Wallis and Matilda - "Banjo" Paterson Tribute Band

I've had a recent request for music from the "Wallis and Matilda" group. I do happen to have some of their material - the CD set of their first three albums "Pioneers", "Old Australian Ways" and "Singer of the Bush". They are a "Banjo" Paterson tribute band performing his songs and also singing their arrangements of his poems. As far as I know the band is still active. Regardless, all their material is still readily available for purchase either at retailers or by order from themselves or the Planet Company.
They are actually very good at what they do. The two web sites of interest are the Wallis and Matilda Website and the Planet Company Wallis and Matilda section.
Some of their output is also on iTunes and YouTube.

The Bushwackers "Dance Album" LP 1980 (Graphics Only)

These graphics have been kindly provided by a new Tasmanian visitor. Many thanks for your kindness.

I am not posting any of the tracks with these graphics. For those who wish to recreate the album, the relevant tracks are all on CD3 of the previously presented Bushwackers set. You can go to that posting by clicking on here.
Leave out the first two tracks and simply renumber the rest in the same order.

You have two options for obtaining these graphics. For smaller graphics, "right click" on each graphic and select save image and proceed from there.For larger graphics, use this Download link. (Only 1.3Mb)

Link failed? Then please leave a comment or contact mr.stockman@gmail.com

Cathie O'Sullivan with Cleis Pearce - "High Places" LP 1983

.Wav files of this album were kindly provided by one of our NSW visitors. Many thanks for your continuing support. Larrikin produced the LP as LRF-128.

Cathie has appeared on compilations in this blog before but this is the first LP presented here. (anyone got a good copy of her 1980 "Atesian Waters" LP -  pretty please) Cathie is a very highly regarded singer and musician performing mainly in an Irish celtic style which is very much in evidence on this album. I did not have access to the LP graphics and the included ones were found on, of all places, a Japanese website. In the absence of the LP notes, I have no idea what the first part of track 6 featuring an aboriginal language monologue nor do I know who the speaker was. Presumably, it leads into the second part of track 6 which is about uranium mining and its effects on the indigenous inhabitants. Can anyone provide better graphics or better information. Otherwise, all vocals are by Cathie O'Sullivan on harp or banjo with Cleis Pearce on viola.

Track List:
    A01. Erus / O'Sullivan, arr. O'Sullivan, Pearce (2:53)
    A02. Stoney town, Eileen Curran / Nielson, O'Sullivan (2:37)
    A03. Keeping so thin / Nielson, O'Sullivan, Pearce (3:07)
    A04. The orange tree / Nielson, O'Sullivan (3:27)
    A05. King of the fairies, Miss Patterson / trad. arr. O'Sullivan (2:45)
    A06. Nipper, Big Bill / T. Piper (7:06)
             Posted as tracks 6a and 6b respectively.
    B01. As stock go by / Morant, Tate, arr. O'Sullivan, Pearce (3:27)
    B02. There's anguish / Hewitt, O'Sullivan (3:45)
    B03. Lovely Dolly / trad. arr. O'Sullivan, Pearce (7:19)
    B04. The red rose top / trad. arr. O'Sullivan (2:45)
    B05. Farewell to music / O'Carolan, arr. O'Sullivan (2:35)
    B06. Leaving / O'Sullivan, arr. O'Sullivan, Pearce (2:53).

All tracks MP3. Music tracks @ 192-224 VBR. Track 6a at 128 CBR (monologue).

Previously listed with MediaFire and provoked the following response:-
The file you requested has been removed from MediaFire for a violation of our Terms of Service.
Further information from MediaFire identifes that the claim of distribution rights is only in respect of "Lovely Molly" and my guess is that some idiot at Muso TNT Limited (an anti-piracy organisation) has guessed that I am sharing the 2011 movie "Lovely Molly".  The ironic thing about that is that it is a traditional song.

Download from Mega NZ (new link)

Link failed? Then please leave a comment or contact mr.stockman@gmail.com

Gary Shearston - Music available for purchase online

A visitor recently noted that I have not listed any of the several albums by the excellent Australian folksinger Gary Shearston. As I explained to him, this was because all his LP albums, others than those featuring track re-issues, are readily available for purchase online on CD or CDR. As the visitor rightly suggested, I should bring this to general attention. Additionally, he has also released a 2 CD anthology featuring 42 of his most popular tracks which looks to be very good value.

The above graphic is the cover of his first album (1964)

Visit his website here
Link failed? Then please leave a comment or contact mr.stockman@gmail.com

Martyn Wyndham-Read "Ballad Singer" German LP 1978

We've previously published work by this fine English folk singer who once made his home in Australia and has also been a constant visitor to our shores. He is still a regular performer. His interest in Australian bush and folk music continues.
This album is a 1978 German publication which provides music and lyrics for many of the tracks. The extensive notes on the rear and the LP insert are in both English and German.

A kind person, George, provided this album to my friend Gonzo who has lovingly ripped and cleaned the music and then gave the result to me for publication on this blog.  Many thanks George and Gonzo. (Click here to visit Gonzo's great blog)

Please note: Files are tagged as 1968 in error. If it matters to you, retag as 1978.


Track List
1. Broken Down Squatter
2. Widgegoara Joe
3. The Stockman's Last Bed
4. The Old Palmer Song
5. Bitter Whaling Ground
6. Euabalong Ball
7. I Drew my Ship
8. Flash Jack from Gundagai
9. Garten Mother's Lullaby
10. Dennis O'Reilly
11. Ballad of the Drover
12. Lord Franklin
13. Last Farewell to Sterling

Download with graphics MP3 CBR 320 94Mb
From MediaFire
Link failed? Then please leave a comment or contact mr.stockman@gmail.com

The Halliards - Untitled LP - 1960s

I know very little about this band but they brought out this LP in Australia in the late 1960s. The band members are listed as Derek Moule, Brian Hall, Paul Langford, Stan Armstrong and Eric Brooks with some help from Rob McCarthy, Bernie Kellow and John McLaughlin. They were an Australian group but it is obvious that some of them are ex-pats from the United Kingdom and Ireland. (Not to be confused with the folk band "Halliard")
This is not one of my rips. I picked this one up from one of my associates some considerable time ago and I have no idea who it was now.  Many thanks!
This is a great LP and they do great justice to the songs on this LP both vocally and instrumentally. In fact, it is one of my favourite albums. The songs are mainly a mix of tracks from the British Isles with one Australian traditional - "The Roma Railway". Also outstanding performances of "Sweet Thames Flow  Softly", "Twa Recruiting Sergeants", "Red Haired  Mary", "Biker Hill" and "Minore".

Track List
1. Come In, come in
2. Black Country
3. Sweet Thames Flow Softly
4. Manchester Rambler
5. William Bloat
6. Greasy Wheel
7. Biker Hill
8. Minore (Two sisters)
9. Roma Railway
10. Twa Recruiting Sergeant (from the Black Watch)
11. Red Haired Mary
12. Brady of Strabane

Download from here
From Mediafire

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Martyn Wyndham-Read, Danny Spooner, Gordon MacIntyre and Peter Dickie "A Wench, a Whale and a Pint of Good Ale" 1966 LP Mono

This is the first of the albums that featured Danny Spooner. This time he is again in company with Martyn Wyndham-Read. Additionally, they are joined by another British ex-pat, Gordon MacIntyre. Gordon was very active in the Australian folk scene for many years; sadly passing away in 1999. Peter Dickie is also acknowledged but he is a complete enigma to me. The LP provides no details as to his actual input - can anyone help with some information on him?
This LP is self-statedly intended to provide greater British Isles folk input to the Australian scene which was then strongly influenced by the north American (US and Canadian) folk scene.
Again, we owe thanks to Denis for making and providing a recording of this LP.  There are some minor problem but it has edited well for such an old and well-loved LP.

Song List
1. The Farmer's Boy
2. The Apprentice Song
3. The Miller and the Maid
4. Er Fa La La Lo
5. The Devil and the Ploughman (Child 279 variant)
6. Greenland Whale Fishery
7. The Hog's-Eye Man
8. Ale Ale Glorious Ale
9. Banks of the Roses
10. I Drew My Ship
11. The Nightingale
12. Whip Jamboree
13. The Oggie Man (No More)
14. The Coast of Peru
15. Ay Waukin Oh
16. Farewell to Tarwarthie

Download with Graphics (MP3 192-224VBR
From MediaFire 
Danny Spooner's widow has advised that plans are currently underway to expand the www.dannyspooner.com website to re-release Danny's music to raise funds for a memorial statue. Accordingly, the album is no longer available for download.

One of our US visitors has kindly pointed out that Peter Dickie is mentioned in Malcolm J Turnbull's history of the Australian folk movement (no - not the pollie Malcolm Turnbull) and you can find the relevant section at this link (click here).

Danny Spooner with Mick Farrell "in "Limbo" and other songs and places" 1978 LP

Danny Spooner surely did like putting out his early LPs in company with others. On this occasion he teamed up with one Mick Farrell who provides musical backing to Danny's guitar and also has some solo moments on the Uilleann Pipes.
I know, and can find, nothing about Mick Farrell other than in respect of his performance on this LP.  The LP notes advise that he was born in Sussex (England) and has Irish and Scottish ancestry.
I am a bit of a fan of the uilleann pipes (and also the Northrumbrian smallpipes). In the 1970s, interest in uilleann pipes was quite low despite the historically proficient performances by such greats as the then mostly retired Seamus Ennis (died 1982), Willie Clancy (died 1973) and Leo Rowsome (died 1970). The Dubliner maker, then in his eighties, Matt Kiernan, from whom Farrell says he obtained his pipes in 1975 was one of only a handful of active makers back then. Fortunately, the situation has improved greatly since then with lots of makers and players.
Obviously, Mick Farrell would have been a rarity in Australia in 1978. He states in the LP that "the chanter is pitched a little below C and this style is called the 'singing chanter' because of its felicitous compatibility with the human voice". In fact, he uses only the chanter (the drones are turned off) even in the solo parts. Regardless, he accompanies Danny brilliantly. (If interested there are some good clips featuring great uilleann pipes players on YouTube)

Track List
1. I drew my Ship (English traditional)
2. Limbo (British broadside)
3. The Newgate Stone (part English traditional)
4. Morrison's Jig (traditional)
5. The Maids of Cuil Mor (Irish)
6. Kishmul's Galley (a free translation of a Gaelic traditional)
7. Arthur McBride (Irish traditional - many versions of this)
8. Donald MacGillavry (Scottish traditional of the Jacobite era)
9. The Dancing Master (Irish instrumental)
10. Sean O Dubhir an Ghlenna (Sean O'Dwyer of the Glen) (Air and Song) (Irish Rebel Song)
11. The Lothian Hairst (Scottish traditional)
12. Felton Lonnin (Northrumbrian - Geordie)

I was provided with a great copy of this LP by one of our loyal visitors and the graphics but another visitor subsequently provided a cleaned up copy of the same LP and this is the version posted (I try not to do too much work if I don't have to). Many thanks to the both of you.

Download with Graphics
From MediaFire
Danny Spooner's widow has advised that plans are currently underway to expand the www.dannyspooner.com website to re-release Danny's music to raise funds for a memorial statue. Accordingly, the album is no longer available for download.

The Larrikins "A Larrikin History of Australia" 2 LP set 1987

These 25 tracks of "Bush Music, Songs and Bulldust to stop the Chooks laying for a Week" were performed live in Sydney in 1987 by the Larrikins then consisting of Warren Fahey, Cathie O'Sullivan, Dave de Hugard, Cleis Pearce, and Michael Atherton.
This is a very nice mix of tracks including Aussie traditionals, modern folk compositions, dance tunes etc. Tracks include The Death of Ben Hall. The Morning of the Fray, Norfolk Whalers, The Rabbit Trapper, Jim Jones at Botany Bay, The Freehold on the Plain, Banks of the Condamine, My Name is Edward Kelly, and Wee Pot Stove.
This is a good rip MP3 at 192 CBR. The total size with graphics is 126Mb. It is not one of my rips but I would be proud to claim it. Many thanks to whoever did this one. This is a very enjoyable album.

Download with graphics
From MediaFire

 Link failed? Then please leave a comment or contact mr.stockman@gmail.com

Martyn Wyndham Read and Danny Spooner "All Around Down Under" Stereo LP 1989

As previously advised in this Blog, Danny Spooner has been resident in Australia for many years. His companion on this LP, Martyn Wyndham Read, has, spent several years in Australia developing a very respectable repertoire of Australian folk and traditional songs.
Again, we owe thanks to Denis for copying these tracks from off his LP and for the cover scans. The cover is very faded and I have greyscaled it for a little additional clarity.
There are some very good performances on this LP - They might be Brits but they do have a very good feel for these Australian songs.

And a small reminder - one of our visitors, Garry Gillard features Danny Spooner details on his website (click here)

Track List
1. Look out below (Danny)
2. Brisbane Ladies (both)
3. Our Jack (came home today) (both)
4. Four Little Johnny Cakes (Danny)
5. Put a Light in every Country Window (both)
6. When the Brumbies come to water (Martyn)
7. Lachlan Tigers (both)
8. New Life (Martyn)
9. Shearing in a Bar (Danny)
10. I don't go Shearing now (Martyn with Danny joining chorus)
11. The Pommy's Lament (Danny)

Download with graphics MP3 192-224 VBR
From MediaFire
Danny Spooner's widow has advised that plans are currently underway to expand the www.dannyspooner.com website to re-release Danny's music to raise funds for a memorial statue. Accordingly, the album is no longer available for download.