The Day After The Sabbath 90: Good Morning Mr Rock&Roll (NZ pt.2)

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For the 90th comp and I set myself the difficult and time-consuming challenge of making searches for a second collection of the heaviest and most progressive old New Zealand rock I could find. Not expecting to be very successful, I was amazed to find enough original bands to complete another hour of the small and remote country's finest riffing. My efforts were greatly assisted by the existence of two NZ compilations that have clearly saved some very obscure acts from oblivion; the Jayrem Records "New Zealand pop 1964-72" volumes 'Out from the Cold' and 'Get the Picture'.

Following on from the NZ Vol34, this volume includes two more acts that appeared at The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival; Wellington experimentalists Mammal and Maori Rotorua/Christchurch rural rockers Butler (much humble gratitude again to Mick Mullin for re-mastering the Butler track). There are a couple of rare examples of later-70s styled NZ prog with Wellington's Airlord and Auckland's Think, and an abundance of great hard-fuzzing singles, courtesy of the afore-mentioned Jayrem compilations. Mantis were originally a Fijian funk band that secured a residency in a Wellington club. Two more points of interest, Quincy Conserve are certainly one of the only Kiwi horn rock bands I ever found, and Roy Rutanen's acid folk is a great find, with his Jim Morrison-like vocals. It looks like Wellington, the capital of NZ, was the place to be back then. Over half the bands I used were from there.

Tracks:
01. The Selected Few (Wellington) - Get the Picture (Pretty Things cover) (1966)
       single
02. Butler (Rotorua) - Southern Magic (1973)
       from album 'butler'
03. Lutha (Dunedin) - Here and Now (1973)
       from album 'earth'
04. Kaye Wolfgramm and Cruise Lane (Auckland) - Ego (1972)
       single
05. Taylor (Wellington) - Simpsons World (1972)
       from album 'taylor'
06. The Dedikation (Upper Hut)
           - Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones (Cryan' Shames cover) (1969)
       from album 'the dedikation'
07. Airlord (Wellington) - Ladies of the Night (1977)
       from album 'clockwork revenge'
08. Sam Hunt / Mammal (Wellington) - Beware the Man (1972)
       from album 'beware the man'    
09. Roy Rutanen - Sinful Man (1972)
       from album 'roy rutanen'
10. The Quincy Conserve (Wellington) - Common Man (1971)
       from album 'epitaph'
11. The Retaliation (Wellington) - Morning Dew (1969)
       single
12. Headband (Auckland) - Good Morning Mr Rock n' Roll (1971)
       from album 'happen out'
13. The Roadrunners (Wellington) - LSD (1967)
       single
14. Mantis (Fiji/Wellington) - You Don't Love Me (1973)
       from album 'turn onto music'
15. Think (Auckland) - Our Children (Think About) (1976)
       from album 'we'll give you a buzz'

references:

NZ Music 60s-70s | Bruce Sergent | audioculture.co.nz | progarchives.com

Dreams, Fantasies and Nightmares From Far Away Lands (Vernon Joynson)

The Selected Few : Get The Picture 45

We kick off with one of the great singles from the Jayrem comps, by The Selected Few. They were Peter Robertson (Lead Guitar / Vocals), Geoff Dixon (Guitar / Vocals), Kevin Pollitt (Bass Guitar), Bruce Robertson (Vocals) and Paul Moynihan (Drums), a young Wellington pop group who formed in 1966. Most of its members were still at high school throughout their career. They were regular performers in the Hutt Valley and on the Wellington youth club circuit. They released a single, "Get The Picture"/"Understand" on HMV in 1966. "Get The Picture" was a good cover of the Pretty Things song and was released to cash-in on the then big R&B boom [this cover has a substantially heavier, overdriven sound]. Their second single in 1967 was "Needle In A Haystack"/"The Other Side Of Life". The group disbanded in 1968 as a result of parental pressure to get real jobs. (thanks to Bruce Sergent for this info)

Butler LP (1973)

Butler were an all-Maori rock band, a very unusual thing back then. All four members (Steve Apirana-Guitar / Vocals, Heidi Warren-Guitar / Vocals, Angel Adams-Bass Guitar and Hori Sinnott (Drums) were originally from Rotorua, but the band formed in Christchurch in 1970. Predominantly an underground group, they played their early gigs at the Open Door, before moving into Trevor Spitz's nightspot, Aubrey's. Having built a strong Christchurch following, the band took stabs at other South Island centers, before returning to North Island hometown Rotorua in 1971. From there they began building up a northern following, proving popular on the University circuit with their combination of originals and Led Zeppelin / Wishbone Ash covers.

Some television exposure followed with a spot on 'Happen Inn', 'Popco' and 'Free Ride'. This was fairly rare for an underground group and even with this they never really gained much pulling power. In 1973 they recorded a self-titled album for Pye. It was released on the Family label and from it came one single, "Green River"/"Especially For You". (thanks to Bruce Sergent for this info)

Here is the blurb from their album jacket: "The boys, originally from Rotorua, formed the group in 1970 when they were all working and living in Christchurch. They were staying at an Anglican youth centre called the Open Door and it was due to the encouragement of Andy Thompson (their original manager) that they got together and started playing at The Open Door.  Then followed a tour of the South Island and appearances in many Christchurch clubs including Aubreys. They also played at the Daddy Cool concert in Christchurch. 

The group then returned to their home town of Rotorua and in between touring the North Island, appeared at the Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival, performed on Happen Inn and have been in demand for Varsity concerts. Album produced by "Choppy". Recording Engineer Tony Foster-Moan"

Kaye Wolfgramm and Cruise Lane, 1972
Picture found at audioculture.co.nz

Kaye Wolfgramm (now Kaye Wilson) is a vocalist from Auckland, now living in Melbourne. Daughter of Hawaiian steel guitar player Bill Wolfgramm, Kaye was discovered at age 15 by Roger Skinner and The Motivation, who backed her during an Auckland Easter Show talent quest in the late 1960s. She had an eventful career with many different acts, including a stint with Cruise Lane (link). You can read all about her in an excellent article over at audioculture.co.nz. The song I have used here, Ego, is a b-side from a single and it is not Kaye on vocals here, it is Cruise Lane guitarist Al Hunter (wiki , dead website). Alas I have not heard the a-side yet, "Death Is in the Air". If I find out more I will update this, but enjoy the great song which is some brilliant jazzy, groovy rock! Al sent me an email and said this about Cruise Lane: "Cruise Lane was the little alley where the Embers night club was [in Auckland]. We got a residency there six nights a week, when we started we had a repertoire of about six songs, you can imagine that we had to change that pretty fast playing 45 minute sets from 9pm till 3am plus. Original lineup was Myself on vocals and percussion, Tony Pilcher guitar, Paul Lee sax and keyboards, Jerry Biggs bass and Claude Radics drums. Kaye was added shortly after  and Jerry was replaced by Pete Kershaw. We were a covers band formed specificly for the residency, playing songs by Traffic, Santana, Delaney and Bonnie, Clapton, Leon Russell, Van Morrison, Dylan and others I cant recall at the moment. We would add a bevvy of backup singers for special gigs ala Mad Dogs and Englishmen, opening for acts like Mungo Jerry and Aussie rocknrollers Daddy Cool, whose management Mushroom Records were suitably impressed that they invited us to go to Australia to be on that label, unfortunately Kaye fell pregnant and decided that she wouldn't go, Paul and Tony wouldn't go because of that so the Rhythm section and I went but as there was no band as such Mushroom lost interest and the band was consequently buggered. We were like Strangers In A Strange Land, didnt know anybody in Australia at that point, and I returned to my pregnant wife in Auckland".

Lutha 1973 (l-r): Graham Wardrop, Garry McAlpine,
 Peter Edmonds and Kevin Foster

Lutha was formed in Dunedin in 1970. They established themselves very quickly, as all five members (Graham Wardrop-Lead Guitar / Vocals, Garry McAlpine-Percussion / Vocals, Peter Edmonds-Drums, Peter Fraser-Bass Guitar / Vocals, Kevin Foster-Keyboards) had previously played in top local bands such as Throb and Pussyfoot. They were insistent on remaining a Dunedin based band even after attracting considerable national interest.

They signed to HMV in 1972 and produced two albums during that year. They were the self-titled "Lutha" and "Earth". Lutha released four singles during 1972 and the beginning of 1973, all coming from their two albums. They were "Then I Saw Her Face"/"Mountain Side", "Stop The Music Is Over"/"My Turn To Cry", "Earth"/"I Really Only Want To Be With You" and "Here And Now (My Friend)"/"Waterfall".

Their first North Island gigs didn't come until late 1972. Had they moved to one of the larger centres, Lutha could have proved to be even more popular, but when they did shift, it was only to Christchurch and by that stage, 1973, it was too late. In November 1972, EMI promoted a concert at the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch. Lutha performed there along with Blerta, Quincy Conserve and Desna Sisarich. The event was recorded and released early in 1973 as an album called "Live". Lutha contributed three tracks to the album. (thanks to Bruce Sergent for this info)

Taylor LP [1972]

For track 5 we have an album cut from a band called Taylor, who made one LP of slightly countrified/Southern rock and 'Simpsons World' ends with some brilliant duelling guitar which I find reminiscent of a laid back Lynyrd Skynyrd jam. The line-up was Keith Norris (Drums / Percussion), Steve McDonald (Keyboards / Vocals), Kevin Bayley (Lead Guitar), Rick White (Rhythm Guitar) and Clint Brown (Bass Guitar). They were a Wellington act that formed in 1971 and although only together for two years, produced one good and very rare album. The band included a couple of members of bands that I used in the first NZ Vol34: Timberjack and Farmyard.

Taylor had moderate success, releasing a single "Hard Life"/"Simpson's World" in 1971, recording a self-titled album which contained both songs from the single in 1972, securing a sought-after residency at John's Place in Auckland.

Keith Norris and Clint Brown had been playing together since 1969, starting in Wellington's Rebirth. In mid-1970, the pair left and headed to Australia, thereby ending Rebirth, and they joined up with expatriates Dave Brown and Milton Parker to form Tangent. This group disbanded in March 1971 and Brown and Norris returned to Wellington, where they joined up with guitarist Kevin Bayley, keyboardist Steve McDonald and guitarist Rick White, to form Taylor. Kevin Bayley playied lead guitar with Chapta  in 1970. Steve McDonald had played with his brother Eddie in a Wellington group called the Strangers, before joining Dizzy Limits in 1966. Dizzy Limits became Timberjack in 1970, after which he moved to Taylor. Rick White started back in 1964, while still at school, with a Wellington's The Relics who made one single in 1966. Rick moved to form Tom Thumb and stayed with them until 1970 when he joined Farmyard for a short time, before becoming part of Taylor.

The Dedikation

The Dedikation's track here is a cover of the Cryan' Shames, the Illinois, US band that made a 1968 heavy and brilliant psychedelic pop single which I used back on Vol77 called 'Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones'. The Dedikation's version lacks the production sheen of the 'Shames original, but retains the heaviness. maybe even surpassing it with extra distortion! They were originally formed in the Upper Hutt around 1967, with the original drummer Michael Parlane being replaced by Bruce Whitelaw when they turned professional. The other members were: Ray Mercer (Lead Guitar), Graeme Collins (Keyboards / Vocals) and Graham Harvey (Bass Guitar).

Their first single was released in 1969 and was a huge hit. It was "Wait For Me Maryanne"/"Sally Had A Party" and reached number 2 on the national charts. "Maryanne" was a far superior cover of the original song by the Marmalade from 1968. The Marmalade version lacks the depth of sound that the Dedikation managed to give it. The song was a monster and few bands are capable of following up such a hit with another smash. Their second single was "Hayride"/"Barefootin'" and didn't even make the charts. The third single, a cover of the Rolling Stones did better. It was "Ruby Tuesday"/"Be A Woman" and reached number 12 on the national charts in 1970. One self-titled album was released in 1969 and by 1970 the Dedikation had called it quits.

After their split, Graeme Collins went on to play with Human Instinct (see vol3 & vol34) in 1971 and also was an original member of  Dragon in 1972. Graham Harvey had a short time with another Wellington band, the Falcons.  (thanks to Bruce Sergent for the info)

Airlord

Airlord were a rare example of 70s kiwi progressive rock in the style of Yes/Genesis etc. I have used a track called 'Ladies of the Night', a charismatic song which ends in a guitar tour de force, taken from their 'Clockwork Revenge' album. This passage is adapted from Bruce Sergent's Airlord page: The band was: Steve MacKenzie (Guitar / Vocals), Ray Simenauer (Guitar / Vocals), Brad Murray (Bass / Vocals), Alan Blackburn (Keyboards) and Rick Mercer (Drums). They formed in Wellington in 1976, played the pubs and flew to Australia the following year, recorded a great albeit ignored album, "Clockwork Revenge", and disbanded in 1978. The group failed to secure a large New Zealand audience, largely because they performed original material. Airlord had to escape to Australia to earn a decent living, and although they were never a top draw card across the Tasman, their lifespan was a lot longer than had they stayed in New Zealand.

In 1979 after Airlord had disbanded, Steve MacKenzie and Alan Blackburn formed Machine with Tony Jax on drums and Steve Kulak on bass. They released one single in 1981 called "They Destroy Me". Before Airlord, Steve MacKenzie had teamed up with Reece Kirk to form a duo called Friends. They released two singles, one in 1974 and the other in 1975. Reece had also released a single by himself in 1972.

Mammal, 1973. Left to right: Tony Backhouse, Julie Needham,
Kerry Jacobson, Mark Hornibrook, Robert Taylor, Rick Bryant

Track 8: from Wellington's "Mammal", is taken from an album which was their collaborative effort with "New Zealand's best known poet" Sam Hunt. Many of the tracks begin with Sam's recitations of his poems, which lead into songs that are themed around the poems. 'Beware the Man' is a fast and eccentric hit of psych. Mammal seem to have had an interesting and unusual career, especially for an NZ band, but there is an unfortunate paucity of recorded material to judge them by as they only printed one single (in addition to the Sam Hunt album). I found a great account of the band here with a lot of pictures.

The album's cover scans include the insert that came with it and here is what is printed on it: "Sam Hunt lives on Bottle Creek and in the past few years has achieved a high reputation as a poet and a bit of notoriety as a pisshead. Now he's accepted by the poetry establishment, the NZBC features him on TV, but his poetry's lost none of its guts and style. Now he's off the booze, writing better than ever. Sam's big, wooly headed, a bit mad. His poems are like songs . . direct . . . like Bob Dylan's poetry a little, rhythmically . . . like rock. Mammal is solid. They love the best music and they've made something else of Sam's words: something beautiful, loud, deep, heavy, lyrical . . . whatever. This LP is the first by Sam Hunt and Mammal. Let it be the first of many to get to you."

Roy Rutanen LP (1972)

So far, this is the only information I can gather regarding Roy Rutanen on-line, and it's mostly unsubstantiated. He was from New Zealand [Edit in 2022: This has now been discovered to be wrong - he was from the USA and I exclusively weeded-out the truth by interviewing him here! - please read his interview after this] and recorded one self-titled album in Australia, released on MCA through Astor Records in 1972. He also made two singles on MCA. They were "Your Day Is Comin' / Hey You" [1970] (MCA 1167 - both non-album tracks), and "Plastic World / The Old Man" [1971] (MCA 1230 - both from the album). The track I have used, Sinful Man, is from the album. It's the most brooding, aggressive one on there, among a collection of largely soothing pastoral music that has been described variously as acid / psych / folk / country rock and features mostly acoustic guitar, flute and electric bass, with some lap-steel guitar and fuzz guitar.

The Plastic World single was engineered by Spencer Lee, who also produced the Sydney hard rockers Buffalo (see Vol1 and Vol21). So far I have only managed to find a few low-res front cover scans of the album, which show a cross-legged guy sitting on grass playing acoustic guitar, partially obscured by a tree, with a blonde-haired girl watching in the foreground. I can only guess this guy is Roy, and I have not found mention of any other names who played on the record. He sings slightly more aggressively on Sinful Man and sounds agreeably like Jim Morrison, but this is not the case on all the songs. As for now, a mystery...

Quincy Conserve 1972 L to R: Mike Conway,Dave Orams,Kevin Furey,
Johnny McCormick,Barry Brown-Sharpe, Malcolm Hayman
and Rufus Rehu.

Track 10 introduces The Quincy Conserve, who debuted at Wellington's Downtown Club in February 1968, were one of the most talented and professional groups to appear on the New Zealand music scene in the late sixties, Wellington's first 'supergroup'. Releasing 4 albums, They had an eventful career which you can read all about on Bruce Seagent's brilliant site here, and included bass player Dave Orams from The Underdogs which I featured back on Vol34. Being a large multi-instrumentalist ensemble/showband with a revolving door lineup, they held residencies at a few Wellington clubs over their time, including the Cornhill Tavern and the Speakeasy Bar in Manners Street. After being signed to EMI they performed backing for pop singer Allison Durbin and another interesting note is they were billed along-side another act appearing later in this comp, Lutha. That was at the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch in 1972, and that resulted in a live album including both acts (and others from the night) called "Live".  Their powerful sound is demonstrated by the driving horns-assisted track I used here, 'Common Man', taken from their second album 'Epitaph' (1971).

'On The Beach' movie, inspiration
 behind the song 'Morning Dew'.

Another super-fuzz single now, a cover of 'Morning Dew' from The Retaliation. A recent comment on my Youtube channel prompted me to look into the song's interesting history. It was popularised by The Grateful Dead's 1967 cover, but was first performed by Fred Neil and Vince Martin in 1964. The song was written in 1961 by Canadian folk singer Bonnie Dobson in keeping with anti-nuclear sentiments at the time of the cold war, and has a post-apocalypse theme that was inspired by the 1959 WWIII movie 'On the Beach' staring Gregory Peck.

As for The Retaliation, they were a Wellington-based pop group around for a very short time in 1969. Phil Pritchard (guitar) had spent the later part of the sixties in Australia and when he returned to his hometown, Wellington in late-1969, he had a very short stint with this group, before deciding to form an underground band, to play original material, called Highway. Barry Leef (vocals) had recently been with the Simple Image. The rest of the band was made up of Nick Bagnall (Bass Guitar) and Mike Darby (Drums). They only released one single during their short time and that was "If You Think You're Groovy"/"Morning Dew" for HMV in 1969. (thanks to Bruce Sergent for this info) I have been looking for the Highway album, but as yet no luck....it looks like it could be a heavy one...

[EDIT 2/4/2014] Here is an update I received since posting this: "just a quick correction on Retaliation. Barry Leef did not sing on this record and nor did Mike Darby play drums. They both joined just after it's release. I have just recently interviewed Barry for a book I'm writing and he gave me the scoop. By the way, the book is on Australian band BAKERY and will include a companion CD with an albums worth of unreleased tracks.. mind blowing stuff. bookmark my company. www.highvoltagepublishing.com"

Headband

Headband take us onwards, into some awesome rock n' roll flute soloing (not something I say very often). In 1970 Tommy Adderley was inspired by the then current line-up of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, to form a group; Bluesbreakers had an unusual line-up, including an electric violin, but no drums. This was the sound Adderley had in mind. It didn't take too many rehearsals, however, before Tommy realised that this drumless unit wasn't working out, so Jimmy Hill was brought in on drums. At this point, the group was renamed Headband. Headband debuted at Molly Hatchetts nightclub in February 1971. This club closed shortly after, so Adderley purchased the old Bo-Peep club in Durham Lane in Auckland. He refurbished it and re-opened it as Grannys in June 1971. This gave Headband a permanent venue to play and became the venue at which great bands like Dragon and Ragnarok debuted.

In late 1971 Jack Stradwick (formerly with Action) left and was replaced by Billy Kristian, who along with Jimmy Hill had previously played in Ray Columbus's Invaders. With this line-up and Alan Quinnell (Guitar) and Ronnie Craig (Guitar) an album called "Happen Out" was recorded for HMV. A single was taken from it, "Ballad of Jacques Le Mere"/"The Error Of My Ways". It reached number 14 on the national charts. Two further singles came from the album, "Good Morning Mr Rock'n'Roll"/"Dip Tank" and "Love Is Bigger Than The Whole Wide World"/"The Loving Tree", with the latter reaching number 12 in September 1972. Another single "Time"/"Paranoia" failed to sell.

Headband did a Universities tour during 1972, but apart from that they seldom performed outside Auckland. The group disbanded in 1973, with Adderley concentrating on his nightclub. After numerous run-ins with the law, he was forced to close the venue in 1976. Tommy resurrected Headband for a national tour, single and album in 1975. He had a new line-up featuring himself, Dick Hopp and Hill, plus bassist Neil Edwards and keyboards player Len Whittle. The album was called "Rock Garden" with a single "I Get High (On Music)"/"Hey Little Schoolgirl" coming from it. Nothing more came from the group after this.

The Road Runners

The Roadrunners were from Lower Hutt, just north of Wellington, and formed in 1964. With an average age of sixteen, they were a sensational live r&b band. During 1965 they had a residency at the Intermezzo Coffee Lounge for a short while. The Roadrunners were managed by their friend Jim Pilcher, who later went to the UK in a similar role with the Fourmyula.

This band was the starting point for Chaz Burke-Kennedy and Glyn Mason, who both went on to larger things. Chaz was a member of the Underdogs, Jigsaw and Fresh Air, while Glyn was with the Bitter End and  Jigsaw, before replacing Larry Morris in the Rebels. Noel Koskella (Bass Guitar) and Tim O'Connor (Drums) completed the band. Glyn eventually moved to Australia, and joined Chain in 1970. After a spell in England, he came back to Australia, where he joined Ariel in 1975 and later the Stockley See Mason Band (see the Aussie Vol80). In 1966, it just happened that the Roadrunners were forced into a temporary hiatus while guitarist Chaz Burke-Kennedy began to explore the delights of life as a recluse. This left drummer Tim O'Connor free to join the Derelicts for a short time, returning when Chaz decided to venture out into the wide world again.

The group never recorded, but did do a demo session. This session contained a song called "LSD", which has been located and can be heard on the CD "Get The Picture" from the Legenz series, produced by Jayrem Records. Another track from the session was "Get Out Of My Life Woman" and can be found on the other CD in the series, "Out From The Cold". (thanks to Bruce Sergent for the info)

Mantis LP "Turn Onto Music" (1973)

Mantis were a Fijian rock group that came to Wellington and took up a residency at one of the clubs. Their style was very mainly funk but for the track included here I have used the most straight-ahead rocking one, there is also a cover of Mississippi Queen on the record which I could equally have used. While they were in Wellington they recorded an album in 1973 called "Turn Onto Music". They consisted of Joe Heritage (Bass Guitar / Vocals), Ronnie Sammuel (Keyboards), Paul Stephen (Drums), Waisea Vatuwaga (Lead Guitar / Vocals) and Reuben Davui (Guitar / Vocals). The LP was released on the Vertigo label (!!! Somehow). Two singles came from the album, "Night and Day"/"Time Is Tight" and "Turn On The Music"/"Get Down". (thanks to Bruce Sergent for this info)

Think 'We'll Give You a Buzz' LP (1976)

Think were an Auckland progressive/art rock group who formed in 1976. Phil Whitehead and Don Mills came from the disbanded outfit Beam, with Phil Whitehead actually having had a short stint with Human Instinct in-between. They produced an album in 1976 called We'll Give You A Buzz and a single "Arrived In Time/Big Ladies" the following year. One further single came in 1979 with "Good Morning/Peanut Joe". Kevin Stanton was also a member at one time. He later went on to play with Mi-Sex. All other sources apart from their myspace site are rare. The band comprised of Alan Badger - Bass, Ritchie Pickett - Vocals, Don Mills - Keyboards, Neville Jess - Drums,Phil Whitehead - Guitars. (thanks to ProgArchives and Bruce Sergent for the info)

Thanks for listening, Kia Ora!

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The Day After The Sabbath 34: Shafts of Strife and War [NZ pt.1]

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password:  tdats

This is a re-issue of Volume 34, a New Zealand special I did some time ago that has been unavailable for a long time. [Since then I have made a second NZ comp: Volume 90] I have added an extra track to this one, another from The La De Da's, and a lot more information on the bands. A special thanks must go to Bruce Sergent who's site has an amazing directory of NZ rock. I have also improved the cover art, it's a portrait by NZ artist Charles Goldie (1870-1947) of Tāmati Wāka Nene, a successful Maori chief who was influential in affairs during the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. I still get a lot of requests to re-up this so here it is, and it has spurred me into action to look at New Zealand again...I have another hour's worth of new tracks now so expect the second NZ volume very soon indeed! If you are are interested in things Antipodean, check out the two Australian volumes I have done so far; 21 and 80.

Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival

Being a remote country with small population, the scene's pool of talent tends to blend with larger countries like Australia, America and the UK, where many artists were drawn to further their prospects for success. While there was very little of the heavier stuff I usually look for around in NZ at the time, there was plenty of good-ol' rock and roll, and certainly a number of guitarists influenced by Hendrix. It turns out one of most aggressive tracks here is one of the oldest, in Bluestar's 60s punky psych anthem 'Social End Product'. Similarly to Australia, the Yes/Genesis styles of progressive rock were very rare too. The closest examples I have found so far were Living Force (on here) and two more; Airlord and Think, who will both be on the next NZ volume. Due to it's secluded location it often took a long time for the heavier or less-commercial sounds to filter down, many big 70s artists like Led Zep and Sabbath had been established for years before they first visited the country to play live.

Poster of the
Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival

The first major outdoor event, The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival, was not until 1973, but it was a good one....with Black Sabbath and Fairport Convention as the big international head-liners. Two of the artists appearing in this comp were also there, The Human Instinct's Billy TK (with The Powerhouse) and The La De Da's, along with others that I will include in the next NZ comp; Butler and Mammal. Ticket (on this comp) were billed but apparently didn't play, according to Wikipedia: "Ticket never appeared. They were scheduled to appear and to tour Australia and Canada with Black Sabbath but singer Trevor Tombleson had a throat infection and guitarist Eddie Hansen's 'beloved yellow rig' was blown up by Sabbath's guitarist [Tony Iommi] who was using it onstage without permission. Hansen refused to go on after that."

A quote from JPJ audio's site, who appear to have worked on the stage sound: "The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival was held over 3 days. between the 6th and 8th of January 1973. It was the first major music festival held in New Zealand and attracted over 18,000 people. The venue, a farm about 3km north of the town centre, was a a natural amphitheatre and a perfect outdoor rock concert venue". Young festival promoter, Barry Coburn, recounts memories of Black Sabbath's cross-burning antics in an NZ Herald article here, and the full-size poster can be seen here.

Tracks

01. Jesse Harper - Midnight Sun [edit] (1969)
       from album 'guitar absolution in the shadow of a midnight sun'
02. Ticket - Awake (1972)
       from album 'awake'
03. Dave Miller/Leith Corbett and Friends - 353527 Charles (1970)
       from album 'reflections of a pioneer'
04. The Underdogs - It's a Blessing (1970)
       from album 'wasting our time'
05. The La De Da's - How Is The Air Up There? (1966)
       from album "la de da's"
06. The La De Da's - The Place (1973) *NEW ADDITION*
       from album 'rock and roll sandwitch'
07. Space Farm - Space Farm (1972)
       from album 'Space farm'
08. Timberjack - Come to the Sabbat (1971)
       single
09. Farmyard - All In Your Mind (1971)
       from album 'back to fronting'
10. The Bluestars - Social End Product (1966)
       single
11. The Human Instinct - Black Sally [Mecca cover] (1971)
       from album 'stoned guitar'
12. Ray Columbus & The Art Collection - Kick Me (I Think I'm Dreaming) (1967)
       single
13. Living Force - Hari Bol (1977)
       from album 'living force'
14. Jesse Harper - Jug-A-Jug Song (1969)
       from album 'guitar absolution in the shadow of a midnight sun'

references:

Keith Newman | Bruce Sergent | NZ Music 60s-70s

Memories of NZ Musicians | Derek's Daily 45 | JPJ Audio

Dreams, Fantasies and Nightmares From Far Away Lands (Vernon Joynson)

Jesse Harper (Doug Jerebine)

Jesse Harper, who bookends this volume with two excellent Hendrixian tracks, was a pseudonym of Doug Jerebine, who started out in a number of underground NZ bands like The Brew. He recorded his (not released at the time) 1969 solo album 'Guitar Absolution in the Shadow of a Midnight Sun' during a stint in the UK, while there he played bass with Jeff Beck and formed the World Band with another Kiwi Mike Donnelly on drums. It's also said he played with Andromeda (see Vol148) too. I found a recent article here, that mentions his 1973 move to India where he bacame a Krishna monk for almost 30 years, and some words from the man himself here. There's also a 2012 interview with the man himself here. 

Ticket

Ticket were one of NZ's early prog/psych bands that had success in Australia too, where they supported Black Sabbath's first tour. They were started in Auckland by drummer Ricky Ball (Ex-Challenge, Ex-Beatboys, Ex-Courtiers) and guitarist Eddie Hansen (Ex-Challenge, Ex-Revival). They relocated to Christchurch and fully developed their progressive psych sounds to the point at which they were ready for a stint in Australia, where they held a month-long residency in Sydney's Whiskey-Go-Go. They stayed in Oz longer than planned and recorded their second album "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" there. They split in 72 after returning to NZ, reportedly due to Eddie needing a break from the rock n'roll excesses that were typical of the times. Ball, Hansen and Paul Woolright all played on Lindsay Marks' eponymous 1973 album. Ball was briefly in Band of Light (Vol54) before converting to Hare Krishna and joining Living Force (here later) with Harvey Mann. Ticket have played some reunion shows in NZ, very recently with other classic bands Dragon and Hello Sailor.

Dave Miller is a kiwi who moved over to Australia after leaving Christchurch's 'Dave Miller and the Byrds'; "...one of the best R&B cover acts to appear in the early sixties, faithfully reproducing all manner of Chuck Berry and Chicago blues originals on stage." and initially formed The Dave Miller Set. After they split three of them formed Blackfeather (Vol8). Leith Corbett (Ex-"Heart n' Soul"), another Kiwi, soon abandoned Blackfeather to work with Miller again on the 'Dave Miller/Leith Corbett and Friends' 1970 album ‘Reflections Of A Pioneer’ which '353527 Charles' is taken from. It's a varied album ranging from fuzzy psych, to contemplative instrumentals to hard rocking blues.

The Underdogs

The Brew links us to another band here, The Underdogs, whose guitarist Harvey Mann played with Doug Jerebine while in The Brew together. They evolved in Auckland from the Underground Blues Band in 1966. and quickly achieved a reputation as a wild live act. They played on the national TV pop show "C'mon!" and lasted until 1970 (with a brief late-70s reformation) after many lineup changes and an unsuccessful relocation to Wellington. Many members moved on to other notable bands, some of which also appear on this comp; singer Murray Grindlay went on to an incarnation of Cruise Lane (appearing on the next NZ volume), bassist Neil Edwards was in Human Instinct (this volume and Vol3) and Headband (next NZ volume), Harvey Mann later lead Space Farm (this volume) and Living Force (this volume) and finally drummer Glen Absolum played with Ticket (coming next).

The La De Da's (1974)

The La De Da's formed in Auckland in 1963 (first as The Mergers). They enjoyed reasonable success in both New Zealand and Australia, spanning the decades and changes in rock sounds, until their split in 1975. I have included two tracks here, the first is from their earlier pop psych days in NZ, and as a demonstration of how they changed, the next track is from their final album which was recorded in Australia after they had adopted the prevalent boogie blues style of bands like Chain and Buster Brown. Original guitarist extraordinaire Kevin Borich continued after the La De Da's with Kevin Borich Express and The Party Boys, won many Australian awards and played with many notable names like Renee Geyer (see Vol71).

Space Farm

Space Farm were formed by Harvey Mann (Underdogs, Ticket) and Glen Absalom (ex-Underdogs) with bass player Billy Williams. They started out as 'The Australasian Rock Squad' and recorded one eponymous album in 1972 which 'Space Farm' is taken from. A great outfit playing hard rock / power trio sounds. The full line-Up was Glen Absolum (Drums), Harvey Mann (Guitar), Billy Williams (Bass Guitar) and Bob Gillett (Saxophone). In February 1971, when the Underdogs, whom at that time consisted of Harvey Mann, Glen Absolum and Neil Edwards, released their "Wasting My Time" album, and it failed to sell in great numbers, Neil Edwards decided to leave the group and join Human Instinct. Harvey and Glen added a new bass guitarist, Billy Williams, and to beef up the sound, Bob Gillett was added on saxophone. Also required was a new name, so they became the Australasian Rock Squad. Bob Gillett had been playing with Breeze prior to joining. Billy Williams came from Classic Affair. In September 1971, Gillett decided to become a part-time member of the group, so they rechristened themselves Space Farm.

Space Farm LP (1972)

Space Farm only recorded one album for Zodiac. It was self-titled and released in 1972. This album was re-issued on the Little Wing label in 1989 under the name "Going Back To Eternity". The album was largely ignored by the public, but Space Farm continued to pull crowds and they remained at the forefront of the underground movement until their demise in 1973. Towards the end of the band, there had been drastic changes within. Harvey began to forego drugs and alcohol and these changes were reflected in his song writing and performances. After the group ended, Harvey took a sabbatical and when he returned to the scene it was as a member of the Krishna faith. He later joined Living Force with Glen. Billy Williams joined Ticket and Blerta before heading to Australia and great success in a number of Australian groups. In 2000 Ascension Records released their original album on CD.

Timberjack

Timberjack's track is unbridled, ridiculous fun, with great flute and string section production. They evolved from Wellington's Dizzy Limits and were a short-lived band that achieved chart success and infamy with their 1971 cover of Black Widow's 'Come To The Sabbat'. It reached number 7 on the national charts and was a Loxene Golden Disc finalist, which caused outrage from staunch church-goers. With good sales, no doubt spurred-on by the controversy, Timberjack seemed set for a full-scale attack on the country, but "Sabbat" was both highlight and swansong for the group. They split up before the year was out. Extensive Dizzy Limits and Timberjack information, with interviews, can be found here.

Farmyard - Back To Fronting LP (1971)

Farmyard were a Wellington group who were around only for a short time from 1970 to 1971. The lineup was: Rick White (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals), Tom Swainson (Drums), Milton Parker (Lead Guitar), Andy Stevens (Saxophone) and Paul Curtis (Bass Guitar). Rick White, previously of the Relics and Tom Thumb, started with the group but was later replaced by Bernard Lee. Their first single for Polydor in 1970 was "Learnin' 'bout Living"/"Da Woirks". It was successful enough to gain entry in to the 1971 Loxene Gold Disk Awards. A self-titled album was also released and came in a plastic bag with a poster. A second single "Nothing's Happening Here"/"Me, The Dog, Ma And Dear Ol' Dad" also came out in 1970 and was included on their second album called "Back To Fronting" released in 1971. Their third and last single was "Which Way Confusion Part 1"/"Which Way Confusion Part 2", taken from their first album and appeared during 1971. Both of their albums were repackaged in 1991 into a double album called "Looking For A Place" on the Little Wing label. After Farmyard disbanded, Tom Swainson joined Wellington underground band Arkastra in February 1972, and Redeye in 1976.

The Bluestars

The Bluestars began life as the Nomads around 1961. Murray Savidan and Roger McClay were school friends at Auckland Grammar, where they played at school concerts. John Harris was recruited on drums and his friend Rick van Bokhoven joined as a singer. When Roger McClay left the group in early 1964, a reshuffle moved Savidan to bass, Harris to lead guitar and van Bokhoven to rhythm guitar. A new recruit was Jim Crowley, who took over the role of drummer. At this point they changed their name to the Bluestars, the line now being: Rick van Bokhoven (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals), John Harris (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Murray Savidan (Bass/vocals) and Jim Crowley (Drums). Modelling themselves on the Shadows style of music, they started playing at church and youth group dance engagements, but after hearing the Beatles first album, they made a major change to their style of music. This proved successful and they started selling out venues around Auckland's eastern suburbs. While the majority of the music was covers, they did do some original stuff and in 1964 they were invited to record a couple of these as demos for Eldred Stebbing's Zodiac Records. Nothing seemed to come from this, so they continued playing the suburban dance circuit, steering clear of the inner city clubs. Still wanting to release a record, they engaged Terry Hayman as their recording manager. Terry claimed to have contacts at Decca Records in London. He was right, and he got them signed to Decca, making the Bluestars the first New Zealand group to score a debut record contract in Britain. They still didn't actually have anything recorded, so Hayman arranged for NZBC engineer Wahanui Wynyard to record some songs at the Radio Theatre in Auckland. Four songs were recorded during the session. They were "Please Be A Little Kind", "I Can Take It", "Just Fell In Love With You" and "Baby Come Home". Although a rushed session, a tape was still sent off to England. Decca obviously liked what they heard, as they released a single of "Please Be A Little Kind" backed with "I Can Take It" in December 1965. The single was released in Britain and the Continent, as well as the US, Japan and Australia. Whilst getting some favourable reviews, it was not a hit. Early 1966 saw its release in New Zealand. Receiving valuable airplay, it made it to number 12 on a local chart, but because they were only known around Auckland, it never featured on the national chart. But because of their new found fame, they started playing larger venues, to larger audiences. The group went back to the studio to prepare a follow-up single. Three songs were recorded, "It's The End", "S'pose We're Away" and "Don't Wanna Be Lonely Anymore". Unfortunately Decca didn't like any of them and rejected them all. That concluded their relationship with Decca. As an answer to this rejection, John Harris wrote "Social End Product". It was released on Allied International in September 1966 with "I'm Over Here" on the flipside. With the release of this single, controversy was never far from the group. Towards the end of 1966, Rick van Bokhoven decided to leave the group. He later joined a version of the Music Convention in 1969. Jim Crowley also felt like a change and gave up the drums to play the organ. In 1967, a new recruit was found to play drums. He was Eric Jackson, from the recently disbanded Jamestown Union. In order to be able to have a regular place to play, as well as their suburban dance gigs, they decided to open their own club. A venue was found in Remuera and was named the "Gallows". It was a short lived venture and because of noise complaints by wealthy neighbours was forced to close down hardly before it began. One last single was recorded for Allied International in February 1967. It was "I'm A Little Man" / "Sherlock Sweet". Almost immediately after that the group broke up. Jim Crowley moved to Sydney, playing drums for Matchbox in 1969, and the others drifted into other non music related careers. A CD of their songs has recently been released called "The Bluestars (not from Birmingham!)".

Billy TK, Larry Waide and Maurice Greer.
The Human Instinct 1970

The Human Instinct's track here was a cover of a 1970 single from a short-lived Australian band called 'Mecca', which has thankfully been posted on youtube here. Apparently Mecca had connections to bands Chariot, Kahvas Jute, Planet Alliance and The Rayders and I need to investigate them further... The Human Instinct was a continuation of the group, the Four Fours. The transition to Human Instinct began in 1966 when Trevor Spitz, founding member of the Four Fours, decided to leave when the other group members wanted to embark on a trip to England to seek their fortune and fame.

Trevor was replaced by 19 year old Maurice Greer. Hailing from Palmerston North, Greer had formed his first band when he was 14, and two years later joined Manawatu's number one group, the Flares Show Band. In 1963 Greer and his brother Frank opened their own Palmerston North nightspot, the Flamingo, and the following year Maurice formed the Big Three with ex-Flares Peter Knowles on guitar and Trevor Harrison on bass. It was with Big Three that Greer first used a restructured drum kit, allowing him to play while standing, to allow him to better handle lead vocals. In 1965 Greer formed the Saints, (not to be confused with the Christchurch Saints from 1962), with Doug Rowe on bass, Dave Hurley on guitar and Winston Cartelli on vocals. They played in the Manawatu area, but in order to get greater recognition they were soon gigging in Wellington, before moving up to Auckland, which is where Greer came to the attention of the Four Fours.

He passed an audition to join the group and his first recording venture with them was the very successful "Go Go". Within six months he was on his way to England with the rest of the group. Dave Hartstone had been planning this trip for some time and arranged for them to take up a residency on board the Fairsky in return for reduced fares to England. It was during that voyage that it was decided that a name change was required to something more fitting for a group about to conquer the hip UK market. Human Instinct was the name decided upon. Three months would pass before they got their first paying gig, but in the meantime they caught up with all the new sounds and what was hip in the fashion world. At the beginning of 1967 they auditioned for a booking agency. Playing an impressive version of the Beach Boys classic, Good Vibrations, they were successful over a number of other hopeful groups and soon found themselves gigging regularly, even landing a support role for the Small Faces on a tour of Northern England.

A recording contract was signed with Philips, who released three singles for them on the Mercury label. All songs were written by Dave Hartstone. The first release was "Can't Stop Around"/"I Want To Be Loved By You My Friend" in 1967. The "Can't Stop Around" song has often been referred to as "Can't Shop Around" and "Can't Stop Loving You". The single was not successful, but the follow-up "Rich Man"/"Illusions" received the following favourable review in "New Musical Express": "A pounding up-tempo piece with ear-catching lyrics and some weird guitar sounds. Self-penned and out of the ordinary". Unfortunately the review didn't help with sales and the third single release, a remake of the Four Fours "Go-Go" backed with "I Can't Live Without You" fared even worse. As a result, Philips terminated the contract, but they were immediately picked up by Decca for release on their Deram label.

The first Deram single in 1967 was "A Day In My Mind's Mind"/"Death Of The Seaside" and this was followed by a Byrds cover, "Renaissance Fair"/"Pink Dawn" in 1968. Human Instinct once again failed to achieve recording success in Britain and Decca soon lost interest in them. Most of the two years the band had been in England was spent on the road. It was not a lifestyle that Bill Ward was happy with so he decided to return to New Zealand. Dave Hartstone had no plans for leaving England, while Frank Hay also decided to return to New Zealand for a break. Maurice Greer was undecided, as he had been offered the drummer's seat with the new Jeff Beck band, the line-up which also included Rod Stewart. In September 1968 he decided to return to New Zealand to reform a new line-up with the hope of eventually returning to England.

Back in New Zealand Maurice replaced Bill Ward with a friend of his from Palmerston North, 21 year old Billy Tekahika, who had been with the Sinners. Billy was later better known as Billy TK. Frank Hay stayed for a short time, but when Maurice decided to take the band on a national tour, he decided to leave and was replaced by Michael Brown. During the tour Michael left to join Dunedin band, the Klap, and was replaced by Peter Barton. After the tour, a short residency was taken up at the Bo Peep in Auckland, before Greer, Barton and Tekahika flew to London in February 1969 for a second assault on Britain. When they arrived there, they immediately bought a massive PA and lighting system and attracted an audience who wanted to experience the mountain of sound. The group's repertoire at this stage was all original. Although Greer handled most of the vocals, the focal point of the trio was Billy TK, who was becoming a guitar legend in his own right.

The second visit only lasted three months, but during that time they did meet up with Doug Jerebine, previously with the Embers and the Brew. Doug was in England also trying to crack the London scene. He was there recording under the name Jessie Harper. Doug had impressed Maurice and in time Human Instinct were to record seven of his songs. On their return to New Zealand, they began recording an album at Astor studios in Auckland. About half way through it Peter Barton left the group and Larry Waide was brought in to complete the album. Released late 1969, the album was called "Burning Up Years". From it came the single "I Think I'll Go Back Home"/"You Really Got Me".

Work then began immediately on the second album. It was recorded in June 1970 and released as "Stoned Guitar". From it came the singles "Midnight Sun"/"Idea" and "Black Sally"/"Tomorrow". These were the only two of their singles to be released with picture sleeves. Below is both sides of "Black Sally"/"Tomorrow". Larry Waide left the group after recording the second album, as musical directions began to change. His position was filled in February 1971 by former Underdogs bass player Neil Edwards. No sooner had he joined and the group was back in the studios to record their third album. This was called "Pins In It" and was released in June 1971. One single, "Rainbow World"/"Highway", was issued from this album.

At the same time as its release, the group headed to Sydney for a three month tour. It was not a happy time for the band and at the end of the visit, Billy TK announced that he was remaining in Australia. This basically signalled the end of Human Instinct as a heavy rock band. Instead of replacing Billy with another guitarist, Maurice decided to go for a totally different sound and added Graeme Collins, previously with Dedikation, on keyboards. This configuration didn't last very long and in 1972 Maurice started again with a completely new line-up which consisted of himself, Martin Hope, from the Fourmyula, and John Donoghue, from Timberjack, both on guitar, and Glenn Mikkelson (also known as Zaine Griff) on bass. This combination concentrated on country rock.

From late 1971, Maurice divided his time between his music and nightclub construction with his brothers, Barry and Frank. They were responsible for opening quite a few clubs in Auckland, notably Hatchett's, Granny's, Shantytown, Ruby's Saloon and Croft's, as well as quite a number of  others around the country. Human Instinct released another single "Texas Sparrow"/"Children Of The World" in 1971 and two more albums. One in 1972 called "Snatmin Cuthin" and the other in 1974 called "The Hustler". 1972 saw a single on the Zodiac label called "Down The Hall On Saturday Night"/"Simple Man" and then in 1975 the final single on Family "Tropical Paradise"/"Dixie Holiday". Between 1972 and 1982 there were many combinations of the group. Others to have had a stint with the band were Phil Whitehead, Steve McDonald, Peter Cuddihy, Andrew Kaye, Chris Gunn, John Parker, Malcolm Weatherall, Len Whittle, Kevin Fury, Steve Hubbard, Murray Hancox, Stuart Pearce and Peter Woods. Around 1982, the Human Instinct was formally disbanded by Maurice Greer. After his time with the band, Billy TK went on to form Powerhouse. Recently the first three albums by Human Instinct have been re-issued on CD by Ascension Records, along with a CD of all of their singles.

In late 1975, when the line-up consisted of Greer on drums, Whitehead on guitar, Mikkelson on bass, and McDonald on keyboards, a recording session for an impending album was done. The group at that time had been playing together for around 18 months at the Shantytown nightclub under Auckland's Civic Theatre. Several months passed before a rough mix-down of the tapes were performed. By the time the sessions were finished, the Human Instinct had moved on to a new residency at Crofts and there style of music had changed, along with new members in the band. The project was subsequently shelved. In 2001, the session tapes were located at Stebbing's warehouse and a long slow process of restoring and re-mastering the tapes took place with the final result being the release of that 1975 album on CD called "Peg Leg - The Lost Tapes". Interview with Steve McDonald (link).

Ray Columbus - Kick Me 45

Here some info about Ray Columbus I found at Derek's Daily 45:"Ray Columbus was the first rocker to have a hit outside of New Zealand with his crack band the Invaders (his "She's A Mod" cracked the top of the Australian charts in 1964). A number of hits followed, and Ray & The Invaders were at the top of their game down under. Ray wished more than anything to get the band to the US, but was never able to get a work permit. However, around 1966 he married a California woman and ended up in San Francisco and local mods the Art Collection, featuring Richard Frost, became his backing group. I was fortunate enough to talk to Richard at the end of 2010, and he explained that the bay area had no idea what to do with this outlandish, extroverted New Zealand mod wildman! Ray self-released this record (with a re-recording of "She's A Mod" as the flip) and there is a very rare clip of the band performing this song in an SF teen club and they were incredibly powerful as a live act."

'Living Force' LP (1977)

The origins of Living Force can be traced back to 1973, when both Ticket and Space Farm were in disarray. Harvey Mann and Eddie Hansen had been friends for a long while, and had both tired of the hippie-drugs lifestyle. Along with Glen Absolum, they moved into an Auckland flat and began playing together, whilst cleansing their bodies of all the harmful products they had been used to consuming. They were also searching for spiritual happiness. After six months, Eddie Hansen went back to Christchurch, where he formed a short lived group called Rock Squad. But by the end of 1974, he was in Sydney playing with Phil Key's Band Of Light, with Billy Williams and Danny Davidson. In mid 1975, Hansen, Williams and Davidson had left Phil and returned to Christchurch, adding Trevor Tombleson to their line-up they formed Sky Pilot, a three month venture. While this was happening with Eddie, Harvey and Glen had continued practising with a variety of Auckland musicians. By mid 1975 they had settled on a line-up, adding Murray Partridge, Ivan Thompson and Gary Clarke, and calling themselves Living Force, they debuted at Maurice Greer's Auckland club, Croft's. Murray Partridge had been with Freshwater, Gary Clarke was from Carson and Ivan Thompson had been an original member of Dragon. They had only been going for a few months when Murray Partridge was replaced by Eddie Hansen. There were not many groups in New Zealand who could boast a guitar line-up equal to Harvey and Eddie, but it soon became evident that they were not into the style of music that fans had previously been accustomed. The lyrical content of Living Force was more concerned almost exclusively with spiritual matters, a joyous celebration of Krishna beliefs. Long, drawn out and mostly extraneous solos were the order of the day. Radio Hauraki had organised a concert in Auckland's Albert Park. One of the bands to play was Living Force, and after they had meandered along for over half an hour on one song, 90% of the 2000 strong crowd decided to leave. All that was left were the jubilant Krishna devotees. The boys in the band didn't seem to notice. Thirty minutes after the scheduled completion time for the concert, they showed no signs of finishing, so the power was cut off. Imagine doing that to Mann and Hansen in their hey-day.

Living Force
(l-r) Harvey Mann, John Pepper, Glen Absolum,
Mike Fisher & Matt Matepi

Living Force had a cult following, mainly made up of middle-aged hippies and Krishna followers. With this support, they managed to stay around until 1979, recording a self-titled album along the way in 1977 and releasing a single from it on the Atlantic label, "Jaya"/"Matter Monster". The group did have a number of personnel changes during their time. Ivan was replaced by John Pepper and when Gary left he was replaced by Matt Matepi. The other important change occurred when Eddie left mid-way through the album sessions, but was back with them by November 1977. In July 1978, they all flew to San Francisco, where they recorded an album's worth of material with Santana engineer Glen Kalatkin. Unfortunately nothing was to ever come from this material and they returned home in December with an additional member in tow. She was American vocalist Mona Hollguin. At this time Glen Absolum left and he was replaced by Mike Fisher. Hollguin soon returned to the States and in February 1979 Harvey Mann left and teamed up with Absolum to form Appaloosa. Before the end of the year, Living Force had disbanded.

Thanks again for listening. Kia ora!
Rich

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