AN EVENING WITH MIKE McCLELLAN - LIVE 1977

When Song and Danceman was released in 1974 Mike McClellan was already an established performer on the acoustic music scene. That song topped the charts bringing him national recognition and a following that has remained loyal to his highly personal brand of music for almost 40 years. For those who had already experienced his talent his first hit single did no more than reinforce what they already knew: that he was one of the best songwriters to emerge from this country in many years and among its most talented singer/guitarists.

He had began performing in the late 60’s and released his first album, titled simply Mike McClellan in 1972. It was regarded as one of the most auspicious debut albums from any writer/singer of his era. He toured extensively for the next 2 years playing the songs and previewing the material that would make up his breakthrough record.

His second album, Ask Any Dancer went Gold and Song and Danceman was voted Song of the Year at the Annual Music Industry Awards in February 1975. He hit the cover of every magazine in the country and played concerts from Darwin to Tasmania. It hardly needs repeating that Song and Danceman has become an Australian classic having been recorded many times, both here and overseas.

Tours with such performers as Roger Miller, Melanie, Dr. Hook, The Hollies and Leo Kottke expanded his audience even further and he earned rave reviews for his capacity to hold his own in the company of such internationally recognised stars. That recognition took a giant leap forward when Rick Nelson recorded one of his most acclaimed songs, Rock’n Roll Lady, in 1975 and John Farnham covered Saturday Dance.

1976 saw the release of what many regard as his finest album of the 70’s - Until the Song is Done. The Gamble topped the country charts and Lovers Never Wind up Friends and Midnight Flight were covered overseas.

It was inevitable that he would record a live album. For alone on stage with just a guitar there was a magic that couldn’t be easily captured in the studio. An Evening With Mike McClellan was released in 1978 and included some of his most requested concert tunes, among them several brilliant demonstrations of his unique guitar playing.

1979 saw him compering his first television series National Star Quest which lead to his being asked to take over the highly successful ABC program Country Road. Within a year it becameMike McClellan’s Country Music and he continued to present the show for a further 3 years, touring extensively behind the national profile it sustained for him.

1980 marked a change in direction. He parted company with EMI and, working with Harry Vanda and George Young of the Easybeats, released Laughing in the Dark on the Albert’s label. It became his second gold album on the strength of the single The One I Love. One of his most requested songs, it joined the growing list of McClellan classics and was covered many times internationally.

1982 took him overseas to the UK and America. He was away for 12 months, gathering enthusiastic reviews wherever he played and establishing valuable contact with international publishers.

His return to Australia in ‘83 marked another change in his career. Weary of the constant travelling he sought more stability for he and his family. Mojo, then regarded as the most dynamic ad agency in the country, persuaded him to write for them. For 2 years he contributed some of the most memorable advertising on television, writing the concepts, words and music for clients such as Australian Airlines, Red Rooster, Channel 9 and growing the already established XXXX and Tooheys campaigns for the agency. Invigorated by new challenges he and a partner left Mojo and set up their own agency which they called Kazoo. It grew rapidly over the period from ‘86 to ‘91. The 2 partners became 3, the staff went from 3 to 30 and the billings through the roof.

Through all the demands on his time he still managed to release a new album in 1990. The Heartland is considered by many who know his work to be as good as anything he has recorded and marked a return to the EMI label.

He subsequently sold his share holding in Kazoo to re-establish Mike McClellan Pty Ltd and take complete control of his own destiny once more. He needed the time to write for himself and take advantage of the dramatic changes that had been happening in the communications industry.

1998 marked the release of a single commissioned for Warner Music. But the three songs it contained were a little different to past McClellan discs. They were tributes to three great Australian sportsmen, Mark Taylor, the much-admired former Aussie cricket captain, the great Sir Donald Bradman, and David Campese, often called “the Bradman of Rugby.”

Late 2001 saw the release of a comprehensive retrospective of his recording career. Personally chosen and carefully remastered from the original tapes Time. And Time Again. is a double CD containing 35 of his best songs. Among them are re-recordings of two from his very first album, a studio version of California Cool that was only ever released as a B side on a single and New York City Blues, a never before released gem that was recorded during the sessions for The Heartland CD but didn’t fit comfortably with the other songs.

Late 2001 also saw the first of what were standout concerts with his old friends Kevin Johnson (who wrote Rock’n Roll I Gave You All The Best Years of My Life) and Doug Ashdown (Winter In America). A sell out crowd at Sydney’s Basement and a standing ovation said it all – “Their artistic and intelligent acoustic alchemy had a capacity house singing, stamping and tingling beyond the witching hour. A night indelibly imprinted”, said Glenn A. Baker.

In 2005, in conjunction with Andrew Pattison, who established Melbourne’s premier acoustic venue the Troubadour, he brought to Australia and shared the bill with the wonderful US singer/songwriter Danny O’Keefe. The concert crowds reinforced his belief that there was still a sizeable, enthusiastic audience in Australia for acoustic music of depth, conviction and real quality.

Since 2005 he has been a senior tutor at the CMAA Country Music Academy in Tamworth and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Australian International Conservatorium of Music where he teaches a course in song writing. Ironically, after many, many years his original training as a school teacher is being put to good use once again and his song writing workshops have become an important part of his creative life.

Now, in 2011, he’s back doing concerts, renewing old friendships and playing extensively. As a performer he just seems to get better with time and it is a tribute to his talent that many in his audiences have been coming to see him sing for well over 35 years. Reviewing one of Mike’s Troubadour performances for the Melbourne Age some years ago journalist Paul Speelman wrote, “McClellan is a national asset”. His new CD, If only for a moment… will only add to his illustrious history as one of our finest singer songwriters.

Tracks :

1. Jelly Roll Baker - traditional
2. Saturday Dance (McClellan)
3. Midnight Flight (McClellan)
4. The One I love (McClellan)
5. High Flyin' Bird (Billy Ed Wheeler)
6. Rock 'n' Roll Lady (McClellan)
7. California Cool (McClellan)
8. Hot Chilli (McClellan) (instrumental)
9. You're going to need somebody on your bond. (traditional - accompanied by Graham Lowndes)
10. Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker)
11. Song and Danceman (McClellan)

Artwork Included

BILL PERRY - CRAZY KIND OF LOVE 2002

Crazy Kind Of Life, is a natural progression of Bill Perry continued growth as an artist, his most complete and self-assured recording to date. While not seeking to break any stylistic barriers, it nonetheless offers an alluring package of what Bill calls "modern traditional" blues.

With Jimmy Vivino and Paul Orofino once again at the helm, Perry's gutsy vocals, guitar ferocity, and go-for-broke intensity highlight the album. Perry was much more involved in the songwriting this time around. He and Vivino had a hand in writing all the songs, with the exception of the Rolling Stones chestnut "No Expectations," on which special guest Richie Havens achingly interprets one of best blues tunes to ever come out of the rock idiom.

Perry's songwriting is very personal, going far beyond the usual "woke up this morning..." approach, while at the same time, his songs have a universal "everyman" appeal with an underlying sense of humor. "I really felt this album," says Bill. "I felt good making it."

Tracks :

1. Trouble in the Shotgun 2:50
2. Crazy Kind of Life 5:00
3. Too Hot 3:12
4. Honey Pie 3:22
5. Take You Down 3:35
6. 500 Miles 3:42
7. Junkie 3:01
8. Can't Buy My Love 4:36
9. Morning Spiritual 3:51
10. Girl's Gone Crazy 3:40
11. No Expectations 5:54



Artwork Included

TINY TIM - CONCERT IN FAIRYLAND 1974

During his proverbial 15 minutes of fame in the late '60s, Tiny Tim was one of the most bizarre spectacles on television: a heavy, six-foot-tall man with long, unkempt ringlets of hair, an enormous nose, and a garish plaid wardrobe; warbling the old-time pop standard "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips" in a quavering, shockingly high falsetto while accompanying himself on the ukulele. Pegged as strictly a novelty act, Tim actually possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of vintage American pop and vaudeville songs; he was an avid collector of 78 rpm records and sheet music, and often scoured the New York Public Library's musical archives for material. And, although he was best-known for his falsetto, Tim was also a creditable baritone crooner in the pre-Bing Crosby mold, which allowed him to sing duets with himself. Tiny Tim's initial novelty wore off with the public after a couple of years, but he was so genuinely, guilelessly eccentric that he was never really forgotten, remaining something of a pop-culture icon for decades to come.

Tiny Tim was born Herbert Khaury, and gave his birth date as April 12, 1933, though some sources list 1932, 1930, and even 1926. The son of a Lebanese father and Jewish mother, he grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, and was (unsurprisingly) a misfit and loner, eventually dropping out of high school. His interest in American popular music (chiefly from the 1890s to the 1930s) began at a young age, as did his desire to be a singer, and accordingly he learned guitar and ukulele. His first performances -- under the alias Larry Love -- took place in the early '50s, and according to legend, he debuted at a lesbian cabaret in Greenwich Village called the Page 3, where he became a regular. Khaury performed at small clubs, parties, and talent shows under a variety of names; his parents tried to discourage him at first, but relented when they saw that not every gig ended in ridicule. By the early '60s, he had gained a cult following around the thriving Greenwich Village music scene, particularly after he began to incorporate bizarre renditions of contemporary songs into his repertoire. He finally settled on the name Tiny Tim after the character in Dickens' A Christmas Carol (according to some accounts, it was suggested by a manager accustomed to working with midgets).

Tim's appearance in the film You Are What You Eat led to a booking on the hugely popular comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. He was an instant sensation; whether or not he was seen as an object of ridicule, no one had ever seen anything like him. He appeared several more times on Laugh-In, and became a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, also performing on the Ed Sullivan and Jackie Gleason variety shows. His eccentric personality became as well-known as his music: he was obsessed with bodily cleanliness, and his distaste for sex seemed logical when paired with his gentle, asexual demeanor. A hot commodity, Tim signed a record deal with Reprise and issued his debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim, in 1968. His signature rendition of "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips" became a hit, and the LP sold over 200,000 copies. Striking while the iron was hot, Tim recorded a follow-up, Tiny Tim's Second Album, which was released in 1969; so was its follow-up, an album of children's songs titled For All My Little Friends. On December 17 of that year, Tim pulled off one of the highest-rated stunts in television history: he actually married his girlfriend, 17-year-old Victoria Budinger (known as Miss Vicki, in typically respectful Tim fashion), on the Johnny Carson show. The couple later had a daughter, Tulip, but mostly lived apart, and divorced after eight years.

Following his wedding, Tim continued to perform around the country, including some lucrative gigs in Las Vegas; unfortunately, many of his business associates took advantage of his naïveté, leaving him with few savings from his run of success. By the early '70s, perhaps due to simple familiarity, America's fascination with Tiny Tim had waned. Even after the TV appearances and high-profile gigs dried up, Tim kept plugging away, performing whenever and wherever he could. He spent around a decade off records before returning in 1980, and subsequently recorded steadily for a series of mostly small labels. He remarried in 1984 to 23-year-old Miss Jan, but the relationship dissolved after just under a month; the following year, Tim literally joined a circus for 36 weeks. In the late '80s, he moved to Australia for a few years, then returned to the U.S. to live in Des Moines, IA. In 1993, he married for a third time to Miss Sue, and the couple soon moved to Minneapolis. During the mid-'90s, Tim raised his public profile with appearances on the Conan O'Brien and Howard Stern shows; however, in September of 1996, he suffered a heart attack while performing at a ukulele festival in Massachusetts. Upon his release from the hospital, Tim resumed his concert schedule, but sadly, on November 30, he suffered another heart attack in Minneapolis while performing "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips," and died several hours later. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi


Tracks :

A1 Oh How I Miss You Tonight
A2 Let Me Call You Sweetheart
A3 On the Good Ship Lollipop
A4 Secret Love
A5 Animal Crackers
A6 Indian Love Call
B1 Don't Take Your Love From Me
B2 If I Didn't Care
B3 You Make Me Feel So Young
B4 I Got a Pain in My Sawdust
B5 Be My Love
B6 Toot-Toot-Tootsie / Goodbye


Artwork Included

McKENDREE SPRING - McKENDREE SPRING 3 1972

In the McKendree Spring exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio is an attribution that says: Experimental and innovative, McKendree Spring mixed blues, folk and country with a progressive musical vision. Over the course of seven albums, they highlighted the songs of singer/guitarist Fran McKendree and offered up unique interpretations of songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young and James Taylor. McKendree Spring built much of its reputation as a live act by featuring the virtuosity of guitarist Marty Slutsky and violinist Mike (Doc) Dreyfuss. McKendree Spring formed in 1969 as a drumerless four-piece folk-rock ensemble that promoter/manager Bill Graham dubbed "one of the best unknown bands in the world." McKendree Spring toured with some of the most exciting artists of the 70's and shared the stage with performers such as the Everly Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Elton John, Ike & Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, the Byrds, Jethro Tull, and Van Morrison. McKendree Spring played various memorable venues as well including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. Not to mention venues that got them there - like My Father's Place on Long Island, the Agoras in Columbus and Cleveland, the College Coffee House Circuit, and Ohio University in Athens. On May 8th, 1972 McKendree Spring performed with Billy Preston in the first-ever rock concert at legendary New York Radio City Music Hall. The band played to a million plus people at the Washington Monument to protest war in Vietnam, and starred on the BBC TV’s Old Grey Whistle Test in London with Cleo Lane. McKendree Spring has a knack for covering songs that sounded as if they were written by them or for them. The group is noted for its live shows that brought the crowds - and there are crowds - to their feet.

Tracks :

1. Down By The River
2. Fading Lady
3. Flying Dutchman
4. Heart Is Like A Wheel
5. Feeling Bad Ain*t Good Enough
6. Hobo Lady
7. Oh, In The Morning
8. God Bless The Conspiracy



Artwork Included

MARK HENLEY - RIVERSONG 1976

Mark Henley is a song writer from the Been There and Done That School of Hard Knocks. He writes from his heart about his life and experiences during the long, strange trip. Some of his influences are Neil Young, John Prine and David Allan Coe.
His style is plain, based in southern rock and modern country. Some of his songs are spiritual and others are definitely in the flesh. Some are silly and others slice to the bone. He shares his love for Jesus as well as his struggle to reach for a better life.

Tracks :

1.Everyone Tuesday
2.Full Moon Of April
3.Mona Ray
4.Don't You Go Under
5.After Saturday
6.Give Me Time
7.Place And Old Friends
8.Froggin'
9.Riversong
10.Strawberry Moon




Artwork Inluded

MAN - MAN 1969 US

Man consisted of Richard Supa (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Dennis Belline (rhythm guitar, piano, vocals), Richie Cardenas (bass, vocals), Gilbert Slavin (organ, piano, harpsichord, flute), Antony Krasinski (drums, percussion, harmonica).

The production was done by the legendary Bob Johnston. The album gets five stars for extraordinary songwriting. "Riverhead Jail", "Brother John" and "Far Too Many Changes Came" hold up well today.



If you've heard anything, it's probably "Sister Salvation", a "turntable hit" on a few progressive rock stations at the time the record was released. "Man" has a high degree of imagination, is very accessible, and has a unique singer with Richard Supa. Unfortunately, the group never jelled, and broke up after this record. It's a great addition to a 60s collection, and a long lost musical treasure.



The album jacket has a misty photo of the band members. Richard Supa and Dennis Belline collaborated in an obscure band called Denny Belline and The Rich Kids. They released one album on RCA in 1966. Richard Supa went onto a career as a session player and songwriter. His song "Chip Away The Stone" has been covered by Aerosmith and Humble Pie among others. Supa also released four solo albums between 1971 and 1978.



Man also produced a cover of Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country" that has to be heard to be believed. As far as we know it was only available on 45 rpm.

Info taken from http://cousin-mike.ucoz.com/blog/man_man_us_band_1969/2011-04-14-863

Tracks :


1. Sleepy Eyes And Butterflies (5:50)
2. Riverhead Jail (4:20)
3. When Can I Call You Friend (4:57)
4. Brother John (3:58)
5. Far Too Many Changes Came (8:21)
6. Sister Salvation (2:58)
7. Camp Of The Gypsies (3:36)
8. O, Child, In Time (4:4

Hokus Poke were a early UK British blues band on the Vertigo label. They only released Earth Harmony in 1972. Essentially, Hokus Poke follow along the lines of the electric blues pioneered by Cream five years earlier. However, the first half of the album is much more acoustic based which gives them their own sound.

Tracks :

01.H.P. Boogie
02.Sunrise Sunset(The Sunset)
03.Big World Small Guy
04.Down in the Street
05.Hag Rag
06.Living in Harmony
07.Time and Space
08.The Poke



Artwork Inluded

FLEETWOOD MAC - PENGUIN 1973

Fleetwood Mac's first album made after the departure of Danny Kirwan features the additions of guitarist Bob Weston and singer Dave Walker. By now Bob Welch and Christine McVie were the dominant forces in the band, and all traces of blues-rock were gone, replaced by Welch's hypnotic melodies and McVie's romantic sentiments married to up-tempo pop tunes. This album gave Fleetwood Mac its best U.S. chart showing yet, but the wonder is that this phase in the band's career wasn't even more popular.

Review by William Ruhlmann

Tracks :

01. Remember Me (Christine McVie) – 2:41
02. Bright Fire (Bob Welch) – 4:31
03. Dissatisfied (Christine McVie) – 3:41
04. (I'm A) Road Runner (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland) – 4:52
05. The Derelict (Dave Walker) – 2:45
06. Revelation (Welch) – 4:57
07. Did You Ever Love Me (Christine McVie, Welch) – 3:41
08. Night Watch (Welch) – 6:16
09. Caught In The Rain (Bob Weston) – 2:41




Artwork Inluded

FERMATA - FERMATA / PIESEN Z HOL 1975-76

What an underrated band!. If you like your jazz rock fusion with prog overtones and excellent musicianship than this is for you. In the same vein as late Missus Beastly, Release Music Orchestra and maybe even a bit of Brand X and Coloseum II. But Fermata deserves more recognition because even when you fell all these influences what comes out is quite theirs. Their second is also great! Looking foward to hearing their 3rd called 'Huascaran' which everybody says is their best. Highly recommended if any of the bands mentioned tickle your fancy. (reviewed by mhiraldo)

Info taken from PROGNOTFROG

Tracks :

Fermata -75

1. Rumunska rapsodia (5:52)
2. Perpetuum II (10:27)
3. Postavim si vodu na caj (4:19)
4. Valcik pre krstnu mamu (7:03)
5. Perpetuum III (11:06)


Piesen z hol' -76

6. Piesen z hol (11:08)
7. Svadba na medvedej luke (4:17)
8. Posledny jarmok v Radvani (4:32)
9. Priadky (7:38)
10. Dolu Vahom (2:21)
11. Vo Zvolene zvony zvonia (10:10)



Artwork Inluded

DEARDORFF & JOSEPH 1976

Deardorff & Joseph were not widely heard or remembered, but that doesn't mean they were forgotten or even felt. Their 1976 debut became a cult item for collectors of soft Californian '70s pop, and it also marked the first time Jeffrey Comanor's "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" was heard (a few years later, England Dan & John Ford Coley brought it into the Top Ten). At the time, the album was largely ignored, even if it was a first-class professional production firmly within the Californian commercial sound of the mid-'70s and featured musical support by such luminaries as Dan Seals, Jeff Porcaro and his brothers Mike and Joe, Dean Parks, Jim Horn, and David Paich. Perhaps there was simply too much soft rock in the market in 1976, or perhaps listeners found Danny Deardorff's voice slightly thin and whiny, two things that would have killed any hopes of big commercial success for the duo. Nevertheless, time has treated Deardorff & Joseph well. Deardorff's voice remains just this side of an acquired taste -- in contrast, Marcus Joseph's voice is sweet and friendly, perfectly fitting the breezy feel of the music -- but both the songs and production are better than average, with a nicely enveloping lush, layered sound and some very good tunes, largely written by Deardorff, who may not break from the laid-back singer/songwriter tradition but does some nice work within it. Though the album sags a bit on the slower songs, this is a remarkably consistent, enjoyable record that sounds as if it could have been a hit at the time, even if it doesn't really have a cut that sounds like a lost classic. Nevertheless, the album as a whole is a bit of a lost classic of sorts for fans of Crosby, Stills & Nash-influenced Californian soft rock singer/songwriters -- think America, Seals & Crofts, England Dan & John Ford Coley, in particular -- because it is both rare and very good. Unlike some cult items, this winds up delivering on its promise and is worth seeking out for those listeners who can never get enough of the mellow Californian sound.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracks :

01. One More Story To Tell (3:26)
02. We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again (3:22)
03. Chicago Blue (3:05)
04. Nighttime Love (3:00)
05. Sentimental Lady (3:47)
06. The Castle (2:39)
07. Golden Road (3:14)
08. Lovely Lady (3:03)
09. Sing My Song (2:39)
10. Little Kings Of Earth (3:50)




Artwork Inluded