BOBBI MARCHINI,GREAT VOICE FROM THE SEVENTIES

BOBBI MARCHINI, WHERE ARE YOU? SHE'S LIVING ON AN ISLAND IN GREECE. BOBBI IS A GREAT FEMALE SINGER WHO MIXED IT WITH OTHER GREAT FEMALE SINGERS OF THE SEVENTIES, INCLUDING JANICE SLATER, ALLISON McCALLUM, KERRY BIDDELL, SHARON SIMS, WENDY SADDINGTON, ETC ETC ETC . WHAT AN ERA!
BOBBI WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HER STINTS WITH SOUTHERN COMFORT AT THE CHEETAH ROOM, AND GRAPEVINE AND HUNGER, AT JONATHANS IN BROADWAY. I REMEMBER WE (FLAKE) AUDITIONED FOR THE GIG PRIOR TO THE OPENING, AND I THINK WE HAD THE JOB, BUT KNOCKED IT BACK WHEN WE WERE TOLD WE HAD TO WEAR A TUX! I THINK HE CHANGED HIS IDEAS ABOUT THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, BOBBI WORKED WITH JOHN ENGLISH, STEVE WRIGHT, TERRY KAFF, AND THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED FABULOUS JANICE SLATER,& ALLISON McCALLUM. I HAD A CRUSH ON ALL OF THEM.(ONLY THE GIRLS) I'VE HAD SOME EMAIL FROM BOBBI, AND I FIND SHE HAS A WEB SITE, www.bobbimarchini.co.uk CHECK IT OUT, GREAT PICS, DISCOGRAPHY & MORE

the HEAD

GETTING AWAY FROM TRAWLING THROUGH THE PAST FOR A WHILE, RUDI FROM " the HEAD" HAS ASKED ME TO TRY TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOME MUSIC HE IS WORKING ON. THIS IS GREAT. THIS IS WHAT I ENJOY DOING.
"the HEAD " PRODUCE ELECTRONICA/JAZZ/UNDEFINED STUFF. YOU CAN FIND THEIR ALBUM AT www.mp3.com au

LAKEMBA'S FORERUNNERS TO THE WIGGLES

Me'nMine, 1966 ROB ASKEW'S FIRST BAND.
(L-R) PAT McMAHON,PAUL McCORMACK, JIMMY PENSON, ROB ASKEW, JOHN McMAHON.
JIMMY WENT ON TO BLACKFEATHER,FLAKE

IMAGES

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR PICS OF YOUR HOME STUDIO, OR PICS FROM THE THE OLD DAYS SEND THEM TO ME FOR INCLUSION.

FLAKE 1989 VERSION

ROB ASKEW KINDLY SENT THIS PHOTO WITH (L-R) ROB, WAYNE THOMAS,ANNA THOMAS, (ROCKY'S DAUGHTER), GORDON SHEARD, LINDSAY ASKEW

WAYNE NO LONGER LOOKS LIKE AN ARAB!

SOURCES CLOSE TO WAYNE THOMAS REVEAL THE ARAB PHOTO WAS A PLOY TO DISTRACT US FROM HIS TRUE IDENTITY. I SHARE WITH YOU THE REAL WAYNE THOMAS. (ON LEFT) RECEIVING AN AWARD FOR CONVERSION TO THE JEWISH FAITH FROM ROB ASKEW .

LIAM STRATTON , FUNNY BASTARD

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO TRAVEL TO LONDON OCCASIONALLY, AND LIKE A LAUGH, CHECK OUT MY OLD FRIEND LIAM, WHO WITH HIS MATE ARE CALLED BLUE PEPPER.YOU CAN USUALLY FIND INFO AT WWW.SKETCHCLUB.CO.UK

WAYNE THOMAS.......STILL AN IDIOT

HOW COME I GET CONTACTED BY SO MANY DRUMMERS AND BASS PLAYERS? THE MUSICIANS I KNOW I COULD COUNT ON ONE HAND. WAYNE , THE FORMER "FLAKE" DRUMMER,CALLED ME LAST NIGHT. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO, OR SEEN HIM FOR 35 YEARS. HE HAS BEEN GETTING ROB ASKEW (BASS) TO HELP HIM WRITE A REVISED HISTORY OF THE BAND. IT'S A FAIRLY COMPLICATED TASK TO GET THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER RIGHT, AFTER ALL, IT SEEMS MOST MUSICIANS IN OZ PLAYED IN THE GROUP AT SOMETIME.ROB AND HIS BROTHER, LINDSAY, WERE ALSO IN THE BAND. MARTIN ERDMAN, THE RECORD PRODUCER, IS RE-RELEASING THE FLAKE ALBUM THIS YEAR, AND IS GOING TO INCLUDE A 12 PAGE BOOK OUTLINING THE HISTORY OF THE GROUP. THE WRITING MUST BE VERY SMALL! I HAVE ASKED WAYNE TO SEND ME SOME PICS FROM THE TIME AND I WILL INCLUDE THEM IN MUSINGS AT A LATER DATE. I HAVE NO PICS FROM THAT TIME, WHICH IS A SHAME, BUT THIS APPARENTLY IS A RECENT PIC OF WAYNE.

THE WARD BROTHERS

I MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER POST THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH WARREN WARD. ONE MOMENT WE WERE INTERESTED IN STEAM TRAINS, AND BEFORE I KNEW IT, HE HAD LEARNT BASS AND WAS PLAYING IN THE FLYING CIRCUS. THEY WERE AUSTRALIA'S FIRST EVER TRIBUTE COVER BAND. THEY LOOKED LIKE "THE BYRDS", DID THEIR SONGS AND EVEN PLAYED THE SAME RICKENBACKER GUITARS. THIS IS NEVER MENTIONED WHEN THEY ARE TALKED ABOUT. HE ALSO PLAYED IN FLAKE, BLACKFEATHER, NUTWOOD RUG, I THINK? HIS YOUNGER BROTHER ROSS WARD, AND I MUCKED AROUND IN GARAGE BANDS. THESE DAYS, ROSS IS A FULL TIME MUSICIAN, A GREAT AUSSIE BLUES ARTIST. CHECK HIM OUT AT www.rossward.com.au

IT'S FUNNY WHAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU START WRITING THIS STUFF. I WAS DRIVING BEHIND A TRUCK THE OTHER DAY, ON THE BACK OF IT WAS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR "HAIR".
I REMEMBER THE SHOW CAME TO SYDNEY IN 1968? THE FIRST BAND TO PLAY IN THE SHOW WAS "TULLY". THEY WERE REPLACED AT SOME STAGE BY A GROUP MADE UP OF MAINLY FORMER MEMBERS OF "THE CASTAWAYS". THE BAND LEADER, LANCE DIXON,WAS GOING OUT WITH THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. HE USED TO HEAR OUR GARAGE BANDS. HE USED TO INVITE ME TO SIT IN WITH THE BAND DURING PERFORMANCES. THAT WAS COOL!!

KEITH HERBERT,ONE MAN PUBLICITY MACHINE

NO SOONER HAVE I TOLD KEITH THE ADDRESS OF THIS BLOG, AND I AM GETTING EMAILS FROM EVERYWHERE. KEITH'S SON, SCOTT, WHO PLAYS IN the HEAD, ROB ASKEW, ANOTHER BASS PLAYER WHO ALSO PLAYED IN FLAKE AFTER ME, HAS SENT A PIC OF HIS HOME STUDIO.ROB HAS A GROUP CALLED"NEXT BEST THING" CHECK OUT THEIR SITE AT www.nextbestthing.com.au HIS DAUGHTER, MELANIE, IS THE SINGER, AND HAS A GREAT VOICE. YOU CAN PLAY SOME MP3'S THERE.

I LIKE THE DRESDEN DOLLS

MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHER, KATHRYN, WITH HER PARTNER, SCOTT, AND THEIR FRIEND GORDON. THEY ALSO ALL WORK AT OUR WORKPLACE. THEY GIVE ME COPIES OF DRUM MEDIA. IT'S LIKE "GO SET". THINGS DON'T CHANGE THAT MUCH, JUST THE HAIR STYLES. SCOTT IS LEARNING GUITAR. I WISH KATHRYN WOULD SING. I'M SURE SHE HAS A GOOD VOICE, AND SECRETLY HARBOURS DREAMS TO BE AMANDA PALMER OF THE DRESDEN DOLLS, BUT NOT WITH THE HAIRY ARMPITS, OR HAIRY AXILLAS AS THEY WOULD SAY IN OUR TRADE. GORDON IS A TALENTED JUGGLER/FIRE-EATER AND SEEKS WORK IN A PUNK CIRCUS. IT SHOULD BE A USEFUL EXCUSE IF HE EVER IS ON THE DOLE.

DOROTHY BARRY, LIVING TREASURE

THESE ARE PICS OF DOROTHY BARRY. DOT WAS IN THE BARRY SISTERS. SHE APPEARED ON BANDSTAND WITH PETER ALLEN, JO'K AND ALL THE ROCK N ROLLERS OF THE 50-60'S. DOT WORKS AT THE SAME COMPANY AS MARGARET & I. SHE IS CLOSE TO MARG, AND STILL DOES REGULAR CLUB APPEARANCES. SHE IS A LEGEND!! A POSTSCRIPT TO THIS, SHE WAS TELLING MARG TODAY THAT SHE ALSO SANG WITH HARRY SEECOMBE & HOWARD KEEL!

DAGGY GOINGS ON IN THE COOL 60'S

AFTER WW2, MUSIC WAS INTRODUCED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, VIA FLUTE BANDS. THIS IS MY SCHOOL BAND IN 1961, AND A PAPER CLIPPING OF MY YOUNGER SISTER, (MIDDLE). WE WERE TAUGHT BY VICTOR McMAHON, WHO WORKED FOR THE DEPT OF EDUCATION. HE WAS ALSO A TEACHER AT THE SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC, WHERE I LATER STUDIED. HE TAUGHT NOTED JAZZ MUSICIANS DON BURROWS, PAUL FURNISS AND SYDNEY S.O. PRINCIPAL FLUTE, PAUL CURTIS, WHO ALL WERE TAUGHT AT SCHOOL. IT'S A PITY THERE ISN'T A FORMAL TRAINING GROUND LIKE THAT THESE DAYS, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE HIP HOP OR DEATH METAL. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, AS LONG AS KIDS CAN LEARN MUSIC OF SOME SORT. THE REALLY DAGGY PIC OF MY SISTER WITH ME AND MY FLUTE IS A CRINGING FAVOURITE. THE FLUTE WAS BOUGHT FOR ME BY MY PARENTS. I STILL OWN & PLAY THIS SAME INSTRUMENT,44 YEARS LATER. MY FATHER USED TO ENJOY BLOWING A HARMONICA AND OCCASIONALLY TORMENTING THE DOG WIYH A TROMBONE. I THINK HE IS GLAD I STARTED PLAYING AGAIN. I WISH HE WOULD ENCOURAGE MY SISTER TO RESUME BALLET LESSONS!

GROWING UP IN THE 60'S

IT IS OFTEN SAID WHAT A GREAT PERIOD IN HISTORY THE 60'S WAS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THAT GREAT, BUT BEING A TEENAGER THEN, IT WAS FUN. I LIVED IN A DEAD END STREET IN A SUBURB CALLED EARLWOOD, A SYDNEY MIDDLE CLASS SUBURB NOTORIOUS FOR PRODUCING OUR CURRENT PRIME MINISTER, A LOWLY MAGGOT.
THE STREET WAS FULL OF KIDS OF SIMILAR AGES, I WAS THE YOUNGEST OF THE OLDER GROUP AND BILL TRANCHATELLA WAS THE ELDEST. WHEN BILL WAS GOING TO UNIVERSITY STUDYING ART, HE PLAYED IN A JUG BAND AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ART MOVEMENT CALLED "SAVART". THEY CREATED "HAPPENINGS" BILL ALSO PLAYED FLUTE. WE NEARLY ALL PLAYED FLUTE. MORE ABOUT THAT AT ANOTHER TIME. HE LISTENED TO EVERYTHING AND HAD A GREAT RECORD COLLECTION. SO I WAS LISTENING TO ZAPPA, PAUL BUTTERFIELD, AND ALL THE OTHER WEST COAST UNDERGROUND HIPPY STUFF. ON DAY HE SAID COME AND LISTEN TO THIS! IT WAS 1966, HE PLAYED "I TALK TO THE SPIRITS" MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO ROLAND KIRK. MY MUSICAL TASTES WERE CHANGED FOR EVER. I WENT TO CANTERBURY BOYS HIGH SCHOOL. FORMERLY A SELECTIVE SCHOOL, WHICH PRODUCED THE MAGGOT AND VARIOUS JUDGES & HIGH PROFILE TYPES. WHEN I WENT THERE IT WAS STILL SEMI SELECTIVE, BUT ALLOWED ME IN ANYWAY. I WAS IN THE ORCHESTRA. IT WAS A DURGE SIMILAR TO THE "STOCKPORT SYMPHONIA". JOHN RUSSELL, THE FLAKE GUITARIST WAS THERE, SO WAS WARREN WARD, BASSIST WITH FLYING CIRCUS & LATER, FLAKE. DOUG FAULKNER, ANOTHER BASS PLAYER STILL AROUND TOWN WAS ALSO IN MY CLASS.GRAHAM BOND OF AUNTY JACK FAME WAS ALSO, BUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AHEAD OF ME. MY FAVOURITE OLD SCHOOLMATE OF NOTORIETY WAS JOHN BRYSON. HE HAD VERY LONG HAIR, AND AS A RESULT, WAS MADE TO SIT OUTSIDE THE BOSS'S OFFICE EVERY LUCHTIME. HE HIT THE HEADLINES IN THE 90'S WHEN , AS A BARRISTER, WAS MENTIONED IN PARLIAMENT FOR SEDUCING UNDERAGE INTERNS IN HIS CHARGE. JOHN SAID IN THE NEWSPAPERS, THAT IT WAS A CONSPIRACY BY THE "MICK MAFIA". THE GIRLS WERE FROM A PROMINENT CATHOLIC SCHOOL, THE COMPLAINT AIRED IN PARIAMENT BY A CATHOLIC, PAUL WHELAN MINISTER FOR POLICE. I THINK JOHN STILL LIVES WITH THE LADY ON THE GOLD COAST. AT LEAST IT WAS INTERESTING TABLOID READING!