Tuesday, March 2, 2010

GANGgajang


03-02-10 GANGgajang


Can’t believe I’ve never written about Australian band GANGgajang!


7" G.S.L. (GIMME SOME LOVIN') / NOISY TALKING MERCURY AUS 880351.7

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD GANGgajang TRUE TONE AUS 826349.2

1985 10 TRKS 1st

LP GANGgajang TRUE TONE AUS 826349.1

1985 10 TRKS 1st

7" HOUSE OF CARDS / FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM TRUE TONE AUS 880664.7

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" GIVER OF LIFE TRUE TONE AUS 880937.7

1985 6 TRK EP; with pic sleeve, 7"x2

7" DREAM AT NIGHT / C. Allen: TUNKLEYS LEAVE HOME TRUE TONE AUS 884113.7

1985 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, O.S.T.

7" SOUNDS OF THEN / HOUSE OF CARDS (LIVE) TRUE TONE AUS 884267.7

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" BIGGER THEY ARE / GIVER OF LIFE TRUE TONE AUS 884592.7

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" INITIATION / SOUNDS OF THEN (INSTRUMENTAL) MERCURY AUS 888197.7

1986 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" INITIATION MERCURY AUS 888197.1

1986 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD GANGAGAIN MERCURY AUS 832586.2

1987 11 TRKS 2nd

7" AMERICAN MONEY / ROOF ONLY LEAKS WHEN IT'S RAINING MERCURY AUS 888749.7

1987 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TREE OF LOVE / LUCK OF THE IRISH MERCURY AUS 888985.7

1987 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD5 HUNDREDS OF LANGUAGES ROO ART AUS 93981.2

1993 3 TRK CD Single CD5

CD LINGO ROO ART AUS 95653.2

1994 13 TRKS 3rd

CD5 TALK TO ME ROO ART AUS 95545.2

1994 4 TRK CD Single CD5

CD OCEANS AND DESERTS SHOCK AUS GANG 02

2002 11 TRKS 4th


The debut album by GANGgajang was one of the first commercial compact discs I ever wanted! Made in Germany for the Australian market, I bought it in a shop in Melbourne, Australia in 1987. I had seen the band on a VHS videotape the year before my ’87 visit to Australia, so I knew what they sounded like – having seen virtually the entire first album played live on stage. I definitely Johnny Appleseed’ed this band to my friends!


Some of ‘em used to be in a band called The Riptides and drummer / writer Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup came from The Angels. A fine Australian rock pedigree.


2nd album was very good; this band always had great singles and B-sides. If they ever played live on the West coast, I missed ‘em. I must’ve been in NZ or Australia!


After the break of ’88 – ’93, I gladly picked up “Lingo” and (later on) “Oceans And Deserts”, as well as Mark “Cal” Callahan’s solo album, “Sailors and Mermaids” (1988).


I will never forget the excitement of those songs from their debut album…


2 comments:

Brian Ware said...

I'm forever grateful to have been one of your Johnny Appleseed recipients. That first LP in particular just takes me back to such a great time - a constant barrage of incredible new music in my life every month. A big fat package from ANZ imports was always like Christmas morning.

As we've said before, there was always something different about Australian rock music that set it apart, and Gangajang was the perfect example of that.

Ron Kane said...

It's such a good album...