Raglan Road Update - Member Tom Minogue

 The Raglan Road post has been updated with some information on its member previously identified as Tom Minogue. Thanks to his sister Colette who now lives in America. Click here to go to the post,.

Various Artists "ACTU Achievement" Stereo LP 1979

I have possessed two copies of this LP and two followers have each provided rips of the album over the years.

I have been in two minds about putting this LP up on the blog. Part of the problem has been damaged tracks but there is also the issue that the album contains only a vestige of  Australian folk, bush ballad or country music falling within the remit of this blog.

It is a good album with some good tracks very well performed and most conform with a theme that the ACTU has been successful over the years up to 1979 and will continue to to be successful in the future. OK, because of a recent comment, I concede that it will be of interest to many of the blog's followers so here it is.

Folk or not, much of the music is very enjoyable and well performed. My favourites are "It's On", the comedic "Basic Wage Dream" and the classic "Part of the Union".  "Ballad of 1891" is just a little too stuffy for this country boy.

Tracklist

1    Ballad of 1891 ~ Neil Williams
2    It's On ~  John Derum
3    The Politicians ~  Brendan Mooney, Christina Amphlett, Christopher Young, Jeanette Freeman, Jeremy Paul, Kim Deacon, Shayna Stewart, Tina Young, Tony Romeril
4    Part Of The Union ~ Linda Keene, Mick Leyton
5    Freedom Was A Common Thing ~ George Assang
6    The Unionist's Prayer ~ John Derum (spoken - rough track)
7    Achievement ~ Linda Keene, Mick Leyton
8    Going Our Way ~ Christina Amphlett, Jane Ball, Jason Clayton, Jeanette Freeman, Jennifer Cook, Kim Deacon, Rodd Manning, Shayna Stewart, Tina Young
9    Basic Wage Dream ~ John Derum
10    For We Are Women - The Equal Of Men ~ Christina Amphlett, Jeanette Freeman, Kim Deacon, Shayna Stewart, Tina Young
11    Union Of Union's ~ Tim Elliot (spoken)
12    United We Stand ~  Brendan Mooney, Christina Amphlett, Christopher Young, Jeanette Freeman, Jeremy Paul, Kim Deacon, Shayna Stewart, Tina Young, Tony Romeril

There are Flac (lossless) and MP3 versions. Each type is one compressed file which you may have to decompress to get to the tracks and the album graphics. If you need decompression software, I recommend 7ZIP. It is free to download and use and does the job as good as the commercial ones.

Click here to download the MP3 (VBR 256-320) Version (49MB)

Click here to download the FLAC Version (171MB)

Download not working? Email me mr.stockman@gmail.com

Napper Tandy - Self Titled LP 1981

A very kind person from Adelaide provided me with this music back in 2020 and I actually did a little work on it but, somehow in the midst of all the Covid19 activity, I managed to misplace the files. so apologies to the contributor and the blog's followers.

Napper Tapper was a popular Adelaide group back in the early 1980s. This was their only album.

The band members were:-

Marian Brown, vocals, mandolin, bodhran; Barry Hickey, vocals, guitar, mandolin, whistle; Joe Manning, guitars; Warwick Nottage, fiddle; and Mike Whelan, mandolin, bouzouki, guitar.

They were obviously a very competent group of performers both vocally and instrumentally bringing a touch of rock and psych folk to some of these tracks.

Tracklist.

1. Farmer's Cursed Wife

2. Binnouri

3. Kiandra Love Song

4. Sovay

5. Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife

6. Dainty Davy

7. Cam Ye O'er Frae France

8. John Anderson My Jo (Burns)

9. Reels - The Ash Plant - Paddy White's - The High Reel

10. Mad Tom O'Bedlam

The tracks and album graphics are encased in a compressed file which may need to be decompressed to be played or viewed. 

Click here to download MP3 VBR 256-320 version file 57MB

Click here to download FLAC version file 264M

Download fails? Email mr.stockman@gmail.com

 

Comments are working again. Status issues.

With the latest post, I have noticed that a couple of years of comments have now magically appeared. I have approved the genuine ones. I will be answering a few that need a response.

However, if you need something from me, it is preferable that you email me at mr.stockman@gmail.com with your query or request rather than making a comment on a posting.

As to the infrequency of postings, this is mostly caused by a scarcity of suitable material of sufficient quality. Good clean or cleanable material is very hard to come by nowadays. We have had some excellent contributors over the years for which I and presumably most of you are very thankful.

Perhaps some of you are still holding onto gems that I could put up on the blog. HINT HINT.

I do have a couple of other posts outstanding at the moment and I will have them up very soon.

I am getting seriously old now and do have one serious health issue. No rush at the moment but is there anyone interested in looking after the blog, in a maintenance sense, somewhere along the line? 

Anyway, continue to enjoy the music.

Regards to all

Paul

Franklin B. Paverty "Songs from the Australian Goldrush" Stereo LP 1987

A good rip from Tassie Ian. Thanks mate.

The group, Franklin B. Paverty, was usually made up of performers in the Canberra area and there were regular changes of members in the group.

The membership for this album was:

Mal Bennett - vocals, fiddle, mandolin and percussion.

Frank Nizynski - socals, guitar and bass

Bernie Nizynski - Mandolin and banjo.

Dave O'Neill - vocals, guitar and Mandolin.

Bryan Rae - vocals, guitar and harmonica.

Tracklist

1. Hurrah for the diggings
2. With my swag all on my shoulder
3. Look out below
4.  Off to California/Westfork Girls
5. Frank Gardiner at Eugowra Rocks
6. Australia's on the wallaby
7. The golden west
8. To the north
9. The diamond drill
10. Out upon a spree
11. The Johnson Boys
12. The old Palmer song.
13. The Jolly Puddlers
14. Tambaroora gold/Sweets of May
15. Stringybark and greenhide
16. The quartz crushing machine
17. Australia the golden
18. The cross of the south
19. The roaring days

Take your choice of flac or MP3 versions below. The downloaded file will be a Zip file which needs to be decompressed to extract the individual tracks and the LP graphics files.

Flac (lossless) version 191MB; or

MP3 256-320VBR version 50MB

File not available? Email mr.stockman@gmail.com

Gordon McIntyre & Kate Delaney "Blackwaterside" LP Stereo 1981

"Tassie" Ian provided the rip of this album. I have had rips previously, including one of my own, but they have not been of a sufficient quality for putting on the Blog.

Gordon and Kate are well known in Australian folk music circles and I am pleased to finally bring this album to your attention. Overall the music has cleaned up very well but there are a couple of production or editing or production problems I could not fix but only one of those will stand out. The vocals are somewhat overwhelmed by backing music in "Green Rushes"

We have a mix here of English, Irish, Scottish, and Australian and one forebitter. All of you will find something to enjoy here.

The graphics include words for all the songs on the album.

Tracklist: 1. Lassie wi' the yellow coatie. 2. Alan McLean. 3. Fisherrow. 4.Poor ditching boy. 5. Blackwaterside. 6. The Bullgine Run. 7. The lost Sailor. 8.The cork leg. 9. Green Rushes. 10. My love is like a red red rose. 11. Currency Lasses.

Each upload is a single compressed file which need to be decompressed to extract the music and graphics files.

Click here to download the FLAC (lossless) version. 175MB

Click here to download the MP3 VBR256-320 version. 51MB

Any problems? Let me know by email to mr.stockman@gmail.com

Sligo Maid "Lass" Cassette stereo 1993

And yet another rip from the Victorian Bush Folkie. Again many thanks.
Sligo Maid was a popular Newcastle, New South Wales, band which regularly performed at the Lass O' Gowrie Hotel. Its members were: –
Susan Carson – vocals, violin, mandolin, guitar.
Cathy Cox – vocals, piano accordion, keyboards, tin whistle.
Peter Tarren – vocals, guitar.
Dave Marshall – drums and vocals.
John (Babalooboo) Gottery – vocals and bass.
Grant Fraser – Lead guitar and vocals.

I understand that this band was fairly versatile but the content of this album is very definitely in the folk rock style. Steeleye Span is a group that readily comes to mind when listening to this album. Do not let this put you off because they are very good at what they are doing.

Tracklist
1. Hard times of old England
2. Rocky road medley (Rocky Road to Dublin and the Galway races)
3. Sligo Maid
4. Let her go down.
5. All around my hat
6. Mooncoin Jig
7. Woman of Ireland (not to be confused with O'Riada's Women of Ireland)
8. The Whale.

Click here to begin downloading the (flac) version. 148 MB
Click here to begin downloading the MP3 version. 39 MB

In either case, you will be downloading a compressed (Zip) file you will probably need to decompress to play the music and to see the included graphics.
If you have any problems or any information to add please contact me on my email: – mr.stockman.au@gmail.com

Bandicoots Band "Brisbane Ladies" Cassette (date unknown)

The Victorian Bush Folkie generously provided this cassette rip. Thanks again.

I know nothing about this Band other that it is not to be confused with the folk music pioneers The Bushwackers and Bandicoots Band.

The track list is, with the exception of The Ballad of New Orleans, a stock repertoire of many of the more popular Australian folk songs and instrumentals.

The Band's performance is competent and entertaining and the album is well produced.


The cassette was of good quality and there was very little need for editing.

You have a choice of flac (lossless) or MP3 (256-320VBR) tracks as listed below. Each option comes as a ZIP file and should be decompressed  to extract the album tracks and cassette graphics.

Click here to start download of flac (lossless)  option 246MB

Click here to start downloading the MP3 option 62MB

Any problems: contact me mr.stockman@Gmail.com

Smiths Gully Band "About Time" LP 1981

Another offering fromTassie Ian that I had overlooked before. Many thanks Ian.
I have been absent for a while with continuing health issues so I apologise for my lack of activity. Now with winter and the Covid19 isolation, I will be attempting to put up some more music.
This album is a somewhat eclectic grouping of songs and instrumental tracks. Some of the songs have been penned by members of the band but they are definitely in a folky style and quite enjoyable.
The album is obviously not a sophisticated production but I do not find that much of an issue other than the vocals are sometimes a little overwhelmed by the instrumentation.
I was surprised and delighted to discern the inclusion of a french horn in the instrumentation. It worked well.

The members of the band, pictured here at Smiths Gully Cemetery are:-
Norm Adams on fiddle;
Raynor Balfour on mandolin, flute, tin whistle, accordian, piano, abd 5 string banjo;
Keith O.Lawrie - guitar and vocals
John Rasmussen - guitars 6 and 12 string, 5 string banjo and vocals;
Marshall Webb - bodhran, concertina, lagerphone, and fence paling.; and
Bill Gallicher - band mixer and knob twiddler.

AND with some help from friends Belinda Cody, Butterfly Bertram and Alex Grieve with vocals, snare drum, washboard and french horn.

Tracklist:-
1, The old grey goose (instrumental)
2, Fitzroy St Lady (Rasmussen)V (Fitzroy St, ST Kilda)
3. Davey Douglas (Lawrie)
4. Instrumental medley - musical priest, Bob Caseys, and trim the velvet.
5.The back  blocks shearer.
6. Bakery Hill (Rasmussen)
7. The Road to Lisdoonvarna*
8. Lonegans widow (Silverstein)
9. Hello Stranger (Lawrie)

* Liner notes doubt the existence of Lisdoonvarna. It is a small town in County Clare which used to host a music festival about which Christy Moore wrote the song "Lisdoonvarna".

The album and its graphics have been incorporated into ZIP files which should be decompressed before playing.

Click here to begin downloading the MP3 (256) version ZIP file - 45MB

Click here to begin downloading the FLAC (lossless) version ZIP file - 145MB

Any problems:- contact me mr.stockman@gmail.com

Currency "First Exchange ~ Rocking Australian Folk" LP 1982

The rip of this album was provided by the Victorian Bush Folkie. It has cleaned up well,

Currency (not to be confused with the Currency Lads group featured elsewhere on this blog) was a Canberra based folk group.

Obviously a talented group of musicians who like to venture into folk rock with both skill and enthusiasm.

They even have a condensed and modified version of the "The Bastard of the Bush" aka "The Captain of the Push" suitable for play in mixed company. It hangs together pretty well. And they even have some tracks featuring the less seen songs.

Tracklist
1. Bluey Brink
2. I know who is sick
3. The Miner
4. Hangman Noose
5. Death of Dan Morgan
6. Bastard from the bush
7. Come Listen
8. Wreck of the Amphitrite
9. Double Dissolution (instrumental)
10, Labouring with the hoe
11. Cuckoo's Nest (with a bit of "Navvy on the Line")

The two files below are compressed "zip" files which need to decompressed before playing. Choose one or the other format. Graphics are included.
Click here for the MP3 256-320VBR format 64MB
Click here for the flac (lossless) version  252MB
Click here for flac version from MediaFire 

File not available - please contact mr.stockman@gmail.com