Carol Lloyd Band - Mother Was Asleep At The Time (1976) plus Bonus Single

 (Australian 1976-1980, 2014)

Carol Lloyd was born on October 17, 1948 and had a successful career in both Australia and the United Kingdom either as a singer, creative director, producer, not only in the world of music but also in film, television, radio, or entertainment management. Endowed with a great voice, they called her 'Wild Woman of Rock'. She was part of the band Railroad Gin until the mid-seventies where she created her own combo, a mixture of funk rock and some psychedelia.

In 1969, she worked in London on television and radio. She returned to Queensland to work in advertising and began to sing professionally. She joined the band Railroad Gin created in 1968 in Brisbane and in 1973 was composed by Carol Lloyd (vocals), two bassists Dim Janson and Jim Dickson, Bob Brown (percussion), Gary Evans (drums), Peter Evans ( flute, brass, percussion), Phil Shields (guitar) and Laurie Stone (keyboards). They signed with Polydor and released a couple of singles  "Do Ya 'Love Me" or "A Matter Of Time", which also appeared on their first album entitled 'A Matter Of Time" (see previous post).

Carol Lloyd Band 1977

 In August 1975, Lloyd left Railroad Gin due to throat problems and to pursue her solo career. She was replaced by Judee Ford. By the end of the year she had formed Tonnage, which was soon renamed as The Carol Lloyd Band. The line-up was Lloyd on lead vocals and percussion, Gary Broadhurst on bass guitar, Peter Harvey on guitar and keyboards, Mark Moffatt on lead guitar and pedal steel guitar, and Danny Simpson on drums. They signed a worldwide recording contract with EMI Records - a first for an Australian artist. They had a hit in Queensland with "Storm in My Soul" and promptly commenced work on their debut album.

The album 'Mother Was Asleep At The Time', having taken only nine days to record, was released on Oct 18, 1976. Censors had a field day over-reacting to the original cover artwork for the album which showed a bowie knife severing the umbilical cord of an unborn foetus. The album was only permitted a release date once the offending knife was removed from the picture. Released in 17 countries the album sold quite well reaching #46 on the Australian Charts and it was therefore a huge surprise to everyone when less than a year later the band announced that it was splitting up.

Carol Lloyd (with Mark Moffatt in background)

Tony Catterall of The Canberra Times was impressed by Lloyd "[who] is a blues singer and, being part of the seventies, she's singing in the most acceptable blues style of today; the southern US sound pioneered by the Allman Brothers Band." The album was produced by Clive Shakespeare (ex-Sherbet), Catterall observed "on many of the 10 tracks – [Shakespeare is] refusing to let her be out front where a blues shouter belongs or by use of double tracking or echo chamber. The resultant sound isn't exactly displeasing, but it isn't true, either... her power and that of her band, has been too often diluted on 'Mother' by Shakespeare's wrong-headed approach."

A fan of Lloyd's (winifredatwellZ) recently wrote on Kimbo's blog:

The Carol Lloyd Band rocked my sleepy hometown of Coolangatta on New Year's Eve 1977, as the featured entertainer to herald the new year She and her band delivered a rip-roaring set that provoked the longest congo line I have ever seen as literally thousands con-joined to form a vast snaking mass that seemed to stretch up the southern beaches. She worked with in the musical television industry in Brisbane, where her gifts at writing catchy advertising jingles and copy set to music gave her a second lucrative career. When I met her, she was of very different appearance, and gave concerts that were musical cabaret reminiscent of 1930's Berlin. She was an honest, warm woman who gave audiences, especially here in Brisbane, unforgettable musical memories.

 

Carol Lloyd later issued a solo album, "Take It or Leave It", in 1980 on RCA, which provided the title track as its lead single in January of the following year.

After an extended hiatus of more than 30 years, Lloyd performed a series of shows at the Brisbane Powerhouse: "It Takes Two, Baby" with Sue Ray in January 2014, "It Takes Two Baby" with Pearly Black in July 2014, and "It's Time: the No.1 hits of Railroad Gin and The Carol Lloyd Band" in December 2014, at which the All The Good Things live album was recorded.

Sadly, Carol Lloyd [singer, former advertising executive and a long-time mentor to young singers] died in Feb 2017 in the Wesley Hospital, Queensland after a long illness with pulmonary fibrosis. The disease was first diagnosed in April 2013.

This post consists of FLACs ripped from Vinyl (thanks to Bondie) and includes full album artwork and label scans. As a bonus, I have included the single (edit) release of "All The Good Times" and the non-album B-Side "Don't Do Me Any Favours" (thanks to Sunshine) This post is my tribute to Australia's original 'rock chick' - I hope you enjoy the album.

Tracklist

01 All Up To You 3:12

02 In That Magazine 3:19

03 All The Good Things 3:59

04 Blue McKenzie 2:38

05 Storm In My Soul 2:52

06 Come And See Me After The Rain 3:45

07 Coast To Coast 3:46

08 Shotgun 2:42

09 Work 3:12

10 Cards And Letters 3:24

11 Don't Do Me Any Favours (Bonus B-Side Single)  3:13

12 All The Good Things [Bonus Single Edit]   3:33

Band Members:

Carol Lloyd (vocals) 

Mark Moffat (guitar) 

Danny Simpson (drums) 

Gary Broadhurst (bass)
Peter Harvey (guitar & keyboards)

Carol Lloyd Band Link (279Mb) 

New Link 25/02/2024