Post 604 - Angry Anderson, Pete Wells & The Damn Fine Band LP

Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson AM (born 5 August 1947) is an Australian rock singer-songwriter, television presenter-reporter and actor. He has been the lead vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976. On Australia Day (26 January) 1993, Anderson was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his role as a youth advocate. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, "over the course of a lengthy career, the gravel-throated vocalist ... has gone from attention-grabbing, rock'n'roll bad boy to all-round Australian media star." Peter William "Pete" Wells (31 December 1946 – 27 March 2006) was the founder and slide guitarist in Rose Tattoo, from 1976 to 1983. He was previously bass guitarist with the pioneering heavy metal outfit Buffalo from 1971 to 1976. Wells also had a solo career and issued some fine albums, In 2001 Angry and Pete released the Independent album "Pete Wells/Angry Anderson & the Damn Fine Band" (Os Music 890-56). It was said "The founding members of Rose Tattoo have come together once more to kick out some of the finest blues rock jams since Rose Tattoo". Also in the Damn Fine Band were Lucy DeSoto (piano & keys) Steve King (bass) Pete ‘Snaggy’ Masi (guitar) Steve ‘Auby’ Auburn (drums). In  2002 Pete Wells was diagnosed with prostate cancer and, on 27 March 2006, Wells died of the disease, aged 59. Having seen cancer claim the lives of five of his Rose Tattoo band mates (Dallas Royall, Peter Wells, Ian Rilen, Lobby Lloyde and Mick Cocks),  Anderson has become an advocate for men's health. He appeared in a TV campaign promoting awareness of prostate cancer. mp3

Post 603 - Axiom - A Little Ray Of Sunshine - Arkansas Grass

After signing with EMI's Parlophone label, Axiom buried themselves in the recording studio. In December 1969 the group released their first single, "Arkansas Grass", heavily influenced by The Band's "Music From Big Pink". Though the single's title superficially appealed to international markets, and its Civil War theme reflected Cadd's current obsession with the music of The Band, it was in fact a coded anti-Vietnam war song – and in that respect addressing a very Australian concern, since Australian men were at the time being drafted to fight in that war. "Arkansas Grass" reached No. 7 in December 1969. Midway through the recording of the LP, which was released under the title Fool's Gold, drummer Don Lebler (The Avengers) replaced Doug Lavery. Axiom left Australia for the UK in April 1970 after signing a publishing deal from Leeds Music, with the local music press reporting that they had received record deal offers from both Apple Records and the Decca label. As a parting gift they left their second single, "A Little Ray of Sunshine", inspired by the birth of the child of a couple that the group knew – not by the birth of Cadd or Mudie's child, as has often been incorrectly reported. The single reached No. 5 in April 1970. "A Little Ray of Sunshine" has become one of the Australian songs most often still played on radio. In their absence the band's debut album Fool's Gold was released, one of the first true "albums" in Australian music. Apart from the "Arkansas Grass" single it was also one of the first attempts in Australian pop to write songs about the Australian landscape, and using Australian place names. It is also notable as one of the first Australian albums on a major label to be self-produced by the recording artist/s and also featured one of the first uses of the didgeridoo in Australian popular music. The songs were all of high quality as were the production values. Fool's Gold reached No. 18 in June and still stands as one of the best albums of the period, however it never reached its full commercial potential because Axiom were not around to promote it. A third single failed to chart. In Australia Axiom were signed to Ron Tudor's independent production company. They left Australia with Tudor's approval to try to secure a worldwide recording contract: he would not stand in their way. In England Axiom signed a three-year recording contract with Warners, cemented by a single "My Baby's Gone" produced by Shel Talmy of early Who, Kinks and Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind" fame. The band completed a second album, "If Only", recorded at the iconic Olympic Studios in London. Although some former members were later critical of what they felt was Talmy's overproduction of the record, in a 2000 interview with Richie Unterberger, Talmy still spoke highly of both group and LP. I'm not to sure about the story with this single it wasn't a re-recording of the songs, so I guess maybe it was Fable just cashing in on a reissue of the two hits, "A Little Ray Of Sunshine" b/w "Arkansas Grass" (FB-203) for Fable Records. mp3

Post 602 - Hannagan - It's All Over Now Baby Blue - Song For Alex

Hannagan made his first singing debut at the age of ten, when he joined his primary school choir. At seventeen around the days of "Beetle mania" he became very disheartened at the meaningless lyrics presented in many pop stars at the time. He felt so strongly about this he ignored pop music altogether. However his thoughts changed in late 1963 when a friend of his in the U.S. sent him a tape of a then relatively unknown singer by the name of Bob Dylan. Hannagan loved the tapes and realized for the first time that meaningful lyrics could be adapted to pop music. He knew then that was the type of music he wanted to sing. In 1964 he became a member of The Easyriders formed for the Aussie concert tour of Bronnie McGhee & Sonny Terry. In late 1966 he joined Brisbane blues band Black Cat Circle. After two years with them he left to assist with the running of a folk club called Foco, but when business and personal troubles came about he packed his bags and decided to move to Melbourne. Unfortunately the Melbourne pop scene did not treat him well. For almost six months he had to live off the money he had saved. Things took a turn for the better in mid 1969 when he scored the job as singer/guitarist with the Ram Jam Big band, but the group split in November of that year. Soon after he joined Turnstile until mid 1970 when they split over work and payment hassles. Again he packed his bags and moved the Sydney, three weeks later he took a tape of songs he had penned to a music publishing company in the hope he could sell them. Impressed by the songs the company gave him a substantial advance and he was signed up to EMI with a recording contract. Luck came his way and he spent late 1970 and early '71 writing songs and producing music for commercials and documentaries, he also worked as a session musician. In December 1971 he released his first single for EMI Harvest label a cover of Dylan's "It All Over Now Baby Blue" b/w "Song For Alex" (HAR-9733) The single was produce by Rod Coe. The version of this single I picked up is a test pressing so not sure if there's any different to the Harvest single or not. mp3

Post 601 - John Williamson - Comic Strip Cowboy LP

In 1969 John Williamson wrote a novelty song, "Old Man Emu", and early the following year he performed the track on TV talent quest, New Faces, winning first place. He later reflected on his song writing process, and the importance of his guitar, "no matter where I go I'll have one with me, in case I come up with a song, I've got to have the guitar straight away. I always write the words and the music together". In early 1970 he signed a recording contract with Fable Records owner and New Faces‍ '​s judge, Ron Tudor. In May "Old Man Emu" was released as a single on Fable Records, which peaked at No. 3 on the Go-Set National Top 60. It was awarded a gold Certification and was listed at No. 14 on Go-Set‍ '​s Top Records for the Year of 1970. His self-titled debut album followed in mid-year and, although it featured "Old Man Emu", it had little commercial success: only selling two-thousand copies. Since "Old Man Emu" was his only hit he had to perform it two or three times per gig. Williamson's follow-up single, "Under the Bridge" was issued in November. It was pressed with its A and B sides reversed. By February 1971 the album's third single, "Beautiful Sydney", appeared. A string of non-album singles followed including, in March 1972, "Misery Farm" with Lumpy Pumpkin. Six years after the first LP Williams released his 2^nd LP “Comic Strip Cowboy” (6357 037) for Philips Records. It was produced by John and Bruce Brown and featured the talents of Paul Emanuel, Ricky Osypenko, Allan Tomkins, Gary Haines, Milton Saunders, Tony Ansell, Ken Hitching and Emma Hannah. All the tracks were penned by Williamson Flac.