REPOST: Various Aussie Artists - A Hair Of The Dog (1974)

(Various Australian Artists)
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A 12 track sampler from EMI's top Australian pop albums, this is a very rare Australian Various Artists compilation album. Some of the artists featured on this album went onto bigger and better things (eg. Johnny Farnham, Ariel and Ross Ryan) while others simply disappeared off the grid (eg. Pirana, The Ormsby Brothers).  The following are brief bio's on the featured group, while the back cover of the album provides details about the albums from which these tracks were lifted.
The tracks themselves are not the singles that were officially released from the albums, which makes this sampler even more desirable from a collectors point of view.
Overall, there is a wide range of musical styles represented on this sampler, from cabaret, to popular to progressive rock. Not the greatest album cover which probably didn't help EMI in their venture to promote the artists showcased, but the title is quite cliche' and clever (hopefully when you hear one track from the album, you'll want more and consequently buy the LP)
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Ariel
(Both "Worm Turning Blues" and "And If It Wasn't For You" taken from LP 'A Strange Fantastic Dream)
Ariel formed in mid-1973, after the breakup of Spectrum. When Spectrum drummer Ray Arnott announced he was leaving to join Ross Wilson's new band Mighty Kong, Putt and Rudd decided to end the band rather than try to recruit a new member, feeling that it wouldn't be possible to recreate the special spirit of the group. Within a few months of Spectrums's farewell performance a new band (its name taken from the character in Shakespeare's "The Tempest") was up and running. Ironically, the two new members, Tim and Nigel, had originally come to Melbourne to work with Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford on their new project (which became Mighty Kong) and it was after they departed that Ray Arnott was invited to join, thus precipitating the split of Spectrum!
Strong record company interest in Ariel quickly led to a contract with EMI's progressive Harvest imprint. Their superb debut single Jamaican Farewell looked set to repeat the early success of Spectrum but it managed to reach only No.34, its success hampered by lack of airplay, especially in Sydney. They toured as support to Gary Glitter November 1973 and released their excellent first LP 'Strange Fantastic Dream' in December, with writing credits split fairly evenly between Gaze and Rudd. According to Noel McGrath, the album was also the first use of Moog synthesizer on an Australian rock record. It fared very well commercially and critically, reaching No 12 in the LP charts in February 1974.
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Ross Ryan
("Goodbye Mitchy" was taken from LP 'A Poem You Can Keep', "There Is No Pain" was taken from LP 'My Name Means Horse')
Ross Ryan is one of Australia's most respected and successful singer-songwriters. Like his contemporaries Greg Quill and Mike McClellan, he emerged from the folk scene, and enjoyed brief chart prominence in the mid-70's with his 1974 hit single "I Am Pegasus", for which he is probably best remembered these days.
In March, 1973 he released his second album, 'A Poem You Can Keep', which got his career off to a flying start. Produced by Dawkins, engineered by former Abbey Rd chief Martin Benge, and arranged by Peter Martin, it spawned a hit single "I Don’t Want To Know About It", won 'Record Of The Year' at the Australian Record Federation Awards for 1973 and earned Ross a second gong as 'Best New Talent'.
In November '73, Ross supported Helen Reddy on her national tour, coinciding with the release of his new single, "I Am Pegasus" (b/w "Country Christine Waltz"). It was a runaway success, becoming one of the most successful Australian singles of the year, and the biggest hit of Ross's career, earning him the first of four first gold records. It went to #1 in Sydney, reached #9 nationally, and stayed on the top forty for an extraordinary twenty-three weeks. 
Ross made a memorable appearance at the 1974 Sunbury Festival in January, followed up by the release of his third album in January 1974 and the subsequent release of the single "Orchestra Ladies". Propelled by the huge success of the "Horse" single, the Horse LP was also a major hit -- it sold 15,000 copies within two weeks, in March it was declared "gold", and it peaked at #3 nationally in April 1974. It eventually earned Ross three gold record awards and stayed in the charts for 17 weeks. In March Ross made another short US trip, performing concert and clubs dates, after which he briefly returned home, when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam presented him with gold record awards for both the album My Name Means Horse and "I am Pegasus" [extract from Milesago]
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Pirana
("Then Came The Light" taken from LP Pirana II)
For anyone who is hopelessly hooked on progressive and classic rock of the 70s, Pirana is simply a must. "Pirana" was a short-lived act from the 70s, which was one of the major driving forces and attractions in Australian music scene in these years.
Pirana was formed in 1970 by Stan White (keyboards), Jim Duke-Yonge (drums), Tony Hamilton (vocals, guitar) and Graeme Thompson (bass) as a new musical venture for the latter three following their tenure in pop band Gus & The Nomads. Their first recording were as a backing band for a solo album by Greg Quill, but in 1971 they were signed by legendary record label Harvest and soon got busy making their debut album.
Pirana I hit the shops in 1971, and while their debut album didn't exactly set the world on fire the band quickly established themselves as a popular live act. For anyone who is hopelessly hooked on progressive and classic rock of the 70s, it's simply a must. Too often the description of their music is concentrated on the influence of Santana - yes, that's difficult to deny, but "Pirana" performed their own unique version of quite heavy prog rock balancing on the verge of acid/hard, not unlike their British peers, with powerful drumming, roaring guitars and lengthy Hammond solos. In my humble opinion the influence of Santana is grossly exaggerated. "Stand Back" from the first album is a true masterpiece featuring exceptional drumming solos, while the opening track from the second album - "Pirana" - is mesmerizing tune inspired by Maurice Ravel's "Bolero".

Pirana

Stan White left the band shortly after the release of their first album and was replaced by Keith Greig. And with White out of the band guitarist Hamilton had a more prominent place as a songwriter for Pirana's second effort Pirana II, issued late in 1972. A direct result of that was that the band started moving slightly away from their Latin-inspired sound. They never managed to hit the big time with their second LP unfortunately, not even a superb performance at 1972's Sunbury festival gave the band the true commercial breakthrough they required. Indeed, the latter actually cemented their reputation as a Santana-influenced act, and while their credibility as a live unit soared their merits, their studio efforts remained unrecognised.
Grieg left the band in 1972, and a flurry of line-up changes followed for the next couple of years, until Pirana fizzled out to disbandment in late 1974.
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The Ormsby Brothers
(Both "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" taken from their Selftitled LP)
The Ormsby Brothers were: Neville Ormsby, Michael Ormsby and Adrian Ormsby. Their sound was almost like the USA Osmond Brothers who were enjoying world-wide success at the time, and I'm sure these two groups have been confused at some stage by the unwarey.
The boys were born in New Zealand and began vocalising together as a group in 1967. In September, 1971 they moved to Australia. Their first single was 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus' which was released just prior to Christmas, 1972. The following year they recorded Lesley Gore's 'You Don't Own Me' which became their first and only hit, making the top ten in all states. It reached #2 and stayed in the charts for 20 weeks. Music producer Peter Dawkins said he looked back on that single, engineered by former Beatles studio assistant and later Sherbet producer Richard Lush, as the best of his early Australian productions.
Following on from the single's success they released an album entitled The Ormsby Brothers which won for them the 1973 Easy Listening Vocal Award presented by the Australian Federation of Commercial Broadcasters.
The latter part of the year was crammed with television and live appearances all over Australia with the highlight being part of the first concert presented at the Sydney Opera House.
In December they released their next single, 'Sweet Virginia' which sold only moderately and since 1975 they've been singing in the Sydney club circuit. Although they were not contracted to a record company at the end of 1977, they had plans of putting together an album in the near future.
Strangely enough, Chris Spencer's Who's Who Of Australian rock makes no refernce to this group.
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Johnny Farnham
("My Love" from the LP 'Johnny Farnham sings the big hits of '73 Live' and "Don't You Know It's Magic" from the LP "Hits Magic & Rock 'N' Roll")
John Farnham, aka Farnsy, Johnny, Whispering Jack and The Voice is an iconic Australian entertainer whose career has spanned over four decades.
Farnham was born on the 1st July 1949 in England and moved to Melbourne at the age of 10 and has lived here ever since. This wannabe plumber took a break from his apprenticeship in order to pursue a music career which has seen him become one of Australia's best-loved performers with a career spanning over 40 years.
In 1967, Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) was his first hit which topped the Australian charts for six-weeks running.  Selling 180,000 copies in Australia, "Sadie" was the highest selling single by an Australian artist of the decade. Farnham's debut studio album, Sadie was issued in April 1968.
He later released a cover of BJ Thomas's "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" in 1969, which also reached the #1 position on the Australian charts.
Most of his early 70's material could be classified as being both Pop and Cabaret music, but he soon reinvented himself in the early 80's with the help of Glenn Wheatley to be labelled as one of the best voices in Australian rock.
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The Coloured Balls
("Whole Lotta Shakin" taken from the LP 'Ball Power')
Original line-up: Mick Hadley (vocals); Robbie Van Delft (lead guitar); Rob Dames (bass guitar); Peter Miles (drums); Sam Shannon (vocals).
The band was formed in Brisbane following the breakup of the Purple Hearts. Mick and Rob were from the Hearts; Robbie was from the Bowery Boys; and Peter and Sam had had a variety of experience.
In 1971, Lobby Lloyd took over on guitar and the group, all sporting 'skinhead' hair styles, gained a reputation as a loud band after the style of the Aztecs.
By August 1972, the line-up had changed totally and included Trevor Young (drums); Lobby Lloyd (guitar); John Miglands (bass guitar); and Bobsie Millar (guitar). The band's first notable single was "Liberate Rock", which was written by Lobby. Most of the backing was provided by the Aztecs prior to the hew Coloured Balls being formed. Although it didn't quite make the charts, the single did make history being the first in Australia to be advertised on radio.

The Coloured Balls

The follow-up was "Mr. Mean Mouth"/"Love Me Girl" in May '73. Then in September they enjoyed their first chart success with a revival of Elvis Presley's "Mess Of Blues". Later, in November, came a single called "Flash", and in December they released their best selling 'Ball Power' album.
Another single by the boys, "Love You Babe", charted midway through 1974, but unfortunately the group disbanded not long after. However, in May 1976, an album entitled The First Supper Last, which was recorded in 1972 with the line-up at that stage, was released on the Rainbird label.
Lobby initially went solo, recording for Bootleg Records. In 1976 he released an LP with the Southern Electric Band called Obsecration which was also on the Rainbird label. Then, in 1977 he left for England. Trevor Young turned up in popular band, Fingerprint, in 1977.
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Jeannie Lewis
("Fasten Your Wings With Love" taken from the LP 'Free Fall Through Featrherless Flight')
Jeannie Lewis is widely acknowedged as one of Australia's most accomplished, versatile and passionate vocal artists, and a performer whose work crosses many musical boundaries. Jeannie started her singing career on the Sydney folk and jazz circuit in the mid-1960's then moved into the rock scene in the early 70s, establishing a strong reputation through her dynamic performances and powerful interpretations of songs both on stage and on the outstanding recordings she made in those years. During the 80's and 90's she continued to develop and broaden her career, with roles in musical theatre and the unique one-woman cabaret shows that reflected her growing love of Latin music, and her commitment to the often-underrated role of women's voices in music. Jeannie can adapt her voice to a large and eclectic range of material -- folk, rock, blues, opera, torch songs, Broadway tunes, tango and jazz -- and she is recognised both here and overseas as a peerless interpreter, with a rare ability to make almost any material her own.

Jeannie Lewis

In 1973 EMI issued Jeannie's classic debut album, Free Fall Through Featherless Flight, arranged and directed by Carlos. Its cover was designed by renowned Australian artist Martin Sharp whose first record designs were the classic psychedelic covers for Cream's Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire LP's
Backing Jeannie on the album was an all-star lineup including Michael Carlos on Moog, organ and harpsichord, Mike Wade and Mike Reid (guitars), Ken Firth (bass; ex-Tully), Jamie McKinley (ex-Cool Bananas, piano), Greg Henson (drums), Alan Lee (percussion), Marcia Hines (backing vocals), Shayna Stewart (backing vocals, ex-Extradition, Tully), The Fidelio String Quartet and a wind section. The album won the Australian Radio Record Award for the Best Australian LP of 1974, despite receiving virtually no radio support whatsoever outside the ABC, although it was featured on Chris Winter's pioneering show Room To Move, and gained further airplay in the early days of radio station 2JJ (Double Jay) in Sydney.
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The La De Das
("The Place" taken from the LP 'Rock and Roll Sandwich')
Original line-up: Bryan Harris (drums); Trevor Wilson (bass); Bruce Howard (organ/sax); Phillip Key (lead vocals); Kevin Borich (lead guitar).
The band formed in New Zealand in 1965 and after reaching the top there (with their single, "Hey Baby" which made number one), they left for Sydney two years later.
On their arrival in Australia they received little attention from their recording company who at first refused to let them record. As a result they fell into a rut working steadily, but uneventfully, in Melbourne and Sydney. Then early in 1968 they decided to buy new instruments and develop a new act. The change brought with it a renewed interest in the band and in March, 1969 they released their highly acclaimed 'Happy Prince' album. Two months later they left Australia to try their luck in England. Other, more renowned groups, had tried before them without success and the La De Das found the going just as tough. They returned in April, 1970 minus Trevor and his place was taken by Reno Tehei (ex-Genesis and Compulsion). In the meantime their album had sold steadily during their absence, and later in the year Bryan left and he was replaced by Keith Barber.
More line-up changes occurred in January, 1971 when Bruce left to form a duo with Trevor, and Reno also moved out. The band added Peter Roberts and reformed as follows: Phil Keys (vocals and guitar); Peter Roberts (bass); Keith barber (drums); and Kevin Borich (vocals and guitar).
They consolidated with the new format and released a new single, "Sweet Girl"/"I Can't Find A Reason". Then in November, '71 came the breakthrough they had been waiting for when they made the charts with one of their biggest hits "Gonna See My Baby Tonight". Another hit was achieved six months later with "Morning Good Morning". But, just as they seemed destined to become the superstars they had tried so long to be, the band experienced another setback. In September, '72 Peter and Phil left to form the Band of Light. But not to be discouraged, the band took on Ronnie Peel (ex-One Ton Gypsy and Thunderclap Norman) to play bass and worked as a trio.
The new three piece format created a new vigour, with Kevin having to work harder on guitar, and in November, 72 they released an exciting single called "I'll Never Stop Loving You". From there they settled into a hectic pattern of work and in July, 1973 they issued their notorious Rock'n'Roll Sandwich album.
The following year was their last together, but included a single, "The Place" (May, 74), a tour with Gary Glitter (July, 74) and also a re-entry into the charts with Chuck Berry's old rocker "Too Pooped to Pop".
Kevin went on to form Kevin Borich Express while Ronnie recorded under the alias of Rockwell T. James as well as playing with John Paul Young's All Stars.
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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my vinyl copy of the EMI sampler, which I found at a flee market for the pricely sum of $2. Also included is full album artwork and label scans, plus all photos featured here. Please note that a majority of the band bio's were sourced from: Australian Encyclopedia of Rock (Noel McGrath, 1978. Outback Press) and the Milesago Website.

New Improved RIP

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Track Listing
01 - Worm Turning Blues (Ariel)
02 - Goodbye Mitchy (Ross Ryan)
03 - Then Came The Light (Pirana)
04 - My Love (Johnny Farnham)

05 - Da Doo Ron Ron (The Ormsby Brothers)
06 - Whole Lotta Shakin' (Coloured Balls)
07 - Don't You Know It's Magic (Johnny Farnham)
08 - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (The Ormsby Brothers)
09 - Fasten Your Wings With Love (Jeannie Lewis)
10 - The Place (The La De Da's)
11 - There Is No Pain (Ross Ryan)
12 - And If It Wasn't For You (Ariel)
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EMI Sampler Link (274Mb) New Link 11/08/2025
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W.O.C.K On Vinyl: EMI Little LP Sampler Show Special (1969)

 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 very rare EMI  E.P, was a Show Souvenir Sampler, from Sydney’s 1969 Royal Easter Show.  Profits from the sale of this record were donated by E.M.I. (Aust.) Ltd., to the 1969 Heart Fund Appeal.

Being a Melbournite, I first thought this Show Special may have originated from our very own Royal Melbourne Show, but after some research discovered that it was referring to Sydney's Royal Easter Show. 

Now, I am unsure if this EP was associated with one of the many novelty show bags sold at the Royal Easter Show, or was simply on sale at the entry / exit gates. If anyone can sheed more light on how this EP was distributed, I would love to know.

Featuring some well known Australian artists from the 60's, this really is a very rare gem indeed and I am grateful to Deutros for providing the rip (MP3) and artwork. Of course this item certainly ticks the Obscure box for this months WOCK on vinyl post and I have only ever seen one advertised for sale over at popsike.com (selling for $64).   

And now for some back ground information on the artists and tracks featured on this little EMI sampler:

The Flying Circus - Shame Shame
The original lineup of Flying Circus was Doug Rowe [lead guitar, vocals], James Wynne [lead vocals, rhythm guitar], Bob Hughes [bass, vocals] and Colin Walker [drums].

 

"Shame, Shame" was to have been Sydney band Flying Circus’s first single. Instead, the first single was Hayride (1969 #3 Sydney #1 Brisbane #13 Perth), followed by La La (#5 Sydney #4 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #1 Adelaide #9 Perth). The song was a cover of The Magic Lanterns’ hit, and was written by Keith Colley - Knox Henderson - Linda Jo Colley.

A custom acetate pressing of  "Shame, Shame" is shown right, but it was never released to the general public. It was, however, later anthologised by Glenn A. Baker on the CD release 'Best of Flying Circus 1969-71 (1995)'. 

So its appearance on this EMI sampler makes it highly desirable and rare.

The Groove - Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
The Groove were an Australian band from Melbourne (1967-1970). Their name changed to Eureka Stockade in 1970. They recorded 5 singles and 1 album in Australia and 2 singles in England.
Band members were Jamie Byrne [Bass], Geoff Bridgford [Drums], Rod Stone [Guitar], Tweed Harris [Organ] and Peter Williams [Vocals], and they were mostly a soul-pop band.

This Marvin Gayer cover appeared on their selftitled album which was released in 1968, however it was never released as a single. So again, its appearance on this EMI sampler makes it highly desirable to collectors.

Johnny Farnham - Everybody Oughta Sing A Song
'Everybody Oughta Sing A Song' is the second solo studio album by Australian pop singer John Farnham (billed then as Johnny Farnham) and was released on EMI Records in November 1968. Its first single, released in July, was the double A-sided, "Jamie"/"I Don't Want To Love You", which peaked at #8 on the Go-Set National Singles Charts. The second single, "Rose Coloured Glasses" was released in October and peaked at #16. Writers on the album included Hans Poulson, Neil Diamond and Quincy Jones. The album was re-released in 1974 with a different cover, it shows Farnham performing live on stage, whereas the initial 1968 release had him leaning against a Holden Monaro (see above).

The title track "Everybody Oughta Sing A Song" was released as the B-Side to the New Zealand release of "Jamie" and appears on this EMI sampler.

Little Pattie - What The World Needs Now
Patricia Amphlett (aka Little Pattie) began singing while still a young schoolgirl and had a surprise hit in 1963 with "He's My Blonde Headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy". 

She released further singles over the following two years, scoring a number of hits, making regular appearances on shows like Bandstand and Sing, sing, sing, and winning the Best Australian Female Vocalist award in 1965. By 1966 she was among Australia's most popular performers. 

Having made one of several attempts to drop the 'Little' from her name, Pattie became, at 17, the youngest Australian entertainer to perform in Vietnam. She was performing at the Australian base at Nui Dat on the night of the Long Tan battle. Some soldiers recall having heard snatches of music as they headed out on patrol in the hours before the fight.

Patti released 8 solo albums and 30 singles during her career, and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2009. She was inducted by her cousin, Christina Amphlett of Divinyls, with former Australian Idol star, Lisa Mitchell performing "He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy".

Her Burt Bacharach cover "What The World Needs Now", was never released as a single and was lifted from her 1969 LP 'Beautiful In The Rain' for inclusion on this EMI Sampler.

Johnny Ashcroft and Kathleen McCormack... By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Johnny Ashcroft and Kathleen McCormack were Australian country music artists who collaborated on the album "You And I - Country Style" in 1967, which was a major success, catapulting modern country music into mainstream markets.

 The album is credited with awakening the sleeping giant of modern country music in Australia, and it quickly went gold, becoming the biggest-selling Australian country album of its time.
Ashcroft's album featured a set of duets with Australian singer-actress Kathleen McCormack, who had an extensive recording career of her own, mostly covering nostalgic oldies as well as Irish and Scottish folk songs and Australian-themed material. 

The gimmick on this album was that McCormack and Ashcroft traded off dueling version of country hits, strung together as medleys of sorts -- i.e. "He'll Have To Go" paired with "He'll Have To Stay" or "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" with "By The Time You Get To Phoenix" -- and various themed medleys: songs about roses, songs about waltzes, songs with German motifs, etc. A little bit corny, if you ask me.

Their Glen Campbell cover "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was chosen for inclusion on this EMI sampler.

The Twilights - Once Upon A Twilight
The Twilights were an Australian rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1964 by Peter Brideoake on rhythm guitar, John Bywaters on bass guitar, Clem "Paddy" McCartney and Glenn Shorrock both on lead vocals. They were joined by Terry Britten on lead guitar and Laurie Pryor on drums within a year.

Heavily influenced by the British Invasion, they became a significant Australian band during the mid-1960s. They were noted for their musicianship, on-stage humour and adoption of overseas sounds and trends. Their most popular single is a cover version of "Needle in a Haystack" (originally by the Velvelettes), which topped the Go-Set singles chart in 1966. Also in that year, they won the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds competition and were awarded a trip to London.

During late 1967 and early 1968 the Twilights were incredibly busy with endless tours and the filming of their prospective TV pilot. All the more remarkable then that the group managed to find the time to construct a record as satisfying as their sophomore album 'Once Upon A Twilight', a tour de force of songwriting and studiuo sawy unprecedented in Australia up to that point. There is no doubt that the expert ear of producer Mackay and the brilliant orchestration of Johnny Hawker were of immense benefit, as was the arrival of a Scully 8-track machine, the first in the country. But it was The Twilights themselves whose instrumental competence and sheer inspiration that made Once Upon A Twilight such a successful album.

There are subliminal touches of Beatles and Hollies, and hardcore followers of the era will find facile references to many of the UK records of that time.This point is made not to suggest that Once Upon A Twilight is derivative: rather, it is cut from the same cloth as, and can stand proudly alongside, the prime arbiters of British pop-psych of that era. Indeed, had the album been the product of a UK act rather than one of its outpost colonies, it would now be a far more familar and highly-regarded recording from the 60's.

The title track from the album was never released as a single, however it has been included on this EMI sampler for your enjoyment.

Track Listing:

Side One 

1) The Flying Circus ...Shame Shame 

2) The Groove...Stubborn Kind Of Fellow 

3) Johnny Farnham...Everybody Oughta Sing A Song 

Side Two 

1) Little Pattie...What The World Needs Now Is Love 

2) Johnny Ashcroft and Kathleen McCormack...By The Time I Get To Phoenix 

3) The Twilights...Once Upon A Twilight.

EMI Little LP Sampler Link (30Mb)

REPOST: John Farnham - Time Brings Change (1988)

(Australian 1967-Present)
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In a country of 20 million people John Farnham is the one Australian artist who stages arena sized concerts whenever he tours to satisfy the demand. He is without challenge Australia's most successful solo artist, on stage and on record. His Whispering Jack album was the first album to sell over a million copies in Australia alone. John got his first big break singing the now famous Susan Jones TV ad commercials. Not long after this he was to record his first hit Sadie in 1967. Sadie was a big gamble – it was commercial, sure but it was also corny. The radio stations wouldn’t play it. It was only after a Four Corners TV segment on how a record company promoted an unknown, which featured the song, that they were willing to play it at all! 

After John made an appearance on Uptight singing his song, the station’s switchboards were, however, inundated with calls requesting a repeat of the song. Sadie ended up being the biggest selling Australian hit of the 60’s. John was on his way!
.What fans were responding to was "Johnny" Farnham's bright boy-next-door personality. He was someone teenage girls and the mothers could both like. Farnham was also a fine singer and survived "Sadie" to release a long string of pop hits between 1967 and 1973, including the local hit versions of Three Dog Night's "One," B J Thomas' "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (#1) and David Cassidy's "Rock Me Baby. He also starred in the stage musicals Dick Whittington And His Cat, Charlie Girl and Pippin. His schedule denied Farnham trying his luck internationally or developing on record. Success continued virtually on the basis of his talent and that 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 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.
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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. A consummate singer and performer since 1986 Farnham has been Australia's No.1 attraction, with successive big selling albums and sold out concert tours. International interest has continued to beckon but the dedicated family man is happy with his career as it is [extract from blue.desert]
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This post consists of  FLACs ripped from my CD copy of this album. Full album artwork is included for CD only.  This is not your usual compilation of early material by Farnham (no "Sadie" or "Raindrops Keep Falling" on this one), but rather some of his lesser known cabaret tracks which in their own right, are just as good. My favourites are his: Elton John cover "Take Me Back To The Pilot" and his renditions of the stage classics "Hair" and "Day By Day".

One point of contention regarding this album, however, is that it should be credited to 'Johnny' Farnham and not 'John' Farnham. This is because all tracks on this compilation predate 1980, which is when Farnham changed his stage name from Johnny to John. This album was no doubt released by EMI to cash in on the success that Farnham was having during his Whispering Jack era. If you haven't heard his early 70's material, then this album is a nice introduction to his Cabaret years.
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        New Improved Rip !

  
Track Listing
01 - Charlie Girl (1972)
02 - Who Can I Turn To (1972)

03 - Hair (1972)
04 - Saturday Dance (1974)
05 - For Once In My Life (1971)
06 - Take Me To The Pilot (1971)
07 - Diana (1973)
08 - Memphis Tennessee (1973)
09 - Rag Mama Rag (1971)
10 - Things To Do (1974)
11 - Band Of Gold (1971)
12 - Day By Day (1972)
13 - White Christmas (1970)
14 - Till Time Brings Change (1974)
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Johnny Farnham (270Mb) New Link 10/01/2025
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W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Various Artists - Sounds Fantastic Volume 4, Channel 7 Telethon (1974)

 

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

This is one of nine albums released in the 70's as part of Channel 7's Telethon fund raising for children with disabilities in Western Australia, all sponsored by Shell Petroleum, Australia. 

The Channel 7 Telethon Trust is a registered charity, governed by a Board of Trustees. Telethon's small team is based at The West Australian and Channel 7 in Perth (see here for a listing of these releases).

The Channel Seven Perth Telethon, known simply as Telethon, is an annual telethon which was established in 1968 by philanthropist Sir James Cruthers and Brian Treasure and was produced by TVW 7, a television station in Perth, Western Australia. Money raised through Telethon is currently granted to 65 charity beneficiaries, all united with their mission to improve children’s’ health and wellbeing in Western Australia. It’s the highest donating Telethon (per capita) in the world, with it surpassing A$457 million in total in 2021 (Extract from the official Telethon website)

This particular fund raising album (sponsored by Shell Petroleum) was released in 1974, and features not only some of the most popular Australian artists at the time like Johnny Farnham, Helen Reddy and Ross Ryan but also some overseas stalwarts including Roger Whittaker, Glenn Campbell and Diana Ross. 

When it comes to fund raising for disadvantaged or sick children, Australians have a wonderful trait of opening their purses and donating. The Good Friday appeal is another huge Aussie fundraiser that raises millions of $$ annually for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria.

Although this 4th release features some great artists and is quite rare, I am actually keen to get hold of Volume 2 which was released in 1972 (see right).  This particular Telethon release featured Russell Morris singing an extended version of "Sweet Sweet Love".  This alternative and quite different version is 6.30 long while his single release was 4:19 and the version on the 'Russell Morris' album is 4:04. Nevertheless, I digress.

I have chosen to post this Volume 4 Telethon release for this month's WOCK on Vinyl, as it easily ticks the Obscure box. I will continue to keep my eyes peeled for that infamous Volume 2 telethon release and if successful, promise to post it for ya on the blog. And so the hunt continues.  Ripped from almost mint vinyl, I have posted this in MP3 format (320kps) and included full album artwork and label scans.

Track List

01 L.A International Airport (Susan Raye)

02 Anytime (Des O'Connor)

03 You Don't Own Me (Ormsby Bros)

04 Delta Dawn (Helen Reddy)

05 If You Would Stay (Johnny Farnham)

06 Elusive Butterfly (Val Doonican)

07 New World In The Morning (Roger Whittaker)

08 I Am Pegasus (Ross Ryan)

09 The Old fashioned Way (Helen Reddy)

10 And You Smiled (Matt Monro)

11 Touch me In The Morning (Diana Ross)

12 It's Up To You (Johnny Farnham)

13 What Now My Love (Shirley Bassey)

14 Try A Little Kindness (Glen Campbell)

Sounds Fantastic Vol 4 (101Mb)

New Link 26/03/22

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Various Aussie Artists - Aussie Coca-Cola Commercials 60's - 70's

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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.

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Advertising slogans are a part of everyday life for consumers around the world, and Coca-Cola has produced some great ones throughout their 130+ year history.

Coke's very first ad was published in the Atlanta Journal newspaper on May 29, 1886, a few short weeks after the drink was first served in Jacobs’ Pharmacy. The ad featured one of their longest-running slogans: “Delicious and Refreshing.” Those two words appeared on almost every ad or piece of merchandise (trays, clocks, etc.) until 1920.

 In the mid-1890s, The Coca-Cola Company hired Massengale Advertising of Atlanta. They produced very elegant advertising for the company featuring slogans like “Coca-Cola is a Delicious Beverage, Delightfully in Harmony With the Spirit of All Outings,” “The Great National Temperance Drink,” or “Coca-Cola Revives and Sustains.”

While these wordy slogans were in line with the advertising of the day, the company’s president, Asa Candler, and head of advertising, Samuel Candler Dobbs, spotted the trend toward national magazine advertising with the standardisation of four-colour printing, which rendered more visually dynamic ads than their black-and-white predecessors.

To produce this enhanced advertising, Candler and Dobbs hired the D’Arcy agency from St. Louis. D’Arcy was significant in helping to create a brand identity for Coca-Cola. W.C. D’Arcy was associated with Coca-Colafor the next four decades (he even served on the Board of Directors for a time) until his retirement in 1945.

Together with his creative director, Archie Lee, he crafted some of the greatest slogans in advertising history. While “Delicious and Refreshing” was part of the plan D’Arcy’s first big change was to add an arrow to all the advertising and packaging while adding the slogan, “Whenever You See an Arrow, Think of Coca-Cola.”

Their longest-running tagline, “The Pause That Refreshes” (1929),
was used in one form or another for almost three decades.

 In 1907 they added the slogans “Good to the Last Drop,” (yes, we beat Maxwell House with this one) to the advertising. The team hit their stride by the 1920s when they created the “Thirst Knows No Season” (1922) and our longest-running tagline, “The Pause That Refreshes” (1929). That campaign was used in one form or another for almost three decades.

Advertising began to change after World War II, when music and sung jingles played an increasingly important role in campaigns. Slogans became shorter to fit into a catchy melody.

By 1955, Coca-Cola began to look for another agency who specialised in the modern radio and television advertising. In 1956, McCann Erickson was named the lead worldwide advertising agency for Coca-Cola.  The changes in advertising were dramatic, and when the McGuire Sisters sang “Be Really Refreshed,” the company was aligned with the times. 

In 1963, Bill Backer, creative director for McCann, penned the jingle “Things Go Better with Coke,” and had the Limeliters record a demo in a run-down apartment on 57th Street in New York City.  Backer had to splice together several tapes, and you could still hear several flaws in the recording. The company loved it and used that demo for the next six years! Backer also developed the slogan, “It’s the Real Thing,” for which he and his team wrote “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” in 1971.

By 1993, with the constant evolution of advertising, The Coca-ColaCompany once again switched agencies. We hired CAA (Creative Artists Agency) to develop ads for Coca-Cola. CAA would hire the best and brightest producers and directors in the field to produce ads based on the slogan, “Always Coca-Cola” (1993). Luminaries like Ken Stewart (the mastermind behind the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bears) and Rob Reiner created the ads, and the jingle became an instant classic.

Ken Stewart was the mastermind behind the iconic Coca-Cola Polar Bears.

Animated ads have always been a staple of Coca-Cola advertising, and the “Coke Side of Life” (2006) and “Open Happiness” (2009) campaigns featured some of the best the company has ever produced, including “Grand Theft Auto,” “It’s Mine” and “Happiness Factory.”

Slogans, by their very nature, are supposed to be “mindstickers” or “earworms.” The purpose of advertising is to make people associate a slogan with a brand. Coca-Cola is fortunate to have had some of the greatest creative talent in advertising work on our marketing. While the fictional Don Draper from Mad Men could always come up with a slogan, in the real world, industry giants like W. C. D’Arcy, Archie Lee and Bill Backer produced some of the greatest slogans, jingles and ads of all time.  [Article by Ted Ryan (director of Heritage Communications for Coca-Cola) and sourced from Coca-Cola's Website with thanks].

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Because 'Things Go Better With Coke' - including music, I've decided to share with you some fairly Obscure Aussie Coke Jingles from the 60's & 70's for this month's W.O.C.K on Vinyl Post.  Oh, and by the way, as a bonus I've made it Sugar Free as well !   Thanks to WoodyNet for the RIP and Sunshine for a late addition with some bonus tracks by The New Seekers.  All files are in FLAC 

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Track Listing

01-Bee Gees 1

02-Bee Gees 2

03-The Valentines

04-Billy Thorpe

05-Sherbet

06-Brian Cadd

07-Doug Parkinson

08-Dragon

09-Ronnie Burns

10-Easybeats 1

11-Easybeats 2

12-Johnny Farnham

13-The Executives

14-The Groove

15-The Seekers 1

16-The Seekers 2

17-The Twilights

18-Normie Rowe

19-Alison Durbin

20-New Seekers 1

21-New Seekers 2

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Aussie Coca Cola Commercials (107Mb) New Link 18/11/2024

John Farnham - The Best Of John Farnham (1980)

(Australian 1967 - Present)
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We Australians are notoriously harsh in our treatment of local heroes. Sometimes it seems that the only reason we elevate performers, sportsmen or politicians to the heights of stardom is so we can topple them with malicious glee. Few antipodean celebrities seem to escape the 'lift 'em up and rip 'em down' process, and so retreat to a safer 'behind the scenes' position — if indeed they choose to persevere with the fickle world of entertainment at all. To remain under the critical glare of public scrutiny for more than a dozen years — without being cast on the has-been's scrapheap — is the only true testament to pure talent.
John Farnham is a rare and exceptional artist; a full-time 'star' who has earned and retained the respect and admiration of his peers and public — without the inevitable resort to scandal or eccentricity.

Born July 1, 1949 in Dagenham, England, John became involved in amateur charity performances from the age of 6 and, having moved to Melbourne at 10, continued his interest through the avenue of school functions. By 16 he had joined the workforce as an apprentice plumber; singing at local dances with The Mavericks by night. His pleasant and generally tuneful voice came to the attention of the moderately prominent Strings Unlimited early in 1965, culminating in him assuming lead vocalist responsibilities with the outfit for two years. During an Adelaide jaunt early in 1967, Bev Harrel's boyfriend — accountant Darryl Sambell — became enamoured by the young singer and, despite a drastic dearth of experience in things showbiz, proposed management. John initially became a regular on the pop-mime daily TV series 'Kommotion'; which brought him to the attention of EMI house producer David McKay, who eventually made use of his voice on TAA's 'Susan Jones' advertising campaign. From there it was a mere formality for John to be signed to EMI as a recording artist — facilitated by a private performance before McKay, backed by an accommodating Zoot.

From the outset, McKay was keen for Farnham to record a novelty non-hit from England called "Sadie, The Cleaning Lady".  John recalls: "I thought it was really dumb. I admit I didn't know much then and neither did Darryl but we knew one thing — we didn't like that song". The discontented singer conceded that McKay knew best and dutifully laid it down in October 1967. Released in the first week of September, it made national number one within a month, and stayed atop for 6 weeks — remaining on the charts for some 23 weeks. Apart from being the first Australian recorded number one for more than a year, it became the biggest selling Aussie single of all time with sales in excess of 180,000 — a record which stood until 'Up There Cazally' shifted a quarter million in 1979.

Overnight, the young, effervescent John Farnham became the proverbial household name — a teenage star wholly acceptable to parents. And whereas such a crossover combination traditionally spelt doom, Farnham swept up both camps in his wake — alienating neither with his honest, sincere approach. To the media he was a Godsend — a means whereby younger viewers/listeners/readers could be catered, at no risk to the mainstream. Commercials, fan rags, Tonight Shows, newspapers and local dances all vied for his services; and in the making was a unique celebrity who would never have to rely upon a steady stream of hits to maintain a prominent career.


The inevitably difficult follow-up came in March 1968, in the form of a two-way bet — another novelty "Underneath The Arches", backed with a superb classy pop song — Greenwhich & Barry's "Friday Kind Of Monday". The record performed well in the top ten, paving the way for two more respectful hits from the pen of Australian Hans Poulsen — "Jamie" and "Rose Coloured Glasses".

During 1968 John won the first of 5 consecutive Logie Awards for Best Teenage Personality; while a year later he landed the first of 5 consecutive 'King of Pop' crowns. There simply wasn't another male pop personality in the land to compete or compare with the positive and professional Mr Farnham.

Christmas '68 saw the first chart miss with the seasonal "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause"; a disappointment well compensated in August 1969, with the number one placing of Harry Nilsson's "One", an American hit for Three Dog Night.

Four months later John beat B.J. Thomas to the punch with an ultra-commercial rendition of the theme from 'Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid' — "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". Another number one, remaining on the charts for 18 weeks. John Farnham never descended into the parochial cliques nor engaged in the publicised bickering which so obsessed many of his contemporaries. Somehow he remained aloof, taking his career very seriously in spite of those few who ridiculed his wide-eyed innocent approach to a rather dirty game.

"Comic Conversations" brought him back to the top ten late in 1970 and in 1971, after recording a duet album with Queen of Pop 'Allison Durbin', he journeyed to London to begin preparations for his stage debut in the Australian production of Charlie Girl, alongside Derek Nimmo and Dame Anna Neagle.

Before the year was out he had landed his second Go Set Pop Poll victory, and hits 8, 9, 10 with "Acapulco Sun", "Baby Without You" (with Allison) and "Walking The Floor On My Hands".  1972 was another corker year. March saw John crowned King Of Moomba in Melbourne and, by the end of the year, he had picked up the Most Outstanding Performance of a Composition award (with Brian Cadd's "Don't You Know It's Magic") at  the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. Once the number 4 hit of "Rock Me Baby" (which trounced well the David Cassidy version) was off the charts, the Tokyo winner was rush released to become hit 11.

In April 1973, John hit top ten with "Everything's Out Of Season" and instigated wild street chaos when he wedded Jillian Billman in the Melbourne suburb of Glenroy. Five months later he was back at number 12 with "I Can't Dance To Your Music".  One final hit in January 1974 — "Shake A Hand" — marked the end of John's pop chart career — although another equally successful one was lurking around the corner (aka Whispering Jack)

Early in 1974 impressario Kenn Brodziak placed him in the lead role in the Pippin stage production and within a year John had re-orientated his image and direction toward a more mature market — though not necessarily the indiscriminate suburbians that his critics were suggesting. Two Vanda/Young songs recorded under Peter Dawkins in 1975 — "Things To Do" and "One Minute Every Hour" — showcased Farnham in stunning voice, with the former remaining one of the truly great  vocal performances captured in this country. The 1975 album 'J.P Farnham Sings' was a brave and critically acclaimed work comprised entirely of Australian-composed songs. Though it yielded no hits, the album stood as a Powerful, mature tribute to the come-of-age Australian creative community.

Without an overdose of TV quiz shows and clubland performances, John Farnham continues untouched a premier Australian personality. The diversity he has exhibited via such television outings as Bobby and Survival maintained his subtle prominence and ensured his continued popularity. Given another decade, J.P Farnham will still commands respect and admiration from most Australians. (Liner notes by Glenn A. Baker, Australian Editor, Billboard, January 1980).
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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my AXIS CD release and includes full album artwork. I have not been able to source the artwork for the LP release and would hope that someone out there who owns this album might scan and share theirs with us.  One thing that bugs me about this release is the fact that the album (and liner notes) refer to Johnny as John, when in fact all of the songs featured on this album where released under the name of "Johnny Farnham". It wasn't until late 1979 when Johnny finally dropped the boyish reference and started to call himself John, around the time when he joined Little River Band.
And the photo used on the CD release is taken from his later years with LRB, while the photo on the LP is more true to what John looked like during the 70's.
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Track Listing:
01  Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (2:29)
02  Comic Conversation  (3:19)
03  Rock Me Baby (3:21)
04  Don't You Know It's Magic  (4:00)
05  Everything Is Out of Season  (3:12)
06  I Can't Dance to Your Music  (3:00)
07  I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus  (1:42)
08  Things to Do  (3:20)
09  One  (2:50)
10  Jamie  (2:29)
11  Rose Coloured Glasses  (2:50)
12  Sadie, the Cleaning Lady (3:18)
13  Underneath the Arches  (2:01)
14  Friday Kind of Monday  (2:45)

15  Walking the Floor on My Hands  (2:30)
16  Acapulco Sun  (2:38)
17  One Minute Every Hour  (3:03)
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Best Of Johnny Farnham Link (332Mb) 

New Link 23/12/2023

* Thanks to Chris Spencer for providing me with this back scan of the LP release (see right). Download it separately.
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