Dr. Hook Wild Colonial Boys My 45rpm single and the lads (caricatures) on the cover of the Rolling Stone. There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Doolan was his name (or was it?)Of poor but honest parents, he was born near Castlemaine (which one?)He was his father's only son, and his mother's pride and joySo … Continue reading Wild Colonial Boys
Pinch and Punch. Happy new month. In 1971 Fraternity’s If You Got It had Uncle John Eyres blowing a tasty little riff on an 'A' harp. This was the Adelaide band’s fourth single (the third for 1971) and the first on the Raven label after previously recording with the Sweet Peach label. This single has … Continue reading 45 Revolutions #6 – If You Got It
Some time ago I came across an unusual specimen (as it’s name referred - Unicum) that was not in the greatest nick, but worthy of closer inspection. What I now realise, thanks to Pat Missin, is that I acquired a Weiss Mandola that was missing the cardboard tube in which it was embedded. I have … Continue reading Unique Boutique
I would like to preface from the outset that this is not about my psychological scars inflicted by a former music classroom teacher. To be fair he had finally engaged me in the subject after years of experiencing torture from a regimented, dry curriculum which offered no opportunity to display individual creativity. We were challenged … Continue reading The Music Teacher
Many harmonica collectors around the globe have the Australian Boomerang De Luxe front and centre in their displays. All De Luxe models were boomerang shaped. This twelve double aperture mouth organ and its single aperture partner (The Miniature) were uniquely designed in the shape of the indigenous Australian's returning boomerang. There was another boomerang designed … Continue reading My Boomerang Did Come Back
I woke the other night to the strangest sight and sound. The Lord has come in judgement to see if I go up or down. Chain’s second single, following on from the highly successful Black and Blue (which was the first and last blues tune to top an Australian chart) was Judgement released after the … Continue reading 45 Revolutions #5 – Judgement
I’d often wondered about this mouth organ named the Triller that was referenced to in a 1899 W H Paling’s advertisement. Just recently Mark Weber discovered it in a job lot and bought it. It just might be the only one in existence. Interestingly the trilling effect is provided by a slider button identical to … Continue reading Triller Thriller
It’s funny how you can stumble on an item that piques your interest while searching for something totally different. Canadian collector Doug Dawson had recently acquired a harmonica called Sounds Of Peace and he was trying to identify the maker. I felt it may have been sold here in Australia so into the search engine … Continue reading A Perfect Organ
Top left and right: Cockatoo Railway Station & The Tourist Track. Bottom left and right: Cockatoo Creek and Bell’s Mill. Middle insert: Fern Gully. (1921) “From down along the creek came the sound of mouth organs and mandolins.” COCKATOO. (The Age, Melbourne 31 January, 1925) 'Is all the luggage strapped in?' 'Where in the world … Continue reading Sounds of Cockatoo – Mouth Organ & Mandolin
The “classic” line-up of Chain was only together for eleven months, but in this time they enjoyed a National Top Ten hit (number one on Melbourne’s radio charts) in 1971 with its debut single on the Infinity label, ‘Black And Blue’. At the end of the band’s first rehearsal, guitar guru Phil Manning was playing … Continue reading 45 Revolutions #4 – Black And Blue
