Paul Kelly And The Dots - Talk (1981) plus Bonus Single

(Australian 1978 - 1982)

While travelling around Australia, Paul Kelly made his first public performance as a singer/song writer in 1974 in Hobart. He later recalled:

His first published song, "It's the Falling Apart that Makes You", was written after listening to Van Morrison's Astral Weeks at the age of 19, although in an interview with Drum Media he recalled writing his first unpublished song: "It was an open-tuning and had four lines about catching trains. I have got a recording of it somewhere. It was called 'Catching a Train'. I wrote a lot of songs about trains early on, trains and fires, and then I moved on to water". In 1976, Kelly played with the Adelaide band 'The Debutantes' before joining pub-rockers The High Rise Bombers from 1977 to 1978.  The High Rise Bombers included Kelly (vocals, guitar, songwriter), Martin Armiger (guitar, vocals, songwriter), Lee Cass (bass guitar), Chris Dyson (guitar), Sally Ford (saxophone, songwriter), John Lloyd (drums), and Keith Shadwick (saxophone). Chris Langman (guitar, vocals) replaced Dyson in early 1978. In August, after Armiger left for The Sports and Ford for The Kevins, Kelly formed Paul Kelly and the Dots with Langman and Lloyd. The High Rise Bombers recorded two tracks, "She's Got It" and "Domestic Criminal", which appeared on The Melbourne Club, a 1981 compilation by various artists on Missing Link Records.

Kelly had already established himself as a respected songwriter and other Melbourne musicians would go to see him on their nights off. He was introduced to Hilary Brown at one of the Dots' gigs and they later married the relationship is described in "When I First Met Your Ma" (1992). Brown's father supplied Kelly with a gravy recipe used on "How to Make Gravy" (1996). Their son, Declan, was born in 1980.

The Dots included various line-ups from 1978 to 1982. The band released their debut single "Recognition" in 1979, which did not reach the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart top 50. Paul Kelly and the Dots signed to Mushroom Records and issued "Billy Baxter" in November 1980, which peaked at No. 38. Rock music historian, Ian McFarlane described it as a "delightful, ska-tinged" track. Kelly's first television performance was "Billy Baxter" on the national pop show Countdown. Their debut album, Talk, followed in March 1981, which reached No. 44 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Late in 1981 Paul Kelly and the Dots recorded their second album, Manila, in the Philippines' capital. It was issued in August 1982, but had no chart success. Release was delayed by line-up changes and because Kelly was assaulted in Melbourne he had his jaw broken.

In an October 1982 interview with Australian Women's Weekly, Kelly indicated he was more pleased with Manila than Talk as "It has more unity ... with this one we didn't have people dropping into the studio to play." Years later Kelly disavowed both Dots albums: "I wish I could grab the other two and put 'em in a big hole". The 1982 film, Starstruck, was directed by Gillian Armstrong and starred Jo Kennedy. Paul Kelly and the Dots supplied "Rocking Institution" for its soundtrack and Kelly added to the score. Kennedy released "Body and Soul", a cover of Split Enz' "She Got Body, She Got Soul" as a shared single with "Rocking Institution". Acting in a minor role in Starstruck was Kaarin Fairfax, who later became Kelly's second wife. Kelly was without a recording contract after the Dots folded in 1982. [extract from radioswissjazz]

PAUL KELLY and THE DOTS

(Review from Tharunka (Kensington, NSW : 1953 - 2010), Tuesday 3 March 1981, page 17)

The most commonly used excuse for people not frequenting many music venues is the cost involved -- and understandably so. Cover charges usually range from three to five dollars — then the expense is tripled after a few drinks.

Well, this time there's no excuse. Friday the 13th need not be unlucky if you show up on the PERC Lawn, with whatever you care to inebriate yourself with (or alternatively, the luxury of the bar balcony). Three bands for the price it takes you to get out-of-it.

The concert commences with multi-racial, reggae band Untabu-X.followed by Sydney band The Brix, then Paul Kelly and the Dots. For those unfamiliar with the headlining band, maybe the following will convince the more apathetic, that the concert is a bargain at half the price (?).

Paul Kelly and The Dots base themselves in Melbourne and if you haven't seen them on one of their rare Sydney excursions, you may have heard the single "Billy Baxter", which included Joe Camilleri (Jo Jo Zep) and Wilbur Wilde also from the Falcons and OL'55 on saxophone. Actually, Joe Camilleri, as well as including two of Kelly's songs on his own albums, has recently finished producing The Dots debut album entitled "Talk", The album has attracted quite a bit of controversy due to the length of time it's taken to record. Recording began in June last year. Line-up changes postponed the completion date then Joe went overseas with the Falcons. The release date is now set for March 13th!!

When asked if satisfied with the end product, Kelly was less than enthusiastic. The band has been through many line- up changes and he has "enough new material for a double album".

Delving into Kelly's past, he began as a solo act playing his material in Sydney pubs on acoustic. He changed from acoustic in Sydney to electric in Melbourne four years ago. The High Rise Bombers were formed with Sports this point, a song smith only, and his voice and words were lost in the volume of electrics and brass.

Kelly's image changed with the forming of The Dots. Instead of the music drowning his lyrics, he learnt to project power that transformed his poetic lines into raging dance songs. Paul Kelly is now regarded as Australia's Bruce Springsteen. He wrote the title track from the movie Hard Knocks and recorded the vocal tracks lying on the studio floor (he'd put his back out)And the Falcons aren't the only ones to realise Kelly's talent as a song writer. Flowers have also recorded Kelly's "Leaps and Bounds".

The line-up you'll see on the 13th includes Chris Dyson and Chris Wilde on guitars, Alan Brooker on bass and drums, courtesy of Tony Thornton.
So Friday 13th may have more in store for you than being run down by a bus!

This post consists of FLACs ripped from CD (thanks to RAM) and includes full album artwork for both Vinyl and CD. In addition you will find two bonus tracks taken from their earlier single "Seeing Is Believing" / "Angel In Me" (1980) which were not included on 'Talk' (many thanks to Crossocean for making this rare single available). As we all know, Paul Kelly moved onto bigger and better things as a solo artist when the Dots dissolved in 1982, however his contribution to Aussie Rock and helping to make Melbourne the centre of the pub rock circuit must not be overlooked.

Irrespective of what Kelly's thinks about this release, I would encourage you to listen to it yourself to pass judgement.

Tracklist
01 Promise Not To Tell 3:20
02 The Lowdown 3:32
03 Want You Back 3:10
04 Fall Guy 3:36
05 Hard Knocks 3:54
06 Billy Baxter * 2:43
07 Recognition 3:04
08 Cherry 4:30
09 The Way Used To 3:08
10 I Have To Watch You Loving Him 3:16
11 Please Send Me 2:52
12 Seeing Is Believing (Bonus Single) 2:48
13 Angel In Me (Bonus Single) 2:42

Paul Kelly - Vocals, Guitar

Chris Dyson, Chris Worrall - Guitars, Vocals

Alan Brooker, Paul Gadsby - Bass

Tony Thornton - Drums

* Wilbur Wilde, Joe Camilleri - Saxophone

Paul Kelly & The Dots Link (253Mb) New Link 30/12/2023

Note: Used the new Blogger Editor Interface for this time and I hate it!  Formatting commands are horrible and just don't work properly.

What have you done Blogger !

Paul Kelly And The Dots - Manila (1982) + Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1978-1982)
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Paul Kelly had already established himself as a respected songwriter—other Melbourne musicians would go to see him on their nights off. Richard Guilliatt, writing for The Monthly, later described Kelly from a 1979 performance at Richmond's Kingston Hotel, the singer was "a skinny guy with a head of black curls framing a pale face and a bent nose... singing with his eyes closed, one arm outstretched and the other resting on the body of the Fender Telecaster".
On a good night they were a white-hot amalgam of ’60s classicism and ’70s edge; you could hear Dylan and Lou Reed and maybe even Phil Spector in there, but also trace elements of the New York new wave and British ska and punk. They played solidly for three years and developed a rep so big that when their first album was finally released in 1981, the disappointment was palpable.
The band released their debut single "Recognition" in 1979, which did not reach the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart top 50. Paul Kelly and the Dots signed to Mushroom Records and issued "Billy Baxter" in November, 1980, which peaked at No. 38. Rock historian, Ian McFarlane described it as a 'delightful, ska-tinged' track. Kelly's first television performance was "Billy Baxter" on the national pop show Countdown.
Their debut album, 'Talk' followed in March 1981, which reached No.44 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart late in 1981.  But 'Talk' sounded thin and unconvincing; the guitars were cleaned up, the vocals were reedy and hollow, the cheesy touches of synthetic strings and girly choruses added nothing. The sheer firepower of the band got the songs over on stage, but on record their flaws were magnified. Kelly had hurt his back before the recording session and sang most of his vocals lying down. “The songs were the problem,” was his assessment in How To Make Gravy. “And the flailing singer.”
Considerable line-up changes had occurred within the Dots since its 1978 formation in Melbourne. The band that travelled to The Philippines in July 1981 with Kelly was Tony Thornton on drums, Alan Brooker on bass guitar, Tim Brosnan on guitar and Michael Holmes on guitar.
After returning to Australia, the band became involved in Gillian Armstrong's 1982 film Starstruck which starred Jo Kennedy. Paul Kelly and the Dots supplied "Rocking Institution" for the soundtrack and Kelly added to the score. Acting in a minor role in Starstruck was Kaarin Fairfax, who later became Kelly's second wife. Kelly had replaced Holmes with Maurice Frawley on guitar and Thornton with Huk Treloar on drums, and started working on his 2nd album 'Manila', originally released in August 1982 by Mushroom Records and re-released in 1990 on CD.

Paul Kelly and the Dots 1982

Manila was an altogether darker and more claustrophobic work whose mise en scène was established in the words of its opening song, ‘Forbidden Street’:

Here below in the land of stealth
Far away from a land called health
Intrigue is all I breathe
Thy will be done! Thy kingdom come!
On Forbidden Street

Whilst in Melbourne Kelly was assaulted and had his jaw broken. The first single from the album "Clean this House" was released in April, and "Alive and Well" in July, but neither album nor singles had any chart success. The line-up changes and Kelly's broken jaw had delayed the release of Manila until August 1982. The Dots were disbanded and the Paul Kelly Band was formed in 1983, Kelly's next album was his solo release 'Post' which was recorded after he had relocated to Sydney by January 1985 and to this day remains as a successful solo artist. [extracts from Wikipedia & TheMonthly.com]
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This post consists of an MP3 rip (320kps) taken from CD and includes full album artwork. I have also included some bonus tracks,the rare B-side single "Rocking Institution" and a live rendition of "Alive & Well" performed on Countdown, in 1982.  For your pleasure, I have also chosen to include the video clip as well.
I must admit that "Billy Baxter" (from their first album) was their best single and unfortunately there is no equivalent on this album, but this album is still worth a listen, so enjoy.
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Track Listing
01 - Forbidden Street

02 - Clean This House
03 - Alive And Well
04 - Skidding Hearts
05 - Some Guys
06 - Last Resort
07 - See You In Paradise
08 - Touchy Babe
09 - When The Girl's Not Even English
10 - Lenny (To Live Is To Burn)
11 - Rockin' Institution (Bonus B-Side Single)
12 - Alive And Well (Bonus Countdown 1982)

Band Members:
Paul Kelly (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
Tim Brosnan (Vocals, Guitar)
Michael Holmes (Guitar)
Alan Brooker (Bass)
Tony Thornton (Drums)
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Paul Kelly And The Dots (141Mb)  New Link 18/07/2020
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