Gray Bartlett "Hits Country Style" (Mercury Records, 1974)
A prolific session guitarist and music producer, Auckland's Graeme Bartlett first entered show business as a rocker, playing guitar music in a vaguely Cliff Richards & The Shadows-y style. He scored a huge hit (in Japan!) with the instrumental "La Playa," and soon found work backing Australian pop star Rolf Harris, a five-year gig that ended in 1973, just before this album came out. In the 1970s and '80s Bartlett focussed on country music, recording several solo albums and producing many more by other artists. One of his most notable collaborators was Brendan Dugan, a singer featured throughout this album who recorded and toured extensively with Bartlett for years to come.

Gray Bartlett "We're All Alone" (Regal Records, 1978)

Gray Bartlett "Hot Guitars" (Music World Records, 1982)
Oh, my! Are all the men in your country so rugged and virile? I guess when they say hot guitars, they mean "hot"! Bartlett shares the stage here with fellow pickers Red McKelvie and Gerry McGee

Gray Bartlett/Brendan Dugan/Jodi Vaughan "Together Again" (Festival Records, 1990)
(Produced by Larry Killip, Gray Bartlett & Brendan Dugan)

Jan Cooper "No Looking Back" (EMI Records, 1985)
(Produced by Dick Le Fort)

Jan Cooper "If I Didn't Love You" (EMI Records, 1985)
(Produced by Peter Dawkins & Tim Field)

Jan Cooper & Michael Roycroft "Good Friends" (RCA Records, 1991)
(Produced by Alwyn Aurisch, Jan Cooper, Steve Newton & Michael Roycroft)

Jan Cooper "State Of Mind" (Larrikin Records, 1996)
(Produced by Steve Newton)

Michael-Roy Croft "Holding Things Together" (RCA Victor, 1984)

Michael-Roy Croft "Slow Burnin' " (EMI Records, 1984)
(Produced by Tim Fields & Don Goodman)

Maria Dallas "Country Girl" (Viking Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Dalton)
Kiwi singer Maria Dallas (nee Marina Devcich) catapulted to national fame in 1966 when her performance of the song "Tumblin' Down" won a New Zealand music contest sponsored by the shampoo company Loxene. The song was written by pop artist Jay Epae, but was adapted to Dallas's country style. Her success opened doors in Australia and the United States, where she landed a contract with RCA Nashville, and worked int he United States for several years before returning home to New Zealand, where she gradually shifted towards a more pop orientation. This was her debut album, with a repertoire mostly spotlighting covers of American country hits, as well as the first version of her big hit, "Tumblin' Down."

Maria Dallas "The Second Album" (Viking Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Dalton)

Maria Dallas "Western Take-Off" (Viking Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Dalton & Frank Douglas)

Maria Dallas & Ken Lemon "Face To Face" (Viking Records, 1966) (LP)

Maria Dallas "Maris Dallas In Nashville" (Viking Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Felton Jarvis)
This is mostly the same as the American-issued Tumblin' Down album on RCA Victor, listed below. The US edition came out later and also included a version of "Tumblin' Down," which was not included in the New Zealand release. Tons of classic country covers, along with some homegrown kiwi twangtunes.

Maria Dallas "Maris Dallas In Nashville" (RCA Victor, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Felton Jarvis)

Maria Dallas "Pinocchio" (Viking Records, 1970) (LP)

Maria Dallas "Town And Country" (CBS Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Keith Southern)
A mix of sunshine country and perky pop, with covers of "Me And Bobby McGee" "Put Your Hand In The Hand" and Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden," but also stuff like "Life's Carousel" and slightly bizarre selections like "Cinnamon Cinder" (originally a 1963 pop novelty hit for the California-based Pastel Six) and of course yet another version of "Tumblin' Down." Ms. Dallas seems to have pretty much moved out of the country camp by this time; whether you're into these slightly manic, uptempo pop arrangements is really between you and your ears.

Doug Eckert "Our Lives Fit Together For Awhile" (Ode Music, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Hurley & Terence O'Neil-Joyce)

Tracey Gardyne "Kiwi Country Girl" (Music World, 1980-?) (LP)

Kitten "Yodelling Sweetheart: 16 Favourites" (Music World Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Gray Bartlett, Dave Hurley & Peter MacInnes)

Patricia Lennon & Danny McGirr "My Elusive Dreams" (Master Records, 1971) (LP)

Danny McGirr "The Best Of Danny McGirr" (Master Records, 197--?) (LP)

Tex Morton "The Essential Tex Morton" (Sony-Australia, 2010)
A 2-CD set...

Tex Morton "The Regal Zonophone Collection, v.1: 1936-1938" (EMI-Australia, 1993)

Tex Morton "The Regal Zonophone Collection, v.2: 1938-1943" (EMI-Australia, 1993)

Tex Morton "Across The Great Divide" (BACM, 2004)

Tex Morton "The Original" (Lucky Country, 2015)

Noel Parlane "Country" (Music Word Records, 1979-?)

Noel Parlane "Country Heartaches" (Music Word Records, 1979-?)

Noel Parlane "Old Time Country Music" (Music Word Records, 1979-?)

Noel Parlane "Trucks And Trains" (Music Word Records, 1981)
(Produced by Eric Johns)

Noel Parlane "Drinking Them Beers" (Viscount Records, 1982-?)
(Produced by Gary Daverne & Tim Field)

Noel Parlane "Let's Sing A Country Song" (RCA, 19--?)

Noel Parlane "Stepping Out" (RCA-Ariola Records, 1987-?)
(Produced by Murray Wood)

Ritchie Pickett & The Inlaws "Gone For Water" (RCA, 1984)

Ritchie Pickett "All Strung Out In A Bunch" (Boatshed Records, 1998)

Suzanne Prentice "Country Girl" (W&G Records, 1974) (LP)

Suzanne Prentice "Suzanne Prentice" (Music World, 1975) (LP)

Suzanne Prentice "Country Dreams" (Music World Records, 1982) (LP)

Janice Ramage "Back To Back Country" (RCA Records, 1984)

Jeffrey Rea "First Steps" (Golden Editions Records, 1982)
(Produced by Eric Jones)

Patsy Riggir "True Country Music" (Capitol Records, 1980)
(Produced by Frank Le Fort & Frank Douglas)

Patsy Riggir "Lay Down Beside Me" (Epic Records, 1981)

Patsy Riggir "Are You Lonely" (Epic/Sony Records, 1982)

Patsy Riggir "You'll Never Take The Country Out Of Me" (1984)

Patsy Riggir "You Remind Me Of A Love Song" (1985)

Patsy Riggir "Patsy Riggir Country" (Epic Records, 1986)

Patsy Riggir "Close To Thee" (1987)

Patsy Riggir "The Best (Plus Four)" (CBS Records, 1987)

Patsy Riggir "Liberated Lady" (1990)

Patsy Riggir "Moonlight And Roses" (1992)

Patsy Riggir "My Little Corner Of The World" (1993)

Patsy Riggir "Very Best Of Patsy Riggir" (Tristar Records, 2001)

Patsy Riggir "Never Ending Songs Of Love" (Rajon Records, 2008)

Patsy Riggir "Beautiful Lady: The Very Best Of Patsy Riggir" (Sony Music, 2013) (CD)

Tom Sharplin "Rock Around The Clock" (Music World Records, 1978)

Christine Smith "Country Lady" (Philips Records, 1972)

Celine Toner "You'll Remember Me!" (Music World Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Hurley & Ritchie Pickett)

Lynne Toner "Here's Lynne Toner" (Music World Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Gray Bartlett, Dave Hurley & Peter MacInnes)

Jodi Vaughan & Brendan Dugan "Fairweather Friends" (CBS Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Dick Le Fort)

Jodi Vaughan "Rodeo Eyes" (EMI Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by James Hall)

Jodi Vaughan "Touch Your Heart" (EMI Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by James Hall & Ian Morris)

Jodi Vaughan "Straight From The Heart" (Festival Records, 1986) (LP)

Jodi Vaughan/Gray Bartlett/Brendan Dugan "Together Again The Reunion" (BMG Records, 1995) (LP)

Jodi Vaughan "Kiwi Country: From Auckland, New Zealand To Texas, U.S.A." (Challenge Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Andy Bradley & Jerry Walton)

Garner Wayne & The Deaconaires "Country Style" (Viking Records, 19--?) (LP)

Garner Wayne "Garner Wayne Rides Again!" (Viking Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Kevin Newcombe)

Garner Wayne & His Saddle Pals "South Island Country" (Master Records, 1972-?) (LP)

Buck Williams & Dawn Williams "Country Hall Of Fame" (Horseshoe Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Gray Bartlett, Dave Hurley & Peter MacInnes)
Western-themed twang by Auckland yodeler Dawn Garmson, who formed her first band, the Twilight Ramblers with her brothers, back in the era of 78rpm singles. A bazillion year later in 1974 she cut a novelty number called "New Zealand Needs A Country Hall Of Fame," a patriotic plea that bore fruit in 1981 when, indeed, a hall of fame was opened in Wairekei, near Lake Taupo in the center of North Island. She married western singer Buck Williams and cut this album with help from producer Gray Barlett, who also plays lead guitar throughout. I'm not sure if the Country Hall Of Fame is still around, but you can track this album down if you really try.

Cole Wilson "Country Songs, Volume Three" (Viking Records, 1959) (LP)

Various Artists "KIWI COUNTRY GIRLS" (Music World Records, 1982) (LP)

Various Artists "NEW ZEALAND COUNTRY: 20 GREATEST HITS" (Lucky Records, 1984) (LP)
While the Chills, the Bats and the Clean were revolutionizing Tuataran indierock, some of their fellow New Zealanders were dreaming dreams of Nashville glory days. These kiwi country singers include Gray Bartlett, Brendan Dugan, Tracey Gardyne, Danny McGirr, Noel Parlane, Suzanne Prentice, Lynne Toner and Jodi Vaughan... As far as I can tell, they were all backed by the same studio band -- at least the songs all generally sound the same: basic, low-key, mid-tempo country with a mildly outdated, mid-'70s production style. (Thankfully, the tinkly-piano keyboards and synths of Judds-era Nashville had not yet reached the folks at Lucky Records... Whew!) Several of these artists have albums of their own, and apparently further research is required -- anyone have any resources on NZ country to recommend?

Hick Music Index