Paul Jenkins "Larger Than Life" (EMI Records, 1992) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Matthews, Steve Newton & John Williamson)
Originally from Tasmania, fiddler Paul Blake Jenkins broke into the Australian country scene in the late 'Seventies, when he was about twenty years old, and soon established himself as one of the "Hired Hands," a music industry inner-circle studio crew similar to the Wrecking Crew or Nashville's A-Team, back in America. He also toured prolifically, backing singers such as Digger Revell, Buddy Williams, and John Williamson. Although he was from a younger generation of musicians, Jenkins -- who picked up the nickname "Pixie" -- has become known as a central figure in modern Aussie country. Though he had been recording since the '70s, I think this may have been Jenkins's first solo album.

Paul Jenkins "Pixieland" (EMI Records, 1993) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Jenkins)

John & Nancy "More Than Friends" (CM/Country Music Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Cameron)
The lone album from the duo of Nancy Bremner and John Lloyd-Green, with modest backing from guitarist Lindsay Butler and a couple of his compatriots, drummer Michael Betts and Ray Campbell on bass. The songs are all originals: Ms. Bremner contributes one song, "The Lovin' Was Easy," while all the others are from John Lloyd-Green. He also recorded a single or two under his full name, though this seems to have been his magnum opus. Lloyd-Green's day job was as a television host; like many broadcasters he worked at numerous stations, though around 2014 he was sacked from one of his jobs, started to slip, and became homeless in Sydney for a time, while working part time as a bus driver. In 2017, a flurry of news stories drew attention to his situation, after a poem his posted in a bus stop kiosk caught the eye of a rider and became popular on social media:

PLEASE DON'T GO

No please don't go
don't disappear
I still have one more wine --
You are my boats
on the harbour
on a Sunday so fine

Your passing by
gives me a lift
with every bob and turn
I love the way
your bow waves dance
then exit at the stern
But from the shore
I see you all
preparing for day's end --
A sail comes down
motors cut in
to take the final bend
I know our time
is running out
and Sunday nearly set --
But please my boats
It's Monday eve!
Don't disappear -- just yet!!

Kevin Johnson "Rock & Roll, I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life" (Good Thyme Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Kevin Johnson)
Schroedinger's record collection, part 7427: I had high hopes for this album by Australian singer-songwriter Kevin Johnson, having heard a nice version of the title track sung by Digby Richards, but somehow I could tell this wasn't going to be the down-under country gem I was looking for. Indeed, it's not really very country at all, more of a bland, semi-folkie, post-rock singer-songwriter kind of thing that really did very little to excite me. He sings in a rumbly, gruff style reminiscent of Larry Jon Wilson, but without the same level of songwriting chops... The last straw for me was the horribly pretentious "Iridescent Shadows," which is an object lesson in shambling, indulgent hippie-era poetics: as the track ended, I got up and shouted "You wrote a bad song, Petey!" at the stereo. Oh, well. It happens.

Joy And Allan "Sing Real Country Music" (Western District Recordings, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Batten)
A husband-wife duo from Australia with deep country roots... According to the liner notes by Tex Banes, singer Joy Pertzel started her musical career back in 1944, performing in the Pertzel Sisters, a family act formed with her sister Dawn. The Pertzels were a popular duo throughout the 'Forties and 'Fifties, and when Joy later married Allan (last name still a mystery...) she formed a new duo with her husband. This album is mostly traditional country, including a fair chunk of western cowboy material, along with a few nods to the modern era, such as a cover of Donna Fargo's hit, "Funny Face," and Shel Silverstein's sexist anthem, "Put Another Log On The Fire." There's some yodeling, a bit of Hank Williams, some Stephen Foster, and a couple of Aussie-specific tunes, "Shearers Jamboree" and Slim Dusty's "When The Rain Tumbles Down In July." The liners indicate that Joy & Allan were planning a second album of original material, although I'm not sure if that one got recorded as well.

Col Joye "For The Good Times" (ATA Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Col Joye, Bruce Brown & Ron Patton)

Col Joye "Heaven Is My Woman's Love" (ATA Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Col Joye & Bruce Brown)

Col Joye "For You" (ATA Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Gus McNeil, Ron Patton & Gerry Stevens)

Col Joye/Various Artists "Truck Stop" (ATA Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Laurie Allen, Jim Cooper, Ron Patton & Peter Stephenson)

Col Joye & Little Pattie "A Little Bit Country" (Pisces Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Ross Burton, Ian McKenzie & Johnny Young)
Best known for her 1963 novelty hit, "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy," pop singer Patricia Amphlett emerged as a super-wholesome teenybopper star in the early 'Sixties, generally specializing in low-wattage girl-group and twee pop tunes, though she also dabbled in country music, as heard on this set of duets. Not coincidentally, Amphlett was married to Col Joye's bass-playing brother and business partner, Kevin Jacobsen (and was also the older cousin of Christina Amphlett, lead singer of the Divinyls, though that's neither here not there as far as country music goes...) Anyway, this is a set heavy on classic American country covers, with about a third of the songs being duets, and the rest evenly split between solo numbers from both Little Pattie and Col Joy.

Hick Music Index