W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Neil: Hole In My Shoe (1984)

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Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song / album at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.
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Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953 in Westminster, London) is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright. Planer is perhaps best known for his role as Neil Pye in the cult BBC comedy 'The Young Ones'. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hairspray. He is also long time comedy partner with Peter Richardson.

Nigel was one of the four members of the 1980s spoof rock band, Bad News, playing Den Dennis. As Neil from 'The Young Ones', Planer gained a number two hit single in 1984 in the form of "Hole in My Shoe". The song was originally a hit single for Sixties band Traffic, reaching #2 in the UK charts and #22 in the German charts in 1967.Composed by guitarist Dave Mason, the song was disliked by the other three members of the group, who felt that it did not represent the band's musical or lyrical style.

A cover of Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle" was a less successful follow up, only reaching #97 in the charts. After that, an album was produced, entitled 'Neil's Heavy Concept Album'. Nigel also took Neil's stage act on the road in that year as Neil in the "Bad Karma in The UK" tour. 

In the sitcom 'The Young Ones', Neil was one of the principal characters portraying a long-suffering hippie, who continually sang a recognisable line from "Hole In My Shoe". He also performed the song as Neil on the BBC show 'Top of the Pops', where he asked Paul Weller to "listen to the lyrics!". The single won "Best Comedy Single" at the 1985 Brit Awards during the days the event was called "The BPI Awards". The press saw the one-off award category as completely invented by the panel just for the single.

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I have chosen to include two versions of this song here, the first is the standard single release (backed by the even weirder track "Hurdy Gurdy Mushroom Man") and a longer version called the  Paranoid Version released as a 12" Single. The longer version contains addition minutes of Neil bantering on in his usual monotonic voice while being backed by orchestral music sounding very similar to that of the Beatle's Sgt Peppers.
As a bonus, I have also included a Flash video of Neil performing his hit song on the ABC's 'Top Of The Pops'.
So this months WOCK on Vinyl post ticks most of the boxes associated with its name: Weird, Crazy and Korny with a little bit of psychedelia thrown in for good measure!
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Track Listing
01 - Hole In My Shoe (Single Version)
02 - Hurdy Gurdy Mushroom Man
03 - Hole In My Shoe (Paranoid Version)
*   Plus Hole In My Shoe (Flash Video - Top Of The Pops)
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Neil's Link (43Mb)

Rockets - On The Road Again (1977) + Bonus Tracks

(French 1972-Present)
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Put Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Devo and the more recent Blue Men in a swirly wind tunnel, sprinkle some Silver Paint and Disco Italo Vocorder space rock and you get..... LES ROCKETS!
.The Rocket's history starts in Paris (France), in the year 1972, when they were known under the name CRYSTAL. In 1974, they changed their name to ROCKET MEN (or ROCKETTERS) as five aliens, bald, with grey eyes, silver skin and space suits, recording the single 'Rocket Man' produced by Claude Lemoine, who would become their producer until 1983.
In 1975, they changed their name to ROCKETS and recorded a single 'Future woman'. In 1976, their first LP entitled, 'Rockets' was released in France, and the group launched a series of phantasmagoric live shows which involved vocoder, lasers, coloured lights, smoke and a bazooka fighting flames three.

The best formation (1977-1982) comprising vocalist Christian Le Bartz, bassist and vocalist "Little" Gérard L'Her, guitarist and keyboardist Alain Maratrat, drummer and percussionist Alain Groetzinger, and keyboardist Fabrice Quagliotti have been through a number of name changes, being known as Rocket Men and Rok-Etz, among others.
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Dressed up in matching silver suits with shaved heads and silvery gray facepaint, they no doubt caused quite a scene in the French rock clubs of the day. Their otherworldly appearance and heavy use of synthesizers and vocoders suggested a strong Kraftwerk influence, but there was more to them than that: The very first track on their 1976 self-titled debut album, for example, was “Apache,” a funked-up version of a faux-Spaghetti Western rock instrumental recorded by a 1960 British skiffle band called The Shadows. They later covered Canned Heat too, on their 1977 LP 'On The Road Again' (1977), which was released in a large number of countries. The American release was on the Tom n'Jerry label. . Their influences ranged pretty far beyond Ziggy-era Bowie and Krautrock—although that was clearly all part of the mix, too.
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By 1979, Rockets had begun to enjoy some commercial success, at least in Europe, where their third album Plasteroid sold out in some countries almost as soon as it was released. By this time, they had developed more of a pop/New Wave sound and outfits that appeared to borrow rather flagrantly from Ace Frehley’s Spaceman look. But they had also perfected a highly entertaining live show that featured lots of robot dance moves and a scary, bazooka-like device with which lead singer Christian Le Bartz could shower the audience with sparks. Check the three-minute mark of this clip from an Italian TV appearance for a taste of the spark-bazooka; I’m pretty sure that even in Italy, they don’t let you get away with shit like that anymore.
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Rockets peaked, both commercially and creatively, with 1980's Galaxy, a brilliantly campy piece of space-rock/synth-pop with blacklight-ready cover art and high-concept songs about space travel and cyborgs and other bits of sci-fi geekery. It sold over a million copies worldwide, but the band began to unravel soon thereafter. By 1983, both lead singer Le Bartz and drummer Alain Groetzinger had quit the group, followed shortly by their longtime producer, Claude Lemoine, and their bassist, “Little” Gerard L’Her. With a new British lead singer, Sal Solo, the remnants of Rockets squeezed out two more albums, 1986's One Way and 1992's Another Future—the latter of which gamely tried to update the band’s sound with some Brit-rave beats, but without much success. By 1993, the band was effectively defunct.
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But nothing helps revive musical careers like a healthy dose of nostalgia—so you will not be surprised to learn that as of 2000, Fabrice decided to reform the band (initially with the name Rockets N.D.P.), but with a totally different line-up. This brought to an anomalous situation, as far as none of the former members agreed to hold a reunion. In fact, the last former member to leave the band was Alain Maratrat, in 1992. Rockets have resumed their existence, albeit in heavily watered-down form. The closest thing they still have to an original member is keyboardist Fabrice Quagliotti, who joined the group in 1977.
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My first experience of the Rockets was quiet by accident. While trying to locate the latest release by a band called Nova in my favourite Import Shop, I was browsing the racks of vinyl 'gems' when a familar song came blaring out from the shop's speaker system. What's this I hear? A cover of Canned Heat's "On The Road Again" but the style of music was like nothing I'd ever heard before. The vocals were being sung through a Vocoder (not a Talk Box by the way - aka Peter Frampton) and backed by a mirage of Synthesier and Drum Machine sounds that gave this rendition a full on 'spaced out' feel.  I asked the guy behind the counter who the band was and he showed me the album cover. I was sold on the spot and ditched my original purchase plan. I walk out of the shop with yet another 'great find'.
Having recently seen them perform on stage thanks to YouTube, it is obvious that their stage show would have been something 'out of this world' to see with their barage of laser / light effects and use of sci-fi stage props.
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Review (by Alan Bodwick)
Shave your head and paint yourself silver -  this halloween go as a member of late 70s French analog spacemen band Rockets. While you're at it pop this album into your system and be transported back to the futurepast of cosmic space analog world . You will be pleasantly suprised at the quality of this admittedly disposable and somewhat dated robo space pop- a mix of thick warm analog synth vocoder pop tunes including a great cover of "on the road again".  Yes that song that plays on every classic rock station.
More effective though are the Tangerine Dream inspired songs like "Cosmic Race" and "Astrolights" - hinting at some leftover French progressive music from a few years before and not afraid to include some funk grooves and chops! Much better then any Daft Punk AIR or any other atempted retro vocoder electronic acts of the last decade by a longshot! And I say this as a pretty big AIR fan. Please  check out their hilarious videos on youtube (original promo clip for  On The Road Again is also included in this post) and snatch this up as its become very rare despite the fact they sold millions of records in Europe in the late 70s and early 80s. In the end this is a likable record that occassionaly has moments of funky sublime brilliance and delivers with its dreamy moogs arps and catchy electronic grooves!

12" Single

This post consists of a MP3 rip (320kps) taken from my vinyl copy and includes full album artwork. As a bonus, I have chosen to include a 'live' version of "On The Road Again" taken from a CD Discography that was released in 2003 - a very different version to the original album release.  In addition, I have also included a flash video of this track which was used as the promo for the single. The single was released both in as a 7" and 12 " format. I think you will really like this album as it is quiet unique, if not just for their brilliant Canned Heat cover. 

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Track Listing
01 - On The Road Again   8:50    
02 - Cosmic Race     4:15    
03 - Venus Rapsody     4:18    
04 - Space Rock     4:00    
05 - Astrolights     6:10    
06 - Electro-Voice     2:48    
07 - Sci Fi Boogie     4:40

08 - On The Road Again (Bonus Live) 5:57

09 - Rocket Man (Bonus Single) 2:50
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Band Members:
Vocals – Christian Le Bartz, Gerard L'Her
Bass – Gerard L'Her
Guitar – Alain Maratrat
Keyboards – Alain Maratrat, Fabrice Quagliotti
Percussion, Drums – Alain Groetzinger
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Rockets Link (127Mb) 

New Link 26/03/2026

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Russell Morris - A Thousand Suns (1991) + Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1966-Present)
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Russell Morris has been an icon of the Australian music industry since the 1960s. His classic hits include 'The Real Thing', 'Sweet, Sweet Love', 'Rachael', 'Part Three Into Paper Walls', 'The Girl That I Love' and 'Wings Of An Eagle'. During his solo career, Morris had done limited live performances without a band of his own. He then formed the Russell Morris Band and threw himself into a busy round of live performances, writing songs designed to be played live rather than chasing radio airplay, but scoring a couple of minor hits on the way. Eventually, the band played and recorded as Russell Morris & the Rubes.

In 1991, Morris released another solo album, 'A Thousand Suns'. Talking about the title track A Thousand Suns in a recent interview  Russell says that he figured people who heard this song probably  didn't really understand what it was about. "I wrote it after I read One Crowded Hour about the war photographer Neil Davis" says Morris. "I always liked the pictures the lyrics painted." 
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A Thousand Suns Single Release

There is a lot of information about Russell on various sites about his early career, but not much about what Russell has been doing in later years, particularly since he released this featured album.
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1992 ---- Morris played the part of Riff Raff in the new Rocky Horror Show
2000 ---- Played Simon Zealotes in the new Jesus Christ Superstar

2000 ---- Jim Keays of the Masters Apprentices replaced Ronnie Burns, forming the new group Cotton, Keays & Morris
2001 ---- The Real Thing and Wings of an Eagle were included in the soundtrack of the Australian film "The Dish"
2001 ---- Named in APRA's Top 20 "All Time Australian Greats"
2002 ---- Russell took part in the "Gimme Ted" benefit concert
2003 ---- Russell took part in the "Long Way to the Top" extravaganza
2005 ---- Russell was part of the Hard Road concert with Stevie Wright (EasyBeats)
2005 ---- Morris was inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame, with Ian 'Molly' Meldrum providing the induction speech.
2006 ---- Joined John Schumann & the Vagabond Crew with the Lawson Project
2006 ---- Singing with the Stars - Concert Series.
2007 ---- Lobby Lloyd’s Benefit Concert
2007 ---- Russell Morris & Brian Cadd "Unplugged". Two incredible nights performing with the Queensland Conservatorium students.
2007 ---- Wings of an Eagle included in the film of "The December Boys"
2007 ---- Concert for Max - Benefit concert for music legend Max Merritt.
2008 ---- Entertained the troops employed on Operation ANODE in the Solomon Islands.
2011 ---- Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

2011 ---- Brian Cadd & Russell Morris release a Country & Western album "Wild Bulls & Horses" - - - 2012 ---- Russell presented with Support Act's Excellence in Community Support Award.
2012 ---- Russell organised and played a memorial concert at the Palais Theatre in St.Kilda, Melbourne for Darryl Cotton (Concert for DAZ - A celebration of the life of Darryl)
2012 ---- New Russell Morris blues album "Sharkmouth" official release Friday October 12

The project was created after Russell had read about a 1920's Gangster from Sydney, Shark Jaws. This was the driving force behind a desire to create an album including Australian characters from the 1920/30's era..mostly whom were gangsters!
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This post consists of FLACs taken from both CD and Vinyl.  The album itself was taken from CD and includes full album artwork. The two bonus tracks "Stay With You" / "Turn To Stone" were taken from a 45 released in 1983, with a very different version of "Stay With You" to that released in 1991. 

In addition, non-album tracks "This Bird Has Flown (demo version)" released with the CD single "A Thousand Suns" and "She Is Leaving", released with the 1991 CD single "Stay With You" are also included (thanks to Deutros). 

 
Overall, this is a strong album with every track having its own merit. The highlights for me are certainly the title track, his earlier single "Stay With You" and of course the 1990 remixed version of "The Real Thing".
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Track Listing
01 - A Thousand Suns    
02 - Tartan Lines    
03 - Stay With You    
04 - Child Inside    
05 - New Dawn    
06 - Jungle At Night    
07 - Between The Waves    
08 - The Bigger They Come    
09 - Steal Away    
10 - Over Excited    
11 - The Real Thing (1990 Mix)
Bonus Tracks
12 - I'll Stay With You (A-Side Single)
13 - Turn To Stone (B-Side Single)
14 - This Bird Has Flown (demo version)

15 - She Is Leaving (B-Side Single)
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Band Members:
Russell Morris (Guitar, Vocals)
Chong Lim (Keyboards)
Graham Thompson, Ian Belton, Jim Landers (Bass)
Mark Punch, Mark Moffatt,Ben Butler & Rex Goh (Guitar)
Ricky Fataar (Drums, Percussion)
Andrew Thompson (saxaphone)
Venetta Fields, Mark Williams, Mark Punch,
Shauna Jensen, Kevin bennett & Taya Francis
(Backing Vocals)
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Russell Morris FLACs Link (453Mb) New Link 23/08/2020
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The Babys - Anthology (1981) Expanded Version

(U.K 1975-1981)
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The Babys were a British rock group in the late 1970s. The Babys were able to chart 6 albums between 1976 and 1981 through Chrysalis Records. Their highest charting singles were "Isn't it Time" and "Everytime I Think of You", both of which reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The 1976-1978 Babys line-up consisted of vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock, Keyboard player/guitarist Michael Corby, and guitarist Wally Stocker. From 1979-1981, the Babys line-up consisted of vocalist Waite, drummer Brock, bassist Ricky Phillips, guitarist Stocker and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.


Origin
There are two stories regarding the origin of the band and the source of the band's name.

Founding member Mike Corby places the origin of the idea for the band at Smalls Cafe on the Fulham Road in London in 1973 during a chance meeting with manager the late Adrian Millar. An agreement was signed between Corby and Millar on September 4, 1974 and auditions were held to fill out the remaining members. The names "Cry Babys" and "Big Babys" were also proposed with Millar ultimately deciding on "The Babys."

In a 1979 Hit Parader magazine interview, Waite stated, The name was meant to be a joke. We took the name simply because the record companies wouldn't listen to any bands they thought were rock & roll. I mean, they wanted sure-fire teen bands, pre-teen bands. We couldn't get anybody down to hear us to get a record deal, so we called ourselves The Babys. We thought we'd keep the name just for two weeks. Then, the word got around in London that there was a band playing rock & roll called The Babys and it seemed so off the wall, so completely crazy, that it was worth taking a shot with. It really appealed to everyone's sense of humour.

Chrysalis Records finally signed the band in 1976, and they released their selftitled debut album.

Career
The Babys eponymous first album (highlighted by the single "If You've Got The Time") was recorded in Toronto, Canada with producers Brian Christian and Bob Ezrin and released in January 1977, although it appears that Millar and Corby were unhappy with the production.

Some critics felt the teen-friendly packaging on their second album Broken Heart may have affected the group's appeal to wider audiences, although it is claimed that it was part of an experiment by Corby with group members looking like characters from the film A Clockwork Orange. As far as record sales were concerned the Babys seemed to live in the shadow of other Chrysalis artists Blondie, Pat Benatar and Leo Sayer. The Babys second album, Broken Heart, (released in September 1977) produced a top 20 U.S. hit "Isn't it Time" written by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, which peaked at #13 on the Billboard chart. They continued to tour the U.S. successfully with the Babettes who included singers from Andrae Crouch and the Disciples: Lisa Freeman Roberts, Myrna Matthews and Pat Henderson. The album spent two weeks at number one in Australia but did not produce another top 40 single.

Disputes with Chrysalis management resulted in the firing of original manager Millar in 1978. Corby was also sacked by Chrysalis in August 1978 and a  replacement was sought. The company brought in two musicians to replace the co-founder: Jonathan Cain on keyboards and Ricky Phillips to play bass. From 1979 until the final breakup in 1981 the Babys line-up consisted of vocalist Waite, drummer Brock, bassist Phillips, guitarist Stocker and keyboardist Cain.



The Bands Demise
During a performance in Cincinnati on 9 December 1980 (the day after John Lennon had been murdered), John Waite was pulled from the stage by an overzealous fan during an encore and seriously injured his knee. Following a subsequent final performance by the group in Akron, Ohio, the remainder of the tour was cancelled, and the group disbanded following the tour. Although different members of the group have given various reasons for the band's demise, the general issue seems to have been disillusionment that the group never really achieved the success they felt they deserved given the quality of their albums and live shows. Waite later mused, "We were better than people thought we were."  [extract from LyricsFreak.com]

Recording the Dinah Shore Show at CBS Television City in LA (May 6th 1977)

After The Babys
John Waite, Ricky Phillips and Jonathan Cain later played together in the hard rock/glam rock-infused supergroup Bad English. By this time, Cain had already gone on to enjoy great success with Journey. Tony Brock spent many years drumming for Rod Stewart, as well as drumming and co-producing for Jimmy Barnes and producing for Keith Urban. Wally Stocker went on to play guitar for Rod Stewart and Air Supply, as well as a reformed version of Humble Pie in the 1990s. Wally Stocker and Tony Brock have not worked with John Waite since the breakup and there have been no rumors of any kind of reunion for the 1979 lineup. And given the persistent acrimony surrounding Corby's departure from the group, there is also little chance of the original 1976 lineup ever getting together again. [extract rom wikipedia]

Babys In Australia
(extract from the article 'Songs That Make The Back Of Your Neck Feel Dirty' - Sydney Morning Herald, 16th January, 1986)

Hits don't necessarily have to be about the beach, surfing or sunshine. But they do have to pour out of every car radio cruising along every highway and out of every transistor-on-a-towei at every beach for a full three months. Listeners never forget them, songwriters spend their life trying to create them and record companies often couldn't survive without them.
They are Summer Hits, perfect pop songs which seem to capture the imagination of all those between 12 and 40 who shed their outer skin and frolic outdoors between spring and autumn. Summer Hits are the soundtracks to first romances, unforgettable holidays and just goofin' about with friends.
Early in 1980 I was standing sidestage with the promoter of a huge Sydney outdoor concert. The road crew was changing over gear on stage and the sweltering crowd was being treated to a random selection of taped music. Suddenly the restless horde came to life and began singing along, loudly and enthusiastically, with a moderate hit by an American band called the Babys. The song, "Isn't It Time?", struck an incredibly responsive chord with every one of those young bronzed Aussies, who were leaping up and down screaming out the lyrics. The promoter, there and then, decided to book the Babys for a concert tour and would have proceeded, had not they disbanded before it could come to pass. Certainly, most of that audience wouldn't have had a clue who was performing the song but you can be sure that, to this day, they probably remember every word of it.
When the lyrics of a pop hit connect with the collective mood of its audience, a bona fide 'standard' is born. This was the case with "Isn't It Time"

It is interesting to note that the LP release of their Anthology album had 14 tracks squeezed onto its vinyl, whereas the first CD release only had 10 of these tracks.  I'm not sure what Chrysalis were thinking when they decided to water down the CD as it was far from being an Anthology. A later release of the CD returned the collection back to its original state, however, there were still some crucial tracks missing in my opinion.
Therefore, I have chosen to fill these gaps by including the following bonus tracks:  "If You Can See My Fly" (from Broken Heart), "Run To Mexico" (from Head First) and both "Looking For Love" and "Dying Man" from their debut album.
Also note that I have previously posted a Babys Bootleg called 'Spoilt Brats' which is also worth listening to.
This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from vinyl and CD, and as usual full album artwork for both LP and CD. There are also a stack of photos, sourced from Michael Corby's Myspace Page with thanks.

Late Appendum:  If you're interested in hearing an indepth interview with John Waite, talking about his musical influences and career over the past 35 years, then have a listen to transplantedaussie's podcast on his ichatwith website.  For more information about John Waite, you might like to visit some of  the following sites:  John Waite's Official Website,  John Waite's European Website  and his Myspace Page

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Track Listing
01 - Head First
02 - Isn't It Time
03 - Midnight Rendezvous
04 - Money (Previously Unreleased)
05 - Back On My Feet Again
06 - I'm Falling
07 - Broken Heart
08 - Give Me Your Love
09 - Turn And Walk Away
10 - Everytime I Think Of You
11 - If You've Got The Time
12 - Sweet 17
13 - Union Jack
14 - Love Don't Prove I'm Right
(Bonus Tracks)
15 - If You Can See My Fly
16 - Run To Mexico
17 - Looking For Love
18 - Dying Man 
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The Babys were:
John Waite (Lead Vocals, Bass)
Michael Corby (Ryhthm Guitar, Keyborads)
Wally Stocker (Lead Guitar)
Tony Brock (Drums, Vocals)
Jonathan Cain (Keyboards 1979-81)
Rick Phillips (Bass  1979-81)
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The Babys Link (161Mb)  New Link 08/09/2024
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Eloy - Live (1978)

(German 1969 - 1984, 1988-1998, 2009-Current)

Eloy is a German progressive rock band, whose musical style includes symphonic and space rock, the latter theme being more prevalent on earlier albums. Despite their nationality and time period, the band is not generally considered krautrock because of their sound, which has much more in common with English progressive rock groups such as Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Yes.

Founded in 1969 by guitarist Frank Bornemann, the band has endured several line-up changes, with Bornemann being the only consistent member of the group. In the 1980s, after a series of major splits in the group, Bornemann pursued a more commercial direction. Despite attracting a large following in Germany, the band never gained popularity in the United States. However, in later years, former members of the band re-joined, and in 1998 released the album Ocean 2, a return to the classic symphonic progressive rock genre for which the band was well known. 

Bornemann described the origin of the name of the band thus: "The name Eloy is based on the book 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells. Wells describes in his book the situation of mankind about 800,000 years later, and 'Eloy' is a human race in his story. The Eloy in Wells' story have made a new start with the help of the time traveler.

In a way, it was a new beginning for the human race. German rock bands in the late 1960s played mainly covers from other bands instead of playing their own compositions. Record deals for German bands were absolutely rare and German bands generally were considered to be second class bands in their own country. At that time it was a strong effort for a German band to come out with only their own compositions. It was a start into an unknown future, and from this point of view, comparable to the human race in Wells' story. That is why I got the idea to name the band 'Eloy'." [extract from wikipedia]

Review 1 (from seaoftranquility.org)

In 1978, Eloy released their sole live album, at a time when most progressive bands were either going commercial or altogether disbanding. Eloy however were at the peak of their popularity in their homeland of Germany. The band was famous for elaborate stage shows featuring copious laser lights, dry ice machines and plentiful pyrotechnics. Eloy live sounded so more powerful: strong and flowing guitar work, lush keyboards and great shifting moods.

Live compiles some of the band’s best loved compositions to date and very often, the live versions outshine their studio counterparts. Most of the classic “Ocean” album is represented here (it was recorded during the Ocean promotional tour after all) as well as choice cuts from Dawn, Power and the Passion and the title track from Inside.

The narration from the studio version of “The Dance in Doubt and Fear” is gone and given mostly an instrumental treatment. However, there is some narration on other cuts. The closing track, “Atlantis’ Agony at June 5th-8498, 13 p.m. Gregorian Earthtime” is extended to twenty plus minutes of spaced out bliss and leans towards the cosmic side of compatriots Ash Ra Tempel, Mythos and perhaps Tangerine Dream.

The only significant flaw of the album is that it feels a little too cut and paste. Each track fades with Frank Bornemann cheerfully eing “danke schon!” so that the songs generally don’t segue or flow very naturally. On the other hand, Live is not at all a bad place to introduce a novice to the music of Eloy. The sound quality is fine given the age of the master tapes.

Review2 (by Cedomir Bjeletic)

One of the hidden treasures from the Prog island, recorded in 1978 on tour, on the waves of unique and excellent “Ocean”, it captured Eloy in a conceptual concert based on story of rise and fall of Atlantis, as a reminder of what could happen in the end to us all. Lineup that would make one more progressive gem, 1979 “Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes”, have made an ethereal atmosphere, saved on this record. Spoken introductions, long instrumental passages based mostly on keyboard sound together with melodic bass lines and crying guitar solos, and simple but captivating singing with mystical and unreal lyrics, carries listener to voyage to outer space of mind.

In music of Eloy, all musicians and instruments have their leading and supporting roles. Even bass and drums are used not to be rhythm section, but to contribute in making a spacey atmosphere. Songs are interpreted close to studio versions, and I believe there are two main reasons for that. First is that studio versions are already long enough that there is no need to prolong it by unnecessary improvisations, and the second was intention that lineup that recorded studio version must be in position to play it live on scene, for it is one of the characteristics of progressive music. The only thing that may be under someone’s expectations is singing in English with strong German accent, but that’s how the story goes when someone sings in foreign language. Lineup present on this live record is one that is responsible for great studio issues in 1976-1979 period, with only guitar player left from past times and who would waves the Eloy flag to present times.

The record starts with first half of 1977 “Ocean” album. “Poseidon’s Creation” opens with brief spoken prologue, not present on studio version, and after 5 minutes of instrumental introduction to song and 3 minutes of sung introduction to story, ends with 3 minutes guitar solo. “Incarnation of Legos” is introduced with 4 minutes of mutually sung and spoken words, and after 2 minutes keyboard solo, ends with 3 minutes keyboard and vocal part. Music continues with two tracks from 1976 “Dawn” album. Keyboard and bass dominated “The Sun-song” is prolonged 4 minutes with German spoken introduction, while “The Dance in Doubt and Fear” contains some fine guitar and keyboard soloing. The middle part ends with classic “Mutiny” track from 1975 “Power and the Passion” album, and with “Gliding into Light and Knowledge” keyboard and vocal song from “Dawn”, flawlessly leading into more guitar soloing “Inside” from 1973 “Inside” album. Record concludes with last and longest track from “Ocean”, “Atlantis’ Agony” that starts with 10 minutes spacey keyboards intro interrupted occasionally with few spoken words, and after some fine bass supported chanting and keyboard soloing, ends with keyboards harmonies, guitar soloing, singing that once again reminds us that “we are particles in the ocean”, and finally keyboard and guitar conclusion.

I must say that I had luck to met a friend at the start of 80’s who introduced many German bands to me, like Eloy, Jane, Grobschnitt, Brainticket, Birth Control, Nektar, Epitaph, and to this very day, those music stayed as something special, quite good, and at the same moment quite different from other progressive groups. And among them, Eloy always had a special treatment. That’s the reason why this review is somehow longer, for music absolutely deserves it.

I recommend this record to everyone who already likes 70’s sounding Eloy, for it successfully captured band alive at the peak of creativity. For ones who are new to Eloy, first try albums from 1973-1979 period, and then if you like them, try this one.

Having bought a few of their albums in the 70's I was ecstatic to hear that Eloy had released a double live album in 1978.  However, none of the import shops in Melbourne had stock and I was desperate to obtain a copy. Luckily, a friend of mine was going to Germany for a holiday with his family and I promptly asked him a favour to pick up a copy of Eloy Live for me while he was there.  The album cost me $35 which was a small fortune in those days (especially with the poor exchange rates that the Australian dollar was getting) but it was well worth it when I finally listened to it.  In fact, German pressings were always very expensive from the Import Shops (as were Japanese pressings) however the quality of the pressings were always superior to those made in Australia, making the extra cost worthwhile.
So, here is an MP3 rip (320kps) taken from my treasured vinyl copy and includes full album artwork plus label scans.  This is a great live album and should not be missed.

Track Listing
01 -  Poseidon’s Creation (11:50)
02 -  Incarnation Of Logos (08:50)
03 - The Sun-Song including Poem (08:30)
04 - The Dance In Doubt And Fear (07:40)
05 - Mutiny (10:00)
06 - Gliding Into Light And Knowledge (04:20)
07 - Inside (06:30)
08 - Atlantis’ Agony At June 5th 8498, 13 p.m. Gregorian Earthtime (21:00)

Eloy are:
Frank Bornemann (Guitar, Vocals),
Klaus-Peter Matziol (Bass),
Jürgen Rosenthal (Drums, Percussion),
Detlev Schmidtchen (Keyboards, Synthesizer)

Eloy Link (188Mb)  New Link 12/10/2023

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Australia Day: The Happy Hour Brigade (1977)

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

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.

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 aclaim.

Back in the mid 70's, Aussie Rock was really starting to take off in the States, with artists like Billy Thorpe, Brian Cadd and Russell Morris becoming household names while working overseas. 

The Happy Hour Brigade

It was around this time that a group of Aussie expatriates working in Los Angeles decided to get together and record an impromptu ditty based on the American 'Happy Hour' for which they were christened 'The Happy Hour Brigade'. 

The clip was recorded in L.A in Jan 1977 with Daryl Cotton (ex Zoot), Steve Kipner (producer and song writer for Olivia Newton John), Ray Burgess (host of Flashez way back in 1977), Billy Thorpe (aka Aztecs), Brian Cadd, Russell Morris and Rick Springfield (ex Zoot). 

A lament for all the Aussie expats, the song was never released, however, a video recording of the performance was made and has been preserved on YouTube.  Rick Springfield and Billy Thorpe were some of many Aussie rockers who moved to LA in the 70's to live. Most of the others in the clip came home once they got their Green Card work permit. 

Ray Burgees, Billy Thorpe and Brian Cadd - Drinkin' Tinies

                                                              Main Chorus

Well we flew in from Australia, we were aussie one and all, and we thought that we were poets so we wrote it on the wall.

Now all of us expatriates, we thought we'd form this club, cause Los Angeles is a long long way from the Ettamogah pub...

Well it seems that in America, it is the thing to do, go drinking in the afternoon, although that's nothing new!

But they do it with a difference, and they do it with some class, but the drinks are cheap from 4 till 6, knock you on your ass

So, for this post I have included both an MP3 rip of the Happy Hour Brigade lament plus the Videoclip itself. Also included are screen shots of the boys in action, but nothing quite compares to watching the videoclip itself. 

'Happy Australia Day' From The Happy Hour Brigade

Happy Hour Brigade Link (24Mb)
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Machinations - Big Music (1985) plus Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1980- 1989, 1997)
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This band was once quoted as being a band ahead of their time. Starting in 1985 this was dance music at its best. I first heard of them while watching “countdown” on Saturday nights and loved their sound and style. The album “Big Music” had a number of hits including “My Hearts On Fire”,”You Got Me Going Again” and “No Say In It” which is my pick on the album with its punchy beats and rhythmic guitars. The Machination's Myspace Page is a great site to visit and has some great songs to listen to… one of those songs is “cars and planes” off a later album and is very hard to find.
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Machination's Tim Doyle and Tony Starr first started writing together at the end of 79. Using varied 'electronic gadgetry' (drum machines, synths) their initial musical ideas were realised. Upon the return of old school friend Fred Loneragan from overseas, lyrics were soon written and they had a strong vocalist. This original nucleus of the band played their first gigs in the inner city of Sydney in early 1980. The band were not so concerned with commercial aspirations but with the desire to perform for an audience. Their first show was at Garibaldis, a punk venue disguised as a restaurant in Darlinghurst. This was followed by residencies at the Heritage Hotel in King's Cross and at the Rock Gardens down the road in William St They had played only a few shows in all before they were joined onstage by another enlisted schoolmate, Nero Swan on bass guitar, although their drummer remained a Roland CR-78 for the next couple of years.
With the support of the then 2JJ radio station, the band recorded some of their songs at Annandale's Trafalger Studios with Lobby Loyde at the helm in November 1980. These sessions produced the single "Average Inadequacy" and their debut self titled E.P They were recorded essentially live in the studio with little production and released on the Phantom label, headed by Jules Normington (soon to become a trusted friend). Again with the support of 2JJJ both releases received plenty of airplay and dramatically increased the bands following.
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Management comprised it's founder Lobby Loyde, an accountant, receptionist and the various tour managers of the bands it managed, Sunnyboys, Machinations, TableWaiters and Local Product. Sunnyboys were a huge and immediate success with the Mach's hard on their heels. TableWaiters, very much a band of their times with great players, lots of synths and piled-on hair held great potential but disbanded early after their initial releases held limited appeal and were met with indifference from the public. Local Product, a great little hard aussie rock group had a similar fate and disbanded early, a great shame as in this writers opinion anyway, they could have become one of the great Australian rock bands. The band were joined briefly around 1982 by drummer Henri Downes (he appears in the "Jumping the Gap" filmclip ). Warren Maclean (drums on Big Music) joined in 1983 and remained untill 1986 when he left the band for the band I'm Talking.  Maclean was followed by Kiwi John Mackay, from Nick Conroys band - Castles in Spain. Mackay was the final addition to the Mach's line-up and remained till Machinations split in 89.
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L-R: Nick, Fred, Tim, Tony

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The Mach's residency at the Rock Gardens proved fortuitous for the band. The venue was located across the road from JJJ's then studios on William St. Any band that played more than once there was likely to be noticed (particularly if they were any good). It was an unofficial proving ground for many of Sydneys unsigned bands. Pel Mel, Laughing Clowns, JMM, Scapaflow, Surfside Six, the Thought Criminals all received JJJ attention. "Average Inadequacy" was a huge JJJ favourite. The song remained in their Hottest 100 well into the early 90's  [extract from Machination's Myspace Page]
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Album Review
('Big Movers' Countdown Magazine, July 1985 p22-23) 
Larger than life and twice as exciting, Tim and Fred of the Machinations detail the blood, sweat and tears behind their 'epic' second album.  
It's Big. And pretty diverse. "There's a bit of reggae and a few other surprises", says Fred Loneragan. "We wanted it to sound epic - we wanted that epic sound and we wanted to get it pretty raw and loud and brash. Big noises" elaborates Tim Doyle.
The singer and guitarist from Sydney'sfunky Machinations are describing their new album "Big Music". Big hopes are pinned on this, the band's second LP. It's certainly an impressive package - full of catchy sounds, the latest production tricks and perhaps most important of all - good songs. But recording is not always a harmonious process as the chaps recall.
"There was a big fight about the melody in 'My Heart's On Fire'says Tim. "While we were in the studio we kept changing the song. One minute it was a sixties rocker, a hundred-miles-an-hour thing, and the next it was slowed right down..." Fred remembers. "It almost turned out to be a surfin' sixties song...I spent four days in an isolation chamber to come up with the lyrics. "And every time he came out", Tim continues, "we'd say, No - that's not right - back in you go!"
There seems to be some interesting ideas ideas lurking beneath the surface of the single - exactly what are those all about? Fred and Tim put their heads together "Well you tell me Tim"..."It's a secret Fred".  Tim eventually makes the announcement, "It's about a man who rules the world and every time you hear his words", he says quoting from the lyrics "Your hearts on fire".
"The other day a journalist from Queensland told me that he thought it was about Joh Byelke and I said "For you. I'll chnage it to Joh". But if you think about it, it applies to any dictator really.
An ageing nuclear-happy cowboy is the obvious one to come to mind, "That's what I was going to say", Tim admits, "But I didn't want to say it. He's never married, soyou can make up someone to fit - it could be your father, your boyfriend..."
The group are rather happy with the clip to "My Heart's On Fire", but they just can't quite explain to my satisfaction why it features the unlikely settings of "a coalfield and a sausage factory"
It has nothing to do with Ronald Reagan or Joh Bjelke" says Fred, "if it has a theme then it's just about someone who's trying to break through..Look.."
He displays some nasty scars on his hands that he got during the filming, "from stuntwork-and falling over. I had to  do all this flying through the air and diving into ciold rivers with all this smoke all around me..."
"He nearly got set on fire" recalls Tim.
"Why did I get to do it? Just unfortunate I guess. I tried to talk Fane Flaws, the director, into doing it but he wouldn't buy it."
On the evidence ("Pressure Sway" hitting No.1 in nine American cities) it seems that machinations music travels well. After all, anyone can speak solid, danceable funk music. Fred and Tim seem to like the idea: "Yeah," says Fred, "we've always tried to stay away from flag-waving Australianisms and to make it more international.".
Our sort of influences are international anyway, asserts Tim. "From all over the place, American, German, Japanese, French...the works"
I ask about their favourite tracks from 'Big Music' and Tim goes through a list which becomes the entire album. He's obviously happy with it, he even offers to sing me the songs, which I politely decline. Fred reacts with exaggerated relief, "You've heard about Tim's voice, have you !"
(Review by Rosa Senese)
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This post consists of  FLACs taken from my vinyl and includes full album artwork. I have also included a couple of dance mix versions of "No Say In It" as bonus tracks, which were released on a 12inch E.P I purchased when this album was released. Although not a huge fan of 'dance mixes' I quite like these extended versions of the original hit single.
Big Music is a decent album and typical of the mid-80's, with lots of synth's and dance beats - not unlike that of Simple Minds and Spandau Ballet.
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Track Listing
01 - My Heart's On Fire
02 - Predator
03 - Jabber
04 - Execution Of Love
05 - Spark
06 - No Say In It
07 - Don't Take Me
08 - You Got Me Going Again
09 - Minutes Black
10 - The Letter
11 - No Say In It (Bonus track - Machinations cut mix)
12 - No Say In It (Bonus track - Mendelsohn's played mix)
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Machinations Are:
Fred Loneragan - Vocals
Tim Doyle - Guitar
Tony Starr - Keyboards
Nick Swan - Bass
Warren McLean - Drums, Vocals
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The Machinations FLACs (394Mb) New Improved Rip 18/06/2022