The Easybeats: Album by Album Thread (pt3)

3" Sony brand CD adapter as sold in USA, late 1980s

 

I actually owned two of these CD-3's -- one of Todd Rundgren and one of Steppenwolf. I thought they were good if you wanted a few songs by each artist without having to shell out for a full Greatest Hits package. Too bad they never caught on.

Interesting how the adapters they used were the literal opposite of the old 7" adapters -- they fit around the outside of the discs as opposed snapping into the middle of the 45s.

 

I have listened to the remastered mono version of Vigil three times now since acquiring it on Record Store Day. Here are some (subjective) track-by-track observations:

SIDE ONE
"Good Times" -- The bass-drum and handclaps during the intro seem lower in the mix, while the cymbals are clearer throughout. Apart from some tape hiss at the beginning, this song kicks off the album perfectly, benefiting from the "punch" of mono.

"See Saw" -- Nice separation of the instruments, with the bass and drums sounding particularly powerful. Despite some occasional tape hiss, this selection boasts possibly the best overall sound quality of the album.

"Fancy Seeing You Here" -- Lead vocals are lower in the mix, yet the percussion is more prominent. Likewise, the instruments don't seem as separated as on the other tracks leaving this one sounding a bit "boxed in."

"Sha La La La" -- Bass, drums and vocals are startlingly louder, but the xylophone (or steel drum?) that's so prominent on the stereo version is noticeably mixed down here.

"What In The World" -- No discernible differences except, overall, it's probably the cleanest presentation of this song ever.

"Bring a Little Lovin'" -- same as the previous track: no major differences mix-wise, but overall has a "clean" sound boasting nice separation of the instruments. For a song considered to be a demo (which might have been recorded live in the studio), it sounds fantastic.


SIDE TWO
"Land of Make Believe" -- This was the only track that I compared with another source (the 1986 three-LP Impact version of Absolute Anthology). The RSD version seems to run a fraction slower and the percussion is "crisper." During the coda, the mellotron is slightly louder, yet the vocals are a bit lower. It would be interesting to do a detailed comparison of this version with all the other mixes that have been documented before on this thread.

"We All Live Happily Together" -- The guitar and piano jump out more on this one, while the surface noise on the sound effects is much more noticeable.

"Falling Off the Edge of The World" -- no major differences, except for an overall cleaner sound.

"The Music Goes 'Round My Head" -- Harpsichord and flute are noticeably more prominent.

"Come In You'll Get Pneumonia" -- The biggest revelation of the album -- was anyone else was knocked out of their seat when they first heard the missing vocal overdub before the bridge?? (It's present at 1:51 on the CD; but is not part of the alternate "First Version," which uses bells and muted guitar at the same point at 1:44) This begs for some investigation into the master tape that Varese received to manufacture this release -- how did this segment end up missing?

If this silence was not a mistake however, and this is a previously unknown "third" version, then does it work in terms of the song? Yes and no. Yes, in that it creates a perfect dramatic pause after the build-up of the first chorus; but no, it that it lasts a second or two longer than necessary. This is what most likely prompted the creation of the overdub to begin with -- a way to eliminate those few seconds of silence (especially with the song earmarked as a potential single). As a result the buildup during the second chorus is noticeably "dryer" -- less studio ambiance because of the missing track?

"Hello How Are You" -- Next to "See Saw," the best overall sounding selection (mercifully, there's no tape hiss to mar the opening bass notes).

____________________________________


Overall, the sound quality doesn't seem as much of a revelation as Good Friday was last year. It could be that the original tapes (and subsequent reissues over the years) were so well mastered, that we've been presented with (close to) the best sound possible for this album all along.

Interestingly, while we agreed last year that the songs on Good Friday seemed to run slightly faster, all of Vigil seems slightly slower (albeit, barely noticeable). The printed running times for the tracks seem to reflect this -- they're all three to five seconds longer than the listings for the other vinyl and CD releases in my collection.

Regardless, this was a fantastic addition to the Record Store Day roster and Varese did a great job. The 2016-17 remasterings of these albums bode well for those deluxe reissues we've been dreaming about...

 

Interesting observations team 2 though I’m a bit unclear which earlier version of “Vigil” you are actually comparing this RSD release to? CD stereo? UK or Aussie mono? Or is this just an general comparison with what’s in your memory? (No harm in that by the way.)

Also by the way, the version of ‘Come In You’ll Get Pneuomonia’ with the missing ‘vocal slide’ (referred to as "Version 2, mono") was first mentioned on the thread during discussion of its first appearance as a 45 rpm single. Click on here to see ---

The Easybeats: Album by Album Thread

 

Thanks, Bill. I was wondering if that missing vocal slide had been mentioned. I glanced through some of the old postings about the LP, but obviously couldn't find anything as it was on the 45, as you say. Since no one had mentioned it yet being on the RSD release, I thought it might have been previously unknown.

The majority of my observations were from general memory. As for direct comparisons, I only did two: "Land of Make Believe" from the Impact version of AA (in mono, I believe?); and "Come In..." from the 1992 stereo Repertoire CD, which also contains the Aussie mono(?) "Version One."

Sorry for the vagueness...

 

Will Rush as George...
Sorry the pic is massive! Will as George looks normal-size.

 

The Second Disc (who featured a nice review of last year's Record Store Day edition of Good Friday) gave the 2017 RSD release of Vigil some praise, calling it a "rare delight":

Varese Vintage has a pair of rare classic rock LPs harkening back to the psychedelic era. The Easybeats’ Vigil has never received a proper U.S. release before; the original American release (as well as the British one) replaced a number of George Young and Harry Vanda’s original songs with far less interesting covers. Varese replicates the original 1968 Australian version of the album, in punchy mono, featuring twelve originals that are catchy and surprisingly hard-rocking for fans who only know “Friday on My Mind.” Nicky Hopkins supplies the piano-pounding on this rare delight. It’s joined by Procol Harum’s sophomore album Shine On Brightly, also from 1968, in its U.S. iteration as originally released on A&M. The original band line-up remained intact for this LP which solidified Procol’s place in the burgeoning progressive firmament and moved even further away from the group’s blues and beat roots. This was largely due to its 17-minute-plus closing track, the song suite “In Held ‘Twas In I.” This one is packaged in a beautiful gatefold cover. Both titles have been newly remastered for vinyl!

Ten Years Strong: The Second Disc’s 2017 Record Store Day Must-Haves

 

Interesting review, team 2, and thanks. Unfortunately it seems the reviewer at The Second Disc does not read this Thread. He mistakenly assumes that the Australian LP came first and was later altered for UK and US release but this was not the case. In truth, it was more like the other way ‘round. The cover tunes were actually planned as part of the original album as shown below. First LP release was in the UK on 28 June 68, with all three covers included. The Australian version came later, on 17 October, with those three covers dropped in favor of Bring A Little Lovin,’ an Albert-published original. The US album, modified from the UK edition, came straggling in with a 19 November release date, covers included. The cutting below, from Beat Instrumental, July ’68, gives some insight into the inclusion of those covers, apparently recorded at the request of United Artists Records.

 

Nice catch, Bill (and great find with the article)!

 

Another shot of "George" leaning on a Super Minx, I think. He looks to have the attitude down.

 

yeah looks like good casting.

 

The mini-series film shoot schedule, with reunion tour poster type layout. Pretty cool.

 

Behind-the-scenes from the upcoming Easy mini-series. For variety’s sake, it’s Snowy (middle), Dick (left) & Harry (right).

 

I got the Making Time A Shel Talmy Production cd ! great liner notes and interview with him as he seems to have a lot of love for the Easybeats. the track chosen was interesting. just wondering if they came from his personal collection or some place else?

 

Though it's only been recently revealed, Talmy himself retained nearly all the multi-tracks for the artists he recorded. (Think about that for just a minute!!! ) He is the only one who has them. It seems that only the completed mono and stereo mixes were dubbed and then submitted to the labels at the time while Talmy held onto the Work Tapes. Anyway, the compiler of the most worthy CD collection, "Making Time," Alec Paleo, told me that there are two other unissued Talmy tracks: an alternative arrangement of Happy Is the Man and an instrumental titled Forget Yourself. He said that both of these are almost certainly unfinished recordings: overdubs were not completed. The alternative Lisa was chosen for this CD release because it seemed to be the only available recording that sounded "finished." Talmy apparently envisioned the released version of Happy Is the Man as the follow-up single for Friday but the label chose Who'll Be the One instead, recorded (along with Hound Dog) as the final tunes from the album sessions. To this day Talmy maintains that his problems were never with the group but, rather, with their management. Basically about getting paid.

PS - I was able to help Alec a bit on the CD and I hope you enjoy the whole collection. I know he worked very hard on it.

 

It's out? I'll have to see if I can track it down now.

 

A Genuine 1966 Easybeats “Video.”



Only briefly mentioned on this Thread some years ago, there is an actual Easybeats “Promo Video” probably filmed in late September, 1966 and never mentioned in any of the group’s recounted histories. Having successfully recorded “Friday On My Mind” earlier in the month, The Easybeats decided to make a short promotional film for their new single and title it “Easyfever.” Made in the spirit of “A Hard Days Night,” this would be done in the style of a three-minute silent Keystone Cops comedy. The result was sent home and aired in November on a short-lived Australian ABC-TV series called “Be Our Guest” which starred Jacki Weaver and Sean Scully (both seen at the tag ending of this clip which is taken from the actual broadcast). There is no record of the film ever being shown anyplace else. Educated guesses about locations include the back garden at the group’s Barn Rise home in Wembley and the “Tree Walk” at Battersea Park, both in greater London. Equipment Manager Sam Horsburgh is probably the innocent Bystander (leaning against the wall) and Maggie Makeig, on a visit from Sydney’s “Everybody’s Magazine,” plays the Photographer. Lainie Vaughan has confirmed the trench-coated “Spy” behind the dark glasses as being her father Mike, the Easybeats’ manager. She knew nothing of the film and was quite excited to see the clip for the first time last week.




Screen Caps (above): Stevie as a crazed barber giving Harry a makeover. The ‘Barbershop Prelude’ actually has nothing to do with the “plot.” -- A hapless Bystander has his case stolen by a “Spy” and this results in a wild chase on the part of the victim and the helpful Easybeats. When the Spy is captured, a Photographer takes his picture as he is trapped in a handy waste bin. Suddenly and without warning, the Spy inexplicably disappears to the confusion of everyone!

 

I would love to hear that alternative arrangement of "Happy Is The Man" - I remember reading a reference to it in the Repertoire liner notes of the "Shame Just Drained" CD but was disappointed that it wasn't to be found on the CD itself.

 

Back from my recent injury... on we go into 1990...

As this thread moves into the nineties, we reach a period in which Australian bands became more and more willing to reach back and explore their own cultural heritage.

The first notable cover for the nineties came from Australian punk outfit The Celibate Rifles. Often described as owing a musical debt to such Aussie punk legends as The Saints or Radio Birdman, the band's name betrayed an even more obvious antecedent, although the Rifles lacked both the political and sociological impact of Johnny Rotten's band of pranksters. Formed in Sydney in 1980, the band were too late for punk but just in timefor Australia's nascent alternative rock scene. Their first record release was a four track EP, But Jacques, The Fish? (EMI custom press 13355)) in 1982; debut album Sideroxylon (Hot Records HOT 1001) followed in 1983. Subsequent releases moved away from their buzzsaw attack toward a more acoustic sound, although the ferocious power assault was back in time for an eponymous 1984 album (Hot Records HOT 1007).



Line-up changes and ever shifting styles denied them a mainstream audience but they retained a loyal following across the decade. Toward the end of the eighties, they signed a new deal with Truetone and released the 1989 album Blind Ear (Teuetone TLP 792077), which spun off three singles. The last of these, a double pack 45 headed up by "Wonderful Life" (Truetone TS2368/1&2), is the one that concerns us here.



Double pack releases (essentially a new fangled version of an EP, offering two singles for the price of one) were a mainstay of the alternative circuit, seen as a way of promoting value for money, although the contents of the "bonus" 45s were generally inferior to those on the main release. Not so this time; the second 45 in the package contained the band's amped up reworking of The Easybeats' classic "She's So Fine", as well as a cover of John Paul Young's (Vanda and Young-penned) "Where The Action Is" (if I ever get that far, I'll look at this one on the Solo Years thread) and a cover of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, somebody failed to do their homework properly, as "She's So Fine" was credited to Vanda-Young instead of Wright-Young, but one hopes that Alberts made sure that Stevie got his royalties.

I haven't found the band's Easybeats cover online, so if anybody is able to upload and share, please feel free!

The band continued, in one form or another, for many years, gradually mutated from punk wannabes into a typically Australian hard rock band and if they never quite hit the big time, they remained popular enough to justify a continued existence long after most post-punk outfits had long since bitten the dust.

 

Please pardon the intrusion but a couple of us here at this Thread have come up with a question for other readers. Below is a cutting from a lengthy article about Vanda and Young written by Glenn A. Baker for Billboard Magazine dated 14 March 1981. The question we’re posing is this – does anybody here know for sure if Jeff Beck truly did contribute to an Easybeats record? And, if so, which one? -- Perhaps others here know of something we are unaware of. Thanks, Bill

 

No takers on this one?

My guess is that Baker has got this one wrong, and it was Nicky Hopkins (who played keys with Beck) who played with The Easys (we know that's true).

Unless Beck jammed with them on something yet to see release...

 

I would agree with Gareth that Jeff Beck did not record with The Easybeats unless he possibly 'jammed with them on something yet to see release'.

 

Bad hair day for Harry.

 

The second Easybeats cover for 1990 came via Australian psychobilly outfit Intoxica. Formed in 1987 from the ashes of garage-punk outfit The Corpse Grinders, Intoxica gigged around Melbourne before signing to the independent Shock label (a giant among Aussie indies; Intoxica were one of their first signings). Their self titled debut album (Shock SHOCK LP 1) appeared in 1990 and featured a good mix of original songs and well chosen covers. Five additional tracks were laid down early in 1990 and included on the subsequent CD version (Shock SHOCK CD 1).



Among the five 1990 recordings was a cover of The Easybeats' "For My Woman", incorrectly credited to Vanda and Young, although once again, one hopes that Alberts ensured that Stevie got his royalties. The arrangement - rough and loose - was one of the more inventive reworkings of the band's material, although the vocal lacked the finesse that Stevie had brought to the song twenty-five years earlier.



As much a garage punk outfit as a pschobilly band, Intoxica's rough and ready approach to rock 'n' roll made them a fun outfit, and an entertaining night out, although they were never likely to hit the big time. Two further albums followed, with 1992's Suburban Roulette (Shock MOTOR 2) and 1997's Dragstripper (Shock 537) offering further enjoyable examples of their irreverent approach before things ground to a halt. They are however still around, with an active Facebook page and reissues on I-Tunes, and only this month played a gig as support to a reformed line-up of Australian punk legends, X.

 

Sorry to interrupt the most recent discussion, but has anyone put together a chronology of their recording history? This is a band I'd love to have a day-by-day book of. Having the recording information would be the next best thing. I just really took the plunge into them about a year ago now and still have to wade through the whole album by album thread. Anyways, if this is in any of the threads already, please direct me. Thanks!