Friday, May 2, 2008

Various Artists - Brisbane singles


Today we have an eclectic collection of 12 Brisbane singles released
between 1978 and 1983.
Not your usual greatest hits, but some of my favorites.

Track list
01. purty vacant - kingswoods
02. the commissarar's song - the kingswoods

03. task force - razar

04. stamp out disco - razar

05. summer vaction - presidents eleven

06. don't follow me - presidents eleven

07. i need two heads - go-betweens

08. stop before you say it - go-betweens

09. brisbane blacks - dennis colon and the magpies

10. don't give in - dennis colon and the magpies

11. the sharks - freud

12. the sharks - lobotomy



"The Kingswoods", who later went by the name "The Kingwood trio",
start off with their punkabilly cover of the pistols song that
changed my musical life forever when I heard it back in grade 9.
Great fun and the b side, which is all part of the single
experience, is an odd song like so many b sides are.


For the next single we have a classic, "Razars" "Task Force", with b side
"Stamp out disco". Released in 1978 this song was a response to
the task force set up by the Brisbane police to stamp out
the growing do it yourself punk movement in Brisbane.
Quite a lot of discussion about this in the excellent
Brisbane Bands Doco that came out in the late 80's.
Great late 70's style punk.


"Summer Vacation" with b side Don't follow me is one of the
greatest singles to come out of Brisbane. The song was
voted number 1 in the 4zzz hot hundred that year and
is just a fantastic song, pity this band never recorded
an album.


"I need two heads" with b side "Stop before you say it",
is "The Go-betweens", in between their 1st and 2nd album.
Recorded in Scotland in 1980,the only single here not
recorded in Brisbane and with Steven Daly
not Lindy on drums. A classic song


"Dennis Conlon and the Magpies", better known as
"Mop and the Dropouts"give us the single "Brisbane Blacks"
with "Don't give in" on the flip.
A classic Brisbane single that I was given by Mop himself
many years ago when I was taking his nephew
to work with me.


To finish off we have "The Sharks" with "Freud" and b side,
"Lobotomy"The only one here not from my collection
I was sent this recently by the wonderful Bazzil from
Prehistoric sounds.
A fantastic single from a band I know so little about.
From the late 70's era this band are more power pop
than punk and much more polished than many of
the other bands around at the time.
Many thanks to Bazzil.

Please leave in the comments any additional info, experiences,
or just comments and if you have any Brisbane band singles
not here I'd love to see some links.

Download Here

12 comments:

mr.kenneth said...

great post bob.

btw ... the link to the Razar catalogue I scanned of the "Young Fast and Non-Boring" show over at QPAC museum a couple of years ago is still alive and well HERE for those that missed it at overhere's blog.

and ... yes ... I know I'm a tragic ... but HERE'S Lovs é Blurs single too

Lest We Forget ;)

best
mr.K

bob nebe said...

Thanks mr k, i been meaning to tell you ive been really enjoying your podcasts
ciao bob

Anonymous said...

Excellent post! Merci.

Anonymous said...

James ex-JFK and the Cuban Crisis here. The Sharks were led by singer/writer/guitarist Mark Dadds and the bass player was a guy called John Downie, who joined us after the Sharks broke up. Unfortunately, Mark decided to reform the Sharks - this would be 1981 - and John left us to go back to them.

bob nebe said...

Thanks for the info James, the sharks are a little known part of Brisbane band history and very hard to find anything about. I didn't know about the John Dowie, Jfk connection
ciao bob

Anonymous said...

James back, Bob, with a correction. Mark didn't reform the Sharks, rather he started a new band called Perfect Strangers which did stuff similar to the early Cure.

bob nebe said...

Id love to hear that, I love the early cure, not so fond of the cats and other animals songs later. Did they record and what about you, I know you wrote and sang some of the JFK stuff as well and it wasn't all John, did you ever think of going off on your own or forming another band
ciao bob

George said...

Hi. Great blog. I really would like to hear The Sharks track.. can you repost as the ink is dead.

cheers

Ewan said...

Hey mate. The link is dead. would be awesome if you could put it up again

bob nebe said...

back up

robertwhyteus said...

Details of Negative Thinking (book by Peter Anderson & Robert Whyte http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10192406?selectedversion=NBD1866538 ) launch 1978 with The Sharks headlining, the other bands being ".4 and the decimals" and "Mother there's something in the attic and it flaps", here: http://www.remix.org.au/interview-robert-whyte-on-the-artist-run-impulse/ I supplied the lyrics for Sharks single "Freud" and possibly "Lobotomy" (uncredited on single). Mark might remember if Lobotomy was mine, if so both were more notes than fully formed songs. Reviews and details were published In UQ Semper & The Press and Poets Press now digitised at Fryer Library UQ. Note The Sharks adapted In the Hall of the Mountain King, "Peer Gynt" 6th scene of act 2 by Edvard Grieg into the song.

sydmuc said...

Friday, May 2, 2008
Various Artists - Brisbane singles

Gooday Bob

Wonderful blog, I haven't looked for a while. Any chance of activating the above link?
I'm a Sydneysider (but half Banana-Bender) who's been living in Munich for a long time and have been a bit out of touch. Have just read 'Pig City' which reminded me of Brisbane and your blog.

Cheers mate.
Anthony Healey

There's a pretty interesting underground, lo-fi, DIY scene here.
I post my photos on FB