G'day, I'm guessing non Australians aren't likely to have much to contribute to this conversation, but don't hold back if you do;) as if! Just listening to a few cuts from early 70s band Carson, featuring Brod Smith on harp. Put me in mind of another favourite album from this era; toward the blues, by Chain. I'm a bit young to really remember these bands from their actual heyday, so I just stumble upon them. Wondering if anyone can point me to some other great Aussie blues-inspired albums/bands from this kinda "sunbury/pre-sunbury" period. I vaguely recall there was a band called Madder Lake, seemed to have this kind of sound, also what about billy thorpes Aztecs? I've heard the "hits" to death; is there more to the Aztecs than most people I know? Cheers
Last Edited by on May 16, 2012 5:45 AM
Billy thorpe and the Aztecs live at Sunbury '72 i think, "oo poo pa doo", i have the live at sunbury vinyl somewhere in the garage, i played it to death when i was a headbanger.
Wow, I didnt know there was so much great music from Australia that wasn't AC/DC or Slim Dusty. I'm enjoying this thread. Keep it rolling, it's bloody bonzer. ---------- David Elk River Harmonicas
"I'll be Gone" is a great busking song BTW. It was before my time in this country but my mentor, Jim Conway, told me to play it if I want to get tips. And right he was...
Hey thanks for contributing, everyone. Ah, yeah chisel and lee kernahan; I'm not so young to be unfamiliar with those acts! Not quite in the spirit I had in mind, but I know they have plenty of fans. Nothing against either, though I struggle with the idea of LK being Australian of the Year. I believe he was a popular choice though, in recognition of his "farm aid" concerts I think. BW, I think Jim included I'll Be Gone in his harmonica lessons book; I can see that would be a popular one to have in the bag. I was really looking for that GTK, pre-"countdown" era stuff...
but by all means, roll out your faves! Iceman, Rolf was hugely influential on me! I was just a little kid when he was on telly, with his wobble board and extra leg, and such. I lapped it all up, and it's still in there! ----------
Last Edited by on May 17, 2012 3:38 PM
Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred Tan me hide when I'm dead So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde And that's it hanging' on the shed! All together now! ----------
The original version had " let me abo's go loose Bruce, let me abo's go loose"...best they changed for the respect, but my name is Bruce and i remember as a kid he did more for masonite sales than Hogan did for Winfield smokes, anyhow.......
Yeah, "I'll be Gone" is in Jim's book. It was Spectrum's debut single in 1971 and reached #1 on the Oz singles charts, Wikipedia tells me. As a migrant, I had no idea of any of this. I was busking yesterday, things were a bit quiet, and pulled it out of the back pocket, and bang! Three tips, all from middle-aged guys. Some of them actually stopped to listen for a bit. It hits the nostalgia button, I guess.
There is some pretty good harp on INXS stuff ('Suicide Blonde' particularly) which I've heard was recorded by Charlie Mussellwhite (sp?). 'Khe San' by Cold Chisel (that Jimmy Barnes does in the video above) and 'Blue Sky Mine' by Midnight Oil (harp player is the current Federal Minister for Education or something like that)are also commercially successful Aussie tracks with a lot of harp.
One of my learning highlights was a workshop held in my rumpus room for the six of us in 'Harpers Bizarre' by Mike Rudd (front man and harp player for Spectrum). Of course we worked on the 'I'll be Gone' riff, which we now include in our gigs with the Ukulele Republic of Canberra (UROC).
Now for 'Modern Blues Harmonica' content, I've also had Ian Collard from Collard Greens and Gravy hold a workshop at my place. CG&G are my favourite blues band - I recommend a youtube search for everyone that likes harp-led blues
And for Wailer - I convinced Jim Conway to hold a workshop at my place too!
Cheers Maka
Last Edited by on May 17, 2012 3:58 PM
Thank you Aussiesucker for posting those. I did quite a bit of traveling in Europe when I was in college and it was the awesomest thing ever and all, but it wasn't home. A big reason why I've had this fascination with Australia is that I think if you dropped me off in the Bush, I'd be right at home. Substitute Roos for white-tail deer and we're all the same. From what I've seen Tasmania looks a lot like West Virginia. The biggest difference I see is that your snakes in Tasmania are a lot more poisonous than our vipers.
Elk> snakes are not a real threat. Most are harmless but we do have some that are deadly. Knowing the difference is sometimes tricky. Most stay out of the way & only a few are aggressive if confronted.
The thing is that like everywhere else the biggest threat to tourists are humans. Australia is a very safe place & far safer in the bush than anywhere else.
We have shark & crocodile attacks & occasionally a tourist is taken. Similarly tourists, visitors to our surf beaches are unaware of the dangers and are often victims. Usually it is from being foolish and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Some years back, prior to 9/11 my wife & I visited the US and we stayed with our son who then was living in Trenton NJ. Each day for a week or so we would hop a train from Trenton to New York city and wander around New York which we thought an amazing place. Electricity in the air. We found nearly everyone friendly & whilst being cautious and aware we made sure we didn't appear like lost tourists. Anyway one evening my son had some friends around & one a gent in his 50's who had lived in Trenton all his life. We had been in New York all that day & I was telling him about the places we visited thinking he would be aware & able to add to the conversation. This gent informed me that he had never been to New York in his life and would never go because he believed it was too dangerous.
David: To extend Aussiesucker's list: Whitetailed spider, redback, funnelweb, blue ringed octopus, stingray, dingo, -- as mentioned croc, sharks and snakes (various) -- irukandji jellyfish, cone shells, toadfish, stone fish, sea snakes, and finally, don't forget Razorback and the Drop Bear. Sadly, many tourists and migrants drown every year. I truly think people need to be tested on their swimming skills, not cricket knowledge, to become a citizen here.
@Maka. Collard has good tone and sings well too. Sounds liek your place is a regular harp hub. I liek the band name too! Cheers...
Last Edited by on May 17, 2012 7:24 PM
All our Tasmanian snakes are venomous, that takes the guesswork out. They are quite shy most of the time though. The little whip snake can't really get enough venom into an adult human to be deadly, and the copperhead and tiger snake are not so efficient in their delivery as some of those on the big island. We have a few red back spiders, and our own species of funnel web. Tasmanian bush is interesting, david. I've met people who have found it really intimidating. It can be very dense and difficult to traverse. And the island is very mountainous, not high mountains, just very rugged, navigation impediments. Ian Collard, Jim Conway: awesome. I've spoken to Jim on the phone, and met his brother Mick. Both seemed like really nice fellers. And I bailed up Ian Collard one night last year at the Longley hotel, where was playing with Pete Cornelius and the DeVilles. Ah, that makes me think of The Backsliders. I don't know if they are still working but Ian and Brod were sharing harp duty in the Backsliders a couple years ago. Looks like I'll have to search out some clips. Harp workshop in your rec room with those guys; that's fantastic. ----------
Jim is a great guy, one of the nicest people I know. He often has itinerant musos crashing at his house. I've been taking lessons from him for 18 months. Mick lives nearby, so we go for coffee sometimes. Very funny. His dog has a jumper with kind of spikes on the back like a stegosaurus.
and here s a few Tassie scenes David, to give you a bit of an idea of the terrain. these are some of the more easily accessible parts of the bush. it gets a bit rougher than this once you leave the tracks
I was 8 in 73 and enjoyed exposure to a lot of good Aussie stuff via musically interested siblings.....but am still filling in the gaps and gettin into Carson, thanx Superbee! Hey @Stan, I grew up in Padstow......but up the Central Coast now, out of the 'big smoke' ;~} ---------- One of Rubes's bands, DadsinSpace-MySpace Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation
We are the same age Rubes. I just bought a Carson album because I knew of Brod's involvement. I like it. And that Chain album keeps on doing it for me. Just made me think about that scene. I recall my brothers watching GTK, but I don't remember what was on really, except deep purple. Of course Spectrum and Thorpey used to get a regular run on classic hits radio, but I'd never heard Carson until I found that record in the shop the other day. That's the reason for the thread; I thought "what else have I missed?" Off the top, bands I have heard of but never heard: the coloured balls, black feather, Mackenzie something or other, la de das, but there must be some others which recorded back then. What about doug Parkinson? I think I saw a coke ad with DP one time, real trippy stuff. Yeah, I just hoped someone was gonna point me to a lost classic, but maybe Carson was the last jewel in the mine? I read that the Chain records were like the first recordings representative of the blues rock scene that was happening in the pubs. Which I suppose a band like Chisel was probably the ultimate expression of, at the other end of the era I mean. In the 80s I recall going to see The National Collection at my local, which sometimes featured Phil manning and Matt Taylor. On the subject of Aussie harp though, what about Ron King and the Foreday Riders? I hoped to find a record of them, but so far no joy. There is a bit of current reunion kinda stuff on the tubes and Ron's playing sounds good. I notice he jams it in his upper lip, but I think he is tongue blocking. I'd post a clip but I'm on the phone and it doesn't work ----------
I'm gonna go looking for lobby Lloyd now, but I gotta comment on that daddy cool clip from Lester first. That was great. My first record was eagle rock/boom boom which my brother gave me for Xmas 72 I reckon. I love that footage. here's ron king on harp:
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Last Edited by on May 19, 2012 11:34 AM
@Stan - like Rubes I grew up in Padstow, but I left there in '62!
I'm currently in south west Sydney, but only if you reckon 270km south west is still Sydney!
Canberra gigs for blues band are often the Press Club Thu night, Old Canberra Inn Saturday night and another pub or club on Sunday. Harpers Bizarre tries to 'hijack' any transient harp player on the Fri - before the gig if they can get one that night - for a workshop at Villa Maka. We've managed a few good ones over the years!
Thu night has been harp night @ Villa Maka for eons - tonight its Harpers Bizarre rehearsing for our gig on Sat night with the Ukulele Republic of Canberra (UROC). Tomorrow night we'll have a combined rehearsal. The uke dudes are bags of fun, but play lots of short songs. 23 songs for a 45 min set! Lots of arrangements for harp intros, solos, etc in amongst the ukes. Cheers Maka
@ Padstow..lol...i actually was a Punchpowl lad and moved to Ruse in '74, that being said your Canberra scene looks like fun, my sister is a uke nutta down Ulladulla way atm...
When I lived in Sydney, it was in Oatley. Not that far from Padstow, Punchbowl etc. I had a blues radio program back in the eighties in Bellingen and played records from Chain etc. I had the pleasure of playing with Phil Manning way back in about 1987-88. There used to be a blues club in Bellingen and we would invite people like him to come and play as a special guest. There was also another band which really stood out and the lead singer was a woman who was about as brash as they can get. I clearly remember her arriving as I was on the door, and thinking 'holy crap, who's this?' Wished I could remember the bands name. Something with 'Bee' in it. If anyone is coming up to the north coast, give me a call and I might be able to get you a play somewhere. Look up Harmonica tuition, Coffs Harbour and you should see me there. Cheers, Mike B.
Last Edited by on May 16, 2012 5:45 AM
