Below is the original EMI Globe promotional sheet for the LP, capturing the theatrical vision of the project. Jim fully embraced a dramatic, futuristic persona during this period, including the now-iconic helmet, which he famously wore performing at the final Sunbury Pop Festival.

The striking costume and helmet were created by his then wife Vicki Keays, and today they are proudly displayed at the Melbourne Music Vault - preserving an unforgettable chapter of Australian rock history.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from the 25th Anniversary CD Edition of the album (thanks to Deutros) and includes full artwork for both CD and Vinyl.  (I have a secondhand copy of the LP, however the vinyl is in rough condition and was not conducive to ripping).

All photos displayed in this post are also included.  I would like to give special thanks to Instagram's themastersapprentices for the EMI Globe promotional sheet and picture of Keay's helmet dsiplayed above.

Track Listing:

01. The Boy From The Stars - 5:45

02. Take It On Easy (Jim Keays, John Brownrigg) - 4:36

03. Nothing Much Left (Jim Keays, John Brownrigg) - 5:05

04. Space Brothers - 9:07

05. Alchemical Takeover - 4:45

06. Urantia (Jim Keays, John Brownrigg) - 5:50

07. Kids' Blues - 3:28

08. The Right Way To Go - 5:24

09. Reason To Be Living - 7:52

10. Inter-Planetary Boogie [Bonus Track] - 4:06

11. Give It Up (Cocainut) [Bonus Track] - 4:10

12. For Someone [Bonus Track] - 5:40

13. Interview With John O'Donnell 3XY [Bonus Track] - 1:34

14. Nothing Much Left / Urantia (Jim Keays, John Brownrigg) [Bonus Track] - 11:04

All compositions by Jim Keays except where stated

Bonus Tracks 10-14

Tracks 10-12 from Singles releases

Tracks 13-14 Live At Sunbury 1975

Musicians

*Jim Keays - Lead Vocals

*Phil Manning - Guitars

*Peter Jones - String Arrangement

*Duncan McGuire - 4 String Fretless Bass

*Mark Kennedy - Drums

*Chris Brown - Acoustic Guitar

*Peter Robinson - Synthesizer

*Greg Cook - 12 String Acoustic Guitar

*Mal Logan - Synthesizer

*Marcia Hines - Backing Vocals

*Tony Buettel - Drums

*Barry Sullivan - 4 String Electric Bass

*Billy Green - Guitars

*John Brownrigg - Harmony Vocals

*Mark Kennedy - Drums, Timpani, Percussion

*Peter Sullivan - Piano

*Lobby Loyde - Electric Guitar

*Ross Wilson - Electric Guitar

*Bruce (Wings) Bryan - Synthesizer

*Andrew Vance - Organ

*Antonio Rodrigues - Congas

*Trevor Courtney - Drums

*Col Loughnan - Baritone Saxophone

*Tony Buettel - Drums

*Mick Elliot - Electric Guitar

*Geoff Skewes - Electric Piano

*Steve Dunston - Zapophone

*Joe Creighton - Bass

*Geoff Bridgeford – Drums

*Ross Hannaford – Electric Guitar

*Peter Laffy - Acoustic Guitar

*George Cross – Bass

*Rick Brewer – Drums

*Rex Bullen – Piano, Organ

The Boy From The Stars Link (568Mb)

Steve Winwood - Keep On Running (1991) + Bonus Tracks

(UK 1961 - Present)

Few artists have contributed so much to the modern face of music as Steve Winwood. 

But besides the extraordinary musical versatility there's always been his indelible trademark - that voice. Britain has, simply, never produced a better singer.

Steve Winwood was 15-years-old when he was discovered by Island founder, Chris Blackwell. The band was called the Spencer Davis Group but Steve was always the mainman. Blackwell was astonished to find a young English singer who sounded a little like Ray Charles but, most of all, could cut the blue notes with his own distinctive voice.

The Spencer Davis Group made their debut with "Dimples", a John Lee Hooker cover. Three more sides were released before the group strung together a remarkable series of classic tunes. Consider: "Keep On Running" with its distinctive fuzzed guitar intro, "Somebody Help Me", the Hammond organ swirl of "Gimme Some Lovin' " and the pounding, pleading "I'm A Man". Classics? And then some.

The Spencer Davis Group 1966

Nevertheless, as 1967 kicked off, Steve was already planning the next phase which would involve the creation of a new band to accommodate his widening musical horizons. That group was Traffic. Together with Chris Wood, Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi, Steve intended to create a new musical synthesis. A uniquely British musical idiom that would fuse jazz with the traditional, classics amalgamated with folk & rock. 

Traffic opened their account with a top five success, "Paper Sun" and a first album that, after near enough twenty-five years, has truly stood the test of time. 'Mr. Fantasy' was one of a rare breed at the time, an album that was conceived as an album, not simply a collection of tunes hung around a couple of hit singles.

Traffic 1968

A second, simply called 'Traffic', was released in the summer of '68 but, by the start of the next year, Winwood's creativity was being channelled elsewhere. Renewing a friendship, he started work on a new project with Eric Clapton which would also involve Rich Grech (bass) and Ginger Baker (drums). The new band was called 'BlindFaith'. Despite a welter of good intentions, Blind Faith was at once labelled the world's first supergroup, a tag that the members found difficult to shrug off. After one hugely successful album, a British debut to 100,000 people in London's Hyde Park and a lengthy American tour the pressures finally told. Blind Faith, inevitably, fell to bits.

Blind Faith 1969

Winwood ensconced himself in the studios with producer Guy Stevens, busying himself with sessions for a solo record that had the working title of Mad Shadows. Midway through the sessions, however, Winwood again enlisted the talents of Wood and Capaldi.

The resulting record was re-titled 'John Barleycorn Must Die', possibly the most enduring Traffic album and the one closest to Winwood's original blueprint. His r&b roots were evident, but so too were his increasing fascination with English melodies; a combination that has long since been a distinctive element of his work.

Traffic's musical hybrid continued apace. The 'Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys' in 1971 was quickly followed by 'Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory' and the group, with its original three-man nucleus, had swollen to almost big band proportions with the addition of the Muscle Shoals sidemen. The endless round of touring, however, began to take their toll. A final album, 'When The Eagle Flies', was recorded with a slimmed down version before Traffic's swansong, headlining the Reading Festival on August Bank Holiday weekend 1974.

The next three years were spent cloistered away from the demands of the previous years. Steve's antidote was to build his own studio - Netherturkdonic - at home in Gloucestershire which would enable him to work at his own, unhurried pace. During this time he also collaborated on Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamash'ta's acclaimed 'Go' project, recorded with George Harrison and appeared as guest guitarist with the definitive salsa group, 'The Fania All Stars' at London's Lyceum Ballroom.

By 1976, Steve was ready to make the first moves in his solo career. His studio band included The Wailers' Junior Marvin on guitar, Andy Newmark and Willie Weeks as rhythm section, as well as Jim Capaldi. Eponymously titled, the album epitomised all the spirit and verve that had long characterised Winwood's work and, one track in particular, clearly signposted the future. The closing cut on Side 1 of Steve Winwood was "Midland Maniac" - written, played, engineered, produced, and sung by - a bonafide solo cut. In short, pure Winwood.

By 1980, Steve was planning a further instalment in his career after a three year gap of working on outside projects that include a sizable contribution to Marianne Faithfull's Grammy nominated Broken English LP. Working very much at his own pace and responsible for every facet of the recording process himself, he began what was to become 'Arc of a Diver', a landmark record in his career. The record, which was released on the last day of the year, returned Winwood's talents to the limelight and nestled among the top sellers around the world for much of 1981. Buoyed by the success, Steve considered the idea of touring again but embroiled himself in a further LP before that idea took firm hold.

The third solo effort was 'Talking Back To The Night', but this time there was little delay in between releases. That album consolidated the success of its predecessor and Steve toured Britain and Europe the following year - the first time he'd been on the road for nearly a decade.

In 1986, Steve released the 'Back In The Highlife album'. The self imposed truly solo recordings mould had been broken. In conjunction with Russ Titleman, Steve gathered around him a stellar list of players - Nile Rogers, Steve Ferrone, Randy Brecker, Chaka Khan, Joe Walsh and James Taylor and forsook the English countryside to record the album in New York.

Back In The Highlife' was Winwood's biggest solo success to date. Its first single, "Higher Love" (featuring a duet with Chaka Khan) reached number three in the U. S. charts; indeed, the album was nominated for several Grammy Awards.

It was also Winwood's last album for IsIand Records, after more than twenty years he severed his connexions with the company, leaving behind a rich legacy of music that still sounds vital and fresh: the sure sign of an enduring talent. [Liner Notes]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my CD copy of the album and includes full artwork for both Vinyl and CD releases. Although a strong and brief anthology of Steve Winwood's recording highlights, there were still a couple of essential tracks missing which I felt compelled to add as Bonus Tracks (and still fit into the running time constraints for the CD).

Firstly, the opening track from his 'Arc Of A Diver' LP - "While You See A Chance" and his mega hit single "Higher Love" from the 'Back In The Highlife' album.

Track List:

01 Spencer Davis Group – Keep On Running 2:42
02 Spencer Davis Group – Gimme Some Lovin' 2:52
03 Spencer Davis Group – Somebody Help Me 1:58
04 Spencer Davis Group – I'm A Man 2:48
05 Spencer Davis Group – Every Little Bit Hurts 3:28
06 Traffic – Paper Sun 4:14
07 Traffic – Smiling Phases 2:39
08 Traffic – Heaven Is In Your Mind 4:15
09 Traffic – Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush 2:39
10 Traffic – No Face, No Name, No Number 3:31
11 Blind Faith – Well Alright 4:24
12 Traffic – Empty Pages 4:33
13 Traffic – John Barleycorn (Must Die) 6:20
14 Kabaka/Amao/Winwood – Happy Vibes 4:57

15 Traffic – Something New 3:13
16 Steve Winwood – Time Is Running Out (Long Version) 6:28
17 Steve Winwood – Hold On 4:27
18 Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance - 5:13 [Bonus Track]
19 Steve Winwood - Higher Love 4:10 [Bonus Track]

Keep On Running Link (484Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Puffing Billy - Whistles In The Hills EP (1964) / Alan Rowe - The Puffing Billy Song [Single] (1975)

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

"The Puffing Billy" song, published by Allan's Music, is about  Victoria's famous narrow-gauge railway train, fondly called "Puffying Billy", which runs through the beautiful Dandenong Ranges some twenty-six miles (41km) from Melbourne. The winding track joins the picturess mountain areas of Belgrave and Emerald.

This tourist attraction is wholly maintained by the 'Puffing Billy ' Preservation Society, a dedicated group of enthusiasts, who keep the train running, much to the delight of thousands children and adults each year. 'Puffing Billy' would undoubtedly be on of the most photographed trains in the world.

Alan Rowe, himself a keen railway enthusiast, wrote this song because of  "Billy's" fame and popularity.  On this recording you can hear the train's familar "puff, puff" and "whoo, whoo" in addition to the music and lyrics.  

WHISTLES IN THE HILLS

During the first years of this century, the Victorian Government was engaged in a large scale expansion of its railway system as it attempted to open up the state for settlement, As part of- this expansion four narrow (2 foot 6 inch) gauge lines were built, this being an inexpensive way of bringing rail service to outlying communities - particularly those in mountainous terrain.

Of the four lines, two captured the imagination of the people of Victoria. The Upper Ferntree Gully-Gembrook line in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne (known to all as "Puffing Billy") and the Colac-Beech Forest line in the Otway Ranges, known affectionately as "The Beechie". Of these, only a portion of one remains to remind us of a leisurely but dignified past.

Each locomotive operating on the Puffing Billy Railway has its own rich history and identity. The NA Class locomotives were originally referred to as ‘narrow gauge’. This was later abbreviated to NA Class.

The NA locomotive is the only class to have operated on the Upper Fern Tree Gully to Gembrook railway prior to closure in 1954. In fact prior to 1978, they were the only locomotives to run on Puffing Billy Railway. Other locomotives now on the line are "foreign" to the Puffing Billy Railway, although G42, the Climax, and the Tractor Appliance Company Limited (T.A.C.L) can claim association through the Moe to Walhalla railway, where they operated alongside each other on a timber tramway that branched off at Collins Siding, near the township of Erica.

PUFFING BILLY

Puffing Billy now runs on the 8-mile portion of the original railway between Belgrave and Lakeside - no longer as a common carrier but as a tourist attraction. Normal services to Gembrook were withdrawn in 1953 when a landslide near Selby caused the closure of the line.

A reprieve for the railway came in 1954 with the formation of the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, a non-profit organization whose aim is to preserve and operate this unique line as part of our heritage.

Puffing Billy then ran regularly between Upper-Ferntree Gully and Belgrave (the 4-mile section unaffected by the landslide) until 1958, when the extension of the Melbourne electric suburban service to Belgrave curtailed operations.

Determined that the little train would not be lost, the Society undertook to restore the narrow gauge beyond Belgrave. This labour of love by many people brought about the triumphant reopening of the line as far as Menzies Creek in 1962, and the extension to Emerald some three years later.

The locomotives used on the Puffing Billy line are the Narrow Gauge "A" (NA) Class of the V.R. Of the original 17 locomotives, only six remain to run Puffing Billy.

Top to Bottom: Puffing Billy NA Class Locomotives - 3A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 12A, 14A

THE BEECHIE:

In an attempt to reduce train miles on the Colac-Beech Forest-Crowes and Moe-Walhalla lines where traffic was particularly heavy, two Garratt engines (G41 and G42) were purchased in 1926 from the firm of Beyer Peacock & Co., Manchester, England. These were considerably bigger than the NAs and were capable of hauling twice the load.

After their introduction, these engines took over most of the duties on their two lines until 1954 when, with the closure of the line between Moe and Erica, G42 was transferred to Colac.

Unlike the Gembrook line, the Beech Forest line was not close to a large centre of population, so the Beechie was never fated to become a thriving tourist line. In the final years of operation, many rail fan excursions were run but these are hot sufficient to keep a railway operating, and on the 30th June, 1952, a tired G42 pulled the last train into Colac, closing the door on the last genuine operating narrow gauge line in the state.

The G42 was displayed at the Puffing Billy Preservation Society's museum at Menzies Creek until 1977 until transferred to Belgrave, where restoration to operation began in earnest in the late 1980's. As a quirk of ferroequinology history, Australian Portland Cement at Fyansford had also selected the WAGR Ms-class design for their locomotive needs. The boiler of their No.1 had been saved by the PBPS and was overhauled and fitted to G 42 during its rebuilding. G 42's original boiler is now displayed at Menzies Creek Museum.

After a very thorough and expensive restoration, G 42 was returned to service on 11 March 2004 when she moved under her own steam for the first time in 42 years. Today G 42 continues to satisfy its original design brief by eliminating double-heading of the NA locomotives on Puffing Billy's heaviest weekend trains.

For more information regarding Puffing Billy and its train services and tourist activities on offer, take a look at their website

Puffing Billy Locomotive 7NA

Side One: Storylines

1. Before the journey we hear the characteristic beat of the air compressor as Puffing Billy engine 7NA approaches the train. The fireman releases the air in the train line, there is a crash of couplers and the engine is on the train. Oil and hot water bubble on the compressor as the air hose is connected and the cock opened. Compressor beats rapidly speed up as it charges the Westinghouse air brakes before the train starts on the downgrade out of Belgrave.

2. Our journey begins! From Belgrave platform the compressor is heard in the background. The train departure announcement is made over the P.A. system, bell rings, guard whistles, engine whistles and the train rumbles out of the platform. As the sound of the air pump fades into the distance, a whistle echoes in the hills.

3. A whistle and a long echo announce the train's approach to Selby where it makes a brief stop. Another whistle (with echo) and the exhaust blasts reverbarate across the valley as the engine stamps out of the station and passes into the distance.

4. The train is heard as it approaches the landslide site, rolling up to the 2-chain radius curve, creaking around it and then puffing gently to a halt on the straight deviation. The stop is made to allow Sociely ticket examiners to change cars. This done, the guard whistles, engine replies then blasts around a 2 1/2-chain curve, car flanges screaming their protest against the rail. As the last cars pass, the engine finds a "greasy" patch of rail, slips, recovers, and then the train disappears round a bend as another whistle echoes trom hill to hill.

Side Two: Storylines

1. Engine No. 7NA approaches through the forest near belgrave. Weeds and Eucalyptus oil on the rails cause the engine to slip madly but the driver quickly makes a perfect recovery and the train passes up the grade with little loss of momentum.

2. Back on Belgrave platform, we listen to Puffing Billy returning. The train slowly climbs the 1 in 4O grade into the platform and stops. As happy passengers leave the carriages, the P.A. system sounds forth with connecting train information.

"Beechie"

GARRATT  ENGINE G42 (THE BEECHIE)

3. On a wet, cold and windy Wednesday (9/5/62) we overtake G42 on the weekly goods train to Beech Forest and pace it by car. Suddenly one of the engine units slips and the safety value blows off with its characteristic high-pitched whistle.

4. Near McDevitt on a 1 to 30 grade, G42 finds that the combination of wet rail, wet sand, 2-chain radius curves and a load of about 70 tons makes thye going heavy and slips every few feet, first one engine unit, then the other. Steam shrouds the engine, leaking at every available home and joint. Eventually the traion had to be divided.

5. With the sound of the the timber mill and magpies in the background, the train is heard approaching Beech Forest station. As it passes our microphone, a flat wheel on one of the wagons clunks by.

This month's WOCK of Vinyl post is yet again another Obscure post due to the rarity of the recordings but also ticks the O box for the two OP Shops I sourced them from [both on the same day]. What are the Odds folks?  

"The Puffying Billy Song" is ripped to FLAC while the "Whistles In The Hills" was ripped to MP3 (non-music content) with some de-clickling applied.  EP Cover artwork and label scans included.

Thanks to the Puffying Billy Website for all locomotive photos displayed in this post.

Puffying Billy EP's Link (85Mb)

John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Collection (1991)

(U.K 1962 - Present)

John McLaughlin was born in Yorkshire on 4th January, 1942. Growing up in a musical family he studied piano and violin from the age of seven and, influenced by American blues recordings, picked up the guitar in his early teens. He first came to prominence in the mid-Sixties playing with various English R&B bands, including the Graham Bond Organisation (with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker) and Brian Auger's Trinity.

In 1969 he cut his solo debut 'Extrapolation', and although making no commercial impact, it established McLaughlin as a fast-rising star possessed of a dazzling virtuosity. It also attracted the attention of drummer Tony Williams who invited McLaughlin to the States to join his outfit, 'Lifetime'. He subsequently came to the notice of Miles Davis, and over the next hectic 18 months played on two Lifetime albums ('Emergency' and 'Turn It Over') and two classic Davis jazz-rock sets, 'Bitches Brew' and 'In A Silent Way', while finding time to record his second solo album, 'Devotion', in France with Buddy Miles.

At odds with the pace of life in New York, he turned to yoga, gave up meat and cigarettes, and subsequently became a convert of the bengali guru Sri Chinmoy, an event that was to have a profound effect on his life and music.

In 1971 he recorded 'My Goal's Beyond' with Jerry Goodman, former violinist with US jazz-rock band 'Flock', and Panamanian-born drummer Billy Cobham, another Davis sideman. These two stayed with McLaughlin as he put together his Mahavishnu Orchestra, adding Rick Laird on bass and Jan Hammer on keyboards. This band cut two classic albums, 'The Inner Mounting Flame' and 'Birds of Fire' (both heavily featured here) which pushed the genre of fusion music to new heights and suceeded in breaking McLaughlin to a wide rock-based audience.

At its best, as represented by these albums, jazz-rock had the ability to be breathtaking in emotional impact.  At its worst, it degenerated into empty displays of virtuosity and by the mid-Seventies was failing to sustain the interest of critics and fans alike.

Thereafter, his hitherto unimpeachable taste was called into question as he made the self-indulgent 'Love Devotion Surrender' with fellow Chinmoy disciple Carlos Santana. The live Mahavishnu set 'Between Nothingness and Eternity' recorded in Central Park, New York followed in 1973.

Anxious to work with a larger unit, he put together Mahavishnu Version 2, which included violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and Michael Walden on drums, in January 1974. The massively-ambitious 'Apocalypse' (with the London Symphony Orchestra) and the follow-up [masterpiece] 'Visions Of The Emerald Beyond' went along way to convincing critics that a substantial talent was going to waste. 'Inner Worlds', recorded with a slimmed-down line-up, was the last Mahavishu work with McLaughlin.

Band member 1971-1973

He then changed direction in 1975 to form the Indian-based acoustic group Shakti, featuring the violin of Shankar and the tabla of the richly talented Zakir Hussain.

Their three albums - eponymous debut, 'Natural Elements' and 'A Handful Of Beauty' - featured some of McLaughlin's most satisfying work for several years. 

Featured Albums

After releasing another strong solo album 'Electric Guitarist' in 1978, he formed alliances with other artists including Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia, favouring acoustic guitar over electric and remains a supremely talented player noted for his speed, fluidity and claenliness of style. [Liner notes by Ian Sturgess, August 1991]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my CD and includes full album artwork and post photos. It should be noted that this release never appeared on vinyl, however it was released on cassette and I therefore consider it to be approriate for the blog.  My only criticism of this release is that it doesn't include any material from their masterpiece 'Visions Of The Emerald Beyond' (a shameful oversight on the part of Ian Sturgess at Castle Records).

However, it does include 3 tracks from his recordings with Shakti which are now hard to find if you are playing catchup with McLaughlin's discography. I was lucky enough to stumble across their debut album on vinyl and intend posting it on the blog in the near future, so stay tuned folks.

Track List:

01  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Meeting Of The Spirit  6:53

02  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Dawn  5:16

03  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Vital Transformation  6:16

04  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Awakening  3:29

05 Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Birds Of Fire  5:44

06  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Celestial Terrestrial Commuters  2:55

07  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  Thousand Island Park  3:21

08  Mahavishnu Orchestra  –  One Word  9:58

09  John McLaughlin  –  New York On My Mind  5:42

10  John McLaughlin  –  Every Tear From Every Eye  6:58

11  John McLaughlin  –  My Foolish Heart  3:31

12  Shakti  –  Joy (Part 1)  7:09

13  Shakti  –  Lotus Feet  4:51

14  Shakti  –  Come On Baby Dance With Me  1:54

The Collection Link (452Mb)

John Farnham - Whispering Jack In Concert (1987) Bootleg

(Australian 1967 - Present)

The success of John Farnham's album 'Whispering Jack' caught everyone off guard. A pub and concert hall tour soon after the record's release in 1986 was clearly not enough to satisfy demand. In June 1987, David Sneddon started working on the 'Jack's Back Tour' at the request of Farnham's manager, Glenn Wheatley.

"We sat down and worked out what we thought was a very feasible concert run", explains Glenn. "We'd started by booking four dates in Melbourne, two in Sydney, two in Perth and two in Brisbane. It far exceeded what we imagined - never in our wildest dreams did we think the tour would so the sort of business that it did. We later added five shows in Melbourne and three in Sydney and shifted to a bigger venue in Brisbane. We were tearing our hair out to fit in extra dates. Everyone sat back and said , 'Something's happening out there'. We knew the album had gone through the roof, but no one had expected that sort of demand for a live ticket, and at that time we were up against artists such as Michael Jackson and Billy Joel who were also touring Australia at the time".

Farnham & Wheatley

The 'Jack's Back Tour' wound up on January 2, 1988 and Farnham and his band commenced working on their follow up album 'Age Of Reason'. [Extract from 'Whispering Jack, The John Farnham Story' by Clark Forbes, Hutchinson Australia, p137]

In March 1987, John Farnham delivered one of the most defining performances in Australian music history at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre (also known as the "Glasshouse"). Riding the wave of his Whispering Jack album, Farnham’s powerhouse vocals on “You’re The Voice” turned the concert into a national moment of unity. The anthem’s call for empowerment and change resonated deeply, with the crowd singing every chorus back in thunderous harmony. Broadcast nationally, this performance cemented Farnham as Australia’s ultimate live performer and gave “You’re The Voice” its place as a generational anthem.

This legendary performance immortalized his highly successful Jack's Back tour, capturing the energy of his record-breaking, multi-platinum album 'Whispering Jack'. The historic concert was also professionally filmed and released on home video, later becoming a staple live concert DVD. Backed by the accomplished John Farnham Band, the show featured massive hits from the Whispering Jack era alongside fan favorites and tracks from his Little River Band years.

Key tracks included:"Pressure Down", "Touch of Paradise", "Going, Going, Gone", "Playing to Win" and "You're the Voice". The instrumental prowess behind Farnham’s vocals during this tour solidified the band as one of the tightest units in Australian music history.

This post consists of MP3's (320) [ripped from DVD I suspect] and includes full album artwork.  I was lucky enough to attend one of the Melbourne 'Jack's Back' Concerts, held on Dec 22, 1987 at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre [see my ticket stub below]. 

To this day, I believe it to be one of the best concerts I've ever attended.  I can still remember Farnham taunting and teasing the audience over his first hit from the 60's "Sadie The Cleaning Lady" and eventually delivering the goods towards the end of the show, singing the 'ditti' alongside a lady with a mop and bucket cleaning the stage floor, much to the delight of the audience. Farnham's 'Whispering Jack' personna was a force to be reckoned with and both he and the band literally tore the place apart and Farnham had the audience in the palm of his hand all night. Yes folks, Farnham was Back !

Concert Track List:

01 Pressure Down

02 One Step Away

03 Going Going Gone

04 Let Me Out

05 Touch Of Paradise

06 When The War Is Over

07 Amazing Grace

08 Reasons

09 No One Comes Close

10 Love To Shine

11 One

12 Playing To Win

13 Help

14 You're The Voice

The lineup included:

John Farnham (Vocals, Gags)

David Hirschfelder (Keyboards)

Brett Garsed (Lead Guitar)

Wayne Burt (Guitar)

Steve Macainsh (Bass)

Angus Burchill (Drums)

Lindsay Field (Backing Vocals)

Venetta Fields (Backing Vocals)

Lisa Edwards (Backing Vocals)

Whispering Jack In Concert Link (137Mb)