This is a look at Australian country music, from bush ballads and yodeling oldies to country-rock and outlaw twang, and even some more modern Top Forty artists. This includes artists from both Australian and New Zealand, though there's a separate Kiwi Country section which has a lot of overlap. There's a ton of twang Down Under, and I'm pretty sure I'm only scratching the surface, so I welcome any recommendations, additions or corrections.
This page covers the letter "B."
Cash Backman "Loving You" (Image Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ern Rose & Doug Trevor)
Cash Backman "Little Bit Of Understanding" (Rainbird Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Martin & Roger Savage)
Cash Backman "Truck Drivin' Man" (Hammard Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Ross Burton & Ian McKenzie)
Tex Banes & The Hayseeds "Australian Hillbilly & Western Music" (Cattle Records, 1992) (LP)
Len Bell "Queensland Country Style With Len Bell And His Country Trio" (Queensland Country Style, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Don McLeod)
Olive Bice & Colin James "Gentle On My Mind" (W&G Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Geoff James, Colin James & Olive Bice)
Olive Bice "Hillbilly Girl With The Blues" (Morning Mist Records, 1981) (LP)
Olive Bice "Olive Bice" (Morning Mist Records, 1981) (LP)
Olive Bice "Country Music Magic" (Morning Mist Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Ellis)
Arthur Blanch "Blanch Family Classics" (Axis Records, 19--?)
Arthur Blanch "Sampling From The Early Sessions: 1952-1962" (Tamworth Music, 2004) (CD)
A fairly generous overview of Arthur Blanch's early years, with twenty tracks drawn from his first decade as a recording artist, 1952-62. This set is heavy on covers of American and Canadian country hits, including several classics by Hank Snow, and other from Leon Payne ("I Love You Because") and Floyd Tillman ("It Makes No Difference Now"), along with classics such as "I Know One" and "Please Help Me I'm Falling," and even a few Tin Pan Alley standards. There are also a handful of originals by Arthur Blanch himself, including "Wagon Rock" and the prescient "If I Had Television On My Telephone," which Steve Jobs could have had as his ringtone, back in the day. There's surprisingly little of Blanch's early work available today, but this disc is probably worth trying to track down... Or even *cough, cough* downloads, if you go for that sort of thing.
Arthur Blanch "What Do Lonely People Do?" (EMI-Australia, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Arthur Blanch, Lee Carroll, Pat Carter & Ben Peters)
A nice set of mellow, delicate, sentimental pop-twang worthy of Don Williams... The songwriting is quite strong, and the musical backing is both slick and soulful. Some of these tracks seem to have been recorded in Nashville, with participation from studio elders such as Buddy Emmons, Johnny Gimble and Dale Sellers, though a bunch of Aussie pickers are on board as well -- Ken Kitching, Lawrie Minson, et. al. At any rate, this is a pretty solid set, for those of you who can tolerate a more polished, countrypolitan vibe. Recommended.
Arthur Blanch "Life's Been Good To Me" (One Stop Records, 2005)
Arthur Blanch "What Really Matters" (Tamworth Records, 200?)
Arthur Blanch "How Can I Thank You" (Tamworth Records, 2010)
Arthur Blanch & Jewel Blanch "Walkin' In The Sunshine" (W & G Records, 19--?) (LP)
Jewel Blanch & Arthur Blanch "The Lady And The Cowboy" (CBS Records-Australia, 1981) (LP)
Jewel Blanch "Send All The Ghosts Away" (CBS Records-Australia, 1982) (LP)
An award winning album (in Australia) featuring her song, "I Can Love You," which earned Jewel Blanch the Best Female Vocalist award in 1982...
Bluestone "Bluestone" (Bootleg Records, 1974) (LP)
Bluestone "The Closer You Get" (Avenue Records, 1982) (LP)
Norm Bodkin "Fender Bender" (Hadley Records, 1977) (LP)
Norm Bodkin "Stormin' Norman" (Hadley Records, 1984) (LP)
Norm Bodkin & Lindsay Butler "Country Gospel Favourites" (Hadley Records, 1985) (LP)
An all-instrumental collaboration with guitarist Lindsay Butler, who also worked as a record producer and started his own label, LBS Music, in the late '80s.
Norm Bodkin & Ken Kitching "Country's Best" (Hadley Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Eric Scott)
A collaboration between two of Australia's most prolific steel players...
Bosco Bosanac & Jacqui Bosanac "The Songs Of Johnny Cash And June Carter" (C.O.D. Music, 2007) (LP)
A pretty straightforward country covers set... An Aussie musical stalwart, Bosco Bosanac was the bass player in an early 'Sixties surf band called The Atlantics, and later worked on several country-related projects. He and Jacqui Bosanac formed a tribute show called Cash On Delivery (hence the C.O. D. label name...)
Adam Brand "Adam Brand" (Festival Records, 1998)
Branded "Branded" (Nationwide Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Chaplin, Malcolm Hay & Peter Miller)
The lone album, apparently, by this country-rock ensemble from parts unknown... The group consisted of Bob Chaplin on guitar, Ricky Fox (drums), Margie Miller (bass) and Peter Miller (guitar, mandolin and pedal steel) with additional assistance from Rick Adams on fiddle, John Crossing on keyboards, and guitarist Mike Jary. Margie and Peter Miller had previously been in a family band -- The Miller Country Band -- which recorded an album the previous year, but apparently broke up right after that... Of the musicians on this album, steel player Peter Miller and John Crossing seem to have had the longest careers -- Miller played on a few other albums, possibly as a studio musician, while Crossing recorded at least one album under his own name, and appears to have some production work as well.
John E. Brown & Country Rebellion "Country Sounds" (SBR/South Burnett Recordings, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John Hams)
Jim Brumby "Brumby Country" (RCA-Camden Records, 1975) (LP)
Jim Brumby "Strictly Australian" (M7 Records, 1977) (LP)
Zeta Burns/June Holms "Queensland Country Style: Songs To Be Remembered" (EMI Custom Records, 1981) (LP)
This LP is a hybrid reissue and tribute disc, with six vintage recording cut in 1942 by Australian country pioneer June Holms (1925-1966) and an equal number of tracks by her devotee, Zeta Burns (1946-2016). Yodeling cowgal June Holms was Brisbane's answer to American singers such as Patsy Montana and the Girls Of The Golden West, but though she was a trailblazer, her legacy was limited to a handful of tracks that popped up on various compilations over the years. In 1980, country fans were dismayed to learn that Holms had been buried in an unmarked grave, and sought to raise funds to place a headstone on her grave. This album was preceded by singles and an EP made in her honor, some of which is included here. The album opens with two songs Burns sang in tribute to Holms, "Remember June Holms" (written by Owen Gieger) and "Memories Of June Holms," composed by Len Bell, whose "Tribute To June" closes out Side Two. Ms. Burns seems to have been at least middle-aged at the time of this release, though I'm not sure how far back her career stretched; the six tracks by June Holms were apparently the sum total of her recorded work.
Zeta Burns "Queensland's Yodelling Cowgirl" (Hadley Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Eric Scott)
Latter-day recordings of Ms. Burns, made in June of 1984 as part of the label's historical project to document the work of Australian country yodelers... This album includes extensive, informative liner notes on the back cover. The following year, in 1985, Holms began touring with
Zeta Burns/Bernie Burnett/Ian Hands "Looking Back" (Queensland Country Style, 19-?) (LP)
(Produced by Michael Flanders)
Zeta Burns & Ian Hands "Queensland Country Style" (Queensland Country Style, 19--?) (LP)
Zeta Burns "Queensland Country Style" (Queensland Country Style, 19--?) (LP)
Zeta Burns "Riding On The Trail Again" (Queensland Country Style, 19--?) (LP)
Zeta Burns "The Passing Years" (Queensland Country Style, 19--?) (LP)
Lindsay Butler & Barry Thornton "Buts 'N Bazza" (Selection Records, 1991) (LP)
Lindsay Butler/Charley Boyter/Barry Thornton "Legends Of Country Guitar" (Selection Records, 1995) (LP)
Lindsay Butler & Barry Thornton "Once More For The Road" (LBS Music, 2001) (LP)
