William Clauson "Click Go the Shears" - Original LP cover

Ian from Tasmania has also provided digitised graphics for the original issue of William Clauson's "Click Go the Shears" LP and they are now included in the download file for the original posting. Click here to go to that posting.

Warren Fahey and the Larrikins "Billy of Tea" LP 1978

Another great LP from Ian of Tassie (and more yet to come).

This is a 1978 album. Warren Fahey provided vocals and his oft-changing group of Larrikins was then:-
Jacko Kevans - vocals, accordion and concertina.
Gordon McIntyre - vocals, guitar, dulcimer and tenor banjo.
Kate Delaney - vocals, whistle and bodhram.
Roger Fisken - fiddle and mandolin.
Steve Ellis - vocals, guitar and mandolin.

Most of the tracks are the Australian folk standards but there are a couple of exceptions including a New Zealand penned tribute to Captain Cook - and a good one too - a somewhat (now) politically incorrect traditional about chinese workers and the British Isles popular traditional "Jones' Ale" aka "When Jones' ale was new". All tracks performed at the expected high standard. There were some minor problems with the material and it cleaned up to a good degree but there are the occasional residual glitches but really nothing that will mar your listening pleasure.

Tracklist:
1. Brisbane Ladies
2. Maggie May
3. The Eumerella Shore
4. Heenan & Sayers
5. Tunes (unnamed dance tunes)
6. The New Chum Shearer
7. The Tolerant Man
8. Captain Cook
9. The New Chum Chinaman
10. Gooriannawa
11. Broken Down Squatter
12. The Rabbiter
13 One of the Hasbeens
14 Jones' Ale

Download compressed file containing the music tracks and album graphics
Click here to download MP3 version - 70Mb MP3 VBR 192-224
Click here for FLAC (lossless) version -229MB
File needs to be decompressed to extract the music and graphic files.

Download fails? Please let me know - mr.stockman@gmail.com

The Wild Colonials "Euabalong Ball" LP 1971 ("A selection of old time dance music")

This is a truly delightful album focusing on old time dance music. Many of these tunes originated outside Australia but they often became "naturalised" even "localised" and the The Wild Colonials have drawn upon local material for this production also including some local compositions notably a Varsovienna and Cosgrove's Schottische".

Incidentally "The Wild Colonials" are not the "Wild Colonial Boys" band. They were Jacko Kevans, Dave de Hugard, Brad Tate, Sandra Tate, Chris Duffy, and Tom Rummery. Lots of good fiddling and squeeze-box playing.

A side comment: The latter-day modern bush bands supposedly striving for authenticity rarely feature piano. My experience is that they were usually the primary instrument used by genuine old-time bands. The other basic instruments were button accordions  and fiddles. Why? Because bush dances were usually very noisy social affairs and these three instruments could be readily heard by the dancers. Sure, other instruments, guitars, mandolins etc, could join in but they definitely submerged into the background noise. Of course, modern sound equipment has changed all that. I'm not complaining as, in my opinion and probably that of the latter-day bush bands, it does sound more "folky" without piano - but do not think that was the way it really was. Anyway, enough nit-picking for now.

This is another offering by Tassie Ian. Thanks again Ian. Lovely album in great condition and beautifully sound engineered by one Ross Linton. This is definitely one for the toe-tappers and old time dancers but the music is also great otherwise. Jacko Kevans does vocals on "Euabalong Ball" amd Dave de Hugard on "The Drover's Dream". Liner notes are by Warren Fahey.

Tracklist
1. Cunnamulla Stocking Jig & The Flying Pieman
2. Davy Nick Knack & The Soldier's Joy
3. Euabalong Ball (Jacko Kevans - vocals)
4. Sailors' Hornpipe (Jack Tar)
5. Varsovienna
6, The High Level Hornpipe
7. The Manchester Gallop & Click Go the Shears
8. Durham Reel & Mason's Apron
9. Cosgrove's Schottische
10. The Drover's Dream (Dave de Hugard - vocals)
11. Mountain Road & Sally Gardens
12. The Blackthorn Stick, Father O'Flynn & Irish Washerwoman
13. Brown Jug Polka & Jenny Lind

Download from Here (51Mb - MP3 192-224 VBR ranging 190-207)
If download is no longer available please let me know by comment or email to mr.stockman@gmail.com

Martyn Wyndham-Read, Phyl Vinnicombe & Peter Dickie "Bullockies, Bushwackers & Booze" LP 1967

Another rare album submitted by Ian from Tassie. This is a 1967 album featuring the Brit Martyn Wyndham-Read, Phyl Vinnicombe (later becoming Phyl Lobl) and Peter Dickie. We have met all of these previously in this blog.

There are some great tracks on the LP but the sound recording and subsequent sound engineering, if any, is very basic even for 1967. (No production details of any type are listed on the liner notes). This has detracted from the performances of these very competent artists.

Still, this is a "must-have" album for the serious Australian folk fan featuring some rarer tracks including Kenneth Cook's (remember him from Lionel Long's Bold Bushrangers 2 LP album)  composition "O'Meally's Shanty" which is clearly to the tune of the forebitter "Oh, You New York Girls, can't you dance the Polka".

• Side 1
  Reedy River (5.08)
  The Overlanders (2.50)
  Andy's Gone with Cattle (2.09)
  Euabalong Ball (1.45)
  One of the Has-Beens (1.51)
  The Wild Rover (3.25)
  Ye Sons of Australia (3.55)
  Maryborough Miner (3.55)
  
  
• Side 2
  Click Go the Shears (3.45)
  The Wild Colonial Boy (3.06)
  O'Meally's Shanty (2.20)
  Put a Light in Every Country Window (2.38)
  'Ard Tack (3.44)
  Lazy Harry's (2.55)
  Ballad of Ben Hall's Gang (2.56)
  Waltzing Matilda (2.45)

 Download with full graphics (new link 29 Jul 2017}

Leslie Ross Singers "Australian Sing Along" LP 1964

Bit of a mix this one. Aussie traditionals, a bit of Aussie country, and lots of the parochial national favourites of the first half of the 20th Century including some rising out of WWI. I have no recollection of the Leslie Ross Singers but this come from the period where large singing groups singing popular songs were a bit of a feature. It's all a bit formal by today's slap-dash standards with very serious singers performing in a semi-classical style. Many of he older readers will get the idea simply from the song list.
They are good singers and do a good job on all the tracks.



Tassie Ian has kindly provided this materialand it has edited up very easily. Thanks again Ian.

I sought to convert these files at 192-224VBR but, like many of these older LPs, the contents are not very complex so do not worry that the results are much lower than that. (170VBR is the highest on this album).  

Tracklist. (lots of medleys)
1. I'm going back to Yarrawonga / Along the Road to Gundagai / The Old Sundowner / Back to Croajingalong

2.Goodbye Melbourne Town / Where's that old cobber of mine / Bourke Street on Saturday Night / Woolloomooloo

3. The Bells of St. Mary's

4. Botany Bay / The Dying Stockman / Click go the Shears

5. Murray Moon / Down Wagga Way / That Old Bush Shanty of Mine

6. Waltzing Matilda (Marie Cowan 1903 composition)

7, Australia will be there / This bit of the world belongs to us / The Charge at the Dardanelles / A brown slouch hat.

8, Snowy River / I've got a possie in dear old Aussie / I'm gonna hump my bluey

9. Never Never (We're off to..)

10. The Pub with No Beer / The Dog sits on the tuckerbox / Tie me kangaroo down sport

11. The Big Blue Billabong / Come with me to the Races / A.N.Z.A.C

12. Bless This House

Download with full graphics 43Mb

Lionel Long "Australia! Australia!" LP 1975 Stereo

Ian from Tasmania has very generously provided digital copies of several LP albums of Australian Folk Singers and Songs along with their graphics and some graphics to supplement previous postings - and all of a high quality too. Many thanks Ian.
I know very little about this album and you will notice that the liner notes are totally uninformative as to when and where these tracks were recorded and what other musicians and singers were involved. It is supposedly produced by a "Tweed Harris"??
I have not bothered to check but I guess that some of the tracks are re-issues from earlier albums possibly cashing in on his various television appearances in Australian series. I'd welcome any definite information than any of our readers can provide.
Still, this is a worthy album portraying the stronger RCA focus on Long's traditional folk side.

Tracklist
1. Cash & Co.
2. Click go the shears
3. 10,000 miles
4. The Wild Colonial Boy
5. The Banks of the Condamine (shearing version)
6. The Brisbane Ladies (Augathella Station)
7. Waltzing Matilda
8. Razorback (Moonlight Rider)
9. On the Banks of the Reedy Lagoon
10. Botany Bay
11. The Wild Rover
12. Wallaby Stew

Download here with graphics from MediaFire  (FLAC version) 139MB
The Download file must be decompressed before playing.
Link failed? Tell mr.stockman@gmail.com and I will put it up again.