Sidewinders - Witchdoctor

Why did these guys not make it big??  They put out three albums (this was the first) then called it a day.  The Sand Rubies followed with a horde of killer releases ... but, same result.  Rich Hopkins kicked on (with The Luminarios and solo) and still does his stuff.  One of my fave alt country artists of all time.  Talk about cult status.  They tear into one of the best cover versions of all time ... Solitary Man (Neil Diamond).  Worth getting just for this.

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The Mad Turks From Istanbul - Cafe Istanbul

Always played this cassette in the car and was surprised to later find it in LP form.  Further down the track saw it as a CD.  Wow,  This was probably released when this Adelaide band achieved some success with their second LP 'Toast' as The Mad Turks.  After that they folded and formed the Ice Cream Hands.  A lot of interest and a bunch albums then the inevitable happened - disintegration.  Charles Jenkins has soldiered on (with 'The Zhivago's' and solo) to put out some really solid releases ... but it's this album that is a lost gem.

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Secrets* - Self Titled

Boy oh boy ... talk about a secret.  This band has certainly excelled in being one of the most secretive bands of all time.  Is that a new form of self promotion?  Either way - what we have here is an absolute classic.  The name is a bit weird.  No 'The' at the beginning and they tacked on an asterix (*) at the end.  That's an even more over the top attempt at obscurity.  But don't let this fool you - many pundits place this US release in their all time top 20 list of pop releases ... you will probably do the same *.


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Like this, have a listen to The Secrets 'Success Without College'. They're not the same band (I thought they were at first) - equally as good.  Must be something about the band name.

The Clergy - Glow (Cassette)

This is a unique release from what has become one of Australia's most unique bands.  They have since gone on to become Halfway and have achieved considerable success.  BUT, (in the early days) they were The Clergy from Rockhampton (Central Queensland).  This cassette made it's way into the hands of a few people and has become forgotten by all (possibly even the band).  It's pure pop and certainly has that 'whammo' factor.  Cherie Busby (lead singer) unfortunately died in a car accident but some of the band members re-convened in Brisbane and formed St Jude (releasing 3 excellent EP's).  They then saw the light with the Alt Country sound that we now thankfully hear in Halfway.  Great band - one of my all-time faves.

Their two singles are also included here for a download:

• Rosethorn 7''
• Pieces 7'' (still to be converted to mp3)

Download Cassette 

The Illusions - Mirror Image LP (+ Empire Builder EP)

This is a biggie.  VERY hard to get (only 200 LP's were pressed) and most probably ended up in the local dump.  OK - it's hard to get, but is it worth it?  Yew betcha.  This is an absolute pop gem.  The wait has been worth it teamsters - feast your ears on this forgotten Aussie classic.  The EP that followed has also been included ('Empire Builder').

Download Album (+ EP)

Polyrock - Above The Fruited Plain EP (+ No Love Lost)

As promised (finally) the last output from this band.  Only an EP but we have to make do.  As a bonus, their cassette release 'No Love Lost' is also included.  This should give you the complete Polyrock discography.  Not a bad deal folks.  One of these days they may remaster all their stuff and stick it into a glorious box set.

Download EP
Download Cassette

The Playground - Surreal

A sadly neglected Aussie psych band.   Have not seen this CD floating around for sometime - can therefore assume it may be sadly lost to time.  The name is hard to search for and ... well, it just does'nt seem to exist anymore.  That's a real pity, as few bands can aspire to record such a great collection of songs.

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