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)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Songs Of the Humpback Whale (1970)

 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.

Whale songs have probably been heard, though seldom recognized as such, ever since man began to make voyages by sea. In the literature ofwhaling alone there are many accounts of strange, ethereal sounds, reverberating faintly through a quiet ship at night, mystifying sailors in their bunks. Long after such experiences were first mentioned, scientists were able to explain what caused them... if the idea of whale 'singing' seems odd, the cause may lie in the several meanings of the word 'song'. Quite apart from any esthetic judgement one might make about them, the sounds produced by Humpback whales can properly be called songs because they occur in complete sequences that are repeated. Bird sounds are called songs for the same reason. Birds sing songs that are repeated fairly exactly and Humpback whales too are very faithful to their own individual sequences of sounds.

Humpback whale songs are far longer than bird songs. The shortest Humpback song recorded last six minutes and the longest is more than thirty minutes. The pauses between Humpback songs are no longer than the pauses between notes within the song: in other words, they are recycled without any obvious break. Again, in contrast with birds, who complete a song before pausing, it doesn't matter where in its song the Humpback starts or stops.

Dr. Roger S. Payne, whose work during the 1960's produced this record, spent fifteen years doing research in biological acoustics at The Institute for Research in Animal Behaviour operated jointly by the New York Zoological Society and The Rockefeller University.

Whale songs seem to have a universal appeal. Dr. Payne had played whale songs for many thousands of people in a wide variety of circumstances - at lectures throughout the United States and elsewhere: at the home of influental statesmen with guests invited to hear the songs; in the living rooms of performing artists; at colleges; in concerts; and in many other situations - and always, whatever the occasion, the people who listened have been affected, often profoundly moved, by the songs. Folk singers have begun to song about whales. Works of orchestral music have been composed with whale songs.

Finally, through art forms and through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, lectures and meetings of all kinds, people have begun to tell each other that the magnificant whale, now in peril of virtual extinction, must be saved. The world was finally 'turning on' to whales. [LP Liner Notes]

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) implemented a global moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986 to allow decimated whale stocks to recover. While it significantly reduced hunting, exceptions exist, with Norway, Iceland, and Japan continuing commercial whaling, often objecting to or bypassing the ban, killing over 45,000 whales since it began. Not cool !

Nevertheless, this Moratorium is widely considered to be a major conservation success, drastically reducing the annual catch from over 14,000 in 1980 to less than 1,000 in recent years, allowing several populations, especially the Humpback whales, to show strong signs of recovery.

Male Humpback whales are famous for singing songs to the females they are courting. Like humans, Humpback whales use a larynx to make these sounds. These songs are distinctly different within each breeding stock, yet some of them seem to share their songs with other groups. A 2019 study found out how the songs were evolving. Dr Rochelle Constantine and her co-authors discovered that Humpbacks from all over Oceania meet at New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands on their southern migration and share their songs with each other.

This post consists of MP3 (320) files freshly ripped from my treasured vinyl LP which I purchased from the Melbourne University's Bookshop back in the late 70's. I was undertaking my post-graduate studies in Marine Biology at the time, and was immediately attracted to these recordings when I saw them sitting amongst  the popular music section (strange hey !).   I still listen to these recordings some 45 years later, and am always mesmorised by the magicical sounds that these glorious mammals make.  

Side Note: It was always my dream to travel to Antarctica while working for my supervisor as a research assistant (specialising in the

area of Antarctic Terrestrial Algae), and was scheduled to do so in 1982, however, the Australian Government pulled the plug on all Biological Research funding in 1981 - redirecting it to Minning, and so the expedition was cancelled. In fact , my supervisor eventually lost his job as well, and returned to the UK from where he had come. What a bummer! So close, yet so far !

So this month's WOCK on Vinyl post definately ticks the O box for Obscurity (I doubt if you'll find this album available in this format elsewhere) and yes - stating the obvious - W for Whale.

Songs Of the Humpback Whale Link (78Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Cassius Clay - Stand By Me / I Am The Greatest (1964)

 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.

Muhammad Ali [born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr]; (January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978, and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.

He was famous for trash talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, and is identified as a pioneer in hip-hop. He often predicted in which round he would knock out his opponent. As a boxer, Ali was known for his unorthodox movement, footwork, head movement, and rope-a-dope technique, among others.

'I Am the Greatest' is a comedy album by boxer Cassius Clay, released in August 1963 – six months before he won the world heavyweight championship, publicly announced his conversion to Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. It was released by Columbia/CBS. The album helped establish Ali's reputation as an eloquently poetic "trash talker". The album has also been identified as an early example of hip hop music. 

With the success and popularity of Clay's album release, Columbia decided to release a follow up single featuring Clay singing a cover of Carol King's "Stand By Me", with his earlier hit "I Am The Greatest" on the flip side. The single was released in 1964, charting on the Billboard "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles".

Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)
1967

After later controversy, Columbia pulled the LP and single from stores. Ali did not make another record until he teamed up with Frank Sinatra and Howard Cosell to record The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay in 1976.

However, Clay's "I Am the Greatest" single resurfaced again on CD in 1991 as part of the compilation Golden Throats 2: More Celebrity Rock Oddities.

Now I'm sure many of you are wondering why Muhammad Ali didn't like being called Cassius Clay?

In an interview with a well known celebrity magazine, Ali explained "Cassius Clay is a slave name". "I didn't choose it and I don't want it." ' According to The Independent, Ali attended his first Nation of Islam (NOI) meeting in 1961 and then later joined the African American Islamic religious movement in hopes of improving the status of African Americans in the U.S.

This month's W.O.C.K posting pays tribute to one of the greatest boxers that ever stepped into a boxing ring, and as the old saying goes "He could Float like a Butterfly, and Sting like a Bee".  

This post is definately Obscure (thanks to Guitarzman for the rip - MP3/320) but I'd also like to tick the C box for Cassius Clay's Courage in standing up for his rights as an Africian American in the U.S during the 60's.

Track List

Side A - Stand By Me   2:09

Side B - I Am The Greatest    2:12

Mono Single Link (10Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Agro - Don't Go In The Dunny (2002)

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.

Agro and music, what a perfect match! The seven-time Logie Award winner has just crafted his piece of Australian music history with "Don't Go In The Dunny (After Dad's Been In There)".  Like Vegemite, FJ Holden's and the Hills Hoist, Agro is an Australian icon.

Having been on Australian national television since 1980, it is no wonder Agro has a recoginition factor with the Australian public of a massive 98%. At one stage this little sarcastic mat was on television seven days a week.

If it wasn't his own show, 'Agro's cartoon Connection' 6:30am to 9:30am weekdays on the Seven Network, it was regular Friday night anchoring of Steve Vizard's 'Tonight Live'. Combine this with numerous guest appearances on 'Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune','Family Feud', footy shows, Hey, Hey It's Saturday and the like and you've got a Megastar.

Agro also co-hosted with the beautiful Shelley Craft on 'Perfect Match' and was heard nationaliy on the Auststereo radio network.

Jamie Dunn (see right) was the puppeteer behind Agro and his antics. For three decades Dunn has been the voice and personality of children's character Agro.

So, what is a Dunny you might ask?

Well, "Dunny" is a common Australian slang term for an outdoor toilet, privy, or any toilet, originating from the British dialect dunnekin (derived from "dung" and "ken," meaning house). It refers to both the structure and the toilet itself. It is generally considered informal rather than vulgar.

The term gained popularity in Australia during the 1930s, initially referring to unsewered, outdoor toilets. It is used universally in Australia, from rural areas to the city. While not technically "naughty," it is considered very casual language and common slang in the land DownUnder.

This months WOCK post ticks the usual Weird  and Crazy boxes (or should that be WC !  LOL ) and features a 3 track CDS from this lovable and cheeky TV character. (thanks to Ratso for the FLAC rip)

Track List

01 Don't Go in the Dunny

02 Don't Go in the Disco Dunny

03 Don't Go in the Dunny (Karaoke Mix)

Don't Go In The Dunny (46Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Roly Parks & the Sole Burners - ‘Good On Ya Cliff Young” Single (1983)

On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future. Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.
With respect to Australia's Music Industry, we can be very proud of the contributions that our Aussie Musos have made in entertaining people from every nation with music and song, with many of our artists achieving world wide acclaim.

Whether or not you still support Australia Day, in light of the recent controversy that has arisen with the validity of what Australia Day represents, I hope you will still support the spirit of the day, where we all come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian.

In 1983, Roly Parks & The Sole Burners recorded a single for Wizard Records ‘Good On Ya Cliff Young” b/w “The Good Old Aussie Battler” (ZS 826). The single was produced by Bryan Dawe and Steve Groves who also penned both sides. Cliff Young OAM was an Australian potato farmer and athlete from Beech Forest, Victoria, best known for his unexpected win of the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne Ultra marathon in 1983 at 61 years of age.

It was his monumentous efforts in beating all odds (namely much younger and experienced long distance runners) to win the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon that exemplified the little 'Aussie Battler' metaphor and is a reminder that greatness often wears humble shoes.

Launched in 1983, the Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon earned a reputation as one of the most grueling endurance races on the planet. Spanning 875 km (543.7 miles) through searing daytime heat and freezing nights, it demanded extraordinary preparation, strategic planning, and near-superhuman stamina. It was a race for elite ultramarathoners—athletes who calculated every calorie, nap, and step. That year, top contenders like the legendary Greek ultrarunner Yiannis Kouros had well-honed strategies: scheduled micro-naps, precisely calibrated fueling, and energy-saving strides. So when Cliff Young showed up at the start line wearing overalls and work boots, people thought it was a joke. What most didn’t realize was that Cliff, a native of Victoria, wasn’t entirely new to running. Despite what some internet myths might suggest, he had completed the Melbourne Marathon three times between 1980 and 1982, after taking up competitive running at the age of 56. His personal best? A respectable 3:02:53—remarkable for someone who began so late in life. But this time would reveal just how much more he had in him.

Cliff Young - The Potato Farmer (Centre Front)

The “impossible” feat/feet" of Cliff Young and his sheep

Every day on his farm in Beech Forest, Cliff would run for hours chasing stray sheep across rugged terrain—often for days without rest. So when he calmly told race officials, “I’m used to running for two or three days straight when rounding up the sheep,” it wasn’t just a quaint anecdote—it was his truth. At first, no one took him seriously. Other runners raised eyebrows. Spectators chuckled. Yet, once the race began, Cliff stuck to his own rhythm: a slow, steady shuffle that never stopped. While competitors took breaks to sleep, Cliff simply kept going. “If I stop to sleep,” he reasoned, “I’ll lose too much time.”

By day three, he had caught up to the leaders. By day four, he passed them. With no coach, no sports science, and no sleep, Cliff Young ran continuously for 5 days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes, smashing the previous record by nearly two full days. He finished a staggering 10 hours ahead of the runner-up, George Perdon—himself a veteran, known as the first man to run across Australia back in 1973. At the finish line, exhausted but smiling, Cliff said simply: “I knew I could do it. I just did what I always do.” His time would stand until 1985, when Yiannis Kouros set a new record of 5 days, 5 hours, and 7 minutes. Cliff’s performance even inspired a race in his honor—the Cliff Young Race, held annually from 1983 to 2005.

Cliff Young’s legacy: a new way to run [the shuffle]

Cliff Young didn’t just win a race—he changed the very fabric of ultrarunning. Before him, no one thought it was humanly possible to run nearly 900 km without sleep. After him, scientists and runners alike studied his signature stride: the “Young Shuffle”—a low-impact, ultra-efficient gait that dragged the feet just above the ground to conserve energy. To this day, it’s taught in ultramarathon training camps. But Cliff’s real legacy goes beyond biomechanics. He redefined what endurance means. He proved that patience and grit could outlast speed and youth. That simplicity can beat sophistication. That underdogs—those who don’t fit the mold—often hold untapped potential. Even Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan marathon legend and first man to break the 2-hour barrier (in an unofficial race), cited Cliff Young as an inspiration: “He taught me that limits exist only in the mind.” In Australia, Cliff remains a national icon. His story isn’t just a tale of winning against all odds—it’s a reminder that greatness often wears humble shoes. 

[Extract from www.marathons.com]

Cliffy Young's story resinates with me greatly, as I too was a marathon runner back in the 80's & 90's and totally understood the massive human endurance that is involved with this type of run.  Now, it's one thing to run a 42.195km marathon, but to run 875km is just, simply insane.  I remember watching the coverage of the event on TV over the 5 days and was on Sydney Road (extension of the Hume Highway) joining the thousands of other Melbournians to applaud Cliffy's amazing effort, when he ran past on his way to the finish line in the city.

Perhaps some of you were there also...if so, I would love to hear your thoughts on this amazing story.

In closing, I would like to dedicate this post to all our Aussie sports people who represent our great country and in doing so, exemplify the Aussie Spirit. The plaque shown right is a wonderful reminder of the spirit and legacy that Cliffy Young demonstrated when he undertook a mammoth challenge [as the under-dog] and won. 

This post consists of MP3's ripped from vinyl + label scans (thanks to Ozzie Musicman).

"Good On Ya Cliff Young" / "The Good Old Aussie Battler" Link  (14Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas (1986)

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.

Normally, I would be posting something that is 'cheerful and joyful' for my Christmas WOCK post, but instead I feel compelled to honour the life and music of Chris Rea at this moment. 

Singer Chris Rea, widely known for the festive hit "Driving Home for Christmas", sadly passed away yesterday aged 74. Rea's success came despite the singer suffering a string of health issues. A pancreatic cancer diagnosis at just 33-years-old was followed by operations on his liver and then a stroke later in life.

A somewhat reluctant popstar, the Middlesbrough native was shy of the spotlight, and even admitted rallying against the record label's decision to release his biggest hit - though accepted he was thankful when they eventually did in 1986.

Rea's love of cars and driving was the inspiration behind many of his songs - but when he wrote arguably his biggest hit, "Driving Home for Christmas", the singer was actually serving a driving ban.

Chris Rea in the 80's

During an appearance on the 2020 Christmas special of TV series Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Rea recalls:

"In 1978, I had come to the end of my record contract and had parted ways with my manager.

The record company wouldn't even pay for a train ticket for me to get from London to my home in Middlesbrough, so my wife drove down to pick me up up in her old Austin Mini.

On the way back up, it started snowing and we kept getting stuck in traffic and  "I'd look across at the other drivers, who all looked so miserable.

Jokingly, I started singing 'We're driving home for Christmas...' then, whenever the street lights shone inside the car, I started writing down the lyrics.

It's one of those moments that songwriters get - sometimes you can spend years and years writing. That one was five to 10 minutes. When you have a successful song, you don't remember thinking about it - it just comes out.".

Reluctant or otherwise, he even resisted a more marketable name swap, the fame the track brought Rea is indisputable; nearly 40 years on, the single took a spot at #30 in this year's UK Christmas top 40.

A proud guitarist with influences stretching deep into the blues, Rea recorded 25 solo albums, two of which topped the UK albums chart.

Chris Rea performing 2017

A post on his social media accounts reads: "Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind". [extracts from BBC news with thanks]

So, this December's WOCK posting ticks the Christmas box as usual, but also the enjoyment that Chris Rea brought to our lives through his music and lyrics. And one thing I'm sure, Chris will be still singing this Christmas along with the arch angels.

I hope you enjoy these 1986/2025 releases of his hit single "Driving Home For Christmas" (in FLAC format) and may you all have a safe and joyful Christmas.

Driving Home For Christmas Link (58Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Andre L'Escargot And The Society Syncopators (feat. Glenn Shorrock) - Purple Umbrella [45] (1971) + Glenn Shorrock - Let's Get The Band Together [45] (1971) & Rock 'n' Roll Lullaby [45] (1972)

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.

Glenn Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups 'The Twilights', 'Axiom' and 'Little River Band' as well as being a solo performer during various stages of his musical career.

Glenn started singing for the Australian band 'The Twilights' in 1964, eventually clocking up eight consecutive national hit singles including "Needle in a Haystack" and "What's Wrong With The Way I Live". After the Twilights, he helped form another Australian band with mate Brian Cadd called 'Axiom', which evetually released three top 10 hits:  "Arkansas Grass", "Little Ray of Sunshine" and "My Baby's Gone". 

Axiom toured both Australia and England over a 2 year period, but when Axiom decided to go back to Australia for the second time in 1971, Glenn decided to exit the band and said 'goodbye', choosing to remain in England. Like a lot of other people at the time, he was trying to find himself - his marriage had broken up and he was heavily into meditation, macrobiotic food and all that. He was looking for something to do and Carry Spry, who was in London with The Groove (Eureka Stockade), came to his aid. At that time he was hanging out with other Australians, like the Master's Apprentices, and that's when his relationship with Glenn Wheatley began. 

Carry managed to get Glenn a deal with the management record company MAM, which was owned by Gordon Mills, the manager of Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck and Gilbert O'Sullivan. He negotiated a good contract with MAM which paid a weekly wage rather than a big advance. Signed to MAM's publishing arm (which was to eventually prove rather profitable for them), Glenn recorded a considerable number of demos but released only three singles for MAM. Into the picture had stepped Twilights producer McKay, who was also based in London; and the Decca group Quartet, which comprised former Adelaide comrades Terry Britten (his old mate from The Twilight days), Kevin Peek, Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer (all ex members of The James Taylor Move)

The first single cut by this collective under Glenn's name, "Let's Get The Band Together", stiffed (perhaps because he didn't have a live band together) but the second, Mann and Weil's lovely "Rock'n'Roll Lullaby", at least picked up reasonable airplay. Glenn described the flipside, "When God Plays His Guitar" as 'a pretty good indication of where his head was at around that time.'

Another Shorrock MAM single, the mock-French "Purple Umbrella", was recorded under the alias of Andre L'Escargot & His Society Syncopaters, with his Decca group Quartet backing band. The A-Side was written by Frisco & Head, while the B-Side "Petunia" was written by Shorrock. This single is not well known (probably due to the alias name used by Glenn's group) and has become very much a rarity for record collectors, along with his earlier solo releases.

So for this WOCK post, I am ending the drought on these rarities, and I'm providing all three for your enjoyment.  So, it's not rocket science which box this months WOCK post ticks - Obscure, but also just alittle Weird, based on the group alias he chose for his second single. All singles have been ripped to MP3 (320 kps) and artwork has been included where available.

Single 1971

Glenn Shorrock

01 - Let's Get The Band Together

02 - Contemporary Caveman

Single 1971 

Andre L'Escargot And The Society Syncopators (feat. Glenn Shorrock)

01 - Purple Umbrella

02 - Petunia

Single 1972

Glenn Shorrock

01 - Rock 'n' Roll Lullaby

02 - When God Plays His Guitar
 

Rare Glenn Shorrock Singles (43Mb)

W.O.C.K on Vinyl: The Ghouls - Dracula's Deuce (1964)

 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.

Now here's an album that's guarenteed to grab you (down! Igor. down!). Something new and different for all you Monstrous Music lovers. Half the tunes are vocals with great, horrifying lyrics, and half are swinging instrumentals guaranteed to wake the dead (go back to sleep, Igor, the sun's still out)

So whether you're in the mood to mash, jerk, watusi or swim - or just want to lie back on your slab and relax with some wonderful music for queasy listening - this album is for you. [Album liner notes]

This album is actually Dracula parodies of the Beach Boys and surf music in general. It's particularly notable for having come out in 1964, before the heyday of psychedelia. It perfectly presages a lot of retro interest in goofy halloween music, surf rock, sunshine pop, etc. among the garage rockers of the 2020s, purely innocently. No sinister psychedelia or subversion here, just good clean fun.

Cemetary Rockers will really dig this album

While I love hearing a 60’s-era monster party song any time of year, cemetery rockers and blood-sucking bops make up a substantial part of my diet come October. I’ve been reviewing a mix of gleefully ghastly and truly god-awful genre pieces through my Instagram stories all month long, but for Halloween-proper I wanted to dig a little deeper into a record that’s fascinated me for decades: The Ghouls’ Dracula’s Deuce, from 1964.

The Ghouls weren’t exactly a real band, but rather a studio project concocted by Gary Usher, a California producer/musician who carved out a career making music with various fictional ensembles.

Drac loves surf music too

Dracula’s Deuce is a weird beast. It pretty well trades off song-for-song between instrumental and vocal pieces. But it’s also a novelty record to the max, and painfully punny to the core. Considering Gary also had a dozen co-writes with Brian Wilson (most famously “In My Room”), it’s not surprising to see the Ghouls' macabre goofs on iconic tracks from Jan and Dean (“The Little Old Lady from Transylvania”), The Beach Boys (“Be True To Your Ghoul”) and even Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" ("Bela be Good").

While borrowing quite liberally from the surf and hot rod music scenes, it’s hard to miss that Dracula’s Deuce also owes an eternal debt to “Monster Mash”. Vocalist Richie Burns often works a similar Boris Karloff lilt as the Crypt-Kickers’ Bobby “Boris” Pickett; the Ghouls’ “The Graveyard Shift” is musically a beat-for-beat Mash, though it moves the monsters from the party to a back-breaking night of ditchdigging.

Drac's Red Deuce 

The simmering, sax-loaded “Monsterbilly Heaven,” the album’s best vocal track, is an accidentally profound piece about monsters crossing over into a second afterlife, with Drac and Vampira having one last bash before ascending to that big black cloud in the sky. That’s kind of how the Ghouls avoid being mere “Monster Mash” retreads, putting them a rung ahead above more pitiful Pickett bites like Mann Drake’s “Vampire’s Ball”.

That’s not to say the record is without faults. Burns loves dropping these pained cries throughout the vocal pieces that are a struggle to listen to. It’s as if he’s constantly being staked through the heart (maybe he was !) For this reason alone, the instrumentals steal the show. Take “Dracula’s Theme,” a cool-but-creepy bit of whammy-undulated guitar exotica.

While they haven’t repressed The Ghouls’ lone record since the ‘60s, it is streaming through Apple and Spotify. It’s doubly niche, between the hot rod talk and the horror aesthetic, but when it comes to songs about vampires racing custom-plated hearses through a graveyard, you can’t get much better than Dracula’s Deuce.[BY GREGORY ADAMS]

This WOCK post certainly ticks the C box for being Creepy and of course the K  'Korny' Box [Coffin]

Happy Halloween my little Ghouls......have fun finding the link (it's dead easy).

Track List

A1 Dracula's Deuce

A2 Dracula's Theme

A3 Little Old Lady From Transylvania

A4 Weird Wolf

A5 Be True To Your Ghoul

A6 Shake, Rattle And Rot

B1 Monsterbilly Heaven

B2 Blood And Butter

B3 The Graveyard Shift

B4 Voo Doo Juice

B5 Bela Be Good

B6 Coffin Nails

(MP3/320 + Artwork -70Mb)

New Link 1/11/25

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: The Ash - The Singles (1970-71)

 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 Melbourne-based hard rock band, which operated between 1969-72, was strongly influenced by Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. There were three different lineups; the second (1971) included several members of noted Sydney band Lotus. The central member, and the only person common to all three lineups, was vocalist Criston Barker (also known as Criston Somerset) but the second lineup is also notable for the presence of drummer Derek Pellicci, who went on to play with Mississippi and LRB.

The Ash's debut single "Avignon" / "Sable", produced by John Farrar, is credited as one of the first locally-produced 45s to be released in a picture sleeve -- packaging which until then was usually only used for EPs. Vernon Joyson describes it as:

" ... a slow ballad in the early Bee Gees mould, whilst the riffy, although poorly recorded, flip side displayed a strong Anglophile influence, midways between Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin."

The group also made a promotional film-clip for "Avignon" and was recently posted on YouTube by Criston (see towards bottom of post).

The Ash (Mk II)

It was the inaugural release for the newly established Havoc label, which was set up by Melbourne jazz saxophonist Frank "The Lion" Smith and agent-manager Rod De Courcy. Although the label lasted only four years (folding ca. 1975 after Smith died suddenly in 1974), HAVOC was notable for concentrating on new releases by Melbourne-based rock bands of the period, and their LPs, which were pressed in New Zealand, were renowned for their superior quality compared to the local product.

There was a major lineup change after the single came out, and by the time they recorded their next single the group consisted of Criston Barker (vocals), Ron Hood (guitar), Gary "Blockhead" Porthouse (bass) and Derek Pellicci (drums); Peter Gregory (ex The Expression) filled in on guitar for a short time.

The second Ash single "Midnight Witch" -- written by Doug Ford of The Masters Apprentices -- was produced by Havoc house engineer Gil Matthews (The Aztecs). Ian MacFarlane in the magazine 'Freedom Train' describes it as:

" ... hard hitting prog-psych, with a series of rich, staccato riffs and a throbbing bass line. The flip side is in similar mould if a little faster."

However Criston says the band was disappointed both with the production and a perceived lack of commitment from the label, so he and Derek moved to Sydney, hoping to make a new start. There they hooked up with Kim Dawson (guitar) and Warwick Wilkes (organ) both formerly of Lotus, plus noted bassist Tim Partridge, to become the the third and final lineup of The Ash. They performed regularly at Whisky A Go-Go, Chequers and numerous other Sydney venues until the group ended in 1972.

The Ash (Mk I) at the Thumpin' Tumb

Review: 'Midnight Witch' b/w 'Warrant' (Havoc H.1002) 1971

Now this is more like it! At least Ash was a decent rock band. They formed around January 1970 and early on signed to The Master's Apprentices' booking management agency Drum (which also looked after The Sect and The Expression). They got plenty of gigs around the Melbourne dance and discotheque circuit. That year Ash also issued one of the first singles on the original Havoc label. Their sound had an English hard-rock flavour, although 'Avignon' was closer to the Bee Gees with harmonies and acoustic guitars.

For the second Ash single the band went all out with the throbbing 'Midnight Witch' and the hard-hitting 'Warrant' on the flip. Fuelled by a series of rich, staccato riffs and fuzz leads, plus the ominous vocals. 'Midnight Witch'is a classic example of where psychedelia crossed over with progressive rock. 'Warrant'picks up the pace a notch or two and makes for a heady ride.

You can add Ash to a list of classic Aussie progressive psych bands like Blackfeather, latter-day Master's Apprentices, Healing Force, Lotus, Bakery, Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute, Fraternity etc at least for this one incredible single. Lyrically it's a putdown rather than a song of praise: "You're just an evil heartbreaker. oh what you do to a man". The earlier connection with The Masters paid off because not only did guitarist Doug Ford pen 'Midnight Witch' but also he played those mind-blowing guitar riffs (and it sounds like him singing as well, although lead singer Criston Barker was probably on hand as well). "Midnight Witch' is so close to the Masters' "Future of Our Nation' (also written by Ford) in feel, chord structure and melody that the correlation is unmistakable.

And this would tie in time-wise, because the Masters had returned to Australia from their first London sojourn in December 1970 and left again in May 1971. So 'Midnight Witch' would have been recorded sometime in between. It doesn't sound like Ford plays on 'Warrant' so it's obvious that the band's two guitarists at the time. Peter Gregory (ex-Expression) and Ron Hood, were pretty hot in the riff department themselves. It even sounds like they're trying to emulate Black Sabbath because they nick a riff or two from 'War Pigs' and the vocal effects from "Wicked World". [review taken from 'The Complete Havoc Singles']

After Ash

Criston, Tim and Derek were soon headhunted for a new band, teaming up with Leith Corbett (Heart'n'Soul, Dave Miller Set) on guitar, to form Arthur & The Argonaughts. After just two rehearsals, they were late entries into the Bonopart's Battle of the Sounds, and in front of a panel of judges which included John McDonald and Stuart Coupe they won the contest outright. They then returned to Melbourne where they became an immediate hit on the local circuit. Ian Ferguson replaced Tim on bass, and the group's brief career culminated in a performance at the Sunbury festival in January 1973.

Leith Corbett then went to England, and Criston went back to Sydney, where he joined a band called Sunday Mourning before returning to Melbourne and forming Freeway, which consisted of Criston (bass). Steve Welch (guitar), Frank Chic (vocals), John Grant (keys), and Bill Lincoln (drums). They recorded one album Riding High.

Ash's Promo Video 'Avignon, 1970

In 1979. Criston joined Air Supply as bass guitarist and he was part of the lineup that recorded the hit album Lost In Love. In 1983 he formed Apollo Bay with Tony Slavich (ex Ariel) on keyboards. Criston has continued in the industry as a producer-engineer, recording several albums, producing numerous video clips and TV shows, writing editorial and composing music for documentaries; he has recently completed a new album of songs, to be released in 2008.

Ian Ryan went on to Chook and Buster Brown. Derek Pellicci joined the expanded lineup of Mississippi around the same time as Beeb Birtles, when the group (previously called Alison Gros) added a rhythm section so that they could tour to promote their debut single and album. Derek stayed on when Mississippi evolved into Little River Band in early 1975.

he Ash performing 'Midnight Witch' on the ABC-TV program Hit Scene, 1971

 
Gary Porthouse was in a number of groups after Ash, such as Kush, Linda George and Plant and Rocksteady. Derek Pellicci asked him to join a new band that was being formed, but wouldn't tell him anything about the band as it was all hush, hush and a big secret. Gary was playing with Kush at the time and said no to Derek's invitation. Later the band turned out to be the 'Little River Band'. As of 2021, Gary was still working in a one man band called Round the Block. [extract from Milesago.com]

Havoc Record label

Havoc Records was established in Melbourne in 1970 by Rod De Courcy and Frank Smith, and although it only operated for about three years, it made a significant impact on the Australian music scene in the early 1970s. Many of the Havoc singles were manufactured in New Zealand, shipped back to Australia and distributed independently in the black company sleeve.

Distribution was later taken up by Tempo Sales together with a new label design, a blue “psychedelic” distributed in the yellow Tempo sleeve. Apparently the label is a collectable label amongst collectors and all are quite rare.

This post consists of FLACs (ripped from CD) and MP3 (ripped from vinyl) as indicated, and includes label scans for all 45's. This WOCK post definately ticks off the Obscue box as Ash was such a short lived Aussie band recording only 2 singles, which are incredibily hard to come by. 

1970 Single MP3 (320)

01 - Avignon  3:02

02 - Sable   3:46

1971 Single FLAC

01 - Midnight Witch  4:06

02 - Warrant  3:02

Ash Link (63Mb)

W.O.C.K On Vinyl: Daddy Cool - D.C.E.P. The Daddy Cool EP (1971)

 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.

Although Daddy Cool were only around in their original incarnation for less than two years – from 1970 to 1972 – they packed a lot of music into that time. They released two brilliant studio albums, the first of which does for west coast R&B what the Stones were at the time doing for delta blues, the second of which adds a punkoid Mothers Of Invention-like freakishness to it. They farewelled their fans with a live album that shows how their delicious lightness of touch, perfect groove and inspired musical lunacy put them well ahead of anyone else treading the same ‘50s-inspired path.

In January 1971, when both The Sons of the Vegetal Mother and Daddy Cool played at one of Australia’s first outdoor rock festivals at Myponga in South Australia in January 1971, the rapturous crowd response to DC signalled time for the Vegetals. In March, just a couple of months later, Daddy Cool signed to the fledgling Melbourne label Sparmac. By June, “Eagle Rock” had begun a remarkable 17 week stretch atop the Melbourne charts. It was soon No.1 nationally, where it stayed for ten weeks. By July, the group’s amazing first album Daddy Who? Daddy Cool was No.1. and on its way to earning an unprecedented ten gold albums. By the end of August, Daddy Cool were on a plane to The Promised Land.

Daddy Cool 1971
L-R: Ross Wilson, Gary Young, Jerry Noone, Ross Hannford, Wayne Duncan

After returning from the States, they decided to release an EP titled D.C.E.P – which was more of the same, with each member taking the lead on a track. Wilson’s great teen lament “Long After The School Days Are Through” is maybe the pick of a riotous bunch that also included “Flip” and the most widely played track "Lollipop" with vocals by Hannaford, as well as Wayne Duncan taking his only ever lead vocal on The Kalin Twins’ “Three O’Clock Thrill”, and a hard-driven instrumental “Jerry’s Jump”, in honour of their new sax and keyboard player Jerry Noone, who’d previously played in The Vegetals and had made a name for himself in Company Caine. (Ross: “’Jerry’s Jump’ was for Jerry Noone on sax and we play the riff in unison – sax and harp – and there are solos. His name was actually Jeremy Kellock but he called himself Noone for ‘no one’ as it was conscription/call up Vietnam-era and he was dodging that at the time.”). 

The EP reached #12 in the Australian charts. One unique feature of the EP's cover was it's four flap foldout design, as shown above - something that had never been done before by a record company and has made this EP highly sort after by record collectors.

So this month's WOCK post features a rather rare release from an Australian iconic band, and so it ticks the Obscure box in my opinion. I have only seen one other copy in my 50 years of record collecting, and am very proud of my near mint copy.  The EP was ripped to FLAC and includes full Hi-Res Artwork and label scans.

Track Listing

01 - Flip [Vocals: Gary Young]

02 - Lollipop [Vocals: Ross Hannaford]

03 - Jerry's Jump [Sax: Jerry Noone]

04 - Long After Schools Days Are Through [Ross Wilson]

05 - Three O'Clock Thrill [Wayne Duncan]

Daddy Cool were:

Ross Wilson - Vocals, Guitar

Wayne Duncan - Bass, Vocals

Gary Young - Drums, Vocals

Ross Hannaford - Guitar, Vocals

Jerry Noone - Saxophone, Keyboards

D.C.E.P Link (81Mb)