Tags / collections

Tagged with “collections” (7)

1. RareCollections: Northern Soul from Downunder - ABC Canberra - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

   The Northern Soul scene sprang up in the UK in the late 1960’s in clubs like The Twisted Wheel and Wigan Casino. Initially the music played in the clubs was popular American soul singles but as the crowds grew so did the appetite for new and increasingly obscure recordings. DJ’s looked to all corners, including Australia, for fresh sounds. Here’s a selection of some of the Australian singles that have developed a reputation amongst DJ’s and dancers alike over the years.

   Jordie Kilby and David Kilby are joined by Melbourne based Northern Soul DJ Vince Peach and artists Judy Jacques and Doug Parkinson.

   Lynne Randell - Stranger In My Arms - CBS - 1967.
   Lynne Randell was a style icon and queen of Australian pop music in the mid 1960’s. Her early records were cut with Melbourne R&B band the Spinning Wheels backing her but by 1967 she was beginning to record overseas. Stranger In My Arms was cut in New York while Randell was on tour there. The A side, Ciao Baby, was a huge hit but it was the flip side that set dance floors alight on the Northern scene.

   Cheryl Gray - You Don’t Love Me Anymore - HMV - 1967.
   Cheryl Gray found international fame in the 1970’s working with the Bee Gees and hitting the charts as Samantha Sang. A decade earlier however she released a string of pop singles for HMV records produced by David Mackay. The B side of her hit You Made Me What I Am is a great pop/soul side that showcases her powerful vocals.

   Doug Parkinson and the Southern Star Band - I’ll Be Around -Southern Star Records - 1979.
   One of the most soulful singers Australia has produced. A decade after his first hit with a cover of Dear Prudence, Doug Parkinson entered the studio to cut this cover of a song made famous originally by the Spinners. Interestingly though it wasn’t the Spinners track that had inspired him. He’d heard Ross Wilson perform it at a nightclub in Kings Cross as was immediately struck by it. He recorded it with the Southern Star band that included a young Tommy Emmanuel on guitar. It’s been a long time favourite in the modern rooms of Northern clubs.

   Judy Jacques - You’re Messin’ Up My Mind - Astor - 1967.
   Looking for a song that was a bit different to the jazz, gospel and blues numbers she’d been performing up till that point, Judy Jacques took on this Van McCoy song, originally cut by Herb Fame, and made it her own. Judy recalls that the song received little radio airplay at the time because many stations thought it sounded "too black". It’s got a great horn section and a driving rhythm making it perfect for the Northern Soul dancefloors.

   Maria Dallas - Ambush - Viking - 1967.
   Maria Dallas began her career in NZ. She spent time in the US recording with Chet Atkins and performing at the Grand Ole Opry. In later years she moved to Australia. Most of her records were in the country vein but this track is different. Recorded in the U.S this great cut is not strictly a Northern Soul track but it is a fantastic dancer nonetheless.

   http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/02/06/3423651.htm?site=canberra

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   Tagged with radio:programme=rare collections music australia northern soul rare vinyl rare groove

   —Huffduffed by theJBJshow 3 months ago

2. RareCollections: Jazz-Rock in Australia - ABC Canberra - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

   Inspired by international acts like Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Si Zetner and Herbie Hancock a number of Australian musicians began experimenting with jazz-rock and fusion in the late 60’s and early 70’s. David and Jordie Kilby take a look at some of the classic recordings and speak with Col Loughnan (Ayers Rock), Warren Daly (Daly-Wilson Big Band) and Jim Kelly (Crossfire & SCRA).

   Sven Libaek, John Sangster, Peter Martin and Col Nolan are just a few of the musicians who began experimenting with blending jazz, pop and rock in the late 1960’s. They weren’t the only ones though……

   Daly-Wilson Big Band - Ode To Billie Joe - Reprise - 1973.
   Warren Daly and Ed Wilson got this group together in 1968 and were blowing audiences away from the get-go. With band members numbering more than twenty on occasions they criss-crossed the country bringing their jazz-rock arrangements to the masses. After a break during ‘72 they returned bigger and better than ever in 1973 with the "On Tour" album. Ode To Billie Joe is a shining example of what the outfit were all about.

   Ayers Rock - Angel In Disguise - Mushroom - 1976.
   In the mid 70’s Ayers Rock were writing and recording material unlike any of their contemporaries. Their first album Big Red Rock featured classic tracks like Crazy Boys (The Hamburger Song), Lady Montego and Nostalgic Blues. When Michael Gudinski took it to the U.S in an attempt to find international markets for his newly established stable of Mushroom acts he found interest straight away. A&M Records instantly put up a considerable advance to get the group over to record a follow up. In Hollywood, with Steve Wonder in the booth next door, they recorded the "Beyond" LP which featured this track written by Col Loughnan.

   Sun - Vendetta - RCA - 1972.
   Notable for being fronted for a while by the teenage Renee Geyer, who would go on to great fame in the following years performing her own brand of jazz, funk and rock. The band formed around jazz aficionado Keith Shadwick and they were a popular live act in Sydney during 1971 and into 1972. Their only recording was the "Sun ‘72" album which was recorded and mixed in just 25 hours at Copperfield Studios. The album features a distinctive cover painted by artist Peter Upward.

   Crossfire - Remember The Trees - Harvest - 1975.
   Jim Kelly, Mick Kenny and Ian Bloxsom formed the core of Crossfire who set the pace for jazz fusion in Australian in the late 70’s. Before putting the band together Jim Kelly had also been a part of the Southern Contemporary Rock Assemble (SCRA) who are another notable jazz rock group of the time. With a regular gig at French’s Tavern in Sydney they built a very strong live following before unleashing a string of classic albums beginning with their self titled 1975 album that featured this track - the first song Jim Kelly had ever written.

   http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/12/07/3385363.htm?site=canberra

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   Tagged with radio:programme=rare collections music australia jazz-rock fusion rare vinyl rare groove

   —Huffduffed by theJBJshow 3 months ago

3. RareCollections: Australian Funk, Jazz and Disco - ABC Canberra - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

   Ausrtralia has a history of quality funk, jazz and disco records and in this episode Jordie Kilby teams up with collector, DJ and record shop owner Chris Gill to spin a few of their favourites.

   Hiroshi and Claudia - Beats In The Depth - 1979 - Atom Records.
   Hiroshi Yasukawa was a top session musician in Japan during the 70’s and 80’s. He appeared on jazz/groove albums alongside Hiroshi Kubota, Toots Thielmans and Naoya Matsuoka. In 1979 he teamed up with the mysterious Claudia for this exploration of a day in the life of a hip young musician. The production on the album was split between Sydney and Tokyo and it was only ever released in Australia. Hiroshi’s 1984 album "Fission" was a similarly styled international production that was released in both Australia and Japan and produced by ex Roxy Music keyboard player David Skinner.

   Donovan’s Druids - Love Potion No. 9 - 1971 - Earth Records.
   Dave Donovan began his career in NZ playing alongside Mike Perjanik in several popular local acts before moving to Sydney in the late 60’s. As an in demand session guitarist during the 70’s he played with the cream of Australia’s entertainment world including John Farnham, Don Lane and Marty Rhone. He appeared on more than 200 albums and played on over 8000 commercial jingles. In 1971 he stepped out on his own cutting the album On The Country Line as Swamp Salad and this obscure cover of the well known Lieber and Stoller song originally made famous by the Clovers. The highly regarded drum break at the beginning of this record is played by George Adamson.

   Alan Lee Jazz Quintet - Flying Saucer - 1974 - Jazznote Records.
   Melbourne vibes player Alan Lee started playing jazz in the mid 50’s after hearing Lionel Hampton play with Benny Goodman. His influences range from trad jazz to be bop and he played with many of the great players kicking around Melbourne at the time including Bob Barnard, Ted Vining, Peter Martin and John Sangster. He recorded for a range of lables including Crest, Swaggie, Cumquat and Jazznote. His album "Smilor" saw his band take on a range of interesting material including the jazzy "Flying Saucer" and a cover of the War funk nugget "The World Is A Ghetto".

   Chris Williams - Born To Get down - 1975 - Hammard Records.
   Chris Williams was an American living in Sydney in the mid 1970’s. He was a DJ in Kings Cross spinning the latest dance records to revellers each weekend. In 1975 he decided to step out from behind the DJ booth and have a go at cutting his own disco material. He contacted Sydney party outfit the Hotrox Band who included Brooke Tabberer on vocals and Graeme Skelly on guitar. In one evening they put down an albums worth of memorable funk and disco material that was released as "Keep On Dancing". Williams also recorded a single the same year with another band known as the Austral Funk Machine for Wizard Records. It claims to be Australia’s first disco hit and while it was never a hit it is probably the first Aussie disco release.

   For more info on great Australian funk, soul and jazz records including an interview with Alan Lee check out the Aussie Funk Blog; http://www.aussiefunk.blogspot.com/

   http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/09/14/3317981.htm?site=canberra

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   Tagged with radio:programme=rare collections music australia rare vinyl rare groove funk jazz disco

   —Huffduffed by theJBJshow 3 months ago

4. RareCollections: South East Asian Go Go Divas - ABC Canberra - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

   David and Jordie are joined by Ross Laird to look at some of the great pop records made in South East Asia in the 1960’s.

   Ross has been a long time fan and is currently involved in a research project studying the history of the scene. Teenagers the world over were reinventing popular music and in the clubs and bars of Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur it was no different. What’s also not widely known is that the industries in both South East Asia and Australia were very much interlinked with quite a few records appearing in the SE Asian market being pressed in Australia. The acts you’ll hear in this episode are:

   The Crescendos - Long Tall Sally - Phillips - 1965.
   When their debut single was released in 1963, the The Crescendos became the first South East Asian act to cut a locally recorded pop song. The five piece band, featuring Susan Lim on vocals, hailed from Singapore and opened the floodgates for a wave of local talent.

   Doris Ang and the Sandboys - Crying In A Storm - White Cloud Records - 1968.
   Crying in a Storm was originally recorded by Emy Jackson in Japan. Emy Jackson was born in England but was living in Yokohama and working as a radio DJ when she cut her version in 1965. It became a big regional hit and was the subject of many cover version including this gem. Doris Ang enjoyed a career that continued into the 1970’s.

   Connie Lupang and the Jokers - Ginavo Ku Doiho (My Heart Is There) - Semco Records - 196?.
   Hailing from Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Connie Lupang released this obscure EP in the mid to late 60’s. She sings in the local dialect.

   Siti Mariam and the Rhythm Boys - Sea Cruise - Eagle Record - 1966.
   The influence of New orleans R&B spread far and wide in the 60’s including South East Asia. This cover of the Huey Piano Smith 1959 classic comes from Singapore-Malay vocalist Siti Mariam. Adding to its multicultural flavour the record was pressed in Australia. While most of her other records were sung in Malay this time she turned to English with fine results.

   http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/07/18/3272078.htm?site=canberra

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   Tagged with radio:programme=rare collections indonesia singapore malaysia music pop rock asia australia

   —Huffduffed by theJBJshow 3 months ago

5. RareCollections: Pioneering Indigenous Australian Vocalists - ABC Canberra - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

   Jordie Kilby and David Kilby feature some pioneering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island singers.

   In the 90’s Yothu Yindi’s hit albums and singles greatly assisted in attracting national and international interest in Indigenous Australian music and performers. Yet, in some ways, the path that the group trod had been walked before. But by whom? Here are a few of the pioneers.

   Harold Blair - Jabbin Jabbin - Score Records 1956.
   Harold Blair was blessed with a beautiful tenor voice and it took him from Murgon mission in Queensland to the concert halls of New York. His first release appeared in 1956 on Melbourne’s Score record label and was the first commercial recording by an aboriginal Australian singer. What makes the record really interesting is that even though Blair made his name performing in productions like The Messiah, his first official recordings were of songs that the discs’ liner notes call traditional aboriginal Australian songs.

   Georgia Lee - Downunder Blues - Crest Records - 1962.
   When her album "Sings The Blues Downunder" was released it created a place for Georgia Lee in the history books. It was the first blues album ever recorded in Australia and only the second album, of any kind, recorded by an Australian female artist. Alongside covers of blues standards sit two original compositions, Yarra River Blues and Downunder Blues, both penned by Crest producer King Crawford and very early examples of what you might call Australian blues.

   Vicki Simms - Yo Yo Heart - Festival Records - 1961 & Stanger in My Country - RCA Records - 1973.
   Vicki Simms career began before he was a teenager singing Little Richard covers at Sydney dances in the late 1950’s. His first single Yo Yo Heart was released in 1961 when he was thirteen. Even though his records and TV appearances were geared toward the pop market he was a rock and roller at heart and one of the first aboriginal singers to make his name in that field. After struggling with alcohol he was sent to gaol where he began writing verse and learning guitar. "Stranger in My Country" comes from his 1973 landmark album The Loner which documented the feelings of many indigenous Australians at that time.

   George Bracken - Turn Me Loose - W&G Records - 1959.
   Before Cassius Clay or Lionel Rose combined boxing with a pop recording career there was George Bracken. George got his start with Jimmy Sharman’s boxing troupe in Queensland and soon moved to Victoria to begin training. He’d always been a social singer and was approached by W&G records to cut a couple of singles in the early 60’s. In the end George had more hits in the ring that on the charts but he was there before anyone else. He later went back to school and dedicated his life to liaising between police and the indigenous community in Redfern, Sydney.

   Warumpi Band - Jalanguru Pakarnu - 1983.
   Probably most famous these days for songs like My Island Home and Blackfella/Whitefella the Warumpi band hold the distinction of being the first band to record a rock song in an indigenous Australian language (Luritja) . Neil Murray was working as a teacher in Papunya in the central desert region of the Northern Territory when he formed the band with brothers Sammy and Gordon Butcher and George Burarrwanga. Initially covering the likes of Chuck Berry they soon began developing their own unique style of outback rock. The song was named after a phrase common with locals on the street and means "out from jail".

   Little Davey Page - Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen - Atlantic Records - 1975.
   The Page brothers Stephen and David are best known for their groundbreaking stage and theatre work over the last 20 years. However long before finding lasting national fame David was spotted performing in a talent quest and signed with the iconic American label Atlantic Records - the first Australian to do so. He was groomed as Australia’s answer to the young Michael Jackson and released a couple of singles under the name Little Davey Page. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen made the top 10 on the Brisbane charts in July 1975 and the follow up We Like Music Together went top 15 early the following year. There were no more after that and Australia had to wait a little before being exposed to David’s talent once again.

   http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/06/28/3256011.htm?site=canberra

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   Tagged with radio:programme=rare collections music australia australian indigenous rock jazz country blues rare vinyl rare groove

   —Huffduffed by theJBJshow 3 months ago

6. Rare Collections: Soulful Sue Barker! - ABC Canberra - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

   In Adelaide over 3 days in 1976 Sue Barker and The Onions recorded a classic album that contains some of the most soulful grooves ever put down in an Australian studio.

   Sadly a combination of poor promotion, lack of finance and personal priorities meant that the record never truly got the attention it deserves.

   This episode seeks to play some part in rectifying that situation and features samples from the album and interviews with Sue Barker and Onions bass player Geoff Kluke.

   Sue Barker spent her teenage years moving between Sydney and Adelaide and singing with many different outfits along the way including the Cumberlands.

   In the early 70’s she began working with a group of musicians known as The Onions who were a collective of jazz and soul inspired players who performed regularly around Adelaide in clubs and also on local TV. They encouraged Sue to take her singing seriously and before too long Crest Records approached her to see if they could cut an album.

   The LP was self titled and featured a mix of jazz, blues and soul cover versions.

   Love To The People - Crest - 1976
   A soulful rendering of the Curtis Mayfield song that originally appeared on his 1975 album "There’s No Place Like America Today". The Hilltop Hoods sampled the song on their second album Left Foot Right Foot in 2001.

   I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Crest - 1976
   Another soul number that features some great bass playing from Geoff Kluke who was channelling legendary Motown session player James Jamerson.

   Lover Man - Crest - 1976
   One of the quieter moments provides a great opportunity to take in the beauty of Sue’s rich and haunting voice.

   Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me - Crest - 1976
   Some of the album’s songs have had more attention than others over the years. This tune is one that Sue nominates as one of her favourites.

   http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/01/30/3679568.htm

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   Tagged with radio:programme=rare collections music australia jazz soul 1970s rare vinyl rare groove

   —Huffduffed by theJBJshow 3 months ago

7. Stuff You Missed in History Class

   Listener Mail Update: Collector’s Edition — In a recent episode on George Arents, we asked listeners what kind of book collections they keep. We heard from people with interests ranging from mixology books to a library dedicated to Disney. We also learned about what these collections inspired.

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   Tagged with books letters collections

   —Huffduffed by TrentVich 10 months ago