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Scandal formed in Adelaide in February 1976 and by the end of the year had signed a deal with the Mushroom label.Comprising four English migrants and a token Australian Aldo Civitico, the band’s stylish UK-centric sound drew on influences such as Supertramp, Bryan Ferry and David Bowie for inspiration.Mushroom issued Scandal’s debut single "Best Deal in Town" in March 1977, followed by "Harry" in August. The band enjoyed its only national chart success with a cover of the smooth soul/pop track "How Long "(originally by U.K. band Ace). Scandal’s version reached #23 in Australia in May 1978.Their self-titled debut album was also released in May and produced the band’s fourth single "She’s a Lady". It was to be the band’s final release and they broke up in December. Kerrison, Harriot and Watson formed a group called The Extractors but by August 1979 had revived the Scandal name for a new band with Adrian Dessent on guitar, Greg Trennery on bass and Nat de Palma on drums.The new line-up was not successful and Kerrison left the music industry while Dessent went on to work with Wendy and the Rocketts. By 1983, Watson had joined Sydney band, The Venetians. Here to download are all four singles released on Mushroom Records. Flac
The Cliffmores started singing in Woomera South Australia, and moved down to Adelaide after receiving rave reviews after appearing on Adelaide Tonight. They sang at all of the local clubs and dances, especially the Salisbury Youth Centre. They were backed by local musicians, some of whom went on to overseas success (Alan Tarney, Kevin Peek and Terry Britten to name just a few). After providing backing vocals on several local records they released their own singles, which were produced by David McKay. They moved to Sydney where they sang in the clubs in Kings Cross and then to England in 1969 after meeting Barry Gibb who suggested Robert Stigwood should manage them. In England, they became The Surprise Sisters. In the 70s David Bowie saw them performing at the Marquee Club in London and introduced them to Tony Visconti who produced their sole album for RCA. Their biggest hit was "La Booga Rooga" which was released in 1976. They disbanded in 1978 to pursue solo careers.
The Surprise Sisters released 9 singles between 1975/1977 and one LP only, one of the singles made it on the LP which makes the other A & B sides collectible. Members were Susan, Linda, Ellen and Patricia Sutcliffe. Here to download are the two Cliffmores singles from 1967/68 and the nine Surprise Sisters singles released in the U.K. Flac
This is the first recording of "Lights On The Hill" released in February 1972. I read somewhere a long time ago that Slim called this the Rock 'n' Roll version. A lot different than the 1975 version from the LP of the same name that's for sure. Joy McKean tells the fascinating story behind Lights On The Hill, She remembers that night in June 1971, leaving Tamworth for Warwick, and trucks coming over the hill blinding her with their high-beam.
"I realised I was at Devil's Pinch, a local name for the place where there is a drop down the mountain on one side of the narrow road," McKean said."I couldn't help wondering how long it would take for Slim to find me if I went over the edge."By the time she hit Warwick caravan park, she had the song in her head and Slim wanted to record it immediately. I remember the first time I heard this version was in 1972 when a guy that lived across from my Mum asked her when she went into town would she pick him up a copy of Slim Dusty's new single. I think he played it everyday at full volume for weeks but I must say I did like it and when the album of "Lights On The Hill" came out I was a little disappointed that the 1975 version was so different.
Now don't quote me but this single and it's B side "Lights On The Hill" b/w "Redwing" (DO-9836) I don't think has ever been released on an album or CD but not knowing all Slim's recordings I might be wrong, but I have done a bit of digging and I can't find this version on any Greatest hits ect ect. Flac
Donald Allan Dunstan, AC, QC usually known as Don Dunstan, was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953 at age 26, became leader of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.
In the late 1950s, Dunstan became well known for his campaign against the death penalty being imposed on Max Stuart, who was convicted of rape and murder of a small girl. He harried Premier Thomas Playford IV aggressively over the matter, creating an uproar over what he saw as an unfair process. Playford eventually relented, and appeared shaken thereafter; the event was seen as a turning point in the Liberal and Country League's decline, and Labor gained momentum. During Labor's time in opposition, Dunstan was prominent in securing some reforms in Aboriginal rights, and was at the forefront of Labor abandoning the White Australia Policy. Labor conducted an extensive campaign in marginal LCL seats at the 1965 election, resulting in 21 of 39 seats, with Frank Walsh and the Labor Party taking power and Dunstan becoming Attorney-General. The LCL opposition changed leaders and installed the young Steele Hall, worrying Labor as the elderly Walsh appeared bumbling in contrast. This resulted in Labor replacing Walsh with Dunstan. Despite maintaining a much larger vote over the LCL, Labor lost two seats at the 1968 election, with the LCL forming government with support of an independent. Dunstan responded by increasing his attacks on the Playmander and was able to convincingly sustain Playmander attacks with the effect of convincing the LCL into watering down the malapportionment. Again with little change in Labor's vote but with the Playmander removed, Labor won 27 of 47 seats at the 1970 election. With a fairer seat and boundary system in place, Dunstan won three more elections, in 1973, 1975 and 1977.
In 1976 Don recorded a single for RCA Records "Desiderata" b/w A"How I Love Thee?" B "The Toys" (2061 5), it was produced by Rocky Thomas at Sound Studios, Adelaide, South Australia.
Dunstan was afflicted by illness in his final years. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1993 before contracting an inoperable lung cancer, which led to his death on 6 February 1999. flac
XL Capris formed in Sydney in
1978 by Julie Anderson, Tim Gooding, Johanna Pigott and Kimble Randall. Their
best known single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My
City of Sydney" (1979). This single was the only Australian disc
found in legendary UK DJ John Peel's "battered wooden box"
of 142 favourite records when, following his death in 2004, the
contents of the box were revealed to the public in a Channel 4
television special. XL Capris made two albums, “Where
Is Hank?”
and “Weeds”
both produced by Todd Hunter of Dragon and
released on their own label Axle Records. Hunter later joined XL
Capris as guitarist and subsequently married Pigott; they became a
successful songwriting team: co
writing
"Rain" for Dragon and "Age of Reason" for John Farnham. Prior
to forming the XL Capris, Gooding was a film and television
screenwriter.(The Aunty Jack Show; Wollongong The Brave/Kev Kevanagh:
Beyond The Infinite; Heatwave). He and Pigott worked together
creating the 1984 ABC TV series
‘Sweet & Sour “ which
chronicled the activities of a fictional band, The Takeaways, and
their efforts to succeed in 1980s Sydney Pop scene.
Where
Is Hank?
(Axle
103) released in 1981
produced by Hunter, Gooding wrote ten of the fourteen tracks
including two with Pigott. 'Hank' in the title was a German
shepherd
owned by Rendall: "Hank went to live on a farm at Nambucca
Heads".'Tosca' was the name of their landlady's cat and it was
chased up a tree by Hank thus the album title Where
Is Hank? is
a pun on a 1980s TV ad for a chocolate bar: 'Where's George?' The
response is ... 'gone for a Tosca!'.
Thanks to Chris for sending me this LP for the Blog and Tim for sorting out the IT issues. flac
