John Kane "Take Your Pick" (Larrikin Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Allan Black, Chris Duffy & Louise Klait)
Hailing from Gladesville, NSW, guitarist John Kane and songwriter-guitarist Genevieve ("Genni") Kane started out as pretty solid bluegrassers, leading the band Flying Emus and later formed the more country-oriented band The Kanes, with many of the same musicians. This early album includes some notable bluegrassers -- flatpicker Dan Crary, playing on three tracks, Chris Duffy and others -- along with a nascent edition of Flying Emus.

The Kanes "She Says..." (ABC Country Records, 1992) (LP)
(Produced by John Kane, Ted Howard & Todd Hunter)
Here, John Kane and Genni Kane are re-branding a bit, but still working with basically the same lineup of their old band Flying Emus, with a few new friends picked up along the way... Also worth noting that country star Anne Kirkpatrick sings on here as well... She was the daughter of Joy McKean and Slim Dusty, and the Kanes seem to have been in Dusty's orbit; he's said to have recorded some music composed by Ginni Kane, though I haven't tracked down the specifics on that one yet.

Fiona Kernaghan "Cypress Grove" (EMI/ABC Records-Australia, 1995)
The first album by Ray Kernaghan's youngest daughter Fiona -- a mix of mainstream 'Nineties pop and the kind of modern country that was basically indistinguishable from its slick "pop" counterpoint... sort of in a Sheryl Crow wannabee kind of way. Relatively rootsy, in that context, I suppose, but it didn't do much for me. This was recorded in Australia, though she later moved to the United States.

Fiona Kernaghan "Shadow Wine And Truth Lilies" (Red Rebel Music, 2007)
(Produced by Fiona Kernaghan & Daniel Kresco)
More of a pop-rock/alt-ish thing, but I guess given where Nashville had gone by this time (Dixie Chicks, et. al., I suppose this could semi-plausibly be lumped in with the country scene of the times. Maybe. Anyway, it's not really my cup of tea, but still interesting to pull the threads and see where they lead. At some point she also cut an album for Warner Nashville, though apparently it got shelved. By the way, co-producer Daniel Kresco was her husband.

Ray Kernaghan "Me And Louie On The Road" (Bullet Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Merv Lowry & Rudy Brandsma)
The first album from country music patriarch Ray Kernaghan, who hailed from Albury, New South Wales. Kernaghan's first single was a trucker tune called "No Truckin' Worries," which became a regional hit in 1977 and was soon included on his first full LP. Kernaghan then signed up for a tour with the Rick & Thel Carey road show, and steadily established himself as a nationally known performer. Over the years, Kernaghan's entire family became involved in music, most notably his oldest son, Lee Kernaghan, who wrote songs and played keyboards for his dad before embarking on a solo career in the late 1980s. His daughters also became recording artists, Tania cutting her first solo country album in 1996 and Fiona recording more rock-oriented stuff; Kernaghan's youngest son, Greg Kernaghan, also played in his band as a drummer, though he doesn't seem to have pursued a solo career. The music here includes American country standards such as "Blue Velvet Band," Hank Thompson's "Blackboard Of My Heart," Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again" and lesser numbers such as Jud Strunk's "Daisy A Day," and "Cold Cold Hands," one of several Lawton Williams songs that Kernaghan would record in his career. There's also some Australian content, including Jack Spade's "Suvla Bay," and Kernaghan's own "You've Had Your Share Of Hell," as well as the single, "No Truckin' Worries Sue," which got everything rolling... no pun intended.

Ray Kernaghan "Jet Set Country" (Bullet Records, 1978) (LP)
His second album is notable for introducing his son, future solo artist Lee Kernaghan, as a songwriter, contributing two songs to the set, "Midnight Lady" and a novelty number called "Matilda, Queen Of The Tar." This last one was central to Kernaghan's career: it was written about a (real life) truck named Waltzing Matilda which was jet powered(!) and billed as the world's fastest truck. Don't ask me how that worked. Anyway, the song was enough of a hit that by 1982 Ray Kernaghan had purchased Matilda from her original owners and incorporated it into his road show, where he was supported by a road crew he called The Jet Set Band. It was a whole thing. Some more Aussie content as well -- notably Kerry McCarthy's "Bandag" -- as well as more American oldies, such as "The Wild Side Of Life," the ever-popular "Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister," and a version of "Fraulein," one of two Lawton Williams songs on this disc. And yes, I believe that's Matilda herself pictured on the front cover.

Ray Kernaghan "Remember Me (I'm The One Who Loves You)" (Bullet Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Lee Kernaghan, Peter Contini, Eric Scott & Craig Thomas)
This one features waaaay more Australian content -- several Slim Dusty songs, an old weeper from Buddy Williams, one from Shorty Ranger, along with a couple more from the Kernaghan family: Lee Kernaghan's "Country Music Man" kicks the album off while "Checkerboard," penned by Ray's wife Pam Kernaghan, closes things out. Also a few Yank twangtunes from the like of Hoyt Axton, the title track from Stewart Hamblen and one from Hank Williams, of course. A lot of familiar faces among the studio crew: guitarist Gary Adams, Norm Bodkin (pedal steel), Gary Brown (lead guitar), Lindsay Butler (guitar), Lou Farina (drums), Bruce Field (drums), Glen Green (bass), Paul Jenkins (fiddle) and Lawrence Minson on dobro...

Ray Kernaghan "Ray Kernaghan Country" (Telmak Records, 1981) (LP)
This was Ray Kernaghan's fourth album, and marked a shift in his career path... For this record, Kernaghan decided to handle the marketing and distribution himself, advertising on TV through the Ronco-esque Telmak label. He also started his own production company and label, Kernaghan Country Records, and became a DIY entrepreneur, one of the first in Australia's country music industry. For his first self-marketed album, he played things pretty safe, opting for a bunch of sentimental oldies in lieu of more rugged modern honkytonk... this included a slew of chestnuts such as "Jimmy Brown The Newsboy," "The Wreck Of The Old 97," "Springtime In The Rockies" and "Goodnight, Irene," with a few old-school standards, like Ernest Tubb's "Walkin' The Floor Over You" and "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy," from Hank Williams.

Ray Kernaghan & Lee Kernaghan "Family Tradition" (KCR Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Cheeseman & Rod Herbert)

Ray Kernaghan "The Very Best Of Ray Kernaghan" (J & B Records, 1987) (LP)

Ray Kernaghan "Lost Highway: A Tribute To Hank Williams, Sr." (KCR Records, 19--?) (LP)
Personally, I think the whole "Senior" thing is redundant, if not downright insulting. There's only one Hank Williams, then there's his son, and also his son's goofy lookin' kid. Hank Williams, Jr.? Yes. Hank Williams... Sr.? No. It's just plain, old Hank Williams. Anyway, now that we've got that out of the way, to the record. I'm not sure when this self-released CD came out, but I'd guess late '90s, early '00s, and interestingly enough this was recorded at a studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, personnel unknown. But it's Hank!

Kevin King "...Presents The 78 Collection" (Self-Released, 2003) (LP)
A nigh-forgotten country songwriter from the 1950s, Kevin King never released a full LP during his salad days, though he did record a respectable string of 78rpm singles for Regal Zonophone and Columbia Records, starting in the early 1950s and stretching all the way to the early 'Seventies. Sometimes I guess you just gotta take matters into your own hand, which is what Mr. King did when he self-released this twenty-song retrospective of his old work. Good luck tracking down a copy... though it's nice to know it's out there! Some cover songs and some originals as well... A later generation of Aussie twangsters championed King's work: I found out about him from Col Edmonds' first album.

Anne Kirkpatrick "Down Home" (Columbia Records, 1974) (LP)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Let The Songs Keep Flowing Strong And Naturally" (EMI Records, 1976)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Shoot The Moon" (EMI Records, 1978)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Merry-Go-Round Of Life" (Nulla Records, 1982)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Come Back Again" (EMI Records, 1987)

Anne Kirkpatrick & Slim Dusty "Two Singers One Song" (Columbia Records, 1989)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Out Of The Blue" (ABC Records, 1991)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Game Of Love" (ABC Records, 1993)

Anne Kirkpatrick "21st Anniversary Concert" (ABC Records, 1995)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Cry Like A Man" (ABC Records, 1997)

Anne Kirkpatrick & Slim Dusty "Travelin' Still... Always Will" (EMI Records, 2002)

Anne Kirkpatrick "Showman's Daughter" (Compass Brothers Records, 2006)

Ken Kitching "Sydney To Nashville" (Mid-Land Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by DeWitt Scott & Rusty Thornhill)
A swell solo set from expat Aussie steel guitar player, Ken Kitching, who played with Ned Kelly & His Western Men, Jimmy Little and with the LeGarde Twins for much of the 1960s. He moved to the United States in 1977, and recorded this disc in Nashville, though he seems to have made his way back Down Under by the 'Eighties, and his name pops us a studio picker on a variety of Australian country projects. As seen below, Kitching also enjoyed playing Hawaiian music, as many steel players do. Kitching also jammed in a band called the Country Playboys...

Ken Kitching "In The (Hawaiian) Mood" (RCA/Nicholls 'N' Dimes Records, 1985) (LP)
An islands-oriented set with backing by Jim Gold on guitar, Peter Blazley (ukulele) and bassist Cliff Barnett.

Ken Kitching & Norm Bodkin "Country's Best" (Hadley Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Eric Scott)

Hick Music Index