Monday, September 7, 2009

The Twiliters - "Great Day" LP 1967

The Twiliters, affectionately known as the 'twits', originated in Perth, Western Australia. This trio was one of many inspired by the Kingston Trio and their successors in the American folk scene and, as such, relied heavily on Anglo-American numbers. They were, by far, the best Australian exponents of this type of folk music and, as Warren Fahey notes, a lot of their music was adopted with variation from that of the American "Journeymen" group. They produced two LPs, this one in 1967 and The Twiliters in Concert in 1966 (anyone have it please?).
Franz from Austria has done the bulk of the work cleaning up this album for which I am most grateful (I've been caught up with virus and installation problems).
If you are a fan of such artists as the Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, The Journeymen, The Brothers Four and similar folk groups, you will enjoy this album. All tracks are MP3 VBR 192-224 mostly at about 212kbs.

Track List
1. Mary, Don't You Weep
2. Boy Child
3. The Waggoner's Lad
4. Bethlehem
5. Thanks for the Hand to Hold (Phil Sawyer of Adelaide)
6. Whisky in the Jar
7. Go Where You Want to Go
8. The Wanderer
9. Kentucky
10. Hurry Sundown
11. Great Day
12. Green Green

Download with Graphics
From MediaFire

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13 comments:

  1. In the 1960's Sydney was a folkies delight, with the 'Twits - Greg, Jim and Kerry at the top end of the performance scale.
    We followed them to the key venues with The Copperfield at Newtown being their regular haunt where they regularly packed the place out with standing room only. We also saw them at Chequers night club supporting (I think) Dione Warwick and at several leagues clubs around town.
    Their TV show on ABC was a breakthrough for the folk genre, allowing as it did a showcase for up and coming folkies.
    I know that the boys rated their tour of Vietnam entertaining the digges as a major career highlight.
    The tragic death of Greg from a brain tumour at such a young age (22 I believe)brang the curtain down on this creative, amusing and talented trio.
    Vale, Greg.
    Peter Harris

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  2. I used to have both these albums. I think I gave them to Don Shaw, piper, of Karrinyup, whose wife Judith runs the Wanneroo Folk Club. I wouldn't mind having them again, I can tell you!!
    Don, if you've got them...?
    Sue Sturcke

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  3. My sister, Meryl made her debut in Hobart Friends School with Greg as her partner. he was a great bloke as well as being a great guitarist. I remember seeing the Twiliters doing the roaming table minstrel thing at Capers in Collins Street Melbourne in the mid sixties. Greg was Tasmanian schools diving champ as a yyounglad. He had nearly finished his science degree at University of Tasmania when he decided to go folk singing. Perhaps sadly he knew he had light time left
    .

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  4. I have just picked up the "Great Day" album in excellent condition for a couple of dollars in an antique shop. I had never heard of them so am pleased to get this information.

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  5. Yes I do have a copy of the 'In Concert' album (as well as the Great Day album). Originals I guess. I have also copied both on to my remote hard drive for safety and to conserve well loved albums. My older brother and I were two of their 'groupies' at The Copperfield (I was too young to go by mysef and couldn't drive anyway). Not sure whether any of you are watching X Factor at the moment but Brothers 3 put me in mind of the
    'Twits'.

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  6. Fondly remember these guys performing in a B&W ABC tv show (Sat nights here in SA) for a short season back in the sixties. Wish I could watch it again.

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  7. Just listening now to The Twiliters in Concert (with Ed Gaston) Recorded Live at Concerts at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales released in 1966. I had never heard of them before today (being born in 1966 myself). My copy plays well with the usual crackle and pops from an album of that era. The live commentary between tracks is funny and informative and many well known songs have been given new lyrics with a political edge and "Where have all the Flowers gone" given has been bastardised with a Liverpool sound just for fun. I can see why you say they were the best exponents of this type of music at the time and I will enjoy playing this album many times over.

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  8. I used to go to the Copperfield to see them and I have both albums plus an EP with Waltzing Matilda, The Reedy Lagoon, The Albury Ram and Lazy Harry's. Were there any others?

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    Replies
    1. There was also the picture sleeve 45, With You All the Way LBJ/Waltzing Matilda.

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  9. Gregg was the love of my life, we were together when he died at the age of 27. He was charismatic, intelligent, a creative musician, funny and a beautiful human being. I still miss him today, he loved music and life and I wish he had could have been here so much longer as he had so much more offer. The Twiliters were such an amazing trio. It is lovely to read that new people have discovered their magic. KJ

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  10. I saw them in concert in Wyong, NSW when I was quite young and had the album. I loved their music and was mad about Kerry even though I was in primary school. My parents thought that the Chicken Song was bordering on obscene ha ha. Different to nowadays.

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  11. I have an original 1966 copy of "In Concert". One of my favourite albums when I was growing up. (Born mid 1950's.) I still take the album out and play it occasionally and thoroughly enjoy listening.

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