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AVS 024CD
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"Singer-songwriter Ross Ryan's breakthrough single I Am Pegasus was released in October 1973. Not only did it top the charts, earning him the first of four gold records, it would also go on to be recognized as one of the all time classic Australian singles -- and would continue Ryan's swift ascendancy since being 'plucked from obscurity' for a Roy Orbison support a year earlier. Ryan: 'On Thursday night I was playing at Gramps Wine Bar to about 20 people -- none of who were listening -- and by Saturday I was in front of 5,000 people on an Orbison show. And so my act really consisted of telling everyone how petrified I was and explaining how I got to be there that night -- and they started laughing and I got an incredible ovation'. Ryan ended up doing the whole tour. Orbison unexpectedly received bad reviews with Ryan going over a storm. As a result of all this positive publicity, he was suddenly deluged with record contract offers eventually signing to EMI. The subsequent album (Ryan's third) ...My Name Means Horse repeated the success of the single and would go triple gold. It was produced by Peter Dawkins and arranged by Peter Martin (SCRA). The 12 track LP included 'I Am Pegasus,' the follow up single 'Orchestra Ladies,' and classic album tracks including 'Blood On The Microphone,' '606' and 'Don't Look To Me.' Ryan was even presented with a gold record by then-Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Aztec Music's reissue of ...My Name Means Horse is packaged in our famous 6 panel digi-pak, was digitally remastered by Gil Matthews, has 2 bonus tracks, a 24 page book with rare photos and liner notes by Ted Lethborg. Bonus Tracks: 'Blood On The Microphone (Pina Colada version)' : Ryan recorded this version with Stewart D'Arrietta producing. It first appeared on The Lost Ross Ryan Album. 'I Am Pegasus (acoustic version)' : Live from the ABC-TV rock program GTK (Get To Know) 1973, 'Pegasus' is presented in its unadorned form."
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AVS 042CD
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"The Moomba Festival on Sunday the 12th of March 1972 culminated in a massive live concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The lineup was Friends, La De Das, Gerry and the Joy Band and headliners Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs. As noted in TV and newspaper reports, an enormous crowd of 200,000 (yes, you read right: two hundred thousand!) turned up. The following GoSet edition featured a detailed report on the concert and noted the debut of a new track entitled 'Long Live Rock And Roll And Long May It Move Me So' (predicted, following the success of 'Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy,' to be another number one smash, though it was never recorded). We have taken the Aztecs' barnstorming performance and added another from late 1972 at Melbourne's Festival Hall (their farewell show before traveling to the UK) to create a never before released Aztecs' CD, one that captures the band at the peak of their live power (this is the same year and lineup of the classic Aztecs Live! At Sunbury performance, i.e. the 'Sunbury Aztecs': Billy Thorpe, Gil Matthews, Paul Wheeler and Bruce Howard). The Festival Hall show features a lost classic: 'Let Yourself Go' a song in a similar vein to 'Time To Live' and 'Momma' monster riffing, powerful vocals, relentless beat (with obligatory drum solo) with a running time of over 10 minutes! There's also a rare live version of their single 'Believe it Just Like Me.' Remastered by Gil Matthews, liner notes by Ian McFarlane."
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2CD
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AVS 039CD
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"Barrie McAskill was the lead singer, band leader and driving force of one of the greatest progressive soul/R&B institutions in the annals of Australian rock and pop history: Levi Smith's Clefs. Their sole LP, the pioneering heavy soul classic Empty Monkey, has been a much requested title in our reissue series, as it meets both collector's requirements: not only is it very collectable, it is a bonafide Aussie classic (possibly the best Aussie '70s LP you've never heard). McAskill encouraged his band members to improve as musicians, and for them to move on as the urge arose (not unlike an antipodean John Mayall). Accordingly, up to 60 musicians passed through the band, including former and future members of: Tully, Aztecs, Fraternity, SCRA, The Groove, Jeff St. John & The Id and La De Das. Between 1966 and 1971 (first as The Clefs, then Levi Smith's Clefs -- and later, McAskill's Marauders), the band released one LP, a handful of singles and an EP -- all collected here, along with some live-in-the-studio rarities. While searching for the masters, we lucked upon the master tapes of, not only their Empty Monkey, but many of their singles and EP tracks -- PLUS the master tapes of Empty Monkey: The First Sessions from late 1969. This live run-through, recorded in the early hours of the morning -- straight after a gig -- was originally thought 'too loose' to release, so the band were allowed to record it again. Listening to it today, it is an unexpected delight, a testament to the live power of the band. The only known copy was a warped and scratched acetate, so the remastered version from the original masters is a revelation. It is, in fact, different enough and, more importantly, so magnificent, that we had no choice but to expand our release from one to two CDs! So, for the first time anywhere -- the complete Empty Monkey sessions -- remastered from the original tapes, plus a further 13 bonus tracks. Digitally remastered by one-time member of The Clefs: Gil Matthews. Deluxe 8-panel digipak, double CD, a 24-page booklet with many rare photos and liner notes by Ian McFarlane."
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AVS 037CD
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"Aussie rock icon Ross Wilson has been at the helm of two of Australia's biggest bands (Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock) plus one of our more obscure: Mighty Kong. Mighty Kong lasted less than a year, but they did leave us with one terrific and underrated album: All I Wanna Do Is Rock. When Daddy Cool broke up in August 1972, Wilson and Ross Hannaford set about forming a new band that would explore a heavier style that harked back to the pre-DC days of Sons Of The Vegetal Mother and The Party Machine. After some initial changes that at one stage included Tim Gaze (Tamam Shud/Kahvas Jute) and Gulliver Smith (Company Caine), the final line-up was settled with Wilson, Hannaford, Russell Smith (Company Caine), Tim Partridge (Company Caine) and Ray Arnott (Spectrum). Signing to the newly-formed Wizard Records, the band recorded All I Wanna Do Is Rock with American producer John Fischbach. The album came out in December 1973 along with the single 'Callin' All Cats (The Cats Are Callin').' With a mixture of funky hard rockers like 'Hard Drugs (Are Bad For You)' and 'Homesick And Horny' and two terrific Gulliver Smith/Russell Smith penned ballads 'Some Other New Address' and 'With A Smile Like That (How Could We Refuse)' Mighty Kong seemed poised for success. But, despite some enthusiastic reviews and excellent live shows, Mighty Kong were still overshadowed by the spectre of Daddy Cool. Wizard's decision to release a Daddy Cool live album and a swag of DC singles just before the release of the Mighty Kong album did not help matters either. The success of the Daddy Cool material eventually led to a one-off Daddy Cool appearance at the 1974 Sunbury Festival. Their performance was so well-received that, two weeks later, Daddy Cool reformed and Mighty Kong were no more. Still -- it makes an excellent 'what if' story and this reissue is a reminder of the varied repertoire from one of Australia's all-time talents. Of course, after Daddy Cool broke up for a second time in 1975, Wilson formed Mondo Rock and had another successful run. Aztec Music will be reissuing Mondo Rock's debut Primal Park in the near(?) future. Our deluxe reissue of All I Want To Do Is Rock has been digitally remastered by Gil Matthews, liner notes by Ian M Farlane, housed in our usual 6-panel digipak with many rare photos. Two bonus tracks -- the single version of 'Callin' All Cats' and the previously-unreleased studio jam of 'All I Wanna Do Is Rock.'"
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AVS 034CD
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"Star Spangled Banger was a short-lived studio project that resulted in a sole, self-titled album and single on the Melbourne Havoc Records label in 1973. With Havoc closing soon after its release, the album was quickly deleted and, over the years, has grown in stature, becoming one of the rarest Australian records ever. We are happy to rectify this problem with our deluxe CD reissue of this hugely enjoyable mix of English-flavored progressive rock (Family, Cressida), reflective piano ballads, with a hint of Bonzo Dog DooDah Band like lunacy. Principal songwriter John Brownrigg (vocals, guitar), Ron Walters (vocals, piano, organ) and drummer Paul Doo formed Star Spangled Banger in 1972 from the ashes of their former band, The Sect. Brownrigg originally hailed from Liverpool and had played in several bands during the Merseybeat boom of the early '60s -- as his own brick on the Cavern Club wall of fame attests. Signed to Havoc in late 1972, the band were put into the studio with engineer/producer (and soon to be Aztec) Gil Matthews. Armed with a stack of sound effects records, the album was recorded at odd hours (in between Matthew's day job at Havoc and his night-time one as new drummer for the Aztecs) and resulted in an eclectic mix of progressive rock, protest songs and ballads -- with a healthy dose of humor (witness: 'Fancy Underpants!'). Added to this mix are: explosions, backwards tapes, crazy keyboards, nuclear explosions, crashing aeroplanes and fuzzed-out psych guitar. The title track, released as a single, is a long lost progressive classic and we have added a previously-unreleased edit of it as a bonus track. Digitally remastered by Gil Matthews, including a 24-page booklet with rare photos, liner notes by Ted Lethborg and a recent interview with John Brownrigg."
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AVS 035CD
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"Melbourne's short-lived Havoc Records label ran from 1971 to 1973 and released landmark releases from some of Australia's greatest ever bands. The monster-selling Aztecs Live! At Sunbury, and the all-time Aztecs' classic Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy were the biggest sellers, but the label also released notable platters from Lobby Loyde (with the Coloured Balls and The Wild Cherries), Carson, Thump'n Pig & Puff'n Billy, Michael Turner In Session, Ash, Chook (best Aussie band name ever?) and Star Spangled Banger. Aztecs' drummer Gil Matthews was the house engineer/producer for Havoc and produced all nineteen singles and five albums (including his own release 'Little Dove'/'Gil's Thing'). The label was a testament to Havoc boss Frank Smith's eclectic taste -- apart from the 'Oz Rock' stable listed above, there were Jasmine's Dory Previn covers, Robbie Snowden's ridiculous 'Hot Pants Sue' and the ultra-rare soundtrack A City's Child. The entire 1971-1973 singles are collected in this 2CD deluxe package with 2 bonus tracks from Carson and David Pickard. 8-panel digipak with a 24 page booklet with rare photos and liner notes by Ian McFarlane."
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AVS 031CD
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"The elusive and mysterious Mándu is known mainly for his impressive vocals on two Lobby Loyde albums (Obsecration and Live With Dubs). However, there is more to his story. Mándu arrived in Melbourne (from Qld.) in the early '70s with hopes of securing a record contract. With a series of unsuccessful bands behind him, the singer had developed a new persona (Mándu) and written a peerless batch of songs that would form the basis of his extraordinary concept album To The Shores Of His Heaven. Ex-pop star-turned-label boss John Blanchfield was so blown away by Mándu's audition that he signed him on the spot and immediately put him into Armstrong's studios to rehearse and record. Inspired by the organic approach used by Van Morrison for his classic Astral Weeks album, Blanchfield, with producer-engineer Ern Rose, set about creating a purpose built ensemble utilizing some of Australia's most talented and creative musicians -- including guitar maestro Phil Manning (Chain), bassist Barry Sullivan (Wild Cherries, Chain), and drummer Gary Young (Daddy Cool). Keyboard player Peter Sullivan also works wonders with his absolutely beautiful string arrangements. The resultant album, To The Shores Of His Heaven, is one of the best and most original records ever made in this country -- and a must-hear for fans of Tim Buckley, Van Morrison and Terry Reid -- at turns gentle and ethereal, spacious and mystical. Sadly, despite the stellar musical backing, a striking image, and Mándu's incredible voice, the album was a disappointing flop. A follow-up single, a highly original take on The Rolling Stones' classic 'Gimme Shelter,' suffered a similar fate and after that, Mándu turned his back on a solo career. He joined as vocalist in Lobby Loyde's Southern Electric in late 1975 and recorded the classic Obsecration album before leaving on the eve of the band's move to the UK. Apart from teaming up with Loyde on the 1980 LP Live With Dubs, there have been only sporadic sightings of Mándu, a disappointing end to such a promising start -- luckily, we have this classic to remember him by. To The Shores Of His Heaven has been digitally remastered by Gil Matthews, packaged in a 6-panel digipak with a 24-page book with liner notes by Ted Lethborg, a review from Ian McFarlane and rare photos."
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AVS 032CD
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"Harem Scarem emerged from Melbourne's mid-'80s indie scene, but, it could be argued, were closer in sound to classic Australian blues rock from a decade before (Dingoes, Coloured Balls, Chain, Rose Tattoo etc.). Their sound was infused with a heady mix of punk spirit and Stax soul that also made them contemporaries of the likes of The Gun Club and the Beasts Of Bourbon. Harem Scarem first appeared on the Melbourne psychobilly compilation Asleep at the Wheel. They soon developed (via the Dogman EP and some key line-up changes) into a powerhouse live act, where Christopher Marshall's extraordinary, passionate vocals combined with Charlie Marshall's Stones-y guitar. With the classic line-up of the Marshall brothers, Barry Palmer (guitar), Glen Sheldon (bass), Peter Jones (drums) and Chris Wilson (harmonica & sax), the band went into the studio with John Archer (Hunters & Collectors) and emerged with this, their masterful 1986 album: Pilgrim's Progress. A shock decision to disband on the verge of a national breakthrough robbed Australia of a fine band -- and one that is ripe for reappraisal. Aztec Music's deluxe reissue of Pilgrim's Progress has been remixed and digitally remastered. The liner notes are written by Clinton Walker, David Nichols, (singer) Charlie Marshall and (manager) Michael Lynch. There are 6 bonus tracks (2 previously unreleased) and many rare photos in a 24-page booklet."
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AVS 027CD
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"Melbourne's La Femme were a fascinating meld of late '70s influences: punk, new wave, glam and hard rock. Their 1979 debut single, 'Chelsea Kids' is one of the all-time classic Australian singles and their only LP La Femme, is arguably one of the best to come out of Melbourne's late 1970s punk/new wave scene (which included Models and The Boys Next Door). It contains many fine example s of the band's confident, swaggering glam-infused punk-metal sound. Lead singer Chane Chane was a charismatic, hyperactive front man, a refreshing personality with a strong audience rapport. Guitarist Brett Walker was a real live flashy guitar hero for the times, coming on like a punk-metal Mick Ronson by pealing off large chunks of dense power riffing when other guitarists were still going plink-plonk. The thuggish rhythm section of Peter Kidd and Graham Schiavello played it mean and hard, providing the relentless, driving beat. La Femme could well have made it into the big league if they'd wanted, but swimming against the commercial tide seemed to be their raison d'être. In many ways, they were their own worst enemies. An unwillingness to play the pop star game and the serious drug addiction, among other things, perhaps ended up compromising the band's drive. For an inner-city band with so much potential, in the end they really did give it away. They toured constantly, built up a huge support base on the suburban pub circuit, scored several prestigious support gigs, made three appearances on Countdown (one of the first punk/new wave/alternative bands to do so), released one of the great Melbourne punk albums and yet they never rose above being a cult attraction. Aztec Music's deluxe reissue has been digitally remastered from the original tapes. It contains 8 bonus tracks."
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AVS 028CD
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"The infamous late '70s punk/new wave/power pop (they kept changing their mind on what it was) compilation Lethal Weapons was a tentative major label funded foray into the emergent Australian punk movement. It was short lived and much maligned, (apparently, they didn't 'mean it man!') but was an important release in that it contains the earliest recordings of, amongst others: The Boys Next Door (Nick Cave/Birthday Party), Teenage Radio Stars (Sean Kelly & James Freud - Models), The Survivors (The New Christs), Jab (Models) and The Negatives (Sacred Cowboys). Most of the bands would not last out the 1970s, but, with so many of the individuals involved going on to significant careers, this album represents a fascinating glimpse into their beginnings. Our deluxe 6-panel digipak, has been remastered from the original tapes, has liner notes by Ian McFarlane and a revealing essay on the origins (and demise) of the Suicide label by Glenn Terry. There are 2 bonus tracks: the Teenage Radio Stars' non-LP B-side 'Sweet Boredom' and the Teenage Radio Stars' film clip for 'I Wanna Be Your Baby.'"
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AVS 025CD
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"The legendary X (not to be confused with the US band of the same name) formed in Sydney, Australia in 1977. They recorded their seminal 1980 debut X-Aspirations in one 5 hour session with Lobby Loyde producing. People called X a punk band -- and they certainly acted like one -- but they were actually a great meld of Ian Rilen's gut busting bass and pioneering Oz rock stance (as you would expect from a veteran of both Band Of Light and Rose Tattoo) and newcomer Steve Lucas' incredible sandpaper scream. Five years later Rilen and Lucas recruited drummer Cathy Green (from experimental Canberra band **** **** [cough cough]) and recorded their classic 2nd. album At Home With You (also produced by Loyde). Green's style fit X like a glove and helped transform the band into a killer live act. The songs and production had more depth too -- the Hunter's & Collectors' horn section: The Horns Of Contempt contributing to 3 tracks. A limited edition version of the LP was also released in 1985 (A TV Dinner At Home With X) which contained a t-shirt and a flexi-disc of the song 'El Salvador' recorded live at The Prince Of Wales in Melbourne on March 13th, 1985 for a live 3PBS radio broadcast. Searching for this track, we happened upon the master tapes for the entire show and quickly decided to expand the release to a double disc! The live tracks are from the desk feed for the radio broadcast and are sufficiently raw and unadorned and are a terrific indicator of the awesome live power of X -- and a reminder of the great loss that Australian music suffered with the tragic death of Ian Rilen last year (the reissue is dedicated to Ian). The year 2007 marks the 30th anniversary of X and the prefect time to revisit this album."
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AVS 023CD
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"On Sunday June 13, 1971, the Aztecs, Chain, Daddy Cool, Wild Cherries, La De Da's, Healing Force and Lotus were the line-up for a concert at the Melbourne Town Hall. Taking advantage of such a big occasion, the Aztecs decided to record their set for a live LP and TV special -- complete with a 30 foot inflatable starfish type creature that deflated too early and had to be held up by various roadies and friends so the band could keep playing! The resultant LP Aztecs Live (also know as Live At Melbourne Town Hall) captures the band on the brink of becoming the biggest band in Australia, and a rare document of the Thorpe, Matthews, Morgan and Wheeler line-up. Our deluxe reissue of this album is augmented by the 6 A & B sides of the Aztecs' singles for the Havoc label -- including 'The Dawn Song' and the monster hit (and all-time Aussie classic ) 'Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy.' Plus, as an additional bonus, a never before available track: 'Long Live Rock 'N Roll,' live from the Rosebud Outdoor Festival in 1972. The CD is packaged in a 6 panel digipak, digitally remastered by Gil Matthews, with liner notes by Ted Lethborg. The 24-page booklet is full of great quotes and many rare images from the Live Aztecs TV special."
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AVS 022CD
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"Beyond Morgia: The Labyrinths Of Klimster is the legendary, previously unreleased 1976 space rock album and the soundtrack to an imaginary film. In June 1976, Lobby Loyde was at a critical juncture in his career; he stood at the metaphorical musical crossroads where a number of pathways lay ahead of him yet nothing was certain. He had already established himself as one of Australia's legendary guitarists and rock personalities, having toured and recorded relentlessly with The Purple Hearts, The Wild Cherries, The Aztecs, Coloured Balls and Southern Electric. Yet where was he to go from here? With his faith in Australian music at low-ebb, he'd already decided to travel to London to check out the scene over there. One final order of business he had to complete before his departure in early July was to record a new album. Lobby had written the music for a space rock concept album which he wanted to record as the instrumental soundtrack for a proposed sci-fi film, all of which was based on his unpublished novel called Beyond Morgia: The Labyrinths Of Klimster. Beyond Morgia was recorded at Armstrong Studios one weekend in June 1976, with the guys from Southern Electric on hand. The tapes went missing for many years, presumed lost forever but they recently surfaced. The album itself is an incredibly eclectic and diverse assortment of music: vast swathes of glacial keyboard notes with Loyde's unique, soaring psych-rock guitar work to the fore. It is classic space rock, beginning with a brooding electronic pulse (think early Tangerine Dream circa Electronic Meditation and Alpha Centauri), before building to a climactic guitar crescendo that echoes Pink Floyd at their most spacious and futuristic (think Ummagumma and Meddle -- with just a hint of Hawkwind's wind-tunnelling space explorations from Space Ritual). On top of that are Loyde's classical music influences, in particular his great love of Wagner and Beethoven, which come out in much of the music. Finally seeing the light of day -- 31 years after it was recorded -- Beyond Morgia: The Labyrinths Of Klimster is a worthy addition to the diverse catalog of the great Lobby Loyde."
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AVS 013CD
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"Lobby is an undisputed legend of Aussie rock and our first real guitar hero. His body of work, featuring The Purple Hearts, The Wild Cherries, The Aztecs and The Coloured Balls is unrivalled -- these are bands that helped to change the face of Aussie music in the Sixties and Seventies. Our first Lobby Loyde reissue is the mega rare 1980 title: Live With Dubs. By and large something of an unknown quantity, Live with Dubs is now considered by Aussie guitar rock aficionados to be one of the best albums of its type released at the time. The redoubtable Lobby Loyde has long been considered one of Australia 's master guitarists. A player of considerable confidence, proficiency and technique, by the time he came to record Live with Dubs, Loyde was a near 20-year veteran of the local scene (The Purple Hearts, The Wild Cherries, The Aztecs, and the legendary Coloured Balls). In 1979, after spending 2 years in UK , Loyde returned to Australia . On the way, he stopped off in LA in order to catch up with his old Aztec mates Billy Thorpe and drummer Gil Matthews, then preparing for the release of Thorpie's first American album Children of the Sun. Loyde had a few ideas up his sleeve for a new three-piece touring band, and he knew Matthews would fit the bill. Within weeks of his arrival back in Melbourne, and with Matthews available for a month, Loyde had embarked on a 28-date national tour. The bass player was Gavin Carroll who had previously worked with the Sinclair Brothers and Hush. Radio 2-JJ (the precursor to Radio National's youth oriented Triple J) recorded a gig at the Manly Flicks for a live-to-air broadcast. When it came to mixing the album it was found that the vocal mic's had malfunctioned, so Lobby got Mandu (from Lobby Loyde's Southern Electric) and Angry Anderson (Rose Tattoo) into the studio to record the vocal tracks. The resulting LP was released in 1980 (as a very limited pressing) and has always been difficult to find. Live With Dubs has been remastered from the original master tapes, has 7 bonus tracks and an extensive booklet with rare photos and liner notes by noted Aussie rock writer Ian McFarlane -- all packaged together in our deluxe 6 panel digi-pak."
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AVS 001CD
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Aztec Music is a new Australian reissue label, established in 2005. Each release is officially licensed, often w/ bonus tracks included, packaged in deluxe digipaks withelaborate bookslets. Really state-of-the art presentation. "Originally recorded at the historic Sunbury Music Festival on Australia Day 1972, by the loudest, hairiest, blues-rock band our country has ever known, Live at Sunbury sold 80,000 copies when first released. This deluxe reissue (digitally remastered, digi-pak, liner notes by noted Australian Rock author Ian McFarlane and a 16 page booklet with many rare photos) is a classic slab of rock history that every Australian home should have."
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