Jeff St. John - Survivor 1965-75 (1977)

(Australian 1965-1976)
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JEFFREY ST JOHN: VOCALS.

1961-1963 Vocalist, T.C.N.. Channel Nine, Sydney.
Was a regular feature vocalist on teenage variety programmes.
Opportunity Knocks, hosted by Desmond Tester.

1965-1971 Lead Vocalist Member of the bands The Id, Yama, and Copperwine . with The Id and Copperwine achieving national success, both live and with Top Ten hit singles. (Big Time Operator - The Id), (Teach Me How To Fly - Copperwine).

1972-1982 Self Employed. Ran a successful career in entertainment performing the roles of performer, writer (music and dialogue), producer and business manager. First artist outside America to be released on the Asylum label. National Top Ten hit single (Fool In Love).

From 1982 until now Jeff has done a lot of things including collaboration with Universities on various programs for the disabled, lecture tours on the same, and designing plus building a beautiful Harley Davidson trike plus of course fronting Jeffrey St John & The Embers. For more details about his latest band see the jeffreystjohnandtheembers website.
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He was recently made patron for the MOSAIC Family & Community Services Organisation. This recently formed organisation provides support for disabled people in many areas, including rehabilitation programs for disabled people unfairly penalised by the legal system.
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Will The Real Jeff St. John Please Stand Up
(RAM Magazine #20 December 5, 1975.  p12)
by Felicity Surtees
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Jeff St John ... the name swims around your head, "wasn't he ... didn't he ...?" Yep. He was and he did. Teach Me How To Fly is the song title you're searching for — the national Number One hit that Jeff put out with Copperwine in '71. It still stands as an example of just what first rate Oz bands are capable of putting out. After the demise of Copperwine, little was heard of Jeff St John, at least as far as the media was concerned. "It was intentional," he says nowadays. "1 wanted it to be very low profile because I wanted to get into my writing and it's very hard to pull in and out of work if you re functioning on a very high profile level.'
Jeff's split from Copperwine came about when he started writing his own songs. He dug them, the rest of the band didn't. He continued working sporadically and then, in early '74, accompanied by his wife Pamela and pianist John A. Bird, he flew to England. The initial intention had been to "go and have a look". While he was there, he formed a band with John A. Bird on piano, Ace Follington, drums, Billy Twyman, bass and Vince Melouney (ex Bee Gees) guitar. Doing about 80% of original material, they played a few pubs and met enthusiastic audience reception. The tale's been told before, but it bears telling again: "We doubled the crowd and halved the bar take." They were sacked after a week.
So in August '74, he returned to Australia, happy to be back. "I kissed the tarmac. I like the place." he says emphatically. Home, sweet home and to work. The twelve months since returning have seen Jeff gigging in every State and reaching a much wider audience than is traditionally associated with rock and roll.

"I'm in the position at the moment," he explains, "that with only slight modification, I perform my show for music freaks, heads, hoppers, pub crowds and fifty year olds — and it works pretty effectively on all those levels."

Jeff & Glyn Mason at the Mulwala Festival 1972.
(Image source: National Library of Australia)

The effort to reach a broader audience, as well as indicating good business sense, reflects Jeff's intense dislike of being categorized. "That s a bore," he says distastefully. "That's the thing I've been fighting against for the past five years. It's so easy to get slotted in this country —" he slips into a business drawl — "arr, that .boy s a soul singer — or a country singer or a folk singer. And that s a pain in the arse, it's so inhibiting. What happens if you want to diversify?"
Diverse — it's a word that figures prominently when Jeff St John talks about his music. He's been putting in time at Festivals studio recently. Seven tracks of a new album are down and of those seven, five are originals. "The working title of the album is Will The Real Jeff St John Stand Up?" He laughs and looks very pleased with himself. "It's an album that is delightfully incongruous. The musical scope we've covered in it is a little frightening ...."
Release dates are still a little vague. It depends on when Jeff gets some time off the road to put down the remaining tracks, and also on the reception to his current single "Blood Brothers". Before the word "single" has dried on my lips, Jeff leaps in with his description — "Black," he says, "and funky. It's an American song that died a death in the States because of the racial implications in the story. My producer discovered it ... said have a listen. I did, and we did and we have. The other side is a lilting little thing that suffers under the auspicious title of "Reach Out And Touch Me". It was written by Jeff and John A. Bird during their London sojourn.
"Again you have this thing of two entirely different colours. See, I tend to think of music as colours. You can paint with music — the dark colours of the heavy aggressive kind of thing, the paste! colours of country music and the vibrant reds of rock and roll.... Most music appeals to me if it is performed well..."
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This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from vinyl (thanks to ChickaMunro at Midoztouch) and full album artwork for both vinyl and CD (thanks to Micko at Midoztouch)
I owned this album many moons ago but alas, it was another LP that I stupidly traded for another with a mate. I've posted this album as it is a brilliant anthology of Jeff's work and also wanted to share with you the above interview with Jeff taken from RAM magazine. I've also chosen to include that funky single that Jeff released in 1975 called "Blood Brothers" (referred to in the RAM article) but did not appear on this best of collection. The band chronology displayed below was sourced from the Milesago Website with thanks.
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Track Listing
01. Lindy Lou
02. Big Time Operator
03. You Got Me Hummin
04. Devil Got My Woman
05. Nothin Comes Easy
06. Cloud 9
07. Reach Out
08. Sing A Simple Song
09. Teach Me How To Fly
10. Freedom Blues
11. Hummingbird
12. Yesterdays Music
13. I Wanna Be A Survivor
14. Mr James
15. Reach Out And Touch Me
16. Blood Brothers (Bonus A-Side Single)
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Jeff St.John Link (140Mb)  New Link 13/10/2023

Ariel - Live In Concert (1977-78)

(Australian 1973-1977)
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Ariel was an Australian progressive rock band based around the duo Mike Rudd and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after the breakup of their previous group Spectrum (which also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps). The original Ariel line-up was Rudd (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Putt (bass), Tim Gaze (guitar), Nigel Macara (drums) and John Mills (keyboards). Gaze and Macara were recruited from seminal Australian progressive rock band Tamam Shud.
The band released three studio albums and two live albums between 1973 and 1977, during which there were several line-up changes, with Rudd and Putt the only permanent members. Other members of Ariel included guitarists Harvey James and Glyn Mason and keyboard player Tony Slavich.  For a full biography on Ariel, see my earlier Ariel post. 
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Ariel on GTK - 1973

From the very beginning, Ariel's records met with much critical acclaim. Their first single "Jamaican Farewell" was voted best single of 1973 by the Federation of Commercial Broadcasters; their first album "A Strange Fantastic Dream", released in December 1973 received rave reviews, while the "Goodnight Fiona" album was described by one critic as the "most intelligent album" to come out of this country.
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Ariel have certainly made their mark overseas as well. They went to London twice, firstly in October 1974 where they played the London pub circuit, receiving unexpected standing ovations at the prestigious Marquee Club. They recorded their "Rock and Roll Scars" album at the famous Abbey Road Studios with Paul Cartney's engineer, Geoff Emerick. Their second trip was a highly successful one to promote the album. On its return to OZ in 1975, Ariel became one of the most popular and hard working bands on the pub circuit but, incredibly, never had the record success it deserved. They released a total of seven singles and four albums before deciding to disband.

Ariel Live At Dallas Brooks Hall

.Their final concert was something of a milestone and it's captured here on this two record set. Originally released as two separate albums, the first called 'Ariel Aloha' and the second 'Ariel Live - More from Before', I owned both titles but stupidly sold the later (which turned out to be the rarity of the two).
The Melbourne Herald said in its review of the concert... "The applause was thunderous from the very beginning.. .the end of the concert brought tears to many eyes as Ariel finished with "I'll Be Gone", one of the classic songs in the history of Australian Rock". The "Ariel Live" album is a fitting testament to a unique Phenomenon in Australian Rock History.
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MIKE RUDD OF ARIEL - AND THE SLOG GOES ON
(Just look at his Rock 'n' Roll scars)
Aricle by Anthony O'Grady
RAM Magazine (Jan 16th 1976 No.23 page 9)
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"Well" says Mike, "You could say it's going to plan". "As far as it's going, and as much at there's a plan", he adds.
That's Mike Rudd we're talking to. You know Mike, he heads the group Ariel which is currently re-establishing him as a live performer around the Oz circuit.
In the past he often seemed to be on the verge of getting something big happening and then in variably seemed to slip away, dumping him back on square one again.
Like line-up changes At the moment he's heading the....oh, the 4th line-up of Ariel. And before Ariel there were oh God knows how many variations of his groups, Spectrum and Murtceps.
"But we've got a stable line-up now. says Rudd "It's the first time I really feel the band is going to stay together and work things out. In the past we'd always start to get things happening and then the band would change around So it'd be back to rehearsals and by the time we came out again the scene would have gone cold...".
But it's not only changing line-ups that have mucked it up for Rudd and whatever Co. was involved with at the time.

There were two trips to England. One in 74' ("Which established some sort of base", said Rudd at the time), and one in 75' ("Which established that England was completely fucked as a country and as a musical scene. We'd have been mad to have gone to a country where only a few bands were doing well and even the best of the rest were on the breadline. If we'd stayed we could have made it up to the best of the rest").
Well gee Mike, isn't there something UP happening with the band?
Well, we're about the only group playing the pub circuit in Melbourne who brings along a light show with 'em. Creates a bit of atmosphere y'know, it helps the mood of the music.
"And we're really playing well right now. Glyn Mason joining the band has really added something of a new direction....really strengthened us.
"We're both writers and both singers, but Glyn takes a different direction to m'self".
"We've written one song together and we're in the process of writing another. Glyn's written another which we do on stage at the moment.
In the past when I've tried to write with other people it hasn't worked out very well, but it's happening with Glyn - even though our directions are so different.
But really the whole of 75' was mostly spent stabilising. Obviously we're going to go overseas again, and going to have to have something worthwhile to offer Now that we've stabilised, we can start to move.
We've started to move already really, the gigs are really working well these days
So when cometh the next overseas attempt?'
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"Well, we have to get over there on our own steam again, and try to get something happening once we're over there. So it's a process of getting the band and the resources together....it'll take at least another six months. We won't be going to England again. It'll be America. I guess. "Though last time we were in England it was amazing the number of bands who were looking towards Japan. Queen was the first English band to really try to establish a base there and they've done it quite successfully. America's getting very hard for the new English groups. Slade's management were telling us that Slade were just going to keep slogging around the States until they made it. It would probably mean they'd have lo change their whole musical approach. But if they had to, they'd do it. America is pretty choosy about what groups and what sort of music it accepts.
"Actually it's amazing none of the Australian rock bands except Hush have taken a serious look at Japan. It's a lot closer than America and a lot healthier than England".
Hmmm... well it just could be Mike Ludd of El-id yet....?

"Well" says Rudd, "The whole point about England is we'd have to do what everyone told us we'd have to do....go over there and work our way through all the other bodies for a couple of years till it became our turn to have a chance for something to happen. But we're not prepared to do that, we stuck our noses in and whipped them out again real quick. We've been through that sort of slog in Australia. We'll try and find someplace where we can start building on all the slog we've put in here. We'll still have to slog, but the work we've done in Australia should turn some value....".

Ariel's Logo

So anyway, later that week I go down to the Bondi Lifesaver in Sydney where Ariel are laying down some slog. They are laying it down particularly well. The three guitar lineup of Rudd. Harvey James and Glyn Mason is alive and firing. The synchronisation is 21 jewelled and the power is near top peak. There are cross rhythms and there are dual and triple lead breaks that mesh into overdrive fusions. There's the pumpin' steamin' rhythm section of bassist Bill Putt and drummer Nigel Macaras. There's Mike Rudd's vocals - the closest thing yet-to a laconic scream. And there's Glyn Mason's vocals, a straight-ahead, spot-on rock voice.
What I mean is, this is a helluva fine band.
But those few days earlier Rudd had finished talking about the group's new single "I'll Take You High" and the re-launch of the last album Rock & Roll Scars (which did not do very well at all despite being a virtual best of collection of Spectrum-Murtceps-Ariel material)

There's a danger that people just get sick of seeing you around. Like when you tell them the new line-up is ready to play, or you've got a new single or an  album out, they say: "Oh Jesus, not you again. Haven't you learnt your lesson yet...."   Which only means, after all, that the slog never stops.
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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my double vinyl set, which is in pristine condition. Also included is full album artwork and a selection of concert photos, mostly taken from the Aloha album which I still have (alas, I sold my copy of More From Before sometime ago at a record fair).
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Track Listing
CD1
01 - Disco Dilemma

02 - The Party's Just Begun
03 - Where Do You Go
04 - Amazon
05 - Illicit Love
06 - Hollywood
07 - It's Only Love
08 - All I Need Is A Change
09 - It's Gonna Get Worse
10 - You Keep Me Moving
11 - King's Cross Crusader
12 - I'll Be Gone
CD2
13 - Jamaican Farewell

14 - Island Fantasia Suite 
(Includes Coral Queen, Dark Side Of Yeppoon, 
Part Reprise: It's Time We Said Our Goodbyes)
15 - We Are Indelible
16 - Rock 'N' Roll Scars
17 - I'll Take You High, Red Hot Mama, Some Good Advice
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Band Members:
Mike Rudd (Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals)
Bill Putt (Bass)
Glyn Mason (Guitar, Vocals)
Tony Slavich (Keyboards, Vocals)
Ian McLennan (Drums, Vocals)
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Ariel Live Link (641Mb) New Link 13/10/2023

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Elton John - Rocket Man Vol.3 Unuathorised Live (1993) Bootleg

(U.K 1964 - Present)
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(Sir) Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (unsuccessfully) as lead singer for the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Gentle Giant. Dwight teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin and changed his name to Elton John (merging the names of saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry). The duo wrote songs for Lulu and Roger Cook. In the early 1970s, he recorded the concept album 'Tumbleweed Connection'.

In terms of sales and lasting popularity, Elton John was the biggest pop superstar of the early '70s. Initially marketed as a singer/songwriter, John soon revealed he could craft Beatlesque pop and pound out rockers with equal aplomb. He could dip into soul, disco, and country, as well as classic pop balladry and even progressive rock. His versatility, combined with his effortless melodic skills, dynamic charisma, and flamboyant stage shows, made him the most popular recording artist of the '70s. Unlike many pop stars, John was able to sustain his popularity, charting a Top 40 single every single year from 1970 to 1996. During that time, he had temporary slumps in creativity and sales, as he fell out of favor with critics, had fights with his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, and battled various addictions and public scandals. But through it all, John remained a remarkably popular artist, and many of his songs -- including "Your Song," "Rocket Man," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- became contemporary pop standards.

In 1981, he signed with Geffen Records and his second album, 'Jump Up!', became a gold album on the strength of "Blue Eyes" and "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)," his tribute to John Lennon.
This post is a bootleg recording made while Elton was bringing his 'Jump Tour' to Europe and Australia/New Zealand.

But it was 1983's Too Low for Zero that began his last great streak of hit singles, with the MTV hit "I'm Still Standing" and the Top Ten single "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." Throughout the rest of the '80s, John's albums would consistently go gold, and they always generated at least one Top 40 single; frequently, they featured Top Ten singles like "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" and "Nikita".

Elton John announced he was a bisexual in 1976, and in 1984, he married Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years before he finally came to terms with the fact that he was actually homosexual. He is well known as a campaigner for AIDS research and he keeps his finger on the pulse of modern music, enjoying artists such as Eminem, Radiohead, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. He was knighted in 1997.


1982 Jump Tour Details

On March 10, 1982, Athletic Park in Wellington was the site of Davey Johnstone's return to the Elton John band, reuniting the classic band on stage for the first time in eight years.

Elton, Davey, Dee and Nigel then took their Jump Up! tour across Australia and Europe (and blasting through New York on April 17 with a powerful performance of Empty Garden and Ball And Chain on television's Saturday Night Live) before launching their North America tour on June 12 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. The July 7 show in Kansas City, MO, was broadcast live on nationwide radio, and this leg of the tour ended after three nights at Madison Square Garden on August 7, 1982. Two nights before, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon had come out on stage to embrace Elton after he played his tribute to the late John Lennon, "Empty Garden", for the first time in New York since the musician's death.

After an opening set by Geffen label-mates Quarterflash, Elton and the band typically played a 23-song set, with such seldom-played tunes as "Where Have All The Good Times Gone", "Ball And Chain and Teacher I Need You", before encoring with a "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On/I Saw Her Standing There/Twist and Shout" medley.

Devey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray

Following a three-month break, during which the band recorded the album Too Low For Zero in Montserrat, the tour resumed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on November 2, 1982.

The next 43 shows took place throughout the United Kingdom, and the year ended on December 24, with a run of 15 nights at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The December 15 show proved unique in that it was played without a drummer; Nigel Olsson was unable to perform that evening. The show on Christmas Eve featured an appearance by Kiki Dee on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and the encores, which included a version of "Jingle Bells".

Number of shows: 132
First show: Mar 10, 1982 - Wellington, NZ
Last show: Oct 15, 1983 - Sun City, SA
Countries Visited: New Zealand, Australia, US, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa
[source: www.eltonjohn.com]
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This post conists of an MP3 rip (320kps) taken from CD and includes full album artwork. Recorded Live at Hammersmith Odeon, 24 December, 1982, this 1993 release by BANANA will aPEEL to any Elton John enthusiast....LOL  Actually, the track listing is an extensive collection of all his major hits, with some fresh licks and takes on some of his classics. In fact, some of the tracks sound like the band were on steroids on the night, with some fast paced tracks such as "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" and "Pinball Wizard". Elton is backed by his old teammates Davey, Dee, and Nigel with a guest appearance from his duet partner Kiki Dee accompanying him on the last 5 tracks.
Note: This bootleg was also released by AMCOS under the title of 'Elton John Live - Not Authorised' (see depicted below) and thanks to Dave Bodoh at eltonography.com for clarifying the location of this recording.
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Track Listing
01 - The Bitch Is Back

02 - Pinball Wizard
03 - Blue Eyes
04 - Bennie And The Jets
05 - Rocket Man
06 - All Quiet On The Western Front
07 - Your Song
08 - Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
09 - Daniel
10 - Crocodile Rock
11 - Don't Go Breaking My Heart [with Kiki Dee]
12 - Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
13 - Jingle Bells
14 - I Saw Her Standing There
15 - Twist And Shout
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Band members
Elton John (Piano, Vocals)
Davey Johnstone (Guitar)
Dee Murray (Bass)
Nigel Olsson (Drums)
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Elton John Unauthorised Link (134Mb)  New Link 10/04/2020
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Bob Marley - Is This Love / Unauthorised Live (1994) Bootleg

(Jamaican 1962–1981)

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The only reggae musician to achieve worldwide superstardom, his songs preached peace, love and understanding to a wicked world.
One of the most fascinating developments of the Seventies was the rise of Bob Marley, a Jamaican musician who brought reggae to the attention of a pop industry that was almost painfully pan-Atlantic in its outlook. Marley's death in 1981 deprived the world of one of its most gifted artists. The first superstar of the developing world, he had done much to revive the flagging political awareness among young people, and left a legacy of songs that continue to inspire musicians across the continents.

The man who enjoyed a near-religious devotion among his fans emerged from a hybrid culture, but the legacy of slavery and the notion of an African homeland always informed his music, even after he'd been feted by Western audiences. Fathered by a white military man, Marley (born 6 February 1945) grew up in the impoverished Trench Town district of Kingston, Jamaica, where he discovered the music of black America via US radio stations.
After recording his first disc, 'Judge Not', for a small local label in 1962, he formed the Wailing Wailers with two friends, Bunny Livingston vocals, percussion and Peter Tosh vocals, guitar. They linked up with leading sound system man Coxsone Dodd and had released a string of ska-style singles by the mid-Sixties.

After a short stay in America, he returned to Jamaica in 1966, where he soon joined the growing Rastafarian movement, a religious group that envisaged the creation of an independent black state in Africa. The Wailers reunited in 1967, emerging with a more subdued rock steady beat and their own record label. One song, 'Stir It Up', recorded in 1967, was a hit for Johnny Nash several years later.
By the end of the decade, the Wailers teamed up with noted producer Lee Perry, a union that would dramatically alter the course of Jamaican music. Augmented by brothers Carlton drums and Aston Barrett bass, the rhythm section of Perry's studio band, the Wailers pioneered a new reggae sound, characterized by a bubbling, bass-heavy rhythm, chopping guitars and slow, sublime melodies.
Having signed to CBS while on a trip to Europe with Nash, Marley visited Island Records boss Chris Blackwell, who'd built up his long-standing Jamaican company into one of the UK's premier rock labels. Blackwell signed up the band, gave them a sizeable advance, and began to promote them as he would a major rock band, thus taking their music's appeal to a much wider audience.

The resulting album, 'Catch A Fire' (1973), was a critical success and influential musicians
like Keith Richards and Eric Clapton were soon alerted to reggae music. The Wailers toured Britain and the US to considerable acclaim and a second album, 'Burnin" (1973), quickly followed, bringing with it two Marley classics, 'Get Up Stand Up' and 'I Shot The Sheriff.
Personal differences led to the departure of Livingston (later known as Bunny Wailer) and Tosh by the time 'Natty Dread' (1975) was released, and the group was renamed Bob Marley & the Wailers, in deference to the singer's leading role. Their place was filled by a female backing trio, the I-Threes (including Bob's wife Rita), and this line-up performed two now-legendary shows at the Lyceum in London, immortalized on the 'Live!' album (1975).

The record, and the single lifted from it, "No Woman No Cry", charted in the UK, a feat repeated in the US in 1976 when the next album, 'Rastaman Vibration', was issued.
News of Marley's newly conferred status had filtered back home, and he returned to Jamaica for a free concert late in 1976, ostensibly to quell the rising tensions on the streets of Kingston. But it backfired when gunmen broke into his house and shot him - Marley however decided to defy those who espoused violence and appeared on stage anyway.
He returned to London, and recorded his best-known album 'Exodus' (1977), which enjoyed a year-long chart run and provided him with three hit singles, 'Waiting In Vain', 'Jammin" and the title track. It was a pivotal release, breaking into new markets, but caused some to lament the softening of the hard-hitting social messages of his music.
Those dissenting voices grew louder when 1978's 'Kaya' appeared, although the beauty of love songs like 'Is This Love' and the sublimely relaxed 'Satisfy My Soul' could not be denied. That same year, Marley returned to Jamaica for the One Love Peace Concert, where he managed to secure a rapprochement between Prime Minister Michael Manley and Opposition leader Edward Seaga. After receiving a United Nations Medal of Peace, Marley ended the year in Ethiopia, home of the Rastafari religion.

Although another live album, 'Babylon By Bus' (1978), was basically a crowd-pleasing set, 1979's 'Survival' marked a clear return to political writing, particularly with 'Zimbabwe' and 'Africa Unite'. The group's standing among the indigenous African population was confirmed when the newly constituted Zimbabwe government invited the group to appear at the Independence Ceremony in 1980.
Marley & the Wailers continued to maintain their recording and concert profile throughout that year, releasing 'Uprising' (which boasted 'Could You Be Loved' and 'Redemption Song') and embarking on an extensive European tour. But plans to follow this up with US dates were curtailed after two shows at
Madison Square Garden, New York, when Marley was taken seriously ill.

The diagnosis was cancer. Marley had previously refused attention for a toe injury sustained while playing football. Now things had turned more serious, he opted for "alternative" medical treatment in Germany. However, despite showing signs of recovery, Bob
Marley died in Miami on 11 May 1981, aged 36, while on his way home to Jamaica. The world lost a champion of the poor and under privileged, and one of the finest songwriters of his generation.
[from The Ultimate Encyclopedia Of Rock, Carlton Books, 1994. p204-205]

Concert Review
(Live in Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland. 7/7/1978)

July 1978, and Bob Marley and the Wailers are still riding high off of their now-historic performance at the One Love Peace Concert in April, and their successful shows in the U.S. and Canada.  Of course it is unfortunate that both music critics and fans are canning the band’s latest album “Kaya”, but the show must go on.  Every Time.  The band trods through England, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and finally, the Netherlands.

For an album that is generally panned by critics as being”lightweight”, the supporting tour is a massive success.  The venues in Europe are even larger than they were the year before on the Exodus tour, The Wailers’ most successful tour at that time.  Marley has a little surprise for the European fans this year.  Al Anderson is back on-board after a stint with Peter Tosh’s backing band.  With two seasoned rock guitarists in Junior Marvin and Al Anderson, Marley’s Wailers are ready to play to a sold-out crowd at the Ahoy Club in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Martijn Huisman writes of Bob Marley and the Wailers in Babylon By Bus:  Bob Marley and the Wailers in the Netherlands:

“After having done shows all across Europe, Marley and the Wailers stopped by in the Netherlands in July to play at a sold out Ahoy in Rotterdam. Initially, organizer Mojo Concerts had planned and advertised a reggae festival with Marley and the Wailers headlining at the Groenoordhal in Leiden. In June, for reasons unknown, the venue was suddenly changed to the Ahoy in Rotterdam. On Friday July 7, the Ahoy was literally filled with blue hashish fumes as VPRO radio made recordings of the entire concert. The stage at the Ahoy was decorated with huge banners bearing the portraits of Haile Selassie, Marcus Garvey, and a flag in the Ethiopian Rasta colors red-green-yellow on which ‘One Love’ was written. Music magazine Oor had, like in previous years, sent a reporter. 

Harry van Nieuwenhoven had been replaced, however, by Pieter Franssen. Disappointing new album or not, Franssen rightly noted that Marley was the only Jamaican able to get the Ahoy sold out with his “reggae based on rock” music. The opening act for Marley was the British reggae band Steel Pulse. Most visitors could hear very little of the four songs, due to congestion at the entrances and the low volume at which the music was played. The more than nine thousand spectators had to wait a long time to see Marley, and were in the meantime ‘entertained’ with recordings from Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton concerts – resulting in massive whistling by the audience. At half past nine the lights suddenly went out. “The otherwise cold concrete Ahoy’ hall is immediately much more intimate. [...] When the first notes of the well known ‘Them belly full’ are heard, no one sits on his seat anymore. Standing on chairs everybody sings along, led by the stirring movements of the Jamaican. It results in a great atmosphere”. 

Marley and his band would play sixteen songs that evening. Besides many older songs, ‘Crisis’, ‘Running Away’, and ‘Easy Skanking’ from the new album Kaya were played, although these were not appreciated by the audience very much who were clearly less interested in the new songs. As always and everywhere, the public in Rotterdam liked classics such as ‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ and ‘Them Belly Full’ the most.

Pieter Franssen noted that especially during ‘Concrete Jungle’ – an old song from the 1973 album Catch a Fire – ‘War’, ‘Crazy Baldhead’, ‘Jamming’, ‘Get Up Stand Up’,” and the closing song ‘Exodus’ it was apparent how good and unparalleled Marley and the Wailers actually were. Like his predecessor Van Nieuwenhoven, Franssen was also more critical than most other journalists. At crucial moments during the concert the volume was suddenly much louder, ‘mass manipulation’ according to Franssen. Positive, however, was the excellent guitar work by Junior Marvin and Al Anderson and the appearance and ‘sweet voices’ of the I-Threes. “Wearing turbans in the rasta colors red, green and yellow, they were, as they stood there rocking, a feast for the eyes!” Conclusion: “hand clapping, lighters, loudly belting out and at the end frenzied dancing: the reggae party of the year” [taken from bobmarleyconcerts.com]
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Ripped from CD in mp3 format (320kps), this Unauthorised Recording by Grapefruit is a release of a popular bootleg previously made available under the title of 'Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rotterdam, Holland, '78' (see cover below-right).  The quality of the recording is excellent and definately taken from a Soundboard recording, probably intended for radio release. Although the track listing on this release is missing some of the tracks from the original (see bobmarleyconcerts.com), Grapefruit has done this to keep their release to a single CD format.
As per usual, full album artwork is included along with select photos of Marley and his Wailers.
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Track Listing

01 - Positive Vibration
02 - Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
03 - Rebel Music
04 - War / No More Trouble
05 - Running Away / Crazy Baldhead
06 - I Shot The Sheriff
07 - No Woman, No Cry
08 - Is This Love
09 - Jamming
10 - Easy Skanking
11 - Get Up, Stand Up
12 - Exodus
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Band Members:

Bob Marley - Vocals, Guitar
Ashton Barrett - Bass
Carlton Barrett - Drums
Junior Marvin - Lead Guitar
Tyrone Downie - Keyboards
Earl Lindo - Organ, Clavinet
Junior Marvin - Guitar
Alvin Patterson - Percussion
The I-Threes (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths) - Background Vocals
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Bob Marley Link (172Mb)  New Link 13/08/2024

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - The Gun Live (1970) Soundboard

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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L to R: Paul Gurvitz, Louie Farrell, Adrian Gurvitz

The Gun were a little-known 60s British acid rock band who evolved into the 70s progressive hard rock trio Baker Gurvitz Army. The Gun began as The Knack, formed in 1963 by guitarist/vocalist Paul Gurvitz (born Paul Anthony Curtis), 6 July 1947, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire; he was known by the surname Curtis until the early 1970s. Thereafter, he adopted his family's actual surname, Gurvitz. The Knack changed its name to the Gun with the development of a psychedelic style in the spring/summer of 1967, performing at the final UFO Club concerts with bands such as Pink Floyd. In November, 1967 they made recordings for the BBC's newest flagship alternative music radio programme, Top Gear and twice played in the air.

Soon to expand into a sextet, with Paul's younger brother Adrian, then they were consisting as a power trio of Paul Curtis as bassist, Adrian Curtis (Adrian Gurvitz) as guitarist/vocalist (he also wrote all music and lyrics of The Gun), and drummer Louie Farrell (born Brian John Farrell, 8 December 1947, Goodmayes, Essex; he joined The Knack in mid 1966) to release two albums after being signed to CBS Records in early 1968.

In early 1968 the band scored a hit with the opening track from their self-titled album (1968), "Race With The Devil". Issued as a single in October 1968 it reached the top 10 in its native UK and #35 on the Australian Singles Chart (Go-Set) in March 1969. Jimi Hendrix quoted the song's riff during his song "Machine Gun" at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. "Race With The Devil" has been covered by Judas Priest (on the remastered CD version of Sin After Sin), Black Oak Arkansas (on their album Race With The Devil), and Girlschool (on their album Demolition)

Their debut album's cover is noteworthy as an early example of the work of Roger Dean, who was later responsible for producing trademark covers for super bands such as Yes, Greenslade and Asia. Allmusic describes it as having a "distinctive psych-flavored proto-metal" sound [Extracts from wikipedia].

This live rendition of "Race With The Devil" was recorded at the 3rd International Essen Pop & Blues Festival in 1970-10-22 Essen, Germany Grugahalle. This is extremely rare as there are no other live recordings of the Gun that I am aware of. The band starts off playing their mega hit but soon digresses into a tribute to Jimi Hendrix playing a medley including "Who Knows", "The Wind Cries Mary" and "The Star Spangled Banner". The quality of the recording is excellent and would have to have originated from a Soundboard.  My research also tells me that the drummer on this live recording was probably Goeff Britton, as Louie Farrell had already left the band by the end of 1969.
See psychedelicbaby.blogspot for a better insight into Gun's short existence (a little over 2 years)
So this month's WOCK on Vinyl post is as Obscure as it can get, so enjoy it while you can.
Post includes both FLAC and MP3 formats with a selection of B&W photos (thanks to Paul Gurvitz website)

Track Listing
01. Race With The Devil -> Hendrix Dedication Medley -> Race With The Devil 

The Gun Link ( 90Mb)

Various Artists - Sunbury 73

(Various Australian Artists 1973)
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The word 'Sunbury' has etched itself into Australian rock music folklore. Forty years ago it was a farming town just 40 'miles' (70s speak) north of Melbourne, an hour's drive from suburbia into a gently rolling rural landscape. In 1972 and for the three subsequent years, during the late January Australia Day weekend the word 'Sunbury' became associated with a rock music festival on a farm out of the Sunbury township. Today suburbia lurks so close to the Sunbury Pop Festival site if you turned up Billy Thorpe's amp to its obligatory '11' you'd get complaints from the neighbours on the hill. But the site is still there, identified only by the rusted wire fence surrounding the area where the stage stood, and the foundations of the toilet block nearby, in front of Jackson's Creek. Behind the creek a steep incline, in front a gently rising hill, a natural amphitheatre. 

 There had been rock festivals before and there have been rock festivals since. But Sunbury looms large as 'Australia's Woodstock' - erroneously. It could just as easily be called the first 'Big Day Out' -- held during the same weekend. Or a prototype of Meredith. Australia's real 'Woodstock' was held at Ourimbah in NSW on the Australia Day weekend in 1970. During the intervening two years 'the Woodstock nation' had been replaced by another generation of teenagers, another generation of music, another set of values The Beatles had been replaced by Led Zeppelin. But for the media those Woodstock images lingered. That's what they went to Sunbury looking for. That's what they came away with. That's what sticks in people's minds as 'Sunbury'. Those who were there remember the 'bonged out' sitting next to the underage drinkers and bikers collapsed in their own vomit after a night of shouting 'suck more piss' from the hill. The similarity between Sunbury and all festivals is the freedom to be young and free, to the soundtrack of the day's music.

Australian music had shifted dramatically during those two years between 1970 and 1972, between Ourimbah and the year of the first Sunbury in 1972. In 1970 Australian music had struggled to be 'progressive' like the rest of the world. Our record companies weren't interested. Then during the last half of that year a record ban forced the Australian music released by the major record companies off radio airwaves, retiring many of the pop stars of the day. Music fans had to go 'out' to get their music fix. In Melbourne they found Daddy Cool and Spectrum north of the river. Chain and Billy Thorpe's 'new' Aztecs south of the river. In Sydney the music retreated to the Kings Cross nightclubs entertaining servicemen on 'r and r'. The first Sunbury festival tapped into that still very alive thirst for live music. Somehow Australian music had forgotten to look over its shoulders at overseas trends and musicians and their audience were happily following their own path. In January 1972 it led to Sunbury.
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The festival had been organized by an unlikely 'hero', John Fowler, a middle-aged Channel Nine employee. While their children were smoking dope and drinking and dipping nude in Jackson's Creek elder Australians were watching John Fowler lighting the soundstage for their own addiction, 'In Melbourne Tonight'. Fowler and his advisers thought that the popular acts of the day weren't quite enough and for that first Sunbury Festival organised for the return of Max Merritt and the Meteors after just over a year in England. Ever competitive, Billy Thorpe would have made conquering the Sunbury hill his goal anyway. Having old rival Max top of the bill was an added incentive. Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs turned up the volume and made Sunbury 72 theirs'. Within weeks Billy released 'Most People I Know' and later that year a live album of the Aztecs at Sunbury became a national top ten. The only other Australian-made top ten album that year had been Daddy Cool's 'difficult' second album 'Sex Dope And Rock'N'Roll'

Sunbury 73 was set up as the most important event on the Australian music calendar. Clearly. whoever won the hill at Sunbury 73 was set up for the rest of the year. You had to be there.
A lot of people get the four Sunbury's confused. In their minds they've become one. But 1973 was THE one. In bygone years there had been a thing called the Hoadley's Battle Of The Sounds, where the bands of the day allowed themselves to be judged. The winners were kings for the year. Often the losers broke up to think of a way of winning the following year. That was the mood with which Australian music entered Sunbury 73. You had to be there. It was important to make an impression. It was the year the Sydney acts - Sherbet, Country Radio - descended on the festival, and Mississippi performed with a 35-piece orchestra. It was so important to be there, even pre-70s rock legend Johnny O'Keefe came, determined to stay in the game. And Michael Gudinski was there to record it for his just-formed Mushroom Records.
Of course Billy Thorpe was also there, returning just in time to top the bill after trying his luck in the UK. This was our chance to celebrate his return. There was no clear winning at Sunbury '73 but the points decision probably went to Thorpe. There were a lot of winners, a lot of sets went back to the traditional venues and found keen audiences for the rest of the year. [written by Ed Nimmervoli]

While Sunbury '72 was widely touted as the beginning of a new era, Sunbury '73 was the one that consolidated the festival's success. However it also marked a changing of the guard, with a number of notable bands -- Carson, Country Radio, Friends, Healing Force -- all splitting for good in the months following their Sunbury appearances. It was also the final Australian performance by Flying Circus, who had already been in Canada for some time. They returned specially for the festival, but were coolly received, and returned to Canada immediately after Sunbury, where they remained until they split some years later.
The Aztecs headlined again, reprising their huge success of the previous year and Max Merritt & The Meteors again returned from the UK to perform. One of the surprise hits of the festival was rock'n'roll legend Johnny O'Keefe; he was cheekily introduced as a "newcomer" by MC Paul Hogan, but despite an initially derisory reception, he won the crowd over and by the end of his set, as Ian McFarlane notes, he "had the audience of hippies eating out of the palm of his hand".

"Sunbury 1972 was the first, but the 1973 festival is often remembered as the best. It has a place in our music history, just like the vintage clips of the Easybeats performing 'Friday On My Mind' and AC/DC travelling down Melbourne city streets on the back of a tray truck while belting out 'It's A Long Way To The Top'."  - Steve Waldon, The Age

Like Sunbury '72, the performances were taped using a mobile multi-track facility; it is presumed that some film or video footage was made but it is not known how much of that (if any) still exists. The sound recordings were edited to become the inaugural release for the newly established Mushroom Records label, founded by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans. With commendable hubris, it was the first Australian triple-album set ever released.
The fine performance by Carson (which would prove to be their last major concert appearance) was also released by EMI as the On The AirLP; this has long been out of print but it is scheduled for re-release on CD by Aztec Music. The other major recording culled from the festival was the extended early-morning jam session between The Aztecs, Lobby Loyde's Coloured Balls and Leo De Castro, which was released on the Havoc LP Summer Jam. This has recently been reissued on CD by Aztec Music. [extract from milesago.com]

SUNBURY - THE VENUE
Owned by George Duncan, he generously offered the use of his property at no cost to the organisers, even going so far as allowing toilet facilities and rubbish bins to be installed on the property in later years of the festival. Which really makes sense, considering he’d have had as many as 40,000 people in his “backyard”. You don’t have to be a mathematician to know a crowd like that plus three days of food and booze equals a mess that would make even Keith Moon blush.

With the Duncans’ farmland providing a natural amphitheatre, the scene of the Sunbury festivals has since become an isolated area, far from the bustling hub it was during one of music history’s most famed events. Residential subdivision in the area has since limited public access to the site and redeveloped the landscape.

According to a document on the website of Hume City Council, little remains there now but there are still the remnants of the toilet facilities and bins, along with echoes of the event that linger to this day with “small artifacts such as items of footwear and drink can pull-rings” scattered over the area.
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For more information on the Sunbury 73 concert, refer to the following websites:

hume.vic.gov.au
nla.gov.au
onlymelbourne.com.au
wikipedia.org
theage.com.au
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It was the Sunbury 73 that got me first hooked on 'Aussie Rock'. My brother owned the triple album set originally (having being lucky enough to attend the festival) but I soon managed to talk him into selling it for a bargain basement price.  Being a young teenager at the time, I was listening to overseas artists like Robin Trower, Alice Cooper and Grand Funk Railroad. However, the bands and the infectious aussie rock that they played at this famous festival was the turning point in my life. I suddenly realised that there was 'real talent' in my own back yard.  And I've never looked back.
Bands like Madderlake, Chain, Carson, Blackfeather and the Aztecs have been a huge part of my passion for music and I owe it all to this wonderful recording, released on the legendary Mushroom label (thanks Gudinski)

My only regret is that I was too young to attend the 73 Festival although I did manage to fulfill my long life dream to a point, by attending the 2010 Sunbury Backroad Festival, featuring Madderlake, Spectrum and Chain. See my review
If you haven't heard this Sunbury 73 recording, then you have really missed out on a vital chunk of Aussie Rock. Need I say more?
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The post consists of an MP3 rip (320kps) taken from my cherrished vinyl copy, which is in relatively good condition considering the number of plays it has had. The artwork included (with CD2 and as a separate link) was taken from a CD release that was circulating on the web at one stage (possibiliy C/- of the Midoztouch Forum).
Some choice photos of the venue and crowd are also included.
As a bonus, I have included a recording of Mississippi's "Kings Of The World" which was also recorded at the Sunbury 73 festival but never made it onto the triple set (sourced through YouTube)

Note: There was also a promotional E.P released featuring 6 tracks taken from the triple Sunbury album set and is one of the items on my Holy Grail List of wants. I have yet to see it turn up on ebay, and can only dream of the day when I might find it! (see pictures below bottom)
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Tracklist
CD1
01 Johnny O'Keefe – High Rollin' Man 2:57
02 Friends – Bird On A Wire / La La Song 6:58
03 69ers – Harry Rag 6:58
04 Coloured Balls – Johnny B. Goode 4:51
05 Madder Lake – Down The River / 12lb. Toothbrush 14:40
06 Band Of Light – Messin' With The Kid
07 Aztecs – Going Back Home 13:31
08 Blackfeather – I'm Gonna Love You 9:53
CD2
01 Carson – Friday Night Groove 4:53
02 Mighty Mouse – Sunset Song 10:05
03 Healing Force – Erection 6:47
04 Country Radio – Silver Spurs 4:51
05 Matt Taylor – From Brisbane To Beachworth 8:50
06 Sid Rumpo – Sailing 8:38
07 Mackenzie Theory – New Song And 8:47
08 Glenn Cardier – Australia 2:28
09 Bakery – Living With A Memory 12:12 
10 Mississippi - Kings Of The World BONUS 2:38
 
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Sunbury 1 mp3  Link (155Mb) New Link 17/09/2025

Sunbury 2 mp3 Link (183Mb)

Sunbury Artwork & Photos (20Mb)

Sunbury 1&2 in FLAC (897Mb) New Link 06/09/2024

John Paul Young - One Foot In Front (1984) plus Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1972 - Present)
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In 1966 John Paul Young (known as Squeak or JPY) and his family moved from Glasgow, Scotland to Australia and settled in Sydney. John began is interest in music at an early age and learned to play the piano accordion.
John joined the Sydney based band Elm Tree in 1969. Members of Elm Tree included: Roger Barnett, Ollie Chojnacki, Phillip Edwards, Andy Imlah, Dave Kaentek, Ron Mazurkiewicz, Geoff Watts and John. Elm Tree had a following around Sydney, and were spotted by producer Martin Erdman, they cut one single for Erdman's Du Monde label. The cover Rainbow was released through Festival in November 1970. In 1971 Elm Tree entered Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds. Elm Tree broke up at the end of 1971.
John auditioned for Harry M. Miller’s production of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice's rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972. John won a major supporting role. The show premiered in Sydney in mid-1972. As well as established theatrical performers, the cast featured leading pop-rock performers including Easybeat: Stevie Wright, John Paul Young, Marcia Hines and Air Supply. John left the show in February 1974.
John Paul Young became well known when working with producers/composers Harry Vanda and George Young. Simon Napier-Bell, producer and manager of many leading British acts at the time, produced John Paul Young’s debut solo recording for Alberts, the single "Pasadena" co-written by Vanda & George Young and English actor David Hemming. Pasadena charted at #10 on the Sydney charts, followed by "You Drive Me Crazy" in February 1973.
He signed to Alberts as a solo artist and released the single "It's Only Love" in March 1974. John was supported by the ABC's top-rating weekly pop show Countdown.

Between 1975 and 1980 John was one of the most popular male performers in Australia. His records were hugely success overseas. His records topped the charts in Europe, the USA and South Africa.

In March 1975 Alberts released John Paul Young’s recording of Vanda & Young's Yesterday's Hero, a song about the fleeting nature of pop stardom. The record hit the national charts in April, reaching #1 and staying at #1 on the Melbourne charts for six weeks. "Yesterday's Hero" sold strongly in the USA and reached #42 on the Cashbox top one hundred. A key factor to "Yesterday's Hero" success was the film clip made to promote it, which enabled the song to be given exposure on Countdown (following the official start of colour TV broadcasting March 1, 1975. The Hero LP reached #20 on the charts in November 1975 and became a gold record.
John made two national tours during the year, one of which was a joint headliner with Sherbet. In order to be able to tour regularly in support of the Singles and album, John had a backing band named the All Stars. Members of The All Stars included: Warren ‘Pig’ Morgan, Johnny Dick, Ian “Willie” Winter, Ronnie Peel, Ray Arnott, Vince Meloney, Kevin Borich, Phil Manning and Tony Mitchell.
John's next single "The Love Game", released in August 1975. "The Love Game" became John's second national Top 5 hit and peaked at #9 in Melbourne during October. In November 1975 he released his debut album, Hero, entirely written and produced by Vanda & Young.
In March 1976 John released the top 5 hit single "I Hate the Music", the single reached #3 nationally in April and gained gold status.

Later in the year Alberts released John's second album, J.P.Y. It reached #10 on the album chart and it achieved platinum status with sales of over 70,000. The album included: "Won't Let This Feeling Go By", "Give It Time" and "The Painting".

"I Wanna Do It With You" was released in February 1977, it reached #8 nationally and #11 in Melbourne. John Paul Young and the All Stars recorded the album Green, which was released in March, 1977. Five tracks were co-written by John and Warren Morgan. The next single, "Here We Go" was released in April at the start of a three month national tour.
"Where the Action Is" was released in September 1977, In December, Alberts released the Christmas compilation All The Best, and John Paul Young and the All Stars toured capital cities in Australia, by the end of the year the Green album had received gold LP status.
In January 1978 with the disco beat now popular, the dance-oriented single "Standing in the Rain" from the J.P.Y. album was released overseas and went to #6. To support the release John toured Germany and Holland in August. "Standing In the Rain" went to #1 in South Africa, and made the Top 10 in Germany and Holland, the Top 40 in France and the US Top 100.

In June 1978 John Paul Young released Vanda & Young's "Love Is in the Air"; it is one of the best known of all Australian popular songs and was included on the soundtrack of the hit film Strictly Ballroom and by its use in the Sydney Olympics closing ceremony. John toured extensively throughout Europe, United Kingdom and the USA. John Paul Young appeared on Top of the Pops. In September 1978 John toured nationally. "The Day that My Heart Caught Fire" went to the national top twenty, reaching #18 in September. He was awarded TV Weeks - King of Pop. He released "Fool In Love" in December of the same year.

A greatest hits album John Paul Young 1974-1979 came out on the budget Hammard label, and Alberts released the single "Heaven Sent" in August 1979 and a new album of the same name was released in November. John released the single "Hot For You Baby" in January 1980 and ended his contract with Alberts. He recorded an album of 1960s rock and pop favourites called The Singer in 1981. John released the single Oh No No in July 1982 on the Southern Cross label.

In 1983, John signed to the Australian branch of German label I.C. Records. He flew to Germany with producer, composer and keyboard player John Capek to record a new album, with sessions at Horus Sound Studios, Hanover and Union Studios, Munich, Los Angeles, AAV Studios Melbourne and Albert Studio 2 Sydney. The result was the featured album 'One Foot In Front' in March 1984; One Foot In Front was renamed Soldier Of Fortune for the European market. It produced four singles including "Soldier of Fortune", "War Games", "L.A. Sunset" and "Call The Night".

Album Review
The album displayed a contemporary electro-pop sound. Most of the material had been written by John Capek and Canadian Marc Jordan, with one Young/Morgan composition `Cryin' Eyes'. `Soldier of Fortune' returned Young to the Australian Top 20 for the first time in five years when it reached #15 in December. "Soldier of Fortune" was picked as the theme song for the 1984 Disabled Olympics held in New York, and it also went on to be a hit in Germany. The album put Young back in the spotlight for a while, but apart from two more singles, "Spain"/"Money to Burn" (on EMI, October 1986) and "Don't Sing that Song"/"Here We Go" (for CBS, June 1989), he essentially retired from the music business. One Vanda and Young song, the whimsical acoustic tune "Lazy Days" (from the Love is in the Air album) summed up Young's philosophy best: amongst the hurly-burly of pop stardom, Young would rather be sitting on his sail boat with fishing line in hand and sipping wine.

In 1984, John retired from recording and performing, although he continued to work on and off as a radio DJ.
In 1992 "Love Is in the Air" was chosen as the theme song to director Baz Luhrmann's internationally acclaimed feature film Strictly Ballroom. A CD single of Love is in the air (Ballroom Mix) was released in August 1992 through Albert/Sony and peaked at #4 in Australia.

John Paul Young went to Spain to appear on two of Spanish television, European networks, Japan to perform for members of the Royal Family, Thailand and Fiji. He appeared at many events including: the Sydney Olympic bid, the AFI Awards, the Australian Music Awards and the Australian Grand Prix Ball.

In 1993 John Paul Young appeared in the re-opening of Newcastle Civic Theatre production titled A Rare Jewell with cast: Geraldine Turner,John Macternan, Michelle Pettigrove, Terry Serio, Celia Ireland and Peter Ross. Special guests included: Bill Smith, David Wood, The Tap Brothers, The Curvettes, Irene Waugh, Nola Wallace, Clair McHugh, Jamie Redfern, Shirley Purvis, Ian Sandercoe and John Paul Young.

In 1996 John recorded a new album, which included a re-recorded version of Love Is in the Air. The single was released in August. John returned to Germany and appeared on all the major TV programmes & specials, which in turn led to a month-long tour in Germany in 1998 with The All Stars. In 1998 he sang on a new version of I Hate The Music, backed by indie band Ratcat and the single made the charts as a spin-off from the Australian movie Occasional Coarse Language. The song All Hell Broke Loose, which John Paul Young co-wrote with Angry Anderson and Warren 'Pig' Morgan, was recorded and released by Rose Tattoo for their 1998 national tour, and in 2000 John appeared in a quirky Kraft Foods TV commercial which used Yesterday's Hero.

John and The All Stars have appeared at corporate events for: General Motors Holden, Toyota, Subaru, National Mutual, McDonalds, Digital Equipment Corporation, National Panasonic, Dairy Farmers, AMP and IBM.John has also had a long involvement in radio, working as an announcer at New FM in Newcastle, Sydney's 2CH and on the breakfast slot on Curtin Radio 927 in Perth in 2000/2001. He also recorded a syndicated program aptly named Yesterday's Heroes which was broadcast in the eastern states of Australia on the RG Network.

In 2000 he played to his largest audience as a featured performer at the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics.In September 2002, John Paul Young and the All Stars appeared in the TV Series Long Way to the Top. John Paul Young and The Allstar Band toured in 2002 Long Way to the Top with the cream of Australian talent to celebrate the music and its Stars of the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s.


In 2003 and in 2005 John appeared in the musical Leader of the Pack – The Ellie Greenwich Musical as fast talking record producer Gus Sharkey - a composite character based around the legendary team of Leiber & Stoller and later Phil Spector. 2005 John Paul Young joined the Celebrity Race at the Melbourne F1 GP. 2006 saw John return to the studio at Flashpoint Music to record his first album of new material in many years In Too Deep, which sees John reunite with his 70's hit maker Harry Vanda as producer and principal songwriter.
John appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in Australia between late-August and early-September 2007. He sang 2 songs including the favourite Love Is in the Air.

John has appeared on many national television programs including the Coca Cola Summer Promotion, Channel 7's The Hard Yards, the premiere of Channel 9's Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, Roy & HG's Club Buggery, Channel 9's This is Your Life tributes to Molly Meldrum & Jon English, Channel 10's Monday to Friday show presenting the entertainment & music news segment and 7's Full Frontal in which he appeared in a spoof on The Footy Show performing Simply the Tops and Popstars TV series. He also went to New Zealand where he performed and competed in NZTV's Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Christmas Special.

Away from his musical work, John is a long-time resident of Lake Macquarie Newcastle Australia, where he is active in the Landcare movement and is an outspoken community activist on issues related to mining in the western Lake Macquarie area.

This post consists of  FLACs ripped from my vinyl copy which is in very good condition. Full album artwork is also included, along with CD artwork for a later release entitled "The War Years".
Also included are 3 bonus tracks taken from JPY's 12" Single "Soldier Of Fortune" which featured 2 other versions of the title track plus the non-album track "The Sirens".

Track Listing
01 War Games       
02 She Made A Fool Out Of You       
03 System Overload       
04 Call The Night        

Later Release with Bonus Tracks

05 Soldier Of Fortune        
06 Cryin' Eyes       
07 Body Heat        
08 Love Is For Heroes       
09 Television Girl       
10 L.A. Sunset       
11 The Sirens (Bonus B-Side Single)
12 Soldier Of Fortune (Bonus Single Edit)
13 Soldier Of Fortune (Bonus Extended Mix)

JPY and the AllStar Band:
John Paul Young (VOcals)
John Capek (Keyboards, Synths)
Alex Conti (Guitar)
Mark Puch (Guitar)
Russell Dunlop (Percussion)
Steve McDonell (Didjeridoo)
Veronica Lee, Wendy Matthews, Marc Jordan, Russell Dunlop (Backing Vocals)

JPY FLAC Link ( 347Mb)
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