Tuesday 22 July 2014

Betty McQuade - Tongue Tied

Growling vocal delivery with excellent guitar and saxophone breaks.

1941 - 2011
Born on 26th August 1941 in Paisley, Scotland. Betty’s family moved to Brisbane Australia in 1949. During her school years there was virtually no music scene in Brisbane so she regularly travelled to Sydney to enter talent quests. When she left school she took an office job in a manufacturing company. Wanting to pursue a singing and recording career she relocated to Melbourne in 1960. Her arrival couldn't have been planned any better as top local group The Thunderbirds were looking for a replacement vocalist for Judy Cannon who had recently quit to pursue a singing career in Sydney.
Betty's vocal style impressed the group and she began working with them on the local dance circuit. By mid-1961 her popularity had grown to the point where Astor Records signed her to a recording contract. Her debut single, a cover of American John D. Loudermilk's song ‘Midnight Bus’, was released and spent twelve weeks in the local charts, peaking at number six in December. This led to regular appearances on a number of television pop shows. She cut two unsuccessful singles for the Astor label prior to joining another popular local group, The Premiers.

Betty continued to perform at local dances and became one of the first artists to appear regularly on Channel O's television pop show The Go!! Show. After her fourth single for Astor also failed to chart she moved to the ‘GO!!’ Label in September 1965. Her only two singles for ‘GO!!’ were re-releases of her first two singles for Astor and sold only moderately. In 1967 she released her last single on the W&G label before moving back to Brisbane and calling it quits in 1968. An EP was released in 1981 and during the mid-Eighties she performed on a series of rock 'n' roll revival concerts staged in Melbourne.
Betty passed away on 26th December 2011 after a long illness.  
Thanks to http://first-decade-of-rock.com/ for the above information.

Monday 21 July 2014

No hit wonders - THE GREEN EYED CAT



JOHNNY DOLLAR RECORDED DEMO SESSIONS IN HOUSTON TEXAS IN 1957/1958.
NOT ONE OF THOSE  RECORDINGS WERE RELEASED AT THE TIME.
THE DEMO SESSIONS
1957/1958 DALLAS, TEXAS
SLIM JIM BABY
CAR COAT BABY
ACTION PACKED
MY GAL FRIDAY
THE GREEN EYED CAT
ROCKIN' BONES
DON'T BLAME IT ON ME
IT'S MY DAY
KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART
HONEY BEE LOVE
PLENTY LOVIN'
MY FIRST LOVE
DOLLY DOLLY
ROCK 'n' ROLL WAR DANCE
GOOFIN' AROUND

LIVE ON THE BIG D JAMBOREE 1958
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
JAILHOUSE ROCK

1958 HOUSTON TEXAS
WALKING AWAY
NO MEMORIES

JOHNNY'S ONLY 50's 45 RECORD WAS A FAR CRY FROM HIS ROCKIN' DEMO SESSIONS HE PUT ON TAPE ONLY A FEW MONTHS BEFORE.

ACETATE RECORDED IN A MOTEL ROOM IN 1956?


Wednesday 16 July 2014

Elvis screen test!


I came across this excellent little video on the Internet. Crazy.




Thursday 10 July 2014

THE 18th ROCKABILLY RAVE


Thanks to RockCharlotte75 - blackeyedjoe - Volk - Mayhem Rockabilly - Kevin Carey - HotRodZipPolly Escrader - Jorge MaestreJohnnyDRetroRockabillifillyrenz - for the links to some excellent performances at this years Rockabilly Rave 18

THURSDAY NIGHT

(main ballroom evening)
(video by blackeyedjoe)

THE SHOOTING STARS (my video)

JITTERY JACK (my video)

BIG SANDY & LOS STRAIGHTJACKETS
(video by blackeyedjoe)

This was my first time seeing this band live and I was not disappointed.
(video by RockCharlotte75)

FRIDAY

(Lunch time club sessions)
(video by Mayhem Rockabilly)


(video by hotrodzip)

(video by Volk)

(main ballroom evening)
(video by BlackEyedJoe)

RAMBLIN' JAMES (my video)
I have not found a Ramblin' James video from this years Rockabilly Rave on the net so far.  Here is one I did way back in 2004. Backed by The Fly-Rite Trio.
(video by blackeyedjoe)

(video by Mayhem Rockabilly)

(Queen Vic Late Night Club)
(video by Polly Escrader)

SATURDAY

(Lunchtime Live Queen Vic)
LITTLE BOY ARNOLD
(video clip by RockCharlotte75)


I have a fondness for female fuelled rockabilly. Mary Ann has a cool style to her vocal delivery and her backing band 'The Tri-Tones' sure know how to compliment her. I wish I had filmed more. Check out their CD single (below)

(video by Volk)


(main ballroom evening)
(video by RockCharlotte75)

(video by RockCharlotte75)

(video by blackeyedjoe)

(video by Rockabillifillyrenz)


(video by blackeyedjoe)

(video by Jorge Maestre)

(Queen Vic Late Night Club)
(my video)

SUNDAY

(sick, sorry or sober session, Queen Vic)
(video by Kevin Carey)

(Lunch time club sessions)
(video by RockCharlotte75)

(video by Volk)

(video by Volk)

(main ballroom evening)
(video by JohnnyDRetro)

(video by Mayhem Rockabilly)

(video by RockCharlotte75)
Charlie puts country music/hillbilly on the back burner and gets back to what he is really great at...Rockabilly.

(video by RockCharlotte75)


(Queen Vic Late Night Club)
(video by RockCharlotte75)
This was a nice surprise and a very good band to end four days of great music. Doghouse Sam and the Magnatones hail from Belgium and their music is the Blues. Not the fake 1960's kind this band is pure class. Check them out here...

Wednesday 9 July 2014

BOBBY CASH

Bobby Cash would not have been out of place on the 1980 Revival Records L.P 'The Other Kings'. But problems with locating Bobby and getting permission to include it on the album never materialised. But an extended play E.P did turn up distributed by Gusto Records to be included with the album for a short period. I was lucky enough to pick up my copy of the 'The Other Kings' with the cool piece of vinyl included. He falls into the Elvis wanna-be category. The vocals are great but I've never been a fan of organ music on my Rock 'n' Roll records.

RUN FOOL RUN



(home made cover)



Label scans (reissue release) and MP3's rips included in the download. 'Only Make Believe' and 'Mona Lisa' MP3 rips found on the net.



(For a short while Bobby Cash's vinyl E.P was available with this L.P)