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 "L."
Lazy Harry "On the Road To Gundagai" (Ramac Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Joe McWaters & Reg Lengrand)
A folkloric/outback-y set from "Lazy Harry," aka Mark Stephens, a garrulous fellow who owned a pub in Victoria called Lazy Harry's, which is memorialized in this album's closing track. This is not entirely a country album, although he did play banjo on some other people's records, including country singer Floreena Forbes, and others on the obscure Ramac Records label. Lazy Harry is backed on this album by the so-called Pattersons Steam Driven Bush Band: Steve Anderson (banjo), Bill Chambers (guitar), Warrick Nottage (fiddle), Phil Warde (whistle) and Phil Blakely on something called a lagerphone, which is the Australian name for the otherwise unfortunately-named "monkey stick," a percussive instruments made by nailing washers and bottlecaps along the length of a large stick. This is one of several albums recorded under the Lazy Harry name, though the only one I know of featuring the Pattersons band.
The LeGarde Twins - see artist discography
Ken Lemon "This Hombre Called Lemon" (Viking/Roulette Records, 1965-?) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Dalton)
Mister Lemon was an English expat living in New Zealand... He covers a bunch of late-1950s/early '60s country hits, including "He'll Have To Go," a couple of Don Gibson songs, and Roger Miller's "King Of The Road," which probably places this disc somewhere around 1965-66. The studio musicians are not listed, alas, although the backing vocal group, The Chicks, were the swinging sister-act duo of Judy and Suzanne Donaldson, who made a few records of their own as part of the same gogo-delic New Zealand rock scene as Dinah Lee and her crowd.
Ken Lemon "The Second Album" (Viking/Roulette Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Dalton)
Ken Lemon & Maria Dallas "Face To Face" (Viking Records, 1967-?) (LP)
Lemon worked as one of the acts in the road show of Maria Dallas, one of New Zealand's hot new country stars, as well as a TV star, acting (and singing) on the kiwi-teen show, Golden Girl. Sadly, this doesn't seem to have been a duets album, after all -- just separate tracks by each of the artists. Oh, well.
Ken Lemon "A Slice Of Lemon" (Zodiac Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Barry Clewett)
Ken Lemon "The Best Of Ken Lemon" (Viking Records 1966) (LP)
Ken Lemon "Greatest Country Hits" (Fontana Records, 1972) (LP)
Also issued on Music For Pleasure as Great Country Hits, with the same tracks and the same sequencing.
Reg Lindsay - see artist discography
Jimmy Little "Tenth Anniversary Album" (Festival Records, 196--?) (LP)
Jimmy Little "...Sings The Country And Western Greats" (Festival Records, 196--?) (LP)
Jimmy Little "Ballads And Strings" (Festival Records, 196--?) (LP)
Jimmy Little "New Songs From Jimmy: Australian Originals Sung By Jimmy Little" (Festival Records, 196--?) (LP)
Lionel Long - see artist discography
