British hit singles of 1974

1-8-10 British hit singles of 1974

Let’s move even further away from “my personal 1972” – here are the top British hit singles of 1974 (roughly in order):

New Seekers – You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me

Mud – Tiger Feet*

Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive*

Alvin Stardust – Jealous Mind*

Paper Lace – Billy Don’t Be A Hero

Terry Jacks – Seasons In The Sun

Abba – Waterloo*

Rubettes – Sugar Baby Love*

Ray Stevens – The Streak*

Gary Glitter – Always Yours*

Charles Aznavour – She

George MacCrae – Rock Your Baby*

Three Degrees – When Will I See You Again*

Osmonds – Love Me For A Reason

Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting*

John Denver – Annie’s Song

Sweet Sensation – Sad Sweet Dreamer

Ken Boothe – Everything I Own

David Essex – Gonna Make You A Star

Barry White – You’re My First, My Last, My Everything*

Mud – Lonely This Christmas*

At the time, I owned none of these records. Either on 7” or LP or CD, I own 12 of them in 2010 (that I am aware of, noted with an asterisk *). I got the glam bug in Japan 5 or 6 years ago, hence the Alvin Stardust, Rubettes and Mud 45’s. I have the Abba and Barry White tracks because I am trying to own all relevant “Millennium Collection” CD releases by Universal Records. The Ken Boothe record is a reggae song, so that might be on a compilation somewhere, but I don’t think I have ever heard it. And I’ve seen Sweet Sensation on Top Of The Pops re-runs, but that’s about my total comprehension of them. And I’m no so into John Denver. I also think I prefer Bo Donaldson & The Heywood’s version of “Billy Don’t Be A Hero”. I will tolerate some 70’s Ray Stevens, but I really prefer his early 60’s hits like “Ahab The Arab”. I don’t think I own any Charles Aznavour – but maybe he’s on some French 70’s hits compilation CD that I have hoarded. I liked David Essex in a film or two, but “Rock On” will always be his shining hour, to me.

So, what was Ron doing in 1974? I started high school. I was burgeoning record collector. I made handwritten lists on yellow legal tablets, so we know EXACTLY what I was listening to in 1974 – here’s the list, roughly in the order that I got them! No, I don’t still own them all…Yes, I still like most of ‘em.

FAUST – So Far (Polydor Germany)

THE DEVIANTS – Disposable (Stable UK)

MICHEL BERGER – self-titled (Warners France)

BRUTE FORCE – Confections of Love (Columbia US) mono

THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN (Track UK)

JOHN CALE & TERRY RILEY – The Church of Anthrax (Columbia US)

NICK DRAKE – Pink Moon (Island US)

GRAHAM BOND – We Put Out Magick On You (Mercury US)

BO HANSSON – The Magician’s Hat (Charisma UK)

THE MAMAS & PAPAS – Live At Monterey (Dunhill US)

GONG – Magick Brother (Byg France)

GRAHAM BELL – self-titled (Charisma UK)

MONTY PYTHON – Matching Tie and Handkerchief (Charisma UK) dual spiral LP

FAMILY – Family Entertainment (Reprise US) with poster

THE NICE – Five Bridges (Mercury US)

CURVED AIR – Phantasmagoria (Warners US)

ED SANDERS – Beer Cans On The Moon (Reprise)

TONY HAZZARD – Loudwater House (Island/Bronze UK)

THE LAST POETS (Douglas US)

INDIAN SUMMER – self-titled (Neon US)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – The 1970 Vertigo Annual (Vertigo UK 2LP)

PETER HAMMILL – The Silent Corner & The Empty Stage (Charisma UK)

FAIRWEATHER – Beginning From An End (Neon US)

THE ROLLING STONES – Their Satanic Majesties Request (London US) 3D cover

DEEP PURPLE – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Tetragrammaton US)

PINK FLOYD – A Saucerful Of Secrets (Tower US)

EAST OF EDEN – Snafu (Deram UK)

ANDREW LEIGH – Magician (Sire US)

FRANK ZAPPA – Apostrophe (Discreet US) promo

OSANNA – Palepoli (Fonit Italy)

DAEVID ALLEN/GONG – Banana Moon (Byg France)

SPOOKY TOOTH – Ceremony (A&M US)

RINGO STARR – Ringo (Apple US)

KING CRIMSON – Starless & Bible Black (Atlantic US)

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND – (the one with the black cover, on MGM/Verve)

CYRUS FARYAR – Islands (Elektra US)

GONG – Camembert Electrique (Byg France)

JACKSON HEIGHTS – King Progress (Mercury US)

AXIS – self-titled (Riviera France)

PETER GREEN – The End of the Game (Reprise UK)

PROCOL HARUM – Shines On Brightly (A&M US) promo

MIKE HERON – Smiling Men With Bad Reputations (Elektra US) promo

THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND – Liquid Acrobat… (Island UK)

BIRTH CONTROL – self-titled (Prophesy US)

KLAUS SCHULZE – Irrlicht (Ohr Germany)

ROBERT FRIPP & BRIAN ENO – (no pussyfooting) (Island UK)

EVERY WHICH WAY – self-titled (Mercury US)

NICO – The Marble Index (Elektra US)

TRAFFIC – The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (Island Germany)

COEUR MAGIQUE – Wakan Tanka (Byg France)

HOME – Pause For A Hoarse Horse (Epic US)

WYOMING – self-titled (Bascillus Germany)

WYOMING – In Prison (Bascillus Germany)

NINE DAYS WONDER – self-titled (Bascillus Germany)

CERVELLO – Melos (Ricordi Italy)

TONY CONRAD & FAUST – Outside the Dream Syndicate (Caroline UK)

BO HANSSON – In De Ban Van De Ring (Lord of the Rings)(EMI Holland)

LE ORME – Felona And Sorona (Charisma UK)

TANGERINE DREAM – Phaedra (Virgin US)

SATURNALIA – Magical Love (UK picture disc)

KINGDOM COME – Galactic Zoo Dossier (Polydor UK)

FAUST – self-titled (Polydor UK, black vinyl copy) (my 2^nd or 3rd copy)

HENRY COW – The Henry Cow Legend (Virgin Germany)

KEVIN AYERS – Bananamour (Harvest UK) no, it didn’t have the booklet

JIMI HENDRIX – Smash Hits (Track UK)

KEITH TIPPETT – Dedicated To You… (Vertigo UK)

TREVOR BILLMUSS – Family Apology (Charisma UK)

YOKO ONO – Plastic Ono Band (Apple UK)

SYD BARRETT – The Madcap Laughs/Barrett (Harvest UK 2LP)

PETER BANKS – The Two Sides of Peter Banks (Capitol US)

AUDIENCE – The House on the Hill (Elektra US)

JIMI HENDRIX / OTIS REDDING – Live At Monterey (Reprise US)

MORT SHUMAN – My Death (Reprise US)

STAN FREBERG – Underground Show #1 (Capitol US)

THE CREDIBILITY GAP – A Great Gift Idea (Reprise US)

PETE BROWN & THE BATTERED ORNAMENTS – A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark (Harvest UK)

KRAFTWERK – self-titled (Philips Germany)

KRAFTWERK – Kraftwerk II (Philips Germany)

THE FACES – A Nod Is As Good As A Wink… (Warners US) with the huge poster

THE IDLE RACE – Birthday Party (Imperial US)

THE CONCEPTION CORPORATION – A Pause In The Disaster (Cotillion US)

“ELECTRONIC MUSIC FROM ILLINOIS”

THE DEVIANTS – Deviants #3 (Sire US)

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST – self-titled (Sire US)

LE ORME – Collage (Philips Italy)

THE NEW TROLLS – Concerto Grosso Per Uno (Cetra Italy)

THE DEVIANTS – Ptoof! (Underground Impresarios UK)

STAN FREBERG – A Child’s Garden of Freberg (Capitol US) mono

FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION – Live At The Roxy (Discreet US 2LP) promo

ALAN HULL – Pipe Dream (Charisma UK)

HENRY COW – Unrest (Virgin UK)

LE ORME – Uomo Di Pezza (Philips Italy)

KLAUS SCHULZE – Black Dance (Brain Metronome Germany)

KING CRIMSON – Red (Island UK)

ESPERANTO – Danse Macabre (A&M US)

CURVED AIR – Air Conditioning (Warners UK picture disc)

KEVIN COYNE – Marjory Razorblade (Virgin US) single disc U.S. version

THE NICE – Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It (Immediate US)

THE ROLLING STONES – self-titled debut (Decca UK) mono

THE STEVE MILLER BAND – Sailor (Capitol US)

FAMILY – It’s Only A Movie (United Artists US)

TEA & SYMPHONY – Jo Sago (Harvest UK)

LE ORME – In Concerto (Philips Italy)

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH – Horizons (Harvest UK)

THE BEATLES – Magical Mystery Tour (Parlophone UK double 7” EP)

THE FIRESIGN THEATRE – Everything You Know is Wrong (Columbia US)

QUATERMASS – self-titled (Harvest UK)

G.F. FITZ-GERALD – Mouseproof (Uni UK)

THE FUGS – It Crawled Into My Hand Honest (Reprise US)

KLAUS SCHULZE – Cyborg (Kosmische Musik Germany)

MYTHOS – self-titled (Ohr Germany)

KINGDOM COME – Journey (Polydor UK)

MAGMA – Kohntarkosz (A&M US)

IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO – Ys. (Polydor Italy)

HORACE SILVER – In Pursuit of the 27^th Man (Blue Note US)

KRAFTWERK – Ralf & Florian (Philips Germany)

VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR – The Aerosol Grey Machine (Mercury US)

Hits of 1973

1-7-10 The Hits of 1973

In sharp contrast to ‘my personal 1972’ that I wrote about yesterday, let’s look at the “Hits” of 1973:

Top U.S. Albums of 1973

Carly Simon – No Secrets

War – The World Is A Ghetto (LP) (CD)

Elton John – Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player (LP) (CD)

Deliverance (O.S.T.)

Lady Sings The Blues (O.S.T.)

Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies (LP) (2CD Deluxe vers.)

Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon (LP) (CD) (SACD)

Elvis Presley – Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite

Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy

Paul McCartney & Wings – Red Rose Speedway (LP) (CD)

George Harrison – Living In The Material World (LP) (CD)

Chicago – Chicago VI (LP)

Jethro Tull – A Passion Play (LP) (CD)

Allman Brothers Band – Brothers And Sisters

Rolling Stones – Goat’s Head Soup (LP) (CD)

Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (LP) (2SACD + DVD Deluxe vers.)

What I own from the above list is indicated. So, no go on the Carly Simon, Deliverance (O.S.T.), Lady Sings The Blues (Diana Ross O.S.T.), Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin or the Allman Brothers Band.

I own a Carly Simon “Best Of”; I had to see the movie “Deliverance” about a dozen times, as it was showing with “A Clockwork Orange” – which, if I wanted to see it twice in a day, I had to sit through “Deliverance”; no go on 70’s Diana Ross; no go on 70’s Elvis (I’ll stick with the “Shake Rattle & Roll” EP); no go on Led Zeppelin (I think the only track I own by them is on a British sampler LP “The New Age of Atlantic”); and for The Allman Brothers – I’ll stick to the first three albums, thanks. Oddly, of all the stuff I own / like, only one I don’t have on CD is “Chicago VI” – I have a “Very Best Of” 2CD, which takes care of all post 3^rd album needs – I keep the LP of “Chicago VI” because the cover is printed very elaborately. I bought my LP of it less than 10 years ago (for $1).

At the time, I had both Elton John albums and the Pink Floyd. My brother hipped me to how great the War album is. I had liked Alice Cooper at the time of “Love It To Death”, but I hadn’t continued to follow his schtick. I didn’t get all the Beatles’ solo albums until about ’76 or so (mostly I was busy buying their solo 45’s with picture sleeves in ’73!). I was disappointed in the Jethro Tull album – what? Another album that’s “only 2 songs” (Side 1 and Side 2)? The Rolling Stones roared into the 70’s with “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile On Main Street” – I thought “Starfucker” was funny, but I didn’t need to own any LP that had “Angie” on it (until I found it in the $1 bin, less than 10 years ago).

1972

1-6-10 1972

My old friend Rick Snyder has a theory that almost everything released in 1972 is really good. I must say, he is not far off the mark. I have over 300 initial works that date from 1972 that I really still enjoy.

Some music stuff that occurred in 1972: Il Balletto Di Bronzo “Ys.” (heard it on the FM radio and never looked back), Graham Bond & Pete Brown “Two Heads Are Better Than One” LP, David Bowie “Ziggy Stardust” (rode my bike to the record store to get it), Don Bowman “Hello D.J.” 45, Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come “Journey” LP, Capability Brown “From Scratch” (still not on CD in 2010), Captain Beyond “Debut Album” with the 3-D cover, Cluster “II” (as I dipped my toe into German music for the first time), Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen “Lost In The Ozone” LP, Creedence Clearwater “Cosmo’s Factory” LP, Curved Air “Phantasmagoria” LP, Deep Purple “Machine Head” LP, E.L.O. “Debut Album” aka “No Answer” LP, John Entwistle “Whistle Rhymes” LP, Faust’s 2^nd album “So Far”, hearing “Supper’s Ready” from “Foxtrot” by Genesis on the FM radio, Geronimo Black “Low Riding Man”, Goodthunder “Debut Album” just recently re-issued on CD, Dick Heckstall-Smith “A Story Ended” LP (I got to meet him, years later), Jethro Tull “Living In The Past” collection 2LP and “Thick As A Brick” LP, Jo Jo Gunne “Debut Album” – I have always loved “Run Run Run” and “Shake That Fat”, Elton John “Teenage Idol” from “Don’t Shoot Me…” LP, King Crimson “Earthbound” LP (which sounded horrible, but I would’ve bought ANYTHING they released in ’72), Matching Mole “Little Red Record” LP (where my Robert Wyatt fandom really got going), Ian Matthews “Tigers Will Survive” LP, Monty Python “Previous Record” LP (FM radio, again), Moody Blues “Seventh Sojourn” LP, Mott The Hoople “All The Young Dudes” LP (hey, I was a young dude!), Neu! “Debut album” (see Cluster), Andy Newman “Rainbow” LP (oh, how I loved the Thunderclap Newman “A Hollywood Dream” LP!), Jack Nitzsche “St. Giles Cripplegate” LP (I had to have any LP that looked like this one!), the original soundtrack to “A Clockwork Orange” LP, Le Orme “Uomo Di Pezza” LP, Gary Owens “Put Your Head On My Finger” LP, Pink Floyd “Obscured By Clouds” LP (still my favorite non-Syd P.F. LP), Popol Vuh “Affenstunde” LP, Procol Harum “In Concert” LP, The Rolling Stones “Exile On Main Street” 2LP, Murray Roman “Busted” LP, Roxy Music “Debut Album” (another one I rode my bike to the store to get), Leon Russell “Carney” LP (which I dearly love to this day), Ed Sanders (of The Fugs) “Beer Cans On The Moon” LP, Klaus Schulze “Irrlicht” LP, String Driven Thing “Second self-titled Album”, Supersister “Pudding and Gisteren” LP, T. Rex “The Slider LP (I had really loved “Electric Warrior”, folks), Tower Of Power “Bump City” LP (“Down To The Nightclub”), Pete Townshend “Who Came First” LP, Tractor “Debut Album”, various artist UK sampler album “The New Age Of Atlantic”, Island Records UK 2LP sampler “Bumpers”, Warner / Reprise loss leader sampler LP’s “Burbank” and “The Whole Burbank Catalogue”, Vinegar Joe “Debut Album” (“Never Met A Dog That Took To Me”), Rick Wakeman “The Six Wives Of Henry the 8^th” LP, War “The World Is A Ghetto” LP and Frank Zappa / Mothers “Just Another Band From L.A.” (with “Billy The Mountain”, which me & my good friends can quote at length from memory).

These titles were what was important to me in 1972, and many of them still are important to me now.

The Guess Who

1-5-10 The Guess Who “The Best Of” (April 1971)

RCA US LP LSPX-1004 (1971) including a psychedelic black-light day-glo poster (as partially illustrated)

Side 1

1. These Eyes
2. Laughing
3. Undun
4. No Time
5. American Woman
6. No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature

Side 2

1. Hand Me Down World
2. Bus Rider
3. Share The Land
4. Do You Miss Me Darlin’
5. Hang On To Your Life

The Guess Who – the venerable Canadian band – the “pre” band of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I am very familiar with all the songs on Side 1 (Randy Bachman is on all the cuts on Side 1, but not on any on Side 2, that I know of), and about ½ of Side 2 (never even heard the last two songs, I confess – they certainly weren’t ‘hits’!). “Undun” (11/69) and “No Time” (1/70) are my two favorite songs here. Where’s “Albert Flasher” (6/71)? Or “Clap For The Wolfman” (8/74)? I know, I know…they came after this LP, and are likely the stars on their “Best Of Volume 2” LP.

Being that they’re Canadian, the song “American Woman” (3/70) isn’t very complimentary, is it?

Sure do like the psychedelic black-light day-glo poster! To be fair, one would’ve heard this band on both AM & FM radio, once upon a time. AM radio would’ve played the single edit of “No Sugar Tonight” (3/70) and FM would’ve played the version here, segued with “New Mother Nature”.

In 1971, I was more interested in American or British bands – I was big time into Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath by the time this album walked down the pike. If I wanted to hear any Guess Who material, all I had to do was turn on the radio, anyway. I would’ve had no concept at all about a ‘Canadian act’ – how it would differ from a U.S. act – nor would I have cared about that.

They were mightily popular, so – as far as I was bothered – they were somebody else’s concern.

All 70’s vinyl has a certain amount of interest for me in 2010; this one was an RCA Dynaflex LP: “Dynaflex is the RCA trademark for a new development in record manufacturing that provides a smoother, quieter surface and improved ability to reproduce musical sound. This lightweight record also virtually eliminates warpage and turntable slippage.” Gee, I remember warped ones of these flimsy Dynaflex LP’s!

London Pops Orchestra

1-4-10 London Pops Orchestra “Eloise” (1/70)

Pye YS-2266-Y – released January, 1970 by Nippon Columbia, Japan (40 years ago!)

Side 1

1. MacArthur Park (the famous Jimmy Webb song)
2. Mexico (a ‘hit’ for Long John Baldry)
3. People (a song from “Funny Girl”)
4. Keep Off The Brass (says “Traditional” – but – an original arrangement?)
5. Vanessa (a Tony Macaulay song, but I don’t know who had a ‘hit’ with it)
6. Classical Gas (the famous Mason Williams song)

Side 2

1. Eloise (the ‘hit’ for Paul Ryan…and The Damned)
2. The Memory Of Our Last Goodbye (no idea who had a ‘hit’ with this one)
3. Albatross (written by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac!)
4. Whiskey Mac (no idea about this one, either)
5. Sleep Safe and Warm (written by Christopher Komeda!)
6. Those Were The Days (the song made famous by Mary Hopkin)

I wonder if this LP was even released in England? Or was it done just for the Japanese market? Last year, I was lucky enough to run across a whole slew of oddball Japanese easy listening LP’s from the 60’s & 70’s, and this one was a real highlight – full of what I like to call “Easy Hits” – easy listening orchestra cover version of pop songs of the day (1969, in this case). The record was a white label promo, and the LP still has it’s “obi” (as pictured above).

Were I still compiling volumes of “Easy Hits”, the obvious choice here is the cover of “Albatross” – and if it were short and spirited enough, perhaps I’d use “Those Were The Days”. The title track, “Eloise” may be a bit too obscure for US EZ-Hit fans. I should also check out the Christopher Komeda song – it’s possibly from a film? (But which one?)

On the rear cover, a different LP by The London Pops Orchestra is advertised: “Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet” (Pye/Nippon Columbia Japan LP YS-2224). I understand that there are, in fact, British LP’s by The London Pops Orchestra: “Tony Macaulay Presents The London Pops Orchestra” (Pye UK NSPL 18241) – I guess that helps explain an easy listening LP from 1969 that’s full of songs by Tony Macaulay, Nicky Walsh and John MacLeod. There’s another L.P.O. UK LP called “Hits Philharmonic” (Pye UK NSPL 18332), which looks to have several volumes. Also “And Now The Second Movement” (Pye UK NSPL 18307) etc. So, they certainly made more LP’s than I was ever aware of.

As far as I know, this is the only easy listening cover version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross” that’s on an LP that I have. And I don’t know of another one. Hmmm.

Rowland S. Howard / The Birthday Party

With the passing of Rowland S. Howard (1959 - 2009), I felt compelled to try and remember this specific part of my life...

I first heard The Boys Next Door in London, fall of '79 – the "Hee Haw" EP (it wasn't released there until CD era, so I wonder how an indie Aussie EP made it to the Record & Tape Exchange in Notting Hill Gate?). I came back to LA, ordered it via a wholesaler (as I had contact with such folks) and began my odyssey. In 1980, I saw a single line in a Melody Maker (or NME) saying "In town Australian band Boys Next Door now wish to be known as The Birthday Party" – I immediately called the UK importer. "Get me anything by The Birthday Party!" – it took a few months, but...I guess they had signed with nascent 4AD but "Mr. Clarinet" b/w "Happy Birthday" arrived eventually. There was an address on the sleeve, and I wrote to them, in London.

I was first answered by Mick Harvey, the bassist. "How did you hear of us in LA?" and he offered to "get the lyrics" from Nicholas Edward Cave (as that was what I wrote to them about). A few weeks later, a large envelope arrived with handwritten lyrics by Nick Cave for both the "Hee Haw" EP and "Happy Birthday" 45. They were my friends!

Mr. Harvey wrote to me about 4 times a year for most of 1980/1/2/3. They went back to Australia to record "Prayers On Fire" (1981) for 4AD / Missing Link. I was going to NZ often then, so I used directory assistance to find Nick's mom ("Dawn Cave") in Melbourne, but...Nick was somewhere else in Melbourne. Er, Nick became 'uncommunicative', only Harvey would write to me. "Come to the Roundhouse on the 19th!" "The shows are going over well" "New album at Xmas" (which would be "Junkyard").

I went to work for a new importer / distributor ("Important Records"), and when the release notice for The Birthday Party "Junkyard" (1982) walked down the pike, I asked my boss if I could order 4 boxes (i.e. 100 copies) – as I was "the buyer". They hemmed and hawed and let me order 4 cartons. The salesmen didn't know what it was, but it flew out the door – "Can we get another 100 copies?" "Who are these guys?" Me: "Uh, they're my friends from Australia, who live in London". Barry Adamson (from Magazine) was a guest bassist on “Junkyard”.

Somehow, it got back to Nick and Mick that some crazy guy in L.A. was ordering tons of their new album. The 4AD guy was very pleased: "I knew you guys could do it!". The band and management started talking US tour...and the drummer left. Off the record: I think Nick was starting to get hassled by the cops in the UK over his violent shows (people were lining up, paying and then complaining when old Nick would flail away on the front rows...so he was not fond of the police showing up and asking questions.)

The band moved en masse to Berlin. "Mutiny In Heaven" (1983) occurred. Uh, it had a swastika on the cover. Some were pleased, other mortified. Mick Harvey went from being the bassist / keyboardist to being the drummer. They couldn't concentrate enough to do whole albums, so there were several EP's from this period.

If I remember correctly, the swastika (which only meant / represented "Germany" to the band) was a stumbling block for Ivo Watts-Russell (Mr. 4AD), so The Birthday Party signed with Daniel Miller's Mute Records (at the end of '82? Mid-’83?) – and US shows were announced.

They played 2 nights at The Roxy (Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood), and I was a guest of the band. I took some great photos of them on stage. They were staying in a hotel / motel that's not there anymore, just east of 8801 Sunset Blvd (the former Tower Records, West Hollywood location). I met 'em all and they were really nice to me, signed my records (some wag in the band even signed the name drummer Phil Calvert, who had quit!) – they played nice, loud, sloppy shows – punks and goths alike were delighted. I stood to the side, so as to not get kicked in the face by flailing punks / Nick Cave.

On their night off, we all went out for Mexican food (except for Rowland S. Howard, who, unless I am mistaken, was ‘not feeling well’.). Bassist Tracey Pew was wearing a giant cowboy hat, which attracted a lot of attention. I remember them in a tiny Mexican restaurant on Santa Monica Blvd., laughing it up. It was arranged for me to take them to a party / event in Silverlake the following night (at the then-home of Devo guy Mark Mothersbaugh, exactly at the time of “Visiting Kids”? Is that right?).

I remember doing that (the party), and ending the evening with the honor of being drunk and getting to take Nick Cave back to the West Hollywood hotel by myself. Quite a reasonable Melbourne boy. "Were there really recording studios in Mexico City?" The band broke up.

Well, I kept up with the Melbourne boys for a while, Nick went solo – and at least the first few solo records weren't so good (for me). Tracey Pew died of an epileptic seizure in '86. I ran into Nick Cave at LAX airport in '89 or so, and he remembered me. I buy Mick Harvey's solo CD's (on Mute) whenever I see them. I still have all my autographed records and letters, and I have most everything from The Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party on CD. I believe the CD's have all now been re-mastered now, but...the originals were all "Mastered By Nimbus" and the re-masters do not really interest me. And, of course, Nick Cave became famous – as he should've.

Rowland S. Howard made some records with Lydia Lunch (a NYC female artist who does not generally interest me): "Some Velvet Morning" (on 4AD, 1982) and later "Shotgun Wedding" LP (Triple XXX, 1991). I guess they ‘roped each other in’, as "Shotgun" is a great fractured "pop" album. I later found out that Mr. Howard was in a band called These Immortal Souls (the one I ended up with is "I'm Never Gonna Die Again" (on Mute, 1992), really a rather good album. This makes me want to hear his later (90's and beyond) work. Pretty sure I missed some of his other solo works.

For me, Howard was 40% of the equation, Cave really about 60% with Pew and Harvey (and probably even drummer Phil Calvert). Having met him, I felt really bad when Tracey Pew died. I didn't hang out much with Mr. Howard, but I understand / understood his "guitar genius".

Related music: Crime & The City Solution, The Dirty Three, Anita Lane

- Ron Kane

Rowland S. Howard (1959 - 2009)

Goodbye, Rowland S. Howard - the guitarist of The Birthday Party and These Immortal Souls. I met Mr. Howard when The Birthday Party played in Los Angeles. He was a nice guy and signed some LP's for me. I thought his solo work with Lydia Lunch was interesting, particularly "Shotgun Wedding". I also met Tracey Pew, the Birthday Party bassist who died in 1986.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowland_S._Howard

Home now...

Hi there,

I am finally at my own home, after my visit to Singapore and Malaysia. Jet lag is mild for me, but has affected my GF rather a lot. I didn't buy a lot of stuff over there, but I did sample a few 60's compilations. I will advise once I get a grasp on this material.

My best regards to Shin-san, who looked after us upon our arrival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Both Dorothy and I say " Yoroshiku " to Shin-san and his wife.

More soon...

RK