20 November 1971 Erl Dalby and Pyramid television appearance: Hit Scene With "Pasadena" having twice graced UK record racks, it would have been surprising if Ted Albert had missed its obvious commercial potential, especially as neither UK release had sparked any Australian action (it is unclear whether either was even released there). Ted, as George Young has rightly noted, had "excellent ears"; he also had a good feel for a commercial hit. Ted knew a hit song when he heard one - and when he listened to the demo Harry and George had sent of Pasadena, he knew he had found one, if he could only find the right singer to record it. Sometime then in the latter half of 1971, Ted went into the studio with Erl Dalby and Pyramid, who had enjoyed a hit the previous year with Vanda and Young's Easybeats-era leftover, "Can't Wait For September" (see here for details on that release: The Easybeats: Album by Album Thread (pt2)). Dalby laid down a decent vocal (if a little oversung), Pyramid did a professional job on the backing track, and the new song was quickly added to their live set. Future pop singer John (Paul) Young recalls hearing the band playing it around the traps and wondering why they hadn't recorded it (Young's recollections of this period will be covered in more detail shortly), not knowing that they already had it in the can, awaiting release. And so, on 20 November, Dalby and the boys appeared on the ABC-TV show Hit Scene performing their proposed new single. Hit Scene was a popular Saturday afternoon show, usually broadcast around 2pm, and was hosted by Melbourne radio announcer Dick Williams. The show generally featured interviews, clips of overseas performers, chart run downs from around the country and - most importantly - in house performances by local artists, usually mimed, although not always to records. Many bands used to record covers of other bands' songs, or sometimes original, as yet unreleased material, especially to mime to on the show, making surviving clips of the show (frequently broadcast these days during the ABC's Retro-Rage season every January) an excellent source of otherwise unavailable material. A high profile appearance on the show had done wonders for any number of bands, and so Dalby would have been pleased to get the exposure but then, suddenly, the wheels fell off the wagon when Ted Albert cancelled the release. It seems that Ted felt that the band had not done justice to the song, which sounded better, to his ears, on the demo, and he decided that he could do better. Dalby was left promoting a single that nobody could buy, and Ted went back to the drawing board, as we shall see in due course. Dalby's version would eventually see release during 1972 (I'll cover that release when I get there) but for now, he found himself at a loose end, a year or so on from his hit and no new release in sight. History though, would prove that Ted was right to hold off, as a better recording of the song would be made within a few months......
The bass player in the clip has the right idea excited-to-play-this-song-wise, revving up especially in the second half. Nice find, Garethofoz!
I have seven different versions of this song and I have to say, this is not my favourite. We've covered three so far and there'll be a fourth one along in the next few months, with the others to follow as we go along.
Late 1971 Ted Mulry - Julia (E.P.) Albert Productions APEP 1001 With the Erl Dalby single pulled from release, Ted Albert went looking for anther artist to turn "Pasadena" into the hit that he was sure that it could be. The next contender was Ted Mulry, who had already enjoyed a decent-sized hit with Vanda and Young's "Falling In Love Again" (covered on post # 94; see here: The Easybeats: The Solo Years (Featuring Vanda and Young)). Mulry's self-penned follow-up single"Marcia" (Albert Productions AP 9605) had not exactly set the world on fire so a return to the Vanda and Young songbook was a logical move, even though Mulry's own material was starting to be picked up by other singers looking for songs - starting with rising group Hot Cottage, whose Mike Perjanik-produced second single (His Master's Voice EA 9639) featured Ted's "Made To Love You" on the A-side. Ted Albert took the singer into the studio and together they laid down yet another version of what was fast becoming one of Harry and George's most-covered songs. The end result was a decent record - certainly better than Dalby and Pyramid's rendition, if not quite as good as Mumma Bear - but Albert felt that it still wasn't quite right and opted not to release it, holding it in the can for a prospective second Ted Mulry album (I'll look at that album when it arrives) and the two Teds carried on laying down tracks for that elusive fourth single. In the meantime, Alberts put together the first EP to appear on the new label - perhaps inevitably, it featured Ted Mulry. Issued late in the year, Julia featured the A-sides of his three singles to date, together with the B-side of his debut release, packaged together in a colour sleeve in the hope of attracting those who remembered his two chart strikes. Side One: Julia (Mulry) Falling In Love Again (Vanda-Young) Side Two: So Much In Love (Mulry) Marcia (Mulry) Although E.P.s continued to be released in Australia well into the mid-seventies, they no longer enjoyed the sales they had during the previoys decade, and Mulry's E.P. is incredibly hard to find today. Interestingly, Alberts would only release one more E.P. during the entire decade - and that, too, would be by Ted Mulry, in 1976. In the interim, Mulry decided to return to his English birthplace in the hope of establishing himself internationally, taking with him a handful of selections from his recent sessions with Ted Albert... but that's another story, for another post in the not too distant future.
Yes, but it was catalogued as a single (AP-11823). Released on 6 November 1978. EMI tended to catalogue 3 track discs as singles but promote as EPs.
I acknowledge those two Angels' records. But a three-track record is not an EP - not to my mind, anyway - whatever it is advertised as, and as Jae noted, the catalogue number places it among EMI's singles list, not their EP list. If The Angels' Tour EP is an EP, then so is "Evie". As for Out Of The Blue, that was a 12" release, and so not a true EP in the traditional sense of the word either. I take the point that Mulry was not the only artist to go beyond a two-track 45, but so far as I can see, he was still the only artist for whom Alberts splashed out for an old fashioned EP - twice.
Finally got the Mac back from the shop today, although I have not yet dared to take it out of the box. All being well, I will be back in action after the weekend - there are five releases (and one reissue) still to come before the end of 1971, plus more on Stevie Wright's 1971 outfit Likefun and, I hope, a brief update on Tony Cahill's activities. Stay tuned!
Two part special on Albert's Production on the ABC next week http://www.beyond.com.au/blog/beyon...e-sound-of-alberts-being-broadcast-by-the-abc Premiering Thursday, June 25 at 8.30pm on ABC This two-part documentary takes viewers back to the '60s and '70s and charts how Australia got its own rock & roll sound thanks to a life-long bond between two families: the music company Alberts and the Youngs, an immigrant family from Glasgow. Together, they created a sound that would become an inspiration to millions of music fans around the world. Though very different on the surface, the families were similar where it mattered – a love of music, a refusal to blow one’s own trumpet, and a determination to succeed. Their bond was the blood of two families, and the thunder was the sound they produced. It's a story of incredible accomplishments, and some devastating losses, such as the death of Bon Scott. And it all started at the legendary Alberts Studios. BLOOD + THUNDER: THE SOUND OF ALBERTS BLOOD - Thursday, June 25 at 8.30pm on ABC When the unassuming Ted Albert finds musical genius within Australia’s migrant families in the '60s – Billy Thorpe, The Easybeats, others – he’s sure they can create music that will impress the world. He’s right, especially due to the Young clan from Glasgow. Australia goes nuts over the homegrown sounds. Born into the music dynasty J Albert & Son, Ted joins the board in 1962, aged 25, and is determined to create an Australian sound. His first signing is Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs and it’s their hit Poison Ivy that’s at the top of the charts when The Beatles tour the country in 1964 – an extraordinary achievement. Also in 1963 the Youngs arrive in Sydney from Scotland. In no time at all teenagers George Young, Johannes van den Berg (Harry Vanda), Stevie Wright and others form The Easybeats. All are European immigrants living at the Villawood Migrant Hostel. With one audition an unlikely life-long partnership is forged between the cultured, reserved Ted and the working class Young clan, which includes eight kids. The Easybeats wins over Australia with She’s So Fine, then an overseas deal with United Artists in the US sees them recording at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios. Once George and Harry put their heads together as songwriters they eventually crack the international market with Friday on My Mind. It prompts Ted to start matching their diverse song catalogue with the musical talent under his roof. Alberts hits flood the charts and not just rock & roll but cracking pop too: Ted Mulry scores with Falling in Love Again (1971) – the second of seven top 10 singles he records with Alberts after Julia – Alison MacCallum with Superman (1972) and John Paul Young with Pasadena (1972). After four years in London George and Harry return to Australia and become in-house songwriters and producers at Alberts. When Evie sparks the spectacular rock revival of Stevie Wright in 1974 – at 11.25 minutes, Australia’s longest single ever – it becomes the biggest hit single in Australian history. The ’70s also sees two other Youngs – Angus and Malcolm – step up onto the stage and into the Alberts family: blood brothers not just to George, but also to Ted. BLOOD & THUNDER: THE SOUND OF ALBERTS continues Thursday, July 2 at 8.30pm on ABC. On-screen quotes from those interviewed: "Ted just did have this uncanny knack for picking a hit. He listened to a lot of the music that was coming out of overseas so he was very keyed in to what was happening," Jane Albert, journalist, Alberts board member and niece of Ted Albert. Angry Anderson, lead vocalists Rose Tattoo, songwriter, actor and activist: "One of the things that's notable if you like about the whole Alberts stable in those days was we all had what they called the Australian pub rock sound, that big fat robust guitar sound. And it was very, very difficult to get the intensity of that onto tape ... George and Harry were magicians at that ... No one attacks a guitar like an Australian." "I just got a new stereo system (when AC/DC were signed) ... I turned it up as loud as I could. I actually cracked the window in my office," Jim Delehant, former vice president A&R, Atlantic Records. Tony Barber, one-time member of Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, author, inventor: "This song came out through these huge speakers. The whole office shook. And he said "What do you think?" I said "Ted, you and I both now that we've just listened to an absolute certain number one hit record." And this big smile came out of his face. And it was Sorry by The Easybeats." Production details: Screen Australia in associated with the ABC presents a Bombora Film and Music Co., and Beyond Screen production. Narrator: David Field. The series is written and directed by Paul Clarke. Co-written by Alex Barry. Producers: Martin Fabinyi and Stephanie Werrett. Executive Producer Mikael Borglund, Ron Saunders and Paul Clarke. For more information please contact Amy Reiha, ABC TV Marketing, on (02) 8333 3874 / 0404 026 039 or [email protected]
22 November 1971 The Town Criers - Love Love Love (Vanda-Young) / Chorus Girl (Dunnin) Australia HMV EA 9720. A-side published by Alberts. As the year drew to a close, Ted Albert managed to place another of Vanda and Young's songwriting demos, this time with long-running Melbourne outfit The Town Criers. The band had been an institution on the Melbourne club circuit since the mid-sixties when they evolved out of suburban rock band The Gemini Five. They had hit paydirt in early 1968 when they recorded a cover of the much-recorded Robert Knight soul-pop hit "Everlasting Love" (Astor A 7095), turning in a rendition that, to many listeners, cuts both Knight's original and the big production extravaganza by The Love Affair. Certainly Melbourne fans remain adamant that this was, and is, THE version of this song, and the band shared chart honours (while scooping most of the sales) with The Love Affair. There then followed a string of ups and downs - membership changes, middling hits and flops, a switch from Astor to Festival, a decent chart strike with the engaging "Love Me Again" (Festival FK 3217) in 1969 and successful appearances on the pop shows of the day - Uptight, Happening '70, Hit Scene. Although dismissed by some as a lightweight, almost bubblegum pop outfit, they were actually a hard rocking band, as exemplified by a set list that included songs from bands as diverse as The Young Rascals, The Move, Traffic, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Led Zeppelin and even Australia's own heroes, The Easybeats: both "Bring A Little Lovin' " and "Good Times" were staples of the band's 1969 shows. I asked singer Barry Smith about their Easybeats' covers. He told me that the band performed their version of "Good Times" on a Brisbane TV show called Everybody In (The Town Criers were huge in Brisbane, where "Love Me Again" came within a whisker of topping the charts). That performance is probably lost, but the band were so pleased with it that they kept the audio tape and took it down to Melbourne, where they mimed to it for the 35th episode of Hit Scene, broadcast on 28th February 1970. As nearly every episode of Hit Scene survives in the ABC vault, it is to be hoped that this clip may surface on Retro Rage at some point in the future. In 1970 The Town Criers spent some time as the house band on Happening '70, although their next single "Living In A World Of Love" (Festival FK 3561) was hampered by the infamous record ban that kept it off the airwaves (an appearance on the 9th May Hit Scene broadcast nevertheless helped it into the Melbourne top 20). By the time that the ban was over, they seemed to have lost the support of radio stations, and their first single for 1971 "Laughing Man" (HMV EA 9527) flopped, despite another Hit Scene performance (19 June) to promote it. Even so, the band was voted 9th best Australian group in the 1971 Go-Set pop poll and so HMV set about finding material for a follow-up single later in the year. Among the tunes submitted to the band was an as yet unused Vanda and Young effort titled "Love Love Love". As Barry put it: "It was a very catchy if slightly repetitive tune but most thought it had hit potential so we went back to the studio to record it." The record was produced by Howard Gable, who had produced the Johnny Farnham and Allison Durbin album (see post 187 here: The Easybeats: The Solo Years (Featuring Vanda and Young)), for which Ted Albert had also submitted material. It is therefore possible that the song was originally pitched to Farnham and Durbin before being passed on to the band; it is also possible that The Town Criers were the band who were originally offered "Lazy River" by Alberts (see post 238 here: The Easybeats: The Solo Years (Featuring Vanda and Young)). The band turned out a good performance on the song, and Gable gifted it a suitably commercial production, but as Barry wrily told me: "Sadly it was extremely hard to get airplay from radio stations, particularly after "Laughing Man" never got any, and consequently (it) flopped. Radio stations were never keen to play your records if you had a flop,but how do you have a hit if they don't play your records,....catch 22!" With only minimal sales, the single marked the end of the band's recording career, although they soldiered on as a live attraction until 1973. As far as I know, neither side has ever been reissued. Barry subsequently played with Fat Alroy, playing at least one show alongside the nascent AC/DC during 1974. The Town Criers reformed for a well-received golden oldies package show in 1996. A detailed biography penned by Barry with original singer Andy Agtoft (Everlasting Memories) is available through Moonlight Publishing. Big thanks to Barry Smith and to Micko at Midoztouch for help with this post; thanks also to Bill for the label scan and photograph, and to Cato for the Youtube clip.
Actually, the A-side "Love, Love, Love" was included on the 1992 two disc set Their Music Goes Round Our Heads. Another Glenn A. Baker concoction, it included many rare and unusual covers alongside Easybeats and later Vanda and Young recordings. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Their-Music-Goes-Round-Our-Heads/release/2634706 I'll save further comment until we get there. It's a long way off but I somehow feel confident that we'll make it together.
Thanks for the correction, Mike. I forgot to check that compilation for this post - lazy research! And yes, someday, when we are readying ourselves to go where old men go finally, we should get to that release on this thread....
Late November 1971 Likefun in concert In November 1971, suitably road tested by several weeks playing in Geraldton (see post # 251 here: The Easybeats: The Solo Years (Featuring Vanda and Young)), the ambitious showband that was Likefun readied itself to take on the world from its Perth base. According to bassist John Tucak, the ambitious plan to tour USO clubs in Vietnam and then the Hilton circuit was being funded by drummer Maurie Pearson himself from the sale of his house, but things took time to come together. In the meantime, the band needed to work and accepted a booking for an open air show / festival appearance at the soundshell by Perth's Supreme Court Gardens, down by the northern banks of the Swan River. Looking back recently, Shirley Smith (née Read) told me "I think Jim Sherridan maybe organized that gig... not sure". Shirley described it as being a festival of some sort and it was indeed a multi-band bill, with a number of local bands (Realm, Redtime, "Groove With What You've Got" hitmakers The Mark IV and Likefun) supporting The Mixtures, who were returning home in triumph from the UK, where their single "The Pushbike Song" had stopped just short of topping the Record Retailer charts. The show was reviewed by Sally Aurisch in a paragraph in Go-Set on 4th December on a page dedicated to the "Perth scene" (I'm not sure if this page appeared Australia-wide or only in the West Coast edition). The review was largely positive ("I really dug them") although it seems that they had not quite clicked with the audience, whom Aurisch adjudged to be too young to appreciate them. Despite the weeks of playing together in Geraldton, the band were seemingly not tight enough ("I expected them to be more rehearsed"), with Stevie in particular singled out as having failed to "loosen up enough" (a comment seemingly at odds with John Tucak's description of Stevie as "the most accomplished singer / musician that I had the privilege to work with" as quoted on post # 251). Praise went to Shirley Read ("incredible") while Ray Hoff was described as being "still a rocker", although whether this was seen as a good or a bad thing is unclear. Overall, there is a suggestion in the review that the band may have been guilty of being a "muso's band" but it also seems that, if not yet the finished article, Likefun was a promising outfit who, with a little more work, would surely prosper. This snippet was the first notice to the wider world that Stevie had given up retail and returned to rock 'n' roll, and was a surprisingly low-key report, given the previous history of the band's three dynamic singers. There were no photos from the show included in Go-Set, but Shirley Smith has some in her photo archive which she has generously allowed me to share here. And the "incredible" Shirl, in full flight: Big thanks to Woodynet and to Jae for this (and all previous and future) Go-Set scans and to Shirley Smith for generously allowing me to use her photos on this post.
A little more detail about that festival show from Peter Williams, formerly of The Groove / Eureka Stockade and by late 1971 a member of The Mixtures: "I actually remember that Supreme Court Gardens Gig but don't have any memorabilia at all!! I'm picking it was very late November because I remember arriving mid Nov and being surprised how cold it was for the first few days!! I know we went down to Bunbury for the first few gigs, did Pinnochios etc and I reckon that gig was on a Sunday just before we headed east..." That puts the date at (possibly) Sunday 21st November 1971 or (more likely) Sunday 28th. Thanks to Peter for once again sharing his memories with us.
3 December 1971 Bryn Phillips - Any Time (Lawson) / Woman (Russell) UK Decca F 13257 B-side published by Shaftesbury The only Decca single from Bryn Phillips is something of a mystery disc for most Easybeats fans, and it passed by without mention in John Tait's biography of Vanda and Young. The connection is not immediately apparent, but as with Joe Dolan's "Audrey" (see post # 820 on part two of the main Easybeats thread here: The Easybeats: Album by Album Thread (pt2)), the B-side of this single dates from the period when Harry and George were in dispute with Ted Albert and were writing songs under the pseudonym "Brian Russell", publishing them through Shaftesbury. Both Russell and Shaftesbury are present on the label, but unlike the Engelbert Humperdinck red herring featured on post # 135, this time, it's the real McCoy: the song is currently registered among the Vanda and Young titles published by Alberts. The use of the "Russell" pseudonym indicates that the song dates to late 1969 or early 1970, as releases either side of that time frame carry the Vanda-Young credit. It seems reasonable therefore to assume that a demo was recorded in George's Moscow Road flat; whether it features just Harry and George, or whether any of the other Easybeats played on it is impossible to know without hearing it. When the song was sold is also impossible to say - by late 1971 Harry and George were back with Alberts, but Shaftesbury could still have been peddling the songs from that earlier period; alternately, it could have been sold to producer Ivor Raymonde several months beforehand, with Raymonde (who had earlier produced Los Bravos - recipients of a number of Vanda and Young songs - and was also linked to Honeybus, whose Ray Cane was behind the Heavy Feather record earlier in the year) holding onto it until the right project arrived. However it came about, it was a good song for Raymonde's production style, and the result was a decent enough pop record. As for Bryn Phillips, he too appeared to be something of a mystery, and this appears to be his only release. A search (by Bill) on Google threw up several intriguing possibilities: a singer/songwriter from the Midlands (possible but unlikely, as neither side is a Phillips composition), a political organiser (er.... no, I don't think so) and a Welsh comedian. Thinking laterally about the number of comedians who tried to forge an alternate career as cabaret singers in the wake of Ken Dodd's colossal success (Dodd's recording of "Tears" was the biggest selling single in the UK in 1965), I figured that the latter was the most likely and so it turned out to be. Phillips was a Welsh singer and comedian who had been active since the early sixties, when he often shared stages in working men's clubs with Welsh rock 'n' roll outfit Tommy Scott and the Senators. According to author Vernon Hopkins, Phillips was known locally in Abercynon as "Bryn the Fish", as he also worked a fish round during the daytime. He used to arrive on stage dressed as a Hawaiian dancer, complete with brassière and grass skirt, with his beer belly wobbling over the top, and would sing popular Hawaiian tunes accompanied by the music on a tape recorder, karaoke style. Tommy Scott soon changed his name and moved on to global superstardom as Tom Jones, leaving Bryn back in the valleys trawling his blend of singing and comedy around the club circuit. In 1971, Bryn's big break finally came when he successfully auditioned to join the Granada television series The Comedians, which essentially recreated the set up of a working men's club in living rooms across the country. By today's standards, much of the humour offered on the show was anachronistic and downright questionable - racist, sexist and not the type of thing acceptable to polite society today. Back in the seventies, things were different, and the show was massively popular, running for seven seasons until 1974 and it was revived sporadically into the early nineties. The show made national figures out of many hitherto provincial comedians (not all fitting the stereotype described above) - among them Mike Reid (later Frank Butcher in Eastenders), Russ Abbott, Frank Carson and Bernard Manning. And Bryn Phillips. To cash in on his sudden fame, Phillips signed to Decca as a recording artist (his former colleague Tom Jones may have helped forge the connection) and laid down these two tracks with Ivor Raymonde. Issued in the run-up to Christmas, it stood a reasonable chance of being a hit, as Bryn turned out to have a decent voice (it's definitely him - compare the singing on the record with the speaking voice on clips from The Comedians doing the rounds on Youtube), although Vanda and Young's B-side is stronger than the mediocre topside. It may not be one of the pair's greatest offerings, but it is a good example of their ability to craft good natured, inoffensive pop music, and fits snugly into what Harry has called their "BBC period". Sadly, as Bill Fisher noted in the earlier post about the Mumma Bear record, while a comedian did snatch the number one spot in Britain that Christmas, it was not Bryn Phillips but Benny Hill who took the honours. Phillips never recorded again (at least, not as far as I can tell) but he remained a popular comedian for many years, and his passing in 2014 was met with genuine sadness by his many fans across Wales. This single has, so far as I can tell, never been reissued, but Vanda and Young would return to the song three years later, with more commerically rewarding results. Thanks To Bill and to Cato for assistance with this post.
With Gareth's permission, here is a closer look at the B side of Bryn Phillips' single. Note writer and publisher's credits on here -
Vanda & Young: Selling the song The process of “selling” a song had been learned by Harry Vanda and George Young at the very beginning of their musical career. As soon as they had been signed by Ted Albert to Albert Productions (for recording) and J. Albert & Son (for publishing) The Easybeats had learned the mechanics of publishing and copyrights. After a song was written and finished it would be recorded as a demo (Demonstration Recording). Demos did not necessarily have to be elaborate: they could be as simple as a voice and an acoustic guitar. Their purpose was to showcase the finished musical piece, first for presentation to the publisher, who would have it transcribed into a sheet music “lead sheet” and copyrighted, then for auditioning to potential artists for their consideration as possible recordings. (As presented on “The Shame Just Drained” and “Friends" albums, later Vanda and Young demos sound very close to finished recordings when we hear them today.) Though recorded on tape, demos were usually copied onto acetate discs for limited distribution within the industry. These acetates were never sold to the public and were phonograph records of a special type. Usually the diameter and speed of a 45 rpm commercial record, acetates were metal-based blank discs with a lacquer coating into which an audio signal could be cut with a special tone arm and needle, usually on one side only. These discs have now been rendered obsolete by CD-R’s but were in common use in the 1960s and ‘70s. Acetates were manually recorded one-at-a-time and produced individually. They could be played on conventional turntables but their lifetime was limited and they frequently showed signs of wear relatively quickly. They were used for a variety of purposes within the industry: for presentation of music to a producer or record label; for arrangers who might be hired to compose and overdub orchestral accompaniment to a partially finished recording; for sending advance copies of releases to important disc jockeys. And, most importantly for Harry Vanda and George Young, for offering songs to artists for potential recording. While still with the Easybeats, Vanda and Young had marketed compositions to outside artists via Staeb Productions, a production company formed for that purpose. In late 1966 the group had rented a two-story house at 18 Barn Rise, Wembley Park, London (the former home of P J Proby) and installed a modest demo studio in their practice room. From this point on, recording demos became a major part of the creative process for the two songwriting Easybeats. After the dissolution of the group, Vanda and Young worked as “session musicians” but continued writing and recording demos in George’s 4-track studio upstairs at Moscow Road and attempting to place songs with artists by distributing acetate discs. They soon dropped their “Brian Russell” pseudonym though Shaftesbury Music continued to try placing their copyrights filed under that name. Vanda and Young were recognized talents with a wide circle of industry acquaintances who could be approached with new material. They had connections through UK publishers such as B. Feldman & Co., Chappell Music (who created Friday Music as an outlet for their work), Carlin Music and Edwin H. Morris. London producers knew them and from early 1971 they were re-established with Ted Albert in Sydney who was working on their behalf. Also during this time they were able to form relationships with labels such as Young Blood and, in mid-71, Decca /Deram. Writing the songs and recording the demos was only part of the work: the rest was salesmanship, making new connections and getting their music heard by the right people. Hopefully the songs would speak for themselves. As shown by this ongoing Thread, they were persistent in their efforts. Below: Practice room at Barn Rise, Wembley Park; acetate for ‘Who’ll Be the One’ (pre-release copy intended for selected radio stations); demo version of ‘Amanda Storey’ probably circulated by Staeb Productions; later acetate for the Solo Years effort "Woman," recorded by Bryn Phillips as in Post #291. Thanks to both Gareth and to Jae for their valued help on this. And to George Crotty [R.I.P.] for the photos.
Very nice piece of work. Congrats to those involved. And three cheers to the ghost of George Crotty for those great photos (and many more I hope).
Backtracking slightly... 29 November 1971 Flake - How's Your Mother? Violet's Holiday SVHL 934 365 As 1971 ticked into its final weeks, Sydney hitmakers Flake finally brought an album's worth of material into the shops. Line-up changes had slowed their progress, but their fourth single, a cover of The Honeybus's "Under The Silent Tree" (Violet's Holiday VHK 4433) had just moved into the Sydney charts, setting them up for the release of How's Your Mother?. Among the contents were the band's three hit singles - including the Vanda and Young penned "Life Is Getting Better" (see post # 142 here: The Easybeats: The Solo Years (Featuring Vanda and Young)) - although that was not the original intention. According to singer Geoff Gray, in an interview in the 22nd January 1972 issue of Go-Set, "I didn't want to include our previous chart successes - not only does it seem repetitious (sic.) but it takes us back to that top forty image. There wasn't much we could do about it though, because we had to get the album out as quickly as possible". The rest of the interview, and indeed, much of the album, suggests that Flake were trying to move on from pop success to win respect as a more progressive musical outfit, a point hammered home by drummer Wayne Thomas: "... I feel restricted by the image Flake has built up for itself - the members of this band are far more musically progressive than our current music allows us to be." As a result of the lack of studio time alluded to by Geoff, the album turned out to be something of a mixed bag, being neither an uplifting pop release in the style of the singles, nor the heavy, progressive set that both Geoff and Wayne seemed to want. The review in Go-Set on 8th January 1972 was pretty dismissive, unfairly lumping the band in with the other opportunist outfits who had risen to fame on the back of the Record Ban and castigating them for providing "easy listening, harmless commercialty". The singles had indeed been commercial - they had all been hits, after all - but the band were definitely not an easy listening outfit. The reviewer went on to say "They fill their album with their hits and other happy little songs in that style", even though two of those hits ("This Wheel's On Fire" and "Reflections Of My Life") could hardly be described as "happy". This was also not a fair or accurate description of the new material on offer either, bringing into question just how closely the reviewer had listened to the album. Indeed, the whole review, which ended by criticising the "thin and empty" production and dismissed the whole thing as " mechanical and lifeless", smacked of the traditional Melburnian desire to sneer at groups from Sydney, a reflection of the interstate rivaly that dogged many Australian bands well into the seventies. In truth, the album was nowhere near as bad as all that, although its musical schizophrenia did make it difficult to take as a complete piece. It got a better review in the 5th December 1971 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, where it was given a strong thumbs up for its "exciting sound", especially for the new tracks, which were described as "exciting rock material". The thinness of the vocal sound was mentioned, and the reviewer noted that the use of strings and brass in places only added to the feeling that the lyrics were being lost. Overall though, in the band's Sydney hometown the album seems to have been better received than it was in Australia's (then) rock capital further south. (Interested readers can find the review here: https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=XOUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6432,2081882&hl=en). How's Your Mother? has in recent years been touted as a "lost psychedelic classic" or a "progressive rock beauty" but in truth, it is neither of those things, although there are shades of both psychedelia and prog amongst the grooves. Instead, it is an interesting mix of styles, with the newer material on the second side allowing the band to stretch out and flex their musical muscles, and nowhere do they do this better than on a near twelve-minute, two-part piece known as "Violet Jam" - in reality, a suite of two songs. The first, "Down In Rio", ran to over six minutes, while the second, only marginally shorter, was the previously unheard Vanda and Young offering "Quick Reaction". This song was singled out (misrepresented as a group composition) in the Sydney Morning Herald, where it was cited as an example of where the misic overpowered the vocals, but confusingly, the writer stated "The effect of the reeds and brass is to provide a tremendous orchestral effect, very successful". Listening to it now, it sounds like a big, brassy, raunch slab of soul-flecked rock, a style that Vanda and Young would develop further during the decade, although whether there was brass on the demo is unknown. Had it been a single, it might have caught on, although it would have needed trimming for radio play; as an album track, it stood out from the bunch as the strongest of the new songs on offer. Although the album had much to offer fans of "head music", the band's pop image probably did count against them and the album sold poorly. Flake soldiered on into 1972, undergoing more lineup changes and issuing a final single, " Where Are You?" (Violet's Holiday VHK 4911), at the end of the year before dissolving. Co-vocalist Sharon Sims issued a great solo single, "To Be The One You Love", while several of rhe other members joined up with the remnants of Blackfeather for a new line-up of Flake, cutting the single "Scotch On The Rocks" (Infinity K 5412) before recognising that, with more Blackfeather members on board than Flake alumni, they were trading under the wrong name and switching identities to become the new line-up of Blackfeather. How's Your Mother? has since become a prized collector's item (as I write this, there is a copy on ebay at 399 euros), but fortunately it has been reissued on CD (with bonus tracks but with gatefold sleeve intact) and is relatively easy to find in that form (Rajon CDR 0788). Both of the band's Vanda and Young songs were also included on the 1989 compilation Reflections: The Festival File Volume 13 (Festival L 19012). Vanda and Young were not yet finished with either "Quick Reaction" or "Life Is Getting Better", and would return to both songs over the next few years, as we shall see in due course.
Mysterious memories... It is not clear where Flake picked up "Quick Reaction", although it is probable that they heard it when they were selecting tracks for what became the "Life Is Getting Better" single, as we know that they were offered four Vanda and Young songs at that point (see post # 142). Where and when the demo was recorded is also unclear, and its origins have been given a confusing twist by Likefun bassist John Tucak, who has recalled: "Stevie (Wright) had tapes of the last album, or recording sessions of The Easybeats in London, which (were) not released - it was their best album! Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton (Humble Pie) could be heard supporting the band. I was convinced that "Quick Reaction" would have been a great single!". So what, if anything, are we to make or this? We know that The Easybeats were friendly with Steve Marriott (he appears on "Good Times" and The Small Faces appear in the Easy Come Easy Go film) but Marriott and Frampton did not begin working together until the late 1968 / early 1969 sessions for Johnny Hallyday's self-titled 1969 album (also known as either Rivière... ouvre ton lit or Je suis né dans la rue after (respectively) its opening and best-known tracks), with the pair subsequently forming Humble Pie and signing to Immediate. This suggests that, if Marriott and Frampton both guested on an Easybeats session, it must have been in 1969, yet such an appearance is not mentioned in the biographies of either Marriott or Frampton that have appeared to date. Not only that, but the only known Easybeats session dating from 1969 is the one that produced the "St Louis" single, and the only outside musician on that would appear to be George Alexander (aka Alex Young). That only leaves the Moscow Road demos, most of which, as we know, appeared on the Friends LP in 1970. It is possible that Marriott and Frampton helped out on those, but I confess that I can't hear anything to suggest that either of them were anywhere near the studio, and anyway, not only were those songs released but "Quick Reaction" is not among them. Nor, it seems, was it knocking around the pile of Easybeats demos that the late George Crotty rooted around in during his days hanging out at Alberts. Not only that, but when Bill put the question to Stevie himself (via a circuitous friend-of-a-friend route through Facebook) the response was: "I asked Stevie today about the tape with (Steve) Marriott and Peter Frampton and he said, "No, they weren't playing alongside The Easybeats". So what's going on here? There are two parts to this mystery: (1) what exactly was on the tape that Stevie played to John Tucak; and (2) what did Marriott and / or Frampton have to do with it? John says that it was "lost" Easybeats recordings, but it seems more likely to me that what Stevie had was a tape of Vanda and Young demos, possibly sent to him during his brief tenure as a producer for the failed Musical Expression label (see post # 90: The Easybeats: The Solo Years (Featuring Vanda and Young)) or possibly just as a way of keeping in touch with an old friend who might gave needed some new material. We know that Harry and George were sending material back to Ted Albert in Australia; we also know that they were still in touch with Stevie (who had said as much in Go-Set the previous year) and, indeed, Stevie was also still in touch with Alberts, so there a any number of ways he could have got his hands on some new Vanda and Young material. It is also possible that what Stevie had was a mix of old and new material, including perhaps a tape of all or part of the 1967 Olympic sessions for which we know that Steve Marriott was present. "Good Times" had been relegated to B-side status in most of Australia, so it is quite possible that Tucak had never heard it and so was hearing Marriott guesting with the Easys for the first time (and it is indeed from the legendary 1967 "scrapped album" sessions, thus meeting his description of a "lost" Easybeats album). Those sessions did not, however include "Quick Reaction", which appears to be a more recent Vanda and Young effort. However, as Tucak singles out that particular track, it seems reasonable to assume that it was on the tape, so Stevie may have had more than just some old Easybeats tunes with him. Another possibility is that, at some stage when Harry and George were laying down post-Easybeats demos in London with Alex, their old friend Steve Marriott dropped by, bringing his Humble Pie colleague along with him (Frampton left Humble Pie toward the end of 1971, but he was still with them during the time frame we are considering here). Marriott allegedly turned the Olympic sessions for his own band's 1970 (Humble Pie) and 1971 (Rock On) albums into something of a party - one can imagine the Vanda-Young-Alexander team fitting well into that context, although there is no recorded evidence of them being there. Equally, George's oft-quoted description of this period as a "four year binge" suggests that their own sessions were equally boozy, so it is easy to imagine Marriott dropping by for a pint or ten. And of all the pair's early seventies creations, "Quick Reaction" is the one that might have best suited Marriott's soulful tones and Frampton's fluid guitar lines. There is also the remote possibility that Stevie's memory is playing tricks on him, and that Marriott and Frampton did indeed help out on some late period Easybeats recordings (maybe Peter can remember!); equally, it is possible that John Tucak's memory is at fault and he is confusing the "Good Times" single with the tapes that Stevie played him. After all these years, it seems impossible to tell. All we can say with any certainty is that Stevie had tapes of something with him, and that the tapes included a version of "Quick Reaction" - proof that a demo was made and sent to Australia, although where it might be now is anyone's guess. Thanks to Bill for help with this post.
10 December 1971 Steve Ryder - Ain't It Nice (Vanda-Young) / Remember Me (Mulry) Blue Mountain BM 1003 A-side published by Blue Mountain Music Steve Ryder was in fact Ted Mulry, although the reasons for the name change are unclear. Having enjoyed one major hit and two lesser ones in Australia, Mulry decided it was time to take on the international market, but rather than travelling to the US, where "Falling In Love Again" had at least enjoyed reasonable airplay, he opted to head to the UK, the land of his birth. He took with him the tracks for his fourth single, the A-side of which had been recorded specifically for his UK launch by Ted Albert and Tony Geary (the B-side was lifted from the Falling In Love Again album). Ted's overseas jaunt was noted in the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald, where the single was reported as a "hit pick" on both the BBC's Radio One and Radio Luxembourg. Although Mulry was a gifted composer himself, for his grand UK launch it was decided that he should return to the Vanda and Young songbook for "Ain't It Nice", a classy ballad in the tradition of his earlier hits. While the earlier "Falling In Love Again" had been issued in the UK on Polydor, the new single was licensed from Alberts to Island, who issued it on their Blue Mountain imprint. The record was a strange choice for Island, as it was neither reggae nor progressive rock (the label's two recognised strengths), nor did it fit the singer-songwriter mould of Cat Stevens, currently the label's biggest star. It may have been the pop-psych sounds of the Mulry-penned "Remember Me" that caught the label's ear, but regardless, it was the smoochy "Ain't It Nice" that took the honours. Another of the Vanda and Young songs from this period to reference a US city (in this case, St Louis once again) in the lyric, the song was a lovely effort, but not quite as catchy as their earlier "Falling In Love Again". Although it would have made a fine album track, it lacked a real commercial hook, so its selection as a single was somewhat surprising, particularly as the big ballads that had dominated the UK charts in the late sixties were now on the wane (withering in the face of the burgeoning glam rock onslaught). The name change from Mulry to Ryder probably didn't help either, as anyone who had bought the earlier "Falling In Love Again" would have been hard-pressed to make the connection to the new release. The net result was that the single was pretty much ignored, flopping competely and swiftly disappearing from record racks. As well as the UK issue, the single was issued in 1972 in Spain (Blue Mountain 10.919A) and in Germany (Blue Mountain 10.919AT). Both European releases came in picture sleeves, but neither proved any more successful than the UK release. All three are highly prized (and expensive) collector's items today, although more for the B-side than for Vanda and Young's big ballad. The single's failure essentially put paid to Alberts' attempt to launch Mulry onto the European market, and a few months later he returned to Australia to pick up the pieces of his career (as we shall see). His UK single went unreleased in Australia at the time, although it would surface later in 1972 (I'll look at that release when we get there), and most Australians were blissfully unaware of his UK adventure until the release of the Alberts Archives LP in 1980, when Glenn. A Baker revealed the story (but unfortunately got the date wrong, placing the UK release in 1974). Alberts do not appear to have placed any further material with Island, so this single appears to have been a one-off deal that brought little benefit to anyone involved. We shall however catch up with Ted Mulry again as this thread winds on into 1972. Thanks to Bill, to Cato and to Ozzie Music Man for help with this post.
11 December 1971 Go-Set interview: Likefun A day after Steve Ryder's UK unveiling, across the globe in Australia Go-Set readers were treated to the rather grander unveiling of Stevie Wright's new band, Likefun, a week after the teasing snippet that had graced the "Perth scene" page (see post # 289). This time the band were treated to a moderately sized article, penned once again by Sally Aurisch, and built around an interview with Ray Hoff, Stevie Wright and Maurie (or Morri) Pearson. The interview highlights the band's slightly unorthodox approach to building an audience - rather than following the time honoured route of grinding it out on the live circuit, the trio espoused the value of market research! And the results? As Hoff said: "We found that most bands are lacking excitement." Stevie, typically, went further: "I like excitement. I'd like to set the stage on fire or something". Once again, Aurisch singled out not Stevie but Shirley Read, "a fiery, beautiful bird with a sensational voice", noting that all three agreed she was "marvellous, an opinion shared by everyone who's seen Shirley literally burst with excitement on stage". (I don't think Aurisch literally meant "literally"!) The article closed by drawing attention to the band's plans for the future, noting that they intended to go abroad even before establishing an audience back home. The intended destination, according to the article, was Singapore, rather than the USO circuit in Vietnam mentioned by both bassist John Tucak (as quoted in post # 251) and by Glen Goldsmith in his biography of Stevie Wright, Hard Road. This is not necessarily inconsistent though, as Singapore would have been a logical stopping off point en route to Vietnam, and the band could likey have found work there at one of the hotel chains. Their plans did however seem a little nebulous, with very little in the way of firm bookings, although perhaps no more so than any of the other vague international trips reported in Go-Set from time to time, most of which failed to materialise. A better quality copy of the photo published with the above article was included in post # 251. We shall return to the Likefun story a few posts down the line.
