Post 339 - Aunty Jack - Farewell Aunty Jack / Doin' The Aunty Jack

The Aunty Jack Show was a Logie-award winning Australian television comedy series that ran from 1972 to 1973. Produced by and broadcasted on ABC-TV, the series attained an instant cult status that persists to the present day. The lead character, Aunty Jack was a unique comic creation, an obese, moustachioed, gravel voiced transvestite, part trucker and part pantomime dame who habitually solved any problem by knocking people unconscious or threatening to rip their Bloody arms off. Visually, she was unmistakable, dressed in a huge, tent like blue velvet dress, football socks, workboots, and a golden boxing glove on her right hand. She rode everywhere on a Harley Davidson motorcycle and referred to everyone as "me little lovelies” when she was not uttering her familiar threat: "I'll rip yer bloody arms off!". The character was devised and played by the multi-talented Grahame Bond and was partly inspired by his overbearing Uncle Jack, whom he had disliked as a child. Here to download is the single from the show "Farewell Aunty Jack" b/w "Doin' The Aunty Jack" (Picture Records PRS012). It was one of the first picture discs released in Australia (although apparently not the first, as has been claimed), and it was enormously successful. It was the first Australian single ever to enter the Australian charts at #1 (on 3 February 1974), and it stayed at #1 for ten weeks, charted for 22 weeks and sold over 100,000 copies by June 1974.

Post 338 - Issi Dy - Incense EP

Again, the spelling of this guy’s name amazes me. No wonder his stuff is so hard to find. On post # 258, the single "Family Full Of Soul" label shows his name to be Issy Di. The EP which is here for you to download "Incense" (FX-11,704) shows his name as Issi Dy on the cover, but is Issy Dy on the record label. On his web site it's Issi Dye, so as you can see finding him on eBay or other record buying sites you have to try the lot or you might just miss out. In the 1960's Issi appeared on Television programs like Bandstand, Kommotion, The GO! Show and Uptight. In late 1969 Issi had his first hit song with "Incense" and moved into the 1970's as a regular presenter and performer on the "Happening 70s" TV Show. This continued for three years. The EP was produced by Peter Goodman for Festival Records and the last track "A Simple Song" was written by Jim Keays and Doug Ford from the Masters Apprentices.

Post 337 - Johnny Farnham - For Christ's Sake Help The Kids / Hey Rev

This single was released in 1972 for the "Project Child Care Victoria" on W&G Records. The A side featured Johnny Farnham and the B side featured Robin Jolley. It was produced by Lesley Shaw and Geoff Hales for Lewis Young Productions and recorded at Armstrong Studio's Melbourne. Here to download is the single "For Christ's Sake Help The Kids" b/w "Hey Rev" (WG S 8370).

Post 336 - Janice Slater - Lullaby / Die Like A Kelly

Our friend Janice Slater recorded this beautiful single in 1974, taken from the rock opera "Ned Kelly". The song was penned by Patrick Flynn and Reg Livermore and arranged by Michael Carlos. I can't say a lot about the Ned Kelly LP as yet because that's another post. Here is the single from that LP for you to download "Lullaby" b/w "Die Like A Kelly" (2079 046) recorded for Polydor Records. Don't forget to visit Janice's my space page at http://www.myspace.com/janice_slater

Post 335 - Allison Durbin - Holy Man / Letter To Bill

Allison Durbin was born in Auckland in 1950, where she grew up and attended Westlake Girls High. Having started singing at the age of 5, she spent six years with Uncle Tom's Friendly Road Children's Choir. In 1966 Allison teamed up with the Mike Perjanik Band in the studio and released two singles on the Impact label. In October 1966, she and the Mike Perjanik Band moved across the Tasman for a residency at Sydney's Coogee Bay Hotel. After nine months, she left the band to pursue a solo career. Durbin's first HMV release was a cover of Morgana King's "I Have Loved Me A Man". Produced by Howard Gable who she later married. For three years running (1969, 1970 and 1971), she won Australia’s "Queen Of Pop" award for Best Female Artist. In 1971 she recorded a duet album, "Together", with John Farnham, who had been voted Australia's "King Of Pop" during the same years Durbin received her awards. Here to download is Allison's 7th single release, "Holy Man" b/w "Letter To Bill" (DO-9372) on Columbia Records in 1971, produced by Howard Gable. During the 1970s, as her career waned, Durbin began using heroin and her marriage to Gable ended. In 1985 she publicly acknowledged her battle with drugs and sought treatment at Odyssey House, a drug rehabilitation centre, but she was struck by a car just after her release from the centre, which left her with serious injuries, including a broken jaw. After she recovered, her days as a pop singer had passed. She moved into country music with great success. Joining the Hammond label, she produced six albums between 1976 to 1983. None of the Hammond Country albums were ever released in New Zealand, so in 1996 EMI put together a selection of songs from these albums and released a CD called "Country Classics" in New Zealand.

Post 334 - Ray Burton - Dreamers And Nightflyers LP

After putting together a five peice band Ray burton started on a monster tour of Australia supporting Queen. Ray’s original songs went over so well Warner signed the deal for the album here for you to download "Dreamers And Nightflyers" (600036). The album was recorded at Trafalgar Studios Sydney in 1978 and produced by John Sayers and Charles Fisher. Kerrie Biddel sang backing vocals on the opening track "Too Hard To Handle" and Barry Sullivan on bass. Others helping Ray on this fine LP were Steve Hopes, Peter Walker, Rex Bullen, Greg Lyon, Doug Gallagher, Jim Kelly, Tony Ansel, Ian Bloxham, Mal Clarke and Col Loughnan.

Post 333 - Brian Mannix - Brian Mannix LP

Singer and actor Brian Mannix was born on 7th October, 1961 in Melbourne. He was formerly the lead singer of Uncanny X-Men and he guest-starred in several episodes of Australian soap Neighbours in 1993 as Conor Cleary, a love interest for Lauren Carpenter. He grew up in Oak Park, a northern suburb of Melbourne and attended Catholic church schools. Brian was a big Beatles fan and would often entertain his family singing their hits when he was a kid. Brian used his creative talents to direct most of the bands video clips. Since the band broke up in 1987, Brian has turned his hand to many tasks including a solo album "Brian Mannix" (MUS LP 2018), directing TV shows and short films, directing theatre, acting in the theatre and TV and films, making short films, being an author, writing plays and much more. The LP "Brian Mannix" was released in 1990 on Musicland Records. It was produced by Brian, Steve Harrison and Ross McLennan. Brian still lives in Melbourne, is married to Sue and they have two children, Casey and Max. Here for you to download is Brian's LP "Brian Mannix".

Post 332 - Galadriel - Standing In The Rain / Working

Galadriel was formed in 1969 by guitarist and songwriter Garry Adams and drummer Doug Bligh. Galadriel's members wanted to write and perform their own original material. Recruiting hotshot lead guitarist Gary Lothian from the highly regarded Sydney band Elliot Gordon Union, singer John Sholtens and flautist Mick Parker from fellow Sydney dance band Samael Lilith, Galadriel soon made a name for themselves. The band signed with Gus McNeil's Cellar Music, which was also the publishing company for Spectrum's Mike Rudd and Country Radio's Greg Quill. Late in 1970 Galadriel recorded ten original songs at Sydney's United Sound Studios with American producer Tom Lubin. Their debut single "Lady Was A Thief" /b/w "Girl of Seventeen" in February 1971, was picked up for release by Martin Erdman's label Du Monde. Galadriel shopped the recordings around for several more months without success, but eventually they were signed by the Polydor label, who released the LP and their second single here for you to download "Standing In The Rain" b/w "Working" (2079 001), in May 1971. These were Polydor's first local rock releases in Australia and although the recordings were remarkably good, Polydor evidently lacked the experience and clout to get it noticed and regrettably both album and single sank without trace. Apparently both singles from the LP are noticeably different according to an interview by the band in the Freedom Train magazine.

Post 331 - Drummond - For You Blue / The Grasshopper

Drummond's first single was released in June 1970 for Fable Records. Here for you to download is "For You Blue" b/w "The Grasshopper" (FB-014). The A-side is a cover of the George Harrison track from the Let It Be album. This debut single sank without a trace. The main musicians who recorded the first two Drummond singles were Graeham Goble, Russ Johnson and John Mower.

Post 330 - Cool Bananas - Been And Gone / Cool Bananas

Cool Bananas and its successor Aunty Jack & The Gong were offshoots from the ABC's cult TV comedy program The Aunty Jack Show, which ran from 1972-73. Both bands featured Rory O'Donoghue, the friend and partner of Grahame Bond. Both men were accomplished performers, composers, musicians and writers. Rory had been a member of the '60s Sydney bands The Pogs and Oakapple Day and he had also released a solo single on the Image label in the early '70s. He formed Cool Bananas sometime in 1973. Original drummer Robbie Dearlove was replaced by Russell Dunlop just before their first single, "Been And Gone", which was released on Albert Productions. The band performed on the ABC-TV special Aunty Jack Rox On which was broadcast in June 1973, playing a four song live in the studio set comprising "Gypsy", "Drug", "Hard Road" and "The Other Side". On this occasion Cool Bananas was fronted by former Easybeats lead singer Stevie Wright. Although the ABC cancelled the Aunty Jack series abruptly in 1973, it became something of a pop culture phenomenon and led to the release of a single version of the show's theme song "Farewell Aunty Jack". They say it was one of the first picture discs released in Australia and it was the first Australian single ever to enter the Australian charts at #1 (on 3 February 1974), and it stayed at #1 for ten weeks, charted for 22 weeks and sold over 100,000 copies by June 1974. Here to download is the Cool Bananas one and only single "Been And Gone" b/w "Cool Bananas" (AP-10319) which was produced by Chris Gilbey. The Cool Bananas were Stein Boddington (bass, vocals), Robbie Dearlove (drums) 1973, Wayne Finley (keyboards, vocals), Rory O'Donoghue (guitar, vocals) , Mark Punch (guitar) and Don Reid (reeds) . Their only other claim to fame was that they backed Kevin Johnson on his 1973 LP "Rock & Roll I Gave You the Best Years of my Life". Bond, O'Donoghue and Garry McDonald then recorded the album "Aunty Jack Sings Wollongong" which was released on Polydor in April 1975.