Chapter Eleven – 1990-94

At the end of March, a new show was being formed around one of the best Elvis tribute acts in town, singer Roy Hawkins who had previously been part of the very successful showband The Fiftys. The new show would be called A Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ and alongside Roy would be Australia’s finest exponent of Jerry Lee Lewis-style piano, Jumpin’ Jimmy Taylor and female vocalist Little Rockin’ Nikki Morel. Completing the bill was the then current line-up of the Sydney Mighty Guys (Leon Isackson, Bob Howe and Gary Sammons) augmented by Mark Dennison on saxophone. We debuted the show at Rockdale RSL Club, a popular venue for rock ‘n’ roll dancers, and we were up and running.

Roy Hawkins in full flight…

David Glyde was always welcome

…Jimmy Taylor in Killer mode

I spent April in Nashville, a belated trip mostly for personal reasons, but of course there was a bit of ‘sitting-in for a song or two’ with the Overtime Band at Sammie’s Place and Daddy K’s in Lebanon, Tennessee. Early May 1990, I returned to Sydney, and the first week back guested with The Keymen (to back Roland Storm), travelled to Batemans Bay for a show headlined by Ray Lance, played bass for John McCall, played guitar for Elton Jack at the Hills Centre for the Nyngan Flood Relief Benefit, played a harmonica session for Don Spencer’s Let’s Have Fun album (produced by Don and Allan Caswell at the wonderful ABC Studio 221 in Darlinghurst) and then performed in The Big Rock Show at Bargo Bowling Club. Phew! For relaxation, I finished by going to watch jazz-fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth play at The Bridge Hotel which promptly caused my head to explode!

 

I had returned from Nashville armed with demo tapes of various original songs, some I had written with Jerry Arhelger. I thought one of them might suit Deniese Morrison who had now moved to Melbourne, but I read in the Country Capital News magazine, that she had a new manager named Karen who lived in Sydney. A quick phone call and I learned that Deniese would be in Sydney on Tuesday May 22nd, and I was welcome to drop a tape off at that time. It turned out that Karen and I had many other mutual friends, so it was a surprise that it had taken so long for us to meet. She had worked at a recording studio, had been business manager for broadcaster Nick Erby, and would later work briefly at Polygram Records. When I arrived to deliver my cassette tape, Deniese and Karen were getting ready to go out for the night so I didn’t stay long, but little did I know that my life was about to change (spoiler alert – Deniese never did record the song, but 30 months later, Karen and I were married!). I went out that night myself, to the Pismo Bar in Petersham, where Michael Vidale was playing with The Baylor Brothers and I…you guessed it, sat in for a song or two.

 

On 29th May 1990, The Vintage Rock Awards were held at Kirribilli Ex-Services Club as a benefit night for ‘Farmer’ Jon Hayton. The cream of Aussie rock ‘n’ roll were there to see Jon and pay tribute: Col Joye, Sandy Scott, Judy Stone, Ward ‘Pally’ Austin, Johnny Devlin, Lucky Starr, Ian Turpie, Little Pattie, Warren Williams, Lonnie Lee, Dinah Lee, Laurel Lee and more. I was humbled to be there with The Mighty Guys, to rock out as Leon sang a storming version of the Ronnie Self song Bopalena. I had only met Jon Hayton briefly years before, when he was playing excellent slide guitar behind Lucky Starr. Jon and Leon were just now completing their essential book Behind The Rock based on their diaries, “…a humorous and honest account of life in the Australian rock ‘n’ roll scene from its birth in 1956 to the mid-sixties”.

 

Around this time, a typical week for me was four or five gigs, plus maybe a recording session or the occasional job as an ‘extra’ (movies like Deadly and TV series such as Ring of Scorpio, The Paper Man, Come in Spinner, Police Rescue, Heroes II – The Return, The Paper Man and G.P.) plus various ads. If I was doing guest spots, there were sometimes two in a night – for instance, an hour long cabaret spot at Mosman RSL Club at 9pm followed by an 11.45pm spot at Canterbury Leagues Club. Rarely were there two nights in a row with the same show or band, expect for a few short tours. One such tour was a seven-show run in July around the New South Wales Northern Rivers and New England regions including Nambucca Heads, Grafton, Glen Innes, Sawtell and Bingara. Headlining was Ray Lance as ‘The Big O’, with Roland Storm, Del Juliana and yours truly as ‘Buddy Holly’.

 

The previous month, Ray and myself and Scott Crawford (as ‘Elvis’) had performed a Sunday show in Sydney at Matraville RSL Club, very close to where I was living. Alan Dale (who with his band The Houserockers had started Sydney’s first rock’n’roll dance in 1956) was now acting as booking agent for the club’s entertainment. I had been asked to join their new Sunday evening house band as guitarist, with Colin Bright on piano, Owen Booth on bass and led by John ‘Catfish’ Purser who was Johnny O’Keefe’s original drummer and still using their 1957 band name, The Dee Jays. Colin proved to be excellent in every style of music and also a composer of note. His works included a Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra which Karen and I saw performed at the Sydney Opera House. Owen, I had known for years and he would later go on to be a long-standing member of The Delltones. When the occasion arose, Catfish could channel the rock ‘n’ roll energy that would make you think he was still with JO’K at the Sydney Stadium in the fifties.

 

Our first gig was Sunday 22nd July 1990, the day after the end of the Northern tour. The last show of that tour was at South West Rocks Country Club and the next morning I drove the 466 km (290 miles) back to Matraville, played from 6pm to 10pm, then went to the JMC Studio/Tracking Station Studio for an 11pm session, playing harmonica on Pat Drummond’s LP The Local Rag, produced by Allan Caswell. I had come down with a cold at the finish of the tour and by the end of the session at 2am, my lips were actually bleeding. It was an excellent album though, even if I did shed blood for the sake of art.

 

For the next 3½ years I would play with The Dee Jays at Matraville every Sunday (unless I was out of town), with dance music all night except for an hour spot when we backed a visiting guest artist. During that time, we accompanied almost every variety/cabaret artist and comedian in Sydney. The club was memorable for two giant murals behind the stage – one of a Pacific air/sea battle, and the other of jungle warfare. Excellent artwork in their own right, but not always the best backdrop for someone singing love ballads!

 

The next week, A Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ started a Friday night residency at Rockdale RSL Club and I would play there for a year. Meanwhile, ‘tribute artists’ had started to become a growing trend and the Australian Entertainment ‘MO’ Awards decided the theme for their next charity dinner at Rooty Hill RSL Club would be the cleverly named ‘Send In The Clones’. I was invited to join the cast of performers and add my Buddy Holly Tribute to the show.

 

During my time at Matraville, Karen had some relatives visiting from the bush, where they had led a life somewhat sheltered from big-city ways. The guest artists that Sunday were billed as ‘Frank Garaty & Francis Shaw – Musical Comedy’. That will suit them, or so we thought. The hilarious act included Francis in drag, first as a nun and then as a bride, to the tune of The Wedding. Best laid plans!

 

 

 

In July I played harmonica and mandolin on a recording session for the Benedetti Sisters (Maria and Nicola), and put my dinner suit on to play at the Fairmont Resort in Leura with the Ko-Op band, fronted by Linda Knight and Elizabeth Lord. Shortly afterwards, I had a call from Bandstand star Judy Stone to play in her band for a one-off show at the Harbourside Brasserie in Sydney. The show was called A Country Mile (Women in Australian Country Music) and the marvellous line-up also featured Anne Kirkpatrick, The Kanes, and Mary Lou’s Lucky Stars. To quote Bruce Elder’s review in the Sydney Morning Herald, “…the highlight of the night was Judy Stone, a performer who has drunk deeply from the fountain of eternal youth.”

 

Judy also brought along vocal group The Flanagans (Peter, Paul and Margaret), drummer John Clinton (later of The Wolverines band) and bassist Terry McDonough. Judy had just recorded a Western/Mexican-style album with The Flanagans and she asked me if I would be Musical Director for both their forthcoming engagements and for her solo shows as well. Meanwhile, the next night the Johnny O’Keefe Memorial Show played at the City Tattersalls Club in Sydney…

 

The next month, I was booked to play guitar for visiting American singing legend Guy Mitchell. A week before the tour, the local agent told me I would be Musical Director for the shows, leading a 7-piece band, but for the same fee as if I were only the guitarist. For once I decided that wasn’t good enough and when I was given a ‘take it or leave it’ ultimatum, I called their bluff and chose to ‘leave it’. Sure enough, they called back the very next day with some added financial incentive. On the 11th August 1991, I went to the Chateau Sydney Hotel in Potts Point to meet Guy Mitchell, who had arrived the previous day. He was a delightful man and as we discussed his songs for the tour, he practised twirling his lasso rope like a real cowboy…inside the city hotel room!

 

Two days later we began the tour with shows in several Sydney clubs, and then we flew to Twin Towns Services Club on the Gold Coast to perform four shows over a weekend. I had been dating Karen for a while now and her parents lived in Queensland, so this seemed like a good opportunity to meet them. Figuring that Guy Mitchell would be right up their musical alley, we invited them to one of the shows.

 

The venue had graciously supplied me with a suite at the Ocean Plaza Resort, overlooking Coolangatta Beach, which I knew would create a good impression. Karen comes from a large family, so as well as her parents, another 15 family members surprised us by arriving for the day! That night Karen sat with her parents at the show and although she was a little concerned how her demure Mother would react to opening act Wally The Worker (as portrayed by the hilarious Johnny Holmes), they revelled in seeing Guy Mitchell in person.

 

In the fifties, Guy sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles such as Sparrow in the Treetop, Heartaches by the Number,  My Truly, Truly Fair and Singing the Blues (which was the number-one hit when I was born). He was 64 years old at the time of this tour and still in fine form, although he was prone to short memory lapses. Many of his musical arrangements followed a similar pattern, with an instrumental introduction and a similar interlude in the middle of the song. On occasion, he would then sing the second half of the song and accidentally start to sing a different number. I had to figure out what that song was and signal frantically to the other six musicians so that we all stayed on course.

 

Back in Sydney for a few days rest, Guy and his lovely wife Betty went horse-riding at a friend’s property in Wilberforce and during the day he was injured while feeding the horses. He was hospitalised with internal injuries and the last three shows had to be cancelled. Guy recuperated in Sydney until he was well enough to return to Las Vegas with Betty and resume his singing engagements in the USA. A year later, he returned to Australia for another tour.

 

For me it was back to my regular gigs plus a few one-off engagements, including a jingle session produced by master-fiddler Wayne Goodwin at Sun Studios. The jingle was for a car insurance company, and I was hired to play guitar and harmonica in the style of Willie Nelson’s song On The Road Again. Tommy Emmanuel happened by and whilst there admired my Telecaster guitar, which I had purchased from Lennon – The Musical when the show closed.

 

Although I was used to juggling a multitude of gigs with various bands, I decided that for the moment, working with Judy Stone and other touring commitments would preclude me from the regular gig with the show A Whole Lotta’ Shakin’. Some gigs I could still work around, such as the Matraville RSL Club residency. As long as I sent a suitable ‘dep’ (short for deputy) – in this case a guitarist who could sight-read music and sing a few songs – the bandleader would be happy. If I was booked for a Variety or Cabaret Spot where I was the advertised guest artist, then I had to be there. The Mighty Guys was a different kettle of fish as the guitarist needed to know a specialised repertoire of late-fifties/early-sixties songs by heart and be able to sing the lead or provide authentic backing vocals when the other members sang. For that reason, previous members of the band were always the first call.

 

The show with Judy Stone and The Flanagans was called A Cowboy’s Sweetheart, after the album they had recorded together. The show played at a few Sydney clubs and then in October I went on a couple of short tours, just Judy and myself, on the so-called Morning Melodies circuit.

 

We played in Lithgow, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga and then four dates around the Northern Rivers area. It was great fun, even without a band, and Judy even learnt to play a couple of my tunes so that she could back me up on guitar! Returning to Sydney we played another morning show on Manly Wharf and then, with a band, a show at Easts Leagues Club.

 

Easts was the last club that paid their musicians to rehearse the visiting show each week, as everywhere else just allotted a few minutes for the artist (or their M.D.) to talk to the band just before hitting the stage. In this case the rehearsal was on the day before the show. There is an apocryphal story amongst Sydney musicians, that occasionally if a band member couldn’t make the rehearsal, he would send a ‘dep’ who would get paid for being there. The cheeky band member would then turn up for the actual show, and play unrehearsed.

At the end of October, rock legends Little Pattie, Lucky Starr, Bryan Davies, Laurel Lee, Barry Stanton, Ian Turpie, Alan Dale, host Donnie Sutherland and the one-and-only Humphrey B. Bear, lined up to play a huge benefit concert at Parramatta Stadium to help save the koalas. I played in the band all afternoon and did my Buddy Holly tribute alongside Scott Crawford as Elvis. Such is the glamour of showbiz, I played later that night at the Kurnell Oil Refinery Club.

 

In December I did a similar Morning Melodies run – this time with Syd Heylen. Syd was a vaudeville style comedian and variety performer who was best known for his acting role as publican “Cookie” Locke in the television serial A Country Practice. Again, it was just me for musical accompaniment and I backed both Syd and his singer daughter Julie. We headed north and played Nelson Bay, Kempsey, and finally the old Rialto Theatre in the West End of Brisbane, an Art Deco building with its memorable porthole windows.

 

Back in Sydney I would mark the end of the year by working with a new band of my own which I called The Bobcats. Years later, the soon-to-be Award winning Australian country music group featuring Gary Koehler and Robert Mackay called me to ask if I had any objection to them calling themselves The Bobkatz. By that time I had stopped using the name, but it was thoughtful of them to ask.

 

1992 began with a weekend at Terranora Lakes Country Club & Resort, near Tweed Heads, where Judy Stone and The Flanagans played four shows over three days. I was off to the Tamworth Country Music Festival next to play six shows at the West Tamworth League Club with renowned New Zealand singer Barbie Davidson who was in Australia to promote her album Borderline. Barbie’s band included the steel guitar of Glenn Ross Campbell, previously a member of Californian cult band The Misunderstood and now a resident of New Zealand. My first night at the Festival I also dropped into The Longyard Hotel where The Tamworth Songwriter’s Association were paying tribute to Joy and Heather McKean. Somehow, Deniese Morrison talked me into singing the harmony yodel for her on a McKean Sisters’ song during the presentation!

 

Back to Sydney and the start of a tour with another bona fide legend of showbiz and a part of my musical upbringing – Irish superstar Val Doonican. On previous Australasian tours Mick Hamilton had performed the guitar role but he was unavailable this year and recommended me for the job (thanks again Mick!). The tour began on the 1st of February in Glen Innes, with the locals making much ado about the Celtic connection to the nearby ‘Australian Standing Stones’. Off to Caloundra in Queensland and then back to the border for four shows at Twin Towns. While we were there, Val turned 65 years of age and we had a mock retirement party with many jokes at his expense, enjoyed both by Val and his wife Lynn.

On a more serious note, Val’s stature and longevity had provided certain benefits that he shared with his band. He told me that he never forgot his early days as a singer when the supporting cast were relegated to substandard accommodations and conditions. As a result of that, he now insisted that his band stayed wherever he did and so it was that we headed off to New Zealand (my first trip to the ‘land of the long white cloud’) and the band found ourselves staying in individual rooms at either The Hilton or Regent Hotels…luxury!

 

Another bonus was that Val liked to spread the shows out so he didn’t often work two nights in a row, giving us several days off for sightseeing. On one of those days I caught up with Glenn Ross Campbell in Auckland who took me to his gig with a band called The Waltons. Out front was a female singer named Shanley Del, soon to be a new star of Australian country music.

 

Anyone who remembers The Val Doonican Show that began on television in the mid-sixties, will recall Val’s easy-going manner, novelty songs, quirky jumpers and trademark rocking chair. It was the rocking chair that was the most unusual piece of luggage that followed us from airport to airport, alongside our musical instruments. I wonder what would happen to it these days in our heightened-security conscious world? 

 

After eight nights in New Zealand, with shows at Christchurch Town Hall, the Regent Theatre Dunedin and the Aotea Centre in Auckland, we flew back to Australia for shows that included the Sydney Town Hall, Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide, the Melbourne Concert Hall, the Burswood Resort in Perth and several regional venues. It was the most enjoyable tour and Val Doonican was exactly the charming professional you’d expect from seeing him on television. The 24 concerts were spread across several weeks so I was able to fulfil some of my regular gigs and sessions.

 

Now it was back to a full diary that happily also included attending three concerts by Bob Dylan at the State Theatre in Sydney! There were actually seven Sydney concerts but Karen, who was working in the city near the Ticketek booth, ‘claimed’ she could only get tickets for three…Ha! As it turned out, the sound was dodgy, so the highlight of each show was a short acoustic section with his Bobness performing solo. Opening act was the Pete Wells Band (ex-Rose Tattoo) with my old mate Michael Vidale on bass. Dylan actually spoke two words to Michael backstage…that was very cool.

 

At the end of June, rehearsals began for the musical A Slice Of Saturday Night that was being staged at The Hills Centre in Sydney. The book, lyrics and music are by The Heather Brothers. The songs are a nostalgic pastiche of 1960s music, and the story tells a tale of teenage dreams and young love set around 1964 in a nightclub called the Club-a-Go-Go. The Sydney production was directed by noted actor/director Lex Marinos and I was recruited by Musical Director Dave Skinner (ex-Roxy Music). Dave and I had recently been working on various recording sessions. The band was on stage, behind the actors, and was made up of Dave on keyboards, Chris Bailey (ex-The Angels and GANGgajang) on bass, Tony Hicks (Back Door) on drums, Geoff Oakes (Renée Geyer Band) on sax and yours truly on guitar, honoured to be in such esteemed company!

 

The Australian premiere of the show, produced by Patrick Corrigan, was on the 17th July and the limited season ran for 19 performances. Frank Ifield attended the premiere with his wife Carole, who enjoyed the vibrant cast and the nostalgia of the era. During the run of the show I was able to continue my Sunday gigs, weekday sessions and daytime guest spots. One of those, at Chatswood RSL Club would prove fortuitous. In the backing band was bassist Brian Hunt. He told me that his regular band The Trojans, were in need of a singing guitarist for upcoming gigs at Kirribilli. More about that later!

 

There was an amusing incident (in hindsight) in September when the Johnny O’Keefe Memorial Show played at Riverwood Legion Club. Whilst the audience entered the room, the warm-up video projection for the show was normally a selection of old television broadcasts from the fifties and sixties, featuring many of the stars who would soon appear on stage. During this period, I had nipped out for a cup of tea, safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t due on stage for quite some time. Returning to the auditorium, I noticed the screen was displaying the Buddy Holly video which normally preceded my stage entrance. I looked on in horror as the compere proceeded to introduce me and the band appeared playing the opening bars of Peggy Sue. In my normal clothes, I dashed from the rear of the room to backstage where I grabbed my guitar and glasses. Rushing onstage I started singing, only to find that the band – who didn’t have my sheet music – were playing the song in the wrong key! It transpired that the warm-up video tape had broken, so the live portion of the show had started very early and no-one had twigged that I wasn’t backstage. I had to motion to the band to fill with a tune of their own until I regrouped and was able to start my spot again.

 

That September was a very busy month – 16 separate gigs with various bands and shows. One was a Reg Lindsay Nostalgia Night at Wenty Leagues Club. Jane Saunders and myself were the guest artists, backed by Reg’s band who were now known as The Homesteaders.

 

A few days later, I was at the Northside Community Church with Dave Skinner (piano) and Chris Bailey (bass) to play for Allan Caswell and Doug Ashdown. They were performing to raise funds for the church’s refuge, the Palmer Peace House. During the month, I also had recording sessions and radio interviews, including one with Donnie Sutherland on his late night 2KY radio show.

 

 

In early November I had the thrill of working with another of my heroes, Gerry Marsden. I was booked to play a weekend of shows, opening for him. Growing up, Gerry and the Pacemakers were a part of my musical soundtrack and it was wonderful to meet him. He was very friendly and when I told him that I had played his character briefly in ‘Lennon – The Musical’, he was marginally more impressed than James Burton, after he heard I played him in ‘Elvis – The Musical’. My band ‘The Bobcats’ for these shows were alternatively Gus Fenwick, Colin Bright and Paul Fenton or Paul, Peter Kenny, Michael Vidale and Dave Glyde. During one show at Revesby Workers Club, on hearing that Karen and I were soon to be married, Gerry dedicated a song to us.