PRETTY MAID - TONY MARSHALL

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:

http://rapidshare.com/files/309782714/Tony_Marshall_-_Pretty_Maid.mp3

MONKEY SPANNER (VERSION) - DAVE AND ANSELL COLLINS

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:

http://rapidshare.com/files/307295048/dave_and_ansel_collins_-_monkey_spanner__instrumental_version___vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

S S SINGLE BED (TOM MIX 12") - FOX

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":

http://rapidshare.com/files/303595692/Fox_-_SSSingle_Bed__Ext_Tom_Mix_2009_.mp3

ONLY YOU - WAYNE NEWTON

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.

http://rapidshare.com/files/301732541/Wayne_Newton_-_Only_You.mp3