Vinyl Vibes

On this episode Jack is joined by Lonnie Lee, Australian rock and roll pioneer. Lonnie grew up in a time before rock and roll, when artists like Johnny Ray and Nat King Cole ruled the airwaves. But everything changed in 1955 when he first heard Bill Haley and from that point onward rock and roll was his passion. In 1957, Lonnie entered a competition setting out to find “Australia’s Elvis” and he won. From there, his career began to take off, getting gigs around Sydney and doing other various competitions. After taking a year out of music in 1958 due to a car accident, Lonnie made his musical comeback in 1959. Lonnie came to record through promoter Lee Gordon, who signed Lonnie to the Leedon label. During his first session, he didn’t have a B-side for his debut single, so in the studio he and Johnny O’Keefe penned Ain’t It So in about 20 minutes. It would become Lonnie’s first hit, making it into the top ten on the Sydney charts in late 1959. Through the early '60s, Lonnie would have a string of other hits including Starlight Starbright and I Found a New Love. More recently, Lonnie has just released his first book in a planned set of four on his life — the first book in the series Almost a Star — and goes into his early life before his success in rock and roll. Jack phoned Lonnie to talk about his early musical memories, the impact Johnny Ray had on him, life pre-rock and roll, hearing Bill Haley and Elvis for the first time, his memories of winning a competition in 1957 that was looking for Australia’s Elvis, his work throughout 1957, the car accident he had in late 1957, his time as a jackaroo in 1958, what it was like being isolated from rock and roll during most of 1958, his comeback to music in 1959, how he came to be signed to the Leedon label, how Ain’t It So came to be, the success he had throughout the late '50s and early '60s, how he came to be the first Aussie artist to have a full-colour album cover, his 2019 album Back to Base X, and his new book Almost a Star. "So he (a friend of Lonnie's) went and bought this record and of course it was 'Rock Around the Clock' and it was just amazing — hearing this song was just... like a blind person seeing for the first time." – Lonnie Lee on this episode of Vinyl Vibe, talking about hearing rock and roll for the first time. Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes Jack is joined by founder of Ariel, Mike Rudd. In 1973, Mike’s band Spectrum came to an end shortly after the recording of their 4th studio album, Testimonial. Soon after this, Mike and Spectrum’s bass player Bill Putt were joined by Tamam Shud band members Tim Gaze and Nigel McAra, forming Ariel in the same year. Over the course of three months, Mike would write the band’s first album, A Strange Fantastic Dream.  Following the release of the band’s first album in late 1973, Tim Gaze and Nigel Macara left the band. Although this devastated Mike at the time, it allowed him to take on the ambitious creative project that was The Jellabad Mutant Rock opera album. Over the course of 1974, this would be Mike and the band’s main project. During the year, the band had interest from EMI in the UK and was invited to record at Abbey Road Studios. However, once The Jellabad Mutant had been demoed, EMI Australia outright rejected it. This led to the band having to rely on material from the Spectrum days and the few songs Mike could write in the short amount of time leading up to recording in the UK. The Rock and Roll Scars album would be recorded at Abbey Studios and would feature a re-recording of Spectrum’s number 1 hit I’ll Be Gone. They would return to Australia in early 1975 and play the last Sunbury festival.  Ariel would continue to make music until their last gig in August 1977 at the Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne.  Jack called Mike to talk about the formation of Ariel, the writing of A Strange Fantastic Dream, how the album pushed the boundaries of songwriting, the controversy surrounding some  of the songs on Strange Fantastic Dream, playing a tour with Gary Glitter, the demoing of The Jellabad Mutant, how EMI's rejection of The Jellabad Mutant impact the band when they went to the UK to record, recording at Abbey Road Studios, playing at the '75 Sunbury festival, and the band's last gig in 1977 at the Dallas Brooks Hall.  "The opportunity to actually demo stuff was pretty remote in those days. I think I had a tape recorder, but that was it. Quite often, they were just dubbed onto a cassette, and the band expanded on that—and whatever we ended up with was Ariel" - Mike Rudd on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about finding the Ariel sound Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks for a second time with Gil Mathews, drummer of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Gil joined the Aztecs in August 1970 and remained with them until their farewell performance in 1973. In Jack's last interview with Gil, he delved into hit records by the Aztecs, such as Most People I Know Think I’m Crazy and also their famous 1972 Sunbury performance. In this episode Jack dives deeper into Gil’s time with the Aztecs. Gil joined Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs in August 1970. On June 13th, 1971, the Aztecs would famously headline a gig at the Melbourne Town Hall. Their Town Hall set would be recorded and released as the live album Aztecs Live. The performance featured the majestic sound of the Melbourne Town Hall organ, which, after being used by the loudest band in the country, reportedly ruptured the foundations of the building next to the Town Hall. When the Aztecs played the Melbourne Town Hall, above the band and the crowd there was a massive inflatable octopus. The artist behind this floating sea creature, after the Town Hall gig, suggested to the Sydney Opera House committee that they book the Aztecs for a concert. The committee agreed and booked the Aztecs on the assumption they were a string quartet. It wasn't until closer to the concert that they realised that the Aztecs were in fact a rock and roll band. And so Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs, by accident, became the first rock band to perform at the Opera House. This Sydney Opera House gig would be the farewell gig for Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Following this, Gil would remain drumming for Billy Thorpe on his solo albums, such as Downunder in 1973 and Million Dollar Bill in 1975. Gil has remained in music and has been running his own music label, Aztec Records, since 2005. The label specialises in remastering and reissuing classic Oz releases onto CD. Their latest CD release is The Live Adventures of Ariel. Jack called Gil to talk about his work at Havoc Records pre-Aztecs, recording Lobby Loyde, his memories of the Melbourne Town Hall gig, the majestic one-off performance of Somebody Left Me Crying, how the Aztecs came to play the Sydney Opera House, why they chose to open the Opera House gig with an acoustic set, his work on Thorpe songs such as It's Almost Summer, and his work today with Aztec Records. "The (Sydney Opera House) committee thought the Aztecs were a string quartet! They had no knowledge the Aztecs were Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, the rock and roll band, until the day we started playing." - Gil Mathews on this episode of Vinyl Vibes Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Clelia Adams, author of One Of A Kind: The Adventures of Cleo from Go-Set Magazine. Clelia grew up in Orange, surrounded by the music of the early '60s. In 1966, Go-Set Magazine—the first magazine to cover the Australian pop music scene—began publishing. Clelia was hooked from the beginning. In June 1967, Clelia moved from Orange to Sydney and soon got a job at the Go-Set Sydney office. She would work with the magazine for the next four years. After her time at Go-Set, Clelia joined WEA Records in 1972. Her main job during this time was to organise press conferences for international WEA acts touring Australia. Jethro Tull was the first band she worked with. Their album Thick as a Brick had just come out, so instead of sending normal press invitations, Clelia wrapped bricks in newspaper with red ribbon and sent them out as invites to the press conference. The album would go on to become a number one hit in Australia. Led Zeppelin toured Australia in February 1972. Clelia met the band when they visited the WEA offices, and she worked on their Australian tour through the WEA label. One of the last bands she worked with at WEA was The Rolling Stones, during their 1973 Australian tour. In the mid-'70s, Clelia moved to Tamworth to embark on a career in country music. After releasing her first studio album, Fine Company, in 1996, Clelia has now recorded a total of six studio albums and recently compiled a greatest hits CD. During the COVID lockdowns, Clelia began working on her memoir. It covers her time at Go-Set, WEA, and her career in country music. It was released in December 2024. Jack called Clelia to talk about her early music memories, growing up in Orange, what Melbourne in the '60s was like, how she came to work at Go-Set, her memories of working at the magazine, the impact Go-Set had on the Australian music scene, how she came to work for WEA Records, her memories of working with Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, her solo music work, her new compilation album, and her new book. "They came into the office… just popped in to say hello and do the social thing. Robert Plant—well, as soon as he walked into the room, he was like a lion king. That hair was just flowing everywhere. Anyway, he sees me in the corner, where I was sitting at my typewriter. He launches himself onto a chair in front of my desk, leans forward with his hands on the table, ends up about two inches from my face, and says, ‘I think you must come out with me tonight.’” – Clelia Adams on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about Led Zeppelin dropping by the WEA offices. Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack closes his 8-part Newcastle Vinyl Vibes series by talking with Greg Bryce, Founder of DV8. Over the course of this series, Jack has spoken with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story.  Greg bought his first album when he was a teenager, a copy of Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out by the Rolling Stones. The album sparked Greg's love for raw live rock and roll and began his interest in music. Greg formed his first band, Meccalissa, in 1974. As the years went by, the band started to get paid gigs, and in September 1979, they would open for Heroes the night of the Star Hotel Riot. The month after the riot, the band would record their first and only single. Its A-side was "Darby Street Blues," and its B-side was "Kill The Warden." The single was recorded at Anglewood Studios in Newcastle and would become a top 20 hit locally, reaching 17 on the Newcastle charts. Soon after recording the single, in late 1979, Meccalissa would split and transform into DV8.  DV8 was formed to embrace the raw live sound that first got Greg into music. Their first album, Stab in the Dark, was a live album recorded between May and June 1981 at the Bel Air Hotel. It would be a big local hit, reaching number 2 on the Newcastle album charts, being kept off the number one position only by the Rolling Stones' album Tattoo You. However, there would be a five-year gap between Stab in the Dark and DV8’s second album, Back to Basics. During this five-year gap, the band built up their audience across Newcastle, and Greg wrote a lot of new material. After this album, DV8 would release two more albums: Live! in 1987 and Can You Hear Me? in 1988.  After the Can You Hear Me? album, DV8 went on a long hiatus when Greg left to travel the world. He would not return to Newcastle until 1993. DV8 would play intermittently throughout the ‘90s, even releasing an album in 1998 called Big Green Monsters. Since 2000, the band has not stopped playing and is still doing gigs around Newcastle. More recently, Greg has begun a new music project called All Without a Space Suit. All Without a Space Suit is a funky jam band that Greg formed during the COVID lockdowns. The band is recording songs and has new music on the way.  Jack talked with Greg in the studio about his early life, how albums such as Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out sparked his interest in music, the formation of Meccalissa, the early Meccalissa gigs, his memories of playing at the Star Hotel Riot, the recording of Darby Street Blues, how DV8 came to be, the success of the band's first album Stab in the Dark, DV8's rise to becoming Newcastle's top group of the late '80s, why Greg left DV8 to travel the world, how much music had changed in Newcastle on his return in 1993, his work with DV8 today, and his new band All Without a Space Suit.  "We were coming into the '80s, and there were a lot of bands with very succinct short names like INXS and U2... came up with DV8, saw it on the number plate of a cartoon character or something like that, because DV8 really means to change direction, and we were just in the process of changing direction." - Greg Bryce on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about the formation of DV8.  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Peter De Jong, founding member of Heroes. This is the seventh episode in an eight-part Newcastle Vinyl Vibes series. Over the course of this series, Jack has spoken with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story.  Pete started playing in bands during the late ‘60s, but his first professional band was Armageddon, which took shape in 1970. Armageddon initially played around Toronto, performing blues covers by the likes of The Kinks and John Mayall. The band would rise in popularity and in 1971, would enter the Newcastle heat of the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, at the time the biggest music competition in Australia. The band played two original songs and won the Newcastle heat of the competition securing Armageddon as Newcastle's top group of the early ‘70s. Armageddon came to an end in 1975.  In 1976, Heroes was formed with Pete on lead guitar and co-lead vocals. For the first year of their existence, the band had a residency at the Clinkers Tavern in Belmont before starting to play at other Newcastle venues. The band began by playing covers of songs by 10cc and Thin Lizzy, but they also started writing original music. In 1978, the band's bass player at the time, Allan Cook, presented a song to the band called Star and the Slaughter. It was a country-pop sounding song at first, but after fellow Heroes member Mark Tinson worked on the song, it became the punchy rock track it is known as today. The song brought the band notoriety after Heroes played it as their encore at the Star Hotel riot gig in September 1979.  After their Star Hotel riot gig, Heroes were soon signed to Albert Productions by George Young and Harry Vanda. The band released their first single, Baby Got a Taste, in August 1980. The single reached number 2 locally in Newcastle and number 76 nationally on the Kent Music charts. Their self-titled album followed in October 1980, and their second single, The Star and the Slaughter, came out in January 1981. The band continued playing until they disbanded in 1982.  In 2015, Heroes released their second studio album, So Far. The album was made up of songs both written in the ‘80s for the second Alberts album that never happened, as well as newer songs penned by Peter and Mark Tinson. The band played their final gig at Lizottes in 2019 on the anniversary of the Star Riot, closing the page on one of Newcastle's greatest bands.  Jack phoned Pete to talk about his early musical memories, how Armageddon came to be, his memories of playing and winning the 1971 Newcastle heat of the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, the formation of Heroes, the band's residency at the Clinkers Tavern, Pete's memories of the Star Hotel Riot, how the band was discovered by Harry Vanda and George Young, recording for Alberts, what it was like playing on Countdown, the disbandment of Heroes in 1982, and the band's 2015 album So Far.  "A whole bunch of things came together to make that song have a power that it was never really intended to have... but even the lyrics matched what was going on, you know? 'I want action, I want fighting in the streets, going to take this town by storm' – haha, it was almost like a narrative to what was going on outside, even though we weren’t aware of it." - Peter De Jong on the song Star and the Slaughter being played during the Star Hotel Riot  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Rick Pointon, founder of Benny and The Jets. Last time Rick was on the show, in episode 2 of this Newcastle Vinyl Vibes special, he talked about his music work in the ‘60s. In this episode, he discusses his music work in the ‘70s with Benny and The Jets.  Prior to forming Benny and The Jets in 1973, Rick was in a local group called Keg. While in Keg, Rick had the idea of performing a 20-minute medley of rock and roll songs from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Toward the end of Keg, while at the Star Hotel watching Bob Hudson one day in 1973, Rick had the idea to form a band based around the rock and roll of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Rick aspired to launch this new band, Benny and The Jets, at The Star Hotel. This was no easy task at the time, as The Star was primarily a jazz pub. However, after much persistence, Rick convinced the publican, Don Graham, to let Benny and The Jets play a free night at the Star. This first performance was a success, and the band soon rose to prominence around Newcastle. Upon their first gig, the band became Australia's first rock and roll revival group.  In 1975, Rick contacted Copperfield Records in Sydney, and the band recorded its first single, a cover of Barry Mann’s We Put the Bomp (In the Bomp Bomp Bomp). For Benny and The Jets, the single became a number one hit on the local Newcastle charts and reached number 90 nationally on the Kent Music charts. This marked the beginning of a string of local hits for the group. In 1976, Benny and The Jets released their well-known album Hey Rock and Roll, which reached number one locally in Newcastle.  Although still popular, in May 1978, Benny and The Jets came to an end after Rick underwent an intensive throat operation. Rick has remained a fixture of the music scene in Newcastle and, more recently, has written a book called Hey Rock and Roll, which reflects on his time in music and the Newcastle music scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s.  Jack talked with Rick in the studio about his time in Keg, what inspired Keg to play a rock and roll medley, how Bob Hudson inspired Rick to form Benny and The Jets, how the band came to play The Star, the success the band had throughout the '70s, the recording of hits such as Hey Rock and Roll, the writing of songs such as JOK, why the band came to an end, and his book Hey Rock and Roll.  "He (Don Graham) didn't know who I was, so then he would say, 'Well, where have you been playing?' and I’d reply, 'We haven't been playing anywhere.' In the end, he said, 'Look, just keep in touch,' so I rang him back every second day, drove him crazy... I said, 'We'll do a free night for you.' Don said, 'Oh, okay, what about next Tuesday?'... Halfway through the night, it was jumping, so they got us back." – Rick Pointon on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about Benny and The Jets playing The Star for the first time.  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Mark Tinson in the fifth instalment of the Vinyl Vibes Newcastle series. This 8-part series talks with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story.  Mark grew up in Maitland amidst the music of the ‘60s listening to the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. While still in High School, Mark would form his first professional band, Bluegrass, in 1968. Along with Bluegrass, Mark would enter Newcastle heat of the 1971 Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, at that time the biggest music contest in Australia. Although the band would loose the heat to fellow Newcastle band Armageddon, for Mark it would bring an important moment in his musical journey as he would meet Peter De Jong, a future long-time music collaborator. After seeing acts live such as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, Mark had the idea to form a group that could make records and also tour. This would lead to the formation of glam rock band, A Rabbit in 1973. At the Insistence of Ted Mulry, In 1975 the band would be joined on lead vocals by original AC/DC Dave Evans. Soon after this the band would be singed to CBS records and become known simply as Rabbit.   After recording their debut self titled album, Rabbit would moved from Newcastle to Sydney. Their first efforts in Sydney included recording their single Wild Fire, which saw the band gain some national recognition when the single reached 86 on the national Kent Music Charts. After recording this Wild Fire single, the band would record their second album, Too Much Rock 'n' Roll. The single and title track off the album, Too Much Rock 'n' Roll, would reach 64 on the national charts and was written by Mark.  During Ted Murly Gang's national 1976 Stepping Out tour, Mark would leave Rabbit and return to Newcastle. He would first join a jam band called Bandits before forming Heroes in the same year. Heroes would play constantly throughout Newcastle and would rise to national prominence following the 1979 Star Hotel Riot.  Following the Star Riot, Heroes would be signed to Alberts Productions and in August 1980 the band’s first single, Baby’s Had a Taste, would be released. The B-side to this debut Heroes single, Waiting for You, was a song written by Mark. The single would reach 76 on the Kent music charts. This single would be followed by a self tiled album in October 1980 and a second singe, The Star and The Slaughter in January 1981. After money troubles the band would come to an end in 1982. More recently, Mark has written a book called Too Much Rock and Roll, which covers his time in music.   In this episode Jack talks with Mark about his early musical influences, the experience of hearing an electric guitar for the first time, his first profession band Bluegrass, his memoires of playing the '71 Hoadleys Battle of The Sounds, the formation of A Rabbit, working with original AC/DC front man Dave Evans, the recording of Rabbit's first album, his memoires of playing on Countdown, the writing of Rabbit hits such as Too Much Rock and Roll, TMG's 1976 Stepping Out Tour, his time in The Bandits, the formation of Heroes, the early Heroes gigs, The Star Hotel Riot, the recording the band did with Alberts, his recent memoir and his recent music work.   "The infamous Star Hotel Riot occurred, that brought some attention to us from Alberts and they came up to see the band play which is kind of surreal when George Young and Harry Vanda sitting up the back of the room" - Mark Tinson on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about getting signed by Vanda and Young  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Les Gully in the fourth instalment of an 8-part Vinyl Vibes Newcastle series. This series talks with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story.  Les grew up in Toronto, joining his first band Yesterday's Orphans in the mid ‘60s. The band would play a few gigs throughout Les’ time in high school but would come to an end in 1968 after Les graduated. While still in high school, future Armageddon vocalist and guitarist Peter De Jong approached Les one lunchtime asking if he could play Happy Jack by The Who on the drums. Les obliged, and it impressed De Jong greatly. When Les' first band Yesterday's Orphans came to an end, De Jong and bassist Paul Matters were in a band called The Pak at the time. Their drummer had just left and so, possibly remembering Les’s drumming of Happy Jack, they asked Les to join the band. The band would go through name changes such as Frog Hollow and Gully Erosion before settling on Armageddon by 1970.  The first year of Armageddon's existence would see the band start to build a following around Newcastle. In 1971 The band would enter the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, at the time Australia's biggest music contest. The group would win the Newcastle heat of the contest with their two original songs, Song for Happy and Suite Blind Eye. The band went down to Sydney for the finals but did not make it to the end of the contest, with finalists Fraternity winning the '71 Hoadleys overall. Following their '71 Hoadleys Newcastle win, the group would become the most popular group around newcastle throughout the early '70s. Armageddon would come to an end in 1975, with Peter De Jong forming Heroes the year after and Paul Matters joining AC/DC for a short period. Les would keep Armageddon going in the form of Geddon, which would play locally throughout 1976.   In this episode Les talks with Jack in the studio about why he started playing drums, his early musical influences, his memoires of playing for the first time live in 1964, how he came to join Yesterdays Orphens, his memoires of recording and playing with Yesterdays Orphens, the formation of Armageddon, his memoires of playing Hoadleys Battle of the Sounds in '71 and '72, being Newcastle's top group of the early '70s, how Armageddon bassist Paul Matters went on to play in AC/DC, and the later days of the band when it became known as Geddon.   "He (Paul Matters) was in there (AC/DC) in 1975. You'll find in the books that he's not mentioned. That period is put down as George Young and for a long time nobody knew about it...people found out about me, AC/DC fan clubs in Scandinavia and Italy -here there and everywhere- and started writing me letters. Paul didn't want to talk to anybody but he has a twin sister so through her we got into contact with Paul and he was kind of persuaded to take phone calls, so he did some talking with these people. The people who keep the records of these things were convinced that Paul Matters had to be put in (AC/DCs history)"- Les Gully on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about Amageddon bassist Paul Matters who went on to play in AC/DC  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Les Hall in the third instalment of an 8-part Vinyl Vibes Newcastle series. This series will talk with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story.  Les grew up in Maitland, joining his first band, The Cavemen, when he was still in high school. After playing in his second Maitland band, The Influence of Cessal Roads, in 1968 Les would join Newcastle band The Velvet Underground. The Velvet Underground would go on to be very popular around Newcastle in the late ‘60s playing vanues such as The Bus Stop Disco. The band became known for their stage act which included lead singer Steve Phillipson lighting his bomber jacket on fire when the band would cover Jimi Hendrix’s Fire. In 1970 The Velvet Underground recorded its first and only single. It featured on its A-side a cover of Jefferson Airplane's Somebody to Love and on the B-side a cover of Love’s She Comes in Colors. Later in the same year, on suggestion by Stevie Wright, the band would be joined by future AC/DC member, Malcolm Young, on guitar. In 1972, The Velvet Underground, who briefly were called Pony, became the backing band for Ted Mulry. During 1972 Velvet Underground would disband and Ted Mulry Gang would form with Velvet members Les Hall and Herman Kovacs. Velvet member Malcolm Young would go off and form AC/DC in 1973. TMG would go on to be one of Australia's biggest bands of the '70s with songs such as "Jump In My Car" and "Darktown Strutters Ball". AC/DC would go on to become one of the biggest bands in the world. In this episode, Les talks about how this Newcastle band, The Velvet Underground, went on to be the predecessor to these two massive Aussie bands of the ‘70s.  Jack talked with Les live in the studio about his time in his first band The Cavemen, how he came to join The Velvet Underground, the Newcastle music scene in the '60s, the setlist the band played early on, the live gigs with Steve Phillipson, the recording of the bands first and only single, how Malcom Young came to join the band, memories of playing with Malcom Young, and how the band came to come to form into TMG.   "As we were walking out (of the Young residence), heard the noise coming from the bedroom and walked in and there was a big old wardrobe...Malcom slid one of the doors open and said 'that's just Angus'. He was in there playing with -he had an SG-he was playing along to Led Zeppelin on this little record player...We went to walk out and their father walked into the room and...we shook hands, his father pointed to the Wardrobe and said 'he's the one, he's the one'. - Les Hall on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about Angus Young  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick is best known for his time in the local 1970s band Benny and The Jets; however, in this episode, Rick and Jack discuss his musical work throughout the ‘60s. Rick joined his first band, The Mystics, in late 1963 during the instrumental music craze of the early ‘60s. By the time The Beatles stepped onto Aussie shores in 1964, Rick had joined another local group, The Mystery Men. Possibly Rick’s greatest success during the ‘60s was his time in The Second Thoughts. In July 1966, The Second Thoughts would record a single at Nat Kipner's St. Clare Studios in Hurstville. A few nights beforehand, in the same studio, Kipner had just recorded and produced the Bee Gees' breakthrough hit, Spicks and Specks. Rick and the rest of the band would be among the first people ever the hear this Bee Gees hit. The Second Thoughts would record three songs with Kipner in one session. Two of them, Run Back Home and The World Keeps Going Round, would be pressed onto a 45 single and become a number one hit in Newcastle for The Second Thoughts. However, the third song from that session, a cover of The Kinks' song Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight, has never seen the light of day. At first Jack thought this recording was lost to time having never been released; however, Nat Kipner gave Rick a copy of the recording on cassette some time ago. Rick, at some point, had the song on the cassette transferred to CD and has dug out that CD to be played in this Vinyl Vibes episode. This song has never been heard anywhere since being recorded by Rick and The Second Thoughts in 1966.  After The Second Thoughts, Rick would form Butter Suite in 1969, the band which he would stay with for the remainder of the ‘60s. More recently, Rick has written a book called Hey Rock and Roll, which reflects on his time in music and the Newcastle music scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s.  In this episode Rick discusses with Jack his first guitar, the instrumental surf craze of the early '60s, how Rick came to join his first band The Mystics, The Beatles tour of Australia, seeing The Shadows live in 1965, the formation of The Others, how The Others became The Second Thoughts, recording with Nat Kipner, being one of the first people ever to hear Spicks and Specks, his time in Bitter Suite and his book Hey Rock And Roll.  "When we left the studio it was agreed by Nat that 'The World Keeps Going 'Round' would be the top side..'Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight' would be the flip side and we wouldn't use 'Run Back Home' but when the record came out the record company had pressed it up differently...those things happened in those days, it was a bit slap dash." - Rick Pointon on this epsidoe of Vinyl Vibes talking about the recording of The Second Thoughts local number one single   Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack kicks off his 8-part Newcastle Vinyl Vibes series talking with Dannie Davidson, drummer of Tamam Shud. This series will talk with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story.  Dannie’s first group was a local Newcastle band called The Strangers, which he helped form in Cooks Hill in 1962. With Dannie on drums, The Strangers would go on to be Newcastle’s top group of the early ‘60s. In 1964, The Strangers became the first Newcastle band to have a single released nationally when their single The Rip came out. The band would leave for Sydney in 1965 and become The Sunsets, where they would play more Beach Boys-type music. While in Sydney, they would meet filmmaker Paul Witzig, who would get the band to provide soundtrack music for his surf films. In 1967, the band’s music was changing yet again due to the influx of American sounds from the likes of The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, and so the band changed their name to Tamam Shud.  As with their days in The Sunsets, Paul Witzig got Tamam Shud to provide the soundtrack music for his surf movie Evolution. In return for their services for Witzig, the band was able to record a studio album. Tamam Shud would record their debut album, Evolution, in one session. The album would sell out its initial pressing of 10,000 copies within weeks; however, due to the master tape being erased, it would not see another pressing for many years to come. In early 1970, Tamam Shud would begin recording their second album, The Goolutionites and The Real People. Continuing their innovative ways, the album was environmentally themed, an unusual topic for a rock record in Australia at the time. Dannie left the Shud after the band's second album and throughout the 70s would go on to perform in bands such as Karvus Jute and Band of Light.  In this episode, Dannie discusses with Jack his early life in Newcastle and Kings Cross, seeing acts such as Buddy Rich live in the '50s, the formation of The Strangers, the instrumental craze of the early '60s, the recording of The Rip, how the band became The Sunsets, meeting Paul Witzig, the recording and success of Evolution, Tamam Shud live gigs of the late '60s, the band's second album, and what Dannie is up to today.  "We recorded The Rip, I think we did that... I think it was released in '64, but we actually recorded it in '63. It was going to be called Bombora, but The Atlantics came along, and we were filthy because we were surfers and they weren't!" - Dannie Davison on this Vinyl Vibes episode talking about the debut single from The 4 Strangers called The Rip.  Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Geoff Bridgford, drummer of The Groove and The Bee Gees. Geoff got into music at an early age, surrounded by the sounds of rock and roll. He used to frequent Alan’s Music in Melbourne. One day at the store, one of the girls working there mentioned that a group called Steve and The Board were looking for a drummer. The band had a hit on the charts called "The Giggle-Eyed Goo" at the time, so Geoff went to see the group at the 10th Avenue Disco. He auditioned for the band on drums live at the gig, and as the audience loved his playing, he was recruited as the new drummer for Steve and The Board. After a year of being in Steve and The Board, Geoff had a knock on the door from Garry Spry, who was putting together a band called The Groove. Geoff agreed to join, and the band would spend much of its first year rehearsing in Melbourne. By September 1967, the band’s first single, Simon Says, was released and became a top 20 hit. However, it would be the group’s second single, Soothe Me, which would become The Groove’s biggest hit. The Groove’s version of the song was largely based on the Sam and Dave version, which had come out the year before. For The Groove, it would reach number 10 in Australia. After winning the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds in 1968, The Groove won a trip to the UK. After two years in the UK with minimal success, the band broke up, and Geoff joined Tin Tin in 1970. Tin Tin’s second album, Astral Taxi, would be produced by Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. Because of this, Geoff started to collaborate with Maurice on his unreleased solo album The Loner. At this time, the Bee Gees had broken up, but when Robin Gibb returned, the band decided to reform. With Geoff playing drums for both Maurice and Barry, they decided to take him on as the official Bee Gees drummer. Lonely Days was the first song Geoff recorded with the Bee Gees. As a single, it would reach number 8 in Australia, number 1 in Canada, number 33 in the UK, and number 3 in the United States. Trafalgar would be the first and only album where Geoff was featured as an official member of the Bee Gees. The first song recorded during the Trafalgar sessions was a song Barry Gibb wrote called How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. It would become the Bee Gees’ first number one hit in the United States. Before this moment, no Australian-born musician had ever been featured on a U.S. number one hit. Since the Gibb brothers were born in the UK, this makes Geoff the first Aussie to ever be featured on a U.S. number one hit. The song would reach number 2 in Australia. Geoff left the Bee Gees in 1972 but has remained involved in music over the years. More recently, Geoff has focused on doing solo material. His latest standalone single came out in late 2021 on his Bandcamp. It’s called Recognise and was written about Indigenous rights. To find more of Geoff’s solo material, you can visit his Bandcamp and YouTube pages. Jack phoned Geoff to talk about his early days in music, the impact that rock and roll had on him, how Geoff came to join Steve and The Board, his first time recording, how he came to join The Groove, the soul hits the band had such as Soothe Me, his memories of winning Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds in 1968, The Groove’s time in the UK, his work with Maurice Gibb, how he came to join the Bee Gees, recording his first song with the Bee Gees, Lonely Days, the Bee Gees’ first U.S. number one hit How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, and his work since leaving the Bee Gees, including his recent single Recognise. "To this day, I still remember Barry coming into the studio and saying, ‘I’ve got this really nice country song, do you want to play it down with me?’ and I said, ‘Sure, what’s it called?’ and he said, ‘It’s called How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.’"-Geoff Bridgford on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about recording How Can You Mend a Broken Heart with The Bee Gees Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Elliot Lurie, co-lead vocalist and guitarist of Looking Glass.  Looking Glass formed in the late '60s while its members were attending Rutgers University in New Jersey. The band became popular on campus, and after graduating, they decided to take a year off to do music full-time. They rented a farmhouse and got to work writing songs and recording demos. The band was signed to CBS Records and began recording for the label. During their time in the farmhouse, Elliot wrote a song called "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)." It was this very song that the head of CBS Records, Clive Davis, insisted be released as the band’s debut single. However, the band opted instead for "Don’t It Make You Feel Good."  This first single failed to chart, but it was perhaps a CBS promotions executive named Robert Mandel who saved the band’s career. Mandel took an acetate of Looking Glass' debut album to a disc jockey at a Washington, DC, radio station. The DJ put the vinyl on the turntable and played track two, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," on the air. It had an instant reaction from listeners, with the radio station phones lighting up. CBS knew it was going to be a hit and pressed the song as Looking Glass' second single. The single would reach number one in the U.S. and number 10 in Australia. In 2017, the song would see further success when it became a main feature in the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.  In 1973, the band released their second and final album, Subway Serenade. It brought the group a Top 40 hit with the single "Jimmy Loves Maryanne." As a single, "Jimmy Loves Maryanne" reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and number 75 on the charts in Australia, making Looking Glass by no means a one-hit wonder. Elliot left the group in 1974.  Today, Elliot collaborates and plays live gigs with Yacht Rock Revue. Yacht Rock Revue is a band that mainly plays covers considered part of a genre called "yacht rock." The group has also done some original work, with a recent single, "Tropical Illusion." Elliot co-wrote the song with a member of Yacht Rock Revue, and it would be the lead single off their 2024 album Escape Artist.  Jack Zoomed with Elliot to discuss his early days, the impact rock and roll had on him, the formation of Looking Glass, how the name Looking Glass came to be, the group’s early popularity around Rutgers University, the band's time writing demos, the writing and recording of "Brandy," the band's first single, how "Brandy" became a hit, what it was like having "Brandy" in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the band’s second album, and Elliot’s work today with Yacht Rock Revue.  "We were sitting in my car, a Chevrolet, all four of us, and we were probably a little high at the time, haha, and we were trying to come up with a name for the band. We were staring at the rearview mirror in the car, and somebody said, 'What about The Mirrors?' We kind of liked the concept of the mirrors because we thought of ourselves as regular guys, and we were a reflection of our audience, but we didn’t like the name 'Mirrors.' Since it was like the psychedelic era, I said, 'Well, what’s like a mirror? How about like a looking glass?'" - Elliot Lurie on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about how the name Looking Glass came to be  Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by David Rowlands, drummer of Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues. Dave formed a band called the Firebirds with fellow high school friends during the first half of the ‘60s. The Pretty Things released their debut album in 1965, and on its track listing was a song called "Unknown Blues". One day, while browsing in a record store, Dave came across this album and saw the song name "Unknown Blues". He thought it would be a great band name and suggested it to the rest of the Firebirds. They all agreed on the name, and so in 1966, the band became known as The Unknown Blues. Over the next year or so, the band would delve deeper and deeper into the blues and begin developing their own versions of various blues standards. The band came to the attention of Festival Records in 1967 and recorded their first single If I Had a Ticket. It would be a Top 20 hit in Sydney, bringing the group further gigs and TV appearances. Some have cited this record as the first blues hit for an Australian group, and today it remains a favorite amongst Oz rock fans. By late 1967, psychedelic rock was overtaking the blues in popularity in the Sydney music scene. As a result, Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues tried to adjust to this new sound on their third single, Brave New World (Of Fairy Tales). Unlike their previous two singles, which consisted of traditional blues songs, Brave New World was self-penned by lead singer Phil Jones. The single also made use of more studio effects, such as the audio tape effect known as flanging. Despite the band's best efforts, they did not reclaim their stature in the Sydney scene, and Dave soon left the band in early 1968. Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues would reform for the 2011 Bluesfest. The festival gave the band the chance to play alongside other acts on the bill, such as Bob Dylan, B.B. King, and Elvis Costello. The band performed its hit If I Had A Ticket, along with other songs Phil Jones recorded in the UK after the band's disbandment in 1968. Today, Dave is still playing drums and is the organiser behind the Goulburn Blues Festival. Jack phoned Dave to discuss his early days in music, the formation of The Firebirds, how the blues impacted him and the rest of the band, how The Pretty Things inspired the band to change their name to The Unknown Blues, how the band came to be signed to Festival Records, the recording of If I Had a Ticket, the success the band had in Sydney, how Jimmy Page came to meet the band, the band's third single Brave New World (Of Fairy Tales), and the group's re-formation in 2011. "Two English guys turned up with long hair, and at the time we didn't know who they were. It turned out that the band The Yardbirds had done a performance at Sydney Stadium. Two band members wanted to find out where the young people hung out... and it was Jimmy Page... our guitarist invited Jimmy up to play, but he said 'look, I can't do that, I'm endorsed by Fender'." - Dave Rowlands on this episode of Vinyl Vibes Talking about Jimmy Page turning up at one of Phil Jones and The Unknown Blues' gigs Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack HodginsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Dannie Davidson, drummer of Kahvas Jute. Since 1967, Dannie had been playing with the iconic Oz rock band Tamam Shud. In 1970, Dannie left Tamam Shud after the recording of their second album, The Goolutionites and the Real People. Dannie was soon approached by promoter Peter Cunningham to form a new group with Bob Daisley and Dennis Wilson of the Creme cover band Mecca. The group rehearsed for the first time at Dennis’ house, and Dannie loved both Dennis’ and Bob’s playing right away. The band would decide to call themselves Kahvas Jute. Before even playing a gig, Kahvas Jute went into the studio for four days to record their debut album, Wide Open. Although Wide Open would peak at #27 on the Australian album charts, the album’s success was cut short due to the petroleum shortage in Australia at the time. Due to the shortage, Festival Records pulled the album from stores to melt them down and re-press them into Elton John’s new album. Of the first 10,000 copies of Wide Open pressed, only 3,000 were ever sold, making the original LP a sought-after collector's item. After the release of their album, Kahvas Jute started playing live shows. In 1971, the band did an East Coast tour of Australia and a tour of various universities across the country. In June 1971, the band made the ambitious move to the UK. While in the UK, the band came to the attention of EG Management, who had artists such as T. Rex and Roxy Music on their roster. EG Management were looking for bands to market in the United States and thought Kahvas Jute would be perfect for the US market. The band was signed to Festival Records at the time, and although EG Management offered fifty thousand dollars to Festival to release the band from their contract, Festival declined. The band was shattered and broke up soon after. Although they would reform once back in Australia, Kahvas Jute would not go on to make a second album and would disband in 1974. Jack spoke with Dannie in the studio about the formation of Kahvas Jute, the writing of their first single Free, the recording of Wide Open, why Festival Records pulled the album from stores, their early gigs, the band's 1971 East Coast tour, the band's move to the UK, how the band came to the attention of EG Management, how Jimmy Page was a fan of the Wide Open album, the story behind why EG Management could not sign the band, and the band's time back in Australia before disbanding. "We hadn't even done a gig, so we were straight into the studio... which is unheard of in itself. That's how much faith they put in us." - Dannie Davidson, on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about Kahvas Jute's album Wide Open. Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by David Rivkin, Grammy Award-winning recording engineer. The music of artists such as The Kingston Trio first sparked Dave’s interest in music, but it was when he heard the electric guitar for the first time that his life was forever changed. In 1963, Dave joined a local Minneapolis band called The Chancellors, and after recording the group’s local hit Little Latin Lupe Lu, Dave became hooked on learning how to record music. By the mid-'70s, Dave was recording music professionally at ASI Studio. In 1976, Grand Central, an early band to feature Prince, came into ASI Studio to record some demos with Dave as the engineer. A year later, in 1977, with Dave now at Sound 80, he recorded Prince again. Dave’s sessions with Prince in 1977 resulted in three songs that would be featured on Prince’s debut album, For You. One of those songs, Soft and Wet, would become Prince’s first single. While working at Sound 80, Dave also became involved with a group called Lipps Inc. In 1979, Lipps Inc. recorded a disco track called Funkytown, which Dave engineered and played on. Despite being released at the tail end of the disco era in 1980, the Funkytown single would sell 8 million copies and hit number one in Australia, Canada, the United States, and many other countries worldwide. In 1983, Dave worked again with Prince when he recorded a short-notice benefit concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis. At this concert, Prince debuted the now-classic Purple Rain. The 70-minute benefit concert was recorded by Dave outside the venue in a mobile recording truck. Unknown to Dave at the time, the version of Purple Rain he engineered would become the official recording, both as a single and on Prince’s 1984 album of the same name. In 1987, when Prince opened his Paisley Park studio, Dave moved from Sound 80 to become a producer at the new complex. One of his early production projects at Paisley Park was working with The Fine Young Cannibals. Dave produced the band’s hit She Drives Me Crazy, and he was responsible for the iconic snare drum sound on the track. The song would go on to hit number one in the U.S., number five in the UK, and number one in Australia. Today, Dave is still active in the music industry, with recent work including mixing Jonathon Long’s debut album and remixing various Prince releases. Jack phoned David to discuss his early days, the impact folk music had on him, the experience of hearing the electric guitar for the first time, his time with The Chancellors, his early production work at ASI Studio, recording early Prince demos, the making of Funkytown, the recording and success of Purple Rain, the iconic snare sound on She Drives Me Crazy, and his more recent work. "We were in the moment. There’s no way you could know that this was going to be iconic... you just don’t know." — David Rivkin on engineering Prince’s Purple Rain in this episode of Vinyl Vibes. Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by J.P. Pennington, guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Exile. J.P. joined a group called The Exiles in 1964. The following year, in 1965, the band recorded their first single, an original song called The Answer to Her Prayers. The single did not chart, but in 1966, the band had its first big break when they had the opportunity to be a support act on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars Tour. From playing small gigs around their local area, the band soon found themselves playing alongside hitmakers such as Paul Revere and the Raiders and Tommy Roe. In 1973, the band changed its name from The Exiles to Exile. The group released their first two albums on the Wooden Nickel label in the same year, but they didn’t achieve chart success. Exile was soon dropped by Wooden Nickel, but in 1975, the band came to the attention of established Australian songwriter Mike Chapman. Chapman wanted to break into the U.S. music market and began writing songs for the group. In 1978, Exile recorded Chapman’s song Kiss You All Over and signed a three-album deal with Curb Records. Kiss You All Over was released as a single and brought the group immense success, reaching #1 in the United States, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. The song is remembered today as one of the signature tracks of the '70s. After the success of Kiss You All Over, Exile struggled to match that same level of success in the pop music world. In the early '80s, the band decided to shift their musical direction from pop to country music. In 1983, they released their first album as a country band, titled Exile. The second single from this album, Woke Up in Love, written by J.P., became a #1 hit on the U.S. country charts. It was the first of ten consecutive #1 country hits the band would have, bringing the group back into the spotlight. More recently, Exile released a studio album in 2023 called A Million Miles Later. This double album features a staggering 16 new original songs by the group. The album is available on CD, Vinyl, and USB and can be purchased from the band’s website at exile.biz. "We didn’t really know what to think! We were all like, 'Can we say that? Can we sing those lyrics?' We had been told 'no' so much that we thought, 'What the heck, what is there to lose?' And they put Kiss You All Over out, and I mean, it shot up the charts like a rocket ship. It was incredible." — J.P. Pennington on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about how Exile’s number one hit Kiss You All Over came to be. Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack HodginsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Gary Moberly, keyboardist of The Ramrods and Sweet. Gary first found his love for music growing up amidst the rock and roll of Jerry Lee Lewis and Col Joye. During the instrumental craze of the early ‘60s, along with workmates from the Sydney Morning Herald, Gary formed The Ramrods in 1961. By the mid-‘60s, The Ramrods were popular around the Sydney area, playing gigs in pubs. It was around this time that the band came to the attention of then-President of New South Wales Young Labor, Paul Keating. Keating would become The Ramrods' manager, getting the band more gigs and even a recording contract with EMI. The Ramrods recorded two singles for EMI Records, but neither achieved chart success. As a result, the band became better known for being managed by Paul Keating rather than for their own musical output. Gary would leave The Ramrods soon after the band’s second single. After his days in The Ramrods, Gary joined another local Sydney group called Asprope Fables in 1968. The band became popular playing covers around the Sydney area and even came third overall in the 1969 Holiday's Battle of the Sounds. Gary left Asprope Fables in late 1970 and made his way to the UK to play with a group called The Honky Tonk. This led to Gary playing with other artists in the UK, such as Cane and Able, Tina Charles, and John Miles. A big break came in 1977 when glam rockers Sweet were looking for a keyboard player, and Gary got the job. Although at first the band wanted to keep Gary behind the curtain at shows as an unofficial member, they were so impressed with his playing that he was made an official member of Sweet. Gary’s first work with Sweet involved playing keyboards on the band’s hit Love Is Like Oxygen. Gary went on to record two albums with Sweet: Cut Above the Rest in 1979 and Water’s Edge in 1980 before leaving the group. Today, Gary is still playing music, with recent performances being with The Spirit of Smokie. Jack phoned Gary to talk about his early days, the impact the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Col Joye had on him, the formation of The Ramrods, his memories of playing live with The Ramrods, what Paul Keating was like as a manager, The Ramrods' recording career, his time in Asprope Fables, his early work in the UK, how he came to join Sweet, the recording and success of Love Is Like Oxygen, his memories of touring with Sweet, playing on Sweet albums Cut Above the Rest and Water’s Edge, and his more recent music work. "When I went to meet them about the gig in the office, Mick Tucker walks in with a fur coat on, a David Bowie haircut, haha, a golden drumstick hanging off his ears, pelican skin-pointed powder blue shoes – I thought, 'Bloody hell mate, this is weird!' Then in come Steve and Brian, and we went down to the pub. We drank from midday till midnight, and one of them came up and said, 'You've got the gig.' I said, 'I haven't played anything yet.' They said, 'You've got the gig, you can handle the drinking.' I found out later that wasn't quite true, because they’d seen me on The Old Grey Whistle Test with John Miles the week before." — Gary Moberly on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about joining Sweet. Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Paul Speare, former saxophonist of Dexys Midnight Runners. Paul started playing music at the age of 15 and never stopped. While working as a music teacher in Birmingham, Paul frequently did session work at a local recording studio called Outlaw Studios. Dexys Midnight Runners also frequented the studio, and at one point, they were looking for a saxophonist. Paul was put in contact with Dexys by the owner of Outlaw Studios and soon joined the band on a temporary basis. After doing his first work for the band, playing the group's number one hit Geno on the 1980 Top of the Pops Christmas special, Paul decided to join as a full-time member. In December 1981, sessions for the group's album Too-Rye-Ay began. It was over the course of these sessions that "Come On Eileen" was recorded. Paul remained in the group for the entire recording process of the Too-Rye-Ay album, only leaving the band after the final mixing session. Paul was struggling financially while being in Dexys at the time, and with "Come On Eileen" not yet a hit or even released, he decided to leave the band. "Come On Eileen" was released as a single in the UK in June 1982, and by August 1982, the song was number one, remaining there for four weeks. In Australia, the song was an even bigger hit, reaching number one in November 1982 for five weeks. Today, the song remains as popular as ever and has secured itself as an enduring classic. After leaving Dexys, Paul joined forces with fellow ex-Dexys musicians Jim Paterson and Brian Maurice to form TKO Horns. The band got work immediately, playing for the likes of John Watts and also the Q-Tips. After touring with the Q-Tips, TKO Horns were approached by Elvis Costello. Paul, along with the TKO Horns, went on to tour the world with Costello and was prominently featured on Costello’s studio album Punch the Clock. Today, Paul is still making music, with a recent project being his 2023 EP In Search of Avet. Jack Zoomed Paul to talk about his early days, what inspired him to start playing instruments at the age of 15, the impact his music teacher had on him, his early session work at Outlaw Studios, how he came to join Dexys Midnight Runners, his memories of playing on the 1980 Top of the Pops Christmas special, his first recording with Dexys (Plan B), The Projected Passion Revue Tour, the recording and writing of "Come On Eileen," the group's album Too-Rye-Ay, what made Paul leave the band, the success of "Come On Eileen," his work with TKO Horns, and his recent music work. "It was such an unusual song, I mean there's never been another song like it before or since, really. I think we all realized there was something unique about it. Whether that would translate into it being a hit record on that scale, that it was, perhaps didn't occur to us." — Paul Speare talking about Come On Eileen in this episode of Vinyl Vibes. Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.