Roadrunner 1(6) September 1978

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.AST WEEKS WEEK IN

JUNE, 196;

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SHADOW V A L L lV rA l^ D i RIANGLES J=‘ C (Festival) ..................

Young Austral ions X BURIED AND DEAD (Astor) . Masters ApprentiGes 3. BERNADETTE (Tamla-Motown) 4. THIS IS M Y SONG (Philips) gl^HlS l s m (Astor) . ...,.;....

Petufa 5. YOUNG GIRL (Columbia) ...... ...

6 PICTURES OF LILY (Philfps) 7. PUiRPLE H A ZE‘(Polydor) :.... ......... Jimi Hendrix 8. CREEQUE ALLEY (RCA) 9. DON'T BLAME THE CHILDREN (Reprise) S 10. M IN NIE THE MObCHER (Go) 11. THE HAPPEN I N b ^a m la -M o to w n ►12. PUPPET ON iVOTUNG-CAstor) _ J!?'

13. NEW YORK M iiW ^*> IS A S T E R 19^05 A. YOU MADJ^S nCW HAT I AM (H .M .% 15. I GOT (Stateside) w^ri SS (Colurhbia) .

17. WHEI ^ S YOUNG (M .G .M i 18. H ^olydor) ....

Jim i 19.

I N ' (Atlantic) ^ ANNE (Parlopf^ne) ....

FAMILIAR, FOSbOTTEI

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ME (State 4,^. .......... . Turtles ^(Phiiips) .... New Vaudeville Band (Tamla-MotoWn) . . . . . . . .

Four, Tops SSET (Astor) ........................................ ." Kmks iDE OF PALE (Deram) .... .^v;... Procol Harum MORNING (Capitol? ..f.S....... ........ Al M artino “ WITCH IS DEAD (Stateside) .... 5th Estate ihine) •rmie Rowe iumbia) ..Shadows

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Scott McKenzie Tremelbes lW^\ ^flsiVIGEt THE FEEUN' i C liff Richard •E' Judith Durham ^ W T ^ ^ R IE S MARY j| Jimi Hendrix Experience )T HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY Dave Clark. Five To n Nancy Sinatra Er Lee Hazelwood ME TIME .

Dusty Springfield JD^KERS Peter and Gordon

10. N IG H T 'b ^ T O E LONG GRASS Trog< 11. OKAY Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mich & Tf' 12. SUNDAY W ILL NEVER B E ‘THE SAME Spanky ond Our Gani 13. I TAKE IT BACK Sandy Pose?

14. COME TO THE SUNSHINE Harpers Bizare 15. THEN I KISSED HER . Beachboys 16. DAYLIGHT SAVIN ' TIME K eith 17. YOU C A N 'T COME HOME P. J. Probv 18. AIRPLANE SONG Royal Guardsmen 19. W IN D Y Association 20. LO VIN ' SOUND Ign & Sylvia

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4tb Augtist, 1978

EDITORS ALLAN COOP ALEX EBLERT BRUCE MILNE DONALD ROBERTSON MELBOURNE EDITORS CEB WALKER

D«ar Editors,

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calUd 'punks'.

We wish to com»lain % u imagine why If all you amongst where bother to create «*’'«•?

Hints for Pop 'no to July "n'f^ “hoelaces . ~ ‘^^^;777).

It states (can't we dress m we li j« TS.VC V'» ^ vlto cooior* vw

“ ‘"of . IMr. S relations

r.-~y . considering' i r * ! ,i (ust ba'^«

a donation at the doo

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display .pproached? aren't these band, app 4nto Punk but we think that i .

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becoming Just be -X.XUU.X~-

PERTH EDITOR IAN HENBERSON CANBERRA EDITOR NICK SOMMERS CONTRIBUTORS DENNIS ATKINS BAIN GLSSr BAKER JILLIAN BURT LARRY BDTTROSE DAVID CRCfWE MICHAEL DUGGAN SUZIE WALTON CEE WALKER MARK WITHNEL

Record Shops Reviewed *...<>..

Status Q u o ...................

Graham P a r k e r .......... .

Don McLean V E N U E S .......

Johnny C o u g a r ...............

Russell Morris ..............

The V i b r a n t s .................

Jim Keays ....................

Robert Stigwood .............

F i l m s ........

5 6 7 S. 9 11 12 12 14 1^

Pram Factory .......••••••••• 1° Kraftwerk .................... 17 Singles R e v i e w s .... ........ 18 Record Reviews 19 Gig G u i d e ..................... 2J

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Adelaide seems to be going through a bit of a recession at the moment - musically at least. But there are a few noteworthy happenings coming up this month.

The Australian Broadcasting tribunal hearings into the grant­ ing of F.M, radio licences get under way on September 5th at the Hotel Australia. The Progressive Music Broadcasting Association is well in the run­ ning for a licence. The Assoc­ iation has received a very pos­ itive response from the State Government to its request for financial aid to help set the station up if they are success­ ful in their licence application.

Ian Chance, the Association'e (dEiaixpersofnf believes the P.M.B.A. has a very strong case, with the key points being complimentary cuad supplementary broetdcasting (to idiat is at present coming over Adelaide's airwaves) featujv ing a diversity of cultural information and perhaps most ioqportantly 'people participaticnf. hat means YEtft As reported last ish. a Rock Mosic Committee has been formed in Adelaide to look into the scene and try to improve the musicians lot here* The comm­ ittee has been meeting fortni^tly and is at present contacting all booking agents in town to discuss proposals for cleaning up the scene. A general meeting will be called by the committee towards the end of the month to reporrt on developments. Should be interesting.

Things in the pubs are a bit slow at present. I'm sure the promoters are keeping one eye on the committee - it could really shake a few people up. The interstate acts are still ccmiing in thick and fast but local bands etre finding it a bit t o u ^ .

One shining l i ^ t in the general gloom is the emergence of the St. Vitus Dance Package as a power­ ful and exciting force. After their extremely successful debut at the Marryatville last month (They attracted the big^ gest crowd theire for months) the Accountants, the (fabtilous) Dagoes and the D Bombs have play­ ed to enthusing audiences at Zygon, in Sturt St., and opened their own venue, the Green Room in Bloor Covirt. If you like your music fast, sweaty and exciting then don't miss these bands. There will probably be a couple of Green Room shows thi§ month you can find out when by dropping in to MLS in Twin St. Adelaide's prime purveyors of powerpop. Young M o d e m , release their first single this month.

The two tracks are 'S he's Got The Money' and 'Automatic'. It's being released on their own label.

From all reports it's a pretty fine effort.

If you'd like to hear it, it's going to be featur­ ed in its entirety on 5HV's Heart of Saturday Night' radio show all this month.

A little Maliciousette told me that Glyn Mason lost two of his band during his week in Adelaide. Appairently Richaurd Clapton made them an offer they couldn't refuse and they are going to fly off to join him in Los Angeles.

Midnight Oil wowed 'em at the Arkaba last month. Sydney is turning out scmie pretty good bands at the mcmient, what with the Oil and the Angels raging all over the coiintry.

Had a letter from e x - H i ^ Rise Bomber Keith Shadwick who c a u ^ t the Clash in London. While not denying the excitement the band generated he said the stan­ dard of the music left a lot to be desired.

(Maybe the fact that the batnd were all suffering from

'flu had something to do with it).

Keith reckoned there are quite a few Ozzie bands who could blow the British punk bands offstage.

A band who could probably blow anyone offstage are in town this month. That's Graham Parker and the Rumour of course. Should be one of the concerts of the year.

And talking of events the Thin White Duke David Bowie to all you non-N.M.E. readers, will be drop kicking his musical gems at the Adelaide Oval on November 12th It looks now as if the Stones won't be coming to town in early October. And what ever happened to the Bob Marley totir that all the Rastafarians in town have been stockpiling their Kaya for?

Maybe scmieone couldn't guarentee Bob immunity from the eager hands of the Ganja Squad? At least Festival will be happy. The Rumour put Bob Marley Live l^ack back in the chart.

Nothing like kicking someone when they're down. Hot on the heels of the announcement of its $T1 million loss last year comes the news that E.M.I, (Aus­ tralia) have lost the Motown label to Astor in this country.

Maybe that's why they are being so miserly with their review albums .

Two new venues will shortly be opening in Melbourne offering audiences a chance- to check out some of the new bands who are having the usual troubles finding work. The Club Hotel, on the c o m e r of Swanston and Latrobe Streets, will open every Friday and Saturday nights untill 11.30 p.m. and Stewarts Hotel, off Elgin Street in Drummond Street, will open every Saturday night until 10.00p.m. Both well worth a visit.

V/HAT WE ARE LISTENING TO, A L LAN. 1. Talking Heads - "More Songs About Buildings & Food",

One of Brisbane's original and best punk (?) outfits. The Left­ overs, have recorded a new single "Cigarettes and Alcohol", plus a musical reading of an Oscar Wilde poem. After the nonappearance of their precious single "No Complaints/ I Only Panic When There's Nothing To Do" (which was one of last years best singles, despite being unreleased), this will please everyone.

In fact, the Leftovers are consider­ ing making it an EP, with the two new tracks on one aide and the two old ones on the other.

The Negatives have split up.

Jab have split up... Bohdan is piirsuing a solo career in whatever it is he's doing now... Bassist Pierre, keyboard man Ash Wednesday and drummer Johnny Crash have joined forces with ex-Teenage Radio Stars guitarist James Freud in a light, pop-orientated outfit called the Models... meanwhile, the Teenage Radio Stars continue unperturbed..., and the last of Melbourne's Suicide bands, X-Ray -Z are also now defunct, having been that way for some time appar— ently.,.. contintiing the Suicide Saga - the Boys Next Door's debut album "Brave Exhibition" is now being looked at by other

parties, including Virgin in the U.K. And the Boys have a new member, Rowland S. Howard, for­ merly a Young Charlatan, whose guitar work has added a new dimension to the Boys live sound., the Young Charlatans themselves have completely split, drummer Jeff Wagner joining a relatively new outfit called the Love... and whizz-kid Ollie Olsen forming a new band called Whirley Wirld.

Guitarist Ed Bates has left the Sports, for what was reported to be 'family reasons'., but with all the management/record company hassles they've been having, we wonder if it wasn't more to do with that... he is replaced by Martin Arminger of the H i ^ Rise Bombers.

Attention all Birdman fansI Chris Masvak and Warwick Gilbert from the band will be in town this week playing with Johnny Kannis in a band called Johnny & The Hit Men, The band was going, on an intermittent basis, all the time Birdman were to­ gether, but with the current confusion regarding the Blitzkreig Boppers, the band could take over their mantle.

Pestering Mick Malicious

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As part of our Australian rock retrospective we are proud to present this Australian Rock Quiz, devised by Australia's prime rock historian, Glenn A. Baker. As prizes we have copies of albums Glenn has compiled by the Bee Gees, Jeff St, John, the Easybeats, the Twilights plus his two 'So You Wanna Be A Rock'n'roll Star' compilations of rock memorabilia. Answers to the quiz should be sent to "Roadrunner Blast From The Past Competition, P.O. Box 156, Norwood, S.A." by September 17 th, Winners and afiswers next ish, 1.

In 1967 The Easybeats departed company with drummer Snowy Fleet dTiring a return Australian tour. Who was the replacement?, from what group did he come and to which group did he go?

2.

Name an Oz musician who has been a member of all these groups; The Epics, The Questions, Doug Parkinson In Focus, Rush?

3.

What are the real names of William Shakespeare, Rockwell T. James, Brian Cadd, Ronnie Charles, Beeb Birtles, Lobby Loyde, Dick Diamonds, Col Joye, Jeff St. John, Little Pattie?

DONALD.

4.

Name 5 groups of which Ross Wilson has been a member?

1.

2.

3.

5.

What was the very first Sherbet lineup?

6.

All four members of Zoot have achieved success in the seventies.

Who, where, how, etc,?

7.

List five New Zealand bands who worked in Australia during the 60's.

8.

Who are/were the core members of Paintbox, Haffeys Whiskey Sour, Band of Hope, Tramp & the Marcus Hook Roll Band? What do they call themselves now?

9.

Which classic Australian 60's single was recorded entirely a cappella (ie; with no music backing)? and who has recently cover­ ed it in England?

ALEX. 1.

2,

Grin - "Grin".

Carlene Carter - "Carlene Carter".

5. Springsteen - "The Wild, The Innocent".

4. Graham Parker - "Howlin' Wind", 5. Pavlov Dog - "Pampered Menial."

4* 5.

"My Way" - Sid Vicious.

"The Prisoner" - The Clash.

"Down Among The Dead Men" Plash & The Pan. ”15 Thoughts" - Brinsley Schartz, "Live At Marble Arch" Graham Parker & The Rumour,

BRUCE. 1. "Slow Dazzle" - John Cale.

2. "More Songs" - Talking Heads.

3. "The Spot" - Snakefinger Lithman, 4* "What A Waste" - Ian Dury, 5. "More Golden Eggs" - Yardbirds.

JOHN. 1.

2.

3.

"He's A Rebel" - Crystals.

"She's Not There" - Zombies.

"Twisting Australia-Way" Johnny O'Keefe, 4.

"Pretty Girl" - Easybeats.

5. "She's A Woman" - Beatles.

Records courtesy of Salvation Army

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'Trout Mask Replica' Captain Beefheart.

2 . 'Heard Her Call My Name' Velvet Underground.

5. 'Circles' - The Who. 4. 'The Spht' - Snakefinger Lithman.

5. The Knob Kings Live.

10. Pick the group that is not Australian: The Henchmen, The Lincolns, The D-Coys, The Five, The Music Machine, Wickedy Wak, The Changing Times, The Creatures.

11. Which Australian guitarist (from Adelaide I) formed a group in England in I969 called Quartet? and which worldwide hit did he write last year?

12. What is the common denominator of all these groups; The Purple Hearts, The Five, The Saints, Mike Furber & the Bowry Boys, The Bay City Union?

13 .

Name three groups with which Peter Williams has been lead vocalist?

14 .

Name the groups which these solo stars began their careers in; Russell Morris, Linda George, Kevin Borich, Jackie Orzsacky, John Paul YoTing?

15 .

Which female Australian pop star was romantically involved with Davy Jones of the Monkees in I968?

Ccxnpiled by; Glenn

Baker,

ROAbRtJNNM S E P ^ M ^ E R '1978 " PA.6e ' 5

V/e are open 9pm till Sam THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

m iu t s 122G 0U G ER S I

Adelaides swinging adult Disco for 20^ and over Admission inciudes supper Dine at Gina's Restaurant first, then dance the night away upstairs in the Mars Bar

o i n f l â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s R f S T f lU R o n r

a in f i's ftis T R O

122 Gouger Street.

Phone 212 2388 for bookings.

122 Gouger Street Phone 212 2388 for bookings

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. or just drop in anytime.

EvansGudiiiski presents

GRAHAM PARKER

and THE RUMOUR

TICKETS O N SALE NOW !

APOLLO STADIUM SEPT 15 tickets Allans S 8.90

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ROADRUNKER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 4

RECORD SHOPS review ed Yoiir Dunlop soles have worn through and you're just about ready to give up. All you want is to seek out the great albvun or single you've heard about and maybe purchase the little gem. Searching for records can be no fun when you aren't sure where to get what you're looking for, but trek aimlessly no more. The Record Retailers Review is here I Adelaide has around 60-70 record stores, mostly selling Australian Releases, about half a dozen import stores and several specialist shops so your custom is well sought after.

Sadly most record stores are content to offer no other services than having the records in the racks with the basic attitude that the customer is valuable in so far as the colour of their money is true.

Many record stores have become vinylsupermarkets. You select, you pay, you leave.

Not a word is spoken. Which is fine if you're more interested in purchasing than appreciat ing the music. Natxirally, not everyone wants to discuss whether Meatloaf should diet or debate the sociological importance of Wreckless Eric, but there at least should be the opportunity for such banter.

Record buyers are the basis of record stores and it's about time they were properly catered for. Being able to listen to records without being pressured into buying, access to recent information about records, artists, tours via magazines, posters, cuttings, etc., and the opportunity to have a chat with the person behind the desk without being expected to make an appropriate purchase are a few reason­ able demands that record purchasers should be making of the stores they frequent. The expectation as soon as you walk into a store, that you'll inevitably walk out with a purchase is not good enough Fortunately several Adel­ aide record stores have begun to treat their customers as potential friends rather than enemies.

It's about time other record stores followed. Depending on where you go and what

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you're looking for determines how well you'll be received - and the difference is enormous.

This review is firstly limited to the city record stores (suburban review later), and secondly to stores whose main contact with the public, is through the sale of records, there­ fore, excluding department stores and those who stock records only as a sideline. Hope you find it useful.

THE MUSES (Regent Arcade, Rundle Mall), doubles as a book store and they stock Austra­ lian Releases (A.R.) albxams, singles and cass­ ettes, but concentrate on classical stock.

They have a small range of New Wave, Reggae, Blues, Country and stacks of past A.R. singles for you to sort through.

(Word of warning this store is not well laid out - I've seen two people injure themselves on the racks).

They stock accessories, lots of blank tapes, and have a business-like staff. ,Records at normal prices. Good to visit in passing.

SAVERY'S RECORD BAR (39 Rundle Mall, down­ stairs) like Muses is one section of a parent store so "you pays your money and takes your chances". They stock A.R. albums, singles and cassettes at normal prices. Also a large range of blank cassettes and accessories.

Usually a good stock of singles. Helpful staCE: Much same sentiments as for The Muses.

NOW RECORDS (l3a Grote St., just up from the market) has most Australian Releases available, albums, singles and cassettes, all at reduced

prices. Well laid out store. Friendly staff not into "you hear the album - you biiy the album" routine. Lots of blank cassettes, accessories and secondhand albums from $1 up.

Will buy your albums and order gladly. Worth a visit.

DOWNTOWN RECORDS - 2 locations (6l Flinders St., 169 Rundle St.) They stock Australian Releases - albums, singles, cassettes at dis­ count prices. Also some classical, jazz and easy listening trade, most also in cassettes.

Good range of accessories, blank tapes and have an efficient, approachable staff. Some good jazz, worth visiting.

RECORD MAH (7 Adelaide Arcade, close to Grenfell St.) is one of the staple ingredients of the Adelaide record buyers diet. Probably the best Australian Releases store around.

Have extensive album, single and cassette range (also selected import albums) and will order. Good staff, friendly with good know­ ledge. Have a sprinkling of classical, blues, a good jazz selection and great secondhand ^range where often rarities will pop up for around Well laid out and willing to help.

Go there I JM RECORDS (57 Victoria Square, in the arcade) reflects its colourful sTirroundings by stocking Arabic, Greek* Turkish and other foreign language albums and cassettes. Also Australian Releases, chart albums and tapes, accessories and blank tapes. Normal prices and an efficient staff. Worth visiting for specialist stock only.

SOUL TRAIN (I8 Peel St.) specialises in American import albiuns usually priced around $8 .50. Loads of deletions around $4»50» and a good jazz selection, sizable reggae, blues and country selection and some blank cassettes Most rock, pop albums available. Will order gladly. Worth a visit.

ANDROMEIDA MUSIC (229 Rundle St.) stocks US, UK, and German import alb\xms around $8.50 upwards and will order. Have great reggae selection, soul, blues, oldies, extensive jazz selection and helpful staff. Also stock bootlegs (when available, at $ 5 »50) and have some rarities. Good store, worth occasional visits.

THE RECORD FACTORY (downstairs, 6 Rundle Arcade) is considered the place to meet by school kids and justifiably. Apart from stocking Australian Released singles, albiims and one of the best ranges of cassettes, all at discount prices ($6.30 upwards) they have a pinball machine, a couch to relax on while you listen to records and very helpful staff.

Decent selection of reggae, blues, new wave and sometimes special discounts. Blank cass-

ettes, accessories available. No "you listen - you buy" pressures here. Worth regular vis­ its. (Also have outlet at Malltown).

MODERN LOVE SONGS has become the Adelaide import store, one of the few willing to carve and retain a definitive character for itself.

They import albums from U.S., U.K., some Japanese specialties and will order gladly.

Prices usually $8.50 upwards, also import singles. Specialize in New Wave, Rockabilly, Rock'n'Roll and other fringe musics, as well as stocking usual rock, pop. Also bootlegs (when available $5»99)> stocks of deletions, imported magazines, badges, t-shirts. Rumours are that this store may be forced to close due to certain companies' pressure. Watch out, Adelaide needs this type of store. Run by fans for fans. Need I say more?

Their address is 39 Twin St..

UMBRELLA MUSIC (218 Rundle St., enter from Frome Rd.) Adelaides specialist secondhand record store. Stacks of albums, Australian Releases and imports at assorted prices (usu -ally around $ 3 »50)» some singles, special imports at $4.50 plus decent range of cassettes.

Good jazz, folk, coTxntry, easy listening avail -able depending on supply. Nearly always have bootlegs. Stock special greeting cards, great selection of posters and,great staff. No listening-to-record problems. Also have pin­ ball machine. Run by fans for fans (with a small budget).

DON'S REKORDS (5 Arcade Lane) stocks mostly

classical imported albums at assorted prices.

Lots of easy listening, some folk and trad­ itional musics in stock, usually discounted.

Efficient staff will order.

JOHN DAVIS RECORDS (24 Charles St.) specialises in classical and jazz and has extensive range of Opera, Instrumental as well as Australian Released albiams and cassettes.

Staff are very helpful and will order. Stacks of albums from $3.99 upwards and normal prices for Australian Releases. Good raJige of access -ories. Good for jazz buffs.

VERANDAH MUSIC - CHEAP NUMBERS (123 Rundle Mall, Richmond Arcade) has only recently be­ come two stores again. About time.

CHEAP NUMBERS occupies the previous Am.-import Verandah store, while VERANDAH MUSIC has gone to its original Europe-import store. CHEAP NUMBERS stocks the latest Australian Released albums and cassettes at cheapest prices in town $6.29 upwards). They have an extensive range of rock, pop, folk and good reggae, jazz and soul stocks. Friendly staff with encyclopaediac knowledge. No 'listen—buy" pressures here. Across the arcade its sophisticated counte3?part VERANDAH MUSIC, stocks latest U.K. U.S. imports. Extensive rock, pop, jazz, folk stocks, good new wave, reggae, blues and country at around $8.90. More jazz—oriented than most import stores. Even special discoI Selected import singles, couch for relaxing, latest overseas magazines for flicking through Helpful, knowledgeable staff gladly order.

No "listen-buy" pressures here either. Worth regular visits.

ALLANS (58 Gawler Place) proves that big is not necessarily beautiful. They stock Australian Releases, albums, singles, cassebtgs and selected imports. Some blues, coTuitry, reggae, disco, decent jazz selection and extensive rock, pop and chart albims, singles all at normal prices. Not very well laid out store. Lots of accessaries, blank cassettes, and efficient staff. Can be relied on for chart material.

Included because they both have albtims difficult to get are;BOOKMASTERS (87 Grenfell St.) have cheap U.S. import albums and some hard-to-get jazz.

They don't really seem to be interested in records and don't have an extensive range.

Worth occasional visits. Prices $7*99 liP” wards, cheapies $2.99 upwards.

THIRDWORLD BOOKSTORE (103 Hindley St.) has large range of secondhand albums both import and Australian Release. You need lots of time to sort through the mess. Prices are about $4 upwards and the staff usually has no inter -est at all. Some very good jazz and oldies.

So you think you know everything about rock If it was released anywhere in the world since 1962, we won’t tell you we can’t get it (unless we can’t!) .

Try us VERANDAH MUSIC ^ IMPORTS C H E A P H U M B E R S — DISCOUNTS RICHMOND ARCADE (opposite Malltown) Phone: 2236753 ROAH^RIIPER:,S E P T E K E ® 14978r.-’‘PAGE.-,5.

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STATUS QUO Status Quo hit Adelaide recently looking very much like a band with a point to prove; not having had much chart action in the last 18 months, and almost universal critical damnation of "Rockin’ All Over The World".

Also, with claims of them being "old and tired", "past it", and "uninspired", occurring frequently they came prepared to give their critics a kick in the arse. The prevailing attitude seemed to be that they were here to restore their reputation for powerhouse rock' n'roll after an absence of 18 months, (an absence which they concluded was much too long).

We met them early one Sunday morning and over tea and toast, managed to pick up over the sounds of which album do you think achieved the definitive Quo sotind?

F - Francis Rossi: R - Richard Parfitt: J - John C o x i a n : A - Andy Brown: RR - Road Runner.

I

J: Piledriver was a good alb\m for perhaps defining the sound , but really all of them show the different aspects of the sound.

RR: Do you think your popularity is waning?

R: No, it's escalating.

"Rockin' All Over The World" sold more than any of the other albums.

RR: Did "Rockin'...." do better in America than the others?

R: Yeah, it sold 7 copies, the others only sold 3» so it doubled sales.

RR: You've been aroxmd 16 years, where do you think music is heading?

F: Music is moving in cycles. This disco stuff happened x years ago with a soul thing.

R: We were pvinks 7-8 years ago; for that time. New Wave is a good thing, music needed something new.

RR: Is the enthusiasm and fire still there in the band?

F: Yeah, when we get to the gig.

RR: A lot of people are saying you're old and tired.

F: Well, it's the thing to say, isn't it.

Come and see the gig, we're not over the top.

RR: "Rockin' All Over The World" is a bit clinical in sound.

F: The studio was a very dead soimding studio, and we hadn't worked with Pip before.

On the new one we used a better studio, for us. We got more reflection and overspill on the tapes, something which was lacking on Rockin'.

J: We need atmosphere, and it was hard to get it on the last album, mainly due to the dead sound of the studio.

RR: Regarding atmosphere, did you like the sound of the live album?

R: Personally no.

RR: 'Roll over laydown' single seemed a better live effort.

R: Roll over is a good live song anyway.

We always get off on it, everything seems to click after it. But the sound of the live album overall was disastrous.

RR: Did you do anything to it back in the studio?

R: No, it's exactly as it was.

F: On reflection, we should have, but we didn't - silly boysI RR: Why is it that Andy isn't a recognised member of the band?

A: Well, this group joined me about a year ago, I let them play most of their records before that (much applause from all present at this point).

F: He's only here for the shaggin'.

A: The music, it's all in B anyway.

Occasionally there's black notes.

R: So that's where the bum notes come from.

RR: When will the new album be out?

R: December.

RR: Is there any noticable change in direction?

J: Slightly, but basically it is much raunchier than "Rockin';". It's a better album than the last.

RR: When are you coming back?

R: March, we wanna come when the album's number one.

Certainly the "tameness" and "cleanness" of the Rockin' album was not present later that night, when with the help of 4>000 pairs of feet, they surely took ten years life off the Apollo Stadium foundations, and showed ROADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 6

A d elaid e: interview ed M elbourne: review ed 'S'-

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that even though they are no longer street p\mks, they can play with more guts and energy than any band Adelaide has seen.

Regardless of what they sound like on record, their live show must surely be one of the most dynamic in the world. As Francis Rossi told me, they sell records by touring and after Sunday's concert, I can easily see why. If you're a disbeliever, take Rossi's advice and see the show (next March), because this band is definitely not over the top.

Mark Withnell Aidan Withnell

Status Quo have been to this co\mtry I-don't-know-how-many times now, and they'll probably keep on coming. At least, that's what everyone says. That they've been together for 16 years, and they'll be to­ gether another 16 .....

But whatever their futxre m i ^ t be, the fact is they're as well received now as they ever were. The first time I saw them was the first time they toured Australia, in 1972 (?), and they knocked me out. They were even better than bill-topper's Slade, who were a bit of a disappointment (but still good). Yeah, I fell in love with Status Quo. At the time I was about I 5 .

Since then, every tour they've been greeted by an army of 15 ysar old fans.

Entering MelboTime's Festival Hall was like a nostalgia trip - boys in flanelette shirts with acne and greasy long hair, and girls with pert, firm tits. They say Status Quo's is a working class audience, and by my observation I'd reckon that's not far wrong.

Even before the show began, they were barely able to contain their enthusiasm waving banners and chanting like an English football crowd. They'd come to see their band. And you can forget that 'peoples band" rfxetoric. Status Quo are no Tom Robinson's. All they do is deliver, and that's all their fans want.

For some reason Australia has embraced Status Quo (what, with one of them living here nowl). Which is not to say they're unpopular else\diere. They're nothing in America, of course (you've gotta be the Bee Gee's to be anything in America), but in the UK and Europe they're a big draw-card, with a dedicated following like here.

In Australia, Status Quo are continually praised - Andrew MacMillan at RAM must be their biggest fan - whereas their homeland critics are less kind. They'll only admit Status Quo work well within the narrow frame­ work they've set themselves, lacking what I recall was once termed the "\diiff of •unpredict -ability" that could maike them interesting.

I can only but concur with this viewpoint.

A Status Quo performance is designed to make their fans happy. And make no mistake; it is a performance, a piece of theatre. The group know their job and they do it. They create a foot-stompin', hand-clappin' rock'n' roll fantasy.

Performance of the group as embodiment of escape from workaday drudgery? Maybe so, but at the moment i t 's not important. W h a t 's important is that S'tatus Quo malce it fun to pretend to play guitair....

Their audience can enjoy them probably because they haven't yet discovered the tediiun of the boogie formula. And if I'm beginning to soimd condescending, I'm sorry; it's just that it's hard for me ■to constructively criticise Status Quo because of m y nonreaction. Certainly I don't necessarily object to "Boogie" in itself, and I haven't forgotten how I used to love Status Quo the way these kids do now. Perhaps it's my very own pretensions that refuse to allow me enjoying them. But no, I really don't think so. I've seen every move and heard every note before, and all over ai^ian it does no­ thing for me. I find Status Quo stale.

Of course, I don't begrudge them their audience, but surely bands like the Clash or the Ramones are as infectious as they are - so why aren't they in demand? (l know why, it's a matter of exposure, but that's another story....).

Or if, as it seems, everyone is determined to boogie themselves to death, then what's wrong with the Angels, who at least would have been a better support act than the awful Finch....

All things considered, I must admit Status Quo do have a certain appeal.

It's not so much audience identification as it is that the group doesn't patronise their audience.

Status Quo are down-to-earth and ■unassuming; and that's a charm rarely found, and one much appreciated.

In fact, their only con­ cession to ever-increasing popularity is a superior stage set-up, which is, after all, aimed only at improving the show.

Status Quo give their fans exactly what they want. There is, at least, a fair degree of honesty at work. And who am I to criti­ cise that?

Gee Walker

G RAHAM Don M cLean

rum our confirm eci I t ’s no rumour the radio ads are saying.

Graham Parker and The Rumour are, barring acts of God, going to be blasting off at the Apollo on 1 5 th September. But don't be misled b y that powerpop tag (powerpop was last months label) - Graham Psarker and the boys aren't mining the mid sixties, their roots lie 15 years further back than that, in black rhythm' n'blues. The very same area that spawned the Stones, the Yardbirds and the Animals in the sixties. Of course, it's 15 years since the Stones burst out of Richmonds Crawdaddy Club and i,id the foimdation for the British R & B boom. And we all know the Stones haven't really hit the energy button since "Exile..."

In many ways Graham Parker and the Rumour parallel the rise of the Stones. They are the offspring of the early seventies pub rock scene which si)awned Dr. Feelgood, Kursaal Flyers, Ducks De Luxe and Brinsley Schwarz in fact, Brinsley Schwarz (who included the maestro, Nick Lowe) provided Brinsley Schwarz a n i Bob Andrews (keyboards) for the Rumour v ^ l e Ducks De Ltue supplied Martin Belmont (Ducks De Luxe also included Garvey and Masters now of the Motors). So you get the picture.

The Rumo\ir are grad\iates of the early 70's London R'n'B school. They are no wet behind the ears, snotty nosed kids. They are the topa The Rumour, they weren't known by that name then, but it'll do, used to hang out at the Hope and Anchor in N. London which was THE pub in the pub rock circuit. It was there they met up with Graham Parker who at the time was working as a petrol pump attendant in Giiilford.

The Hope used to have a small recording studio vdiere budding bands made demos. Graham Parker came up from Surrey with some of his songs and made some demos with the Rumour. One of the songs they recorded got airplay on Charlie Gillett's influential Radio London show eund a record contract with Vertigo followed soon after (July 1975).

The first album "Howling Wind" was an exceptional debut. The combination of Parkeite rasping vocals and the Rumovirs oh so tight m u s i c was pure dynamite. The band began to build on its London reputation with a series of dazzling concerts throughout the land. To spread the word Phonogram released an "official bootleg" called Live At Marble Arch which is possibly the beet live Parker committed to vinyl. And live Parker has it all over the records. I saw the band on their 1977 British tour when they were supported by their near­ est American equivalents Southside Johnny the Asbury J\ikes. Now the Jiokes are a hard act to follow - they grew up playing in the same bars as Bruce Springsteen and they are the tiltimate American R'n'B bar band. But Graham Parker and the Rumour gathered them in and soared past them with a performance of sustained intensity and stunning musicianship that had the entire audience, yotirs truly included, boogieing in the aisles and on the seats. It's a compelling sight to see the (diminutive G3?aham Parker pouring it all out, intense and sinister behind his huge shades, in front of the ridiculously good big men of the Rumo'ur. It was one of the greatest rock' n'roll concerts I've ever seen, on a par with Springsteen at the Hammersmith Odeon and Dylan at West Lakes.

Since the release of Heat Treatment, the second "official" album, Graham Parker and the Rumour have been trying to crack it in the States. Despite ecstatic critical acclaim ajid a gilt edged reputation for superb concert perfoimance (Graham Parker and the Rumour are the only band around I'd pay money to see" Bruce Springsteen) the band have yet to make their mark where it really counts - on the charts. This desf)ite the bajads sound having absorbed nvimerous American influences from the extensive touring they have done there (Check out "The Heat in Harlem" and "Soul on Ice" from the "Stick to Me" album.

Parker blames his American record company, Mercury, for the lack of sales. He cites Columbia's successful promotion of Elvis Costello as proof that new British acts can be broken in the States.

The release of the band's fovirth album, "The Parkerilla" seems to be an attempt to tianslate Parker's live appeal directly into album sales. UnfortTonately the attempt seems to have failed, in the U.S. at least. The albiun hasn't made the b r e a kthrou^ that obviotB

Don McLean is a bit of an enigma. Most people have heard of him due to the massive worldwide success of "American Pie" and "Vincent", but not too many people would be aware of what he's been up to for the last couple of years. Well, we all have the chance because Mr. McLean will be gracing otir shores with a visit in early October.

Just to refresh your memory, let's travel back to 1972 when McLean's elaborate allegory of this history of rock and roll captured the imagination of a generation. In fact not just one generation, but a number of generations.

For one, the generation who grew up in the first wave of rock and roll, and who would have agreed with the idea that rock died with Buddy Holly, And a much younger generation to whom Buddy Holly was as distant as Charlie Chaplin. To them the song was possibly a mythological fable, a fairy tale with rock's great heroes as characters. But like any tale it brought those characters to life and perhaps into perspective for a generation too yoting to remember.

For months it seemed everyone was trying to decipher the song. Was Dylan 'the jester' who stole the pearly crown? Were the Beatles the quartet who practised in the park? Who were the Father, Sone & Holy Ghost? It was like a poetic rock'n'roll crossword puzzle.

And apart from all that intellectiial twaddle it was a very catchy tune.

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-ly the record company and Parker's manager had hoped for. What can they do next? I ’dorft know, but I'm sure there is a lot of head scratching going on in Parker's management.

The live album is a slick, almost calculated sounded album, as if it has been mixed for the masses. Which is what Parker is into - he's often said he wants to sell lots of records and get his music to lots of people. He's walking that tightrope that all serious art­ ists walk; the one that has artistic inte­ grity on the one side and commercial success on the other.

The success of the song catapulted Don McLean from the position of obscure folkie to international superstar. A bit of a mindbender for anyone (Ralph McTell, who incurred a similar simple twist of fate with 'Streets of London' had to take a year off to recover), but McLean managed to get it together to hit another consciousness spot with his homage to Vincent Van Gogh song, 'Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)' which I'm sure had all America's aware people creaming their respective jeans. I remember a news snippet soon after that song was a hit. McLean was touring Holland and a reporter asked him if he was going to visit Van Gogh's grave while he was in Clog/Tulip/ Windmill Land (cross out whichever is not to your taste). "No", said a mildly surprised Don. "Well, are you going to the Van Gogh Museum while you are in Amsterdam?"

"I don't think I've got time" said Don. Shockl Horror11 Credibility shot to pieces in the art school set 1! i Funnily enough, McLean is more popular in Britain than in America. America really went overboard about 'American Pie', what with its talk of 'good old boys drinking whiskey and rye' and 'drove my c h e w y to the levee...'

It was real culture reinforcing stuff. No­ thing the man has done since has been able to match that nationwide response.

But Britain has taken McLean to its heart and he succeeds in selling put concerts there whenever he crosses the Atlantic. I saw him perform at the 1977 Cambridge Folk Festival, the No. 1 folk event of the year in the U.K., where he had the unenviable task of follow­ ing the doyens of Celtic Folk music. The Boys of the Lough (who bemoaned the lack of traditional British folk music in the festi­ val all through their set). I think he felt a bit out of his depth there, for the Cambridge crowd, although usually half pissed, knows and appreciates its folk music and a well known, 'popular' folkie like McLean always has an uphill battle against the purist elements. Sad to relate, Don blew it that day. He seemed too gushy, too Christian revivalist, too AMERICAN for the time and place. He seemed unable to relate to the audience at all and must have been disappoint­ ed with the gig - even though the whole crowd did sing along with 'American Pie'.

McLean's recordings since A.P. have been received favourably by the critics, but have failed to make any real impression on the charts. He's still living in the shadow of ths monster he created - a sort of Doktor Frankenstein figure. Recent disputes with his record company haven't helped him either.

McLean as an artist left his rock myth­ ology in the past. Whether the public has, is another matter. October will tell.

ROADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

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It's 7.50p.m. on a Tuesday night, and only the road crews and door staff are in the room finishing off last minute jobs.

In every possible place around the venue are posters telling of who's in town and who's coming the following w e ek.• Everyone is waiting in anticipation at how many people will pass through the door that night.

In the spare time before the n i ^ t begins everyone just sits around talking and smoking.... while the clock on the wall slowly ticks to the hour....

Now the hour has struck, and tape music filters through the once silent room. People start pushing and shoving to get in - all anxious to get the best advantage points around the venue. Money is handed back and forth and a stamp placed on either the right or left wrist to assure that each person has paid.

Often people exclaim in horror at the price it costs to get in to the gig. What all the general public do not understand is the high prices the promoter is paying to bring these bands to them. Band managers and agencies demand ever increasing fees of the bands the public demands, and the promoter has to pay these fees without too much argument.

If promoters screamed at these prices as often as the public does, then there would be few ways of seeing the bands in a pub situation, and xmfortunately, the only way to see these bands would be at very infrequent concerts.

If anyone needed to be repremanded for the high demands in price, then it is the managers and agencies that should hear the outcries.

The band begins its first bracket, the people move back and forth from the bar to watch them play. A few more adventiirous types arise to the increasing rhythm of the music to dance.

So the night progresses in a spray of colour from peoples gay attire.

First band break.

People move off perhaps to the bar, or perhaps outside for a smoke.

It is often a pleasure to work on nights when people are creating a pleasant vibe and at­ mosphere to the gig..... but..... unfortun­ ately, a few uncontrolled egos spoil the general atmosphere by sneaking in without paying. We at the door rarely miss them try­ ing to push past without paying.. Why try it?

You will be hassled and noone really wants to do this, because hassles cause bad vibes.

It is quite often embarassing for all concern­ ed when people are unceremoniously hustled out.

Posters are put up to inform patrons of w h a t 's happening during the current week and the week to follow.

If anyone wants a poster, please ask, and you will be very surprised at how often you will get one without much ado.

If seen taking one down, you will find that you won't be allowed to retain it.

Unfortunately, not everyone that goes to a gig conduct themselves in a peaceful mannei; and this ruins it for the rest of the patrons and the promoter.

One particular incident in which a "gentleman" who was very drunk, smashed three plate glass doors and his 'un­ ladylike friends punched and kicked the” hotel manager, and the police were called in, putting a damper on the whole night# Noone would like your friends coming to your home, smashing it up, stealing your glasses and ashtrays, vomiting over your carpets (there are toilets at every venue), and pulling yoTir system off the wall, so you would pro­ bably bar that person from entering your home again. When you are at your favorite place, show a little respect. Everyone should be grateful that hotel owners allow promoters to hold their venues in their hotel, because without their support, noone would be able to see bands under these circumstances.

It only takes a few to ruin a venue, and most of the gigs that you frequent are pretty easy going with little hassle.

If this is at all abused, the priveleges of these venues will be closed to both the public and the promoter, not enabling the pub rock scene to continue in the same way as you now know it, for as quickly as they start, they can as quickly end.

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JO HNNY COUGAR paper tig e r?

"He's not too tall. But he's good looking in a dark, broodily aggre­ ssive way - with all the right ext­ ernals which- spell out well-assured masculine sexuality," Now, that's how the VEA. biography of one Johnny Co\igar begins and it keeps coming to mind as I sit on a couch at the Town House talking to this 25-year-old singer-songwriter from the American mid-west State of Indiana. Despite the fact that the ¥EA people have invented a new Elnglish (or rather non-English) word with "broodily", none of the rest seems to fit. Al­ though, I'm not too sure what a "well -assured masculine sexuality" is; unless it's like Leonard Cohen saysnot being ugly. If that is the case, and it is too close to deadline to look any further, it's true. But what it has got to do with this fellow on my right has me biiggered.

I went to meet Johnny Cougar not feeling the best and not the best pre -pared I've been for an interview. I had heard his hit single, "I Need A Lover", on the radio a lot and on Countdown now and again. His album, "A Biography", I had only listened to twice, the second time being that morning. The WEA biography told me less than nothing and the only other piece of information I had was from Stuart "Where's Kings Cross" Coupe, who told me he was a nice guy and had lots of interesting stuff to say about Tony DePries and Mainman, "I was in New York one week and I got a fuckin' deal", says Cougar, thinking back to his first encounter with David Bowie's personality shaper.

"But you find out that all that glitters isn't gold.

So I was six months in the music business and six months trying to get out of it because of lawsTiits and shit with him".

Cougar had left college in 1975» graduating in broadcasting, and, not being interested in working in that field, went to New York. He had been in rock'n'roll bands. "They were set up on a democracy-type situation and we all know that democracies don't work. I don't like to be involved with a bunch of guys 'cause you don't get nothing done. You always fuckin' argue.

I always wanted to have my own band where I was in control of the situation.

I figured I was better off just playing guitar in my house not worrying about trying to sell anything; not prostituting songs that I wrote; as long as I was happy with them, that's all that mattered.

So when I went to New York, it was a shock. I walked in there and they treat­ ed me like hell.

I walked up there and dropped a fuckin' tape off and flew back to Indiana. I was back three days and they called me and said we've got a deal. That's vdiere Johnny Cougar came from. The place where that name came from was Johnny Cougar, the cartoon character, DePries said that he made the name up Ziggy Stardust for David and gave Bowie his last name.

And that, to me, was prerequisite enough at that point in my life to go along with his little whims; so he said we'll make up his car -toon character, Johnny Cougar, who lives on the streets because that's the kind of songs you write."

Defending his keeping of the name Cougar (his real name being Meloncamp), the young man quotes Dylan; "My age it means nothing, my age it means less." Moments later he switches around to his favourite topic: bashing the image machine in rock; hitting the business side of things.

It's a powerful attack and sustained; so much so that after a while you begin to think the image of the anti-image is as worth­

are gonna listen to my albums, they're gonna have to participate to do it.

"I don't want people to listen to my album and go and wash their hair.

If you gonna do that, then don't buy the record. It's better to spend yoior money on a Boney M album."

Why does this chap write songs?

"The reasons I write songs, I think, is just to interview muself and see what the fuck I'm about. I never know what i t 's about until about a month later, xmtil it's in perspective."

He goes on to explain that his next album will deal with the hipper-thanthou attitude than exists in rock music. But how confident can this person be that he's not part of it?

"I can't be confident about it at all some days;, some days I can be com­ pletely confident about it. While I'm doing it I say, oh, Jesus Christ, why am I involved in all this shit.

But then when I step away from it I can say.... next time. I mean like next time I come here I'm not going to do all of this. I'm keeping a little tick sheet of people that I'd like to talk to. Like I did an inter -view with a fuckin' paper called the Sxm and it came out and every fuckin' thing was misquoted and fucked up; I was fuckin' steamed, so I never talk again to the Sun, as long as I live, I just read an article that some girl.

Penny K e a m s , from around here wrote and I'll talk to her because it was a fuckin' good article."

less as anything else in rock. A consumer item is a consumer item is a consumer item, as Gertrude Stein would say.

"There's two sides to the rock'n'roll business," he confides, "there's the record side and then there's the business. The record company makes records, they don't make artists.

They're only interested in selling product, which is a piece of plastic which goes around and supposedly entertains people."

As a case in point the young man attacks Elvis Costello saying libellous and nasty things ("It never pleased me more than when Willy De Ville beat him up on stage in the United States".) Back to DePries and you can't help but think while he's saying all this just how sadly our isolated country is lacking in rock lawyers who know the business and can get artists out of dOals signed with haste and deceit.

After all of this Cougar's new manager happened to mention that he owned a record company, Riva, in England and the pair set off in October last year to London to make the new album. It's at least an album that's interest­ ing, although a lot less than demanding.

Cougar says it was made like it was on purpose.

"It's hard to listen to. I could've put a fuckin' lyric sheet in; I could've not had so many guitars; I could've had less piano tracks; you know, made it a nice, easy-listen­ ing rock'n'roll album which would have sold a lot better than it is. The reason I did that., because it's hard to fuckin' listen to; it's thick; the fuckin' reason is that if people

In response to a question about secTority Cougar runs off on a long rave about his own insecurity and about the meaning of the album; "The realism of small town existence." He goes on to compare himself to Bruce Springsteen, or at least one song called "Factory". Then comes Amer­ ican society. It's not well, he tells us. Here a dichotomy pops up.

Now, just this morning you were think -ing that these songs on the album were not all that strong. As a matter of fact you thought that they were pretty limp, trying to say something, but un­ sure of the writer's own perspective. Here the writer is talking and he is getting very self-assu.red and forceful. He even starts in on Jimmy Carter. Does the writer recognise a contradiction here or shall we put it down to time?

"I'm not any more confident in conversation than I am in my songs, I don't know why I would be. I don't know... you see, you may talk to me tomorrow and I may be a complete fuckin' ass-hole.

Some days you just can't leal with it," Do you find that your songs are stronger now? "I don't know. It's very interesting because I never really looked at my songs g/nd weighed the value of songs on weak or strong before. It's something I've never eval\iated before. To be quite honest, I probably fall into the coward category like a lot of people.

When I was younger, I used to stand on the street c o m e r and shout obscenities at people going by, which any coward can do. Yeah, I suppose."

Then we come back to the music business.

The talk goes on and it's quite a pleasure.

The man is a really nice guy and I leave lik­ ing talking to him a lot better than I like listening to his record. And as Chris Bain and I wander into Hindley Street, I start to sing to myself: "The top of the staircase was ready to fall. We were all waiting down­ stairs in the hall, Watch out for big mamma, she'll set you on fire. Or go for your neck with the chicken wire, Oh, when you've begun to think like a gun..." I guess we're all cowards one day.

Dennis Atkins ROADRUNNER SEPTEI4BER 1978

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PAGE 10

RUSSELL MORRIS Next month EMI will issue a lavish Russell Morris anthology album titled "Retrospective 1968- 72 ", The set will include all of his hit singles, a rare track by "Somebody's Image", two previously unreleased gems and some of the best cuts from the "Bloodstone" album.

The album's compiler, rock historian Glenn A. Baker has kindly allowed Roadrunner to reprint part of the liner notes which will appear on the album.

Baker's full annotation also includes a • complete discography, suid chart log and rare photos which are not included with this piece.

Let us begin in 196?» at ahy one of a string of Melbourne Surf Clubs where The Groop regu­ larly appeared. For wherever the Groop was, so was a weedy I7 year old would-be-popsinger called Russell Morris.

Yotjng Russell had, for many years, been listening to his mum's Johnny Ray Live album and had decided that a lifestyle dominated by masses of worshiping females was most definite “ly worth purs\iing. Certain of his friends ap-I>arently shared similar thoughts because four of them (Eric Cairns, Les Townsend, Kevin Thomas and Les Owen) joined Russell in the formation of a rock group called Somebody's Image, These five young fellows, bursting keen to "show their stuff", cajoled Ronnie Charles, Brian Caine (Cadd) and the other Groop members into allowing Somebody's Image to premiere at one of the s\irf club dances. They were, quite legitimately, an "instant smash" with the Groojis followers and soon found themselves on more shows as a fully-billed support, Russell estab -lished a deep friendship with his )iero Brian Cadd, a friendship which would cause their paths to cross many times over the next decade.

Somebody's Image began to draw a loyal following of their own and word spread quickly to Go-Set writer and industry "guru" Tan Meldrum The group had already benefitted on many occa­ sions from Meldrum's personal interest and sup­ port and Meldrum was, in turn, interested in the Group's new "find", Meldrum was instantly taken aback by the raw potential of the shy high-voiced young singer before him and it was only a few Weeks before the press pieces, personal endorsements and "opportunities" began to appear. The group found themselves signed to the W, & G, label and their first single When I Come appeared in late 1967» followed by Hush in early 1968 - a reasonable national hit (No, I5 ). With a hit single on the charts, a great many people were beginning to pay serious attention to this singer that they had been hearing murmers about for so many mcmths. Things were going accord­ ing to (Meldrum's) plan.

The role of Ian Meldrum in the rise of Some­ body's Image was by no means insignificant, althoTO^ it was always glaringly obvious that his interest was centred on one member only.

In the second half of I968 he was instru­ mental in securing the group a contract with E,M,I, aind, under David McKay, a (final) single was recorded - Hide and Seek, a stun­ ning pop production and sadly, a non-hit, Meldrum had not wanted Morris to leave Somebody's Image but when the inevitable occur -ed, he moved into top gear, assuming the role of manager/producer.

Within two months he had created what would become the most amazing Australian rock single ever recorded.

It was in the dressing room of ATV 0, during the taping of "Uptight" that "The Real Thing" was debuted. Writer Johnny Young played it on acoustic guitar to Romxie B u m s , but it was Meldrum who saw the potential and eventually wheedled the tune away from Young, for his own project.

Interestingly, Young's idea for the record­ ing of the song was a cello-dominated "I am the Walrus" style, with a guitar riff where the "oommowmamoow" was eventually placed.

The Real Thing was not exactly a silk p\irse from a sow's ear, but it was certainly a work of pure genius crafted from the most basic of raw material, Meldrum's tools were the simple melodic Johnny Young ballad and a head bursting with incredible ideas.

Assembling the talents of The Groop, guitar -ist Roger Hicks (of Zoot) and Maureen Elkner, Meldrum proceeded to create a spectacular six minute epic - a wizard's brew of swirling electronic noise, mesmerizing chanting and compelling charisma, Russell became, by Meldrum's own admission, virtually incidental to the entire project (and yet, not long after it was completed, Molly appeared to shamefully disown the masterpiece he had created - oddl).

It took just three weeks for The Real Thing to hit number one in Melbourne (early May, 1969) within another two weeks Russell

Morris became the most adored Australian pop star since Normie Rowe, As writer Ed Nimmervoll observed; "Russell was very much a star for the kids, only they could appreciate the barrage of excitement". The hysteria came as swiftly as it would eventually abate - his Melbourne house was contin\ially invaded by fans (who were cheerfully entertained by his bemused grandmother) and his mere public presence was sufficient to create traffic-stopping riots, M s success took the entire industry (except perhaps Meldrum) by surprise, after all he wasn't really the most attractive bod in the land and hie stage persona could only be described as, well,, disjointed. Yet it was his gawky boyish charm and honest sincerity which, combined with a wardrobe of the most absolutely trendy kinky gear and the contin­ ual support of Go-Set and U p t i ^ t (TV Shows), won him /the heart of every young girl who laid eyes on him (interestingly there has probably never been another Australian teen idol so despised by yo’ong malesl), A banner headline on the front page of Go-Set proclaiming Russell to Marry? resulted in that issue becoming the all-time biggest selling edition of the rag in its 9 years of existence.

By July, Morris Mania was still only a bare three months old and showing no signs of abatement. For all intents, this poker faced, long nosed, wispy haired 18 year old pinnochio was a perfect teenage idol, but in reality, fame could not have picked a frailer soul to carry its awesome load, Russell was caught up in a rock'n'roll fan­ tasy, a dream that would soon turn into a frightening ni^tmare. He had no hesitation in gushing to Go-Set at the time; "the last ten weeks of my life have been like some fantastic dream". Yet three years later he recalled it all rather differently; "I was just standing on stage like a statue, singing other people's songs and not doing anything worthwhile, I loved "The Real Thing" when I first heard it, but in the end it drove me crazy. It was a big gimmick, a big commercial commodity that was forced on everyone and it almost killed me," The lad found it almost impossible to meet the huge national demand for him (for rarely has the lifespan of a popstar been so ridicul­ ously briefI) His most memorable appearances included the 2UW New Sounds of '69 competition playoff at Sydney Showground in July, I969 (where, he topped the bill over 26 local rock groups and kept ambulance men at frantic pace for the short diiration of his set) and the national Starlift tour which he undertook throughout’September with Ronnie B u m s , Johnny F a m h a m , Zoot, Johnny Young, Valentines, Doug Parkinson, In Focus and the Masters Apprentices Russell stood the breeikneck pace for just a few months before he began to crack under the strain. He kept a brave face though, only letting his feelings show in an occasional press comment, like; "Sometimes it's a real drag, I get in a bad mood and hate being told to go out and sing said leap about."

In late June The Real Thing was quietly released in the^ U.S. on a tiny New York label (Diamond No. 263) and, with virtually no push or hype., became a N.Y. critic's favourite.

National interest took a distinct upswing when Cashbox glowed in its July 15 issue; "mind boggling electronic blast ., hypnotic spell caster ... compelling at first listen and impossible to ignore. It will very likely explode across the AI^^IM airwaves,, monstrous potential". In fact, it got to nximber one in New York and Chicago and entered the lower reaches of the Top 100, V/hat really cruelled the disc's chances in the U.S. was Diamond's decision to spread the song over two sides (because they didn't have the publishing on the original B side!)

On the home front, things were seemingly secure. A second single, released in Aiogust on Russell's 19 th birthday, shot straight to niamber one as well, remaining on the charts for more than four months and earning a gold single. On the surface Part 5 Into Paper Walls seemed simply The Real Thing revisited but it was actually quite an intelligent record, combining an extension of Johnny Young's chanting mantra with a pretty semi­ song of Russell's called Paper Walls but .ironically it was Johnny Young's gentle B side The Girl That I Love which picked up most air­ play. This B side was also a mommoth credi­ bility builder for Russell, proving that he was capable of being more than a utility voice inside an audial extravaganza.

But as this second chart scorcher was con­ quering the country, rumours began to buzz throvigh the industry about an impending split between Russell and Ian Meldrum. In September Ian made public the difficulties, with his comment; "I can't say that the last 8 months have been happy days for either Russell or myself. There were times when we hated each other's guts."

At the base of the dispute was a fierce conflict between Meldrum and Morris and Young over which country Russell was to attack first, Meldrum wanted to back up the U.S. reaction, but the others thought that England would be a safer bet. The ambitious Mr, Meldrum was (quite understandably) enraged.

Russell and Molly departed in October, I969 and completely severed their relationship soon after aarival in London. Russell fell in with the Australian pop community which had been slowly assembling in England since I967 Lily Brett, Rob Lovett, Gary Spry, Marty Christian, David McKay, Vince Melouney, etc.

This had a marked effect on this still-con­ fused young singer. He grew a beard, began taking seriously to songwriting and eventually placed his entire career in some sort of perspective. In 1972 he admitted, "I just didn't do anything there. I just hung around and freaked out and it was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it straightened me out. In England I started writing and I picked up a few chords on the guitar. I was also straightened out by seeing how the music business operates. Here it's a casual game but over there it's a deadly business."

By December, Russell was becoming homesick and decided to cut his stay short. Prior to departure he recorded two tracks under pro­ ducer (ex Aztec, Bee Gee), Vince Melouney a Raymond Froggatt pop song called Rachel and a Melouney piece called Little lady. He left the country immediately after recording arranged for Melouney to forward on the final mix \dien finished.

Initially it seemed as if his overseas hiatus had done his home popularity little damage. Returning home in late December, he was treated as a conquering hero by media and fans alike. His first show, in Brisbane, saw 5,000 kids in a state of total hysteria with more than a hundred being carted off by ambulance. The rest of the tour enjoyed similar response and Russell beamed and grin­ ned his way across the country as an un­ assailable superstar. Throughout Queensland his supports included The Masters Apprentices and Bobby and Laurie and in Hobart he was actually backed by The Zoot and Yuk Harrison (ex Meteors).

Sadly, the euphoria of this fresh flush of adoration was soon replaced by the cruel realisation that he had been abandoned by the very star-machine which had created him. With -out proper management or guidance, Russell stumbled from embairrassment to embarrassment, culminating in a hideous appeai^ance on the Tommy Leonetti Show which saw him attempt to mime aud dance to a song which he had never heard before. It was inconceivable that 1969s hugest star could become 1970’s discard so easily.

Like a kicked puppy, Russell quite accepted the bitter truth. When asked by Go-Set if he would like to maJce another record with lam Meldrum, he replied; "I don't know if Ian woTild like to, but I know I would. Unfortun­ ately, Howard Gable has so many records to produce but Ian is able to concentrate on just one. He's the best."

Compounding Russell's direction dilemmas was the mixed fortunes of his third single, Rachel. He so disliked Vince Melotuiey's mix of his original English recording that he completely re-recorded the track under Howard Gable, in Janx;iary 1970, abandoning a planned retxmi to England to do so.

Unfort\inately, the subsequent release delay resulted in it emerging at the same time as the 1970 radio ban on the airplay of English and (most) Australian records for seven long months. It eventually charted no higher than 23 , a sad fate for the follow-up to two niamber one hits!

The career of "Russell Morris - Popstar" was by now very obviously at an end. He either had to make it on his own songs and talent, or fade away as an obsolete hero. He chose the former and proceeded to pursue this course with an attitude of uncompromising professionalism. A mature attitude, almost incongruous with his tender age of 20 .

His next association with Gable was the Hr. America single vhich,' although it received rave reviews, won him Composer of the Yeax award, and charted at 9 nationally, still did not please our fastidious friend. At around the same time, an entizre album was recorded but was never released - according to Russell; "Howard Gable misinterpreted my ideas and the vdiole thing was fouled up". Such was the degree of respect that Russell was beginning to attract in the music business, that he became the first and probably only Australian artist to ever be able to abort and re-record an entire album at whim.

Early in 1971 a vitally important change came into Russell's career with the retTim from England of his original mentor - Brian Cadd, fresh from the Axiom split. Cadd took Morris's recording career firmly in hand and even formed a live back-up group (Cycle) for Russell's national support stint to the Bee Gees later in the year, V/hat a tonic Mr, Cadd was! With seeming ease he was able to gather the very best Australian rock musicians around Russell to create what has become one of the most controversial albums ever recorded in this cotmtry - Bloodstone, With production by (an admonished) Howard Gable, superb engineering from John Sayers (Continued on page 13) ROADRUNNER S E P T M B E R 1978

PAGE 11

th e vibrants The Vibrants were in the forefront of the great late sixties Australian pop boom, Australia's version of the great British pop boom of 1964 and 65 . ‘ Along with the Twilights and the Masters Apprentices, they put Adelaide on the rock'n'roll map. Unlike the other two however, they never had a crack at the over­ seas scene because at that time the only way out of the coimtry for a band was winning the Headley's Battle Of The Soionds and the Groop pipped the Vibrants in the I967 final.

I got together with ex-Vibrant organist

GO SFiT VIBRANTS

JIM KEAYS m aster tradesm an The crowd at the Countdown Bisco was sparse, A few dancers went throTigh their mechanical routines as Boney M., Donna Summers and Bob

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Geoff Skewes, now Manager of the Sultan Bros, and Cunning Stunt, and ex-Vibrant drummer Rick Kent now manager of Slater Sound Studios, last month to try to find out just what it was like being in a band in those glorious days of Australian music.

"It was a real pop scene. We used to get girls screaming when we came on sta,ge.

Everyone did, the Twili^ts, the Beaumen, the Marksmen (then fronted by the Lone Star himself, Ray Dyett)." Geoff told me.

"It was completely different then. We used to plaiy in unlicenced halls because there was still 6 o'clock closing then. The audiences were a lot yoTuiger. These days you have to be 18 if you want to see a live band because all the gigs are in pubs."

What were the conditions like?

"Well, the eqtiipment was pretty primitive compared with today. We had no P.A. just three microphones, two columns of speakers and our aunps. I used to play a Earfisa organ (just like Blondie use folks). We had a big brass sound, we were into the Dave Clark Five and Sounds Incorporated and the soul sound, the Pour Tops and Joe Tex. We didn't have any roadies. We had to set our stuff up and take it down ourselves."

"At our pealc, in Melbourne," remembered Rick, "we used to be booked to do five 50 minute spots a n i ^ t . And we I^d 50 minutes between each spot to take the gear down, put it in the van, get to the next gig, take it out and set it up and then play. And the preanoter ^would dock us if we were latel There was just no supportive industry. Every -thing was very free and loose, there was much more of a vibe about it. Kids came to be entertained."

How did the band evolve?

Geoff - "We used to play at Beachport.

In those days a band would be the singer's backing band. They would have a regular singer and they would also back any interstate people who came over. Our regular singers were Bruee King, Bev Harrell and Bobby James.

Then the British bauids ceune along and they were just bands. So when John Perry joined us we became just the Vibrants. That was what really made us. John Perry's voice."

So when did you go to Melbo\ame?

"It was late I966. It was incredible. We loaded up all our cars with gear and possess­ ions and had an aimazing farewell at the tollgate. All our families and fans were there, crying and wishing us luck. We played three weeks of beach gigs that summer and when the single "Something About You Baby" was released it went straight into the charts at No. 17 on 5DB. It got to No. 5 and probablv would have (Continued on page .15 ) ROADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 12

Marley blasted out of the speaker stacks. A lot more were propping up the bar and eyeing the dancers.

It didn't seem like many people had come to see the band.

The band? Yeah, the Jim Keays Band.

Remember the Masters Apprentices? At one time they were the hottest rocking band in the country. But like most bands of the period, the late sixties, they went to England, made a couple of albums, did a few gigs and then parted company. Jim returned to Australia, made a few records - none of which had the same spectacular impact as the Masters - and then went to California to suss out the scene over there. Apaht from an unfruitful effort with Phil Manning this is his first band since retu3?ning from the States.

The band shuffDed on stage looking slightly under the weather (it transpires that they are all suffering to various degrees from Russian 'Flu). But the sound shows no sign of the bands ailments. S t r a i ^ t ahead versions of Springsteen's "Adam Raised A Cain", Tom Petty's "Pooled Again", Led Z e p ’s "Rock'n'Roll", plus chestnuts from Purple, Tommy Bolin and the Masters "Turn Up Your Radio", kept the crowd on the dance floor (no mean achievement) and even had the drinkers pricking up their ears.

For a band that has only been together 10 weeks their competence and dynamism was im­ pressive.

I talked to Jim Keays the next day at the palatial Pindon Hotel.

I asked him about the ill-fated project with Phil Manning.

"Well, I came back to Australia from Cali­ fornia realising that to get anything happen­ ing over there, I would have to have much more sophisticated demo tapes than the ones I went over with. A finished a l b w here would be classified as a good demo over there. So, the record company people told me come back here, get the demos, and we'll talk a deal.

So I came back and started working on an album, writing songs. At around the same time, Phil Manning moved into the house where I was living and he was also working on a solo album. I told him what was going on in America and what I was going to do, get a record deal just for Australia. Now to get a record dea3, you have to have management.

We found this guy called Barry CobTim who'd done a few things, he'd brought over the Eagles and managed Split Endz before they came over here. He said "I'd like to manage you, but there's two lots of talent here, why don't you team up and do the one album, and I'm sure I could get a record deal anywhere in the world for you." We thought about that and decided O.K., so we took the best of Phil's material and the best of mine, and Barry went ahead and got the deal that we

wanted, and things got bigger and bigger; the record company said we'll bring in an overseas producer so you got the right so'und, and wo said O.K. Well that was the mistake. The producer just wasn't the right guy. It didn't, work.

Phil decided to go on and make the album, seeing as how there had been so much money put into it, and I decided I'd go off and do my own album which is what I'd intended in the first place.

So although it doesn't look as if I've been doing anything for the past 18 months, I have.

I just haven't got anything to show for it."

So at the moment you're working in this new band with the same goal in mind that you had when you returned from the States?

"Yeah, exactly. Work the band around Australia, work it in. But I realise you can only do Australia for a certain period, then you have to project overseas."

The set that you do at the moment only includes a few original nimibers. What's the reasoning behind that?

"Mainly because it's stupid, I think, to write all this material first then get a band together and go out and play it. You don't know whether the guys in the band are going to be compatible with the material.

So I picked out a bunch of material with a general theme and direction, and alrea,dy we've started writing songs as a band which we'll start to phase in as we fade the non-originals out.

That way the band evolves a direction and an identity rather than it being imposed."

The general direction that you have picked seems to be very rocky. You've chosen songs by all the BIG rockers of the seventies, Springsteen, Zeppelin, Tom Petty...

"There's a song we do that I wrote called "Last Days" that more or less typifies the direction of the band.

It's very Springsteen, good solid rock'n'roll but without that flashy, h i ^ camp thing.

It's a little more on the new wave side."

You've been in the business a long time now A lot of people, established people, have completely ignored the new wave, but you seem to have drawn inspiration from it.

"I think its a very valid thing; I see music as having changed quite rapidly over the last year.

It doesn't yet know into what. I mean pvink rock is too radical. New Wave is an ambiguous teim, you can't really say what is New Wave and what isn't. But in the light of that, I do see a fairly radical change in music. And being aware of it is important.

You can't stand still. I've seen so many people reach a certain point then just stop.

I don't like to look back, I like to look forward."

A lot of new wave bands are harking back to the style of music that the Masters used to p lay....

"That's why I can understand it. I remem­ ber at the Beat Basement in I964 and 65 , play -ing that exact music, with the same lack of expertise, but with a vibe, a real feeling.

But there are different ways of doing it. I don't think you have to resort back to a three chord format."

I think the reason punk happened when it did, and was so raw and raucous, was that there was so much shit aroxind, and punk was a laxative or an emetic to clear everything away...

"They were rebelling; they were rebelling ^gainst the laser light show and the 10,000 watt qviadrophonic PA... and it's also a social thing. When Johnny Rotten screams "No Future" it's because for a lot of people in England, there is no future, I mean here and in the States, there is a future and I think that's why punk never c a u ^ t on here or in the U.S. Vhat punk has done is given people a new look at musics and everyone playing rock music, from the Stones on down, is modifying their music accordingly. And Bands like Pink Floyd and E.H). won't evolve in the present climate.

They'll still sell a lot of records because a lot of people have grown up with that type of music, but you won't get any new bands like that."

What is your impression of the Australian music scene at the moment? There seem to be a lot of outlets opening up overseas especially America, for this country's music...

"Yeah, but I've heard that story so many

■4

•It

RUSSELL MORRIS (Continued from page 11)

times over the past I4 years.... I don't know.

Possibly. But there's an awful lot going on there. They don't have to look here. But they are; It is a fairly major market. The number one single here sells more, on average, than the nvunber one in the U.K.. You've got the,U.£L then Japan, then Europe, then Australia. Bixt I don't think there is going to be an Austral­ ian Invasion."

Maybe they see Australia more of a market than as a breeding ground for talent?

"Yeah, I think so. It's a big investment for them to bring over an Australian band.

So they have to be pretty sure."

Do you think that Australian bands have to tailor their sound to make it overseas? For instance the Little River Band seem to have changed their sound to a laid back Boz Scaggs type of sound...

"Yeah, "Reminiscing" is out and out AM radio canpromise. But I've talked to Glen Wieatly (LECB's Manager), I know how he thinks..

Whaddyado? Do you go out on a limb for music and maybe blow it or do you play safe, when you Imov you can make a lot of money. When you're faced with that prospect of making a real lot of money because the record company has done their market research and they know it's going to get aii^play and sell, whaddya do? Do you txim round and say, "No?" I guess with the LRB, they've all been around a long time and paid their dues and now they want to make some money for a change..

"Yeah. There it is staring them in the face. They've been assured it's the best thing to do, so they do it and do it well and good luck to them. Whether I could do the same thing, I don't know... maybe I could."

And when it's all over they'll come back and start producing records...

"But that's great. Glen Shorrock will come back and bxiy a house and put a little record­ ing studio in it and do all the things he really wants to do. That's not a purists attitude, but in this day and age...."

Why do you think that none of the Austra­ lian bands who went over to England in the late sixties ever cracked it there?

"The Easybeats, the Twilights and the Masters were the three big bands who tried to crack England and they were all E.M.I. bands. The problem was that E.M.I. Australia just didn't know what it took to break a band over there. E.M.I. over there, couldn't really help us. All of those bands could have taken off there."

That sitiiation seems to still be with us, if you look at the trouble Split Enz have had with being signed to Mushroom here amd Chrysalis in the U.K. They haven't got a contract with either now and they are a great

band.

"Yeah. The only trouble with Split Enz is that there are certain bands who will never take off in the States and the Enz_ are one. Glen Wheatley once told me, and I believe he is right, that people in the states are into music with three main ingredients; rhythm, harmony and melody. Split Enz while being a brilliant band haven't got any of those going for them."

It sounds like it's very hard for any original sounding band to take off in America if they have to have those ingredients....

"That's the trouble with America. It's market research/AM radio dominated."

Are you confident about the band you've got now?

"Yesdi, I am. There is a definite English sound and there is a definite American sound.

And gradually there is becoming an Australian soxmd. It's on the verge of getting there.

That's where I see the band. Taking the best elements of the English sould and the best of the American sound ^ d blending them to create an Australian sound."

Who else do you think is doing it?

"I don't think anyone is actually doing it althoiigh there are bands who are almost doing it. I think Skyhooks are. Sherbet definately aren't. Dragon, maybe.

They've got U.K. and U.S. elements. Jo Jo Zep and Sports are a little bit too derivative, but they're good.

They're trying. AC/DC are ve3?y English sounding.

The work availability in Australia is basically pubs. You've got maybe a few Uni shows and a few concerts, but it's basically pubs. In the pubs especially in what I call supermarket pubs, pubs that are big rooms or disco as the case may be. If not one then the other. They don't want to.know about sophisti­ cated music. If you d o n p l a y rock'n'roll, then you starve. So this country is a fair compromise even before y ^ start. If Pink Floyd had started in Australia, they probably wouldn't have got to Ummagumma — in fact, they probably wouldn't have got the contract in the first place. Progressive bands just don't get the chance to evolve here. Even Split Enz evolved somewhere else.

To make it you have to play the right type of venues, the venues where the record company spotters hang out. And to get into those venues you have to play that certain' type of music.

Australia is a pretty basic sort of place.

It's almost Wild West-ish. Australian music reflects that. All the big Australian bands have played r o u ^ ^ e c k music. Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Daddy Cool, AC/DC. Nothing's changed really."

Donald Robertson

and John French and the playing (and singing) participation of Barry Sullivan, Duncan McGuir% Barry Harvey, Mark Kennedy, Brian Holloway, Phil Manning, Billy Green, Rick Springfield, Matt Taylor, Warren Morgan, Brian Cadd, Peter Jones, Beeb Birtles and Marcie Jones, "Blood­ stone" was an xtndeniably stunning achievement for the Australian music industry in 1971* EJven Russell was, and presumably still is, pleased with the results.

The first taste of the album came in June with the release of the beautiful Sweet, Sweet Love single, a solid national hit of much h i ^ e r statxire than its two precedessors.

What emerged most forcefully from this single was the maturing of Morris' unique voice a breathy nasally whine with a compellingly romantic charm.

When "Bloodstone" was eventually 3?eleased, it met with varied response; some considered it a masterpiece, others condemned it for a lack of songwriting depth. In all though, it appeared to be a victory for the new Russell Morris - serious recording artist.

It is probably correct to surmise that, had Russell's new career been undertaken some five years later than it wasj then he m i ^ t very well have become a huge star in the Billy Joel /Jackson Browne/Richard Clapton genre. But back in 19 71-2 all the breaks were against him - Australian rock was confined to discotheques and drafty dance halls, there was no healthy pool of competent backing musicians and the sound of the age was stupefyingly heawwwy.

Russell was violently frustrated by the seemingly impossible nature of his task — to convince all that he was not a fabricated teenybopper, but indeed a real artist; "If I went on stage at one of the Festivals or Town Hall shows they’d tell me to "get off" because of what I've been before.* a solo artist over -seas can get on stage with an incredible back -ing group and do a great job but here I'm forced to work at the Black Stump with some shit-kicking group who just can't play. How do you put over an act, when you're trying to play your own material?"

In April 1972 , Russell again hit the charts with the s p r i ^ t l y Live With Friends, a number 15 national hit, and turned quite a few heads at the Mulwalla Rock Festival. At the same time he began to talk about going overseas again, having cooked up a deal (via his U.K. Manager Paul Dainty) to use Cat Steven's backing group to record a new album, as soon as they completed their Australian tour. Russell had been toying aroimd in the studio with Brian Cadd but had suspended plans for a joint single after contractural difficulties between EMI and Fable arose.

Australia bade virtual "goodbye" to Russell late in 1972. He left us with a classically beautiful single - Wings of an Eagle, which shot straight into the top ten; and joixmeyed off to England once more.

From this point details are a little hazy.

He recorded an album in England and then, true to form, scrapped it and began again in Los Angeles a year or so later. The album event­ ually surfaced on RCA (US) early in 1975» titled simply Russell Morris. Actually its initial impact was quite impressive, it picked up a Billboard "Album Pick" and even made the Top 100 LP chart for a week or so. In Aust­ ralia, a single lifted from it, made 30 on the national charts - just to let us all know that he was still alive I Midway through 1976 Russell Morris 2 was released in America (titled Turn It On in Australia; "Sounds like the title for a crummy TV pop show", commented Russell when he heard about it) and again picked up credible reviews - althOTi^ Russell was unable to back up the reaction with any live work, being without a vital "Green Card" to enable him to work in the U.S. Late in I976 Russell was granted this mira­ culous green document and took the first opportiinity to return home to Australia, in full confidence that he would be able to get back into America unhindered. He arrived in December to undertake the support of a series of four Sydney Christmas concerts by OL '55» make one headlining Melbourne concert appearance.

He was truly amazing - presenting a full-on theatrical performance which included a tribe of extras, battle scenes, role plays, rare film footage, supreme self-confidence and some very fine atnd t o u ^ rock'n'roll - the sort of exactingly professional show which we would have expected from a top overseas touring act.

The reaction to it all was almost predictable, try as he did the critics still saw him as not much more than "The Real Thing" grown old. He quietly slipped out of the country a few weeks later.

Early this year Russell returned to Austra -lia once more and appears to be willing to reside permanently, at least for the time being Catch him live, he's still quite an incredible performer.

Glenn A. Baker ROADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 15

r Film Two films showing in Adelaide look at the rise of fascism. Both no doubt, reflect back on the capitalist world's present economic situation, and demand that the audiences draw their own conclusions. The films are Bergman's "The Serpent's Egg", and Bertolucci's " 1900"i at present playing to packed houses of 100 aging university types nightly at the Paris and Academy cinemas respectively.

Bergman's film looks at the economic and social conditions prevailing in Berlin in 1923* To this he adds the psychological research programmes an emergent Nazi Reich would need to pour the bitterness and hatred of the starv­ ing working class into the right direction, foolish sufferance of the supposed-buffoon Adolf Schickelgruber, and a strong under­ current of anti-semitism already prevailing among some sectors of German society. .As a conceptual whole the film is chilling, power -ful, and very relevent to our own position now. And as the mad, fascist psychological research scientist says before he suicides the thing about a serpent's egg is that if ■you look into the membrane you can see the foetus is already a fully-formed reptile.

The problem was that in 1925 no-one did look, and the foetal reptile was able to grow, and emerge ten years later, a healthy snake.

"I9OO" compares with "The Serpent's Egg" like "2001" compares with "Soylent Green".

Both are powerful, extremely well constructed and executed. But while one is prepared to confine itself to beating the message home, the other does it even better by extending on the scene, zooming out and panning to show the environs.

"I 9OO" traces the lives of two North Italians from childhood. One of them is a peasant, who fs rebellious as a boy and later returns home from the First World War as a dedicated socialist. The other, called Alfredo, is born into the landowner class, and eventu­ ally finds himself at the top, running the whole estate, and exploiting the peasants, despite his "mordem" himianistio-impulses. He is weak, and the- fascists beat and maim despite his position of power. His inaction implicates him in their actions. He becomes guilty by default. Yet all the time, his relationship with the peasant continues... even until the end of the Second World War and the defeat of the fascists. In this film, above all, the interpersonal is shown as political, relation­ ships are bared, held up to the li^t... as is class oppression, greed and in^iotence.

"I 9OO" is an effective piece of anti-fascist propaganda, because alongside the oppression of the workers, the beatings by the Italian blackshirts, the complicity of weak or evil land owning families, the depiction of the twisted madness of the fascists, there is also a very moving depiction of common humanity, of you and me and all those we know, facing the problem of getting enough to eat, of getting enough satisfaction from our relationships with those around us - and from oizr own aspirations. And where Bergman's realism touches because life in Berlin in 1923 is just so damn cold and hard and unjust, Bertolucci's depiction of human relationships and their injustices can only be called "art", a word which Biuce Petty and the rest of us know should only be used with great care. But "I 9OO" is a work of art. It is grand, it is perfect in its minutae and lavish in its broad strokes. It's a beautiful film to watch, from the looks on the peasants faces as they sla^l^ter a pig for dinner, to the one real erotic scene (an encounter between two rich) to the slow zooms to close-up of the deep lines in an old peasant's face.. It makes you think of Da Vinci and Michelangelo... and then it makes you think of Mussolini, and Hitler.

There are some brilliant acting performances in both films, although Donald Sutherland as a blackshirt thug in "1900" I found outstand­ ing. Liv Ullman in "The Serpent's Egg" shows that she can play a dance-hall girl and a whore, just as well as her standard Bergman roles.

Both films are, of course, extremely recommended, and don't be surprised if you come away from them thinking that, despite all the violence against people th^contain, if others still exist who can make struggle against injustice so emotionally powerful and appealing, then perhaps there's hope after all. At the moment, don't think of how much money the cinema chains expected to make from showing. Nor at that moment should you reflect too much on the last words of the dispossed young landowner in "I9OO", after the "Interim Committee" disarmed the victorious socialist partisans on April 25 th, 1945» His words were "the rulers still live", or to that effect. And, of co\irse, he was so ri^t.

Larry Buttrose R 0 A M p N E R > SiEPT^E^i/1^7aPA^i|i 1,4/

ROBERT STK5WOOD Robert Stigwood's sudden domination of the entertainment world did not happen as sudden­ ly or dramatically as it may appear.

Since the early '60's, Stigwood has been involved in a wide variety of musical projects constantly gaining experience from both failure and success.

It was in 1959 that Robert Stigwood left Australia and moved to England. There he became involved in the music world through Mike Same and John Leyton; two singers whose careers he managed. Both scored number one hits with "Come Outside" and "Johnny Remember Me" respectively. However, neither was able to hit the top of the charts again and both went on to acting careers.

Stigwood next took up managing the Graham Bond Organization. Though the GBO was neVer a successful pop outfit, it was a h i ^ l y influen­ tial and respected jazz/rhythm'n'blues group as it contained Bond, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and John McLa^lghlin (later replaced by Dick Heckstall-Smith).

In 1965 Robert' Stigwood Associated went into liqiiidation with debts of over £39»000* The reason was mismanaged tours. Undaunted, Stig­ wood moved on to become Director of NEWS, a huge organization owned by Brian Epstein, which handled the careers of The Beatles, Cilia

-'4.

"Saturday Night Fever", "Grease" and "Sargent Peppers".

Since January, RSO (Robert Stigwood Organization) artists have held the niunber one spot on the American, English and Austra­ lian charts almost continuously. RSO will not only earn more than any other record company in 1978 but, most likely more than all other record companies together. The films too, are record successes - Saturday Night Fever cost $8.3 million to make and is expected to gross $1?0 million. Robert Stigwood now stands as the most powerful person not only in music, but in the history of entertainment. No wonder Ian Meldrum calls him Mister Stigwood.

It is hard to ignore Robert Stigwood. More to the point, it is impossible to ignore Robert Stigwood.

Whether you recognise him or aren't even familiar with the name, you're undoubtedly aware of his presence in its many and various forms.

Robert Stigwood's recent rise in prominence signals a change. Big business now plays such an important part in music that the business­ men are becoming more important than the art­ ists. It's often been said that business can't be separated and ignored from the music.

Perhaps now it will be said that the music can

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Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers and many others.

NEMS also controlled a record label and was broadening into theatre production and film making, Stigwood was at the top. However, after Brian Epstein's death in 1967* a power struggle within NEMS resulted, which led to Stigwood being ousted and replaced by Clive Epstein, Brian's brother. Stigwood left, tak­ ing with him The Bee Gees and Cream, As music began to divide between pop and progressive (not my term), Stigwood had a finger in each pie. The Bee Gees scored on the charts, the Cream scored with the new albvun buyers and concert goers. Perhaps I might take this chance to suggest that much of Cream's success was due to Stigwood's promotion. There were, after all, many groups and musicians who originated out of the London Rhythm'nBlues Clubs who could claim to equal or surpass Cream in both talent and ability.

By the time Cream and the Bee Gees had split up at the end of the decade, Stigwood was in­ volving himself in theatre production. Firstly, the London stage presentation of Hair, then Superstar. By 1974» he had six profitable West End shows running; Hair, Oh Calcutta!, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Pippin and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Films were the next step. Superstar came first followed by Tommy. By the time Stigwood took on Tommy, it was years old. It had been both a successful album and stage presentation.

Stigwood re-recorded the album with a large allstar cast and then, when the album was selling well, released the film. For the film's laimching Stigwood held a party in a New York subway station. The full ranks of rock's new elite were treated to, amongst other things, $14,000 worth of lobster.

And since then......

Robert Stigwood has spent the last few years preparing for what has become the most startling showbiz success story ever -

.......

^

be ignored.

An industry has always existed to market music - I'm not trying to suggest it hasn't ■ but never has its control been so great, so refined and so successful.

In the past, the industry has looked for creative talent and promoted it. Nowadays, the talent seems an unnecessary factor to success. Robert Stigwood has not promoted "Saturday Night Fever", "Grease" and Sargent Peppers" along the lines of the worth of the music, but along the lines of their financial success. Don't hype the talent - hype the hype.

Stigwood's formula for success - the whole is greater than the individual parts. For instance. Grease is based on a musical that bombed badly in Australia.

It stare John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John both of whom were mildly successful, but certainly not superstars before. The album is heavily laden with songs by Sha Na Na who are not doing any­ thing they haven't been doing since Woodstock.

Yet when put together and promoted, the parts become a whole that creates new heights in showbiz success. Similarly, with Satxzrday N i ^ t Fever. A straight story line, a collec­ tion of mediocre disco songs (plus some fine Bee Gees material) and John Travolta. ' But the most amazing success may t\irn out to be Sargent Peppers next triple platinvim on advance orders alone.

Chapter Three of Robert Stigwood's masterplan is "Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band".

Its promotion/liype/marketing will run along the same lines as its predecessors.

The album has been released with enormous amovints spent on its promotion, the film will be released when the albxmi reaches its peak (i.e. number one on the charts) and both will feed off each others success.

For the release of the film in America, Stigwood held a party in Bermuda and flew all guests across (first class, natch). The total cost? Aroxind million.

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Lo n estar ro ck 'n'roll roadshow bringsyou the cream of local and interstate talent

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-immy & The Boys Tivoli Jimmy ■& The Boys Tivoli Johnny Kannis. & The Hitmen Tivoli Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen St. Leons Cunning Stunt Li Me lb.

Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen Tivoli Rum Jungle Ld Melb.

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Johuiny Kannis & The Hitmen Ld Melb.

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10 Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen Tivoli 12 Young M o d e m Tivoli

13 JoJo Zep Sc, The Palcons 14 Bank Of Prance

St. Leons Ld Melb.

15 Smokestack Lightning Rum Jungle

Tivoli Ld Melb.

16 Middle ^Class

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Young Modern Tivoli Ross Wilson’s M o n d o Rock Tivoli Ross Wilson’s Mondo Rock St. Leons Lone Star Rock’n ’Roll Road Shows Ld Melb.

22 Ross Wilson’s Mondo Rock Tivoli Rum Jungle Ld Melb.

23 Ross Wilson’s Mondo Rock Ld Melb.

24 Ross Wilson’s Mondo Rock Tivoli 26 Lone Star Rock’n ’Roll Road Shows _ Tivoli 27'Angels St. Leons 28 Cunning Stunt(EveryThur) Ld Melb.

29 Lone Star Rock’n ’Roll Road Shows Tivoli Rum Jungle (Every Fri) Ld Melb.

30 Angels Marryat.

the vibrants

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The critical success of the film will prob­ ably have little effect on its financial success. I cannot recall a single ’rave’ review of "Saturday Night Fever" or "Grease".

The initial reviews of- "Sargent Peppers" are, so far, Txnanimously panning - the film was booed by the audience at its premiere. So what? V/hat does it matter if the film re­ viewers and alb\am reviewers of a paper call it a load of shit, when the rest of the paper is full of articles and photo spreads on it.

I've yet to see Sargent Peppers (and the temptation to miss it is strong), but throizgh the media, I have gained a firm idea of what it is all about - The Beatles music set to a story. It's almost as if Stigwood commission -ed them to write the score. Would The Beatles (or Lennon and McCartney to be spec­ ific) have allowed this when they first re­ corded "Sargent Peppers"? I doubt it.

Of course, my ramblings may sound like those of a boring old fuddy duddy who doesn't want to see his idols so calculatedly merchantised. Quite the contrary - I welcome any new interpretation of old material that is a genuine development. After all, that's how The Beatles themselves started - reinter­ preting black American music. But when old material is taken and thoroughly destroyed, then it's totally pointless and shouldn't be tolerated.

It is ironic that whilst both The Beatles and the new version are landmarks in musical history, the importance of The Beatles version lay in its creative brilliance whereas the Stigwood version's importance lies with its mamoth marketing/hyping/promoting and the money it will reap as a result. It is ironic that the Beatles stand to make more money from the new "Sargent Peppers" than they made in their entire career. It is ironic that Robert Stigwood came so close, as director of N M S , to being at the top of The Beatles business empire and now, when he is finally making money out of them, NEMS has just folded.

Have a look at the cover of the original "Sargent Peppers" and compare it to the promo shot from Stigwood "Sargent Peppers". It sort of sums it all up.

The role of producer takes on new import^ce with tke coming of "Sargent Peppers". George Martin took complete control of the record • overriding even the Bee Gees on matters of what would ultimately be recorded. The artists lend their voices to the records, but really their greatest contribution is their pretty faces and the sales that will result.

The success of Robert Stigwood points to a large change occuring in the music business.

Record companies throughout the world must be looking very enviously at RSO (distributed in Australia by Phonogram), and planning their futures accordingly. What reason could a company now have for listening to demo tapes from a new group of talented enthusiastic musicians when the company knows that the real money is to be found in projects like "Sargent Peppers".

Live music is already dying. No longer do people go to see bands for the enjoyment of seeing a band. For a number of years now the bands have come third to drinking and picking up. It it wasn't for union rulings, many places would be happy to do away with bands altogether and just have records playing so that people can get on with why they came.

Rock'n'roll will never die, but it has pass -ed its peak. Music is losing its challenging, rebellious nature and moving towards light weight entertainment. Serious challenges to this change (e.g. the new wave) have little hope as the industry has become too large and powerful to be affected. I would like to imagine that a younger generation, dissatisfied with what they are being fed, will bring about a change, but the largest age group in the future will not be teenagers, but the present 18-25 year olds and as we grow older, most marketing (including music) will be aimed at our growing moderate tastes.

(Continued from Page 12) hit number one, but there were two exception­ ally big sellers, the Seekers "Georgy Girl" and the Beatles "Penny Lane" holding down the No. 1 and 2 spots."

VJhat did you use to do as a band?

Geoff - " F i ^ t and drink 1 We never used to argue, just straight out fisticuffs! We were all very yoving and volatile and under a lot of pressure. We used to have some raging times. At the time we were in Melbourne, the Sharpie thing was very strong and they used to hate the pop bands. I remember the Twil i ^ t s had the shit beaten out of them once.

We were wild. I remember one time at a place called the Biting Eye, John Perry kicked a guy who knocked his mike stand. The crowd went silent. They were looking very nasty. And we picked up our mike stands to defend our­ selves. And we stood there for what seemed like a long time before John said, "Look, are we going to beat the shit out of each other or are we going to play some music?" And that just broke the tension. It was pretty tough."

Lid you have hard times as a band?

Rick - "Bid we! There was one time when we had 4O0 between the band. E n o u ^ to buy 10 Viscount and a packet of chips. We didn't even have enough to buy any matches! We used to play and get our money straight away. No overheads except petrol for the van. We weren't into accounts.".

What did you do about playing interstate?

Geoff - "We used to draw lots to see who would be driver and he would have to stay sober. The rest of us would sit in the back of the van and drink and play cards."

What eventually happened to the band?

Geoff - "Well, when we didn't win Hoadley's we sort of changed into a showband. We had a couple of big singles after "Something About You Baby" (The Letter Song and My Prayer), but in those days you needed 4 or 5 singles to be able to release an album, so we never quite got there".

Bonald Robertson

Seeing Ears says, Are

you keeping in time ?

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pram facto ry Things ain't what they used to b e ....

Melbourne's semi-legendary Pram Pactory is no longer the centre of the cities 'undergrouncJ attention it used to be. Because no matter what all the ageing hippies might try to tell you, things have changed since 1973 , The *undergroxind.' - the 'lygon Street Limbo' - Has all but disappeared (whatever happened to the revolution? We all got stoned..,), and if it's been superseded at all, the new underground hasn't found a focus like Carlton, The Pram ihctory remains, however, basically the same as it always was.

(Perhaps as a concession to the times, the place did feature News, Mel­ bourne's (in)famous Do-It-Youxself-Punks, but the occasion wasn't altogether successful and hasn't been tried again.

Outfits like Stiletto would've congregated there whatever the climate though, and aren't Match -box still there?)

Anyway, as it happened, I was hanging out ion a Lygon Streetc o m e r when I was offered a handbill (some things never change) that read, "PartyI 11pm - 3am, Friday: Pram Fac­ tory; with High Rise Bombers, Secret Police and Autodrifters; only $21" With the festivities only beginning at 11pm, you could be sure the milling crowd - plenty of long hair and beards, but, by the same token, lots of crewcuts and leather - was impatient for action. And as soon as the Secret Police hit the stage, they got it!

A relatively new aggregation, the Secret Police acquited them­ selves well. Usually I consider myself lucky if I go out and see a band I don't end up hating not only didn't I hate the Secret Police, I actiaally enjoyed them! They're one of those rock' n'sould bands who will inevitably attract comparisons with Elvis Costello. And sure, they're of a similar mould, but rather than being mere bandwagon-jumpers, it's obvious they've been doing what they're doing for some time now, and it's only Elvis Cost­ ello's appearance and subsequent acceptance that has enabled them to assume a new confidence.

The Secret Police play it tight and clean, but what distinguishes them from more run-of-the-mill bands capable of as much is their style. That means they look good, and importantly, what they play is good. Their set of all-orig­ inal material sounded vital and

fresh, despite obvious reference points, and if they continue to deliver goods like this, then the Secret Police won't be a secret much longer.

After them, I could only feel ambivilent towards the High Rise Bombers, who were, quite unbe­ known to us, making one of their very last appearances. Their recent split was but another chapter in the continuing saga of Melbo\ime what eve r-you-liketo-call-them bands.

The Bombers were always what I-suppose you could call a 'reputation band' - being part of that Melbourne school that includes the Sports and Jo Jo Zep. Cfeless you're a student of the whole schism, names like Paul Kelly and Martin Arminger probably don't mean much to you.

But i t 's there the Bombers reputation rested. Being rooted so incestously, you might wonder how they were ever capable of something new and different.

Like their colleagues the Bombers were basically an R & B outfit - not resting on their latirels, but still very much aware of them. Certainly, they were less 'contemporary' than the Secret Police - in other words, they absorbed no Costello in­ fluence! This band was more like Graham Parker, They had a big, fat sound (three guitars and sax atop a usual rhythm section), but that doesn't detract from the energy level. The material was mainly original. (Spencer Davis' "Gimme Some Lovin'" being a notable exception) - more typical - less inventive - than the Secret Police - enjoyable if not compelling. The crowd loved it though, even if it did start to drag towards the end of what seemed an interminably long set.

The Bombers had been forced to fill in for the Autodrifters, who were unable to appear for some reason, not having kept an earlier engagement at the Syden­ ham.

'Twas a pity, because a lot of people, including myself, were looking forward to seeing them.

Thoxigh their unique brand of ockerbilly has been well captured on the Missing Link album, they are even more fun live. Their non-appearance was a disappoint­ ment, and it put a damper on what was an otherwise enjoyable evening.

An evening that was typically 'Melbourne', be it 1978 or 1973, This is soul music - and soul music is timeless.

As they say; the beat goes on... and on ... and on.

Cee Walker

First of all, let me maJce one thing qxiite clear - it was by accident and not design that I found myself witness to a Side­ winder gig at the Prospect Hill Hotel in Kew. Indeed, it was the first time I'd been 'up the Prospect', as it were, and on the evening's showing, I hope the last....

There are lots of pubs in Mel­ bourne - some good, some bad but to my knowledge, none quite like the Prospect Hill. Frankly, I was shocked. Be it naivety or cynicism, but for some reason I really didn't think places like it (should/could) exist.

It's very mediocrity was over­ whelming. Other places have at Least a modicum of character/ atmosphere, but the Prospect Hill - nothing. Vacuousness.

Is it only me that feels stifled by bourgeoise blandness?

Plastic and acron decor and psychedelic li^tshows (and brown shoes) don't make it! The whole scene reminded me of Saturday Night Fever...

And as if things weren't bad enoxi^. Sidewinder had to come on.

Now I'd got a funny impression of them; I t h o u ^ t they were some kind of bunch of artyfarty old hippies trying to cash in on what was their determination of the 'better' aspects of new wave - something like Ultravox gotten worse!

Well, it just goes to show how wrong you can be - Sidewinder were worse than I'd expected, if I had any genuine expectations at all. Old hippies they are but there's no connection between them and anything 'arty-farty' or h ew wave', or anything vaguely creative for that matter. Be­ cause, you see. Sidewinder are nothing more than - wait for it - a boogie band!

If I could stand Boogie, then the Angels would be- qxiite enough.

But Sidewinder!? Apart from the lacklustre and very overrated violin, there was absolutely no­ thing to distinguish them - a motley crew of nondescript individuals - from any nimiber of sub-standard and/or tired old hack outfits who achieve nothing by their endless repetition of a long, worn-out, + ' ' -‘^niula.

When the vocalist intones sentiments to the 'If you can't feel the boogie, you must be dead beat' effect, then, well, all I can do is feel exaspera­ tion. Needless to say, however, the audience loved every minute of it.

But the final insult came later when I read that Sidewinder describe themselves as what 'most people hope new wave will develop into'.,,, I can't even be bothered thinking about it anymore.

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PAGE 16

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K raftw erk It might seem odd that a group like Kraftwerk have hecome the current in-thing. That last year's punk is this year's Kraftwerk model.., Perhaps we can lay the blame for their new­ found popularity fairly and squarely on David Bowie's should­ ers. For with the making of "Low" he started something that became bigger than anyone might have an­ ticipated - so called "new musick" was not a movement as such - it was simply a convenient tag under which the press lumped artists who had all of a sudden come into favour as a result of the post-punk vacuum. Being entirely a creation of those other than the artists themselves the manifesto-after-the-event, as it were, consequently included artists of diverse and often un­ related ideals. The "cold wave" roster ranged from Bowie himself, and Iggy Pop, to Brian Eno, to Pere TJbu and DEVO, to Throbbing Gristle, the Residents, and of course, Kraftwerk.

Quite obviously, the connec­ tions are tenuous, and what made matters worse was each artist being at a different stage of (their own) development. Some, like DEVO, were relative new­ comers, and others, like the Residents, had been battling obscurity for some time. But in each case, the "new musick" label was catalyst to their exposure.

Kraftwerk themselves had been aroTind since the early 70's, with their debut albtam and hit single (?) "Autobahn" - operating out of their own KlingKlang Studio's in Dusseldorf. But their overall impact was minimal, if you'll excuse the pun. It wasn't until they won David Bowie's seal of approval - which, after all, is a very influencial thing - that they attracted the attention they deserved.

I was initially impressed by Kraftwerk because here at last was a group that knew how/why electronics could/should be used (in a rock format). They ex­ posed the gimmicky posturing of a buffoon like Keith Bnerson for what it was, and cut through the foggy obscurity of the pristine and talentless Tangerine Dream like a Trans-Europe Express.

Kraftwerk were the real thing - electronic music in its own right.

Of course, they're not the first, or the only, practicioners of the art. But they're the ones who gave it definition.

At the beginning of their career, I think even Kraftwerk themselves were unsure of their direction - "Autobahn", though it m i ^ t have been ambitious, was hardly indicative of things to come. But it didn't take Kraft­ werk long to find their feet.

"Radioactivity" was the grottndwork of a style that was quickly realised with "Trans-Europe Express", their last albxun.

Significantly, Kraftwerk were progressing not only axirally, but visually also. In short, they looked like they sounded, and vice versa.

"Trans-Europe Express" was such a "package deal". On the album sleeve they looked like wax figures rather than flesh and blood men, and on the inside they piped "we are showroom dum­ mies" to a motorik, almost latinlike rhythm.

It's only natural then that it all should lead to "The Man-Machine".

Now, (on the album sleeve) the group appears in (striking red and black) uniforms. Which, of co\irse, might be seen to have fascist connatations.

The implications of the albunfs opening cut, "The Robots", are obvious.

"Charging onto victory ....We are the robots. We are programmed just to do. Anything you want us to. We are the robots - We are men. We are robots".

And here,, as throughout the album, humanoid presence is seem­

ingly absent. Whereas previously at least the vocals were usually human, now they've all been treated in such a way as to ren­ der them machine-like. The effect Ccin be quite unnerving.

One of Kraftwerk's great strengths, however, is one that has probably been overlooked in favour of the "search for deeper meaning*.', and that is their abil­ ity to "paint pictures".

As a friend of mine commented on first hearing "The Man-Machines longest track, "Neon Lists'*, he actually saw neon l i ^ t s . More to the point, Kraftwerk made him see neon l i ^ t s .

Kraftwerk have at, and impoiv tantly ^ their fingertips the power to create most evocative sounds (and I mean that liter­ ally). The lyric content is lesser than before - indeed, some songs are nothing more than the title repeated over and over (for vdiich Ralf Hutten still takes lyric-writing creditI) But given a title, the music lives up to it.

Like "Trans-Europe Express" before it, "The Man-Machine" is as persistant and compulsive, and subtle. The clockwork-like rhythms, the sublime melodies and repeated motifs, and the intricate ccmiposition remain, but if any­ thing there's a tendancy towards a "punchier" approach, rather than the "driving" one of "TransEurope Express". Dotted syn­ thesizer soxinds punctuate the scngs, but of course there's no such thing as knob-twiddling for its own sake - each sound plays a role in the careful constructions, adding dimension.

Still the songs have an un­ cluttered simplicity and grace.

And often - usually - beauty.

But it's a new beauty - a clean precise one that portrays "elegence and decadence", to use a phrase coined by Kraftwerk themselves. The track "Neon Lists'' is a celetration of the same, and while it's true neon l i ^ t s do have a unique beauty, remember that they're only the nocturnal facade of crumbling, dirty cities.

Kraftwerk seem to have assvuned this "elegence and decadence" as their own. Just look at them on the sleeve - the jet black hair, pasty ccMnplexions and bright red lipstick,.... it all reminds me of "Caberet", and you know what that was about....

In their progression Kraftwerk have glorified all things Unita­ rian and technological, indeed to the end of a utilitarian fusion of the two. And underlying it all, a certain decadence.

Is it significant that Kraft­ werk 's lesser achievements were their earliest, of "wild and \mtamed" production, and their fin­ est their most recent - the culminant "Man-Machine" - product of an apparently strict discipline and understood ideals?

Kraftwerk's development has been logical and inevitable, and, I submit, a piece of contrived irony. I know that to accept this is to make a fairly large presumption, but the parallels are imcanny and \mavoidable the reference point being the rise of the Third Reich.

But remember, like I said, Kraftwerk present themselves as an ironic model.

(After all, noone considers the songs of Randy Newman to be genuinely firstperson, and the Sex Pistols were far from being "pretty vacant").

They are, to put it. quite crudely, a "warning".

Of course, the obvious ques- . tion now is; what will Kraftwerk do next? If my guess is correct (and my hypothesis right all alon^, then we'll see an album that ex­ udes an almost Wagnerian air.

But sooner or later, the fall must come. .R O ^ D R U N N p SEPTEMBER 1978

^PAGE

17

SINGLES Before sitting down to listen to the latest batch of singles I'd been over a friends place.

It happened that they were play­ ing some old Rolling Stones records.

I remember listening to " 19 th Nervous Breakdown" and "Lady Jane" and really enjoying them.

This got me to thinking - what was it about these records that made them good to hear on the radio? Of course the band had a lot of publicity then, that was important, arguably the most crucial part of getting a hit.

But there are other things too, the songs have to be good to listen to.

Something has to be interest­ ing about the record.

It's got to have a hookline that stands out for all to hear, a bit of instrumentation that captures the imagination, or a beat that pounds its way to your heart and feet.

The Stones, at times used all three, and some others, like sentimentality, sound effects, taboo subjects etc. They usually make us sit up and listen, essen­ tial for a good' hit record, good dancing and good listening.

How do the latest lot fare?

Not too good in general, but I'm still waiting.

Let's look at the real goodies first.

EDDIE MONEY "Two Tickets To Paradise" (CBS BA222419), BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "Badlands" (CBS BA222445), THE CARS "Just V/hat I Needed"- (Elektra E 45491 X DRAGON "Are You Old Enough" (Portrait PR 45016), BLUE OYSTER CULT "(Don't Pear) The Reaper" (CBS 222440).

Any of these could be picked as a single of the month. They all have energy and an arresting sound for various reasons. All will be hits.

Both the Springsteen and Money singles take us to superb LP's chock full of songs about things we can identify with. Springsteen wants to get out of the bad lands he hates and is condemned to.

Money offers an escape to survi­ val with his "two tickets". Both car radio on the weekend in the country stuff.

"Badlands" opens with searing guitar and instantly identifiable piano that grips your attention, leading into Springsteens deep and slurred vocals; "I wsint the heart, I want the soul, I want control. Right now!"

I'Two Tickets To Paradise" focuses on Eddie Money's voice, superbly untrained and suitably gruff, very much in the trad­ ition of the late sixties "soul" singers.

The Cars I don't know about.

Here, "Just V/hat I Needed", with deadpan vocals, catchy use of synthesizer, and sound like the Rubinoos and Talking Heads jamming leaves me with a taste for more.

Blue Oyster Cult's greatest ever record has been re-released.

Two years later, with its Byrdslike harmonies combined with power production "The Reaper" is right in line with current trends I t 's currently undergoing a re­ surgence of popularity in the UK. I hope it gets a chance on Adelaide's radio-wave s .

Dragon's "Old Enough" is their best yet, or it sounds that way.

This band continues to make superb sounding singles (this will be No. 1 for sure) and continue to be the most sexest band in the country.

This one, about fucking young women and going to goal for it is their most offensive yet, especially when played live with Marc Hunter prowling the -front of the stage looking for that night's entertainment.

What about the other Austral­ ian (l should say Australasian) stuff this month?

Lots of good pleasant poppy things.

Like MOONLIGHT "HeartRQADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 18

break Kid" (Warner Bros IOOO 7 1 ), an excellently produced single with vocals (a bit weak) mixed way back to allow a solid beat and excellent rhythm section to carry it along.

It's worth listening to as is TMG's "Heart Of Stone" off their new LP. This is Ted's best yet. Doesn't demand too much of his voice, while boasting its sweeter qual- , ities with double tracked har­ monies used in a well written Searchers style radio song.

There's some bad pop about too. THE SKATES "Schoolgirl" (Polydor 2079 125), WINTER "I'm The Captain" (EMI 117715) and MALCOIM McCALLUM "Who Is Youir Love For" (CBS BA 222416) all repeat tired old cliches. Bay City Rollers, lightweight disco and piss-weak west coast respec­ tively. The only glimmer of in­ terest here is that the Skates must all be about I5 years old and must get better eventually, and the question of how crap like this ever gets on record.

Some­ one is making a mistake somewhere!

PLASH & THE P A N 's "Down Among The Deadmen" (Aberts AP 11755) is not to be categorised. Much in the same vein as "Hey St. Peter", it's a good record.

Vanda and Young will flog this formula until it's dead, much like they did with John Paul Young, and then come up with some -thing else equally as interest­ ing.

The usual amount of real dross came in this month.

CARLY SIMON, with James Taylor has made the absolute worst.

I'm a sucker for Taylor's guitar, but even his refined playing can­ not save "Devoted To You" (Elektra E 45506). It's so cute and nauseating, the lovely couple crooning to one another, singing away their undying love.

Taylor, by the way, has had his hand in another somewhat more listenable record of late. KATE TAYLOR, his sister, has made an album with James producing. The single, "It's Growin'" (CBS BA 222446) bears the stamp of the '78 style. James Taylor, strings, lush harmonies, easy vocals all sitting on top of crisp and taste -ful acoustic guitar. A pleasant single which uncovers an excellent voice.

PANAMA, a French band, has re­ leased a disco version of "Nights in White Satin" (EMI 11750)» It's horrible, much like the Santa Esmerelda remakes of old Animals classics. Really, I wish disco freaks would stop re­ writing and destroying histoiy and get on with their serious task of creating the nightmare futiire of metranome rock.

Of course disco wouldn't exist if JUSTIN HAYWARD, member of the Moody Blues and writer/ singer of "Nights In White Satin" had his way. We'd all live in the past like he does, re-living hackneyed, recycled old themes just like "Forever Autumn" (CBS BA 222435 ) from the War of the Worlds soundtrack.

Strings, double tracked vocals way out front, slow, sentimental, same old Moody Blues story. They're dead now, you know; died of boredom onstage half way throiagh "I'm Just A Singer In A Rock'n' roll Band".

WINGS "London Town" (Capitol A 11787 ) luckily doesn' t seem to be getting any airplay.

It doesn't matter, you will have heard this all before too.

The McCartney formula trotted out once again; cute, sweet and well produced. lUs only worked a few times and hasn't worked well since 1974's'Band on the Run", you'd think Paul'd change things a bit.

I suppose he can't be bothered.

Cliches abound in MARC JORDAN "Survival" (Warner Bros WBS 8599), MICHAEL MURPHY "Nothing

Is Your Own" (Epic ES 286), CAROLE KING "Mainstreet Saturday Night" (Avatar CP II76I), MIKE FINNEGAN "Just One More Minute" (CBS BA 222419 ).

Two of them reel out the Boz .Scaggs "blue-eyed soul" type of disco. Finnegan and Murphy are both real talents and should be shot for falling into the trap.

Commercial success doesn't necessarily come with selling out to the latest fads. Pro­ motion and/or excellent song writing is needed - Boz had botl^ these two have neither. By the way, LES DUDEK, Scagg's guitar­ ist, has made a fine record in this genre, "Gonna Move" (CBS BA 222433 )• It has a smooth, rhythmic and tempting structure, listenable and enjoyable.

This kind of thing done with some originality and thought is not too bad.

King and Jordon's west coast cool is not worth the 7 inches of plastic. A real heartbreak to see an artist of Carole Kin^s stature fall for this yet again.

I've really given up with her.

The best of the rest: IAN DURY "What a Waste" (Stiff BUY 11745 ), SEK PISTOLS "No One is Innocent" (Wizard ZS 190), PETER GABRIEL D.I.Y. (Charisma 6 0 7 9 4 6 2 ).

Dury provides one essential for rock at least every now and then: humour. He's funny and it sounds good as well.

"What a Waste" maintains that Dury really could have been ainything he liked at all, from a famous novelist to the local train driver. However, he's none of these things and he doesn't care.

This single, by the way, shows that the synthesizer when used properly, has an affect any number of technoflash bands couldn't mde r s t a n d .

It's worth a listen.

The Sex Pistols (minus one plus Ronald Biggs) have made a single that's really no more than a collectors item.

It has the power of their earlier stuff, Jones' guitar makes sure of that, but they've done that before.

"No One Is Innocent" however, features Biggs on vocals - i t ' s subtitled "A Punk Prayer by Ronald Biggs".

If you want it, get the 12" import with Biggs in studded leather on the cover, but wait for the new Jones/Cook ' band, it should be worth the wait.

"D.I.Y." is from Gabriel's s second self-titled album. While this track doesn't have the power of " M o d e m Love" or the hook of "Solsbury, Hill" from the last IiP it does have a certain eerie charm of its own. The meeting of manic Gabriel with obsessive Robert Fripp (who produced this) from King Crimson makes a great deal of sense. Mostly they have made inaccessable music, but

Gabriel's determination to be a star has helped to bring Fripp back to our world while sure that Gabriel doesn't stray too far from his home territory. Check out the piano on this track, it makes things worthwhile.

SEX PISTOLS THE BIGGEST BLOW (a Punk Prayer

by Ronnie Biggs)/ bw My Way (Sid Vicious) 12" SINGLE WIZARD ZS 12190 The Sex Pistols were the greatest rock group of the 70 's.

The perfect combination of raw energy and "up yours" attitude that rock'n'roll has always been at its best.

Their "political" stance was accompanied by a great, sneering sense of humour, and musically, they were responsible for at least three great anthems of the calibre of "My Generation" and "Satisfaction" or better,, and I never find myself doubting their ability to play their instru­ ments.

They broke up just in time before they were subjected to the castrating influence of the jet set/rock establishment.

However, as part of the film so-undtrack "The Great Rock'n'roll Swindle", we now have the "Bigg­ est Blow" by Jones, Cook and Biggs, still using the name and notoriety of the Pistols in a crass exercise in blatant oppor­ tunism. To hear a 50 year old ex-train robber w h o 's never done much else (poor sod, he's got to get money somehow , but .,.) indulging his enormous ego in a vain bid for credibility is good grief, he probably wishes he'd gone in for mass murder, "God save Mjrra Hjnidley" since his claim to 'punkdom' would be more valid, as a "boring old fart", It would have been better - for him to kill himself and have the moment immortalised on vinyl the ultimate gross out!

"He sold his soul for pLmk" - what's that supposed to mean, maaaan?

The above review is a turgid analysis of the moralistic, re­ verse snobbery kind. See what happens when you take these things seriously?

Actually, I do prefer the other side, it's even funnier.

Every cabaret hack's favourite will never be the same - thanks Sid. It starts off slowly with orchestra, the whole bit, then winds up into a raging powerful thrashout, with Sid caterwauling adenoidally. He chews up the words and spits them out and by the time he gets to "they say I killed a cat" well, it's fantastic.

Great record to play at parties if you can stop stagger­ ing aroiind (holding your sides) enough to dance to it, Suzie Walton

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THE COBBERS ALL FOR ME GROG and AUSTRALIA - PROM CELTS TO COBBERS WE4 The Cobbers third and La,test album is by far their slickest and I hope it's not a progress­ ion towards something that's primarily meant to sell. The Bushwackers are doing surprising­ ly well...

However, I d on’t think there's any direct comparison with the Bushwackers who have progressed beyond straight renditions of what's called Australian trad­ itional music. The Cobbers are churning out just what's expected of a bush band... but that's not meant to detract from their abil­ ity - rather the opposite. The band has a good rousing sound and at times really evoke the senti­ ments expressed in the old songs.

There's definitely a place for such groups maintaining the r o u ^ and ready style in the tradition­ al sense. In my view, Australian folk music connot stand any form of rarification and it needs the custodians who stick to the essentials but keep this form of music popular, even though only sunongst a minority.

I mentioned that the Cobbers' latest record was their slickest.

It's much t i t t e r and I think more marketable to the person that's not dyed in the wool folk.

Their first record "All For Me Grog" was recorded live and alt h o u ^ it has plenty of r o u ^ edges, it's much more infectious.

Many groups who record tradition­ al music in the studio tend to sound as though they're playing by rote. Often the variations of sound are lost in a conglom­ erate which approaches noise... all due to the reason that they're \mable to feed off the energy of their audience. The Cobbers don't actually fall into this trap, but at times the music does sound a little diluted. Some of the material they use is pretty tired too. The third album's content is remarkably similar to a record put out years ago by Dyna House using nameless musicians.

Instrumentally I think the Cobbers are one of the best groups ever to perform Australian trad­ itional music.

They have plenty of depth and variation playing some enjoyable versions of Irish jigs and polkas. However, on the vocal side, there are signs of weakness in several songs, al­ though the vocals are stronger than on their second albvim, "Prom Celts to Cobbers". Another thing I like about the groups latest release is that they've not included any of their own' songs. The ones I've heard have been a little nauseating, with none of the verve demonstrated in the original bush songs.

To most people who listen to a number of forms of music, the Cobbers would probably be consid­ ered as bordering on the extreme of purely traditional music. This is one factor against them becom­ ing a huge success and selling lots of records. The other is that they're singing tinmittigated Australian music which still hasrft overcome the backlash caused by the culture struggle and the dis­ tortions of the entertainment industry.

Surely it's time that people can again appreciate music depicting oppression, mendacity, rebellion, solidarity, depression and unbridled happiness...music that states the emotional and

practical problems of the singer and the listener. I know that having heard some "real" music, I find it hard to appreciate most of the sentimental mumbled with­ drawals and the frantic despair of the banal and insubstantial world of the hit recoird.

With the changing times, the growing xxnemployed and increased screwing of the worker by a bloody minded elit^ maybe the Australian traditional music as played by the Cobbers will instill some of the old spirit stolen from us by our affluence and the entrepreneurs.

The Cobbers are musically good and very entertaining. For those who have rejected Austral­ ian traditional music out of hand, have a listen and you may be sur­ prised. One thing I would ask the Cobbers to do, is to start drawing their material from some of the twentieth cent^lry songs. There are plenty of fine songs set duiv ing the shearing and coal strikes ana of course the depression.

Michael Duggan

UK UK E.G. RECORDS THROUGH PHONOGRAM

231062

Are you ready for the pro­ gressive rock revival?

Take four musicians whose previews experience has included working with King Crimson, Roxy Music, Genesis, Soft Machine, Ctirved Air and Yes. What do you get? Answer; An English super­ group which sounds like a mixture of King Crimson, Roxy Music, Genesis, Soft Machine, Ciirved Air and Yes. UK's lineup is Eddie Jobson (violin, keyboards and electron­ ics) Allan Holdsworth (guitar) Bill Bruford (kit diouns and j>ercussion) and John Wetton (vocals and bass). Something for all the family, so to speak.

If only they could have talked a member of ELP into joining then they'd have the whole thing sewn up.

A nice album from a nice band with the highest credentials.

Technically complex (even Wettoris bass has a moog foot pedal key­ board attachment), but ultimately?

It seems I've heard it all before on five year old King Crimson records and there is really no further progression.

Still, there are e n o u ^ people around who long for the "Good Old Days" who will buy UK and revel in its perplexingly entangled instrumental depths. For them it will be a treat. Take your choice - is you is or is you ain't? I ain'tI Bruce Milne

THE MOTORS APPROVED BY THE MOTORS VIRGIN (FESTIVAL) L 36568

THE CARS THE CARS ELEKTRA 6E135 Hmnmi, the Motors and the Cars - I guess the Motors should go first.

"Approved By The Motors" is the second album by this English

group formed by Andy McMasters and Nick Garvey, ex-members of the now almost legendary "pubrock" band Ducks Deluxe. With their debut album 1, the Motors acquired a reputation as a "heavy-metal new wave band", with a sound reminiscent of the Byrds in their hard rock period before they invented country rock ( ^ d as such are to be blamed for the Eagles).

However, this album shows they have moved away from the rather samey thrasheroo, while still retaining the original identity that 1 established, and this year the Motors have pro­ duced a more polished model.

It's by no means a complete change and these guys certainly aren't trying the "power-pop" bit like London's The Pleasers and The Boyfriends - no suits and Cuban heels, no rehashed Beatle songs. They certainly don't look like a pop group.

Yet taken literally, the label "power pop" fits them because this stuff is not the tacky, sickly stuff you'd tend to expect from a return to the 60's pop format. They have certainly mastered the style, with smoothly soaring harmonies and Garvey's proficient guitar playing (Rickenbacker and Greisch of course). At times they manage an almost perfect duplication of the sound of late 60's pop groups like the Foun­ dations, especially on songs • like Soul Redeemer and Forget About You (an almost direct steal of the old White Plains single "My Baby Loves Love").

A whole album like that would be strictly for nostalgia freak4 but they cover a variety of styles, and even their slower songs have the old Motors energy.

The song Breathless is a great pop song, and it certainly belts along. The single. Airport, with its keyboards and harmonies sounds rather like 10CC, but they've never had. this much drive. An infectious song, it's one of the best singles to be heard on the radio so far this year. Songs like Mamma Rock'n Roller and You Beat The Hell Out Of Me are real powerdrive rock'n'roll with silly lyrics. These guys act-ually write funny songs. Do You Mind, a sadistic love song is like some mutant offspring of the Beatles and Alex Harvey or early Blue Oyster Cult, with sinister key­ boards raw brutal vocals from Andy McMaster, whose voice has a rough edge which prevents the saccharine feel which can ruin a good song.

The Motors have recorded an album which might damage their "new wave" credibility but it is refreshing and I admire their courage.

In the tradition of the Rasp­ berries, here come the Cars, a group of unknowns from Boston (except the drummer, David Robin­ son, who was in the M o d e m Lovers)^ with their first album produced

by Roy Thomas Baker of Queen fame.

The sleeve has a slick "sexy" cover-girl chomping on a steering wheel - and the whole record oozes record company optimism that "these boys will be big", and they probably will.

I t 's an album of poppy loveorientated songs, written by the singer Rio Ocasek, who favours a mixture of rock cliches and clever, obscure imagery. The result is a collection of songs that seem to be saying something without actu­ ally doing so.

Their influences are fairly obviously early 7 0 's groups like Sparks (Don't Cha Stop), Queen (You're All I've Got Tonight), Roxy Music and E.L.O. Definitely fourth generation stuff.

Perhaps the most irritating thing about this alb'um is the slick, tinny sound - it's too slick and over-produced with, "clever" little bits of electronic wizardry. The h i ^ pitched drone of the synthesizer on the single.

Just What I Needed, ruins the best song on the album.

If we're going to be deluged with a pop revival, then at least let it be from groups like the Motors.

At least the English, on the whole, have always produced better "pop" music (Beatles, Who, Kinks etc. etc.) and if The Cars are any indication, not much has changed.

Suzie Walton

TOM PETTY &THE HEARTBREAKERS Y O T ’BE GONNA GET ITl SHELTER THROUGH FESTIVAL

L 56622

I've heard "Breakdown" on the radio (and enjoyed it), I've read the occasional article on Tom Petty and the first album was once played in the background at a ROADRUNNER meeting. Apart from that, I carried few pre­ conceptions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, so I had little idea of what to expect when I sat down to review "You're Gonna Get It!", the bands second album.

Once through and I liked it, twice and I was singing along, by the third play I was dancing (always review records with a bottle of wine handy - it has this sort of effect). Great.

Ten well-constructed songs of love (or lack of it).

The Heartbreakers are a tight, experienced lot. They have the ability to pound out an exciting rock beat coupled with fine melody. The real treat t h o u ^ , is Tom Petty. Like Nils Lofgren, he possesses a tense emotional voice and a clean individual guitar style. Tom's songwriting ties the whole, combination together nicely.

If you don't mind the short tracking time of the album and if you can forgive the large debt it owes to the Byrds, then you'll find "You're Gonna Get It!" a first rate piece of vinyl. I hope e n o u ^ people take Tom's title command to heart and do get it, because I wouldn't mind hearing tracks such as "I Need To Know" or "Listen To Her Heart" blasting out of my transistor at a ll.

Bruce Milne

Seeing Ears says. Are you keeping in time ?

If not read on..

ROADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 19

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JOHN GALE SLOW M Z Z I ^ ISLAND THROUGH FESTIVAL

L 55594

Festival are releasing (rereleasing?) John Gale's Island albums.

"Slow Dazzle" is the first to hit the racks. There are only a handful of albums I can recall that have, on first playing, touched me as strongly as "Slow Dazzle" has managed to do. There are even fewer records that have continued to do so after repeated playings. Patti Smith's "Horses", the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" and the first M o d e m Lovers album are three that come straight to mind and, significant­ ly, John Gale played a major role in each.

"Slow Dazzle" is Gale's second album on Island released origin­ ally in 1975 * Foi" bhe recording of it Gale assembled some of England's finest m o d e m musicians; precise craftsmen (Ghris Spedding Ghris Thomas, Pat Donaldson) and experimentalists (Eno, Phil^ Manzanera). An exciting choice.

With the best musicians for the job behind him, Gale set about recording an album of ten non-rational, non analytical songs.

"Slow Dazzle" is aimed at the emotional subconscious and if it hit^ it hits hard.

Throughout "Slow Dazzle" are consistent breathtaking moments: "Mr. Wilson", the opening track, which success­ fully captures the ethereal quality of the Beach Boys; the clavinet solo in "Ski Patrol"; Gale's feelings on love in "I'm Not The Loving Kind"; the sheer guts of "Guts".

John Gale's use of word imagery on "Slow Dazzle" often approaches Jim Morrison's own anarchistic style. This is most evident on "Dirty Ass Rock'n' Roll" which is almost a Doors out-take. All the great aspects of the Doors are found here: the Freudian references, the anti-intellectualism, the sex­ uality and the celebration of rock'n'roll.

"Don't it make you feel like some kinda under-cover Sigmund Freud?" sings John (to Jim?).

If only Jim Morrison would come out of h i d i ^ and re­ cord with John Gale. The result would be amazing - the ultimate in Dionysian rock. . Now that would really cleanse the doors of perception!

The only non-original track, "Heartbreak Hotel", is a fault­ less choice. The panic of lone­ liness expressed in sound. The guitars grind, Eno attacks his synthesizer with deliberate chaos and Gale delivers the lyrics in a mood which moves between care­ ful wording and uncontrolled wailing.

It is the hardest track on the album to sit through, be­ cause of its ability to make you feel the loneliness in every bone.

The second Velvet Underground record featured a track called "The Gift".

In his quietly spok­ en Welsh voice Gale unwound a macabre tale of a misperceived relationship.

Its beauty lay in its poeticized banality ("Marsha started to pat herself imder the chin; an exercise she'd seen on television").

Slow Dazzle's last track, "The Jeweller", is a re­ finement of the same style. With the most minimal electronic back­ ing, Gale tells of a jeweller whose eye becomes a vagina. There is no astonishing punch line, rather a charming flow of images juxtaposed with care and precis­ ROADRUNNER SEPTEMBER 1978

PAGE 20

ion. Patti Smith says she's jerked off to "The Jeweller". I suggest she has written whole songs based around its principle.

I have been listening to "Slow Dazzle" continuously for one week.

Before that I had not heard any of John Gale's solo work. I eagerly await the release of Gale's other albums. Bruce Milne

JO HN NY COUGAR A BIOGRAPHY RIVA REGORDS LTD.

WS 5507

CHARLIE LINES POLYDOR

2585487

BONNIE BRAMLETT MEMORIES GAPRIGORN REGORDS

2429162

JO HN PRINE STEELEYE SPAN STORM FORGE TEH This record is probably the groups last and i t 's fitting that one of the original members, Martin Garthy returns. His pressure is obvious with the noticeable dilution of the bands previous predeliction towards overlaboured rock. There's also a new member - John Kirkpatrick who along with Garthy was one of the people most prominent in the resurgence of English traditional music. Kirkpatrick has been in­ volved with such records as "Morris On" and the "Albion Gountry Bands" releases and has played with Ashley Hutchings,, a previous member of Steeleye Span.

Kirkpatrick's style along with Garthy's, is much more in the traditional mode, and their in­ fluence seems to have tempered the group into playing a more subtle style of folk-rock. For this reason I think 'Storm Force Ten' is the groups best record since its early recording days.

The first track, "Awake Awake" is slightly enigmatic, and doesn't really reflect the new influence in the group. However, it's plfeasant enough with Maddy Prior and Tim Hart sharing the vocals.

The second track, "Sweep Ghimney Sweep" is sune: unaccompanied with Martin Garthy leading. This is the sort of music that Garthy excells in as proved when the Vaterson's accepted him into their ranks as a replacement.

One of the better songs on the record is "The Wife Of The Sold­ ier" written by the German play­ wright, Berthold Brecht. This song was included in a record put out some years ago by Martin Garthy and Dave Swarbrick, and I still think I prefer Garthy's rendition.

The last track on the first side, "The Victory" is quite ordinary and is a good example of some of the very'lack lustre traditional songs that Steeleye Sp.an seem to get hold of fairly •regularly. However, Kirkpatricks exceptional accordion playing comes through and there's some good blending with the electric guitars. 'My favourite track on the record is a piece called "The Black Freighter" taken from Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera".

It's a surrealistic song of revenge, and Steeleye Span manage to instill an element of nastiness and irreverence that epitomises Brecht's work.

The record ends with a jolly piece called "Seventeen Gome Sunday" realting the much labour­ ed tale of a yoimg maid being seduced by a soldier who then runs off back to the aimy. Again Kirkpatrick's accordian is scin­ tillating and we get a chance to hear him sing. All in all, i t 's a record which is better than I would have expected from Steeleye Span, mainly because of the influence of Martin Garthy.

Michael Duggan

BRUISED ORANGE ASYLUM 6E 159

DIRK HAMILTON MEET ME AT THE GRUX ELEKTRA 6E 125

We have here five records whose only common character­ istic is their lack of similar­ ity in style while still bearing some resemblance to our present pop cultiire. "A Biography", Johnny Gougar's latest L.P. is already in the charts of cotirse, riding in the wake of his smash hit single and recent exposure on the airwaves. What's more, it ain't a bad piece at that.

His voice isn't particularly strong, but he has an engaging snarl and writes pretty good songs. If you like the hit, then "A Biography" wouldn't go astray - yes, Mrs. Gougar's little boy Johnny is more than just a pretty face.

The only group in this collec -tion is also the only British contender, and it's a sad day for the Mother Gountiry. Any band that calls itself Gharlie and produces an L.P. cover that resembles an ad for deodorant can't have a lot going for it. This preened, putrid, sugary, tinky tink, cliche ridden harmony band is enough to give anyone tooth decay - watch out for them, they'll probably make it big in the Euro vision song contest.

Another release that doesn't quite hit the mark is "Memories", a reappearance by Bonnie Bramlett after quite an abcense.

On it, she interprets a few songs along with a couple of originals, and, overall, the things a bit lack lustre, the title track being about the best of the bunch.

She has a reasonable stab at The Beatles "I've Just Seen A Face", but she completely blows it with Winwood's "Gan't Find My Way Horn#.

The L.P. just drifts, there's none of the excitement of the early Boimie and Delaney releases (and none of the bloated indul­ gence either), she just plays it safe, which is consistant with a lot of "comeback" records, it merely cruises along Mediocraty Road - nice dinner music, better luck next time.

John Prine is a fellow who's also been around a long time, somehow getting tagged with a lot of nasty Zimmerman comparisons.

"Bruised Orange", his most recent release is a fine example of the man's unique talent as an indi­ vidual, consistant artist. With simple, catchy melodies backed with sparing inspiration, he spins his stories with humour and feel­ ing. He may not be the next awe inspiring prophet and hero, but there are some excellent moments - "If You Don't Want My Love" in particular, is a delightfully simple little collaberation with Phil Spector, might make a good single, there sure ain't a lot of lyrics to listen to. Mostly there are humorous stories, observations and quite a few moving moments -

heres hpping he continues to hit us with little gens like this one.

"Meet Me At The Grux" by Dirk Hamilton is a record I've never heard of by an .American gentleman I've never heard of. Be that as it may, this release is pretty dam-n good, he's a little bit of an angry, cynical Van Morrison Tim Buckley, with quite a touch of the old black humour. The songs are consistantly good with "Meet Me At The Grux" and "Tell A Vision Time" being particularly outstanding. This is not a very optimistic L.P., however, he has an interesting point of view and he illustrates it graphically with his distinctive, biting vocals.

This is an excellent, varied, challenging record, and I'll certainly be looking out for future output.

If you run across it anywhere, give it a good blast - this guy's got soul.

Bain

BOB DYLAN STREET LEGAL GBS SBP 257187

WILLIE NELSON STARDUST GBS SBP 257166

CAFE JACQUES ROUND THE BAGK ^ EPIG ELPS 5875

DAVID GILMOUR DAVID GILMOUR GBS SBP 257198

LAKE LAKE GBS SBP

257161

THE DICTATORS BLOODBROTHERS ASYLUM 6E 147 With any new Bob Dylan album it's unwise to make any initial judgements.

It usually takes a while for me to work out where the man is and what he's trying to say. I mean it wasn't till 'Blood On The Tracks' that I really started to appreciate Dylan, That album inspired me to dip into his back- catalogue and discover some of the great music of the sixties. .And seeing his concert earlier this year, when he breath -ed fire and life into those gems of the sixties, made me await this album with great anticipation.

Add to that the fact that 'Blood On The Tracks' was written after a bust up with Sara, I hoped (somewhat perversely) that his divorce would lead him to fashion another meisterwerk out of his turbulent emotions.

Well, I must confess I'm disappointed. Maybe it just hasn't clicked yet. But to this reviewers ear Dylan's demon has left him. The material is lack­ lustre. The lyrics are obscure as usual, but lack Dylan's normal cutting edge. The band are com­ petent without being outstanding.

I can't really work out what he's singing about (i'll leave lyrical analysis to Rolling Stone - that's their bag) and that's not for want of trying. There are a few decent songs on the album - the single 'Baby, Stop Grying' and 'Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)', but in the main i t 's middle of the roaa gypsy folk-rock.

If that's your thing go for your life, but for me Dylan is on the road to Las Vegas. He's safe.

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Second up, Willie Nelson, Nashville's Country Rock outlaw.

'Stardust' is a fascinating album. What he's done is taken songs from the twenties and thirties and recorded them as they would have been done originally.

You can just imagine a smoky lit­ tle cellar in the Deep South, sub­ dued lighting and a band of mus­ icians playing these old stan­ dards to a room full of cowpokes and cowgirls.

It's great, it drips with understated emotion and includes the best version of 'Georgia On My Mind' I've ever heard.

Cafe Jacques 'Round The Back is from an Edinburgh band who fall somewhere between Genesis and 10CCL I guess they are somewhat of an anachronism in the wake of the late seventies hard rock renai­ ssance, but on the other hand Genesis still sell an awful lot of records (especially in the UK).

In fact there is a touching note on the back of the album from Phil Collins, drummer with Genesis who contributed to the sound, telling us how he was 'violently impressed' with the band.

I wasn't, but the album is pleasant enough. Pile under progressive easy listening.

David Gilmour, Pink Floyd's guitarist has made an interesting solo debut. The tracks that sound like Pixik Floyd, sound more like early Floyd than later, although if anything the album shows just how integral Gilmour's guitar sound is to the total Floyd sound.

In fact if you are into the Floyd, then this one is for you.

If you aren't, then there's little to recommend it.

Next?

Ah, yes. Lake. A German band who opened the Blackbushe picnic for Senor Lylan and Monsieur Parkere.

Sounding at times like Yes, at other times like Steve Miller, they seem to have some difficulty in rising above the mediocre.

Sounds like a deliberate attempt to sound like as many people as possible with­ out even considering doing any­ thing original. Who are they try­ ing to con I wonder?

Handsome Dick Manitoba and The Dictators New Yorks favor­ ite cartoon band (after Da Brudders Ramone) serve up a chtinky slab of heavy metal riffs, basic beat and some vaguely amusing lyrics. How­ ever, most of the songs are too slow and you can hear the lyrics! Bad form H.D.!

Donald Robertson

LARRY CORYELL PHILLIP CATHERINE TWIN HOUSE - GUITAR DUO'S ATLANTIC SD 50542

STANLEY CLARKE MODERN MAN CBS SBP 257158 BEST OP STANLEY CLARKE NEMPEROR NE 1882

TOWER OF POWER WE CAME TO PLAY CBS SBP 257153

SHERBET SHERBET FESTIVAL

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This b\uich of album reviews goes from the sublime to the grad\3ally more ridiculous, in descending order, Larry Coryell,

highly acclaimed American jazz guitarist, part of fusion band.

The Eleventh House meets Philip Catherine, highly acclaimed European guitarist known for his work with Focus and Joachim' Ktlhn, 12 hours of recording, later necessitating only one or two takes of each song and the mellifluous, richly melodic "Guitar Duo's" album is born, a quiet and beautiful album in keep -ing with Coryell's pledged inten­ tion of making "acoustic, lowkey, more jazz oriented non trendy music". Keith Jarretts sleek silver toned "Mortgage On Your Soul", the haunting "Gloyell" written for Coryell by Jimmy Webb and "Nuages" a homage to Django Reinhardt particularly glow.

Detailed cover notes providing a background to the performers, the recording, the compositions and an almost note by note com­ mentary on the playing, have been penned by the Editorial Director of the English equivalent of "Downbeat" Magazine, Jazz Journal International, An honest musical statement, an album with dignity.

Larry Coryell has often in interviews expressed respect for Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Return To Forever, even going as far as defending their involve­ ment with Scientology while him­ self remaining ■uninvolved with the religious sect, Larry's probably cringing now if he's heard " M o d e m Man", On the ECM album "Return To Forever" by Chick Corea that inspired the group of the same name Stanley Clarke's bass playing has never soTuided so ptire and suffisive, due in some small part to Manfred Eicher's sympathetic production, no doubt, but Stanley's bass playing has continued to be im­ peccable with imagination, taste and power whether acoustic (which he uses for subtle aesthetic music) or electric (used for heavier rythmical tunes), Stan­ ley hasn't demonstrated any lasting sensibility for either songwriting or singing and isn't consistent with the quality of his recorded output. His initial solo effort in 1975 bhe brilliant "Children Of Forever" seems to have been largely overlooked, in 1974 he marked time disappoint -ingly with "Stanley Clarke", redeemed himself in 1975 with "Journey To Love", and encoiiraged to "come home Stanley, all is forgiven" with the wonderful "School Days" in 1976. Some­ thing's gone awry, Stanley's plummeted to the depths of ridiculousness with this years release " M o d e m Man".

This truly hideous album opens with overblown Star Warsish narration, a call to arms with Stanley choosing "the sound of a plucked string", then he immediately lets us have it be­ tween the ears with a new wea­ pon - his singing voice and relegates his bass playing to the back of the foxhole, Stanley is no lyricist, twee and absurd­ ly precious in the best of ex­ amples, and he's compositionally stale if judged on this set. The seemingly Frank Sinatra influenced cloud castle swirling balladry of "He Lives On" and "Got To Find M|y Own Place" is imbearably cute­ sy, even nauseous Very ordinary disco schmuck, repititious to the extreme describes "More Hot Fun" (an illogical contintiation of the only low spot on "School Days" one would assume), "Dayride" and "Slow Dance", On " M o d e m Man" Stanley flirts with

pop and faces rejection. There's almost a saving grace on the album - almost - but the hard, fast and exciting blow Stanley, Jeff Beck and Carmine Appice begin on "Rock'n'roll Jelly" rapidly quivers and wobbles headlong into a dull sludge.

More Star Wars hoo-hah and it's all over, yawn! Ron L. Hubbard is accredited "very special thanks" on the album sleeve, it seems that Sciento­ logy has a lot to answer for, as Chick Corea's artistic plunge is similarly influenced, Stanley Clarke's just released "BEST OF STANLEY CLARKE" set is a real gem in comparison with just a couple of flaws. That it should be Released now is fortuitous, a testament to the fact that Stanley isn't the indulgent, tedious, predictable semi-wit that " M o d e m Man" was created by. Le t 's hope Stanley can just plead temporary insanity and forget his latest work. The "Best Of Stanley Clarke" album comprises material from "Stanley Clarke", "Jo'umey To Love" and "School Days", his most brilliant composition "Bass Folk Song", from his debut albiim is no doubt absent because it was recorded for another label.

"Vulcan Princess" (l974) and "Hot Fun" (1976 ) are insub­ stantial and routine, the latter a trivial funk imita'tion featiiring boring (of late) Billy Cobham are the only disasters on the albxmi. "Quiet Afternoon" and "School Days" are fresh, beau­ tiful and colourful. David Sancious extracts warmth and emotion from the often frigid mini-moog blended superbly with a driving, roving bass display, and some of-Steve Gadd's always superb drumming.

"Hello Jeff" penned by Stanley as a showcase for Jeff Beck's guitar prowess, which it duly is, and fluid bass

by Stanley and thundering Lenny White drums.

"Song To John I^rt II" is magical. Stanley, Chick Corea and John Mclaughlin on acoustic instruments playing sweeping magical rounds, a fit­ ting dedication to John Coltrane.

I swear that Elton John's 1974 hit single "The Bitch Is Back" catapoulted into the charts on the propulsion of Lenny Pickett's vinyl blistering tenor sax solo alone and the pulsating brazen excitement of superbly arranged rows of brass. Years later, right back in the middle of "Dixie Chicken" on Little Peats "Waiting For Columbus" there's this astounding impro­ mptu Dixieland Jazzband mixed with snappy acoustic ivory tickling from Billy Payne.

The Tower of Power horn section is responsible for both of those exemplary brass displays, and there are even subservient to Tower of Power, and that's some task. Tower of Power date back to 1971 and were previously known as the Motown Soul Band, despite the milky skin pigmen­ tation of 99?^ of the members.

T of P specialises in super tight funk rock, and "We Came To Play" is their 7th or 8th album, and a disillusionment (ditto for the previous albums), and a tedious drudge save for the brass arrangements and play­ ing, I-tfs vocally ordinary with pedestrian lead vocals from Michael Jeffries and contains an odd selection of songs from the ultimate mindless funk of "We Came To Play" to the tacky syrup of "Let Me Touch You".

"Bittersweet Soul Music" is

the only song to offer a spark with a silky female chorus.

Just as Stanley Clarke has made his strongest musical attri­ bute subservient to subordinate singing, so Tower of Power have all but hidden away the truly brilliant horn arranging talents of Greg Adams and the excellence of the horns themselves behind vocal wishy-washiness. My fond­ est recollections of Tower of Power are their appearances on other people's albums, they're at their most tri-umphant when coupled with strong compositions and performers (e.g. the ■union with Little Fea't), pretend they didn't make this album.

Despite the abysmal " M o d e m Man", there's refuge in the fact that Stanley Clarke is still a genius of the bass, and Tower of Power are great, -they're just not suited to solo alb^ums, f e r e ' s no such excuse for Sher­ bet except perhaps inferiority, "You've Got The Gun" has always been delightful and Sherbet's overseas ticket "Howzat" (eqiJally delightful - but two enduring singles from eleven albums worth of material is a lousy recommen­ dation for a band that has been for so many years touted as Australia's paramount pop outfit (remember the Easy Beats say l) Daryl Braithwaite's vocal skill was in the early days a glimmer of hope for great things from Sherbet, but has progressed to being the bands only saving grace (except of late some shining guitar work from Harvey James in concert, but he doesn't seem to matter on record), "Peels Like It's Slippin' Away" the first song on the albxim could well be unintention­ ally prophetic. Sherbet plod aimlessly thro^u^ every "safe" musical style they can muster, aimed at American A M radio air­ play no doubt."Beg, Steal or Borrow" the title of the final cut on the album, sums up the whole thing really, it's the token overblown hea^vy rocker (for the more adventurous American radio stations no doubt), and there ende the most ■unadven'turous, un­ imaginative album I've heard in a long while. Olivia's in there fighting for Australian music, and Helen Reddy, and The Little River Band, and now Sherbet have swelled the troops. Maybe we could apply Ivan Krai's defini­ tive New York New Wave cinemato­ graphy to Australian music ex­ ports for our "The Bland Geneiv ation". If you've set aside cash to acqTiire Australian pop, collect the Easyheats compilation albvuns, or wait for the Yoting Modern single. Accept no substitutes!

Jillian Burt

Seeing Ears says,Are you keeping in time ?

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PAGE 21

G IG GUIDE ?RrDAY 1st September Aurora Cold Chisel Hot Chicken Everest Stylus Rendevous Disco Jimmy & The Boys

Waverly Hotel Pooraka Hotel Royal Hotel Count Down Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Tivoli Hotel

SATURDAY 2nd September County Connection Cold Chisel Everest Stylus Dollar Disco Jimmy & The Boys

Waverly Hotel Count Down Hotel Australia Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Tivoli Hotel

SUIilDAY 3rd September Everest Cold Chisel Stylus Jimmy & The Boys

Elizabeth Rugby Club Largs Pier Arkaba Tivoli Hotel

MOHDAY 4th September Dark Tan Jazz Rocus

Lions Hotel Creole Room

TUESDAY 5th September Bluegrass Club Dark Tan Johnny Konnis & The Hitmen

Waverly Hotel Lions Hotel Tivoli Hotel

WEDNESDAY 6th September Dark Tan Sinclair Bros.

Rum Jungle Rock’n'roll Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen

Lions Hotel Findon Hotel Tivoli,Hotel Legtrap Hotel St. Leonards Inn

THURSDAY 7th September Sokker Dark Tan Jagged Edge Sinclair Bros.

Micky Finn Soul Headquarters Red Eye D.J. Cunning Stunt

Waverly Hotel Lions Hotel Royal Hotel St. Leonards Inn Largs Pier Arkaba Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel Lord Melbourne

FRIDAY 8th September Indigo Dark Tan Hot Chicken Sinclair Bros.

David Colton Quartet Warm Jets

TUESDAY 12th September Bluegrass Club Billy Connely ' Dark Tan Young M o d e m

Waverly Hotel Festival Theatre Lion Hotel Tivoli Hotel

WEDNESDAY 15th September Dark Tan Keith Lamb & Hush Rum Jungle Rock'n'Roll Sherbet/joJo Zep & The Falcons

Lion Hotel Findon Hotel Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel St. Leonards Inn

THURSDAY U t h September Sokker Dark Tan Jagged Edge Keith Lamb & Hush Chris Turner Band Soul Headquarters Redeye D.J. JoJo Zep & The Falcons Bank Of France

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Royal Hotel St. Leonards Inn Largs Pier Arkaba Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel Bananas Lord Melbourne

FRIDAY 15th September Aurora Dark Tan Hot Chicken Graham Parker & The Rumour Keith Lamb/Chris Turner Band Dave Colton Quartet JoJo Zep & The Falcons Rendezvous Disco Smokestack Lightning Rum Jungle

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Royal Hotel Apollo Stadium Count Down Creole Room Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Tivoli Hotel Lord Melbourne

SATURDAY l6th September Country Connection Dark Tan Keith Lamb & Hush Chris Tumer/Keith Lamb (Late) Glen Henrich & Friends Mickey Finn JovTo Zep & The Falcons Dollar Disco Middle Class

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Pooraka Hotel Count Down Creole Room Tivoli Hotel Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Lord Melbourne

SUNDAY 17th September Dark Tan Chris Turner Band JoJo Zep & The Falcons Young M o d e m

Lion Hotel Largs Pier Arkaba Tivoli Hotel

MONDAY 18th September Magnimn Jazz Focus

Lion Hotel Creole Room

TUESDAY 19 th September Blue Grass Club Magnum Ross Wilson's Mondo Rock

Waverly Hotel Lions Hotel Tivoli Hotel

WEDNESDAY 20th September Magnum Ross Wilson's Mondo Rock Rum Jungle

Lion Hotel St. Leonards Inn Tivoli Hotel

THURSDAY 21st September Sokker Magnum Jagged Edge Soul Headquarters Redeye D.J. Ross Wilson's Mondo Rock Lone Star Rock'n'Roll Road Shows

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Royal Hotel Arkaba Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel Bananas Lord Melbourne

Supercharge/South City Flyers Rendezvous Disco Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen Rum Jungle

Waverly Hotel Lions Hotel Royal-Hotel Pooraka Hotel Creole Room Adelaide Uni (lp.m. Union Hall) Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Tivoli Lord Melbourne

SATURDAY 9th September Company Blue Dark Tan Sinclair Bros.

Glen Henrich & Friends Supercharge/South City Flyers Cunning Stunt/Tomlin Dollar Disco Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen

Waverly Hotel Lions Hotel Pooraka Hotel Creole Room Arkaba Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel Lord Melbourne

SUNDAY 10th September Dark Tan Sinclair Bros.

Micky Finn South City Flyers Johnny Kannis & The Hitmen

Lion Hotel Elizabeth Rugby Club Largs Pier Arkaba Tivoli Hotel

Mickey Finn Rendezvous Disco Ross Wilson's Mondo Rock Rum Jungle

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Royal.Hotel Creole Room Adelaide Uni (lp.m. Union Hall) Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Tivoli Hotel Lord Melbourne

MONDAY 11th September Blossom Deare & Stephan Grappelli Dark Tan Jazz Focus

Festival Theatre Lion Hotel Creole Room

Sa t u r d a y 23 rd September Company Blue Magnum Glen Henrich & Friends

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Creole Room

flOADRDHIlER SEPTEMBER

978 '‘PAGE.22

FRIDAY 22nd September Indigo Magnum Hot Chicken Dave Colton Quartet South City Flyers

Micky Finn Dollar Disco Ross Wilson's Hondo Rock

Arkaba Legtrap Hotel Lord Melbourne

HEY READ THIS!

SUNDAY 24th September Magnum

Micky Finn Ross Wilson's Hondo Rock

Lion Hotel Adelaide Uni Games Room Adelaide Uni Little Theatre 2p.m, Arkaba Tivoli Hotel

MONDAY 25th September Msignum Jazz Focus

Lion Hotel Creole Room

TUESDAY 26th September Blue Grass Club Magnum Lone Star Rock'n'Roll Road Shows

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Tivoli Hotel

Robyn Archer/Louis McManis Classical Guitar Concert

WEDNESDAY 27th September Magmmi

Lion Hotel Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel St. Leonards Inn

Rum Jungle Rock'n'Roll Angels THURSDAY 28th September Sokker

Cunning Stunt (Every Thursday)

Waverly Hotel Lion Hotel Royal Hotel Arkaba Tivoli Hotel Legtrap Hotel Lord Melbourne

FRIDAY 29th September Aurora Hot Chicken Dave Colton Quartet Rendezvous Disco Lone Star Rock'n'Roll Road Shows Rum Jungle (Every Friday)

Waverly Hotel Royal Hotel Creole Room Legtrap Hotel Tivoli Hotel Lord Melbourne

Magnum

Jagged Edge Soul Headquarters Redeye DoJ.

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Manfred Mann’s latest LP WATCH. Get it at SEEING EARS.

f l y e r s

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C-L 3 6 4 2 2 FEATURING THE SINGLE DAVEYS ON THE ROAD AGAIN

SLATER SOUND STUDIOS Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s new album WATCH is now released. Eight months in the making, it contains seven tracks including live versions of ‘Davey’s on the Road Again’ and the classic ‘Mighty Quinn’ — an English and American No. 1 for Manfred Mann exactly ten years ago in 1968, Available from the one and only

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Ph. 4 2 7 6 9 6 122 K IN G W IL L IA M R O A D , G O O D W O O D P H O N E 2 7 2 665 2 RICK KENT and JAMIE RIGG

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