The Saints: One Two Three Four EP 1977

In 1974 Brisbane band The Saints, started mixing their love of 1960’s Pop with their love of high energy Detroit rock. Their set list included speeded up cover versions of Del Shannon, and Ike and Tina Turner as well as Stooges songs. In late 1977 after the release of their debut album, (I am) Stranded, they released the One, Two, Three, Four EP. Which included cover versions of Ike and Tina Turner’s River Deep Mountain High and Connie Francis’ Lipstick On Your Collar. The two other original songs on the EP (Demolition Girl & One Way Street) were different versions than the ones that appear on the (I am) Stranded album.

 

Produced By  Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper

Chris Bailey       Vocals

Ed Kuepper        Guitar
Ivor Hay            Drums
Kym Bradshaw    Bass

The Saints - 1234 EP

Radio Birdman: Burn My Eye 1976

 

Radio Birdman were form in Sydney Australia by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in 1974. Their name comes from a misheard lyric in the song 1970 by The Stooges. Radio Birdman were a Punk band before there was such a thing as Punk. They made a decision not to be commercial, not to cater to venues, record companies or popular taste. No venue in Sydney would touch them. They didn’t play covers or Aussie Rock. So they started their own venue, The Oxford Funhouse (Funhouse is also a name of a Stooges song). No major record company was interested, so they released a low budget EP on an independent label. Trafalgar Records was Trafalgar studios own label with no national distribution.  During the recording, as a form of percussion, the Band crushed beer cans (VB) on their heads. Their debut EP - Burn My Eye - was released in October 1976, one month after The Saints’ I’m Stranded. You could build a good case to say that these two releases are the start of Australian Punk and Alternative Rock.   

Produced by      John Sayers and Charles Fisher

Warwick Gilbert                  Bass
Ron Keeley                      Drums
Chris Masuak       Guitar / Piano
Deniz Tek            Guitar / Vocals
Rob Younger           Lead Vocals

Smith & Wesson Blues
Snake
I-94
Burn My Eye

Or the whole EP as a .zip
Radio Birdman - Burn My Eye EP

Hoodoo Gurus: Tojo 1983

This is the 1983 second single from Sydney, Australian’s Hoodoo Gurus. It’s the first to include guitarist Brad Shepherd, who has been with the band ever since. Like most of their singles it was written by the singer and the other guitarist Dave Faulkner.
There are two main references in the song. The first, the World War Two Japanese Prime Minister General Hideki Tojo. The Japanese bombed Darwin, Australian in the War but didn’t invade. They were stopped in Papua New Guinea by Australian troops. The second is the 1975 song ‘Santa Never Made It Into Darwin’ by New Zealand duo Bill & Boyd. Which was a charity record to raise money for the victims of Cyclone Tracy which devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve / Christmas Day 1974. Both General Tojo and Cyclone Tracy had tried to destroy Darwin. It was released on Big Time Records in June, 1983. (Lets All) Turn On was the B-side.

James Baker                                 drums
Clyde Bramley                    bass, vocals
Dave Faulkner           lead vocals, guitar
Brad Shepherd                 guitar, vocals

Producer — Alan Thorne
Design (cover) — Yanni Stumbles, Dave Faulkner

***Warning recorded off of vinyl. Little bit of Surface Noise & a couple of clicks.***
Tojo
(Lets All) Turn On