Utes in the Paddock – “The UteZillas”

http://www.utesinthepaddock.com.au/australian-country-music/

Ute Lovers Music

The Utes in the Paddock Album CD

$28.95 (including GST, shipping and handling) 

 

A “must have” album of 11 original country blues songs featuring performances by the great names of Australian rock:

Jim Moginie, Stephen Coburn, Doc Neeson, Neil Murray, Hellen Rose, Alan Healy, David Twohill and Trent Williamson, and new band The Utezillas (named after Jim and Stephen’s collaborative sculpture UteZilla on permanent display in the Utes in the Paddock gallery, Ootha Central New South Wales).

• Track 1 Magic Ute – Doc Neeson
• Track 2 Cover Your Load – Jim Moginie
• Track 3 Belt Hat and Boots – Neil Murray
• Track 4 Wheels of a Working Man – Stephen Coburn
• Track 5 Black SS – Hellen Rose
• Track 6 Level Crossing – The Utezillas
• Track 7 Tarmac Tara – Jim Moginie
• Track 8 Iron Pack Horse Boogie – Stephen Coburn
• Track 9 Galarganbone Rag – The Utezillas
• Track 10 Anything Else But Utes – Jim Moginie
• Track 11 Glorious Ute – Alan Healy

“The UteZillas” at the opening of the “Ute Artists at the Carrington” collective art exhibition at the Carrington Hotel in Katoomba, NSW. The exhibition features 17 great Australian artists and is open daily 10am to 4pm through Decmber 13th, 2009.

Utes in the Paddock, the album was recorded mixed and mastered at Oceanic by Jim Moginie; produced by Stephen Coburn and Jim Moginie with all rights reserved Moginie/Coburn/Neeson/Murray/Rose/Healy c. 2009

A Profile of Performers

Jim Moginie

A founding member of Australia’s legendary band Midnight Oil, Jim played guitar and keyboards as well as writing songs for the band throughout the mid seventies until the group disbanded in 2002.  Midnight Oil had a massive and loyal following in Australia, made 15 albums and EPs, breaking through internationally with the song Beds Are Burning.

Since 2002, Jim has been actively producing and playing on many records with artists as diverse as Silverchair, Sarah Blacko, End of Fashion, Jimmy Barnes, Neil Murray, Kacey Chambers, The Fauves and Neil Finn.  He has also released two solo works; the four track Fuzz Face in 1996 and his first full-length solo album Alas Folkloric in 2006.

Stephen Coburn

A founding member of Mental As Anything, Stephen joined his college friend, Martin Murphy (Martin Plaza) and fellow students Chris O’Doherty (Reg Mombassa) and Wayne “Bird” Delisle, as bass guitarist during the band’s first year.  After some early party appearances when they performed without a name, but before the gig at a Chippendale Settlement Dance in 1976, promoter Paul Worstead chose the name Mental as Anything based on a description by Ken Bolton of one of the band’s early performances.  Later, Stephen’s replacement as bass guitarist was Mombassa’s younger brother Peter.  The band is sometimes better known by their fans simply as Mentals.

Doc Neeson

Before his music career, Neeson was an education corps sergeant who served in Papua, New Guinea in the late 1960s and, during late 2007 Doc while performing as part of the Tour de Force tour of Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, supporting the Australian Troops, he was presented with two military medals.

Neeson has been a part of the Australian rock scene for as long as many of us can remember.  Best known as lead singer, bass guitarist and front man for hard rock band The Angles, Neeson is an iconic Australian musician.  During his time with the band, The Angles’ 1978 albumFace to Face reached #16, stayed on the Australian charts for 79 weeks, and produced the band’s first hit single “Take a Long Line”.  The band’s album Beyond Salvation, released in 1990 reached number one on the charts and spawned five successful singles including “Dogs are Talking” and “Backstreet Pickup”.

In February 2001, Neeson performed at the Tour of Duty Encore! concert at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.  ABC featured Doc Neeson and The Angles in the music TV series Long Way to the Top, an insight to 50 years of Australian rock ‘n’ roll.  Since then, he has formed the band Red Phoenix and released a self titled album.  In 2006, The Angels and Doc Neeson were featured on a postage stamp for Australia post as part of their Australian Rock Posters The Stamps collection.  

Neil Murray

In 1995, Neil Murray was awarded the APRA song of the year for “My Island Home” originally written for the Warumpi Band and re-recorded by Christine Anu. The song gained international recognition as part of the closing ceremony for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and since then “My Island Home” has become something of an unofficial national anthem.

One of the country’s most original and respected singer/songwriters, Neil Murray has enjoyed a solo career since 1989.  Murray has released nine albums including Calm & Crystal Clear, These Hands, Dust, The Wondering Kind, Going The Distance and Overnighter which reflect an inner landscape to the heart and soul of Australia.

By performing for twenty years, Murray has helped to make indigenous music heard in mainstream Australia.  He first appeared in the early eighties as a founding member of the groundbreaking Warumpi Band.

As author of the novel Sing for me Countrymen, which is regarded as an Australian classic; author of the poetry book One Man Tribe and of the play King For This Place, and as performer/song lyricist of the spoken word CD Spoken and of Native Born, Murray demonstrates a strong affinity for the land and respect for its indigenous culture.

Hellen Rose

An original X ette back up vocalist for X in the early 80s, Hellen Rose is featured on the legendary Black Milk album by The Beasts of Bourbon.  Rose has performed in Sydney and overseas for over 20 years.

Infamous for running many shows at a squat venue known as The Gunnery in Woolloomooloo during the late 80s, her performances as the lead singer for the band, Dangerous Curves are best remembered by the demonstrative way in which members of her audience expressed their appreciation of her talent. 

Rose is a passionate singer who is influenced equally by Australian rock classics such as ACDC and Rose Tatoo, by ‘belters’ and ‘growlers’ such as Mahalia Jackson and Koko Taylor and by her love of pure country crooners like Johnny Paycheck and Johnny Cash. 

Originally trained as an actor at VCA, Rose became a performer and is known for her outstanding performing talent and the ease with which she flouts the conventions of the stage.

Now working between Sydney and Berlin, Rose is putting together a show titled Dangerous Curves and Hair Pin Bends which is based on her experiences growing up in Wollongong.  Track 5 on the Utes in the Paddock album, Black SS is a true story from Rose’s time in the ‘Gong.

Alan Healy

Alan Healy, Irish-Australian visual artist, writer and musician, was born in Dublin in 1954.  Alan comes from a large family of musicians and artists – his mother would often say that even the sewing machine was a Singer!

He plays the guitar, mandolin, banjo, mando-cello, and bodhran (traditional Irish drum) and his repertoire as a singer and musician mainly comprises traditional Irish ballads, dance and country music.

Alan exhibits his painting and sculpture regularly both here and overseas.  His main themes relate to Irish literature and the parallels of visual art and music.  One of his latest installations was a work called “Acoustoopticaldinoratorio” which involved 32 artists who are also musicians  Part of this installation can be seen on Youtube (search: Alan Healy).

Alan is represented by Nolan on Lovel Gallery in Katoomba.  His next show at Katoomba is part of a group exhibition to be opened October 31 at 4pm.

Alan’s next solo exhibition is at Mary Place Gallery in Paddington opening on November 24.

David Twohill

Ever heard the song “Looking for Bird” from the platinum album released in 1981 by Mental as Anything?  The song immortalised David Twohill’s nickname “Bird” which was given to him by fellow band member, Reg Mombassa who apparently thought the scavenging seagulls at Bondi Beach reminded him of Twohill.

Percussionist Twohill is often better known by his pseudonym “Wayne Delisle” and for his 27 years of performances as the drummer for Mental as Anything.  His face is instantly recognised by Australian rock fans from the screen print image of him which appeared on the cover of the band’s first album, Get Wet.  The original screen print by Paul Worstead hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

As a member of the quintessential Australian band, David contributed significantly to the Mentals’ record achievement; they have the most top forty hits by any band in the country’s history.  The band was inducted into the Aria Hall of Fame in 2009.

Trent Williamson

Trent Williamson’s harmonica, voice and jaw harp performances are an integral part of many of the country’s most popular music.  Williamson can be heard on James Blundell’s Higher Than Heaven and Portrait of a Man, Grinspoon’s Alibis and Other Lies, and Alex Lloyd’sAmazing: the Best of Alex Lloyd.   His engineering and remix skills have been highly sought for two decades by bands such as Savage Garden (Animal Song-US Cassette) and Cold Chisel (Last Wave of Summer).