Grace Knight headed up the Eurogliders in a typical 80s band with a number 1 in Australia. Later her interest turned to Jazz and acting. The first clip is of their Hit " Heaven".
And a few years later in her career as a Jazz singer.
6.50 am and the sun is filtering through the trees and then lighting up the study as I listen to Billy Thorpe.
Although Billy wasn't a Melbourne boy, I did see him play around our town quite a bit. He was very loud which might have some influence on my partial deafness although Sue calls it selective deafness.
I'm about to go and meet my friends for our usual Saturday morning ride along Beach Road which dances along the edges of Port Phillip Bay. I have a feeling that my fellow riders might just say "It's almost Summer".
Not sure what might be in store this weekend - I know Sue is considering a little bit of experimentation in the kitchen. We'll see what the outcome is by Monday morning.
Never been much of a fan with talent shows these days but Australian Idol this particular year had some very good performers.
Wes Carr came from South Aussie - For some reason Adelaide seems to have more than its fair share of talent, don't know why.
This bloke enthralled the judges from his very first audition and went right through to the finals to become the eventual winner. I quite enjoyed his songs, mostly covers from my favorite artists. Despite doing covers he was an accomplished song writer played guitar and piano. You can find more of Wes Carr on You-Tube.
Yes, that's right - 1st of the month and the broadband is back to normal speed.
I've been having Blog withdrawels. Not only have I not been able to blog but even reading my favorite Blogs has been so slow that I gave up - much reading to do this weekend but so much is happening.
Tell you all about it Sunday night.
Meanwhile here's a Saturday song from another Aussie artist. This is a much rearranged version.
Mike Rudd formed Spectrum in the 60s - he still singing "I'll be gone" almost 50 years later and I still love it.
Back in 1970, it was all flairs, long hair and platform soles - gosh it looks ugly now, but it was fun.
The Mixtures played around Melbourne and had a few hits, one being the Push Bike Song.
Two things I like about this clip from 1970 is that it shows Melbourne in a different era than today. The double road passes by the then newly built Saint Kilda Marina and then down Beaconsfield Parade in Middle Park to Port Melbourne. We ride this route with Port Phillip Bay in view most weekends. The other reason to play this song is that it has bikes in it (Did I hear you say typical). I don't really like the song all that much but after 40 odd years, it does bring back a little whimsy.
1971 Daddy Cool hit the Aussie charts with Eagle Rock. It still gets played long after the group disbanded. Ross Wilson went on to other bands and has written so much material with many other bands and singers recording his songs.1971 - Eagle Rock and Daddy Cool.
After listening to Daddy Cool, tell me that you didn't tap your feet along with the boys.
35 years on and they occasionally come together for Rock n Roll tributes.
I really don't know much about these Australian singers (I'm an old Fart) - I do know I quite like them and love the artwork. A younger friend of mine who is a little bit more trendy than me introduced me to them. His blog is on my sidebar "Eger Eyes"- give him a look in. Mainly a mobile photo daily post.
Have a great weekend and talk on Monday.
Oh yes - almost forgot to mention that my daughter is riding a weekend 200 plus kms charity ride for cancer research. She raised over $2500 and her blog is also on my sidebar - CWA - Cat with Attitude. You are right, I'm a proud Father.
I'm sitting here with a glass of port and thinking while listening to James Taylor - what will I do for a Saturday song? I heard this young lady being interviewed on our National Broadcasting Station and thought maybe she might be it!!! Jessica Paige is not well known, she should be - she busks in the Melbourne CBD, honing her skills, meeting the street night life - friendly, happy and sometimes scary. She writes nice songs, has a great voice. I watched her you tubes and can I say it brought a little moisture to my eyes, as does James Taylor when I listen to him. I hope she makes it one day and if she doesn't, then I'm sure she will continue with what she does. What do you think of her?
Everybody has a Teddy tucked away somewhere - ours is BRUCE, well he is Aussie afterall.
He's maybe 26 years old now but even though our boys are as old as he is, he's stayed part of the family and always will be.
SHANE HOWARD (Goanna)
In the early 80s I had Goanna's first album - it was a time of change in Aussie Music. In latter years, maybe around 2000 I discovered Mary Black. She probably discovered Shane Howard at the same time. She also recorded a Neil Finn (Crowded House) song. Both Shane and Neil have enjoyed some recognition in Ireland due to her successes with their songwriting.
In 1993, Shane made his first tour of Ireland when Irish star Mary Black's recording of Shane's song, "Flesh & Blood", was a Top 5 hit there. He has since toured Ireland and Australia regularly with Black, who has recorded several of his songs. (From Shane's website)
This clip comes from a local Melbourne show, "ROCKWIZ" and at the end there is usually a duet. On this occasion, Mary Black was in Australia and invited to Rockwiz to perform with Shane.
Solid Rock was the first hit for Shane Howard's Goanna. He's one of the few Aussie Rock Bands in the 80s, along with Midnight Oil to write and perform songs dealing with Aboriginal Rights in Australia.
Adam Hills does a TV series called Spicks and Specks - a sort of music and comedy thing.
So here he is as a standup comedian at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Axis of Awesome are an Aussie comedy singing trio - no further explanation required. Grab a cuppa, sit down and be amused for a few minutes.
OK - hope that put a whimsical smile on your face - We're off to the market now to buy some things to cook from a cook book that we bought recently - tell you more Monday.
One week ago, one of Australia's blues artists went on his journey. He passed away a little over a week ago from cancer. When I was in my teens I frequented a place in the back laneways of Melbourne called Frank Traynor's where you went to listen to Folk and Blues during the 60s. Dutch played there.
Dutch wrote and recorded this song knowing he had a battle on his hands. One of my co-workers was close to Dutch and attended his funeral during the week. He brought a copy of this track in for me to listen to about a month ago. This is the clip of the song on You Tube.
As a young bloke I remember this big thing with Aussie bands doing their own thing. Writing songs about local themes and taking their own direction. The Dingoes and Broderick Smith was one of those bands and Brod was one of those guys.
I saw him when I was a teenager at a concert. He wandered up on to the stage a suit, I thought he might have been a bank teller with the way he looked. He had a pocket full of harmonicas and played the meanest blues harp I had ever heard locally. Brod still plays around Melbourne, still writes and still records.
Vika and Linda Bull are from Tonga - It's not far from Australia and so we claim them for us on today's Saturday Song. They started as back up singers with the Black Sorrows, and then progessed on to solo, well duo singers really.
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Paul Kelly writes great lyrics - this is one of his songs.
And finally a Gospel Song - it suits their voices, don't you think?
Saturday song is from an Aussie - NO, I can't fib, he's a Kiwi really, just across the ditch. It's nothing new for Kiwis to infiltrate the Aussie music scene. And when they do, we claim them as our own when they become internationally successful. Both Tim and Neil Finn have written some of my favorite songs. Split Enz, Crowded House and the individual Cd's by both Tim and Neil. What about their collaborations together, just superb. Anyway, on this Saturday song, make a coffee, have some raisin toast and enjoy Tim's music.
Daryl Braithwaite was with one of Australia's most popular 70s bands. I never much liked Sherbert at the time, they were much too mainstream for me. I was into Dylan, blues and jazz. You never admitted to being into Top 40. (Music Nerd)
Not quite sure how he and I met in the middle but I really liked his music over the last two decades. I really like his voice today, a little like Stevie Winwood.
Enjoy. A true Love Lament
She came to us as a kid of 16, and she stayed. She was pregnant when she had this role in "Hair". I was there at the time but didn't really know she was. Marcia Hines has been part of the Australian music scene for all those years, and still is. Today she is a judge on Australian Idol and is so helpful to new and young talent here. Always positive. I think she is a nice person. Tell me what you think - I'd like to know.
The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen children) is a term used to describe the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals occurred in the period between approximately 1869 and 1969, although in some places children were still being taken in the 1970s.
With Saturday Song I try to make it about Aussie singers - Archie (born in 1956) certainly is that.
He was one of the stolen children. At a very young age he was taken away from his parents near the banks of the Goulbourn River in Mooroopna, Victoria and put into a foster home in Melbourne.
One of those foster homes was with a family that inspired him musically.
Previously I've posted Saturday Song with Paul Kelly. It was one of Paul's band members that suggested that they meet and possibly open for Kelly's band which he did. Later as his popularity grew, Archie Roach opened for names such as Joan Armatrading, Suzanne Vega and Bob Dylan when they toured Australia.
He's released several CDs and I only bought my first one last weekend. His lyrics tell of his anguish of being ripped away from his parents and the general plight of the Stolen Generation.
It's only been in the recent past years when the Labor Opposition defeated the then Liberal Government that newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, officially apologised (saying sorry) for the pain the past governments caused the indigenous children and parents.
They Took the Children Away - Archie Roach
From little things, big things grow is a Paul Kelly song - it's about an aboriginal stockman that worked the land for a squatter and he couldn't understand why this man who was on his land, reaped the benefits.
Listen to the words - the reference to the big man was Gough Whitlam, the Labor Prime Minister at the time.
Writing this, I ask myself the question, why is it that the Labor Party have always championed the cause of our indigenous people?
If you have time, sing along...
Gather round people let me tell you're a story
An eight year long story of power and pride
British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiarri
We're opposite men on opposite sides
Vestey was fat with money and muscle
Beef was his business, broad was his door
Vincent was lean and spoke very little
He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Gurindji were working for nothing but rations
Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land
Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter
Gurindju decided they must make a stand
They picked up their swags and started off walking
At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down
Now it don't sound like much but it sure got tongues talking
Back at the homestead and then in the town
Vestey man said I'll double your wages
Seven quid a week you'll have in your hand
Vincent said uhuh we're not talking about wages
We're sitting right here till we get our land
Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered
You don't stand the chance of a cinder in snow
Vince said if we fall others are rising
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Then Vincent Lingiarri boarded an aeroplane
Landed in Sydney, big city of lights
And daily he went round softly speaking his story
To all kinds of men from all walks of life
And Vincent sat down with big politicians
This affair they told him is a matter of state
Let us sort it out, your people are hungry
Vincent said no thanks, we know how to wait
Then Vincent Lingiarri returned in an aeroplane
Back to his country once more to sit down
And he told his people let the stars keep on turning
We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns
Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting
Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land
And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony
And through Vincent's fingers poured a handful of sand
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
That was the story of Vincent Lingairri
But this is the story of something much more
How power and privilege can not move a people
Who know where they stand and stand in the law
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
Throw your arms around me, was written by Mark Seymour from the now defunct band, Hunters and Collectors. It has never been a top hit but has been picked up by many musicians and recorded on their albums. I heard the Irish Folk singer Luka Bloom saying that he was sent the song from a friend in Australia and decided to record it.
In a concert in Perth, he decided to put it in his list of songs not realising how popular it was here in Australia.
As he got to the chorus, the audience sang with him - he was gob-smacked.
On You Tube there are many versions.
This is the original Hunters and Collector's version from the 80s
Luka Bloom's version
Neil Finn from Crowded House pays tribute to Mark Seymour.
