Ross Wilson: News

The 1973 album 'All I Wanna Do Is Rock', the one & only release by my group 'Mighty Kong', has been remastered & released on CD for the 1st time ever. Its on re-issue kings Aztec International with a great looking digi-pack, 24 page booklet & a couple of extra tracks. I know a lot of people have been waiting for this (35 years!).

Songwriters love having their songs covered by other artists. Eric McCusker (Mondo Rock/Urban Legends) is the guy that penned 'Come Said The Boy', a song that just keeps on rolling along (I sing it every night & also have a new version on 'Tributary') & which has just been recorded by the inimitable Tex Perkins for his new album Number Ones & Number Twos. 'CSTBoy' did indeed peak at #2 on the Aussie charts back in 1983.

This week I received a call from Melbourne jazz singer Nichaud Fitzgibbon who has recorded 'Mood Swing', the song I co-wrote with Don Walker (Cold Chisel) for my 'Go Bongo Go Wild! album (2001). Nichaud also told me she is on the verge of working with a well-known Euro jazz identity in France & the US. Go Nichaud!

Some people can't stand em but I love watching movie musicals. Old ones like 'Bandwagon' & 'Singing In The Rain', rock'n'roll pics, whatever, though it helps if there are a few good tunes. Things have been picking up lately & during the past month I have seen 1. 'Sweeney Todd', remarkable for the fact that its an American film without a happy ending. The Stephen Sondheim score is of a typically high standard without being very memorable but supports the story line well. 2. 'Mamma Mia', is a lot of fun & with a plot that has English people living it up in the Greek isles while singing ABBA songs it could well be the 1st genuine EuroMusical on film. 3. 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story', a send up of music bio-pics, ('Walk The Line', & 'Ray' in particular) & show biz stories in general. I thought 'Walk Hard' was hilarious though it slowed down a bit in the 2nd half: WARNING the sex scenes are quite graphic but very funny. Star John C. Reilly is terrific.

Its very difficult for older artists like me to attain airplay for our new recordings on mainstream radio. Community radio & niche music programs, no worries. So imagine my surprise to be told yesterday that NSW based Super Radio Network has added the new semi acoustic version of 'Come Said The Boy' to their 20+ stations' playlists. Then today the ABC added the same track to their Local Radio national playlist. Something's happening & I like it! Liberation Blue are plugging away & getting results. It makes me feel optimistic about my next album project of all new material which I'll kickstart when I go to the US in September.

Rhythm & Blues / Rock 'n' Roll star Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniels) died this week aged 79. Admired & emulated by many other artists including Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and yours truly, Bo was one of Chess Records most prolific & dynamic acts. Bo Diddley, Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker, & Muddy Waters all hailed from Mississippi & yet all were uniquely different. Once heard Bo's electric jungle beat left a lasting impression. Already a fan since the early 60s I had the good luck to see a still fit & imposing Bo perform in the 70s when Daddy Cool toured Nth America; 1st at a small club in Toronto, Canada, & also at a Rock'n'Roll Revival arena concert in Boston. Live he was riveting. Opening with super heavy 'I'm A Man' he made the rest of the rock revival bill seem like kiddie acts. Although he made scores of albums, & had many of his songs covered by best selling artists, he was ripped off & claimed to have never received a record company or music publishing cheque. By the time he went chasing the money the legal statutes of limitations had kicked in & so the millions due him were unattainable. I met him a couple of times, the most memorable being when me & Gunther Gorman had a jam with Bo in his Sydney hotel room. DC's Gary & Wayne supplied the rhythm section on one Aussie tour. I'm still a huge fan of Bo's discs. His self-titled debut album from the mid 50s is a primal masterpiece. 'I'm A Man', 'Bo Diddley', 'Hey Bo Diddley', 'Who Do You Love', 'Pretty Thing', 'Bring It To Jerome', 'You Don't Love Me, You Don't Care', 'Diddley Daddy', 'Say Man', 'Cracking Up', 'Roadrunner', 'Mona' etc etc etc - a large portion of the repertoire of the 60s British R&B boom was penned by the great Bo Diddley & he taught us a lot about R'n'R attitude too.
"I walk 47 miles of barbed wire / I wear a cobra snake for a necktie / Who do you love?" Bo Diddley, that's who.

Use this link to go to the Liberation Blue Acoustic Blue label's site where you can read primo rock journo Michael Dwyer's assessment of my new album.
http://www.acousticseries.com.au/RossWilson.htm

The first review of my new album has come through - and its a good one...thanks Jeff!

TRIBUTARY / Ross Wilson (Liberation Blue)

Ross Wilson is one of the greatest Australian artists ever, if not the greatest.
From Daddy Cool to Mondo Rock, as well as producing the first three Skyhooks albums, and writing Bop Girl and A Touch Of Paradise, he’s been making music for more than 40 years.

This Liberation Blue album is a quite a trip. There’s a ragtime reinvention of Eagle Rock, a doo-wop version of State of the Heart, and a bluegrass Bed of Nails. There have been more than 40 albums in the Liberation Blue acoustic series, but this is the best to date.

Written by Jeff Jenkins.
JB HiFi M.A.G / May 2008

From May 10th ABC-TV screens a new 6 part series called 'Bed Of Roses'. The theme music is a rearrangement of 'Bed Of Nails', the song I wrote with my friends Eris O'Brien & John Pullicino and which became a solo hit for me in 1989. It has been covered by a few other people since then most notably Paul Kelly who also introduced it to local bluegrass exponents 'Gerry Hale's Uncle Bill' for their excellent Special Treatment album. I liked their version so much that I got multi-instrumental Gerry Hale (www.guitargallery.com.au) to whip up a new version for my forthcoming 'Tributary' album which also debuts May 10th. So put it in your diary as 'Bed Of Roses / Bed Of Nails' Day. The TV theme is sung by Megan Washington and arranged by jazz drummer Niko Schauble. "Lay down in a bed of roses / Woke up lyin' on a bed of nails" suits the synopsis that says "Kerry Armstrong (MDA, Oyster Farmer, Lantana) and Julia Blake (Aquamarine, Human Touch, Innocence) team up as mother and daughter in this contemporary series that takes us on a dramatic, bumpy and often very amusing journey of a woman who has to start life anew."

May 10th is the revised release date for my new album 'Tributary'. To help understand where its coming from here are some definitions of the title word - Tributary [trib-u-tar-y] pronunciation [trib-yuh-ter-ee] plural tar-ies noun 1. a stream that flows to a larger stream or other body of water 2. a person or nation that pays tribute in acknowledgment of subjugation or the like • adjective 1. (of a stream) flowing into a larger stream or other body of water 2. paying or required to pay tribute 3. paid as tribute.

Every Thursday night at 8pm on Foxtel's National Indigenous Telvision channel (a/k/a NITV) its time for The Marngrook Footy Show. Marngrook? Que? Well, Marngrook is the aboriginal term for Aussie Rules football all across the nation no matter what tribal links you have. The Marngrook Footy Show, compered by my mate Grant Hansen, concentrates on the AFL's indigenous footballers. There are 73 this year; that's about 10% of the total number, & The Marngrook Footy Show scrutinises their upcoming games, form, achievements, & what is going on in footy at aboriginal communities as they bring up the next generation of champions. And I'm in there too! Grant Hansen wrote the end credit theme song 'It's Marngrook' & got me to sing it. Now you can hear me belting out this catchy, punkish anthem each week & also find out all about Marngrook & its star performers. Its not just The Footy Show its The MARNGROOK Footy Show!

We're gradually adding preview samples of tracks from my new album 'Tributary' on this site's 'Music' page. Lyrics available there too. Official release date is now May 10th. (see below for more details)

Q. Missed your succinct judging on It Takes Two last night - where were you?
A. Thanks for caring! B4 the current season was confirmed I had committed to a show in Adelaide on 11 March - so the producers of ITT always knew that & simply got Dannii Minogue as my seat warmer. Yeah!
Q. When is your new album coming out?
A. Mid April. Its called 'Tributary' & has acoustic & semi-acoustic (i.e. a little added electricity) versions of previously recorded RW songs such as 'Cool World', 'State Of The Heart' & many others that you would recognise plus a few lesser knowns e.g. 'Boy You're Paranoid', 'Searching For My Baby (killer versions). And even 2 songs I've never recorded b4. BTW way 'acoustic' doesn't necessarily mean soft - drums & grand pianos can get pretty loud; voices too for that matter. Some of the hits are startlingly different from the originals but I'm not telling which yet - hope you like surprises.

IMHO a momentous day for Australia. I watched it on TV this morning beaming out of Parliament to the nation to the world. Kevin Rudd said he'd do it & no mucking about it was the first thing on the agenda after the opening of the current session; a well thought out comprehensive & embracing apology to the indigenous people of Australia who suffered under misguided & harmful past government policies. And miraculously, considering the divisive stance of the previous govt, it was a bi-partisan sorry as the other parties also got on board. Even the anti-Labor 'Herald-Sun' headline today is "Sorry At Last". We are the largest nation entirely 'girt' by sea, there's no escape, we have to learn to get along.

Liberation Music is well known for its Acoustic Blue CD series where noted Oz singers revisit their catalogues of songs & rework them 'acoustically'. Often this means a bloke & his guitar no frills (Ian Moss), sometimes a more radical approach (The Reels' Dave Mason used a small brass band to good effect). Last year I agreed to do an album for this series & mid-year laid down 10 tracks in 2 sessions. Then my attention was diverted, mainly by the Daddy Cool/Beach Boys tour. It wasn't until a break in January that I cut more tracks, completed most vocals, & started mixing. We're about half way through & its sounding great. There are well known RW songs, some obsurities, & even a couple of new ones. I've thoroughly reworked most of the arrangements so that even the familiar songs will sound fresh. This is semi-acoustic rather than completely unplugged - although most instruments are acoustic/unelectrified (drums, percussion, piano, double bass, mandolin, guitars etc) occasionally you'll hear a discreetly 'plugged' guitar. If we finish by the end of next week it'll be out late April early May.

The family has gone away on a last vacation fling before school resumes & I'm home alone preparing to go back to work myself. Its so QUIET...with no demands from the liitle ones to distract me I'm cleaning out clogged 'robes & sorting out the home studio & building Ikea stuff that has been lying in boxes in the garage for 6 months. First gig of 2008 is next Saturday 26th Jan, Australia Day, in Sydney's Darling Harbour precinct. Bands all day, then the fireworks, then me - does that mean I'm bigger than a skyrocket spectacular? Hope they stick around to dig us; exploding devices are a hard act to follow . Expecting over 100,000 there & the same again next day at the Skandia yacht bash on Geelong foreshore. 200,000 on one weekend - that's 1% of the population of Australia!

'The Christmas Bug' is Daddy Cool's contribution to the season's vibe fest. Written by myself & Eris O'Brien & recorded for the Myer/Salvos annual charity album 'The Spirit Of Christmas' (2005) we liked it so much we also put on our own album 'The New Cool' & Daddy Cool performed it live on last year's televised 'Carols By Candlelight' (Nine Network). Its slowly catching on and this year is 1) currently the 5th most downloaded DC song on iTunes Australia 2) on the playlists of live365.com US internet stations ChristmasRadio & Beach Music Cafe 3) being used regularly on CH7's morning 'Sunrise' show 4) this year I'm doing it solo with MD Jamie Rigg's band & chorus on CH7's 'Carols In The Domain' to be broadcast live nationally on 22 December. Its a song that can stand repeated listening so get the bug & have a listen at the 'Music' page on this site or at our MySpace pages www.myspace.com/daddycooltheband or www.myspace.com/rosswilsonurbanlegends
'Now make a Christmas toast / C'mon raise your Christmas jug / Christmas is the most / Ooh! I got the Christmas Bug'.
Oh & while you're at the RW MySpace you can also download another of my Christmas tracks 'Children Go Where I Send You' for nix. Merry Christmas

The Veronicas 'Hook Me Up' single is a ripper & the V girls are my 9 yr old daughter's faves after 'Operater Please'. Yeah she's the rock chick of the family & knows a good song when she hears it. So last night we joined the throng of tinnies, tweenies, teenies, & their young mum escorts heading for The Veronicas concert moseying down Dudley St towards grungy old Festival Hall which was hot as hell with no ventilation just like the good old days when I headlined there myself. Man those twins have sold more merch than The Wiggles - black white & red and exclusive to Target their fashion range has clothed half of Melbourne's under 16 females & perched in the front row of the balcony we could see everything. 1st act were MySpace competition winners Capeside loud & tight but a bit samey. Next up boyfriend of a Veronica, & Oz Idol/Neighbours hunk, Dean Geyer. Loved his opener 'Rush'. Technical problems slowed his act, but he handled it all with good humour & sang great & did a back flip & got everyone to sing along with his big hit. A bit of downtime resetting the stage then The Veronicas opened with a bang & their new single 'Untouched'. These girls are major talents, write gr8, sing gr8, and their band is something else - Jungle George (Guitar), "Baby" Paulie (Bass), and Vik Foxx (Drums) take the programmed album sound to another level by playing it live with the intensity of rock'n'roll ninjas. Quite simply they are an AWESOME trio & didn't provide a single blase moment in the 80mins of blasting Brisvegas pop that we heard last night (with an acoustic bit in the middle). Whoever teamed them up to tour with the V twins has my gratitude. All you local musos better get off your arses & start practising cos the bar is pretty damn high & if our kids are starting at this level they'll be chasing you around the block in no time. Modern pop rock is in good shape - if you live in Wollongong, Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane or on the Gold Coast get yourself a ticket & check this out at The Veronicas remaining tour dates.

What's goin' on? Well I'm having my fair share of playing with the big boys. Having just got off the road from the Daddy Cool meets The Beach Boys tour I also did a one nighter (RW & The Urban Legends) on Saturday in Perth WA supporting Crosby Stills & Nash. This show is worth catching. David Crosby & Graham Nash's harmonies still soar & Stephen Stills' lead guitar work is fiery & inventive even though he was a little tested in other departments - plus they have a cookin' REAL band that provided some transcendental musical moments. Guitarists will drool at the huge parade of vintage axes. Catch em while you can as they circumnavigate the Land of Oz.

Movies - In my downtime I've been watching the DVDs that are rolling in from my Amazon 1-click splurges. Some are Music DVDs - Currently getting off on 'The Howling Wolf Story' & several volumes of 'American Folk-Blues Festival' , a fascinating series that documents blues greats (both pre & post war) on tours conducted in Europe & the UK between 1962 & 1969. To SEE how some of these cats play their instruments & perform physically gives a whole new perspective to the recordings I have listened to all my life.

40s & 50s Crime Movies - I'm also working my way through a collection of US film noir classics; B&W, low budget, well directed, stark, down beat stories with unhappy endings that are a welcome antidote to the current tidal wave of dreadful Hollywood movies assaulting our senses & insulting our intelligence. My favourites so far are Gun Crazy, Born To Kill, & Crime Wave. The latter is particularly gritty; directed by Andre de Toth, shot on location in the streets & buildings of late 40s downtown LA, & with a short appearance by the best movie psycho ever, the utterly unique Timothy Carey. Though I gotta say Lawrence Tierney's portrayal of psychopath Sam Wild in 'Born To Kill' is right up there too.

Books - On the literary front I'm working my way through the entire output of US novelist Warren Miller who unfortunately died youngish in the 60s before he could reach his peak & is therefore not remembered or given the accolades I think he deserves. I discovered him a while back as the author of 'The Cool World', the novel that lead to the film that lead to my song of the same name. Having been inspired to write my song 'Cool World' after seeing the title in a 'movies on TV' book, I later read the novel. It is truly great literature. Set in Harlem NYC this teen gang story is written by a white guy but received praise from black culture champion James Baldwin as 'the finest book about life in Harlem that has come my way' &, with a few minor changes, could just as well be about today's gangster rap scene. Until the net came along I hadn't come across any other books by Miller. Enter Alibris, the literary equivalent of Amazon. Now I have most of his novels. Read in chronological order they provide proof of his talent & rapid development. His final work 'Flush Times' is set in Cuba as Castro is rebelling against the corrupt Batista regime, something Miller had seen firsthand. The American characters are either psychological weaklings or corrupt criminals, self serving, and lacking in empathy for the Cubans. Hey, what's new. If you want to read Warren Miller's best works you'll find cheap first edition hard covers as well as paperbacks of 'The Cool World' & ' Flush Times' at Alibris.com - unfortunately the postage bumps it up quite a bit but the total is still likely to be cheaper than a new paperback in downtown Oz.

You can hide but you can't run; or something like that. Last year I made vague plans to have a BIG 60th birthday celebration in 2007 but, as time whizzed by & gigs piled up & DC's tour became imminent, the desire for an extravaganza diminished. My irrepressible wife Tania loves a party & so booked 'dinner with family & friends' for 20 Nov. 'Surprise!' yelled the assembled 150 as I reached the top of the stairs at Riva - & I was. Long lost rellies, friends of all kinds, musos by the dozens. Gary Young gave an intro speech, Renee Geyer sang her specially composed RW birthday song, the Moet flowed, funksters jammed, & we had one hell of a party. Thanks everyone who was there & all of you who sent me emails, texts, guestbook salutations, cards & letters. But most of all thanks to my beautiful wife who pulled it all together in just a couple of days.

We're about half way through Daddy Cool's tour with The Beach Boys & Christopher Cross & the verdict is in - its a top night! See the entries in our Guestbook & at DC's MySpace. Even my wife Tania says its one of the most 'fantastic' concerts she's ever been too; BTW she thought the BBs were awesome. We hit Adelaide last night & are boarding for Perth x 2, followed by Wollongong & Sydney x 2 next week.
Here's a myspace message from 14 yr old Jack who saw us last night:
"Thanks so much for coming to Adelaide and playing one of the best shows I have ever seen, you guys are very, very cool. It was an awesome experience to meet you all after the show and get your autographs, my Mum was a fan of you guys back in the 70's and she has gotten me into some very good music.
Thanks again and all the best, Jack"