"Living in the 70s"

Part 3

"Under an assumed name".

The year 1976 was the beginning of an 8 year "seachange" that gave me national and international exposure on Television, Radio and Print.
 I spent the first 6 months of the year "meditation under a Pyramid" in the Hope of improving my health and in the search of Esoteric Knowledge.   During these "meditations" I would experience "flashes/images of future events" and strange "audio communications from an unknown source".

"Was my mind being invaded by an alien source connected with the numerous alien/ufo encounters i had experienced during my childhood and teens?" "Was it all just a figment of my imagination; fantasy or was it all Real?". All seemed real when it was "happening" and yet questionable when recalling the events. As an "Observer" the quantum matrix of matter leaps about confusing my perceptions of what actually took place. "Did it happen Here, there and Everywhere"?

At times whilst Meditating I felt like i "left my body" and travelled backwards and forwards in Time and in Space. This inspired me to read a few books on "Astral Travel" and "Out of body experiences" which were helpfull in understanding the landscape of these domains.  Many people undergoing serious surgery claim to have left their body or died and returned to their bodies to tell of their experiences. "Life after death" seems a likeable possibility.
I would eventually study material that would give me "the tools" to "leave my body" at will and travel
 to locations on and off Earth. 

 It was quite confusing to make any sense of what was taking place, so I decided to "write down" what I remembered once I stepped outside the "Pyramid Meditation Field".
After writing down what I could recall, it looked like much of the material was either "Prophetic" or "Esoteric" in nature.
In July 76 I sent a letter detailing my experiences to a publication called "Psychic Australia" and after about 2 weeks the Editor phoned me and asked me if we could meet to discuss a possible "story" in his publication.
He came to my Unit in Clovelly and we chatted for 2-3 hours mostly about my "UFO experiences" and possible "Psychic gifts" and he left saying he would put something together within the next month for publication.

Surprises, surprise, the September Issue of "Psychic Australia" featured a 2 and a half page article in my own words titled "A Psychic Unfoldment". The article/story featured a number of "Psychic Predictions" and detailed a personal "Close Encounter" with a UFO.

To protect my "real identity" the article was published under a "Pen Name" being "JOHN SQUIRE".  Talking about UFOs and the Paranormal had its dangers and it was essential that my "real identity" be kept hidden. "Men in Black; alien aliens and disturbed human beings" were watching my every move and sometimes "manipulating" the outcome. The X Files are real and the dangers were everywhere, so "who could I trust and who would try to decieve me?".  Certain forces would do anything to prevent the public from knowing the truth; being "We are not alone". in the universe. 

 I risked being called a "Kook" or a "Lunnie" by sections of society and perhaps bring "enlightenment" to those with open minds. Remember, this was ALL new to me and I was "going with the flow" and trusting I was on the "right path". Often ones lifes journey changes course and one finds oneself travelling down " the road less travelled" and experiencing the unknown.
Parrallel realities and interdimensional existencies were unfolding in my world and I openly welcomed their inclusion. I had been "Cosmic Conscious" for a number of years and my acid trips during the 1960s had shown me the possibilities of "new worlds" beyond my normal state of consciousness.

Even my hero at the time "John Lennon" claimed to have not only "seen UFOs" but had actually been visited by 3 aliens in his New York apartment in 73/74. I learnt these details in 1977 from a "mutual friend" we shared called "Uri Geller".

 I discovered that my Perceptions of Reality were uniquely mine and that as humans were all percieve reality differently. This world, from a human perspective isnt just One Reality but instead 7 Billion different realities and worlds.
The matrix of this multidimensional world I was journeying through contained "portals" that would allow access to "higher dimensions" and "past and future". One doesnt need a "spacecraft" to visit other worlds and explore other dimensions.
Time and Space only exist how I percieve them to be, for once I am "not conscious" neither of them exist for me. God only exists whilst I am conscious of Him/Her?

The story "A Psychic Unfoldment" sparked other media interests when a couple of my "Predictions" came true; one being that "Canberra" would have an Earthquake and the other being "Elvis would die". 
First off the ranks was Peter Meakin from "Current Affair" and I went into Channel Nine, in Willoughby and recorded a 10 minute interview. I think this story went to air sometime in late Oct 76 and I became "visable" for the first time to a large percentage of the viewing public

.
Around the 2nd November I recieved a "Telegram" from the Television producer "David Lyle" inviting me to appear on the popular daytime Television program "The Mike Walsh Show" which I immediately jumped at, for this world give me a "National Televsion " profile. 

 The experience was a real buzz and within days I was invited to appear as a guest on the "Gibson and Moore" radio program at 2SM and the n"Keith McGowan" radio program at 2UW. 

  
Mid December I flew to Tasmania with my wife and stayed with her parents in Geeveston for 3 weeks over the Festive Season. Whilst there, I met with the Editor of The Mercury Newspaper to discuss my visit to Tassy and on the 24th December they published a article on me titled "Psychic set on UFO sighting", which went down well with my "straight" in-laws.

 During the same week, I also did interviews on radio 7HT and 7HO.
I remember the interview on radio 7HT because the program was "knocked off the air" for several minutes which spooked the presenter heaps. He suspected that my "alien connections" may be responsible and at the end of the interview we all had a laugh about it.
The Mercury article stated that I was planning to visit a couple of reknown "UFO" hotspots in hope of an encounter.

Where I was staying, in Geeveston, 40 miles sth west of Hobart, I was surrounded by open fields and hills and a place sparsily populated.
Early one evening, myself and my wife Cherie went for a walk up this massive hill oposite her parents home and sat halfway up the hill in a vast open field. It was beginning to get dark when we began hearing this buzzing noise that was increasing in volume. We both swung around to look behind us to see where the noise was coming from and we both saw this "Oval shaped object" moving towards us at a height of about 12 feet.
As the object flew over our heads we swung around to see it was only about a "metre" wide and we sat in awe as we watched it fly away high into the darkening sky. It must have been some "alien drone/monitoring craft" of some sort?.

By the end of our Tasmanian visit, my sought after "alien encounter" became a reality and my trip to Tassy had helped boost my media profile.

Meanwhile while I was in Tassy I was recieving communications from other areas of the Media regarding continuing Media exposure come early 1977. These inculded the following;

Strangely, whilst on the plane flying over Bass Strait, both myself and my wife fell into a deep sleep and only woke up when we landed in Melbourne. Perhaps we were "taken" by some aliens during our flight or perhaps we were just simply exhausted and crashed out?

My dreams of a carreer as a musician/singer/songwriter were fading fast after the events that had taken place during the 2nd half of 76. I was on a new journey and i was excited by where it may lead me and what new experiences it may bring me. Perhaps I could obtain a strong National media identity and then head back overseas with a strong "resume" under my arms,  which may open up a possible International identity.

 I was a Dreamer ( but not the only one); I was passionate about what I was doing and what I believed in. I Believe that with hard work and determination we can achieve whatever we want in life; its was upto ourselves to trust in our abilities/ talents and gifts.

Success is the ability to fail and rise up to try again. Failure is the result of "Not having a go". Somethings work some of the time and somethings dont and often it can be just being in "the right place at the right time". Destiny and Luck play their parts and sometimes we are dealt a great hand where fortune and fame falls easily into our laps. When the chips are running hot one has to stay in the game and when the chips are down its time to step out of the game for awhile. Instinct and intuition should guide our every move as we forge ahead to the Top of the Mountain, where we can see The Promised Land.

1977 the Promised Land looked promising indeed.

End of Part 3 .

My musical career during the 1970's. Part 2 .

"Living in the 70s".

Part Two.

.

In January 1975, I set off on a 1 month Honeymoon  trip by boat to London, England with my loverly Cherie. We would sail via Fiji, Acupulco, Panama and Miami Florida and reach London in early February 75. Whilst onboard I would occassionally act as "DJ Compere" where I got to play recent recordings by Australian Artists and Bands ( Renee Geyer/ Jim Keays/ Glen Cardier/ Doug Ashdown/ Kerri Biddell/ Sherbet and Ross Ryan "  from my record collection that I was taking to England.

 These recordings would get me in the Front Door of all the major record companies and even some Press Reports and radio interviews.

One memorable event was when we went ashore in Acapulco and bought half a pound of the best local ganga for only $20. At night we would go on top deck of the ship and get stoned off our tits with hippie friends we had befriended onboard. 

We drank like fish and ate like pigs and made love like whores .

 
We sailed through the famous "Bermuda Triangle" during a huge hail and lightning storm and escaped being kidnapped by all those strange aliens out there.

 
The Panama Canal was unreal and Panama City a frightening place to be, whilst  Miami, Florida was a great place and where we got to take a swim at one of their beautiful beaches. Miami was so clean; sunny and full of "head shops" and groovy hip people.

 We had a whole month of love, happiness and joy before we embarked in Southampton, England.

 Unfortunately we had to dump half a pound of great weed overboard before we docked . The ballad of Brian and Cherie had begun.

We caught a bus to London and stayed in a hotel for a few nights before we found an affordable "Flat" in Maida Vale; St Johns Wood.

 Within 3 days we both had employment and our own place and things were looking great.

Meanwhile I contacted the Bee Gees manager, Robert Stingwood  at RSO and arranged a meeting to discuss my musical talents/songwriting and maybe signing other Aussie acts to his lable. The meeting went ok, they listened to some of my home recordings of my songs on cassette and played a number of the albums I took along of other Australian artists/bands. I left feeling optomistic.

                            ABBEY ROAD.

I also visited EMI records and visited Abbey Road studios, which was located only a few hundred yards from where I was living. 

PAUL McCARTNEY.

 After visiting Abbey Road I was exploring the area when I came across this beautiful big white house and decided to try and peer over the huge fence around it. Suddenly a guy yelled out "Hey man, what are you doing?".  I said I was admiring the house and I was just exploring the area as I had just arrived from Australia.  "Australia" he asked and then said that he was Australian too.
He asked me if I wanted to come inside for a chat and cup of tea and I said "sure" and I made my way into this beautiful huge home.

 We sat in the downstairs kitchen at the rear of the house where we shared a cuppa and had a good chat about OZ and he told me that he was only the "Caretaker" of the premises and that the owner was himself visiting Australia. I told him that I was a Singer/Songwriter and had come to England to try for a Record deal.

. He said for me to come upstairs to the "music room" for a jam and a smoke; " so I went upstairs, had a smoke, somebody spoke and I fell into a dream".
The room was full of expensive guitars including a "Hofner Beatle Bass", "6 string Rickenbackers","Fender and Gibson acoustic and solid body guitars". We smoked and jammed for a couple of hours before it was time for me to head home to my awaiting wife.

It would be a few years after this event that I would discover that the house I had been in was owned by "Paul McCartney" and that I had played on a number of guitars that he has played and recorded on. WOW. At the time McCartney did employ an Australian couple as "Caretakers" of his London home in Cavendish rd, St Johns Wood. At the time "Paul & Linda McCartney were touring Australia with their group "Wings".

I also visited Decca Records whom told me Solo Artists were on the way out and ragtime was on the way back; ha ha, I thought.
I remember doing a couple of radio interviews and receiving some mention in the Press of the day, but bugger if I can remember the names and dates of these events. 

ARIEL.

I also visited my old friends "Ariel" (Spectrum) whom were recording at Abbey Road and doing a number of promotional gigs around London.

LED ZEPPELIN.

I also tried to catch up with the guys from Led Zeppelin ( whom i had met in Sydney in 1971 )at their concerts at Earls Court but was denied entry backstage. Bugger, they had forgotten all about me and yet I hadnt forgotten about them; lol .

 The gig was fantastic and they played many songs from their mammoth double album "Physical Graffitti" and its was a real buzz seeing them perform for the 2nd time.

I also attended concerts by "Yes", "Genesis", "Seals and Croft" and "Electric Light Orchestra" to name the few I remember.

 The "Genesis" concert showcased the entire songs from their mindblowing album "The Lamb lies down on Broadway". I remember we got so fucking stoned on black hashish before the concert and were blown away by one of the greatest English bands of all time. They were fucking awesome.

HASHISH.

During this time I smoked a lot of hashish, took a few trips and with my wife visited many of the famous tourist attractions. The Tate Gallery was the most memorable of our excursions; seeing such the works by artists such as "Monet and Turner" was amazing.

We visited my Grandparents in Yorkshire for a day and my Granny told me that when I left England to come to Australia in 1955 I told her that I would come back to see her when I was grown up.

PINK FLOYD.

   I also met a distant cousin whom had connections with the band "Pink Floyd". Apparently a close friend of hers accidentally "erased the original mix" of their "Dark Side of the Moon" and the band had to re-record sections of the album and re-mix it a 2nd time.

SUZIE QUATRO.

 
Two doors down from where we were staying lived "Suzi Quatro" who was riding high in the charts at the time. The area was a haven for Rock Stars and Celebrities and every local pub would have hot up n coming bands playing every weekend.

 

IN SICKNESS & IN HEALTH.

 We both loved London and things were showing real promise when suddenly I became seriously ill and was admitted to hospital for 2 weeks. My poor wife was left alone at nights whilst I lay in a hospital bed some miles away. After 2 weeks of medical tests and observation I was "discharged" from hospital and went home.

When I was only 7 years old I was diagnosed as suffering from a rare blood disease similar to Leukaemia and my body would become so run down at times that I needed hospital care. At that time, I had my spleen removed and doctors believed that I may not live a long life. Between the age of 7 and 15 I was hospitalized several times and underwent numerous blood transfusions; in fact, Ive had more transfusions than Keith Richards.lol.

Whilst I was away, my wife had become homesick and wanted to return home to Australia. My love for my wife was far more important than "chasing my dreams" and wanting to make her happy.

 I agreed to return to Australia after only 8 months in London.

 My health was of great concern to us both and we agreed that we could always return to London in a year or two.
Within 2 weeks we were on a plane flying to Sydney, where we would stay with some in-laws  in Palm Beach until we could find our own Unit and employment.

 It was late 1975 when we moved into a great Unit in Melrose Pde, Clovelly. Directly across the road was "Gordons Bay" where we would swim and relax on a regular basis; weather permitting.

INDOOR PYRAMID.

The unit was a 2 bedroom unit, so in the spare bedroom I set up a huge indoor Pyramid which I would meditate under each day. During these meditation sessions I would experience "images of future events and audio communications from an unknown source", which I began to write down.

 
Using a technique known as "Automatic Writing" over a period of a few months I has written a tome titled "The Universal Wisdom of the Masters". The tome contained cosmic scientific information and spiritual insights and remains unpublished to this day.

I began to feel that perhaps I was destined to pursue a different direction in life and that perhaps I needed to "postpone" a career as a musician/singer/songwriter. Something strange was taking place and my mind was being taken over by all this Esoteric knowledge I didn't fully understand. I thought that perhaps my seachange may have been due to the numerous "alien encounters" that had plaque my life since the age of five.

ALIENS EVERYWHERE.

Only recently I have began writing about these "alien encounters" and much forgotten details have begun to shine through and clarify what took place during these events. It seemed strange how ones life can change course and head in a direction that one never dreamed of; life can be "stranger than fiction".

1975 was coming to an end and little did I know that 1976 would bring a change of direction and make me a National celebrity. 

End of Part 3.

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" LIVING IN THE 70S".

Part One.

1970 - 1975

Im presently in my mid 70s trying to look back at the 70s!; thats the 1970s, over 45 years ago. Its difficult enough remembering what I did 10 minutes ago, so I will have to rely on my Time Machine to take me "back in time" and "re-live" the "actual events". 

Then again, it is often quicker to use an ancient Egyptian Meditation technique to travel in Time and Space, which has proved more "reliable" than using a "machine".

 
I shall now take you on my journey back to the 1970s; a time of great music; a time of a sexual revolution and a time of enlightenment.

 
I had survived the hippie era of the 1960s; 5 years of being in a popular Pop group and the turmoil of living under my parents roof. A new Decade was about to begin and at last I was a "Free Spirit" eager to explore all that life could throw at me.

 In 1970 I  was a young 21 year old single straight male living in a boarding house in watson street, Bondi. Working a day job somewhere I dont remember and at night visiting and playing in a number of local clubs/ wine bars.
Some of my regular haunts include "Chequers", "Wiskey Ago Go"The Bondi Lifesaver", "The Bondi Hotel in Bondi rd" and "The Bronte Inn" to name just a few.

 
I remember performing as a Solo Performer at The Bronte Inn on a number of occassions; usually on a Saturday afternoon.

 
Some of the Artists and Bands I saw during this time include "McPhee", "Autumn", "Max Merrit", "Tamam Shud", "Tully", "Flying Circus", "Doug Parkinson", "Doug Ashdown", "Blackfeather", "Kevin Borich", "Richard Clapton", " Daddy Cool", "Dragon", "Flake", "Renee Geyer", " Jimmy and the boys", " Kevin Johnson", " Kahvas Jute", "King Harvest", " La De Das", "Little River Band", " Split Enz", " Alison McCallum", "Mike McClellan", " Madder Lake", "Russell Morris", "Ted Mulry", " Ol 55", "Marty Rhone", "Ross Ryan", "Wendy Saddington", "Jeff St John", "Sebastian Hardie", "Sherbet", "69ers", "Skyhooks", "AC/DC", " Spectrum" and "Stevie Wright".

 
There were so many great bands and solo singers around at the time and I'm sure I have forgotten many whom I saw "live" between 1970- 1975. 

Renee Geyer

I remember playing at a place called The Cask Wine Bar in Bondi rd, near Waverley Oval; I was a stand-in Bass Player for a band my brother Graham was in at the time. I remember there was a young girl 16-17 who used to sit on the floor and listen to the band and one night she got up and sang a couple of songs with the band. She was awesome; had a real rusky soulful vocal quality and I think she sang "Summertime", "In the midnight hour" and "My Girl".
After she sang we chatted and I discovered her name was "Renee Geyer", whom went on to become one of Australias finest female vocalist. Renee went on to have a number of Top Ten hits over the years including "Heading in the right direction"," Its a mans mans world"," Stares and whispers" and "Say I love you".
We shared a brief moment in time chatting and enjoying each others company, conversation and vibe. 

I remember playing at the Cask Wine Bar a few times and Renee was there each time; digging our music and keen to participate. I have memories of hanging with a young 16yr old Jewish girl who lived just up the road from me and Im unsure if this was the same girl "Renee".??
She would cruise by my place after school to chat with me and on one occassion we went back to her place whilst her parents were away. I dont believe we ever were intimate in any way but we just loved chatting and spending time hanging with each  other.
We would bump into each other again in 1973? at Melbourne airport and I was with "Ross Ryan"( I am Pegasus")  flying in from Hobart, Tasmania. We shared a coffee and a chat and we all then journeyed on our seperate ways. 

A few years back I spoke to Renee on a radio talkback show and mentioned the Cask Wine Bar, which she said she remembered ; mostly the music and a lot of young surfies. I guess if I have trouble remembering every detail of my life than how can I expect others to remember their life in detail.
Regardless, "fragments of memories of those memorable times still echo through my mind". They were great times in my life and I was "living in the Now".

Opposite to where I was living, another talented female singer lived with a circus of friends and animals. A punkish hippie with huge afro hair and a demure that would scare off Grace Jones and whom called herself "Wendy Saddington". We often chatted over the front fence and I found her to be a shy, gentle soul with a singing voice that reminded me of the late, great Janis Joplin. Wendy was a unique individual and singer whom recorded one of the greatest songs ever;  "Looking through a window" written by Warren Morgan and produced by Billy Thorpe. The song features on her one and only 1972 album "Looking through a window", which contains recordings from The Walacia Music Festival 1971 and was originally released as " Wendy Saddington and Copperwine live". 

"Copperwine" was Jeff St Johns backing band and Wendy often worked with them and a number of other Blues Bands of the late 60s and 70s. 
She retired from the music scene in the mid/late 1970s as she didnt like the "drugs/drink and lifestyle" of the music world. She spent much of her life supporting the Hare Krishnas and persuing "personal enlightenment".
Her version of The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" expresses her own inner search for Peace and Happiness and Understanding the Meaning of Life.
Wendy only recently passed away and I will ALWAYS remember the young Soul I used to chat with way back in the early 70s. Her songs still touch me deeply today, for Wendy sang from the bottom of her heart and soul. God bless her.

Earlier I mentioned the great singer/performer "Jeff St John" and vaguely remember sharing a concert Bill with him during the late 1960s when I was the Bass Player for my brothers band "The Limit". I remember being backstage watching Jeff do his thing in his wheel chair whilst killing the audience with his powerful vocals. Jeff could outsing anyone and was and still is, one of my favourite singers of all time.
I never met him personally and always admired his amazing talent. 

I was in awe of the talent that surrounded me in those days, for I was just a struggling Bass Player with no direction home. I spent much of my spare time consuming drugs ( LSD and Pot) and shagging all the women I could find. 

Around early 1971 I shared a flat in Belmore rd, Randwick with the lead singer of a sydney band called " Rosco"; I think his name was Chris ?? I helped out with the band as a Roadie/sound man and remember doing gigs with "Sherbet" and "Russel Morris". I remember the gig with "Sherbet" was at Macquarie Uni and they were riding high in the charts with "I shot the gun".

                     Sherbet

They were a great band live and I remember that after the gig heading home we were involved in an almost serious car crash and we were hurried off to the nearest hospital in an ambulance. I had to have several stiches in my jaw and still have the scars today to remind me. 

A gig with "Russel Morris" was in some Jewish Hall in Darlinghurst rd, Kings Cross, which was packed to the rafters with gays and straights alike. Russel played a Gibson Sunburst Les Paul guitar and was a huge hit with the audience. 

I remember meeting a chick that night whom I would end up sharing a flat with in Wiley Park for several months in late 1971 before moving to Hobart, Tasmania in 1972.

MEETING LED ZEPPELIN

I remember one afternoon myself and Chris from "Rosco" went to a "Led Zeppelin" concert at Randwick Racecourse and decided to take some "California Sunshine LSD" for the occassion. We also took a number of " joints" to smoke during the show, which one could do in those days because everyone was either "smoking or tripping on acid".
I think the support bands were "Daddy Cool" and "The Kinks" whom really gave their all to please the audience and whom were great.
"Zeppo" blew us away and we staggered back to our flat just up the road and prepared for a gig by "Rosco" that evening at the " Wiskey A Go Go" in william st, Kings Cross.

We mellowed down from " the Trip" with a couple of nice joints and arrived at the Wiskey around 9pm. The band were playing their 1st set  and into their last  2 song of the set when who should come walking over to the bands offstage table but the four members of " Led Zeppelin." They sat down at the table, ordered some drinks and "Jimmy and Robert" began making chit chat with me whilst waiting for the band to come off stage once their set was ended. 

We all ended up chatting for awhile about many unremembered things until I became ill and had to leave. 

Slightly out of my head and feeling very unwell, I managed to walk all the way home through darlinghurst, then through Centenial Park all the way to Randwick. 

I also remember myself and Chris hitchhiking from Sydney to Adelaide and back over a period of 3-4 days and being in awe of the nightsky in the middle of the Australian outback. He went there to pick up his girlfriend and bring her to sydney to live. He got her back sydney but was "busted" a few days later and thats the last i saw of both of them.

I then moved into a flat with 2 chicks in Wiley Park and shared a relationship with one of them. During this time I remember meeting "Ted Mulray and some of his gang" socially but not a great deal was happening for me musically.

I remember playing/performing as a Solo Guitarist/Singer at the Hospital for Women in Oxford St, Paddington. I shared the Billing with a band called "Gangadin"? and sang songs by Cat Stevens/ Don McClean and Bob Dylan. 

For some unknown reason, myself and my girlfriend took off to live in Hobart, Tasmania for awhile and took up residence on the east side of the bridge.

I met a guy who ran a nightclub in the middle of Hobart whom offered me a job as a Solo Performer 3-4 nights per week in his club. I would perform with just an Acoustic guitar and a microphone and also invite local singers/guitarists to join me on stage each night. I soon got to know many of the local musicians and decided to form my own band with my new friends and called the band "Nobodys Funeral".

 The band consisted of Bill Wilson on guitar/ Glyn ? on keyboards/ a bass player and a drummer whos names I cant remember. I was their Lead Vocalist. For awhile, when I wasnt working Solo at the nightclub I was busy rehearsing with the band at the guitarists parents home. I was NEVER home, so.......

Meanwhile my girlfriend got pissed off with being alone most of the time and wanted out of the relationship. She had met a new guy "Geoff" running the Drug Referral Centre in Hobart and they hit it off and eventually married. 

Myself and a few "hippie" friends used the Referral Centre as a "safe place" to hang out and we helped the staff out whenever they needed it. I remember on one occassion a few us had been down to Margate to pick some "magic mushrooms" and then took them back to the Centre, dried them out/ crushed them into powder and filled empty "Double O" capsules with the mushrooms. We had about 50 caps ready for consumption when suddenly the cops raided the place. Luckily it was night time and we tossed all the "caps" into a plastic bag and threw it out a side window. The cops never found the goodies and we retrieved our stash once they had left.
The "blue meanies" and "gold tops" were powerful hullucagenics and just 2 caps would provide a 12 hour trip.  

 I moved into a boarding house in North Hobart.  During my time working at the night club I had no shortage of young females wanting to share my bed. In fact, at one time I had 3-4 women on the run at the same time and I was living a life of Sex, Drugs and Rock n roll. 

During the period 72/73 "Nobodys Funeral" became one of Tasmanias Top bands and I was out front as their Lead Singer. We played songs by " Jethro Tull/ Zeppelin/ Bowie/ The Doors/ The Stones and Deep Purple "and we were pretty wild on stage. We dyed our hair with florescent paint and "glowed" onstage.
One night, I collapsed onstage and was taken away in a ambulance to the Hobart Hospital where I was admitted for an overnight stay. It was then that I met my future wife "Cherie", for she was a nurse at the hospital at the time.

The band played at many venues across the isle and even organized our own dances in place like Huonville;  south of Hobart. We hired the halls; put up Posters and supplied our own security and refreshments.

                 SPECTRUM.

The band supported mainland bands such as "Spectrum" and I became friends with "Mike Rudd and Bill Putt" from the band.  I would also catch up with these guys in London in 75 when they were performing under the name "Ariel".

After the band had been together for several months, we hired "Spectrum" studios for a night and recorded 2 of my own original compositions, being "One Night Girl" and "It aint funny".  We had several copies pressed on vynal and I gave a copy to a friend who was a nightime DJ on radio 7HT. I think her name was Sue ? and one night she played both songs on the air to find out if the audience liked the tunes. 

 "Ross Ryan" was playing at Westpoint Casino and heard the songs and phoned the radio station to asked them if they could ask me to phone him.

I did phone him and he invited me over to his Suite at the Casino, where we ended up chatting and jamming for a couple of hours or so.

I remember when "Helen Redding" came to Hobart to perform I was invited along as a guest of the promoters and spent a number of hours after the concert drinking in a local nightclub with "Helen and her band."
As the lead singer of one of Tassies most popular bands I was privalaged to move in and mix with other popular Artists and Bands of the day. 

I was beginning to feel that I needed to head back to the mainland and to try my luck in Melbourne. My plan was to eventually head to London but first I would try my luck in Melbourne.

I rented a Unit in Middle Park/St Kilda with my wife to be "Cherie" and set up my own company called "The Music Makers" which was a Booking Agency for unknown Artsists/Singers and Bands. I had several "singers and bands" on the books and secured work for a number of them during the short 10 months I was in Melbourne.

 

I also joined a local rock band called "Sweet Lemon " as lead singer and performed at a number of "private functions" with these guys. They were all Yugoslavian and we played a lot of "Bowie", "Stones", "Doors" and "Deep Purple" songs. I was only with them for about 6 months but enjoyed the experience.

 

During this period I remember going to a "Jethro Tull" tripping on acid and they performed the full album version of "Thick as a Brick" and other Hits. "Ian Anderson" blew my mind with his "flute and guitar playing and his wild stage antics."

                           

          On another occassion, myself and my future wife had tickets to see "The Bee Gees" at Festival Hall in Melbourne.  We were alone near the back entrance to the hall when suddenly "The Bee Gees" appeared and asked us if we had tickets to the show. I said to Barry, "Sure we had tickets" and he asked to see them. Whilst chatting I showed him the tickets and he said he detected an "english accent" in my voice and I told him "Yes, I was born in England and came out here in 1955 as a child". I mentioned that I was a muso and singer and was planning to go to London very soon. Barry was all smiles and said to me "to follow them" into the venue; which we did. Barry then arranged for us to have some "Front Row" seats and we got to enjoy their amazing concert up close and personal.

 I took some photos with them and in concert but over the years the pics faded into white.
Barry told me to look up Robert Stingwood ( their Manager) when I got to London; which I ended up doing in early 1975.

 
I remember going to see "The Bee Gees" at their Farewell concert in 1967 at The Trocoderro in George St, Sydney. They had just had Hits with "Wine and Women" and their song "Spicks and Specks" was just making it into the National Pop Charts.  Whilst sailing to England, "Spicks and Specks" became a huge hit for them in Australia. Once they reached England, they recorded "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and the rest is history.
Today, I thank them and especially Barry for his kindness on the day we met and I have been a big fan all my life. 

TELEVISION: NEW FACES

During this time I also appeared on "New Faces" on channel gtv9 performing my original composition "One Night Girl". I paid to have a 12 piece score written by a popluar arranger "Bruce George" whom had worked with Shirley Bassey.
On the night I came 2nd which demonstrated that my songs had some potential and with a little more polish I could take them to London, England and try my luck in the International market.

At  the end of 1974, myself and Cherie went back to Tasmania and on the 28th December we were married in a small church in Geeveston. After a short 3-4 day honeymoon in the countryside, in early January 1975 we boarded a ship in Melbourne and set sail for England. At last, I was on the way............ 

To be continued.   

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Email utaalkback@hotmail.com

       

" IN MY LIFE ".

Part 1

In my life

The 1960s.

I am presently in my mid 60s and the mid 1960s was an exciting period in my life and an exciting period in History.
One of my earliest memories is of the occassion when myself aged 14 and my younger sister Kathy caught a train from Penrith where we lived to Town Hall in the city 30 miles away. From there, we walked 2 miles to Potts Point/Kings Cross where "The BEATLES" were staying at the "Sheraton Hotel" in Macleay St.

 It was a cold June morning in 1964 and myself and my sister had a "cunning plan" to sneak into the hotel and try to meet our  idols "The Beatles". The street was jammed packed with screaming fans; we all sang their songs and screamed their names and we had all fallen under their "magical spell".

 
We snuck away from the crowd to explore the side of the building where we discovered we could climb up some wall piping to a balcony/terrace on the first floor. We climbed up ok and then proceeded to enter a doorway into the 1st Floor where we were spotted by security and quickly tossed out the front door. 

For a few moments we believed we would succeed with our plan; we were young and nieve

.
The Moptops finally came out on their 8th Floor balcony and waved to me and my sister and we went home "starstruck" and happy; we had seen "The Beatles".

"The Beatles" would share "destiny links" with me for the next 50 years and I shall share some of these encounters in "Parts 2 & 3 "of this Blogg, so stay tuned.

The greatest music was recorded during this time and I was a member of a popular Pop band called "The Limit". It was a 3 piece band to begin with, I was the drummer, my brother Graham the guitarist and main vocalist and a guy called Glen was on bass guitar.



I was aged 16, just out of school and playing in a local Penrith band whom went on to win "the Hoadleys Battle of the Bands" and become the "No1 local Pop Band." Young girls would at weekend sit outside the front of my parents house in Fisher st, Penrith hoping to get to meet myself or my brother.
We were immediately signed to an Agent whom handled our Bookings and we began working every Friday,Sat and Sunday, often being the support band for major recording artists and bands.  They included "The Easybeats", "The Loved Ones", "Johnny Okeefe", "The Masters Apprentices", "Dave Miller Set", "Jeff st John" and "Normie Rowe" to name a few.

Normie Rowe

The Easybeats

I remember one evening we performed as the warm up act for "The Easybeats" at the Penrith Bowling Club. The place was packed to the rafters and we were well received by the audience being the most popular band in the region. We played for about 35 mins and it was hard to hear ourselves above the screaming of our local fans. Wow , what a mind blast that was.


When Little Stevie and the lads hit the stage the place went berserk as they played their hits such as " For my woman", "She's so fine", " Wedding Ring" and "Sorry" just to name a few.  They gave a sensational performance and I was in awe of their talent and their persona.

Dave Miller Set

On another occassion we performed at the Glenbrook Community Centre with the "Dave Miller Set" whom were riding high in the Charts with a great song called "Mr Guy Fawkes". The hall was full of drunken westies whom hated bands because the local girls swooned over us as we strutted our stuff onstage. At the end of the gig, we were attacked by 3-4 of these drunken louts whilst trying to pack our gear into our van. My father Ken came to the rescue and beat the guys off with a mike stand and soon had them fleeing. Thanks Dad, you saved us from a bad beating.

. Not all gigs went smoothly "out in the west" and there still existed a territorial war between the Mods and the Rockers. There was always fights between the gangs of Penrith verses the gangs of St Marys and riding the trains at night was always risky.

 
Strangely I remember playing at a number of functions at the local Bikie Clubhouse which were a total hoot and massive piss up. They treated the band members like "royalty" and we were always coaxed into playing until the wee hours of the morning. And after all the piss that we all had sunk, we had a lot of weeing to do. They were rough and tough and a loverly bunch of blokes whom I hope went on to achieve notoriety and infamy.
They taught me to "never judge a book by its cover" and "always be open to other peoples lifestyles and opinions". Its true; not ALL OF US want to live "normal lives" or "conform to social standards and beliefs".
Nothing ever changes by staying the same and nothing  moves forward by backward thinking" . 

"Those with silent voices often whisper words of wisdom whilst those whom scream the loudest speak the words of fools".

We have much to learn from those whom live an "alternative lifestyle" instead of following the traditional. The Bikies I knew were a great bunch of blokes, whom loved their lifestyle of motorbikes, booze and sex. What more did an aussie bloke need in the mid 60s? yeah I forgot to mention they loved their Rock n Roll.

When we played for them we played a lot of Rock n roll and played it loud and pumped the place up; they loved our drive and enthusiasm.

On another night I remember sharing the Bill with "The Loved Ones"at some nightspot on the North shore. "Gerry Humphries" the lead vocalist  had one of the best voices I had ever heard and his stage presence blew me away .

The Loved Ones.

They were an awesome band who unfortunately only released one album "The Magic Box ", which I still have today. They had a unique sound and a stage presence out of this world and sharing a concert stage with them was a highlight in my life at the time.

Again the concert hall was packed to the roof and as noisy as all fuck; the place was pumping at such a late hour; its was 11pm for gods sake.
 I was maybe 17 at the time and late night gigs were taking their toll as I was also holding down a full time day job; being 7.30am- 4pm Monday to Friday.

DRUGS.
  
In those days I don't remember "drinking booze" at all but I do remember being introduced to "Purple Hearts" and "crystal speed" at the time, which we all took to help keep us awake and pumped up. This way we were able to play until maybe 3am and play at 3-4 venues in one night.

We would do our first gig maybe around 8pm for an hour and then travel 30 mins to our 2nd gig at 10pm. We would do maybe 45 mins before heading to our 3rd gig at 11.30pm. Many Friday or Saturday evenings would include a 4th Booking for 1am.

At this time Sydney had over 300 live venues and there was no shortage of work and all the bands in those days worked their asses off. We were so busy working that chit chatting or socializing with other bands were few and far between. If there was a "backstage" we would always make friendly chat with all the Stars and bands we came into contact with.

Being only 17 and in the middle of a music and social revolution was exciting and there was no time to be bored. If i wasn't working my day job or playing at gigs, the band would spend the time learning new songs and introducing new members that came and went just as quicking.

THE ROLLING STONES.  

When we could we would attend concerts by all the major artists and bands touring Australia and one such concert was at "The Sydney Showgrounds" at Moore Park in 1966. Before we went inside the auditorium, the four of us were sitting all alone on the grassy area of Moore Park and chatting and maybe smoking?

Suddenly 5 guys came walking towards us and believe it or not, it was "The Rolling Stones" and they seemed happy and began chatting with us. This was the original line up of The Rolling Stones and Prince Charming "Brian Jones" shone like a true Star

.Under my thumb

The Rolling Stones

 We exchanged chit chat for a couple of minutes before "Mick" said they had to go and the "Stones" rolled away.

We went inside to hear the concert which featured "The Newbeats", "The Rolling Stones" and Top Billing "Roy Orbison". We had front row seats and we were all blown away by all of them but "The Big O" was unforgetable. 

In Dreams

Meeting the "stones" was a real blast and me and my friends attended many other concerts by "The Who", "The Kinks", "The Animals" and the "Small Faces".

The Small Faces

We lived in a "Musical Paradise" and I had such a wonderfull time during my teens and lived through a period when "the times were a changing".

Sometimes we worked as a 3 piece and other times we would incorporate a keyboardist; a rythum guitarist and even another lead vocalist for a short period. The 3 piece worked best; we were tight together and knew the routine; plus we only had to share the performance fee between the 3 of us.

I was the original drummer for "The Limit" but after about 18 months we came across a better drummer than I so I went out and bought a bass guitar and amp and became the bands Bass player.
 During the change over, we took a 2 week break for me and the new drummer to learn the songs and prepare for "live performance".

I already knew how to play the guitar quite well so converting my knowledge and skills didn't require much time before i was a confident player.

My first gig as the bands Bass player was at a huge "outdoor" concert near Windsor before an crowd of maybe 20,000. The stage was on a "Little Island" which had a moat around and a "makeshift" bridge that led to the stage. Due to the huge crowds, the band was "escorted by security guards" where ever we went and we felt like "Pop Stars" at last.

We played well that day, playing such classic songs as "Tin Soldier" , " The kids are alright", "My Girl", "In the midnight hour", "Happy Together" and " Land of 1000 dances".  We had the crowd up on their feet and dancing ; it was utterly amazing and surreal.

This was 66/67 and the hippies were there in the 1000s and the air smelled with the sweet perfume of marijuana. I had never tried it at this time but I knew the smell of it and was keen to give it a try asap.

There were several Top bands and Artists on the Bill that day and heading the Bill was the late,great "Johnny Okeefe" whom tore the place apart. 

We stood backstage as he "memsmerized the audience" with his stage pressence and energy.

"She's my baby"

He was Australia's " wildman" and "King of Rock" and rightfully so; the man was a "true showman" and a "legend".

 He wasn't the greatest singer in the world but he knew how to work an audience into a frenzy and hold them in the palm of his hands. He was amazing to watch as he weaved his magic and took control of the audience; working them up to a orgasm and a state of ecstacy. There was no one like him and like most "pop stars" he died far too young.

GETTING HIGH.

It was soon after this amazing concert that I would share a "joint of grass" with some friends and rediscover "music" on a different state of consciousness.

So began "three summers of love" and all we needed was Love and Love was everywhere; we were in Love with Love. "Free love" was real and everyone was promiscuous and we all explored new perceptions of sensuality and sexuality.

Women had been given access to "the Pill" (contraception) and now for the first time were free from possible "unwanted pregnancies".

 
The period was a "Sexual and Social Revolution" surrounded by wars and global unrest. The Hippies only wanted to bring some
Enlightenment to this world while the powers that be wanted to imprison us in darkness. 

These dark forces killed off "JFK", "Martin luther King" and "Bobby Keneddy" and "silenced anyone who asked questions". A Conspiracy of Silence remains to this day on the assassinations of these three great men.

The 1960s wasn't all Love and Light and was equally hate and darkness.

I lived each day the best way I could, working, playing, smoking and shagging my my brains out.  

Smoking pot made my music feel more real and became one of my best friends as I began to explore psychedelic music and the "flowering hippie culture" that was springing up all around the world.

 I went out and bought some "hippie orange pants and a paisley shirt" and then melted in with the "in crowd" and "bohemians". I was so "far out that I was in" and became a "follower of fashion" and a "man of the world". 

My "white room" became my "holy florescent sanctum" and my heroes hung their heads on my wall. Dayglow posters were scattered over walls and ceilings and my parents must have been puzzled by my behavior?.

 At this point in my life I was a quiet reserved introverted individual whom escaped within to explore my world and to find meaning.

MY FIRST TRIP.

Around this time,myself , elder brother and a friend visited this little "hippie den" on Oxford st, Darlinghurst where we purchased our "1st LSD trip" for only $2. 
We then decide to "drop our trip" once we reached Parramatta, which represented "halfway" home.
We did this; except the driver whom stayed straight and by the time we got to St Marys both myself and my brother were "tripping out of this world". Everything was alive; pulsating; shinning; fluid; multi-coloured; translucent and strange. This was "another world" I had stepped into and everything spoke to me and its seemed like that I was being made aware that all "living matter shares the same Collective Consciousness".

Jefferson Airplane

By  the time we reached home, we were so "not of this world" that we stayed outside on the front and back lawns listening to music on a small transistor radio and gazing up to the glittering heavens. At sunrise we climbed into our parents caravan and crashed out for a few hours.

That night marked the beginning of my search for "Esoteric Knowledge" and the "meaning and purpose of life and creation".

We returned to this "hippie den" on a number of occassions but stayed the night there and "tripped" in a huge room with dozens of other people.  Our Hosts would provide "water and fruit" to sustain us and would keep us all "calm and happy". I remembering hearing The Beatles "Sgt Peppers" album for the first time whilst tripping inside this "hippie den" and was blown away by the music, especially the songs "Within you and without you" and "A day in the life".

Acid changed my entire perceptions on life which I still hold today although perceptions are often changed during the course of time.

 I became a Cosmic Being with Earthly connections and KNEW that I was "much more than a mere human being".

As a band we played at "Dances", "Private functions", "Nightclubs","outdoor and indoor concerts", "Drive ins" and "Swimming pools".

We played regular afternoon gigs at The Penrith Drive in and the Granville Swimming Pool. We had a regular weekly gigs in Lalor Park and St Mary's which we topped up with Private Parties and functions, such as Weddings and Engagements.

I remember one night playing at a Private function for the Labour Party just down the street from my home and got to meet both Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke; whom both became the Prime Ministers of Australia.
 I bet they still remember the occassion because I do.

"The Limit" was my first band and lasted for 4 years between 1965- 1969 and was a great time I shared with my older brother Graham.
He moved out of our parents home in sydney and into a unit in the inner east where he also worked a day job. The band soon split up and my brother joined a local band in the eastern suburbs.

I bought an acoustic guitar and began planning a Solo career in music for awhile, once I had mastered some songs and performance skills.

 
As the 1960s came to a close I fell in and out of love a number of times; I explored the world "within me and without me" using meditation and drugs.

Many weekends were spent "tripping the light fantastic" with friends and exploring the great outdoors, for the Blue Mountains were my playground.

The 60s ended with the Beatles singing "Let it Be" and we heeded their advice. The Dream was over and the Fab Four went their seperate ways in early 1970 and the Swinging Sixties came to an end.

"In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make".
(Lennon and McCartney)

"End of Part 1 ".

Contact; utaalkback@hotmail.com

"The greatest story never told".

 utaalkbackwards.blogspot.com