Obscured By...

There were two ‘DOTS’ in the studio to present “Obscured by...” this week – Michael Hunter and Peter Brat. As usual, the music ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous; representing the former, we played the full version of ‘Psychedelic Journey’ by 6o’s New York band, Mystic Tide – and for the latter, a few tracks by some naff German 60’s bands trying to show their hipness by doing bizarre versions of popular songs. Clarinet-led instrumental version of ‘Apeman’ anyone? Hmmmm! The great Rattles song at the end of the set showed how it really should be done! We also featured a Billy Thorpe version of ‘Pride’ (better known in Australia as a hit for Ray Brown) plus the strange ‘folk’ of the Acid Gallery’s ‘Dance around the Maypole’, a rare incursion of the Dave Clark 5 into psychedelic pop, a version of ‘Aquarius’ from the musical ‘Hair’ by Aussie legends the Atlantics, and lots more... including a tribute to the members of young Queensland band Flannelette, who were killed recently in a motoring accident...

...so here is the playlist...

Vicki Sims & the Playboys – I wanna bop     (7”single 1961 Aust.)

the Vibratones – Man of Mystery     (7”single 1963 Aust.)

Haffy’s Whiskey Sour [aka Vanda/Young] – Shot in the Head     (7”single 1971 Aust.)

Paintbox – Come on Round     (7”single 1972 Aust.)

Red Symons – It’s only a Flipside     (7”single 1977 Aust.)

Innocents – the B-side     (7”single 1980 Aust.)

Craig Collinge – Improvisation #1     (Free Form Improvisations)

Procession – You/Me     (‘Procession’ LP 1968 Aust.)

Rex Gildo – Speedy Gonzales     (7”single, circa mid-60’s Germany)

Jo Ment – Get It On/Sweet HitchHiker     (7”single, c.early 70’s Germany)

Rolf Kuhn – Apeman     (7”single, c.early 70’s Germany)

Chris Roberts – Blowin’ in the Wind     (7”single, c.early 70’s Netherlands)

the Rattles – Lady Love     (7”single 1966 Germany)

Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs – Pride     (‘Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs’ LP 1965 Aust.)

Mystic Tide – Psychedelic Journey [Optical Illusion] Pts 1&2     (orig. 7”singles 1966 US)

Dave Clark 5 – Lost in his Dreams     (7”single 1967 UK)

Penny Arkade – the Freeze [demo version]     (Not the Freeze)

the Atlantics – Aquarius [rec. 2004]     (Collectibles)

the Acid Gallery – Dance around the Maypole    (7”single 1968 UK)

Faine Jade – It ain’t true     (7”single 1967 US)

Love Sculpture – In the Land of the Few     (7”single 1970 UK)

Flannelette – Where have you been     (demo 2011 Aust.)

Autumn – Yellow River     (7”single 1970 Aust.)

Plastic Penny – Give Me Money     (7”single 1967 UK)

Technicolour Dreaming

This week on Technicolour Dreaming, the Cat & the Brat interviewed Sam from new Melbourne band, Brat Farrar, who are playing in Adelaide this weekend as part of an Australian tour promoting their new 7” single. Sam also spoke of his ‘other band’, Digger & the Pussycats, and their recent gigs in China and Europe... Of course there was the usual eclectic mix of 60s Adelaide bands, such as Inside Looking Out, through to recent songs by Sparks and BrightblackMorningLight, as well as a track from our current ‘Album of the Month’ by Belles Will Ring. We also paid tribute to the late Martin Rushent, whose career as engineer, producer and musician spanned 40-odd years. We began with an example of his early engineering work, alongside Tony Visconti, on the classic “Electric Warrior” by T.Rex, before moving onto a selection of his production of many of the leading lights of the UK punk movement, such as the Buzzcocks, Generation X and the Stranglers... then, representing his pioneering work in the 80s ‘electro/dance’ era we played a Human League track, finishing with a recent song by his son’s band, Does It Offend You, Yeah?

... and here is the full playlist...

James Taylor Move – Still I Can Go On (7”single 1967 Adelaide)

the Bucket – I Can’t Help Thinking About You (7”single 1967 Adelaide)

Wright of Waye – You Can’t Do It Alone (7”single 1968 Australia)

Inside Looking Out - Morning Sun (7”single 1968 Adelaide)

BrightblackMorningLight – Friend Of Time (BrightblackMorningLight)

Brian Jonestown Massacre – Open Heart Surgery (Tepid Peppermint Wonderland)

the Sand Pebbles – Altered Images (Atlantis Regrets Nothing)

Sparks – Ugly Guys with Beautiful Girls (‘Lil Beethoven)

R.I.P. Martin Rushent [1948-2011]

T. Rex – Mambo Sun (Electric Warrior)

the Buzzcocks – Orgasm Addict (7”single 1977 UK)

Generation X – Ready Steady Go (7”single 1977 UK)

Altered Images – Dead Pop Stars (Pinky Blue)

The Rezillos – Top of the Pops (7”single 1978 UK)

The Stranglers – Curfew (Black and White)

The Human League – The Sound of the Crowd (Dare)

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Battle Royale (NME promo cd)

[interview]

Brat Farrar – It’s On Me, Brat Farrar (7”single 2011 Aust.)

Brat Farrar – I’m Not Free (7”single 2011 Aust.)

Belles Will Ring – Street Lamp Stomp (Crystal Theatre) #

# Album of the Week

Obscured By... June 7 2011

Hidden music from North Korea, 1960s US garage rock, New Zealand jugband, rare Australian singles, an interview with Mr David Bridie on the 21st anniversary of My Friend The Chocolate Cake and their new CD, and more besides. Where else but on Obscured By..., this week with a solo Michael Hunter. Oh, and an unusual preoccupation with the year 1970...

Allan Johnstone - A Preferential Matter (7" flexi, rec for Amoco (Aust) 1970)
Whistler's Mother - Mister Big (7" Aust 1971)
Toby Jugg - Dawn (7" b-side Aust 1970)
Fourmyula - Otaki (NZ 7" 1970)
Skyhooks - You Just Like Me 'Cause I'm Good In Bed (demo with Steve Hill on vocals, Aust 1973)
Five Sided Circle - Hungry (live at the Brunswick Hotel, Adelaide June 2010, demo)
Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble - Spring Of Home Village / Song Of Bean Paste (Both Paektu and Halla Belong To My Motherland, Nth Korea 2009)

In memory of Martin Rushent:
Human League - Don't You Want Me (12" mix 1981)
Buzzcocks - Fiction Romance (Another Music In A Different Kitchen, 1978)

The Sandmen - World Full Of Dreams (US 7' 1967)
The Monacles - Everybody Thinks I'm Lonely (US 7" 1967)
The Disciples - Junior Saw It Happen (US 7' 1966)
The Distant Sounds - It Reminds Me (US 7" 1966)
New Chains III - The End (US 7" 1967)
Samurai - As I Dried The Tears Away (Samurai, UK 1971)

David Bridie live phone interview, including tracks:
Not Drowning Waving - Up In The Mountains (Through The One Last Door, Aust 2005)
My Friend The Chocolate Cake - 25 Stations / Foreigner / The Centre Cannot Hold (Fiasco, Aust 2011)

Trembling Bells - Colour Of Night (The Constant Pageant, Scot 2011)
Ersen - Cagmigicak (Turkish Freakout, 2010)
Onder Bali - Karni Buyuk Koca Dunya (Turkish Freakout, 2010)
The Cleves - You & Me (7" NZ 1970)
Hogsnort Rupert - Aunty Alice (Bought Us This) (7" NZ 1970)
John Vincent - Put It In A Bin (7" Aust 1970)

Technicolour Dreaming

This week’s show featured a variety of Australian artists, both new and from the past, including a song from this week’s “No. 1” album on 3D Radio by Adelaide’s own Avant Gardeners, as well as the ‘A-side’ of the new 7” single by the Amcats... the vinyl revival continues to gain pace! From the 80’s, we played a favourite from the Church and from the 60’s, a track by the brilliant, but largely forgotten, Toni McCann... she is, in our view, one of the best rockin’ singers of the era, the equal of the ‘stars’ such as Normie Rowe or Stevie Wright of the Easybeats! Also featured this week were tracks from the new six CD “Circus Days : Pop Psych Obscurities 1966-1972” box-set compilation and of course, a song from our new “Album of the Month” for June, “Crystal Theatre” by Belles Will Ring, the second album from this great Sydney psychedelic-flavoured outfit...

...and here is the full playlist...

Spacemen 3 – Suicide (live) (Playing with Fire)

Asteroid Belt - Slant Six (Blank Horizon)

Sand Pebbles – Sioux City Falls (Ghost Transmissions)

the Sun Blindness – Crack in the Concrete (Like Pearly Clouds)

August Born – You Will Be Warm (August Born)

Slingshot Dragster – Dil Mohammed (demo 2010 Adelaide)

Kelley Stoltz – I Like, I Like (To Dreamers)

Avant Gardeners – We Love Our Audience (Mine Errant VanGarden)

the Amcats – Peggy Sue (7”single Adelaide 2011)

Normie Rowe – She Used to Be Mine (7”single 1965 Aust)

Toni McCann – If You Don’t Come Back (7”single 1965 Queensland, Aust)

Mike Furber & The Bowery Boys – That’s When Happiness Began (Diddy Wah Diddy: Best of...))

(unknown artist)* – Junior Newsgirl (“Devil’s Children Vol.3” : compilation, 1960’s Aust.)

Radio Spectacular – Little Stevie (demo 2006 Adelaide)

Amelia Smile – Father Good’s Space Flight (“Circus Days” Vol 6 : comp.)

the Cat’s Pyjamas – Virginia Water (“Circus Days” Vol 4)

Arzachel – Garden of Earthly Delights (“Circus Days” Vol 1)

the Mirage – Tomorrow Never Knows [Beatles’ cover] (“Circus Days” Vol 3)

Sheila Chandra – Storm Trance (“Electric Psychedelic Sitar Headswirlers” Vol 5 : comp.)

Belles Will Ring – The River (Crystal Theatre) #

the Church – When You Were Mine (‘Hindsight’ : Best of...)

(* backing track by ‘the Wild Colonials’, singer unknown)

# “Album of the Month”