Post 148 - Max Merritt & The Meteors - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah / I've Been Trying

Max Merritt was born Maxwell James Merritt in Christchurch, New Zealand on 30th April 1941. He relocated to Sydney Australia in December 1964. In Sydney, The Meteors made their first Australian television appearance on Johnny O'Keefe's Sing Sing Sing. By April 1965, the second Meteor's album was finally released on RCA Records and contained a range of styles, including the single "So Long Babe". Other singles followed but Teddy Toi and Johnny Dick left to join Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs. During February 1966, visiting UK acts The Rolling Stones and The Searchers were supported on tour by Max Merritt and The Meteors. After a cruise ship gig to New Zealand Merritt heard Otis Redding's version of "Try a Little Tenderness" and recorded his own cover in 1967. Turmoil within The Meteors saw a rapid turn over of members and by May, Merritt with Bob Birtles on saxophone, Stewart "Stewie" Speer on drums and John "Yuk" Harrison on bass guitar, decided to relocate to Melbourne. Here to download is one of three singles recorded in 1965 on Parlophone "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" b/w "I've Been Trying" (A-8162) In April 2007, Merritt was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital suffering kidney failure, he was diagnosed as having Goodpasture's syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the kidneys and lungs. Merritt was struggling with his health and finances, so his manager, Wal Bishop, along with Australian music industry friends organised a Concert for Max held at the Palais Theatre, St Kilda, Melbourne on 21 October 2007, and raised $200,000. On 1 July 2008, Merritt was inducted by Glenn A. Baker into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Post 147 - Marc Hunter - Communication LP

Marc Hunter born in Taumarunui, New Zealand, was a rock singer best known as the lead vocalist with Dragon, a band formed by his older brother Todd in Auckland, New Zealand. The band moved to Sydney in 1975 and became one of Australia's biggest selling bands. Hunter developed a serious heroin addiction. Recklessly outspoken and volatile on stage, during the band's 1978 US tour he called the audience faggots at a show in Texas. The following year, he was fired from the band. Hunter bounced back immediately with his 1979 solo album "Fiji Bitter". For you to download is Marc's 1985 LP "Communication" (827 233-1) recorded for PolyGram. Appearing on this album are Mark Punch guitar - (Cool Bananas, Renee Geyer Band), Mark Kennedy drums - (Doug Parkinsin Southern Stat Band, Friends, Renee Geyer Band, Spectrum King Harvest, Foucs, Ayers Rock, Men At Work, Kevin Borich Express), Todd Hunter bass - (Dragon Headhunters), Alan Mansfield keyboards - (Dragon), Geoff Oakes sax - ( Heart ‘n’ Soul,), Wendy Mathews, Kirk L’Orange guitar - (Chasing The Train, Mudhead) , Peter Grimwood guitar - (Dragon) , Jeff Baxter guitar - (The Stetsons), Rick Chadwick piano - (Full Marks), Phil Scorgie bass - (Devotions), Clive Harrison bass - (Avalanche, Bootleg Family, Kush), Don Walker piano - (Cold Chisel, Catfish), Ian Moss guitar - (Cold Chisel, Catfish), Horrie Dargie - harmonica, Tony Buchanan sax - (Cool Bananas, The Joy Boys), Steve Howsden guitar (Little River Band, Renee Geyer, Marcia Hines) , Rex Bullen keyboards - (Blackfeather, Jim Keays Southern Cross, Bakery), Rick Fataar drums - (Yothu Yindi, Catfish, The Monitors), Brain Hamilton bass - (Wendy & The Rockets). Marc's years of hard living caught up with him and he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997 and could no longer perform or tour. For the last few months of his life, Hunter underwent various forms of treatment including several alternative medicine remedies but none were successful and he died in Kiama on July 17, 1998. Thanks to Matt for supplying this LP for us to clean up and post here.

Post 146 - Uncanny X-Men - Start Believing / Sullivans

The band signed with CBS Records after leaving Mushroom in 1986.This was the 4th single release from their 1986 CBS album “What You Give Is What You Get“, which peaked at #11 in November of that year. The single peaked at #63. Internal tensions occurred so they disbanded in 1987, although there was a brief reunion during 1998. Here to download is that single with its non album B side “Start Believing" b/w "Sullivans" (650440 7)

Post 145 - Lin Buckfield & James Reyne - R-O-C-K- Rock / Under My Thumb

Lin Buckfield is an Australian television producer, journalist and musician. Buckfield was lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for pop-rock group Electric Pandas during 1983–1987. Buckfield's television work commenced in 1990, she has won five Walkley Awards. James Reyne born on 19 May 1957 in Lagos, Nigeria is an Australian rock musician and singer/songwriter both as a member of the 1980s band Australian Crawl and solo work. Whilst still with the Australian Crawl, Reyne formed a duet with Lin Buckfield to release the 1985 single "R-O-C-K- Rock." b/w "Under My Thumb" a Rolling Stones cover (FREE-0002) on Freestyle Records. Here to download is that single.

Post 144 - Pat Wilson & Her Daddy O - Tacky / Tacky Too

Post #32 we gave you the extended version of "Bop Girl" and on post #62 we gave you Pat's mini LP Strong Love. Now for the only other Pat Wilson recording that I know of are the two B sides of her singles "Tacky" (0-259850) 1983 the B side of "Bop Girl" and "Tacky Too" (7-259578) 1984 the B side of "Strong Love" which has Ross Wilson doing the lead vocals and going by the name of Daddy O. Here to download are those two B sides released on WEA Records. I and Mrs. Ozzie Music Man recently had the opportunity to meet both Pat and Ross and even got an invite to Pat’s southern style bbq at her café. Both were extremely approachable and simply fascinating.

Post 143 - Phil Cunneen - Johanna's Softly Crying

Adelaide musician Phil Cunneen was an important influence in the studio, as arranger and musical director for most of the label Sweet Peach early singles. The connections between Cunneen and Doug Ashdown went back to their early days in Adelaide. Phil supplied the music on the Here's Humphrey LP's. He also plays keyboards with Peter Combe which Phil has been playing with Combe since his original popularity. He did the music arrangements for the movie Breaker Morant and was a part of the 1983 line up of Barrie McAskill's Levi Smith's Clefs once more with its big brassy sound, this line up included Phil Cunneen on piano. Phil only released two singles "Johanna's Softly Crying" (MX7024) on Gamba Records 1970 and "John Wesley Harding” in 1971. Here to download is the first single b/w "Brand New Song" by Roy Wooding and who is Roy Wooding? If you know please let me know as I can't find anything on this man anywhere.

Post 142 - Joe Dolce - Reggae Matilda / There Ain't No U.F.O.

Yes another Joe Dolce single for you this one was never released in Australia. Only in the UK on Epic Records. I couldn't find out much else on the recording so I emailed Joe but his Personal Assistant J.Jota said that Joe was on holiday in Indonesia. So this is what Joe's P.A. wrote me back regarding the song...

Hi Garry,

"Reggae Matilda" was a reggae parody of Waltzing Matilda. It was originally offered to record executive Glenn Wheatly, in 1979, a full year before ‘Shaddap You Face’ was released. He considered

it a sure-fire number one hit single in Australia. However, initial objections from the Banjo Patterson Estate, who didn’t like the lyric changes, and threats of lawsuits, discouraged Wheatly from proceeding and the project was shelved. After the success of Shaddap You Face, Joe released the song anyway, in the UK. There were no objections from the Patterson estate at this stage but the musical climate was a bit different and the song didn’t have the impact it might have had in the Australia market a year earlier. "Aint No UFO" was a US country song written by Don Oriolo, From Joe's 1981 album, Shaddap You Face He has since written a similar type of country/UFO song called "Crop Circles in My Marijuana"

Sincerest

J Jota

Dolceamore Music

Here to download is the single “Reggae Matilda" b/w "There Ain't No U.F.O. (Gonna Catch My Diesel)" (EPC A1497) released in the U.K. in 1981.

Post 141 - The Bay City Union - Mo'reen / Mary Mary

Matt Taylor's first band, The Bay City Union, was formed in March 1966 and was one of Australia's first traditional Chicago blues bands. They released one single for Festival Records, in April 1968 before breaking up in July 1968 due to a lack of interest in blues bands. The single being "Mo'reen"/"Mary Mary," (FK-2284) which went to #32 in Melbourne. The A side was written by American singer Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher and the B side was a cover of Mike Nesmith's song. Terry Melcher was Doris Day's son. In the short life of this band there was a turnover rate of 15 members per the two years they were together with member such as Trevor Bagnall (bass), Jimmy Brelsford (Moose Malone, guitar), Tony Buettel (Fraternity,Band Of Light,Band Of Talabene,Levi Smith's Clefs,drums), Matt Croke (guitar), Brian Hayes (guitar), Paul Johnson (Mr.Floppy, Levi Smith's Clefs,Vocals & Harmonica), John McInerney (69's, Grand Junction, drums), Phil Manning (Chain, Band Of Talabene, guitar), Joey Masotano (keyboards), Peter Miles (Bulldog, drums), Matt Taylor (Chain,Western Flyer,Meating,Vocals & Harmonica), Glen Wheatley (Purple Hearts, The Masters Apprentices, bass), Paul Wyld (Throb,69's,One Ton Gypsy,Blackfeather, Keyboards), Neil Young (Chants R'n'B, bass) and Col Mahoney (drums). Here to download is their one and only single and a big thank you to Micko for the B side.

Post 140 - Front Page - I Thought I'd Never Fall In Love Again / Rockin' Hollywood

With the brake up of The Bootleg Family in '75 Tony Naylor, Geoff Cox, Clive Harrison and Adrian Campbell went touring as Avalanche in early '76. They released "Wizard Of Love" in February and it went to #23 in Melbourne. Another four singles and a LP followed. Cox and Harrison left in 1977 by 1978 Naylor & Campbell had changed the bands name to Front Page. With a new line-up of Phil Wood, Tony Thornton and James Black which replaced Bruce Haymes. They issued the single "I Thought I'd Never Fall In Love Again b/w Rockin' Hollywood" (BL 320) in August 1978. By 1979 it was over. Naylor went on to join Jon English's band Baxter Funt in 1980. Here for you to download is that single recorded on Bootleg.

Post 139 - Daniel - Last Night In The City / A Talk With Daniel

The gold flexi disc was distributed as part of a pack promoting Daniel's forth coming album. It came in a single size gatefold cover. One side is a preview of "Last Night In the City" from their Album. The B side is a "Talk with Daniel about their sound and how they get it," featuring the voice of Mike Rudd talking about the band. Daniel which evolved out of Delta moved to Sydney from Newcastle. They came to the attention of Mike Rudd who produced their only album also called Last Night In The City in 1978. They recorded three singles and an LP for Image Records. Here to download is that flexi disc released by Ambassador Records, Sydney. I'm guessing sometime in 1978.

Post 138 - Buster Noble - The Young Camp Stockman / Son Of Tommy

Born in Adelaide, Buster Noble left the Capital touring with the Milton & Adams Comedy Company. During World War II he toured the Pacific Island with the Waratahs Concert Party. Buster has made audiences laugh in many countries around the world but his first love was Australia. Here to download from 1972 is "The Young Camp Stockman" b/w "Son Of Tommy" (SAC-101) recorded on M7/Australian Country records. Produced by Joe Halford.