A remarkably prolific recording artist, Reg Lindsay (1929-2008) was a foundational figure in the Australian country scene, with a career that spans back to the early 1950s and embraces many eras of country music history. Lindsay was a musical prodigy, mastering guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin while still quite young. He started his professional music career in his early twenties: in 1951 he joined the cast of the On The Melody Trail radio show, where he met singer Heather McKean, who later became his wife. (Her sister, Joy McKean, was already married to country star Slim Dusty.)
Like many musicians of the era, Lindsay's earliest recordings came out on 78rpm discs and were not gathered onto LPs or other collections until many years later. His first singles for Rodeo Records date back to 1951; that same year Lindsay was offered his own radio show, the first of many broadcasting gigs over the decades. Although he was a constant presence on radio and TV, Lindsay didn't really break through commercially until 1971, when his version of folksinger John Stewart's "Armstrong" -- an homage to American astronaut Neil Armstrong -- made it into the Australian country Top Ten. One of his followup 'Seventies hits was "July You're A Woman," another cover of a John Stewart classic.
Reg Lindsay continued to chug away well past his 1970s heyday, often recording as a duo with his wife, Heather McKean, who also had a solo career of her own. Their daughter, Dianne Lindsay, also went into country music, but was not as prolific a songwriter or recording artist. Here's a quick look at Reg Lindsay's career, focussing first on his earlier work...
Reg Lindsay "Country Music Comes To Town" (Columbia Records, 1961) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "Country And Western Singalong" (Columbia Records, 1964) (LP)
This album has a bunch of big, long medleys and seems to have been sort of a Mitch Miller-ish singalong set. The album's musical director, Geoff Harvey (1935-2019) worked in television for Channel 9
Reg Lindsay "Another Country And Western Singalong" (Columbia Records, 1966) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "Country And Western Million Sellers" (Festival Records, 1966) (LP)
Reg Lindsay & Heather McKean "Country Duets From Reg And Heather" (Festival Records, 1967) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "TV Requests" (Festival Records, 1968-?) (LP)
Reg Lindsay/Heather McKean/Various Artists "On Tour With His Town & Country Show" (Festival Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by Reg Lindsay)
A souvenir album of Lindsay and McKean's musical troupe, which also included Billy Blinkhorn, Norm Bodkin, Kevin King, Denny Ladmore, Peter Molleson, Peter Posa, John Robbins, Kenny Sole and Mark Von Bertouch ...
Reg Lindsay "Roadside Mail Box" (Festival Records, 1968) (LP)
This set is mostly covers of American country songs, including a few that were fairly obscure and of older vintage... There are also four originals penned by Reg Lindsay: "Bowen Radio Rodeo," "Boy From The Country," "No Work On The Farm" and "One Heart."
Reg Lindsay "Australia's Country Music Man" (Festival Records, 1968) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "She Taught Me To Yodel" (Festival Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Halford)
Reg Lindsay "Hot Shot Country" (Festival Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Aulton)
Reg Lindsay "Songs For Country Folk" (Columbia Records, 1971) (LP)
The set list includes several Reg Lindsay originals: "The Ghost Of Tom Dooley," "The Girl In My Home Town," "The House Down Willow Lane," "The Most Beautiful Thing In The World" and "Twinkle Chimes."
Reg Lindsay "Armstrong" (Festival Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Pat Aulton)
Reg Lindsay "Country And Western Greats" (Festival/World Record Club, 1972) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "Reg Lindsay's Country Music Jamboree" (Universal Summit Records, 1972) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "Twenty-First Anniversary Album" (Festival Records, 1973) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "In Nashville" (Festival/Interfusion Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Walker)
Although he's pictured on the front cover posed in front of Tamworth, Australia's Country Music Hall Of Fame, for this album Reg Lindsay made the pilgrimage to Music City to cut a set of up-to-date countrypolitan twangtunes. As is often the case with these trek-to-Nashville records, most of the songs seem to have been provided by the studio, which in effect made this one a demo set, and some of the tunes are quite good. Though sometimes his phrasing seems almost clumsy, Lindsay's crooning style brings out some interesting nuances in these songs, which include three songs by Jean Chapel ("God Never Made A Better Move," "To Get To You" and "Walking Shadow, Talking Memories"), three more from the songwriting duo of Even Stevens and Eddie Rabbitt ("Fine As Wine," "Takin' A Chance" and "These Empty Rooms") and two by Sid Linnard (a grim novelty number called "I Just Try To Smell The Roses Along The Way" and a clunker called "There You Go.") The album's only real dud is Linard's high-concept weeper "There You Go (Running Down My Cheek Again)," a baroque, over-written weeper about a married man who just can't quite forget his ex, who was the real love of his life -- it's not terrible, it's just a little too complicated and not the kind of tune that has a chorus that'll roll right off your tongue the very first time you hear it. On the other hand, there are also some pretty groovy pop-honkytonk tunes, notably Chapel's earthy "God Never Made A Better Move," and the perky "You've Got Everything You Want," both album highlights. Also worth noting is his cover of Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times," a hugely over-recorded early 'Seventies standard that sounds surprisingly fresh and immediate in Lindsay's drawn-out, languid rendition. The individual studio musicians aren't identified, alas, other than a credit to some backup singers called the Nashville Sounds Quartet... Overall, the backing is pretty solid and substantive, and Lindsay's vocals are an intriguing blend of Jim Reeves and Merle Haggard, almost too posh-sounding, but also surprisingly vigorous. Definitely worth a spin.
Reg Lindsay "Glory Land Way" (Festival Records, 1973) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "Reg Lindsay's Country Favourites" (Universal Summit Records, 1975) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "The Travellin' Man" (Festival Records, 1976) (LP)
Reg Lindsay "Silence On The Line" (EMI Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Rod Coe & Mark Opitz)
Reg Lindsay "The World Of Rodeo" (EMI/Axis Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Reg Lindsay & David Marett)
A theme album with an outlaw-ish slant, featuring a cover of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," along with a bunch of more obscure rodeo-related tunes. The band included Tony Ansell on piano, George Bruno (bass), Pee Wee Clark (pedal steel), Tommy Emmanuel (guitar), Phillip Emmanuel (lead guitar), Doug Gallagher (drums), David Marett on fiddle, and Heather McKean singing harmony.
Reg Lindsay "Play Me A Simple Song" (EMI Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Walker & Ron Reynolds)
