In 1973 in Australia one of the biggest hits of the year was "Pretty Maid" by Tony Marshall. Tony's song was first a hit in 1971 in Germany (his homeland) where it was called "Schöne Maid". The original German version had tweeting birds at the start but the musical arrangement was basically the same. Pete Bellotte who wrote the English lyrics for "Pretty Maid" has been churning out hits for many years. Pete was a British lyricist and producer, most notable for his collaborations with Giorgio Moroder. His hits include "Hot Stuff", "I Feel Love", "Love To Love You Baby" and "Son Of My Father".
Tony Marshall was born February 3, 1938 in Baden-Baden as Herbert Anton Bloeth. He changed his name to Herbert Anton Hilger before changing for a third time to Tony Marshall. He settled on the name Tony Marshall in about 1965 when he started training as an opera singer at Karlsruher College of Music.
Before his opera career took off Tony made the German top 40 with his first single "Schöne Maid". Since then he has had many hits in Germany but is considered a one-hit-wonder in Oz.
In 1976 a disco version of "Pretty Maid" was issued by Pretty Maid Company (click label at right).
Here is the English version of "Pretty Maid" by Tony Marshall:
Dave and Ansell Collins were a Jamaican vocal/instrumental duo (Ansell's name has been spelt many ways over the years: Ansil or Ansel).
Dave Barker (born David John Crooks, 10 October 1947 in Kingston, Jamaica) was a session vocalist, and Ansell Collins (born 1949, also in Kingston) was a keyboard player. They were working for producer Lee "Scratch" Perry in Kingston in the late 1960s, and joined forces in 1971, for the reggae single "Double Barrel". Released by Festival music on the Interfusion label in Oz, it topped the charts in that year. It was the first record that drummer Sly Dunbar (then 14) ever played on.
The follow-up release, the similarly styled "Monkey Spanner" enjoyed the same international success. There were 2 versions issued on the 7" vinyl the A-side and the AA-side.
Here in Oz the instrumental version AA-side was the one that made the charts in most states but has not been on CD yet. The vocal version is the one most commonly released. Here for download is the rare Oz hit mix:
Aussie born artist Susan Traynor went off to American for an adventure holiday and got tangled up with Kenny Young (writer of "Under The Boardwalk"). After 1970 she went to the UK with him while he worked writing songs for Brit groups and artists.
The group Fox were a UK band formed by Kenny Young. Susan started out doing backing vocals, then lead vocals and eventually she changed her name to Noosha Fox and became the focus of the first album. The second album had Kenny doing most of the vocals. Noosha took over lead vocals again after the second album sank and this is when the single of "S S Single Bed" was released and it made her an instant #1 in Oz and in other places. After its success the Oz music companies released a couple of her first singles "Only You Can" and "Imagine Me, Imagine You".
Noosha went solo by the end of the 1970s but the hits dried up. She has never returned to her homeland.
Here for download is a Tom Mix 12" extended remix of "S S Single Bed":
Wayne Newton was a star of the 1960s but still performs in Las Vegas. His hits are known around the world.In 1964 he had a remake of an older song that seems to have done big business in Oz but not so overseas. The song "Only You" has had numerous interpretations over the years. Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson even had a top 40 hit in 1974 with pretty much the same arrangement.
Wayne Newton's version charted well in Sydney and did big business in NSW. This track is one I found and fixed up for Alan Katzmann and his audiophile friends who are collecting all the chart hits heard on Sydney radio 2UE from 1956 to 1974.
UK comedian Billy Howard did a great job of impersonating half a dozen TV cops and had a hit in 1976 with a ditty called "King Of The Cops" which used the Roger Miller song "King Of The Road" as its backing song. I think that Roger Miller got most of the royalties for the A-side.
The B-side is "Bond Is A Four Letter Word" which nowadays sounds funnier than the A-side as most of the young folks of today would have no idea who the impersonated cops were on the A-side. The B-side is a Sean Connery spoof which still works well and will give you a few chuckles...
This record was sent by Neale Judd from WA who has asked for help cleaning up the old vinyl versions as the songs have not appeared on CD anywhere in the world.
Alan Katzmann, friend and regular contributor to this blog and my Tom Mix Oz Music blog, asked me to put this song on here for download because, as he says, most people in Oz heard this version on the top 40 back in 1960 but it has not been on CD.
"Just A Closer Walk With Thee" by Jimmie Rodgers got to #1 for a few weeks in 1960 and was a big hit Oz-wide...sadly the modern day younger CD compilers keep on issuing the wrong version...in fact the only version available is completely different to the hit single version.
Many thanks Al for your continued support and suggestions...
The only official megamix by The Fab 4 was called "Movie Medley" it was put out by Capital records in the USA and it charted well here in Oz. It was made with a matching film clip with parts taken from various movies in which The Fab 4 had appeared.
The songs in the megamix are:
Magical Mystery Tour All You Need Is Love You've Got To Hide Your Love Away I Should Have Known Better A Hard Day's Night Ticket To Ride Get Back
When faced with tracking this down on CD I was not able to find it for ages so I made my own mono version which is similar to the official stereo version but has a few surprises - the tambourine which Ringo shakes in "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" has been dubbed over other parts and the end has the dialogue from the bootleg "Get Back" rooftop sessions.
I have found and purchased the stereo version on CD from a secret source in England (thank you George M.) but it is not on any of The Fab 4's official CDs as of yet.
The zip file has the password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/ For download is the Tom Mix mono version of "Movie Medley":
English rockers Marc Bolan and T Rex had numerous 1970s glam rock singles so when the 1980s came along and making mega-mixes of artist's greatest hits was in vogue then it wasn't long until Sanny-X of Disco Mix Club created a set of T Rex mixes called the "MegaRex" set.
There were four different versions that all came out in May 1985 they were:
"MegaRex 1"contains songs: Tame My Tiger, Chrome Sitar, Solid Baby.
"MegaRex 2" contains songs: Truck On (Tyke), The Groover, Get It On (Bang A Gong), Telegram Sam, Shock Rock, Metal Guru, 20th Century Boy, Children Of The Revolution, Hot Love.
"MegaRex 3"contains songs: Truck On (Tyke), The Groover, Get It On (Bang A Gong), Telegram Sam, Shock Rock, Metal Guru, 20th Century Boy, Children Of The Revolution.
MegaRex 2 and 3 have been released on CD but the edited 3 min single mix has not to my knowledge surfaced anywhere in the world. Originally this version was released in Oz on black vinyl but overseas it was on a picture disk (click picture above).
Tracks included in the "MegaRex 4" single edit are:
Metal Guru
20th Century Boy
Children Of The Revolution
Here for download is the single edit of "MegaRex 4":
Cliff Richard had a major hit in Oz in 1986 with his remake of his old 1960s pop hit "Living Doll" done for the UK charity group called Comic Relief. It was the first record to be issued by the charity which is also responsible for Red Nose Day.
Cliff did the fund raising song with the team from The Young Ones TV show not realising his fan base in Oz would also latch onto this song and send it to #1 in the top 40.
Here for download is a Tom Mix exclusive version using the rare CD version of the single mixed with dialogue from the 12" vinyl mix.
In 1984 English actor Nigel Planer in character as Neil Pye from the TV show The Young Ones reached #2 in the UK charts with a version of Traffic’s “Hole In My Shoe”.
The TV show cast members had another hit in 1986 with their comedy version of "Living Doll" which was a Cliff Richard hit from yesteryear. Cliff generously allowed them to use the track as well as appear in the clip. Both songs were for charity and both sold well in Oz. In fact the "Living Doll" track was so popular it was released as an extended 12" mix and made it to #1 for many weeks.
Neil's hit song “Hole In My Shoe” was backed with a remix called "The Paranoid Remix". For this download I have joined both versions to make a "complete" new version of this track.
Ted Gardestad (b: 1956 d: 1997) was a Swedish singer, songwriter and musician. He had been helped along the way by the members of Abba and their production team at Polar Music. It was Ted’s 1978 album Blue Virgin Isles which got him first recognised in Oz. It contained the hit “Take Me Back To Hollywood”. Although there was no Abba involvement on the album Ted does thank Stig Anderson, ABBA and the Polar family in the credits.
Molly Meldrum flogged “Take Me Back To Hollywood” relentlessly on Countdown and eventually it became a hit. The track contains an interesting Oz connection. The backing choir contains Oz singer Vanetta Fields who is widely known as a singer in the backing group of John Farnham. Vanetta cut her musical teeth in the 1960s being a member of Ike and Tina Turner’s backing singers The Ikettes.
The album Blue Virgin Isles was recorded in Hollywood and Stockholm and many international artists were used as backing vocalists. David Cassidy, John Mayall and Dr. John were just some...
Here for download is an extended 5:20 min Tom Mix 12" of Ted's big hit “Take Me Back To Hollywood” taken from the 8 CD box set pictured above which went on sale in 2009.
It is in a zip file with a password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/
Another song that was a hit in Oz was a piece favoured by Kenny Everett on his TV show which was on at 6 pm on the ABC. "The Lone Ranger" had an intriguing introduction that was used in many episodes when they needed a 15 second link between segments. The opening line which sounded like some kind of Indian tribal chant was in reality a cleverly disguised reading of the name of the highest peak in New Zealand: Taumata-whaka-tangi-hanga-kuayuwo-tamate-aturi-pukaku-piki-maunga-horonuku-pokaiawhen-uaka-tana-tahu-mataku-atanganu-akawa-miki-tora.
Quantum Jump was a quirky studio group put together by Rupert Hine in 1973 - Rupert is in the centre of the group picture above. After the release of 2 albums the band called it quits when they didn't have much commercial success. Then when "The Lone Ranger" single took off they went back and put together some more tracks on a third "Best of" album. "The Lone Ranger" single released in 1976 was a bit of a sleeper in the UK but for us here in Oz we got in early on the action. The song was banned too in some places around the world because it implied Tonto and the Texas Ranger were more than just good friends...but in Oz they had an edited "safe" version which was distributed to various radio stations.
There were 2 original mixes of the song. Their length was roughly the same (about 3 mins) but the 12" mix on blue vinyl had a few dubbed sections and backwards parts on the end.
Here for download is a Tom Mix remix 12" using both original versions with some clever editing and sampling. Enjoy the new 5:20 min version!
The Bell Stars were a UK group of ladies who hit the big time in the 1980s. Originally the group was called The Bodysnatchers. One of their early hits was "Iko Iko" and another was "The Clapping Song" which was a traditional rhyme turned into pop. It made it to #4 in Oz. This track was also a minor hit for Garry Glitter in the early 1970s and a major hit for Shirley Ellis in 1965.
Singles
"Hiawatha" (Stiff Records) 1981 - UK "Slick Trick" (Stiff Records) 1981 - UK "Another Latin Love Song EP" (Stiff Records) 1982 - UK "Iko Iko" (Stiff Records) 1982 - UK # 35 "The Clapping Song" (Stiff Records) 1982 - UK # 11, AUS # 4 "Mockingbird" (Stiff Records) 1982 - UK # 51 "Sign of The Times" (Stiff Records) 1983 - UK # 3, AUS # 45 "Sweet Memory" (Stiff Records) 1983 - UK # 22 "Indian Summer" (Stiff Records) 1983 - UK # 52 "The Entertainer" (Stiff Records) 1983 "80's Romance" (Stiff Records) 1984 - UK # 71 "World Domination" (Stiff Records) 1986 - UK, US Dance # 5 "Iko Iko" (Stiff Records) 1989 - US # 14, AUS # 7
"Iko Iko" was released again in 1989 and included in the soundtrack of the movie "Rain Man". There was also an extended vinyl version which was remixed with a new "bonus beats" drum and bass line. It is this version I have used for this download.
Lee Kosmin was a North Londoner who in the 1970s was touring the UK pub circuit with his band The Lee Kosmin Band and having the occasional single released. He is still available for bookings in London as I write. These days I think he sings as a duo with a female singing partner.
Lee Kosmin as a solo artist had a cool number in the Oz charts in 1981-2. It was a track that took the mickey out of all those house parties where young singles met to booze, hook up and etc....the best line in the lyrics involves the word "cliché". Oh, and also listen for the kettle boiling in the kitchen!
The song "Getting So Exciting" is reminiscent of Joe Jackson's style, where the singer seems to merely observe and report.
Here for download is the original single of "Getting So Exciting":
Carlo Paul Santanna (born 29 June 1949, near Rome, Italy) is a noted guitar player/singer whose credits include being in the UK pop group "Paper Lace" that won the UK talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1974 and had 4 sizeable hits in Oz and around the world. Their 4 hits were: "Billy, Don't Be A Hero", "The Night Chicago Died", "The Black-Eyed Boys" and a remake of "Hitchin' A Ride". Nottingham's pop group Paper Lace started out being called Music Box in 1969. Carlo Santanna's one and only Oz hit "Hold My Hand (Aria)" came out in 1976 on the Philips label. It was written by 3 people: Sergio Bardotti, Dario Baldan-Bembo and Thumpston. Sergio and Dario were well known Italian writers/singers whose original song called "Aria" was translated into English by Thumpston.
According to a visiting contributor John McKenzie, all vocals were done by Carlo. Carlo is nowadays John's manager and still in the music business. Thanks for the information John.
Not long after Carlo's version came out, jazz muso Acker Bilk (born: Bernard Stanley Bilk) produced an instrumental version just called "Aria" and it was credited to Acker Bilk his Clarinet and Strings, it was released on the Astor label. It reached #5 in the UK.
Not long after the Bilk version was out another was released by Roger Whittaker called "Here We Stand (Aria)" - same song, different name and less orchestration. It was on his RCA album Reflections Of Love.
Norman Newell then penned new English lyrics to the song for Shirley Bassey and the title became “Born To Lose”. She started using the song in 1977 on tour in Japan.
The Italian singer Ornella Vanoni has later also sung “Aria” in English, but with different English lyrics penned by Ben Raleigh.
Since it was released to the English speaking world the song just keeps on evolving. Here for download is the Carlo Santanna version of "Hold My Hand (Aria)" that kicked it off:
"Just So Lonely" by USA group Get Wet is a well remembered top 40 hit from 1981.
The song briefly charted in the USA top 40 and then sank into oblivion but in Oz "Just So Lonely" spent over 5 months (23 weeks) on the singles charts, peaking at #15. The song was produced by the legendary Phil Ramone.
This retro-flavoured gem draws comparisons to the sound of '60s girl groups such as The Crystals or The Dixie Cups but with a new-wave twist. The Get Wet self-titled album went largely unnoticed outside Australia and the follow-up single a cover of Connie Francis' million-selling smash, "Where The Boys Are" briefly charted in Oz and flopped in most foreign markets.
The original single of “Just So Lonely” was 3 minutes long and the album version had a different ending that made it slightly longer. By using both versions from CD copies and adding a completely new drum track I have made a new 5:30 min version that still packs a wallop!
By the way if the drumming on the original single sounds familiar that's because it was done by Liberty Devitto, the drummer from Billy Joel's backing band.
Band members:
Sherri Beachfront (surname is really Lewis) - lead vocals.
Zecca Esquibel - piano, electric keyboards.
Louie LePore - guitar.
Doug Stegmeyer - bass.
Liberty Devitto - drums.
Arno Hecht - sax.
Here for download is the Tom Mix 12" version of "Just So Lonely":
Billy Swan (born Billy Lance Swan May 12th 1942 Cape Girardeau Missouri) is an American pop and country singer whose big 1974 hit “I Can Help” is still played on radio across the world today. The organ used on this track was a wedding present from Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. Billy did the song in just one take with no overdubs….pretty good, eh!
One of his following tracks “Just Want To Taste Your Wine” was a hit in early 1976 here in Oz but it hardly gets a run on radio these days. I don’t think anyone in Oz has ever put it on a compilation CD although it has appeared on Billy’s Greatest Hits CD in America. “Just Want To Taste Your Wine” features backing by The Jordanaires, the same crew that once backed Elvis.
After his time in the spotlight Billy became a backing singer and session muso.
Here for download is an extended 4 minute Tom Mix version of “Just Want To Taste Your Wine” from a CD copy:
Rick Dees was an American radio DJ who struck the big time by creating a dance novelty song in the middle of the disco boom of the late 1970s. "Disco Duck" was originally marketed on a 7" vinyl single with Part-1 (vocal mix) on side A, and Part-2 (instrumental mix) on side B. There was a also a promotional 6 minute 12" disco remix of the record issued to some of the big clubs and discos in America to help fast track this song to the top of the charts. The 12" mix was not issued in Oz and not readily available outside the metropolitan areas, as most of the 12" records sold were import copies.
The song "Disco Duck" is still fondly remembered by us oldies but in today's modern era the weak disco beat of this track means it hardly gets played because today's kids, more or less, enjoy a more techno sound...
Here for the first time is a DJ Tom Mix remake which takes some of the old "Disco Duck" charm and mixes it with the new techno beats...
Martin Rushent was a supremo UK record producer whose bands included ABC and The Human League. One of his more interesting collaborations got the UK pop group The Members their biggest hit in Oz. Martin Rushent is famous for layering and adding numerous types of echoes over the original work and his mix of this song goes to the fullest extreme. The single version of "Radio" hit the charts and clubs in 1982 and stayed around for most of the year. The extended 12" mix named "Radio - Dub Version" ran about 5 minutes...it contained very few vocal lines. The flipside of the 12" had the regular 3 minute single version which contained all the vocals.
Musos in the band included:
Nicky Tesco
Gary Baker
Jean Marie Carrol
Steve Morley
Clive Parker
Nigel Bennett
Chris Payne
Adrian Lillywhite
Rudi Thompson
Simon Lloyd
The Members had a couple of lesser known singles:
1 "The Sound Of The Suburbs"
2 "Offshore Banking Business"
3 "Romance"
4 "Killing Time"
5 "Flying Again"
6 "Going West"
By 1982 they had switched labels to Island Records and this is where their major hit was recorded. After leaving Virgin in 1981, they broadened their sound by introducing a full-time horn section, Steve 'Rudi' Thompson (ex-X Ray Spex) and Simon Lloyd (Bananarama and Icehouse) and embracing funk and rap as well as reggae. The one-off single, Radio, was released on Island and became a hit in Oz.
The band then enjoyed an American hit by reaching out to the burgeoning MTV generation with "Working Girl".
For download is the Dub Version of "Radio" mixed with the Vocal Version. It runs about 6 mins total. This is an exclusive remix made by Tom Mix Studios. Enjoy!
The Doobie Bros were not brothers by kin or blood. The group were named after a type of "herbal" cigarette.
They kicked off their career with the hit "Listen To The Music" back in 1972 and were still churning out hits in the 1980s. Their line-up changed, their style evolved but most of all they became a dance mix sensation when many of their old hits were given re-makes and do-overs. "Long Train Running" the club remix outsold its original single mix. "Listen To The Music" was also given new life in the clubs of the 1990s.
During 1978, in their second incarnation the Doobie's lead singer had become Michael McDonlad whose smooth delivery and high voice gave them a new edge. This was also the era of the extended version or club mix....hence the extended version of "What A Fool Believes" which has only ever been released on vinyl. The song was written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The remix label shows that an additional percussion track was added and the artist has been credited...otherwise it sounds much like the single version.
"Ma'm Thibault" by Tranquille was a great instrumental disco track from 1977. It made an appearance here in Oz on the Miracle label once owned by Robbie Porter. The long version was about 6:50 mins and the single was 3:00 mins. The song was a big club hit and I doubt if people knew exactly what they were dancing to as it only had a few words and they were in French.
The original non-disco version of "Ma'm Thibault" (Mrs Thibault) was by Canadian TV puppet Mr. Calm (Monsieur Tranquille) but a local Canadian producer thought the track was strong enough to stand alone as a disco instrumental which had the occasional shout of "Ma'm Thibault" sung by an exasperated Mr. Calm (Monsieur Tranquille).To distance themselves from the TV show the song's producer listed the artist of the disco mix as Tranquille. The show which featured Monsieur Tranquille and Madame Thibault was the Canadian equivalent of The Muppets (sort of)!Here in Australia the single mix was also placed on Disco Fever the double K-Tel dance album.
This song is like the classic "Mah-na Mah-na" song written by Piero Umiliani - a hit for The Muppets. If you like The Muppets then see the next post below re Jim Henson.
James Maury "Jim" Henson, was one of the most widely known puppeteers in American television history. He was the creator of The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and the leading force behind their long run in the television series Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and films such as The Muppet Movie and The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
Jim popularized rubber ducks in 1970, performing “Rubber Duckie” which was sung by Jim’s character Ernie on Sesame Street. This track was actually the throw-away b-side and the theme to Sesame Street by The Kids was the a-side. The song is named after Ernie's toy, a rubber duck affectionately named Rubber Duckie....The song had two follow-ups, "Do De Rubber Duck" and "D.U.C.K.I.E," and Ernie frequently spoke to his duck and carried it with him in other segments of the show. On a special occasion, Little Richard would perform the song with Ernie.
Little known facts about “Rubber Duckie”:
The ‘famous’ rubber-duck-squeaking solo in the original version of the is squeaked by the song’s creator, Jeff Moss.
The toy rubber duck is considered a percussion instrument by the Boston Pops Orchestra who have played this song on occasion - they only allow the percussionists to play them.
There are several versions of this song, including a cover by Little Richard and a five-version CD in German, containing a “dance remix”.
“Rubber Duckie” is a bona-fide hit. In 1970 it made the Top 40 charts and stayed on for 7 weeks, peaking at number 1 in some parts of Australia! Nationally it ranked at #10.
Ernie's Duck's birthday is on January 13th.
Joe Raposo who worked with Henson and The Sesame Street Kids was responsible for the song "Sing...Sing A Song" which was a hit for The Carpenters around 1973.
Here for download is the original mono vinyl single of “Rubber Duckie” but extended to 3:00 mins by Tom Mix. For those lucky enough to find this track on CD you'll notice the stereo orchestration is slightly buried under the vocals unlike than the original mono single.
"I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song composed by Americans Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.
Paul Williams released his version as a single in 1973, but garnered only minor success in America. Maureen McGovern recorded the song and also released it as a single in 1973 (on her album The Morning After), with results similar to those of Williams. Eventually it became a hit single for The Carpenters in 1974.
Here in Oz in some places Maureen's version sold better than in the USA and in fact The Carpenter's version didn't do as well.
Maureen's version has made it to CD but sadly the version on CD is a new remix and the percussion has been more emphasized than on the original vinyl single.
Here for download is the original single mix from vinyl in glorious mono of Maureen McGovern's "I Won't Last a Day Without You":
THIS VILLAGE PEOPLE SOUND-A-LIKE 12" DANCE HIT "AUSTRALIA" BY THE STUDIO GROUP "GOOD NEWS" WAS ON R.C.A. RECORDS. IT WAS A MASSIVE PUB AND CLUB HIT WHICH HAD AIRPLAY 1979-1980. THE SONG CHARTED AT VARIOUS STAGES IN DIFFERENT STATES. IT WAS WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY A EUROPEAN TEAM WHOSE CREDITS INCLUDE "HANDS UP" BY OTTAWAN (A FRENCH GROUP), "DISCO BOUZOUKI" BY THE GREAT DISCO BOUZOUKI BAND (A GREEK GROUP) AND OTHER DISCO HITS OF THE 1980S.
THE EXTENDED 12" VERSION OF THIS SONG HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO C.D. BUT THE COMMERCIAL SINGLE HAS NOT.
The Kopyright Liberation Front had a big string of hits that used sampling from other songs and they worked on creating their own band persona based on an ancient mythological race called The Mu-Mu who "supposedly" sailed from one side of the world to conquer America...
At one stage The KLF roped-in Tammy Wynette to do guest vocals and the resultant track "Justified And Ancient" was their biggest hit.
I have over the years collected all their work on CD and vinyl and have made 2 megamixes of their greatest hits. One is short and the other is slightly longer and concludes with the alter-ego hit Doctorin' The Tardis which they released under the name of The Time Lords.
In 1975 Bob Dylan had a hit on his hands with "Hurricane" a mournful song about a boxer wrongly accused of killing a man...a cheery topic, eh?
It was a song which ran over 7 minutes but the radio edit was only 3:45 mins. The single edit has appeared on a commercial CD just once long ago.
The version used for this download is from the vinyl version released on the CBS Hall Of Fame series...the record is from America hence the large hole in the centre (see picture).
Lee Gordon was an entrepreneur and recording artist who left America to set up shop in Oz. Johnny O’Keefe was one of his major acts. Lee set up an Oz record company called Leedon.
Amongst Leedon’s early releases were a couple of foreign singles credited to the mysterious Johnny 'Scat' Brown: "Indeed I Do" and "Mama Rock". The flip sides of both records were performed by totally different artists despite the fact the b-side of "Indeed I Do" also listed Johnny 'Scat' Brown as the singer. The performer of "Little Star", the flip of "Mama Rock" was shown as Moon Rockets, another mystery act.
"Indeed I Do" and "Mama Rock" had been recorded in the USA, featuring vocals performed by an Elvis Presley sound-alike singer, Johnny Powers. The singer's identity was unknown to Leedon staff at the time, as the tapes had been sent to them from the USA by Lee Gordon without any recording details. As a result, company manager Alan Heffernan created the pseudonym Johnny 'Scat' Brown.
These singles had been preceded by another Leedon single also billed to Johnny 'Scat' Brown which featured cover versions of current American chart hits, Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater" and David Seville's "Witch Doctor". However, after listening to the tracks it is evident this first Johnny 'Scat' Brown single release is a completely different artist as he has a slight lisp in places.
Some of these singles were released locally in the face of 'embargo' restrictions placed on them by publishing companies such as Chappell Music. In the picture you’ll note there is a duty stamp from this publishing company attached to the label.
According to former Leedon employee Max Moore, Heffernan's cousin discovered decades later (the 1970s), that although there was a real Johnny 'Scat' Brown performing in the USA, the person who had recorded "Indeed I Do" and "Mama Rock" was indeed noted rockabilly artist Johnny Powers. Johnny's CD of greatest hits is still available in America as I write, which includes the aforesaid singles.
A decent copy of the vinyl 45 rpm of "Witch Doctor" currently sells for about $40A. Here for free is a download of "Witch Doctor" and "Purple People Eater" by the anonymous singer working under the name of Johnny 'Scat' Brown:
Dedication: Mike, one of our long term family friends died suddenly today 15-8-2009 aged 53 leaving his wife to cope with not only his loss but the loss of her own father 3 days before. It is with reverence I leave this message of love and support for Rose M. our dear friend and her 2 sons - Tom & Liz.
John Davidson (born 13-12-1941) was an American singer and actor. John worked firstly on the Broadway stage. He was cast in many big shows in the 1960s working alongside many American superstars. John was also a TV game show host....the most widely known show he worked on was Hollywood Squares which in Oz was re-badged and called Celebrity Squares. In 1967 John Davidson had a minor Oz hit with his version of "If You Can Put That In A Bottle" released on CBS records. Australian, Peter Doyle also had a competing version on Astor Records which did not chart - I am still hoping to find a copy of Peter's version.
Here for download is an extended Tom Mix version of "If You Can Put That In A Bottle":
Zues B. Held (born Bernd Held in Freiburg Germany 24th August 1950) was the producer and inspiration behind the UK Liverpool based group known as Dead Or Alive. Their greatest hit was "You Spin Me Right Round (Like A Record)" which still sells well all around the world and has numerous remixes floating in the disco stratosphere.
Zues B. Held also cut some interesting club mixes, one of them, "A Cha Cha At The Opera (Disco Concerto)" came out in 1982 on Island records, it didn't sell all that well in the USA but did OK in Europe and did well in the Oz club charts.
It followed the work pioneered by Malcolm MacLaren who put opera to a dance beat. It has a hook laden riff which would have been perfect for a Dead Or Alive song.
The supergroup ELO fronted by Jeff Lynne had more than 20 hit singles and they are probably enjoying a great lifestyle from sales and royalties...
Some of their rare singles and b-sides include the "ELO Megamix" which was done in 1986 by Paul Dakeyne of DMC (Disco Mix Club) it was issued on the flipside of "Getting To The Point" - one of their lesser known songs. Paul's original ran about 9 mins and although mostly good it had some moments where the songs didn't join very well.
Out there in cyberspace some kind folks have already put the original "ELO Megamix" on blogs for download but to date I have never found one which sounds good or is in a 320kb format. Never one to rest, I recently set to work and made my own version but have used CD song masters to keep the fidelity high. It starts like the old Dakeyne version but adds more songs to the mix than his original and is only 8 mins long. It sounds great and the download is set at 320kb.
I have used a zip file with password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/
The Tom Mix"ELO Megamix"includes the following songs:
Don't Bring Me Down Sweet Talking Woman Livin' Thing I'm Alive Xanadu Shine A Little Love Turn To Stone Hold On Tight Rock'n'Roll Is King
The UK group The Sweet had a big connection to Oz as all their early hits were co-written by an Ozzie, Mike Chapman. Partners Nicki Chinn and Mike Chapman wrote songs for Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, Blondie, Starship, Exile and many other big groups.
Mike's first hit that he wrote was Soft Delights in 1970 which was sent into the top 20 by local Oz group The New Dream in 1971. Mike had originally released the song with his own fledgling UK based group called Tangerine Peel. Just as Soft Delights was charting another Mike Chapman song hit our top 40 airwaves, a similar sounding bubblegum track called Funny Funny by The Sweet.
In 1983, Sanny-X a European club DJ from the remix organisation called The Disco Mix Club (DMC), made an outstanding Sweet Megamix. In 1984 it was a top 20 hit in many countries and got to position #83 in the end of year Australian top 100 chart. The 7" was released locally on RCA and ran about 3:30 mins. The single as shown in the accompanying picture contained only 3 songs: Blockbuster, Teenage Rampage and Hell Raiser.
The extended 12" was another issue altogether!There are at least 3 known versions of the 12" mix. One is over 8 mins, one is 6 mins (called The Blitz Buster Remix) and one is just under 5 mins. They all consist of the same songs but have been overdubbed and edited in different ways. I recently asked Sanny why this happened and he said that songs once sent to DMC can be further edited by staff DJs who make regional or market variances.
Since The Sweet Megamix has not been on a commercial CD anywhere in the world I made my own new 12" using the old vinyl mix as a guide. All the basic song tracks have been lifted from CD so the quality is really great.
The file is in a zip. There is a password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/
Songs include:
Blockbuster Teenage Rampage Hell Raiser Ballroom Blitz Fox On The Run
Back in the 1960s Little Eva had the original “Locomotion” but in Oz it wasn't until the end of the 1970s that it was a hit again for a foreign band. French group Ritz released “Locomotion” in late 1979 on the CBS Epic label. Their version peaked at #12 on the Australian charts in early 1980, and spent a total of thirty weeks inside the top 100.
“Locomotion” didn’t make any kind of impact in the U.S. nor England. It was a minor hit in the group’s native France but a #1 in New Zealand, in mid 1980.
There was a 12” and a 7” mix of the song. For this download I have engineered the start of the 12” onto the 7” single mix. The 12” version had a puffing steam train that was left off the single. For download is the single mix of "Locomotion" with bonus beginning:
The Four Lads is a Canadian male singing quartet. They grew up together in Toronto Ontario and were members of St Michael’s School Choir. The founding members were Corrado "Connie" Codarini, (bass); John Bernard "Bernie" Toorish (tenor); James "Jimmy" Arnold, (lead); and Frank Busseri, (baritone and group manager). Codarini and Toorish had formed a group with two other St. Michael's students, Rudi Maugeri and John Perkins, who were later to become founding members of another group, The Crew-Cuts.
Hit Singles:
The Little White Cloud That Cried 1951 (backing Johnny Ray)
Istanbul (not Constantinople) 1953
Moments To Remember 1955
No Not Much 1955
Standin’ On The Corner 1956
Who Needs You 1956
One of our friends in foreign lands is Krista a teacher who works in Owen Sound Canada and she asked me to make a long version of "Istanbul" for her dad as it is one of his favourites. He went to school with some of the singers from the group.
It just happens to be one of my dad's faves too. My dad used to play this on our very large radiogram when 78 rpms were the standard. We lived at Walcha Road when I first heard this song at about age 4.
Here for download is the 12" Tom Mix of this old classic:
The Thompson Twins had a major chart run in the 1980s with no less than 7 top 40 hits. It was the decade of Megamixes and the Thompsons had a series of 3 "Out Of The Gap" Megamixes that I know of.
There was the "Out Of The Gap" (Extended Megamix) on the flipside of the "Sister Of Mercy" (Extended Mix) - this one was about 9 mins long and has recently appeared on CD.
Then there was the "Out Of The Gap" (Single Megamix) that was 6:30 mins long and appeared on the flipside of "Sister of Mercy" 7" - this one has not been on CD.
Lastly, there was the "Out Of The Gap" (Edited Megamix) which appeared on the oddly shaped space glider picture disc (as shown above) which was on the flipside of a remix of "Sister Of Mercy" 7" - this edited Megamix is the one for download here. It goes about 5 mins. This 5 min Megamix contains: In The Name Of Love Love On Your Side Tears Doctor Doctor We Are Detective Lies Into The Gap Hold Me Now
The Quick was a dance pop duo from England that consisted of vocalist Col Campsie and bassist/keyboardist Georgie McFarlane. McFarlane and Campsie originally met in California in 1978, and began working together when they returned to England, taking the name "The Quick". Their debut single, "Sharks Are Cool, Jets Are Hot”, didn’t do much business overseas but they soon took off in Oz. In 1981, the duo's single, "Hip Shake Jerk", became a hit in Australia, reaching #12, and their first album, On the Uptake was quickly released there. Remixed and repackaged as "Fascinating Rhythm", the album was released to the rest of the world in 1982, spawning a 12” dance hit, "Zulu". The single "Rhythm of the Jungle" was another top 20 success in Australia, reaching #13, and also became a hit in Europe. The 12” mix of "Rhythm of the Jungle" has been released on CD as too some of their dance 12” tracks but “Hip Shake Jerk”, has not. A second album, International Thing, followed in 1984 with the 7” single of the same title also doing minor business in Oz.
Singles
1979 Sharks Are Cool, Jets Are Hot
1980 Hip Shake Jerk AUS #12
1980 Young Men Drive Fast Aus #49
1980 Ship To Shore
1981 Zulu US Dance #1
1982 Rhythm Of The Jungle AUS #13, NL #9, UK #41
1982 Touch Aus #49
1984 International Thing Aus #69
1984 Missing You Now
1985 Down The Wire UK #88
1986 Bed Of Nails
1986 We Can Learn From This
1987 I Needed You, You Needed Me
Here for download is the Tom Mix 12” of “Hip Shake Jerk”:
"Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognised Anthem Of World Contact Day)" was originally the opening track on an album by Klaatu the Canadian band who sparked controversy back in the mid 1970s when everyone thought it may have been The Beatles working secretly on a new project...WRONG!
By 1976-77 The Carpenters got out their own version of "Calling Occupants" using a link to a previous idea they first used on their album "Yesterday Once More". The whole of side 2 on this particular album ran like a 1950s radio show with games and competitions hosted by a fake Radio DJ (Tony Puluso) which were interspersed with classic hits of the 1950s....
When stuck for an intro to the album version of "Calling Occupants", Richard Carpenter got Tony Puluso back to start the track like it was from the 1950s radio show, you know, back in the era of all those supposed sightings of UFOs....etc.
Anyway, The Carpenters went on to have a massive hit and some radio stations played the shorter single version that ran 4 mins as opposed to the album mix with the Tony Puluso segment which ran 7 mins.
The only time the rare 4 min single mix has been on CD was in the last few years when a Japanese firm put it out at an exorbitant price. Sadly, the master tapes were not available so the transfer to CD was from vinyl.
For download is a Tom Mix exclusive, an edited single mix of "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognised Anthem Of World Contact Day)":
This download contains four songs by Bobby Rydell which have not made it to CD.
American Bobby Rydell had a massive run of hits in the early 1960s in Oz, about twenty songs in all. Bobby originally started in 1959 and had a couple of non-charting songs in his homeland. Then he hit upon the idea of making a massive seller by including numerous American capital cities in the lyrics of a pop song.
His specially crafted song "Kissin' Time" sold well, especially in all the towns mentioned.
To make it appeal to numerous more folk he changed the lyrics and issued versions for some specific American states and then changed the lyrics for international sales.
The 1960 version issued for Australia has not been on CD.
Regular contributors, Alan K. and Jim B. have sent "Kissin' Time (Australian Way)" for inclusion in this 4 hit download.
Some of Bobby's flipsides scored a top 40 position here in Oz.
Two such songs are "The Door To Paradise" which was the B-side to "I Wanna Thank You" and "Gee It's Wonderful" which was the flip of "I'll Never Dance Again". These songs are included in the download.
Lastly, Bobby's big 1961 hit "The Fish" has not made it to CD anywhere.
Here are all four missing hits: "Kissin' Time (Australian Way)" "The Door To Paradise"
"Gee It's Wonderful"
"The Fish"
There is a password on the zip file: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/
Wendy Carlos (born Walter Carlos November 14, 1939) was an American composer and electronic musician. Carlos' fame originated in the late 1960s with recordings made on the Moog Synthesizer, which was a relatively new and unknown instrument at the time; most notable were L.P.'s of synthesized Bach, and the soundtrack for the film "A Clockwork Orange".
Before his sex change, Walter and musician Benjamin Folkman, had a 1969 top 40 hit record in Sydney and in some parts of NSW (I don't think it charted elsewhere in Oz). The song was an edited single version of the album track "Brandenburg Concerto No.3" from the album"Switched-On Bach" which was the winner of three 1969 Grammy Awards.
The single version has not made it to CD anywhere in the world as far as I can tell.
For download is a Tom Mix exclusive...A CD copy of the missing 7" edited single of "Brandenburg Concerto No.3":
Dennis Weaver was an American actor who worked in movies and TV in the 1960s and 70s. His first TV shows were westerns which capitalized on his twangy southern drawl. His voice was folksy and homespun.
In 1971 Dennis hit the big time in an early Stephen Spielberg movie called "Duel", it had a maniacal truck driver and Dennis as the main characters.
Dennis had a recording contract in the USA circa 1971-72 and issued a couple of singles on a small label. Here in Oz his work was released on the Fable label. His big hit called "No Name" was copied by Oz performer John Laws. "No Name" was a folksy country ballad done in the hands of Dennis but was given a syrupy string-laden make over by John Laws, who also opted to use a faux American accent. (In my opinion it was cringe-worthy at best). The Oz version is available on my regular Tom Mix Music site which is listed in the link section on the left of this page.
Next, Dennis starred in the TV show "McLeod", a police drama that did well for many years. He had many roles over the years. He died in 2006.
It is not often that people recall the female pop group Dusk who featured a veteran of the music biz out front on lead vocals: Peggy Santiglia, who had sung lead on “My Boyfriend’s Back,” the 1963 hit by the Angels. She had been singing on sessions in New York City for years, and was a friend of Bell Record's producer Hank Medress.
Dusk were a studio girl group who were thrown together to record songs that were rejected by Tony Orlando and Dawn....
Dusk's first big hit was "I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing" in 1971 followed by "Angel Baby" and finally "Treat Me Like A Good Piece Of Candy".
By the time the latter charted Dawn were a major hit making group and the Bell label didn't promote Dusk, their stablemates, and the girls quietly faded away.
For download are all three of Dusk's hits. They are all mono. Even in 1971 they sounded dated as that was what they aimed for, they were meant to sound like the original 1963 work by the Angels...
The 3 song zip file has a password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/
The English pop group Splinter had a big hit in 1974 with "Costafine Town" and it was mostly attributed to the fact that George Harrison (member of The Beatles) was associated with its production. Besides being Splinter's producer George also played guitar on this track.
Sadly, because the estate of George Harrison is held up with legal issues many of the songs formerly on George's Dark Horse label have never been on CD.
Lieutenant Pigeon was a British musical group popular in the early 1970s. A spin-off from an experimental music band Stavely Makepeace, it was fronted by Rob Woodward. The group's sound was dominated by a heavy ragtime-style piano played by Woodward's mother, Hilda.
In 1972 "Mouldy Old Dough", their first hit, was #1 in Oz and top 10 in many other countries. In their UK homeland they had 2 singles in 1972 and then all but vanished from pop charts, They were more than just a one hit wonder in Oz as 3 of their album tracks were given 7" releases in various states.
In 1974, their next big Oz hit was a a revival of an old traditional song "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" - an Irish aire from long ago. It went to position #3 in some capital cities in Oz and was #1 in many regional centres.
Here for download is a 12" extended Tom Mix version of "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen":
French singer Danyel Gerard had a massive hit in 1971-72 with "Butterfly" around the world and in Oz. The vinyl versions we heard on Lismore radio station 2LM and purchased as a 7" single had an English version on one side and a French/German version on the flip. It charted with a competing version by OZ artist Matt Flinders.
The other hit version by Aussie artist Matt Flinders is available on my original Tom Mix Music blog (click link) http://tommixmusic.blogspot.com/
Danyel recorded versions of "Butterfly" in Spanish, French, English and German. At present most language versions of this song have made it to CD digital form all except the alternate lyric version as found on Solid Hits Vol.2 by K-Tel records. The version on the K-Tel album ran 25 seconds shorter than the single version because it was edited. This version is known as the USA version and it reached #78 on the USA charts. Here is a reconstructed version of "Butterfly" as made in the studios of Tom Mix:
A big 1973 hit in Oz was Des O'Connor's version of "Don't Let The Good Life Pass You By". It was very successful saleswise in NSW, in Sydney particularly.
The first version to do big business in Oz was by American singer Mama Cass Elliot whose version came out in 1970. In America, another hit version was in 1971, by country artist Felin Husky.
Mr. O'Connor's 1973 version has not made it to CD anywhere in the world as far as I am aware. His 7" vinyl single was originally released on Pye Records. The version for download was sent to me by Silver who runs a music site at the following link:
A big pop novelty hit from 1980 and never been on CD to my knowledge.
It was top 10 in most states of OZ but didn't do much business elsewhere in the world.
All music details are on the picture of the label (please click picture).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sorry folks, sadly the download link has been removed as requested by Alan O'Day (his message is below).
This same message shows up on numerous blog sites around the world it seems. I also did a check for the song's availability in other lands and it it currently unobtainable in any form and has not made it to commercial CD in the last 29 years.
It seems Alan leaves this message on blogs where his work shows up. The link to this song was posted 7th of June 2009 and the message to remove was sent 7th June 2009...
Hi, I sincerely appreciate that you are a fan of "Skinny Girls", which I wrote & performed. However, it is not adviseable for you to make my record available without permission. I survive from my song royalties. I'm trying to re-release my 70's material for sale digitally, & having it show up for free is not helping. So respectfully, I'm asking you to remove this file. If you should want to verify my identity, you can email me through my website. TIA, Alan.
Harold "Lally" Stott (born ca.1950 Liverpool England died 1977 in a tragic road accident) was a songwriter who scored a hit with the song "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep".
Lally's first pop band was called Denny Seyton and the Sabres. They were one of the more promising Liverpool-based bands that never made it big, despite getting as far as charting a single, "The Way You Look Tonight," in 1964. Pop outfit The Four Just Men was Lally’s next rock group. They recorded and worked in Stockport and Manchester England. They recorded two singles in the 1960s "Things Will Never Be Same"/"That's My Baby" (as the Four Just Men) and "There's Not One Thing"/"Don't Come Any Closer" (as Just Four Men). The group changed name and became the underrated but significant psychedelic band “Wimple Winch”. After the band's decline Lally went off to Europe where he started a solo career.
Lally wrote "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" which became a hit for the Scottish band Middle of the Road in 1971. Stott's own version was a big hit in Italy, Holland and it went to #1 in June 1971 Australia beating the rival version by Middle of the Road. It was a massive selling single in Sydney NSW.
After Middle of the Road scored a hit with their version Lally went into writing and producing for them. Lally wrote their follow up “Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum” as well as a host of other songs. He also produced some of their work.
From Middle of the Road blog:
Written by Lally Stott, this song was a hit in Italy and Australia for the composer, as well as on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it charted, but failed to achieve significant success, as the cover by Mac and Katie Kissoon became more popular.
Stott's record company were reluctant to release it overseas, so he offered it to Scottish folk-pop group Middle Of The Road, who were working in Italy at the time. The song became a massive hit in Europe initially, and then repeated this feat in the UK as returning holidaymakers searched out a copy.
However, it nearly flopped in the UK, as Mac and Katie Kissoon released their version just before them, but aided by incessant radio airplay, it became a huge hit. It reached No.1 in the UK for five weeks in June 1971.
The Kissoon version failed to chart in the UK, but reached No.20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lally’s flip-side to "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" was “Henry James” which scored airplay in some parts of Oz. He had a couple of follow up singles in Oz too, one of which was “Jackaranda” which was played incessantly by the radio stations at Grafton when I was about to leave the district and move to the town of Cessnock.
Lally’s version of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" has been released on CD overseas in Holland and Italy but always the longer album mix which slowly fades in.
For download is the 7” mix of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" which has never been on CD anywhere in the world, as far as I know.
José Montserrate Feliciano García (born 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer, known for many international hits. He was born permanently blind due to congenital glaucoma.
Jose Feliciano had many hits in Oz. The biggest one was "Light My Fire" and another was "High Heel Sneakers". One that was not a big hit elsewhere in the world but sold well in Oz was the 1969 single "Adios Amor".
This mono copy of "Adios Amor" was sent by an e-buddy called Richard B. who once lived in Canberra but nowadays is residing in NZ. He thought that this one was rare enough for folks to remember but not available on CD anymore.
Connie Francis (Concetta Rosemarie Franconero born Newark New Jersey USA 12.12.1938) is an American pop singer best known for several international hit songs including "Who's Sorry Now?", "Lipstick on Your Collar", "Where the Boys Are", and "Stupid Cupid". Connie’s changed surname “Francis”, was the idea of radio host Arthur Godfrey, compere of a show in the 1940s called “Startime.” Arthur had trouble pronouncing her real last name so Arthur decided to give her an easy-to-pronounce Irish name. At first, Connie objected saying, “My father would kill me!”… not when he started seeing some of Connie’s residual checks! Connie’s string of rock and roll hits starting in the late 1950s was legendary… She topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on three occasions with "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You".
Connie’s career waned in the late 1960s after a very successful run of hits. Connie returned to the spotlight again in 1973 with "The Answer – Should I Tie A Yellow Ribbon", a song written just for her as a follow up to the Tony Orlando and Dawn track, “Should I Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree”. Here in Oz the single was on the GSF label distributed by EMI. It was listed in the top 100 tracks of of the year. It didn't chart as high as Tony Orlando's original but it was a big seller all the same.
After this world-wide career boosting hit she soon began performing again. However, in November 1974 Connie was beaten and raped in the Jericho Turnpike Howard Johnson's Lodge, following a performance at the Westbury Music Fair in New York. After the vicious attack she was medically checked and monitored. She was contracted to perform so she was returned to the hotel and discovered the broken lock and torn screen had not been repaired by facility management. She subsequently sued the motel chain for failing to provide adequate security. She reportedly won a $3 million judgment, at the time one of the largest such judgments in history. Her attacker has not been found by the authorities. She did not perform again for seven years and it seemed like she would never have further success after her 1973 hit “The Answer”. But in the fullness of time, of course, she has managed to sustain a very successful career.
For download is a Tom Mix 12” remix of “The Answer – Should I Tie A Yellow Ribbon” reworked from the version which appeared on the South African CD called “A Lifetime Of Love”…Enjoy!
The song "Big Yellow Taxi" was written by Joni Mitchell and in most parts of the world her version was a reasonable hit. Here in Oz the competing version by The Neighborhood did better in some markets than the Joni version. Joni says she was inspired to write the song after she stayed in an hotel in Hawaii. She woke up one morning and looked out the hotel window at a paradise surround by a huge parking lot...the last verse was the only part not inspired by the scene she observed. Over the years there have been many versions of this environmental protest song, the most recent was done by Vanessa Carlton and the Counting Crows.
In 1970 when The Neighborhood's "Big Yellow Taxi" single was top 40 bound it was placed on 2 vinyl compilations. In Oz it was on "20 Electrifying Hits" made by Majestic Records. In the USA it was on a vinyl album called "20 Chartstoppers". The Neighborhood's "Big Yellow Taxi" single has never been officially released on CD in Oz but if you know which foreign places to visit you can sometimes be lucky, like moi, and find bootleg CDs which contain some of these old rare tracks. When last in Vanuatu I was able to locate a shop in a back street of Port Villa which sold a range of "unofficial" CDs containing some great oldies...the brand name used on the CD was "KY" and they were listed as being made in Japan (which may be the town of Japan located in Indonesia). Anotherof the rare songs on this CD was "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" by the Hillside Singers.
Here for download is the mono single version of "Big Yellow Taxi":
Neil Sedaka was born in Brooklyn, New York on 13 March 1939. His father, Mac Sedaka, a taxi driver, was the son of Turkish-Jewish immigrants; his mother, Eleanor (Appel) Sedaka, was of Polish-Russian Jewish descent. He demonstrated musical aptitude in his second-grade choral class, and when his teacher sent a note home suggesting he take piano lessons, his mother took a part-time job in a department store for six months to pay for a second-hand upright. He took to the instrument immediately. In 1947, he auditioned successfully for a piano scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music.
The best-known hits of his early career are "The Diary" (#14, 1958), "Oh! Carol" (#9, 1959); "You Mean Everything to Me" (#17, 1960); "Calendar Girl" (#4, 1960); "Stairway to Heaven" (#9, 1960); "Run Samson Run" (top 30, 1960); "Little Devil" (#11, 1961); "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (#6, 1961); "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (#1, 1962); and "Next Door To An Angel" (#5, 1962). "Oh! Carol" refers to Sedaka's Brill Building compatriot and former girlfriend Carole King. King responded with her answer song, "Oh, Neil", which used Sedaka's full name. Sedaka wrote "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", for his then close friend Annette Funicello.
In the mid 1960s the hits dried up. He made several trips to Australia to play cabaret dates, while his career overseas was waning. His second coming started while in Australia. The single "Star Crossed Lovers" became a major hit in NZ and Oz. The song went to #5 nationally in April 1969 giving Sedaka his first charting single in four years and it also came in at #5 in Go-Set magazine's list of the Top 40 Australian singles of the year 1969.
Later that year, with the support of Festival Records, he recorded a new LP of original material entitled Workin' On A Groovy Thing at Festival Studios in Sydney. It was co-produced by Festival staff producer Pat Aulton (deceased), with arrangements by John Farrar (who later achieved international fame for his work with Olivia Newton-John) and backing by Australian session musicians including guitarist Jimmy Doyle (Ayers Rock) and noted jazz musician-composer John Sangster.
The single lifted from the album, "Wheeling West Virginia", reached #20 in Australia in early 1970. The LP is also notable because it was Sedaka's first album to include collaborations with writers other than long-time lyricist Howard Greenfield. The title track featured lyrics by Roger Atkins and four other songs were co-written with Carole Bayer Sager, who subsequently embarked on a successful collaboration with expatriate Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen.
Neil’s work has bubbled along happily ever since the Oz revival period. He still comes back to Oz frequently and during his 2008 Australian tour, Sedaka premiered a new classical orchestral composition entitled "Joie de Vivre".
One of my friends, Steve Scanes, in 1998 helped produce a CD called "Neil Sedaka Anthology - Four Decades Of Hits And More" which included many of the original Oz singles. It was from this version of “Wheeling West Virginia” that I made an extended 12" mix. It was another friend, K1W1 (Mark), who suggested this classic should be included on my blog.
Here for download is a Tom Mix extended 12” version of his hit “Wheeling West Virginia”:
THIS IS ONE MAN'S COLLECTION OF OLD VINYL RECORDS WHICH CHARTED IN OZ BUT HAVE BEEN IGNORED BY THE BIG MUSIC COMPANIES. THIS BLOG RUNS IN CONJUNCTION WITH MY ORIGINAL SITE: TOM MIX MUSIC...IF YOU ARE THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OF A WORK AND WISH IT TO BE REMOVED PLEASE LEAVE A REQUEST IN THE COMMENT BOX.
THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OZ AND FOREIGN SONGS WHICH WERE BIG IN THE POP AND DANCE CHARTS BUT SADLY HAVE NOT BEEN ON C.D. I HOPE TO SHARE SOME OF THESE RARE GEMS WITH YOU BECAUSE THE BIG MUSIC COMPANIES HAVE NOT RELEASED THESE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
In 1973 in Australia one of the biggest hits of the year was "Pretty Maid" by Tony Marshall. Tony's song was first a hit in 1971 in Germany (his homeland) where it was called "Schöne Maid". The original German version had tweeting birds at the start but the musical arrangement was basically the same. 
Tony Marshall was born February 3, 1938 in Baden-Baden as Herbert Anton Bloeth. He changed his name to Herbert Anton Hilger before changing for a third time to Tony Marshall. He settled on the name Tony Marshall in about 1965 when he started training as an opera singer at Karlsruher College of Music. 
