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Wednesday 30 December 2015

Missing Links - 1965 - Missing Links


Wild About You/Hobo Man/Bald-Headed Woman/Not To Bother Me/Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut/Some Kinda Fun/You're Drivin' Me Insane/Nervous Breakdown/Speak No Evil/On The Road Again/All I Want/H'tuom Tuhs 



The Missing Links were an Australian garage rock, R&B, and protopunk group from Sydney who were active from 1964 to 1966.  The group was known for wearing their hair long and smashing their equipment on-stage. Throughout the course of 1965, the band would go through a complete and total lineup change resulting in two completely different versions of the band: the first consisted of Peter Anson on guitar, Dave Boyne on guitar, Bob Brady on vocals, Danny Cox on drums and Ronnie Peel on bass and released their debut single, "We 2 Should Live" in March 1965.

The second and better-known version had none of the previous members and consisted of Andy Anderson on vocals (initially also on drums), Chris Gray on keyboards and harmonica, Doug Ford on vocals and guitar, Baden Hutchens on drums, and Ian Thomas on bass, and released their debut album, The Missing Links in December. According to Allmusic's, Richie Unterberger, "This aggregation cut the rawest Australian garage/punk of the era, and indeed some of the best from anywhere, sounding at their best like a fusion of the Troggs and the early Who, letting loose at times with wild feedback that was quite ahead of its time.





The Missing Links formed in early 1964 in Sydney, Australia with the line-up of Peter Anson on guitar, Dave Boyne on guitar, Bob Brady on vocals, Danny Cox on drums and Ron Peel on bass guitar (ex-Mystics). With their long hair, according to one venue owner, "they looked like a cross between man and ape" and so were named, the Missing Links (see transitional fossil). In November, the group played a benefit concert to support Oz founders, Richard Neville, publisher, Richard Walsh (Australian publisher)|Richard Walsh and Martin Sharp. The trio had been charged with obscenity and were awaiting trial.



The first version of the band recorded a single, "We 2 Should Live" which was released in March 1965 on the Parlophone label. By that time, Boyne was replaced on guitar by John Jones (Mystics) and Cox left soon after with New Zealand-born Andy Anderson (as Andy James aka Neville Anderson) joining, initially on drums. The band briefly broke up in July. Peter Anson formed a band, the Syndicate. Bob Brady joined Python Lee Jackson, and Ron Peel joined Brisbane-based group, The Pleazers.

The Missing Links reformed before the end of July with Anderson and Jones joined temporarily by Dave Longmore on vocals and guitar, Frank Kennington on vocals and Col Risby on guitar. Longmore was soon replaced by Doug Ford with Chris Gray joining on keyboards and harmonica, Baden Hutchens on drums and Ian Thomas on bass guitar (both ex-Showmen) completed the line-up of the second version, which was "even more fierce version than the first". During live performances, Anderson would climb walls to hang from rafters, then drive his head into the drums, other band members smashed guitars into speakers and all wore the latest Carnaby Street clothes. 


With this totally new lineup, the group signed with Philips Records and released "You're Drivin' Me Insane" in August 1965 followed in September by "Wild About You". Veteran rock 'n' roller, Johnny O'Keefe was not a fan – he banned them from appearing on his television show, Sing Sing Sing. They issued another single in October, "H'tuom Tuhs," which was their version of "Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut," but with the tape reel played on backwards on both sides of the record (as parts 1 and 2). It was followed by their debut album, The Missing Links, in December. According to Allmusic's, Richie Unterberger, "This aggregation cut the rawest Australian garage/punk of the era, and indeed some of the best from anywhere, sounding at their best like a fusion of the Troggs and the early Who, letting loose at times with wild feedback that was quite ahead of its time". In 1966 Baden Hutchins and Ian Thomas would depart. Hutchins, tired of the rock & roll lifestyle, was engaged to be married. Thomas returned to the Showmen, while the remaining members – Anderson, Gray, Ford and Jones – continued with an extended play, The Links Unchained in April 1966. The group disbanded in August.

Saturday 26 December 2015

James Baker Experience - 1985 - I Can't Control Myself 7' Single


 I Can't Control Myself/Born To Be Punched



James Lawrence Baker (born 7 March 1954) is a rock musician from Perth, Western Australia. Baker has named Ronnie Bond of The Troggs as the main influence on his drumming style. He first started drumming for a local Perth band, Black Sun (1973–1974), followed by The Slick City Boys (1974–1975).

James Baker has been a skin beater for The Scientists, The Victims, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon and The Dubrovniks. The James Baker Experience was a one off project that released a lone 7" of 'I Can't Control Myself' (The Troggs) / 'Born To Be Punched' (which was also the debut release for John Foy's Red Eye label). The legend goes that James used to perform The Troggs cover during the encores of early Hoodoo Guru shows. The James Baker Experience also featured Roddy Radar (The Johnnys) Stu Spasm (Lubricated Goat) and Tex Perkins (Beasts of Bourbon / Thug). A video was also made for the single which is occasionally played on RAGE (Australian overnight TV music show). According to Tex Perkins the film maker who attempted to make it ran out of funds so the 2nd half of it was filled with token footage of people walking in the streets.

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Kevin Borich - 1980 - Angels Hand


Rock 'n' Roll/Don't Let Go/Backs To The Wall/She Don't Care/Full Moon/One More Dream/1980's/Cannot Do Right/Angels Hand/Gone Fishing

Kevins 6th album (counting the greatest hits) was released in 1980 Kevin was a member of the La De Das until he disbanded them being the only original member left in 1975. He spent some time with the Stevie Wright All Stars and the John Paul Young and the Allstars and in 1976 formed the Kevin Borich Express which he has recorded a number of albums with as well as solo product.
This one of my favourite albums along with "Shy Boys Shy Girls" .

Sunday 13 December 2015

Tol-Puddle Martyrs - 1967 - Time Will Come


Time Will Come/Social Cell



The oddly named Australian group the Tol-Puddle Martyrs (evolving out of the mid-'60s band Peter & the Silhouettes, who had a track on a 1966 compilation LP) put out a couple of singles in 1967-1968 that are highly regarded by garage rock collectors, though not many people heard them outside of Australia at the time of their release. (Actually, not a whole lot of people heard them inside Australia either.) The 1967 single "Time Will Come"/"Social Cell" is taut, distressed garage rock on the verge of getting slightly psychedelicized, with cutting minor-keyed distorted guitar/organ riffs and ominous, distrustful lyrics. 

By contrast, their 1968 single, "Love Your Life"/"Nellie Bligh," is rather fey, extremely late-'60s Kinks-influenced perkiness.   All four tracks were reissued on a 2003 EP in Italy by Misty Lane, with some historical liner notes. Their name, incidentally, wasn't as contrived a bit of '60s weirdness as might be assumed, inspired by an 1834 incident in which six farm workers in Tolpuddle, England, were banished to Australia for unionizing, subsequently becoming known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs