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The songs on this album are songs for children and families
which express the real spirit of Christmas. “A Christmas Gift” (7243 5 24066 2
3) released in 1999 on EMI Records in support of the charitable work of St.
Vincent de Paul. The album features Jon English, Doug Parkinson, David Atkins,
Jackie Love, Jimmy Little and the Australian Girls’ Choir just to name a few. This
project was put together by Monica Brown, director of Emmaus Productions and
John Moore, National President of St. Vincent de Paul Society.Flac
Bert Newton made a Christmas record back in 1981 called “Bring
Back the Spirit of Christmas” b/w ‘See The Light” (FB-345), with the Debney
Park High School Band. It was recorded on Fable Records. Bert is blessed with
an easy listening, smooth vocal delivery which gave this recording a
professional warmth and appeal. For quite a few years, this was an Aussie
Christmas favorite...and, it's one that still gets airplay across the country
each year in December. Bert reminisces about a pre-plastic tree era where he
and his Dad would head to a park for a free pine tree. The record was Engineered
by Brian Lawrence and Roger Savage and produced by Marcus Tarrant and Graeme
Lyall. I once read “They should play this in shopping centres at Christmas when
they need to clear everyone out”. Someone else’s words not mine. Flac
Tin Lids is rhyming slang for "the kids", as the
band members are all children of Scottish-born Australian, Jimmy Barnes, and
his Thai-born wife, Jane Mahoney: Eliza-Jane Barnes (born 1984), Elly-May
Barnes (born 1989), Jackie Barnes (born 1986) and Mahalia Barnes (born 1982).
The group were in the children's choir as part of the back-up singers on their
father's track, "When Your Love Is Gone", from his solo album, “Two
Fires”. Their maternal uncle is Mark Lizotte, who also performs as Diesel or
Johnny Diesel. The Tin Lids released
their first album in November 1991 as a collection of Christmas carols, ‘Hey
Rudolph!’ (D26071)’ released on Mushroom Records and peaked at No. 6 on the
ARIA Albums Chart. Most of the instrumentation was supplied by David Froggatt,
the album's producer and arranger; it was recorded at Barnes' Freight Train
Studios, Sydney. The album provided the single, "Christmas Day",
which reached No. 40 on the ARIA Singles Chart.Flac
In late 1975, Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons were formed in
Melbourne as Jo Jo Zep and His Little Helpers. The band was put together after
Ross Wilson, who was waiting out his recording contract, had turned to
producing other artists for the label, Oz Records. He decided to produce a
version of Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run", as a one-off Christmas
single for Mushroom Records. Contractually, Wilson could not perform the vocals
himself, so he asked his friend, Joe Camilleri (ex-The Pelaco Brothers with
Stephen Cummings) to sing and play on the recording. Camilleri's nickname was
Jo Jo Zep, which was derived from a traditional Maltese nickname for "Joseph",
so the group was named Jo Jo Zep and His Little Helpers. The line-up included
bass guitarist, John Power. To promote the single, Camilleri and Power formed a
more permanent blues and rock music band. Power had relocated from Sydney to
Melbourne to join Company Caine for an album which Wilson was producing.
However Company Caine, which also included guitarist Jeff Burstin, and drummer
John McInerney, had soon separated. Wilson suggested that all three team up
with Camilleri to perform "Run Rudolph Run" as part of a Christmas
show at the Myer Music Bowl. This performance (still billed as "Jo Jo Zep
and His Little Helpers") marked Camilleri's first appearance on
Countdown. After the Christmas performances,
they added a second guitarist and vocalist, Wayne Burt and Daddy Cool's drummer
Gary Young replaced McInerney. Now a five-piece outfit consisting of Camilleri,
Burstin, Burt, Power, and Young, the band renamed themselves Jo Jo Zep and the
Falcons, with the Falcons part referencing Camilleri's Maltese background.
Camilleri had wanted his former band mate, Cummings, to join as lead vocalist,
but Cummings declined and later formed The Sports. Here to download is that
Christmas single “Run Rudolph,Run” b/w ‘Guess Who” (K-6194). Interesting to note that the B side was
written by S.Clause.Flac
This was a promo Christmas record released by Ol’55 for
Mushroom Records in 1976. It has all the members of Ol’55 doing Christmas
promos as well as all the band telling us what Christmas means to them. This Xmas Promo (MX-46443) was only released
for radio stations.Flac
Paul Walden was signed by HMV in 1958, and with his deep,
rich, resonant voice and smooth good looks, boyish charm and crowd-pleasing
personality soon found himself with a string of radio hits and busy performing
schedule. In 1959 he headed to London where he sang with the BBC Light
Orchestra, was resident entertainer at the Down Under Club, and acted in
several films. In the early Sixties he was home again, and starring in TVNZ’s
first entertainment series After Dark. He also did radio shows on the YA
network and continued releasing singles and albums and did several legendary
tours organised by Joe Brown (crowd-pleasing concerts that also starred Howard
Morrison, Peter Posa, John Hore and the Quin Tikis). In December 1965 Paul
released a Christmas single called “Penny Christmas Card” b/w “That’s What I
See In You” (HR-254) released on HMV Records. Flac
Jacqui's deep, silky tones are well known to most New
Zealanders. While her voice became familiar in households across the country
through her work on the award winning BASF ‘Dear John’ advert (which went on to
win world acclaim and is in the Advertising Hall Of Fame), she is a session
vocalist and successful recording artist in her own right. She won the Jazz
Album of the Year in 1985 with The Masquerade Is Over (the first time a female
had won the award). The album won acclaim and was highly rated by music writers
and reviewers across the country. In 1979 this single “Stand Up For Your Love”
b/w “Hurtin’ Each Other” (103548) was released in Australia on Laser Records and
in New Zealand on Key Records.Flac
In April 1978 TMG set off on a marathon three-month national
tour to promote their new studio LP Disturbing The Peace , which was released
that month, and although it didn't make the national album charts, two of the
three singles lifted from it did become hits -- "Lazy Eyes" reached
#21 in May and their cover "Heart Of Stone" made #20. Although these
proved to be their last national hits, they gave TMG the enviable distinction
of a having achieved nine national hit singles in a row. At the end of the year
the group signed an American deal with the Atlantic label and their “Disturbing
The Peace” (SD 38-115) was released on Atco Records. The LP was issued with a
different cover as well as the tracks “Girl On The Stage” and “One Night” were
replaced with “Devil In You” and “Too Bad”. Thanks to Peter for giving me this
album to put on the Blog.Flac
