Cream Of The Crate #45 : Various Artists – Decade Volume 1

26 October 2019

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cream of the crate #45 : various artists – decade volume 1 — Decade Cover – [CLICK to enlarge]

This review was originally posted on the first Toorak Times web site where publications ceased on that site in March 2017. The old site will be permanently closed in 2020 and these reviews are being re-published in order to preserve them on the current Toorak Times/Tagg site.[/vc_column_text]

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cream of the crate #34 : pink floyd – the vinyl boxed set

“Home grown excellence“ – (Liner notes)

This is number forty five in the series of albums I’m featuring as part of an on-going retrospective of vinyl albums in my personal collection.

The series is called, “Cream of The Crate”, and they represent vinyl albums that I believe are of significant musical value, either because of their rarity, because they represent the best of a style or styles of music or because their is something unique about the group or the music.

This album probably could not be considered as a “heavy weight” as far as albums go, but, it is Australian, it’s pretty damn hard to get, it IS pop – AND it’s bloody good pop!

This is “Decade Volume 1“, and was released in 1978 on the EMI Label (EME 1026).

It has 12 very good Aussie tracks from eight iconic Aussie artists.

The cover in particular is very interesting as the figure on it is not identified anywhere, but I think I’m spot on when I declare it is Mark Barnes (an iconic figure in his own right, for all sorts of reasons in Melbourne). I believe it is a picture of him when he played bass in Campact.

However, Campact do not feature on this album but I’ll let you in on who does.

Track Listing:
Side 1.

1. La De Das	Gonna See My Baby Tonight
2. Masters Apprentices	Turn Up Your Radio
3. Carson	Boogie (Part 1)
4. Flying Circus	Hayride
5. La De Das	Morning Good Morning
6. Zoot	Eleanor Rigby

Side 2.

1. Somebodies Image/ Russell Morris	The Real Thing
2. The Twilights	What’s Wrong With The Way I live
3. Somebody’s Image	Hide and Seek
4. Flying Circus	La La
5. The Twilights	Needle In A Haystack
6. Master’s Apprentices	Because I Love You

Now Australian music, particularly from the late 1960’s through to the late 1970’s, began to take on a quality that was beginning to rival the best in the world. This quality was manifested in the level of musicianship, composition, delivery and production.

While it continued to remain difficult for even the best acts to break into the ‘International Scene’ (a situation that has only marginally improved over the years), what that effort did was to continue to raise the bar domestically

The variety of styles on this album is particularly delightful, from Carson’s difficult to ignore boogie rhythms, through to Masters Apprentices power sound, the La De Das fantastic rock sound through to the Flying Circus‘ largely bubblegum sound.

Then there is Zoot’s quality musicianship, Russell Morris‘ exciting performances, both live and recorded, and finally, the superb all round brilliance of The Twilights.

While often individual tracks were not to everyone’s taste, the music was as fantastic as anything being produced overseas. T

And that’s why I value this album so much, it’s a fantastic ‘taster’ of the incredible variety and quality of music we were producing at that time.

Here’s a brief run down on each group.

La De Das – Were made up of

Kevin Borich (lead guitar), Phil Key (rhythm guitar, vocals, 1964-72), Trevor Wilson (bass, 1964-70), Brett Neilsen (drums, 1964-70), Bruce Howard (keyboards, 1965-70), Brian Harris (drums, 1968), Keith Barber (drums, 1968-74), Reno Tehei (bass, guitar, 1970), Peter Roberts (bass, 1971-72), Ron Peel [Rockwell T. James] (bass, 1973-74)

The La De Das sound won them fantastic acclaim on the Australian music scene and the band is probably best known as the launching place for the career of guitarist Kevin Borich.

Morning Good Morning

Masters Apprentices – Twelve musicians can lay claim to having been part of the Masters Apprentices but in my mind the best lineup included Doug Ford (Guitar), Jim Keays (Lead Vocals), Glen Wheatley (Bass) & Colin Burgess (Drums).

The Track “Turn Up Your Radio” surely deserves to be considered among the most iconic Oz rock tracks ever recorded and was written by Ford & Keays. However, I have chosen It’s Because I Love You . Now, maybe it’s that tad of flower child that still lies deep inside me, but this remains one of my favourite Masters tracks.

Because I Love You

It’s because I love you
not because we’re far apart
It’s because I love you
and because your near my heart
It’s because I miss you
oh how long it seems to be
It’s because I miss you
thoughts of you come back to me

Once we walked together
from the field up to the hill
promised love forever
I remember that is still
it’s because i love
I’ll come home to you one day
it’s because i love you
in my thoughts you’ll always stay

ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
ooooo!!! do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah
do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be yeah

Carson – Greg Lawrie (Dobro & Bottle Neck Guitar), Tony Lunt (Drums), Mal Logan (Keyboards, Garry Clarke (Bass), Ian Winter (Guitar) and Broderick Smith (Vocals and Harp).

What a line-up!

Although the group (as both The Carson County Band and, Carson) – only lasted 3 years, their impact was tremendous and many members onto bigger and better things.

Think of Aussie boogie and you MUST think Carson.

Boogie (Part 1)

Flying Circus – Doug Rowe (Lead guitar), James Wayne (Lead vocals), Bob Hughes (Bass & vocals), Colin Walker (Drums) were the original members.

However a total of 9 musicians at one stage or another made up the groups membership including iconic musicians as Sam See. Flying Circus was generally considered as ‘light’ because of their predilection toward the ‘bubblegum’ sound, but they had an excellent country/repertoire; largely their fans disliked it demanding the less challenging ‘bubble-gum’ music. They non-the less made a success of it and eventually relocated to Canada where, eventually the group disbanded.

Hayride

Zoot – They had three distinct lineups but Darryl Cotton (Lead Vocals & guitar), Beeb Birtles (Bass & vocals) were in all 3 incarnations.

These three were joined in the final lineup by Rick Springfield (Vocals & guitar) and Rick Brewer (Drums). The group had a number of hits but will always be remembered for the heavy rock re-arrangement of the Beatles Eleanor Rigby, largely due to the influence of Springfield.

Eleanor Rigby

Somebodies Image/Russell Morris – the group actually started out as a schoolboy band led by Morris.

The group survived from 1966 to 1968, before Russell Morris departed to follow a solo career, strongly encouraged and mentored by ‘music guru’, Molly Meldrum.

While Russell Morris went onto a very successful career he will most likely always be remembered (or cursed) with the mega-hit, The Real Thing.

The Real Thing

The Twilights – They say cream rises to the top and with such an array of talent as there is on this album, this group should be considered as that Cream!

The group (post 1965) consisted of Glenn Shorrock (Lead Vocals), Laurie Pryor (Drums), Clem ‘Paddy’ McCartney (Lead Vocals), John Bywaters (Bass), Terry Britten (Lead Guitar & vocals) & Peter Brideoke (Rhythm Guitar & vocals).

Seriously infected with talent and personality, the group could just about be considered as our first group to seriously challenge the British to their own sound.

Shorrock & Cadd in particular went onto bigger and bigger things and today are among the most highly respected of musicians/composers from that period, who have successfully traversed the years.

Needle In A Haystack

It seems as though the album pops up on the market from time to time. When this review was written in 2013, a copy was available for $10.00 on Ebay. Even today one or two copies are available prices for between $10.00 and $30.00 (plus postage).

It should be considered as a necessity for the serious collector because of the selection of groups and tracks, and it must be highly desirably for anyone trying to put together a collection of Aussie music without the expense of purchasing a significant number of albums in order to get these tracks.

[Oh, by the way – there never was a Volume 2 released]

VIDEOS:

By the mid 60’s onward television performances had become a regular feature for promotion and as such there is a rich source of material.

Wonderfully, there is now the full and complete version of Russel Morris singing the Real Thing – for many years only a cut-down version was available.